Newsletter - Term 3 - Week 2 - Issue 69

From the Principal

Welcome back to term three. This week I would like to take the opportunity to thank and congratulate members of our community on their efforts over the last semester, the holidays and during the first two weeks of Term 3.

• Congratulations to Mrs Emily Whiting (Excellence in Leadership - Middle Leadership), Mrs Kirstie Andrews (Excellence in Leadership - Emerging Leader), Mr Ben Gehrman (Excellence in Teaching & Learning – Secondary Expert Teacher), Miss Kate Flemming (Excellence in Educational Support – Administration, Finance & Facilities), Mrs Tanya Leahy (Excellence in Educational Support – Administration, Finance & Facilities), Mrs Maree Harman (Excellence in Teaching & Learning – Secondary Expert Teacher) and the St Joseph’s College Senior Leadership Team (Excellence in Leadership – School Leadership) on their nomination for an award as part of the Toowoomba Catholic School Excellence Awards. The nominees for these awards are people who have been recognized by members of our community and the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office. A special congratulations to Mrs Emily Whiting, Mrs Kirstie Andrews, Mrs Maree Harman and the St Joseph’s College Senior Leadership Team on progressing to the finals of the awards. The announcement and presentation of the awards will take place next Thursday and we look forward to hearing the results.

• Congratulations to our students who will be presented with Catholic Education Week Awards and Academic Excellence Awards over the upcoming weeks. These awards recognise students who are consistently demonstrating excellence across the twelve imperatives of our Joey’s Way. These students are to be commended for their outstanding commitment and dedication to their learning and the way in which they live out our St Joseph’s College motto of ‘Serve Him in others.’ Congratulations students in advance of receiving your certificates.

• Well done to the students, staff and community members who participated, coached and supported the students in the QISS Netball and QISS Confraternity Rugby League Carnivals that were cut short during our recent holidays. The three teams involved all represented our community with pride and determination and I have had many people comment on each team’s efforts. The QISSN netball team’s excellent teamwork and success, the amazing energy and effort of the girl’s rugby league team and the way in which the boy’s rugby league team were growing in confidence and belief. The sudden cancellation of the carnival was a very trying time for our students and staff I would like to congratulate them all for being such wonderful ambassadors of our College.

• Thank you to our Parents and Carers for your support in ensuring that the great majority of the students have returned to the College with the required materials for their subjects and meeting the uniform expectations. In order for the students to have the opportunity to be successful in their learning, they first must be punctual and prepared and this is a continual focus for our College community. If I could please encourage those families who did not have the opportunity to check if their child has all the required resources and uniform to start the new semester to please do so.

Thank you, well done and congratulations to all.

Term 3 Week 3 - Catholic Education Week

Next week is Catholic Education Week and a reminder, as highlighted in the College calendar, that next Friday is the Bishop’s Inservice Day which is a Professional Learning and Reflection Day for staff and students are not required to attend the College on this day.  During this week each year we take the oppurtunity to join with all Catholic schools across the country to celbrate and promote our distinctive misson and ethos. Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.

Catholic education:

• Is a faith-based education which places the values of Jesus at its centre.
• Is a high quality, holistic education for 1 in 5 young Queenslanders, educating them to be well-informed, highly skilled and constructive members of the community.
• Values diversity and treats each student with dignity enabling them in turn to promote and respect the dignity of all.
• Nurtures in students a commitment to social justice and a critical social consciousness.
• Prepares students for global responsibilities through stewardship of the earth’s resources.
• Is an integral part of the local and universal Church.
• Occurs in welcoming, inclusive, and connected communities.

We congratulate and show our appreciation of the efforts of all members of our Catholic school communities and we look forward to continuing on the great tradition of Catholic Education in the Toowoomba Diocese.

St Joseph’s College Towards 2024 Strategic Plan

Continuing on from our previous two newsletters this week I share with you our Mission and Identity strategic intents and improvement strategies from our St Joseph’s College Towards 2024 Strategic Plan.

Domain - Mission and Identity – Religion Curriculum 

Strategic Intent: St Joseph’s College embed research-based religious pedagogy and curriculum aligned praxis to ensure our learners are actively engaged, and critical thinking religious citizens. 

Key Improvement Strategies: 

To promote the role Religious Education plays within the St Joseph’s College community the College will: 

• Engage with best practice pedagogy in Religious Education through the Illuminate Project.
• Support staff to acquire the relevant knowledge to engage with scripture and the pedagogy of encounter.
• Support staff to use high impact teaching strategies in Religious Education.
• Use student voice to inform the development of curriculum and classroom teaching.
• Support staff to increase involvement in mission activities.
• Implement praxis experiences and connect service learning to the curriculum and key content descriptors.

Domain - Mission and Identity – Religious Life of the School 

Strategic Intent: As part of the life and mission of the Catholic Church, St Joseph’s College deeply commits to the formation of staff and students in the Jesus story and Edmund Rice charism. The St Joseph’s College community is empowered to critically inquire and explore faith in action for a lifelong engagement. 

Key Improvement Strategies: 

To develop and implement a clear, relevant, and meaningful staff formation plan aligned to our strategic goals and staff voice, St Joseph’s College will: 

• Educate staff and students in the Edmund Rice Charism.
• Join the EREA association to make connections and take advantage of opportunities from the wider network.
• Respond to staff needs in empowering them with the skills to engage with the Pedagogy of Encounter and Dialogue. 

