From the Principal
Dear Parents, Carers and Students
Each year Social Justice Sunday is held on the last Sunday in August and its particular emphasis each year has the same basis, namely, that Social Justice is a reflection of God’s respect and concern for each individual person. In the Old Testament there is a strong emphasis on the ideals of both personal responsibility and community responsibility for Social Justice.
Jesus, in his teaching, strongly criticised the social structure of his day by showing how status and wealth, if they neglected the marginalised, were unacceptable and to be condemned. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20. In a culture that often saw poverty and illness as penalties for sin, such a statement would set off reactions ranging from bewilderment to shock; likewise, would this statement of Jesus: “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed since they do not have the means to repay you; for God will repay you when the good people rise from death.” Luke 14:12-14
When John the Baptist sent his disciples to establish Jesus’ true identity, Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have the good news brought to them.” Luke 7:22.
Perhaps nowhere, does Jesus speak as forcefully about justice in human relations as he does in his final sermon recorded by Matthew: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father and possess the Kingdom that has been prepared for you. I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger and you received me into your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.” Matt. 25:3436. And when people asked when they had done these things, Jesus replied, “Whenever you did this for one of the least important brothers of mine, you did it for me!” Matt 25:40.
Father Ronald Rolheiser has a comment to make about this final sermon that is a touch reminiscent of Jesus statement that caused some bewilderment and shock: “When Jesus describes the last judgement at the end of Matthew’s gospel, he tells us that this judgement will not be, first of all, about right doctrine, good theology, church attendance or even personal piety and sexual morality, but about how we treat the poor. Nobody gets to heaven without a personal reference from the poor. Jesus and the great biblical prophets make that clear.”
As we head off this week for the two weeks of school, may we keep all the marginalised in our society in our prayers.
Prayer for Social Justice
Lord Jesus, look with tender mercy upon the
multitudes of our day who bear the indignities of
injustice everywhere. Raise up leaders in every land
dedicated to Your standards of order, equity, and justice.
Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, the grace
to be worthy members of Your Mystical Body,
labouring unceasingly to fulfil our vocation in the
social apostolate of Your Church.
Sharpen our intellects to pierce the pettiness of prejudice;
to perceive the beauty of true human brotherhood.
Guide our minds to a meaningful understanding
of the problems of the poor, of the oppressed,
of the unemployed, of all in need of assistance anywhere.
Guide our hearts against the subtle lure of earthly things
and undue regard for those who possess them.
May we hunger and thirst after justice always.
Amen.
Congratulations Mrs Harris
It is with great excitement and joy that I would like to congratulate Mrs Angela Harris on her achievement of being awarded the Highly Accomplished Teacher accreditation. Highly Accomplished Teachers are recognised as highly effective, skilled classroom practitioners and routinely work independently and collaboratively to improve their own practice and the practice of colleagues. They are knowledgeable and active members of the school. The Highly Accomplished Teacher is a nationally certified accreditation and is a wonderful recognition of Angela as a leader in our profession.
Farewell and Best Wishes Mr Mal Ayuel
Former College Leader and now School Officer, Mal Ayuel, has notified the College that he is resigning to pursue a new work opportunity and further options in life. In his letter of resignation Mal highlighted how difficult a decision this has been as SJC has been a second home for him, both as a student and a staff member.
During the short time that I have known Mal I have found him to be a wonderful person and he has undertaken his current role with the utmost professionalism. Whilst I did not know Mal as a student, I have heard that he was a great leader of the College and I am sure that others would be able to attest to this.
On behalf of the St Joseph’s College community, I would like to thank Mal for his efforts and commitment to the St Joseph’s College community and wish him all the best for his new role.
Exams, Assessment and Partnership
Well done to all the students on their efforts to complete both exams and assignments to the best of their ability. I would particularly like to congratulate the Year 12 students who have been sitting their mock exams. From my conversations with your teachers, I believe that if your application and the amount of effort you put into preparing for your mock exams is reflected in your results, you can be assured that you have done really well.
As I have continually stated over the last couple of years, we are committed to working with our students and families to achieve at least one year’s growth in learning for each calendar year for all of our students. The achievement of this ambition requires quality teaching to occur in classrooms, consistent effort from our students and each of our families taking the time to reflect on the positives noted on the report cards and to discuss any areas for improvement that are identified.
As part of this partnership, I would like to remind our parents that our teachers are very willing to engage in conversations about the progress of your student towards their goals. Furthermore, it is important to note that all parents are most welcome to contact the College at any time to either speak with or to come in and discuss their child’s progress with their teachers.
NAPLAN Results
Congratulations to the Year 7 and 9 students who undertook the NAPLAN tests in May this year. At St Joseph's College we encourage the students to give these tests their best possible effort so that we could use the accurate data gathered to inform our future teaching and learning activities. Demonstrating Endeavour and aspiring for excellence in all activities is an integral part of the Joey’s Way and something that we want all members of the St Joseph’s College community to exhibit.
This year due to the floods and COVID, ACARA will not be providing national mean data until later in the year. However, analysis of the students individual and cohort data in comparison to historical national means suggests that the students have done very well again this year.
These results continue to be a testament to the outstanding instructional teaching and support provided by staff, the application and hard work of our students, and the success of the literacy improvement program. Congratulations and well done, Year 7 and 9 students and staff!
With these great achievements and the other wonderful efforts of the students over the year in mind, we now turn our attention to ensuring that we finish the year strongly. I would like to wish everyone a great break. Please be safe and take appropriate breaks when travelling. We look forward to students returning on Tuesday 4th October refreshed and ready to participate fully and give their best in Term 4.
Kort Goodman - Principal - KGoodman@sjc.qld.edu.au