Newsletter - Term 1 - Week 2 - Issue 116

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Friends of St Joseph’s College

It gives me great pleasure to write my first newsletter to you as Principal of this fine College. 

Since arriving in Toowoomba in January, I have experienced a wonderful sense of community and I have enjoyed warmth and well wishes from students, staff and parents. I am looking forward to working with you all to deliver learning and spiritual growth for the students of St Josephs’.

During Week 1, the College experienced both joy and extreme sorrow. On Thursday the 25th, students, staff and parents farewelled 2024 Year 12 student Lucas Ardika who passed during the holidays. During his time at St Joseph’s College, Lucas gave of his very best through his quiet but friendly nature. He forged close friendships with his peers through his classes, especially music. Lucas will be missed immensely, and I take this opportunity on behalf of the College to express our sincere condolences to his parents Lynne, Nyoman and sibling Nicholas and Elizabeth. College staff and Fr Ray Crowley have been supporting both family and students during this distressing time and support structures are in place for both the family and students. “Eternal rest grant unto him, Lord and may perpetual light shine upon him”.

The College welcomed 164 eager Year 7 and 25 students in Year 8-12 last week. I am happy to report that all our new students have transitioned exceptionally well into the school, thanks to the wonderful transition program implemented by staff and the Year 12 buddies. Many Year 7 students commented on their positive experiences starting school and made mention of the care afforded by Year 12 students. This speaks volumes of the culture that exits in the College and reaffirms the College Motto “Serve Him in Others”.

To our new families, welcome to St Joseph's. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting you during our Information Evenings. I trust your time with us will be rewarding and fulfilling. To all our returning students and families, welcome back. 

I am looking forward to commencing a year full of learning and new experiences. At St Joseph’s there is a wonderful array of curricular, co-curricular and spiritual learning experiences on offer. I trust all learners will take full advantage of the opportunities afforded.

We also welcome new staff to St Joseph’s College for 2024:

Jay Hansen (Math, Science)

Jacinta Morriss (English, Religious Education)

Tarah-Lea Rival (English, Religious Education, Humanities)

Joel Farrell (Science, Math, Physical Education)

Ron Brennan (Design Technology)

John Condon (Arts, Religious Education, English)

Pamela Pedernal (Math, Science)

Anthea Holborn (Humanities, Religious Education) 

Sam Simpson (Design Technology, Science, Physical Education)

Cate Jackman (Careers Support Officer)

Beth Woodhauson (School Officer Food Technology)

The following staff members have moved into new roles or returned to the College in 2024:

Ben Gehrmann (Acting Curriculum Leader Technology T1)

Rosanne Pietch (Program Leader Mission & Identity)

Bill Whiting (Program Leader Student Engagement Leader)

Amanda Crouch (Program Leader Year 7) – returning from leave.

Kirstie Andrews (Program Leader Middle School Learning)- returning from leave.

Renee Robinson (School Officer Project Support)

Karyn Morrison (Acting Program Leader Enhanced Learning) from week 5 Term 1

Each staff member is an excellent practitioner in their respective area/s, and we look forward to the contributions they will make within the College in 2024. A warm welcome to you all, may your time with us be rewarding.

Student Achievements 

As a school we would like to acknowledge the achievements of our recently graduated Year 12 students. Twenty-five percent of our ATAR eligible students achieved above 90, whilst the average ATAR score was 85. Equally impressive sixty-seven per cent of students achieved a vocational education qualification, whilst all students have graduated with a clear pathway. These results are a wonderful reflection of the myriad of opportunities available to all students.

St Joseph’s College was also recently celebrated by ACARA (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority) and local media for being a high performing school in NAPLAN against similar schools. These results are the culmination of successive years of work by the College to skill staff in delivering literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills to students.

As I write to you, I would like to acknowledge the outstanding contribution my predecessor, Principal Kort Goodman has made to the St Joseph’s College Community. Over the previous four years, Kort’s stewardship of St Joseph’s has been exemplary, and students, staff and parents have been the beneficiaries. We look forward to a connection with Kort in his role as Senior Education Leader at Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office.

As a College, we have much to be proud of. As Principal, I will be continuing a focus on staff professional learning and student wellbeing to ensure every student can flourish. Central to this is ensuring that our Catholic identity is understood, lived and articulated, through an Edmund Rice charism. Our school facilities are on an upward trajectory, with the new staff carpark and student drop areas completed whilst the Mary Rice classroom extension project has commenced.

At a time of considerable global, national and local political and social division and upheaval, a Catholic education at St Joseph’s College has never been more relevant. I look forward to leading this vibrant community and working alongside staff, students, parents and community.