To nurture a distinctive and contemporary Catholic Identity, the College will: 

• Be a leading example of recontextualising our faith through the Joey’s Way.
• Clearly focus on the Edmund Rice Charism through prayer and celebration, assembly, classroom prayer and reflection, and Joey’s Way lessons.

To provide for the formation of students in the Joey’s Way, our way of living out faith and the Edmund Rice charism, the College will: 

• Introduce explicit formation lessons within the Joey’s Way curriculum.
• Embed scripture and the story of Edmund Rice in the Joey’s Way elaborations.
• Educate staff and students on the process of restorative practices and its alignment with our Catholic Identity and Edmund Rice charism.

Strategic Intent: As part of the life and mission of the Catholic Church, St Joseph’s College deeply commits to the formation of staff and students in the Jesus story and Edmund Rice charism. The St Joseph’s College community is empowered to critically inquire and explore faith in action for a lifelong engagement. 

Key Improvement Strategies: 

To provide further opportunities for students and staff to be involved in service, justice and peace, and advocacy projects, the College will: 

• Continue to strengthen links between Religious Education and the Religious Life of the School.
• Further engage students and staff in leading and participating in prayer and liturgy.
• Review the College retreat program to ensure its relevance and validity in the context of RE, welfare, social justice, and faith development.
• Provide further opportunities for students and staff to be involved in social justice activities in the community.
• Further investigate immersion programs.
• Develop staged links and relationships with local Parishes.

A copy of the strategic plan is available to all families at the front office of the College, or on our St Joseph’s College website.

College Uniform

We have had a few questions and enquiries being made about the College uniform and its ability to keep the students warm and dry during our current weather. A reminder please that there have been some changes and flexibility that have been made to uniform requirements to address this situation in the short term. These changes and flexibility include the addition of pants for the girls, the use of the sports jacket on inclement days and the students are highly encouraged to layer using under garments. In the near future we are intending to gather information from our community about this topic and I highly encourage you to provide feedback when the opportunity arises.

Kort Goodman, Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Looking Forward and Goal Setting 

I would like to acknowledge the students who have been endeavouring to achieve their personal excellence and growth in all areas of their schooling. Following a review of the recent Report Cards, I trust that many families have had conversations of affirmation and discussed goal setting for Term 3. The key message for EVERY learner is to consider the challenge to make progress, to improve, to learn, to grow and to develop. 

Below is a diagram that explains the relationship between achievement and progress. It shows clearly where we would like students to ‘aspire to excellence’. As articulated in the SJC Towards 2024 Strategic Plan we “…embrace a culture of learning to empower young people to pursue their passions and meet the demands of their future pathways”.                   

Over the past few months, I have been sharing some tips in relation to study habits and routines. This week I would encourage you to review the 3min video below, which is a brief introduction to how memory works and its importance for learning and teaching.   

Upcoming Event

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

From the Assistant Principal- Religious Education

 Catholic Education Week 25 – 31 July 2021  

Catholic Education Week will be celebrated in Catholic schools in Queensland from 25 – 31 July 2021.   

This annual event is held to promote the special ethos of Catholic schools and to highlight the great things that take place in Catholic schools every day.  

The theme for this year’s celebrations is: A Spirited Tomorrow. 

 Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.  

There are 309 Catholic schools in Queensland that educate around 154,000 students and employ more than 20,000 teachers and staff, and most will celebrate Catholic Education Week in some way.  

Our school is planning a number of activities during the week including: 

• Spirit of Catholic Education Awards  
• Grandparents’ Day Mass and Concert 
• Catholic Education Week Themed Escaped Room 
• Bishop’s Inservice Day  

Spirit of Catholic Education Awards  

During Catholic Education Week we will recognise students with Spirit of Catholic Education Awards. The intent of these awards is to acknowledge students that are making an outstanding contribution to the life of St Joseph's College and beyond. 

Staff and students nominations were gathered and our awardees will be recognised at our Catholic Education Week Assembly (Monday 26 July 8:30-9:00am).  

Nominations were based on students’ demonstration of the following attributes: 

• participating in or initiating a program/s and or activity/ies in response to College and community needs. 
• leading and assisting other students to live out the mission of Edmund Rice 
• aspiring to excellence in all that they do such as academic, cultural, sporting and spiritual life of the College. 
• engaging in life-giving relationships with members of our College and wider community or other members of the school community. 
• be supportive of the faith, spiritual and outreach life of the College. 
• actively live out the Joey's Way in all that they do  

Grandparents’ Day Mass and Concert 

Each year during Catholic Education Week, we celebrate our annual Grandparents’ Day Mass and Concert. For many young people, grandparents provide guidance, wisdom and a place where they can be nurtured. We are excited to be able to invite our grandparents into the community after a year of restrictions and distance. This will be a special celebration of the gift of grandparents that we missed dearly last year.  

Our Hospitality Department will provide morning tea and our performing arts students will present a concert for our grandparents to enjoy.  

This year’s theme is Cast Your Nets and the Year 12 Liturgy group is calling on grandparents to share their tall fishing tales with their grandchildren in the lead up to this celebration.  They have been reflecting on how their grandparents have told them fishing tales, old wives’ tales and tall tales of walking miles to get to school in the freezing cold. Within the exaggeration of these tall tales is always an essential truth and piece of wisdom and sharing that our students treasure.  

In our celebration we will reflect on how the little things can become big miracles. Our students have been sharing how the small kind gestures of their grandparents are filled with immeasurable and unconditional love.  

