From the Principal

Dear Parents and Friends of St Joseph’s College,

Welcome to the commencement of Term 2.

As is well known, our spiritual leader Pope Francis passed at the beginning of the term. Whilst his death has caused much sorrow his legacy will burn brightly in the hearts of both Catholics and many across the globe.

Pope Francis has been widely recognized as a "friend of the marginalized" due to his unwavering commitment to social justice. He embraced people of all circumstances and persuasions including those incarcerated, dispossessed, victims of conflict and the many faith communities around the world. One of his greatest attributes was to champion the needs of the poor to leaders of countries, large global corporates and economic organisations. Key to his messaging was the need to maintain the dignity of all by encouraging leaders to do better by those in need.

The Pontiff understood the important contribution that young people make and emphasised the importance of Catholic education in today’s world to nurture them. He highlighted the importance of tolerance, meaningful dialogue and invitation to faith as a means of shaping the minds and dispositions of young people to create responsible and compassionate global citizens,

Pope Francis also promoted the importance of a holistic approach to education that develops the head, hands, and heart together, preparing students to face contemporary challenges with wisdom and compassion. His legacy speaks to the very heart of the St Joseph’s College motto “Serve Him in Others”. The best way to honour his legacy is to uphold our college motto. 

It was pleasing to see many parents and students meet with staff to review progress last week. Such meetings provide opportunities for families to hear the success of their children and how they can work in partnership with the college to ensure continued growth. Central to learning in any partnership is the establishment and maintenance of strong relationships between teacher, parent/carer, and student. I thank everyone who attended and invested time. If any parent /carer was unable to attend and is seeking feedback on their child, please contact your relevant teacher or the college reception to organise a time to meet.

One focus of the college during Term 1 has been the implementation of the “Eligibility Criteria” associated with student engagement in extra-curricular activities. I am pleased to share with you that in the first nine weeks of Term 1 attendance increased to its highest level in five years with a 2% increase on the same period in 2024. Equally impressive was a 50% decrease in formal behavioural sanctions. Whilst we are in the early parts of the year the data is encouraging and a testament to other initiatives such as the new “House Points” system and relational and pedagogical practices employed by our staff. Clearly students have done their part to meet the standards and take advantage of the opportunities presented by staff.

To back up this data, at the last full school assembly, I shared some keys points from Ivan Cleary’s book “Not everything matters, but everything counts”. One of Ivan’s key learnings in his role as head coach at the Penrith Panthers was the importance of following the same high standard of routines and practices (everything counts) even when the game’s outcome may not impact the competition ladder (not everything matters). One could equally say the same learning apply in the school learning environment regardless of whether it is the first or last day of term.

On Thursday of Week 1, the college conducted its ANZAC Day Liturgy to commemorate past and current serving defence force members. It was truly a moving event that was so beautifully crafted by Mr Moore and led exceptionally well by our student leaders and student members of local naval, army and air force cadet units. The reverence on display was palpable and a fitting way to honour those who serve and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I am supremely confident in the personal attributes of our young people and their ability to enact the ANZAC values of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice. A special thank you to Gabby Horton, Piper Weimers, Tim Kist and Christian Lanzafame who laid wreaths on behalf of the College at the Mother’s Memorial on ANZAC day.

A reminder for our families of the Toowoomba Catholic Schools recently published the Parent Code of Conduct, which can be found through this link: Parent Code of Conduct 

This document clearly outlines how parents and guardians of students should conduct themselves when engaging with other members of our community. The Code complements the Staff Code of Conduct and Parent Engagement Charter which positions our school to be safe and respectful places for all.

This weekend, I travel with students and staff to Roma. Students will be competing for the Mercy Shield in netball and rugby league fixtures against five other Catholic schools and Roma State College. Such experiences provide opportunities for students to enhance their skills in preparation for Confraternity and QISSN competitions in the June /July holidays but also foster relationships and school identity.  In advance I thank Ms Lawrence, Mr Steel, Ms Kenny and Mr Moore for their time and commitment over the long weekend.

Our next Parent Engagement Network (PEN) meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 14th May (6.00-7.00pm). This year the PEN is looking to take a more informal and social approach whereby parents and carers can take the opportunity to build connections with each other whilst also asking questions about the college from myself.

Finally, this term we welcome Ms Daisy Cryle (English/Humanities) and Candace Pfeffer (Administration Officer) to St Joseph’s College. They replace Ms Amanda Crouch (leave) and Kylie Van de Linden (resignation) respectively and bring a wealth of experience to our students. Daisy has taught in a few Brisbane Catholic Schools previously and is well to our community for her relief teaching work at the college, whilst Candace brings administrative expertise from a range of local businesses. I wish them a most enriching experience in their time with our community. Next Friday will mark Ms Nadia Spain’s last formal day with our community before she embarks to her new school in Ipswich. On behalf of the college, I wish Nadia the very best and thank her for the contributions she has made over the last nine years. The replacement for Ms Spain will be announced shortly.

God Bless

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