God bless,

Jim Brennan - Principal - jbrennan@sjc.qld.edu.au

From the Deputy Principal

From the Deputy 

To all our new families and students, welcome to St Joseph’s College for the 2024 academic year. We trust that your time with us will be exciting and fulfilling. To all our returning families and students, welcome back. We are very much looking forward to commencing what is promising to be a very exciting and full year of learning together. I trust that you all had a relaxing, re-energising and enjoyable family time over this holiday period.

As we start a new year, our tip to all students to get the most out of their schooling is to be involved in as much as possible in a wide variety of areas. This is the way students will meet other like-minded students, learn and become excited by their high school journey. It is then over to the students to participate in as many of the activities and events and take every opportunity which is provided to them. 

Already this year the students have had many opportunities to be totally immersed and engaged in activities. These have included:

• Welcoming students for 2024. Making new friends or reconnecting
• Opening Liturgy, Seniors Induction and Semester 2 Academic Awards
• Year 7 Information Evening and Laptop Rollout
• Yr 8-12 Information Evenings
• Yr 7-9 Standardised Testing
• Year 12 Ball Practice
• Year 7 Music Immersion Tryouts
• Field Excursions
• Sporting teams commencing training and competition

Partnership

A key to success at St Joseph’s College is partnership - partnership between the students, their teachers and you, the parents. Please remember that we are only an email or a phone call away if you have any queries or concerns. Staff email addresses are as follows: firstinitialSurname@sjc.qld.edu.au e.g. bwillocks@sjc.qld.edu.au.

Please do not hesitate to make contact should you feel there are other topics that may need addressing throughout the school year as we work to help our young people navigate their journey.

God of the journey, may St Joseph’s College be a place where our culture is clear, a culture of Christian love, leading to each individual becoming a better person, and so enabling success and happiness. Amen.

Upcoming Events

Brendon Willocks - Deputy Principal  -  bwillocks@sjc.qld.edu.au

From the Assistant Principal - Curriculum

On Friday the 2nd February, we celebrated Academic Achievement at the College. 
 
A special thank you to our Academic Captains, Dishita Arya and Keeleigh Keenan, who have already set the stage for an inspiring year ahead. Their words resonated with us, and we eagerly anticipate the positive impact they will make in 2024.
 
As proud members of the St Joseph’s community, we strive to embody Respect, Compassion, Endeavour, and Dignity—the Joey's Way.

Our College’s liturgical theme, "With these Hands," encourages us to be hands-on, passionately engaged in opportunities that align with our interests and aspirations.

As we delved into the heart of our Academic Assembly, we reflected on the essence of Endeavour. At St Joseph’s College, we define it as aspiring to excellence, participating and persevering, and being punctual and prepared.

See the full list of Academic Award recipients for Semester 2, 2023 at the end of this article.

Our Teaching and Learning Framework places learners at the centre, emphasising the importance of pursuing passions and pathways with a commitment to excellence.

The new House Cup, explained by Mr Cryle, provides a tangible way for every student to contribute through their learning behaviours this year. Every student at the College could contribute a point by achieving 'Very Goods' or 'Goods' for their learning behaviours on each report cards.

This year will continue to see the implementation of the St Joseph’s College Teaching and Learning Framework. Our focus on learner clarity and agency continues. We aim to build a culture of shared learning, where students actively contribute, advocate for their learning, and become self-motivated.

We congratulate our 2023 Dux of the College – Keely Byrne

Keely's commitment to excellence, demonstrated through Academic Awards and active participation in various aspects of College life, including the religious life and College Musical, reflect her dedication. 

As a senior student, Keely and I would have many discussions about assessment and progress. She showed great resilience and determination in Year 11 and 12, and it is wonderful to see how her hard work has enabled her to achieve the highest academic recognition at the College – the 2023 Dux.

Curriculum Evenings

It was wonderful to see so many families attending our information evening last week.

If you are interested in the accessing information from the evening, please visit our website at: http://www.sjc.qld.edu.au/learning-journey/

Semester 2, 2023 Academic Award Recipients

Congratulations to the students who received an Academic Award at assembly on Friday, 2 February 2024. 

The Gold, Silver and Bronze Badges may be worn as part of the student’s uniform.  

It is a symbol to be proud of wearing and something for all to aspire towards. 

The Criteria to obtain an Academic Award is: 

* Year 9 & 10 English – Extension & Mathematics – Extension and Year 10 Science 1  

students who receive a B or higher are included in the above criteria to obtain an Academic Award. 