We look forward to this celebration of how grandparents play an important role in the net of community.  

Catholic Education Week Themed Escaped Room  

We are very excited to announce that the Year 12 Liturgy Group have organised a Catholic Education history themed escape room.  

As you step into our escape room you will be transported back in time 200 years and in order to escape and return to the present day you must solve the many puzzles and clues.  

The escape room will be set up in Room 22b and will be open to students during breaks from Tuesday 27 July – Thursday 29 July.  

Bishop’s Inservice Day  

Bishop’s Inservice Day is an opportunity for the staff of our Catholic schools to engage in learning as a community and exploring spiritual formation.  This year at St Joseph’s College, we will be exploring the Pedagogy of Encounter.  

The Pedagogy of Encounter encourages teachers to engage in religiously motivated dialogue by exploring religious content or issues through a process of inquiry, knowledge gathering and deconstruction and reconstruction, as well as a search for personal meaning (Ricoeur, 1965; Sharkey, 2017). 

It is a valuable process for personal and student formation. It allows us to explore challenging topics through a process that considers what we think, what others think and how the Church responds, before returning to reconsider our personal beliefs.  

We look forward to welcoming our guest presenters Angela Travers (TCS), Lee ann Weeks (TCS) and Dr Mark Copland (Mission Executive of St Vincent’s Private Hospital).  

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

From the Assistant Principal - Curriculum

2022 Curriculum Evening

Last week, parents and students were sent information about the upcoming Curriculum Evening.  The structure is different this year and we look forward to welcoming you to the College to hear more about the different learning areas in Years 9, 10 and 11.

For Year 9 and 10, 2022

The details of the event are:

Date:                    Tuesday, 3 August 2021

Time:                    5:45pm – 6:15pm         Presentation by Middle Years Learning Leader Mrs Park-Ballay

                              6:20pm – 7:20pm        Subject Presentations

Venue:                 MacKillop Centre followed by Mary Rice, Waterford and Library

For Year 11, 2022

The details of the event are:

Date:                 Tuesday, 3 August 2021

Time:                6:45pm – 7:25pm           Presentation by Senior Years Learning Leader Mrs Tobin

                          7:30pm – 8:30pm           Subject Presentations

Venue:              MacKillop Centre followed by Mary Rice, Waterford and Library

During this evening, you will receive information regarding the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) system, along with subject selection processes for your child as they move into their relevant year level. We are aware that some parents may not be able to attend so all information will be available online for families and you are welcome to contact the College to seek clarification.

An opportunity to speak to Curriculum Leaders and specialist subject teachers about specific subject choices for Year 9 and 10 will occur in the Mary Rice and Waterford buildings and in the College Library from 6:20pm to 7:20pm on the same evening Tuesday, 3 August.  For students moving into Year 11, you will be invited to speak to Curriculum Leaders between 7:30pm to 8:30pm

The format of the evening will be a brief presentation by the relevant Learning Leader in the MacKillop Centre. The Curriculum Leaders and specialist teachers will then give a 5 minute presentation with time for questions in a number of breakout venues on 12 minute rotations. This will provide you with five opportunities (rotations) to engage with the relevant teaching staff.

Your child will have access to the  Subject Handbooks which will be provided online for students during Week 2 of Joey’s Way classes. All students will receive their individualised Web Preferences Access Guide in time for the Curriculum Evening via their email. 

Subject choices will need to be finalised by Tuesday 17 August for each year level.

A number of organisations have also been invited by our Careers Team to join us in the library this night including Mrs Karen Coulston (School Based Traineeships/Apprenticeships), the ADF, IVET DGT Employment and Training, ATO Group, Aurora Training, USQ, Akadia, UQ Skills and Emmanuel College.

We look forward to seeing you on the night.

Assessment Calendars

All families should have received a broadcast with their child’s assessment calendar for Semester 2 attached.  I would encourage you to talk with your child about upcoming assessment. If you have any questions about assessment, please contact your child’s teacher or Curriculum Leader.

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

From the Assistant Principal - Student Engagement

Attendance Matters 

For the endless hours of research and books written in fields such as workplace relations, human resourcing, education and psychology, any prospective employer ultimately wants to know two facotrs about a candidate: 

1. Will they show up? 

     2. Will they give it their best once they do? 

Now, of course, none of us would feel comfortable being operated on by a surgeon who has simply decided to show up and do his or her best that day. Most professions require some kind of qualification in order to undertake the job safely and legally.  

A great many people who hold these types qualifications, many of whom are highly qualified, often talk about how effective their ‘on the job’ training was compared with the theoretical learning they undertook beforehand. For example many, if not most, teachers talk about how much they have learned while actually doing the job, rather than just studying for it. This type of experiential learning, we know, is what shapes us most as human beings. 

So, what then is the purpose of these qualifications? Why do we bother? I am a terrible cook, but if I can learn to be chef by spending time with a practising chef and doing some on the job training, where is the value of a Certificate in Hospitality? A great mentor chef, it seems, will have a much greater impact on the quality of the meal I serve. 

The purpose of qualifications is that it speaks to those very two essential qualities in any employee, that is i) showing up and ii) giving it our best effort. Our qualifications are a statement of our ability to be an effective learner, not a statement of what we have already learned. When our Year 12 leaders graduate from St Joseph’s College with a Senior Certificate of Education, we are essentially saying that they have attended St Joseph’s College and applied themselves enough to meet the standards of a functioning adult member of society. Many of our graduands will go on to accrue more qualifications.  

