From the Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and Students

World Teachers Day – 28 October 2022

World Teachers' Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and thank our teachers for their important role in our communities and for the positive impact they have on the lives of students. It is celebrated in Queensland Catholic schools on Friday 28 October. This year’s theme is ‘Teaching through every moment’ and we thank you amazingly generous teachers at St Joseph’s College for their commitment and dedication to the young people in our community.

A Prayer for World Teacher’s Day

Giver of all wisdom and greatest of all teachers,

Look upon our teachers with love

Grant them the resolve to nurture our eager minds

and to never give up on us who fall behind.

Bless their hearts for they rejoice

when we succeed and encourage us when we fail

And bless them with gentle patience

for the path of learning is never easy

Kindle a spirit and passion in them

it is the flame that ignites the love of learning in us

Help them see the potential in each student

Their belief in us means much more than the grade we make

Instill in them a commitment to keep on learning

It shows us to not fear new knowledge and experiences

Inspire them to touch the future

They influence how big a dream we dream for ourselves

Bless our teachers who have come before

For their work endures to this day

Let the light of your example shine upon all teachers

To build up with their words

To love with their mind

To share with their heart.

Amen

Parent Engagement in Schools

Thank you to the families who came along to Tuesday night’s PEN session on the SJC Teaching and Learning Framework. Your attendance, interest in your student’s learning and support of the College is greatly appreciated.

I thank Mrs Kerrie-Anne Fellenberg, Mrs Karen Tobin and Mrs Cate Park-Ballay for their efforts in presenting on the night and for their efforts to make the evening engaging for those who attended.

2023 College Captains Speech

Congratulations to all involved in our student leadership handover. Our 2022 student leaders have certainly set a very high benchmark for our newly appointed student leaders which the 2023 leaders themselves have acknowledged and are excited to engage with this challenge.

Congratulations also to all Year 11 students who applied for a position and were not successful in attaining one of the 18 positions. The deliberation and discernment process was extremely rigorous and challenging given the outstanding group of applicants. We do hope that those students who were not successful will continue to lead the College as outstanding seniors in 2023.

As I have done in previous years, I would like to share with you the speech that our 2023 College Captains, Sophie Wagner and Shane Hurlock presented as part of the leadership handover. I think that you will agree that our student body is in good hands with these two outstanding young people leading them.

Shane: My first week at St Joseph’s was one of, if not the most, terrifying week of my life. I felt like a kid’s pet goldfish being dropped into the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I remember wading through a sea of people miles taller than me, diary map in hand and donning an incredibly oversized backpack, searching desperately for Mr Cook’s maths class. But it quickly dawned on me that I was completely lost and needed help fast. I used a vital piece of knowledge that I’d gained on orientation day; white shirts meant senior. I nervously made my way towards a girl in a white shirt, internally rehearsing what I was going to say. Long story short, I ended up in maths class, due to the help of this selfless senior, only 5 minutes late. And, thankfully, Mr Cook let me off.

I don’t know the girl’s name. I don’t remember what she looked like. But I do remember what she wore. The white shirt, the same white shirt that I stand wearing before you today, is a beacon of hope for people in our community who seek guidance. People who don’t have someone to turn to. People that you once were, or are right now. And that is how Sophie and I, alongside our peers, intend to lead Saint Joseph’s College in 2023. As beacons of hope.

Sophie: Much like Shane, I was terrified my first few days at joeys. However, I found solace in my fellow year 7’s, who were also scared, I was comforted by my buddy, I saw teachers go out of their way to make sure we were all okay, students helped each other find their classrooms, and I think that encapsulates Joeys perfectly. The idea of looking out for or after someone else and expecting nothing in return. It only took a few days for the fear to subside, and for a sense of belonging to take its place. I had grown up hearing about my sister's day at joeys each afternoon, and to say I was excited about high school would be an understatement. I felt at home, listening to my sibling's stories about school, and even though I was scared, finally being able to experience it, I felt a sense of belonging and connection to something much larger than myself, SJC. We are all SJC, we are this school's history and future, and it is each of our responsibility to make that future as bright as possible, together.