Kerrie-Anne Fellenberg - Assistant Principal - Curriculum - KFellenberg@sjc.qld.edu.au

From the Assistant Principal - Student Engagement

As the 2024 Academic Year commences, I hope the following outline of some Student Engagement matters is helpful for students and their families so that they can be absolutely clear on what our expectations of them are. 

Uniform Expectations and Processes

Our uniform expectations and processes remain unchanged from Term 1. Nonetheless, as we settle back into school life after a well-earned break, it’s important to remind ourselves of what is expected of us and, importantly, why we take pride in our uniform at St Joseph’s College. 

Wearing full and correct uniform is a lived expression of the imperative ‘Be proud, Be Humble’. In other words, being proud enough of this community to wear the uniform with pride, whilst humble enough to know our place in it. An essential part of being a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition is that we each see ourselves as being valued and respected individuals who are part of a community much bigger than ourselves. At St Joseph’s College we wear full and correct uniform for the following reasons: 

• Edmund Rice provided uniforms for his students who were from impoverished areas around Waterford, Ireland. For us, wearing correct uniform ensures the dignity of all students regardless of their background.  
• Wearing uniform enables us to ‘switch on’ for learning. 
• Wearing the uniform ensures every student is dressed safely 
• Wearing correct uniform helps our students get into the habit of presenting themselves well, which is an important career-building skill. 
• Wearing the uniform empowers out students to express appreciation for the educational opportunities they have been afforded. 
• Wearing the College uniform presents the College favourably to the broader community.  

Students are expected to arrive and depart each day in the appropriate College academic uniform including the formal hat, worn neatly and with pride. Whilst off campus, students are expected to wear the College uniform to the same standard expected on campus. When departing the College students may choose to change out of their formal uniform. If a student chooses this option, then they are to change completely out of the College uniform. 

What Is the Correct Uniform? 

An outline of correct uniform can be found below. 

*Not accepted after January 2025 

What’s Not Permitted? 

Any hairstyle must be of the same length at the sides as it as at the back. Mullet hair styles are not permitted. Hair must be tied back if it covers below the eyebrows or touches the collar 

• Additional piercings (including in the nose and upper ear) are not permitted. Students are not permitted to wear transparent sleepers or studs in their nose or in upper ear. This includes ‘bullring’ style septum piercings that can be concealed by pushing it into the nostrils.  
• Students must not wear the sports ‘bucket’ hat with formal uniform.  
• Students wearing the boys’ uniform must have a black belt. 
• High-ankled leather shoes (i.e. Doc Martins) are not permitted. 

When Should my Child Wear the Formal Uniform? 

Students must wear the formal college uniform when at school. If students choses to wear the formal uniform outside school hours, they must wear complete College uniform. Students are also welcome to change into free dress to travel home.  

When Should my Child Wear the Sport Uniform? 

Students wear the sport uniform in PE lessons or other activities we they explicitly instructed to wear sport uniform (e.g. inter school sport). Students may also be invited (but never required) to wear sport uniform on College events and feast days. Students must not arbitrarily wear sport uniform to school.  

What if My Child is Out of Uniform? 

If a student presents to school in incorrect uniform with a note they should: 

• Present the note to their Joey’s Way teacher 
• Request that the Joey’s Way teacher sign the student’s diary 
• Keep the note with them for the day to show staff if challenged 
• The Joey’s Way teacher may be in contact with the parent to determine a plan to help the student wear full and correct uniform. 

The table below provides a summary of responses if a student presents to school out of uniform with no note: 

If a student forgets an item of their uniform they may present to the Ignatius Room in the morning to borrow that item. 

Mobile Devices Guidelines 

Given the fact that so many community members have so much access to the digital world through their smart devices, it is important that we all have a clear understanding of what expectations we have of our students with regard to their mobile devices. Our expectations are inclusive of all smart devices including mobile phones and smart watches.  

In developing these guidelines, St Joseph’s College acknowledges the following: 

• The College plays an important role in forming young people who can engage with technology in a way that is safe, ethical, responsible and reflective of future expectations from employers, families and friends.  
• Ubiquitous access to technology and the internet will be part of life for most of our students both outside and beyond their schooling. 
• Unfettered access to online material and communities (including social media) presents very real risks to the privacy and safety of our students.  

In response to these challenges, St Joseph’s College will: 

• Provide education to students on cyber safety and appropriate use of technology through the Joey’s Way Curriculum and other incursion and excursion opportunities. 
• Provide families with full access to FamilyZone- a digital tool that helps to build trust, integrity and safety for students online. 
• Respond to incidents of cyberbullying between our students the same way we would to any other type of bullying. See our Transgressing the Joey’s Way Compendium for details.   