Attending school is a good habit that build over time and it is foundational to our success as learners. As a College we aspire to an overall attendance percentage of 95%. This goal is the sum of all our students and their families working to ensure that their child attends schools every school day they are able to, gives their all when they are here and subsequently becomes a great learner.  

This term all our students have been challenged to attend school 95% of the time or more. As families, we invite you to take the following two steps to ensure your child’s attendance: 

1. Know what your child’s attendance percentage is, this can be accessed through the Sentral Parent Portal  

    2. If you have concerns about your child’s attendance, contact your child’s Joey’s Way teacher in the first instance.     

Thank you in anticipation of your partnership as we refine this basic building block of our students’ learning.  

Joe Cryle, Assistant Principal - Student Engagtement   jcryle@sjc.qld.edu.au 

Mission Matters

Yesterday evening our Year 12 students and Ms Barton helped out with Rosies. Though bitterly cold, the students did not complain, but got stuck in and helped serve meals to those in the community that aren’t so fortunate.

As the weather gets colder, the College would like to donate warm clothes to Rosies so that they can distribute these to their patrons. We are asking our very generous community to bring in any unwanted/no longer fits, warm clothes. Beanies, gloves, scarves and blankets would also be gratefully accepted. Many of the Rosies patrons have come from war torn countries and have very little. Thank you for supporting this very worthy cause. Donations can be left at the College office.

Cathie Barton, Program Middle Leader - Mission & Identity -  cbarton@sjc.qld.edu.au

Student Voice

Senior Years

Welcome back to Term 3, Semester 2. The start of a new terms brings an opportunity for a renewed sense of enthusiasm for learning and a chance to re-focus, set or modify goals for the term and semester. I hope that our Senior students have taken the opportunity to read and reflect on their report cards. For students in Years 11 and 12, teachers have provided valuable feedback, specifically offering advice that is future focused in terms of outlining what students may do to improve their overall results. Learning is a collaborative process and I encourage students be proactive and approach their teachers if they require further clarification on any comments made on their report card.

For students in the Senior Years, Term 3 involves:

Academic Excellence Morning Tea

We are excited to host the Academic Excellence morning tea to again recognise the achievement of students across both the Middle and Senior years who have 'aspired to academic excellence'. This term we recognise Year 10 students who received four or more As on their Term 2 report card, Year 12 students who received three or more As on their Unit 3 results, and Year 11 students who received three or more As on their Unit 1 results.

This term our morning tea will be held during Week 4 on Monday, 2nd August. Invitations will be sent in the following weeks.

Year 12

Academic Care interviews will be held for Year 12 students during Week 3 on Tuesday, 27 July. Information regarding these interviews, including venues, times and mentors has been communicated to parents. In continuing to develop collaborative partnerships, parents have been invited to attend these interviews; however, if this is not possible Year 12 students will still meet with their mentor at the allocated time. Should there be a need to reschedule a meeting, please contact the academic mentor directly to arrange an alternative time.

At this point in time, the purpose to these interviews is to:

• Monitor student's progress towards obtaining their QCE. Year 12 students were emailed a QCE tracking template during Term 2 and I would encourage students to login in to their myQCE account to check subject results and QCE points accrued. Students should be taking ownership of their QCE to ensure they are on track to obtain the required 20 credit points.

• Provide ATAR eligible students with an updated ATAR prediction.

• Engage in Pathway Conversations. For students who will be applying to QTAC, this meeting will encourage students to begin thinking carefully about their QTAC application by keeping informed of ATAR selection ranks and other standard entry requirement.

Year 11

Unit 1 results and feedback has been provided to Year 11 student on their most recent report card. Unit 2 content has begun and to ensure continued success in Unit 2, it is important that students reflect on this feedback, ask clarifying questions if needed and re-focus on their learning goals for the unit. Students should also take the time to record Unit 1 information on their QCE tracking template that was emailed at the end of Term 2.

Year 10

A significant focus for Year 10s during Term 3 is to begin thinking about future pathways and exploring possible options post school. It is an exciting time as they begin thinking about pathways options post school and begin preparing for the subject selection process for Years 11 and 12.

Providing students with multiple opportunities to ensure they are well-placed to make informed decision for Years and 12 is a priority. Over the last week in their Joey’s Way classes, students have been engaging in various career-based activities that have centred around students reflecting on their career interests and goals. These activities lead into the SET Planning day held on Thursday, 22 July. We were excited to host a day where the focus centred on future pathways and exploring opportunities post school. Additionally, students were also informed about aspects of the Senior School, such as information on the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), senior pathway options, and possible subjects that they may be able to study in Years 11 and 12.

From here, the SET planning process begins. The SET plan is designed to map out a student's individual learning pathway through the Senior Phase of Learning. Students have access to this document, and we are encouraging parents and students to begin completing the various sections of this document.

During Week 6, on the 19th August, all Year 10 students and parents will be invited to meet with an academic mentor to engage in a collaborative conversation about the SET plan and discuss their pathway and subject goals for their senior years. Further information in the lead up to this event will be issued to parents and students.

Karen Tobin, Program Middle Leader - Senior Years Learning Leader - ktobin@sjc.qld.edu.au

Getting to know our New Staff Members

Welcome to Chelsea Moon.

Chelsea has joined us from Lockyer District High School and will be helping our students at Student Entrance/Sick Bay for term 3.

Welcome to Tanya Draheim.

Tanya has joined us to help out in front office along with Art, Music and Sports Admisinistration.

