From the Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and Students

On Wednesday of this week, I had the opportunity to speak to the students and staff as a whole for the first time since I have returned from my professional renewal leave. As part of this address, I covered the following points, and I would very much like to share them with our SJC community.

Thank you!

A sincere thank you to our Toowoomba Catholic Schools Diocese Executive Director Dr Patrick Coughlan for the opportunity and the support to participate in professional renewal leave. The undertaking of the Camino de Santiago was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it already has had a great impact upon the way I view and will engage with my professional and personal life.

Thank you so very much to Mr Willocks, Mr Cryle, Mr Logan, Ms Moss who so graciously undertook acting positions during my leave. I highlighted on assembly that whilst it is never easy to be away from the college, having such amazingly generous and capable people, who are willing to take on the responsibility of leading the college is a God send.

I also want to thank the wider SJC community for their support of the college during my leave and finally a massive thank you to the staff and students for the very warm welcome back I have received.

Congratulations SJC Community

Whilst on my professional renewal leave one of my goals, which I failed at miserably, was to completely disconnect from work. The reason I failed was that one of the most life-giving elements of being part of a community like St Joseph’s College is the joy you see in the faces of the students and staff when they are engaging with the so many amazing learning opportunities occurring every day in classrooms, faith, cultural, community and sporting activities. This is something that I could not forgo on my journey, and I loved observing the weekly events from a distance through social media and the newsletter. Congratulations SJC community on another amazingly jam-packed term.

During assembly I congratulated the vast majority of our students who constantly pay attention to all aspects of the high expectations that we have at St Joseph’s College, and we want the young people to have of themselves. We are blessed to be part of a community that agrees high expectations are good for young people and that our students do understand the need for this – even though at times they may not agree with it.

This congratulations and thanks is extended to you, our parents and carers, who share support the understanding of aiming for our young people to be upholding the ‘Joey’s Way’, 100% of the time.

Time

Finally, during my address, I asked the students and staff to indulge me by allowing me to share a reflection that I had on my leave about the concept of time.

Time as we all know is something that we can never get back once it has passed. It is something that as an adolescent we don’t really measure or consider its importance. However, as you enter the stage of life that I am in I highlighted to the students that you do very much look at time in a different manner. Whilst walking the Camino I reflected heavily upon the concept of time, and this posed the following questions that I asked the students to reflect upon.  

How as individuals do we use our time? How do we prioritise the use of time? Do we prioritise family, friends, schoolwork, employment, recreation, sport, socialising etc.

How as a college do we use and prioritise the time available over the year? What time is dedicated to liturgical celebrations, masses, teaching and learning in classrooms, cultural events, sporting events, wellbeing and pastoral activities, camps etc.

As a college how much time is spent dealing with situations where students are not meeting expectations? How much do these situations take away from the time available that staff and students have to prepare and participate in all the amazing learning opportunities on offer? 

After posing these questions I then thanked the great majority of our students who are meeting the expectations and who are not being a drain on the available time.

Finally, I then challenged the students who are not meeting the expectations of the college and who are being a drain on the available time. I asked them to consider these two questions. Is this fair on their peers and their teachers? What can they do as an individual and what support do they need to address this unfairness to their peers and teachers so that the precious time we have each day at school can be used more effectively?

It is my hope that the students considered these questions honestly, and that they will continue to consider these questions over the remainder of this term and the break. The time that is available for us as a school to achieve our goal of working in partnership with our community to assist the students to become the best people and the best learners they can be is so very precious.

This week we pray for our community that our Lord Christ will be with us all during the times that face challenges.

Lord Christ, you came into the world as one of us, and suffered as we do.

As we go through the trials of life, help us to realise that you are with us at all times and in all things.

That we have secrets from you; and that your loving grace enfolds us for eternity.

In the security of your embrace, we pray.

Amen

Student Protection at St Joseph’s College Toowoomba

The most important daily concerns for our school community is the health, safety and wellbeing 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 7 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 Mr Thomas Moore (Rice House Leader), Ms Shauna Green (School Counsellor), Ms Kate Stenhouse (School Counsellor). Ms Aleesha Degan (Murphy House Leader), Mr Brendon Willocks (Deputy Principal), Mr Joe Cryle (Assistant Principal Student Engagement) and as College Principal I am also a SSPC. Students can speak to any of these 7 staff members if they have any worries about their own safety or wellbeing, 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