 To support the College’s responsibilities, we request that parents and guardians: 

• Access the St Joseph’s College Cyber Safety Hub on a regular basis to get up-to-date, expert advice on maximising online safety for young people.  
• Have regular, low-threat conversations with students about their online activity and use of technology.  
• If parents or guardians need to contact their child throughout the school day, do so by contacting the school in the first instance rather than via the student’s mobile device.  

St Joseph’s College, therefore, has the following expectations of its students and their use of technology: 

• Students are expected to live out The Joey’s Way at all times, including in their online behaviour.  
• Students may discreetly carry their device with them while at school, but they are not permitted to use it from 8:30am until 3pm on all school days (this includes carnivals, festival days etc).  
• Students may use their device to pay for items at the tuckshop.  
• Students may use their devices with the expressed permission of staff member.  
• Students must present all devices (including mobile phones and smart watches) to the supervisor when completing any type of examination in which the integrity of that assessment may be compromised by the presence of any mobile technology.  

If a student fails to meet these expectations, they will be asked to take their device to student entrance where it will be held for the remainder of the day.  

• Parents will be contacted after the second indiscretion in a term.  
• Parents will be required to meet with the relevant House Leader after the third indiscretion in a term. 

A concerning and emerging trend around the world is the tendency for people to use their device to film a situation where another person’s safety might be in jeopardy, for example a fight. At St Joseph’s College our paramount priority is the safety of all people, especially our students. Despite the trend, we cannot be the types of people who film a situation where someone else is in danger. As people who Serve Him In Others or students must either: 

1. If it is safe to do so, help the person or people who are not safe. 

OR 

2. If it is not safe to do so, get appropriate help as quickly as possible. This might include finding a staff member if the situation is at school, or calling Police if the situation is outside school.   

Process for Leaving Class 

Our primary reason for coming to school each day is to learn. Nobody in our community would disagree with this statement. Sometimes, our students may be challenged by a desire to leave the classroom. In many cases, there are good reasons for this. Nonetheless, it’s important that all students, staff, parents and guardians have clarity on the process for leaving class. 

In order to minimise time out of class, all students should: 

1. Have a water bottle. This prevents them leaving the classroom if they are thirsty 
2. Using facilities such as toilets at break times. That is, before the bell rings.  
3. Remaining mindful that the main role of student at the College is to be in class, every lesson, for the whole lesson.  

If a student has a genuine and urgent reason for leaving the classroom, they should take the following steps: 

1. Raise their hand and respectfully request to leave the room. Students with a red card may use their red card to communicate this request to their teacher.  
2. Present their diary for signing by the teacher, this enables appropriate record keeping which maximises student supervision and safety. 
3. Students must leave their phone on the teacher’s desk; this drastically reduces the possibility of a student becoming further distracted while out of class. 
4. Students should use the bathroom as quickly as possible and ask their teacher to sign the diary upon returning.  
5. Students should then plan to catch up on missed work. 
6. Students must remain mindful that regular exits from class erode trust and negatively impact learning. Teachers may wish to have a follow up conversation with students if they become concerned about frequent exits from class. 

Please also note that the Ignatius Room no-longer accepts self-referrals. If students do not believe they can be in class, they need to go the sick bay. 

Thank you in anticipation of your support as we work to maximise safety and learning at St Joseph’s College.  

Bullying and Harassment Processes 

No school, including St Joseph’s, would ever be wise to claim that bullying and harassment does not affect its community members. As such, staff, students and parents must continue to work together to ensure the physical and emotional safety of all community members. In terms of our proactive strategies to ensure right relationships at St Joseph’s College, we have: 

• Developed and publicised our Joey’s Way framework and emphasised the importance of imperatives like ‘Respect Unconditionally’, ‘Use Empathy’, ‘Celebrate Diversity’, ‘Practise Honesty and Integrity’ and ‘Speak and Act Safely’. 
• A robust and purposeful Joey’s Way Curriculum taught each morning from 8:30-9:00am that covers topics like Restorative Practices, Character Strengths, Mental Health and Relationships and Sexuality Education. 

In terms of our responsive strategies to ensure right relationships, we utilise 

• Our Student Engagement Guidelines detail our guiding principles and strategies for maximising student engagement in learning. Section 4.9 (page 10) also outlines our anti-bullying processes: 

Bullying in any of its forms has no place at St Joseph’s College. All members of our school community must be able to enjoy a safe school environment, free from fear or harassment.  