Welcome to Trent Sellars.

Trent will be taking on the role of Curriculum Leader – English and Languages.

Welcome to Taylor Jannusch.

Taylor will be leading Joey's Way Group 4 and teaching maths and science.

Welcome to Brylee Tudge.

Brylee will be assisting in the library as our Library Technician.

Student Achievements

Holly Nguyen won the WKBF Australian Title in June for Muaythai.

Congratulations Holly on such an outstanding achievement.

Outstanding Results from the 2021 National Geography Competition

22 High Distinctions/Distinctions - Middle School

5 High Distinctions/Distinctions – Year 12 Geography

Check In Qld App

Check in and you’re good to go!

We’re using the new Check In Qld app to help keep you COVID safe the next time you visit.

All you need to do is:

• visit www.covid19.qld.gov.au/check-in-qld for links to download the app from Google Play or Apple App stores
• enter your details once when you first open the app
• open the app when you next visit us
• select ‘Check in Now’ and scan or enter our code

Using this digital check in means your details will be stored securely by the Queensland Government for 56 days to assist with COVID-19 contact tracing (if needed).

The Check In Qld app is safe, secure and private. By using it, you are helping Queensland’s pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes to stay open, and you can visit us with confidence, knowing you can be contacted quickly and easily if there is any risk of exposure to the virus.

Battle of the Bands Competition

Toowoomba Competition - Now Open for entries.

Calling all young musicians aged 12–30!  It’s time to get your band together and tune your instruments!

Applications close Tuesday 20 July. Don’t miss out. All music genres welcome.

This August, the Regional Youth Leaders are excited to invite emerging artists of all musical genres to get involved in the Toowoomba Battle of the Bands!

Applications are now open (see links below) and we would love for you to get involved!  The Regional Youth Leaders will be hosting the Toowoomba Battle of the bands to, promote local youth bands and acoustic artists, and to provide entrants with opportunities to make industry connections.  We can’t wait to see everyone perform and showcase their musical talents. 

Please click HERE for a link straight to the TRC Battle of the Bands 2021 Application Pack or to head to our website.

Live Production Masterclass Series

Take your musicianship to the next level.

This August, the Empire Theatre is hosting a free series of technical workshops to support the careers of young and emerging musicians in the Toowoomba Region.

• Join experienced industry professionals for an exciting, hands-on program
• Gain technical and practical skills in live performance, sound production and lighting
• Learn the art of live production in the region’s premiere performance space.

This masterclass series is open to young people aged 14–30 who live, work or study in the Toowoomba Region.

Youth Bursaries

Focus on New Students

As we begin this new semester, we welcome a few new students to the College. We welcome you with open hands, open minds, and open hearts. Let your journey of exploration here at St Joseph’s begin.

Amanda Wighton, Student Induction Leader – awighton@sjc.qld.edu.au

Library News

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome our staff and students back to Term 3, we hope all of the members of our St Joseph’s College community enjoyed a restful break.

New Staff: Miss Brylee

At the end of Term 1, we farewelled Miss Hesson and during Term 2, we completed the recruitment process for a Library Technician. 

We are very excited to welcome Miss Brylee Tudge to St Joseph’s Library as our new Library Technician. Miss Brylee comes to us with extensive experience in Secondary school libraries and we look forward to drawing on her technology skills to continue to build our Library service.

Please make Miss Brylee feel welcome when you come to visit the Library.

Tinker Thursdays

Our Tinker Thursday group runs each Thursday lunchtime in our Maker Space. The group works on STEM projects using the Kiwi Kits.

As the weeks have gone on, we have had a steady stream of students joining the group and engaging with the projects and it has been lovely to welcome some new faces. Mrs Andrews thoroughly enjoys facilitating the group, watching as the ‘learn in community’ and ‘participate and persevere.’ It is always a special moment to see their joy and pride when the complete a kit and get to see their STEM project work for the first time.

Below is a video snippet that shows Bailey Burgess (Year 8), Riley Chandler (Year 8), and Abigail Bruggemann (Year 9) working together to test out the Water Fountain that the Tinker Thursday group built.

While the students have a lot of fun tinkering with the Kiwi Kits, there is also a lot of learning that goes along with the STEM projects. For example, when observing Bayley, Abi and Riley collaborate to get the water fountain working effectively, Mrs Andrews heard them discussing vacuum and water pressure to problem solve issues.   

The Tinker Thursday group is open to all students and we would welcome new members.

Library Website

Our Library website has had a lovely refresh!

Check it out here - https://au.accessit.online/STJ33/#!dashboard

You have the ability to search our whole library by using the Search Box. By doing so you can find physical books in our Library, eBooks, Audio books, and ClickView videos.

If you login you are able to place items on Reserve which then our Library Staff will locate them and put them aside ready for you to pick up. – a bit like online shopping! Search the book you are after click on the picture and the click Make a reserve/ booking. Not only can you reserve books you can also leave reviews on books you have read in the past. Simply find the book you have read and click Write a Review.

On our website you can also:

• Complete quizzes
• Learn about what events are coming up for the library
• Follow our links for referencing and researching
• Direct access to ClickView and eBooks

CBCA Book Week

Book Week is fast approaching!

Our dress up day is Week 7 Thursday the 26^th of August.

The theme for this year’s Book Week is Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds. So put your thinking caps on, get creative and start putting your costume together. Join the library to celebrate an amazing fun day!

