From the Principal
Dear Parents and Friends of St Joseph’s College,
Fifty days on from Easter, we recently celebrated Pentecost Sunday. During this time, we give thanks to God for the spirit in our hearts. Pentecost marked the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven after his earlier crucifixion and resurrection. At the time scripture described how the Holy Spirit descended amongst the disciplines, with a rush of wind and “tongues of fire”. This event marked the beginning of the Christian church’s mission to the world. As Christians we believe that the Holy Spirit provides the strength to enact Jesus Christ’s message of love. This week members of our senior netball and rugby league teams lead our school community in celebrating Pentecost and explained the great power that is constantly alive and at work in our Church and in our world. Just like the disciples got a serious confidence boost from the Holy Spirit, we can also lift each other up when things get tough. Whether it's a sports cheer, a kind word, a high five, or just being there for someone, they explained that we have got the power to spread encouragement and make a real difference in each other's lives.
Last Tuesday, Adair Donaldson (Donaldson Law) presented information to our students (Year 9-12), staff and parents on topics regarding consent, safe behaviour, appropriate technology use and respectful relationships from a legal perspective. Such topics confront our young men and women today. St Joseph’s College addresses these topics at age -appropriate levels through the Joey’s Way Curriculum and this week members of Student Engagement Team spoke with our Year 7 students regarding respectful relationships and what our examples of what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate behaviours. I encourage all parents and carers to discuss their children’s learnings from these recent events.
A cornerstone of the schooling experience at St Joseph’s College is the provision of learning experiences through religious life of the school events such as our liturgies, feast days, masses, and sporting carnivals. Such events bring our school community together to embrace gospel and Edmund Rice values and are key to creating the Joey’s Way culture and our Catholic Identity. An enrolment at St Jospeh’s requires students to attend all events during school days unless there is a valid reason for absence. Sometimes a child may say to their parents that on such days there will not be any regular class learnings and therefore they do not need to be at school. Nothing could be further from the truth and in fact, these religious life of the school events are our point of difference to other schooling organisations. As Principal I am firmly of the view that student participation in sporting, cultural and extra-curricular opportunities is dependent on meaningful engagement in all aspects of school life. I ask that our parents and carers to ensure that your children engage in all events that are provided at the college.
A final reminder that St Joseph’s College is scheduled for a School Renewal and Improvement quadrennial school review from May 28- 30. In this review a panel consisting of senior staff from the Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS) Teaching and Learning Directorate and a peer principal from another school in the Diocese visit the school for three days.
The review team would like to hear from the school community, and I encourage anyone who is interested to have their say. Your feedback is important and will help us to continue to achieve the two pillars of TCS: that all students will come to personally know Jesus and that all students will achieve academic success.
Feedback can be provided to the review panel in person or by telephone. All feedback remains confidential.
Please contact the school office if you are interested in speaking to a reviewer. You may also register your interest by emailing my assistant Emily Rigg ERigg@sjc.qld.edu.au to arrange an appointment.
Next week we welcome Libby Nairn, who joins our Humanities Team. Libby will be covering for Andrew Fellenberg who is taking leave for the remainder of term 2. Ms Natasha Digweed will be Curriculum Leader for the Humanities Faculty in Andrew’s absence.
God Bless
Jim Brennan - Principal - jbrennan@sjc.qld.edu.au