At St Joseph’s College, we define bullying as the utilisation of a power imbalance by one person or group of people to oppress another student. A power imbalance can be on the basis of age, physical size, capability in a particular activity, social status or number of people. Bullying includes, but is not limited to physical bullying, emotional bullying, psychological bullying, racial harassment or sexual harassment. If a student believes they or a peer is being bullied, they can take the following steps:  

1. If it safe to do so, calmly ask the person to stop the behaviour that is making them threatened.  

2. Report the bullying to a trusted adult, this can be a parent, guardian or a staff member.  

3. Report the bullying via Stymie, an anonymous reporting platform (see section 4.7)  

If bullying is reported to the college, we will take the following action:  

1. Manage the situation discreetly and recorded on our database.  

2. Offer support to the victim of bullying  

3. Investigate the incident using witness testimony and surveillance cameras where applicable.  

4. If necessary, utilise a formal sanction according to our Transgressing The Joey’s Way Compendium  

5. If appropriate, the College may invite relevant students to partake in a Restorative Conference. 

All this information, including relevant policies and guidelines, is detailed on the College website under ‘Student Engagement’.  

Thank you in anticipation of your support as we continue to ensure that all members of our community are safe and included. 

Joseph Cryle - Assistant Principal - Student Engagement -  JCryle@sjc.qld.edu.au 

From the Assistant Principal - Religious Education

2024 Liturgical Theme  

The Year 12 Liturgy Group was very excited to share with the community the liturgical theme for 2024.  

To begin their process, they started by looking back on themes from previous years and discussing what they liked and what they thought could be improved.  

In the past few years, our themes have focused on head and heart, so this year we will focus on hands.  

After lots of discussion around how they could incorporate the concept of hands and serving Him in others through our actions, they decided on the theme: “With these hands, we create…” 

This theme focuses on many aspects of College life, particularly the hands-on learning experiences provided and our College motto, “Serve Him in Others”.   

“With these hands, we create…” will mean so many things to so many people, but to we believe it means to encourage action and involvement in all the ways we live out our faith in the Joey’s community.  

Our school provides us with many opportunities whether it be related to music, art, sport, academics or mission. We believe this theme will motivate the community to get involved, be creative, share ideas and work together to achieve goals and live out our motto, ‘Serve Him in Others.' 

You will notice that our theme has an ellipsis at the end. An ellipsis is a punctuation mark of three dots (. . .) that shows an omission of words, represents a pause, or suggests there's something left unsaid or yet to add. This is a really important part of our theme as it celebrates the many opportunities for creation and service.  

For each celebration, we will add to the end of the theme.  

For our beginning-of-year assembly, we recognised that with these hands, we create opportunities. And in our Induction ceremony, the Year 12 were encouraged to use these hands, to create memories.  



Senior Induction – Presentation of Ties and Badges 

College Captains 2024 Opening Address 

The following is the opening address given by our esteemed College Captains, Sophie Skuse and Joe McNamara.  

The following is the opening address given by our esteemed College Captains, Sophie Skuse and Joe McNamara.  

Good morning students, staff, and parents. Welcome to a new school year, we trust you’ve all settled in well so far. And to all the new students we hope you are enjoying St Joseph’s and are finding your way around our school well. Standing here right now feels so surreal, having the finish line so close for our class of 2024. The senior induction of our cohort is something that has always seemed so far away, but this is no longer the reality. Within our time at the College, we have seen five cohorts undergo this exact ceremony and to believe it is finally our turn is unbelievable. We have all grown together and helped shape each other into the people we have become today. Of course, Grade 12’s are not the only ones sitting here today, our job, more than anything is to act as a responsible role model and to nurture the students who will carry on without us. So, Sophie and I would like to take this time to reflect on some of our hopes and goals that we wish to act on throughout 2024.  

This year our liturgical theme, ‘With these hands, we create…’, centers around creating.  

We have two aspirations as your leaders for 2024. WE WILL create a community that is inclusive, and WE WILL create a positive mindset and culture. 
When writing this speech, Joe and I had to seriously consider the meaning behind creating in relation to our goals. Deciding which language to use, whether it be ‘will’ vs ‘want’, was a challenge. We had to select the most appropriate word which in result would have the most meaningful impact on our community. The word ‘will’ shows the dedication and determination that we as a community will demonstrate when living out these goals. Saying we will do something has power and meaning behind it, that will have effect immediately.  
But creating this needs your help. Creating a better future looks like, getting your ‘hands dirty’, putting yourself out there and trying new things. It means being open to opportunities and ready to jump to action. This year we encourage every one of you to try something different and get yourself involved, you never know what might happen, or what people you may meet.  
The first thing WE WILL create is a community that is inclusive! 
This ceremony marks the start of a new year for the senior students, the last year for us to make an impression on the college and the grades that are to follow. It is through this that we will create an inclusive environment in which not only established students can feel at home but also the people only just joining our college. Throughout this year this is what Sophie, and I will strive to embody while imploring others to do the same as it is through this that people can reach their full potential.  
 