Sports

QISSN Carnival

Sunday June 27

We arrived early at the College to decorate and pack the bus and to wave the boys off as they left on their guest in the Rugby League Competition.

The girls spent some time training and then learning the tik-tok dance needed for the opening ceremony.

By 10:00am we were all packed and off to our residence for the next week. We arrived about noon unpacked and dressed in our formal uniform to travel to the Nissan Arena for the opening Ceremony at 3.00pm. This was a splendid affair lead by the Culturally Diverse St James College. They did an excellent job of involving the audience as well as providing the respectfulness of the Spirit of the Carnival.

We left the Arena to head back to our accommodation for nachos before the State of Origin Game. Some girls played pool during the whole game but were happy to be in each other’s company.

Day 1.

Game 1. Up early to head back to the Arena to play our first game against of all teams our very own Downlands College. We were hyped up and ready for the game and very keen to make our first game a winner. Both teams made many mistakes as I think we were very nervous, as it meant a lot to both teams to win the Toowoomba Challenge.

Luckily for us we kept our cool the best and came out eventual winners 13 to 6.

Game 2 was against Emmaus College (Rockhampton) and another one of those very close games that could have gone either way. The girls were too conscious of the score board and were forcing a lot of ball down the court and we didn’t value the ball enough. Luckily the hooter went before we made too many mistakes and we won the game 11 to 8.

Game 3 was against St John Kingfisher College (Bracken Ridge)– a very strong team where their centre was a Queensland representative. Our first centre pass was a turnover and we just really struggled to get back onto a par with them after our heads went down. Playing catch up netball is not our best attribute and the harder we tried the more damage we did to ourselves. The girls never gave up though and fought to that last whistle. The first half was 9 to 3 and the second half was 8 to 7 so we did make a great effort. Their centre was magnificent in controlling the game and was the only difference on the court. The final score was 17 to 10.

After our games we travelled out to Iona College to watch both Rugby League teams play as this was our best chance to see both teams on the same day.

Day 2.

Game 1 We were able to have a bit of a sleep in as our first game didn’t commence until 11:00am against Mount Alvernia College (Kedron). A very relaxed game as I think all the nerves had disappeared and we were keen to perform as a team and leave nothing in the tank. Our game was a bit rough, but we managed to hold our own and kept our heads for the final goal. The score line read 24 to 13.

Then the news came through at the 12-noon game break. Lockdown was going to come into force at 6.00pm that night and our dream of finishing the carnival was in tatters. The association agreed to play out the days play which for us was our last game at 1:30pm against Trinity College (Beenleigh) on the show court which was live streamed to you all. Game plan was to make sure we had a good win and to also ensure all the seven Year 12 girls were on the court for the last game ever in QISSN. Both were successfully achieved. We won 26 to 12 and the Year 12 girls had the best time playing their final game in this tournament – some of them having played for the past 5 years.

After having the carnival cancelled last year and only having two days of play this year it was very disappointing to end in such a manner especially as we had finished in second place overall in Division 2 for the two days of play – what could we have achieved for the week? Sadly, we will never know.

Mrs Rebgetz and the organizing committee from St James College held a closing ceremony on the Friday to award teams the various trophies to the who finished on top of the ladder and to also name the players player award which was calculated through each of the games by opposing coaches and bench officials.

Our congratulations go to Kalei Brighton who was awarded this prestigious award this year.

There are two very special people who the team would like to acknowledge and thank from the bottom of their hearts - Mr and Mrs Bradshaw who kindly sponsored the team with our travel shirts. Without their support and financial support, we would not have had the brilliant shirts we did. We are very grateful for their incredible spirit of support not only at this carnival but for the Roma Carnival and each and every Wednesday night that the girls play. We will always treasure their friendship and the wonderful memories of our years together.

The other two invaluable people were Mrs Wright and Mr Wheeldon who came along to support the girls in this premier sporting event. Mrs Wright scored each of the games for us while also trying to deal with the injury to her son at the rugby league.

Our appreciation flows to Mr Wheeldon who travelled with us to provide support to the girls and as our umpiring representative. This helps us in making the carnival more affordable to the girls by travelling with our own umpire.

So many people have worked hard to give the girls every opportunity to play in these carnivals – parents, office ladies, coaches, umpires – say thank you to them at some stage to ensure they keep doing it for you.

Again, COVID has taken something else from us but it didn’t destroy the memories we made of our short time away. This is a premier sporting event of our calendar and an honour for these girls to be part of the competition.

I express my thanks to all of the community for their outstanding support, generosity of spirit and incredible energy from everyone involved. We look forward to 2022 in Mackay and hope this carnival will go ahead and COVID will truly be a thing of the past.

Please click on image to enlarge

Athletics Carnival

Our annual carnival will be held at O’Quinn Street on August 6 commencing at 8.30am where all students will arrive and have themselves marked off on the rolls.

Students are to find their own transport to the carnival. Students who travel on out of town buses etc will have transport provided for them.

Students will compete for Age Champions as well as overall House champions. They are to wear their College sports uniform or an agreed colour theme with the house leaders. Food trucks etc will be on site but students are encouraged to bring their own food and drink for the day. Students will not be dismissed until 3.00pm.

All visitors will have to sign in through the QR codes provided to ensure COVID regulations are supported.

It is a great day of competition and students need to be made aware that is it a compulsory school day and are expected to be in attendance.

Coming events

Nominations have been called for 12 years Athletics trials. These close on July 30 so please send them through quickly. The Range trials are on August 9 at O’Quinn Street.

