From the Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and Students

During a conversation that I had over the weekend I was alerted to the fact that a new Year Seven student at a Brisbane Catholic Education Diocese College when quizzed by his grandmother about what he had learnt in his first five days at his new school, he responded that he had learned a new blessing. “In the name of the Father; the Son and the whole experience!”

For many of the new students at Catholic schools around the state, and country, and certainly at St Joseph's College, learning how to make the ‘Sign of the Cross’, is a very new experience. As opposed to the normal experience that this practice is for students who are either at St Joseph's College already or who have made their way to St Joseph's College from the Catholic primary schools. 

When reflecting upon the success of the unnamed school to welcome and share with their new students our Catholic practices, we could certainly see this young person’s response as being incorrect and even a failure. Or perhaps we might see this from another point of view and consider that this young person had worked out very early that the experience and expression of God in education, is about the ‘whole experience!’ If the latter was the case then we would certainly say that the unnamed school got their welcome right and that this young person has already learnt about a God who loves, is inclusive and amazingly compassionate. 

With the new and continuing students at St Joseph's College in mind, I would like to share this great prayer of blessing with you today.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you will live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you will work for justice, equality, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and change their pain to joy.

And may God bless you with the foolishness to think that you can make a difference in the world, so that you will do the things which others tell you cannot be done.

Amen

Interschool Sport

Interschool sport has begun for the year and over the remainder of the year we will see St Joseph's College teams competing across a wide range of sports in all age groups and all divisions. For many students, it will be their first opportunity to represent St Joseph's College and I look forward to seeing our students competing. I would like to highlight that it is a privilege to represent St Joseph’s College and as such whilst it is important to play hard and give your very best, what is even more important is how we play. We must always display sportsmanship, humility in victory and graciousness in defeat. Best of luck to all of our sporting teams and individuals.

Student Protection at St Joseph’s College Toowoomba

The most important daily concern for our school community is the health, safety and well-being of our students and staff. St Joseph’s College has a number of specific child protection responsibilities which are detailed in the Student Protection Processes and Guidelines, available on the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Website along with other information for parents and caregivers. Student protection | Parents and community | Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools (twb.catholic.edu.au)

At our school, we have 6 staff members who can assist with student protection concerns. These staff members are called School Student Protection Contacts (SSPC’s) and you will see their names and photographs on posters around the school. Our current SSPC’s are Miss Aleesha Degan (Murphy House Leader), Mr Thomas Moore (Rice House Leader), Ms Shauna Green (School Counsellor), Mrs Kate Stenhouse (School Counsellor), Mr Joe Cryle (Assistant Principal Student Engagement), Mr Brendon Willocks (Deputy Principal) and as College Principal I am also a SSPC. Students can speak to any of these 6 staff members if they have any worries about their own safety or well-being, or that of a friend or classmate. We thank these staff members for undertaking this important role in our school.

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