This inclusivity also goes hand in hand with the concept of recognition. Through recognition we can promote those within our community who may be working to better both themselves and others around them. Acknowledging these people can help to promote a college environment where people can be more confident in stepping out of their comfort zones. This is what allows people to thrive throughout their schooling and is why Sophie and I are so keen to share these ideas with you all. 

The second thing WE WILL create is a positive mindset and culture in 2024! 
Believe in the power and importance of everything you do, invest yourself 100% and commit to your education as well as opportunities outside of the classroom. Make the most out of these moments and years of Highschool, because in a blink of an eye you will be where we are today.  
 
At the end of term or the year we encourage you to look back and be proud of the progress you have made, what you have accomplished and how each obstacle and learning process made you grow. Failure is a massive part of the learning process, and with every failure comes the chance to learn and get back up to try again. Setting goals and having the determination to achieve these goals is shown through the consistent hard work and effort that goes into everything you do, SO...This year will no doubt have its obstacles, but we encourage you to persevere through even the toughest times and never give up! Don't be afraid to grab each failure with both hands and create an opportunity to overcome, grow and learn.  
 
A lot of us probably overlook the significance of showing up to school, seeing it as nothing but an endless routine. However, as I bet a lot of us here today are beginning to grasp, time slips away and before you know it you have very little time to make your own impact. Before you know it, it will be your own senior year and you will be wondering where all the time went. It's like a wakeup call, to make the most of what school you have left, spread positivity and give yourself a strong legacy to be remembered by. 
 
We hope we have been able to share with you this morning our 2 clear goals that are not achievable without the whole community. To reiterate our goals, they are; WE WILL create a community that is inclusive, and WE WILL create a positive mindset and culture. Our goals for the year will hopefully encourage everyone to nurture a college that can lift each other up and recognize the efforts of everybody. With these goals in mind, we are not just heading into the future; we are creating it, together! Do not give up on your goals, you may not be there yet, but you’re closer than you were yesterday, so keep trying, keep learning. Let’s roll up our sleeves, embrace new challenges and make our shared vision a reality for 2024!! 

Kellie-Marie Ford - Assistant Principal - Religious Education  -  kford@sjc.qld.edu.au

College Captains

What a wonderful first week back that we have had, coming to school and seeing familiar faces, along with welcoming all of our new students into our school community. We can speak for most of the College when saying that readjusting back to the school routine can be challenging and some people are tackling this better than others. As your College Captains, we are aiming to be a pillar of support to help everyone thrive throughout this new year.

Some advice we can offer is to give all opportunities a red hot go this year and to try your hardest in everything you do knowing that you are 100% backed by those around you. This rings true for absolutely everyone within our community whether it be those just starting high school this week, all the way to those that are just entering the senior years. You can be confident in knowing that you are in the best environment to thrive throughout 2024.
Wishing all the best with this term ahead,

2024 College Captains - Joe McNamara and Sophie Skuse 

Welcome New Students and Families!

Dear St Joseph's Families, 

What an incredible start it’s been, meeting all of our new students and Year 7s for 2024. 

Get ready for an incredible journey as we welcome you to the St Joseph's College community! We're thrilled to have you on board, and there's so much in store for both parents and students.

Embracing Excellence

St Joseph's College is more than just a school; it's a place where excellence meets community. Our devoted staff are geared up to guide and nurture your child's academic pursuits while ensuring a holistic development that goes beyond the classroom.

Dive into Opportunities

The opportunities are boundless! From dynamic extracurricular activities to spirited sports events and culturally enriching experiences, your time at St Joseph's will be brimming with chances to explore, learn, and grow. We're here to help you make the most of every moment.

Stay Connected

Communication is the heartbeat of our community. Look forward to regular updates, newsletters, and engaging events that keep you in the loop about the exciting happenings at St Joseph's College. We believe in fostering a strong partnership between parents, students, and our dedicated educators.

Join the St Joseph's Family

At St Joseph's, we're more than just a school; we're a family. Our values, commitment to diversity, and dedication to excellence create an environment where everyone belongs. Together, let's make your college experience unforgettable.