Friday July 23 the Junior girls and Senior Boys AFL teams will travel to Brisbane to advance to the next level of this competition after winning the Darling Downs side of the competition. We wish both teams the best of luck.

The open boys were due to play Ipswich in the next round of the T20 Cricket competition but unfortunately Ipswich have forfeited but good luck to us as we advance to the next round which will be against a Gold Coast team

August 3 – SSI Red Lions boys and girls at Highfields. Teams in training now.

August 5 and 6 – Junior Vicki Wilson finals in Brisbane.

August 6 – Athletics Carnival O’Quinn Street

August 8 – All Schools Touch Toowoomba.

August 12 – TSSS Athletics Carnival HSHS

Darling Downs trials coming up - under 15 girls’ cricket, 12 years boys’ and girls’ cricket, 13 – 19 years athletics (August 26 and 27)– please see Miss Newton for the relevant paperwork.

DD 12 Years Football

Taylor Lobwein will play as part of the Darling Downs 12 years football team at Highfields commencing Thursday with the finals finishing on Sunday. We would like to congratulate her as she was named co-captain of the team at their last training session. We wish her and the team all the best of luck. If you can get out to the competition, offer some support to the Darling Downs team.

Hockey Girls Achievements

St Joseph’s hockey girls did brilliantly during the holidays. The following girls participated in the under 13 years Representative competition at Gympie, either as a player or an umpire.

(From L to R) Hailey Warhurst, Claire Zimmerle, Addyson Jones, Taylor Diprose and Lacey Prior. Missing from photo is Heidi Zimmerle.

Hailey Warhurst received goalie of the tournament award and selection in the Queensland under 13 Hockey Team. Unfortunately this is not part of our recognised school sport and so cannot be part of the Wall of Fame but I think it is really special to congratulate her and hope that she continues playing and makes her way to the Wall.

Addyson Jones was selected as a shadow for this same Queensland under 13 Hockey Team. So close Addyson and fingers are crossed that someone may have to drop out and you make your way into the team.

Deb Newton, Program Leader - Sports  dnewton@sjc.qld.edu.au

Career Pathways

Career Dropins

The Career Development Team is excited to share with the community an exciting initiative this term, the Career Dropin.   This is an enriching opportunity for the students to explore their future pathway and for students from Year 7 to Year 12 to speak with a member of the Career Development Team. 

On Tuesday, 13 July 2021, we held our very first Career Dropin with Karina Marshall, Student Recruitment Coordinator (Undergraduate).  This event was very well attended by Year 10, 11 and 12 students who spoke with Karina about their aspirations of studying courses at UQ including a Doctor of Medicine, Engineering, Nursing and Education.  Karina shared with the students information regarding residential colleges and the various clubs and societies at UQ. 

 The Career Dropin is held once a week in the Library from 1.20pm to 1.55pm. 

Upcoming Career Dropins

Thursday, 22 July 2021 – Mrs Stafford - Career Support Officer and Vocational Education and Training

• School-based Apprenticeships
• School-based Traineeships
• TAFE

Thursday, 27 July 2021 – Mrs Millett - Career Support Officer

• Q&A

Thursday, 5 August 2021 – Mrs Millett and Mrs Harman

• USQ - Headstart - Jaimie O’Reilly

Monday, 9 August 2021 – Mrs Harman – Career Development Practitioner

• Q&A

All welcome and we look forward to seeing students at the Career Dropin sessions.

3 of the fastest growing job opportunities in Australia

Are you researching what job might be right for you? Although you are often told follow your heart, do something that makes you happy or something that challenges and engages you, knowing what jobs are in demand may redirect your thinking. Click here to find out more about the top 3 fastest growing jobs; Registered Nurse, Software and Applications Programmer and Early Childhood (Pre-primary school) Teacher.

The Power of Transferrable Skills

If you are thinking about getting your first casual job or what you will do at the end of school, you might be concerned about your lack of experience and skills. This is where transferable skills come in. It is important that you can identify your skills and know how to promote yourself to an employer. Click here to learn about what transferable skills are and how to identify and apply those skills.

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Year 12 Early Offer Scheme

The QUT Year 12 Early Offer Scheme can provide certainty about your future options, with an offer to study at QUT before you receive your ATAR, IB Diploma or VET Diploma. If eligible, you will receive an offer for your QTAC first preference the day you complete Year 12.

The scheme includes more than 50 single and double degrees from a wide range of study areas including business, creative industries, engineering, health and science.

Submit your QTAC application by the 15^th October, listing one or more of QUT’s eligible courses in your top three preferences and you’ll receive an invitation to apply.

For further information, please click here.

University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Early Offer

The USQ Early Offer allows eligible Year 12 students who place USQ #1 on their QTAC application, to receive an early offer at the University of Southern Queensland. Students can receive an early offer in one of two ways - via recommendation from their Principal or successful completion of a USQ Head Start Course.

Applications open 3^rd August with conditional offers rolling out as early as the 6^th August. For more information, please click here or drop in to see a member of the Career Development Team in Murphy Building.

REMINDER - USQ Head Start Information Session (Week 4)

A representative from USQ will be making a presentation to students interested in the USQ Head Start Program during lunch break on Thursday, 5^th August. This session will provide students with an insight into the USQ Head Start Program; courses on offer, QCE credits, cost, study options, entry requirements, key dates and how to apply. For information about this program please click here.

