From the Principal
Dear Parents and Friends of St Joseph’s College,
As we prepare to receive our new student leaders, I was reminded of the virtues of leadership recently in the writings from Peter 5:2-3 – Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve. True leadership involves serving and caring for those under our responsibility with a genuine heart. Our College Motto, ‘Serve Him in Others’, captures the essence of leadership so well. Authentic leaders make the face of Jesus known to others by enacting our college motto and embracing our values of Respect, Compassion, Dignity and Endeavour.
At the end of last term, our new College Leaders for 2026 were announced after a rigorous selection process. There were 45 applicants for the 18 available positions, which speaks volumes about the desire of our senior students to serve our College community. I had the privilege of witnessing many of our Year 11 cohort display leadership attributes at Emu Gully during their Term 3 camp and through the recent leadership interviews. I am extremely confident in the quality of the young men and women that we are raising in partnership with our families, and I look forward to collaborating with them to grow those we serve.
Congratulations to the following students:
College Captains: Hannah Marsh and Elvis Mgutu
Academic Captains: Maria Paul and Sienna Littleton
Cultural Captains: Gemma Standeavan and William Gillies
Mission Captains: Rose Bino and Mackenzie Keenan
Sports Captains: Rheanna Hart and Samantha Hunter
Brennan Captains: Scott McLucas and Sienna Ebeling
McAuley Captains: Macey Evans and Rachel Bonnell
Murphy Captains: Travis Bellingham and Emmersyn Ranford
Rice Captains: Taylor Lobwein and Jada Guok
Our newly appointed leaders were inducted Friday 17 October, as part of the Handover Ceremony with our outgoing leaders.
Congratulations to all our participating teams in the CBSQ Basketball and All Schools Touch competitions that were held at the Gold Coast at the end of last term and last weekend, respectively. All teams competed with enthusiasm and displayed wonderful sportsmanship. Such events expose our students to a high standard of competition and provide opportunities to develop College spirit. I thank all our staff who gave of their time to attend these two events.
This term we welcome back three staff members: Ms Nadine Luhrs (Guidance Counsellor), Cristelle Caboudine (French), and Taylah Waldron (English/Humanities). Nadine is well known in our community and replaces Ms Kate Stenhouse who recently took parental leave. I am pleased to report that Kate delivered a healthy baby (Fred) on 27th September. Taylah has been overseas for the last 18 months and, like Nadine, is well known within our community for her quality teaching. Cristelle completed a contract earlier in the year and is a highly proficient speaker of French Language. Mr Josh Richards returns to the college in the capacity of School Officer whilst he completes his teaching qualification. We welcome Ms Rachael Rheen, and Chris Beljack to St Joseph’s, who replace Mr Mitchell Kilgour whilst he is on leave. Mr Tim Stone assumes the position of Curriculum Leader for Health and Physical Education over the first four weeks of this term. Mr Reece Gilbert joins our Industrial Design Team, covering for Mr Brad Hodges (School Officer) while he is on leave for the first seven weeks of Term 4. Mr Brad Suhr steps into the role of Facilities Manager while Mr Mark Fells is on secondment to Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office during October and early November. Mr Darcy Goodman returns to the College to assist the Facilities Team during the next five weeks.
At the beginning of Week 3 this term, St Joseph’s College welcomes Ms Adele Blissett into the role of Career Development Officer. Adele replaces Ms Amanda Ruhle, who concluded her tenure during the recent vacation period. Adele is currently working at Emmaus College Jimboomba in a similar role and brings excellent knowledge and skills in Vocational Education, specialising in School-Based Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Work Experience. She has established extensive networks with employers and businesses, and we look forward to her arrival.
Ms Kellie-Marie Ford will continue at Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office for the first half of 2026 before returning to St Joseph’s College. She is continuing in the role of Project Officer Respectful Relationships, bringing great skill and expertise to our thirty-two schools. Mr Tom Moore will continue in the position of Assistant Principal Mission and Identity, whilst Mr Jay Hansen will move into the position of Rice House Leader for Semester 1. Ms Elle Moss will leave the College at the end of the year to assume a position at Keebra Park High School in their rugby league program. This is quite the achievement for Elle, who has been coaching at the highest levels in girls’ and women’s rugby league. Congratulations to Mr Ben Gehrmann who has been appointed as Curriculum Leader Technology at the College permanently from the beginning of 2026. He replaces Mr Brian Cantwell who will officially retire at the beginning of 2026. The College will recognise Brian’s contributions to the College in the new year.
Ms Megan Scott has announced her retirement from St Joseph’s College from the beginning of 2026. She will take pre-retirement leave from 10th November this year and the college will celebrate Megan’s significant contributions in both the curriculum and extra-curricular fields during this term.
Recently the College announced that in our 70th anniversary year (2026), St Joseph’s College will proudly present the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat—a fitting tribute that highlights both the school’s namesake and the vibrant talents of its students. The musical will be presented at the end of Term 2, 2026, with auditions occurring mid-Term 4, 2025. Mr Thomas Holsworth will lead the production, assisted by Ms Madeleine Minns. A musical is a large-scale event that thrives on the support of parents and the wider community. The Arts Production team is excited to offer this enriching opportunity to the students of St Joseph’s, and we warmly welcome parental/guardian involvement—whether through creative contributions, practical assistance, or simply cheering from the audience. Please contact Ms Minns if you would like to offer your skills.
Year 12 students will enter their final external exams from the commencement of Week 4. This can be a stressful time for our young people. Whilst they have been well prepared by their respective teachers through “mock exam preparation” and revision processes, the following tips can be beneficial:
- Provide check-ins using statements such as, “How are you feeling today?”
- Maintain normal sleep and eating patterns for your young person.
- Encourage regular breaks from study.
- Provide encouragement and avoid pressuring young people to succeed, as they already place pressure on themselves.
- Remind young people that their upcoming assessments are a small part of their learning journey and an opportunity to do their best rather than a reflection of their worth or success.
I wish all our Year 12s the absolute best as they enter the final stages of their learning journeys and look forward to celebrating their time at the college over the coming weeks.
God Bless,
Mr Jim Brennan - Principal – jbrennan@sjc.qld.edu.au