Your Remarkable Journey Begins

Welcome to St Joseph's College, where each day is an opportunity to discover, learn, and thrive. We're excited to see you flourish and create lasting memories. Cheers to the beginning of an extraordinary academic adventure!

Warm regards,

Amanda Crouch - Student Engagement Middle Leader - Year 7 Coordinator  - ACrouch@sjc.qld.edu.au

Sport

St Joseph’s College Swimming Carnival.

Tuesday February 6 is our annual Swimming Carnival being held at Milne Bay Aquatic Centre. It is a day to celebrate our first inter-house competition as well as acknowledging Age Champions in each of the year levels.

All students should be attending as it is a normal school day. All students are encouraged to swim whether it be 50 metres or 25 metres where they can earn House Points that contribute to the overall winning House for the day. If they cannot attend, they should be dressed up in house colours and yelling their lungs out in the grandstand supporting those that are swimming and earning points for the House.

The morning session is Open boys and girls, 16 years boys and girls and 15 years boys and girls, and this includes any Year 9 students who are turning 15 in 2024. The students will then either be transported back to the college or permitted to go home. I would, however, encourage any students with aspirations of becoming a student leader, to stay and support students in the afternoon session with the juniors. All students make their own way to the pool but there will be buses running from the college to take students to the pool leaving at approximately 8.30am. Racing should begin at 8.45am if possible.

The afternoon session is all Year 7, 8, and 9 students who are 14 years and younger. Students will be bused to the pool after completing lessons in Period 1 and Period 2. They are permitted to wear their sports uniforms to school and change into their swimmers at morning tea time before they get on the buses. The afternoon session should be completed by 2.40pm for student pick up or bus return to the College.

Put the war paint on, find plenty of colour and dress up in your house colours, fill the grandstand with a rainbow of colour.

Students should bring plenty of food and water, but we will be providing a barbeque for students to buy a sausage and bread and water if they require food. The barbeque will only operate for about 60-90 minutes for each session.

May the best house win!

Sporting Trials

Many TSSS and Darling Downs trials are occurring in term 1 and 2. Parents and students MUST read the daily notices and view the sports calendar on the intranet site so that students do not miss out.

Information that has arrived and currently being called are:

10 - 12 years Range swimming trials - nominations close Feb 5

13 - 16 years DD swimming trials - nominations close Feb 15 

10 - 12 years boys cricket trial Monday Feb 19 - nominations close Feb 15

TSSS 15 - 16 and 17 - 18 years Girls’ rugby league trials - nominations close Feb 9 (Gala Day Feb 14)

TSSS 14 - 15 and 16 - 18 years Boys Rugby league trials - nominations close Feb 16 (Gala Day Feb 26)

Student Achievements

Evie King and Sienna Wilson travelled to Waverley in Victoria for Under 16 Nationals in softball from January 2 to 7.

After an intense 3 months of scheduled midweek and Sunday training in Brisbane, the girls rose to the occasion showing the other States exactly what Queensland is capable of.

Their team went through undefeated in the normal round-robin competition and went on to defeat New South Wales by Mercy rule in the fifth innings 9 – 2.

Evie and Sienna’s parents are notably extremely proud of the dedication and commitment the girls have shown and can’t wait to see what the 2024/2025 season brings.

At the Queensland Championships, recently graduated Year 12 student Sienna Deurloo continued to swim amazingly. She finished 1st in the 18-year-old 200m backstroke and 4th place in the 17-years-and-over 800m freestyle!

Debbie Newtown - Program Leader - Sport - DNewton@sjc.qld.edu.au

Connecting with Careers

Welcome back to the start of a new school year!  We hope that you have had an enjoyable holiday and are ready for the exciting year ahead. 
We welcome Ms Cate Jackman to the Career Pathways Team and we look forward to working in partnership with you to support your child/children on their career exploration.

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce the Career Pathways Team.

We are excited to welcome Ms Cate Jackman to St Joseph’s College as the Career Support Officer.

Term 1 promises to be a dynamic term for Career Pathways, featuring the following events:

• Career Education and Development Presentation 
• Year 8 Careers Day
• Year 10 Work Experience
• Lunch and Learn – Career Pathways

In 2023, we are delighted to share with you that Career Education and Development (CED) lessons will continue to be integrated into the Joey’s Way curriculum. This term, the focus is on ‘Self’. The CED lessons will be held every Day 7. The purpose of these lessons is to empower students to make informed decisions about their future career pathways that align with their individual needs. We look forward to a year of growth, learning and collaboration with you and your child/children.

