From the Acting Principal
Farewell – Graduates of 2023
Last week we held multiple key rites of passage for our graduates of 2023, including Graduation Assembly, Presentation Night and Valedictory Mass & Dinner. We wished these graduates our prayers and blessings as they depart the College gates for the last time to make a positive difference to our world and to “Serve Him in Others”. Sincere congratulations and thanks to the parents of our graduates, for the care and guidance that you have continually given to your sons/daughters over their years at the College. Congratulations.
Thanks also to our dedicated St Joseph’s College teachers and staff for your encouragement and expert instruction ensuring the students achieve their best possible results.
One of the parents from our graduating Yr 12 students told me, “Our children don’t yet realise the gifts they develop in a Catholic school, but they will come to discover this value when they are older.”
Last Sunday’s Gospel reading Wisdom 6:12-16 reminds us of the importance of gaining ‘wisdom’ or ‘insight’. Pope Francis talks about the importance of gaining wisdom so that each individual can develop and nurture their own sense of the spiritual and in turn, live life with Christian values as the focus.
“If we listen to the Holy Spirit, He will teach us this way of wisdom, and will give us the wisdom to see through God’s eyes, to hear with God’s ears, to love with the heart of God, to judge with God’s judgement. We must always walk in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, always trying to live in an irrepressible way.”
And so it is, the values and ethos that is instilled in each St Joseph’s College graduate stay with you for life, becoming part of who you are, how you behave and how you interact as Christians to your fellow neighbours.
‘With Us’
As we prepare for Christmas this Advent, we are drawn to the birth of Jesus – a tiny, innocent, dependent, and perfect baby who is without judgement or criticism and is only looking to love and be loved. Like any infant, this baby welcomes us in and unites us all. The baby Jesus is one of us and is to be embraced by all. The baby’s name is otherwise known as “Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:22-23). Interpreted, this name means, ‘God is with us.’ As the secularism of Christmas becomes ever present, we must not forget to open our arms and imagine embracing the tiny, perfect baby - our Emmanuel. At that very moment, we are accepting and embracing God; inviting God to be part of our lives from that moment onwards.
May the joy of Jesus’ birth at Christmas, the Hope, Love and Inspiration of our being, fill the hearts of all members of the St Joseph’s College community this Christmas season. Amen.
Staff Farewells
With the end of each school year comes the inevitable staff farewells and offering of thanks to others whose role may be changing at the school. These changes to staffing roles and farewells can be both quite sad, and exciting as it brings new opportunities and possible adventures for those departing or changing roles.
I would like to advise the community that the following staff members will be departing our community at the end of 2023 or taking leave for 2024. We thank these people greatly for their contributions over the time they have been at our College and for those taking leave we look forward to seeing them in 2024.
Departing – Lachlan Constable, Deirdre Geddert, Adriane Markham, Rhonda Martindale, Charlotte Penner, El-Mari Verster.
Leave for part of 2024 – Cath Barton, Brian Cantwell (Term 1), Paul Canning, Nicole Davies, Ashlee Jeffery (Term 1), Nina Marshall (Term 1-3).
In replacing the staff members who are departing or taking leave, the following people will be returning to St Joseph’s College, changing role or joining us in 2024.
- Kirstie Andrews (Middle Years Learning Leader)
- Joel Farrell (Teaching Team)
- Tania Garrahy (Administration and Library Teams)
- Ben Gehrmann (Acting Curriculum Leader: Technologies)
- Jay Hansen (Teaching Team)
- Thomas Hutchison (Teaching Team)
- Madeleine Minns (Program Leader: Culture and Performance)
- Jacinta Morriss (Teaching Team)
- Rosanne Pietsch (Program Leader: Mission and Identity)
- Tarah-Lea Rival (Teaching Team)
- Beth Woodhauson (School Officer Team)
We look forward to these people bringing and sharing their expertise, skills, and talents with our community in 2024.
Thank you to Elle Moss (Acting House Leader: Rice), Tom Moore (Acting Assistant Principal: RE) and Kellie-Marie Ford (Acting Deputy Principal) who have been undertaking these leadership roles over the past 9 weeks. Your support has been greatly appreciated.
Brendon Willocks - Acting Principal - bwillocks@sjc.qld.edu.au