Shane: Over my 5 years so far at the College, I can honestly and proudly say that there is no community I would rather be a part of. And one thing that I believe the Joey’s community has over any other is passion. Newto cooking breakfast after a team’s gruelling 6am training. Passion. Bands and ensembles performing in front of hundreds. Passion. Teachers teaching a subject they’ve studied for years. Passion. Everyone at St Joseph’s loves what they do, and I believe that is what sets us apart. The passion of SJC is something we promise to delicately intertwine within our leadership of this incredible college. Over the next year we hope to not only encompass the passions of every individual into our leadership, but to further cultivate them and raise the roof on the potential of the Joeys Community. When we find success in our passions, the immeasurable success of St Joseph’s will follow.

Sophie: Less than a month ago I was undergoing inpatient treatment at Queensland Children's Hospital, today I stand here addressing the community for the first time as college captain. It's been a long, difficult journey, but I didn’t get here by myself, rather I've been backed by a network of passionate, caring staff and students, ever since my first day in year 7. I think that’s what sets St Joseph's apart, it’s a supportive community; comprised of people who genuinely care about you and your education. I want every member of this community to feel safe, valued, and proud to learn at such a remarkable school. I am immensely proud to be a part of this community and to lead it in 2023.

Shane: Joeys offers an absolutely massive variety of opportunities for its students, and the choice of what to pursue is often a difficult one to make. Whether it be the basketball team, debating team, chess club, jazz band, or simply having a crack at the 25 metres at the swimming carnival, the fact is that it wouldn’t be the same without you. Your participation is noticed and valued. Your participation is what shapes the identity of SJC. However, I want to challenge each of you for the coming year. Take on something new. Reignite an old passion. Say yes to opportunities. Broaden your horizons. Sophie and I, alongside our 2023 co-leaders, will back you 100% of the way.

Sophie: Shane and I would like to sincerely thank the 2022 cohort, especially Tahlia, Riley, Zachary, Maddison, Blake, Waed, Aliandra, Joseph, Hayden, Isabella, Kaylee, Preston, Brandon, Sophie, Savannah Toohey, Baxter, Savannah Teakle and Rowan, for their service and dedication. I speak for us all when I say they have inspired us with their leadership and ability to transform vision into reality. It’s a privilege to follow in your footsteps as we carve our own path as leaders. It's important that the class of 2023 endeavours to continue to cultivate the culture of kindness within our community, that the cohort of 2022 has fostered. I encourage every single member of the community to find the opportunity for random acts of kindness, these gestures may not change the world, but they will change our community. Remember: if you can be anything, be kind. 

Sophie: Shane and I realise how amazing this position is and we are honoured and humbled by the opportunity to lead St Joseph's College. We all have limited time at joeys, so it's our responsibility to make the most out of it, to leave our mark on the school, to change it for the better, and to let it change us. St Joseph's has nurtured and shaped us into the people we are today, and SJC will always be a part of us. The captains of 2023 are merely one chapter in SJC’s long history, but in saying that we have the opportunity to write that chapter, a chapter full of change that will last for years after we've graduated. We are excited to work alongside all of the 2023 captains, and our incredible cohort to advance our school, by embodying the college values and imperatives to truly the live Joey's Way and ‘Serve him in Others’.

Shane: So, that is what to expect from our leadership, and how you can play your own part in the growth of the College next year. I want to reiterate how absolutely humbled and blessed Sophie and I are to have been appointed as your College Captains, and we promise to give you our absolute best, and push you to strive for yours. We can all be the beacon of hope. We can all embrace our passions. We can all participate and persevere.

Shane: We will leave you with this quote by Howard Zinn; “small acts, when multiplied by others, can change the world”.

From Sophie, myself and the 2023 student leadership team, thank you.

Best Wishes

As I head off on long service leave and this is my last newsletter for the year, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish all members of our college community a Holy and safe Christmas and thank you for the support of the College throughout our 2022 academic year. I do hope that our community members will open their hearts to the true meaning of Christmas and take time to reflect and give thanks for what we are so privileged to be part of. Please take care of each other, travel safely, and take appropriate breaks. A reminder that school commences for Year 7, 11, 12 and new students on Tuesday 24 January and Year 8, 9 and 10 on Wednesday, 25 January 2023.

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

ever faithful to your promises and ever close to your Church:

the earth rejoices in hope of the Saviour’s coming,

and looks forward with longing to his return at the end of time.

Prepare our hearts and remove the sadness that hinders us from feeling the joy,

and hope which his presence will bestow,

for he is Lord for ever and ever.

Amen.

Live Jesus in our Hearts. Forever

Kort Goodman - Principal - KGoodman@sjc.qld.edu.au