We have a dedicated school careers website to assist our students with all their career research, portfolio development and post-school planning. Aside from the main website, students have their own secure area to create and store career information and documents which can be accessed at any time. 

The site is also designed with you, the parent/carers in mind, to provide you with all the information you need about your child’s career planning and post-school options as the information is constantly changing in these areas. We encourage parents/carers to familiarise themselves with the platform and range of communications available to keep informed. 

You can find our site at sjccareers. 

In this newsletter, we are focusing on: 

· App access to Options Career Information

· Study Skills and Wellbeing

· Year 10 Work Experience 2024

App access to Options Career Information

As a member of our school community, we are excited to announce that you now have exclusive access to the Options Career App. This user-friendly application is readily available on both the Apple Store and Google Play.

To get started download the Options Career Information from the App Store for iPhone or Android. The unique school access code – Joeysway2024 

The App gives you convenient access to a wealth of career information and key calendar dates. Stay informed and empowered as you navigate the exciting journey of career exploration alongside your child.

Study Skills and Wellbeing

As we embark on a new school year, it is a timely reminder of effective study skills that will form the foundation for success for the students’ learning. The following checklist will help students get started:

• Learning environment: find a place to study without distractions. It should be somewhere quiet, without TV/Online media, loud distracting music, social media or mobile.
• Focus and structure: consider studying the hard subjects first when you’re most alert and focused.
• Time management: have a specific time of the day for studying and make it the same time every day if possible. Let friends and family know your allocated daily study time and ask them not to disturb you. You could put your study schedule on the fridge.
• Concentration and breaks: work out how long you can concentrate before you lose focus. It’s going to be different for everyone, so keep track of your ideal concentration time. Then take breaks when you’re approaching your limit. Breaks can be 5 to 10 minutes.
• Preparation: ensure you have everything you need close by (e.g. books, notes, pens, pads, charged devices, good net connection etc.).
• Healthy Eating: avoid eating a large meal before studying, as it can make you drowsy.
• Get started: start studying when you say you will. Delaying the start will only make the task harder.
• One thing at a time: multitasking may sound smart, but it means you’re not giving each task your full attention.
• Get in early: never study too close to going to sleep. Give yourself at least half an hour of relaxation before turning in. Sleep is essential to achieving your best. 

Start the year as you plan to finish, organised, committed and balanced.

Year 10 Work Experience 2024

Thank you to the students who have returned their completed and signed Work Experience Placement Agreement forms. A gentle reminder Year 10 students that your Work Experience Placement Agreement forms are due 29 January 2024.

This term Year 10 students will engage in an eight-week Work Experience Preparation program commencing on Monday, 5 February 2024.

Click here to access the resources via sjccareers.com.au.

You are invited to see Mrs Harman or Ms Jackman if you have any questions. 

For more information please contact the Careers Team.

Maree Harman - Career Development Practitioner  -  mharman@sjc.qld.edu.au

Cate Jackman - Careers Support Officer  -  CJackman@sjc.qld.edu.au

SJC - Community News

Our Parent Business Directory has begun and you may see some of our parents business in our column beside our newsletter! We would like to include more businesses. If you would like to be featured please send through any deatils and/or business graphics to: marketing@sjc.qld.edu.au

Uniform Shop

EFTPOS only - No Cash accepted until further notice.

Welcome back to 2024.

The uniform shop is stocked and still has plenty of stock after back to school.

Thank you everyone for your patience over the back-to-school period with our computers down.

Have you purchased your new All Purpose Jacket, they are available in store for $99.00 and are selling fast?

Items you might not know we sell:

Female Bike Shorts

Black leather school shoes

Water bottles

Hair Accessories

Hat bands

Scarves

Second hand clothing

Orders can be made online, paid for over the phone and all orders can be delivered to student entrance for your child to collect from there.

Online orders can also be delivered to your home for a fee.

Online ordering is available at all times and will only be packed during shop trading hours.

Please contact the uniform shop on the below details:

Phone:           07 4631 8514

Email:             sjct@midford.com.au

Ordering Online Process

www.midford.com.au     pass phrase StJC1956

Second hand uniforms are also available at the Uniform Shop.

If you have used uniform items that would like to donate, please drop off to the Uniform Shop during opening hours.  Donations are greatly appreciated.

If you have used uniform items that you would like us to sell for you, please call into the uniform shop and collect a “Used Clothing” form. Used uniforms items MUST be in good condition, hems intact, no holes, stains or missing buttons. They also need to washed, ironed and be the current uniform. 

If you have any questions, please call us on 4631 8514 during opening hours.