Making sure you meet tertiary prerequisites in Year 10

Before you choose your senior subjects, it is essential that you identify any prerequisites, assumed knowledge and recommended study for the courses that you are interested in at the end of Year 12. Not all universities and institutions have the same prerequisites, assumed knowledge or recommended study requirements, so it's important that you check all universities and institutions. Click here to find the Guide for 2021 Year 10 Students which lists relevant information for 2024 tertiary entry.

Enrichment Program – Planning for Term 4

By now you would be familiar with the Enrichment Program that St Joseph’s College offers on Wednesday afternoon. Our College families have a wealth of experience and knowledge that we believe can enhance the opportunities available as part of this program. We will be sending an email shortly inviting parents/carers to facilitate a learning experience or activity. We welcome your ideas and look forward to hearing from you.

CURRENT SCHOOL-BASED
VACANCIES

For more information please contact the Careers Team

Angela Stafford, Vocational Education Cor-Ordinator - astafford@sjc.qld.edu.au

Leah Millett, Careers Support Officer - lmillett@sjc.qld.edu.au

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

Year 11/12 First Nation Students Leadership Camp

This camp was held in June of this year. Two of our students were lucky enough to attend. Thank you, Georgie Horwood and William Suey.

Toowoomba Catholic Diocese supports the local youth by giving them the opportunity to attend ‘Returning to Country’ camp to connect further to their cultural roots. Using strong, committed students and staff, we are supporting the young people as they go through this journey, as many of our young people do not know where their traditional Country and customs. These camps are held at the Bunya Mountains, a place were our ancestors travelled to for many years.

The Bunya Mountains were formed about 30 million years ago and are thought to be the remains of an old shield volcano. The Rainforest-clad peaks shelter the largest stand of ancient bunya pines in the world. Discover cool mountains, rainforests and waterfalls, unique range-top grasslands, panoramic views, colourful birdlife and enthralling stories of times long ago.

Native Spinach, bush tucker for the local First Nations People, which was eaten raw.

The water ways throughout these mountains creates the perfect habitat for the great barred frogs (Mixophes Fasciolatus)

The frogs loud ‘warks’ resonate during summer when their huge tadpoles can be seen in these mountain streams. The Tusked Frog (Adeloyus Brevis) is also found here, however, the Murri Ranger explained with the current change in the Bunyas our frogs are slowly disappearing without a trace.

Bush Tucker Food and Medicine Plant.

The Maiden Hare Fern was used for tooth aches and the Bracken Fern was used to deter mosquitoes. The root of the Bracken Fern was also a staple diet for our First Nations People.

These ferns are also a part of the Ecosystem which creates the ground canopy and retains the moisture in the ground to sustain the forest.

Our Murri Ranger explained to the students that our First Nations People used this bush tucker food, the tree fern. Which has a soft, starchy pith from the top part of the stem. The women harvest this plant, they would then split the stem, scoop out the pith. This was then eaten raw or roasted in ashes.

This image depicts a fallen Bunya Tree, our Murri Ranger explained that some of these large and ancient trees have contracted a fungus, which is killing these old and wise trees, and opening huge gaps with in the canopy.

Our Murri Ranger explained, from December to March, theses huge bunya pines drop cones containing edible seeds known as bunya ‘nuts’. They are in abundance about every three years. Furthermore, countless generations, and large groups of our First Nation People gathered at the Bunya Mountains to take part in what today is known as the bunya festivals, coinciding with this natural event.

The First Nations People of the Bunya Mountains and Blackall Ranges invited people from as far south as the Clarence River in northern New South Wales, west to the Maranoa River and east to Wide Bay to join the gatherings. However, for our local and visiting groups, these bunya festivals were times of ceremony, law-making and resolving disputes, renewing friendships, passing on lore, sharing ideas and revitalizing spirituality.

These nuts where known to be soft and juicy and the young nuts were eaten raw, while the mature nuts were roasted. Our Murri Ranger also explained, that each of the family groups had their own tree and only their family members could harvest that tree.

The benefits of this traditional First Nations game were to include bringing together our First Nation students from the local diocese and reginal schools. We started off our first day of camp building positive relationships between our students. Furthermore, it gave those students that are not confident in their culture the opportunity to shine and feel proud in their culture. Moreover, it allowed them to embrace new friendships and continue these bonds through their school years, and lifelong journeys.

Kind regards

Michele Dwyer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officer - mdwyer@sjc.qld.edu.au

P & F Association

NEXT MEETING
August 10  -  Library  5.00pm start

Topic - Teen Mental Health

Canteen

We need your help!

Please contact the College if you have some time to volunteer.  Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Deb Ditchmen and Michelle Tully, Canteen Convenors

E: dditchmen@sjc.qld.edu.au

E: mtully@sjc.qld.edu.au 

Uniform Shop

EFTPOS only - No Cash accepted until further notice.

Please follow Queensland Government guidelines and  check-in when visiting the uniform shop.

Winter stock is now available.

• Formal girl and formal boy trousers
• Long sleeve shirt for boys
• Winter tights and stockings
• Joey’s scarf
• Tracksuit pants

Blazers are available for the cold weather  - all sizes available.

The uniform shop is currently out of stock of the following and waiting on orders to arrive:-

Boys Formal Hat, size M    -    ETA Aug      

Jumpers, Size 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 & 24    -    ETA Aug

The jumpers that had been delayed due to Covid lockdown in Fiji and lockdown in Sydney. 

                                            New 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.

Parent Engagement Day

2022 Regional Youth Leaders Program