St Joseph's College, Toowoomba eNewsletter

From the Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and Students

Social Justice Sunday

Last Sunday was Social Justice Sunday and during Sunday morning’s Mass Bishop Ken spoke on how the Bishops are striving to focus on creating better engagement between our First Nation’s peoples and the Church. The Bishop’s Social Justice Statement, ‘Listen, Learn, Love. A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples,’ can be accessed at this link https://www.stignatiustoowong.org.au/acbc-social-justice-statement-2023-24/

A worthwhile read.

SJC Towards 2024 Strategic Plan

As I have in the last two newsletters I again this fortnight provide an update on how we are progressing toward achieving the strategic intents of the St Joseph’s College Towards 2024 Strategic Plan.

The intent of sharing this information is to provide the community with appropriate information on the growth that we have achieved over the last three years and areas for further development. This information also celebrates and acknowledges the outstanding efforts of the students, teachers, ancillary staff, and wider community who have led, engaged with, and contributed to this growth over the last three years.

Continuing on from our previous two newsletters this week I share with you our Mission and Identity strategic intents and improvement strategies from our St Joseph’s College Towards 2024 Strategic Plan.

Domain - Mission and Identity – Religion Curriculum

Strategic Intent: St Joseph’s College has begun to embed research-based religious pedagogy and curriculum aligned praxis to improve our learners engagement as critical thinking religious citizens.

Key Improvement Strategies:

To promote the role Religious Education plays within the St Joseph’s College community the College has:

Successfully engaged with best practice teaching pedagogy in Religious Education through the Illuminate Project.
Supported staff to acquire the relevant knowledge to engage with scripture and the pedagogy of encounter.
Supported staff to use high impact teaching strategies in Religious Education.
Used student voice to inform the development of curriculum and classroom teaching.
Supported staff to increase involvement in mission activities.
Began to implement praxis experiences and connect service learning to the curriculum and key content descriptors.

Domain - Mission and Identity – Religious Life of the School

Strategic Intent: As part of the life and mission of the Catholic Church, St Joseph’s College deeply commits to the formation of staff and students in the Jesus story and Edmund Rice charism. The St Joseph’s College community is empowered to critically inquire and explore faith in action for a lifelong engagement.

Key Improvement Strategies:

To develop and implement a clear, relevant, and meaningful staff formation plan aligned to our strategic goals and staff voice, St Joseph’s College has:

Begun to educate staff and students in the Edmund Rice Charism.
Begun the process engaging more with the Edmund Rice Education Australia association to make connections and take advantage of opportunities from the wider network.
Responded to staff needs in empowering them with the skills to engage with the Pedagogy of Encounter and Dialogue.

To nurture a distinctive and contemporary Catholic Identity, the College has:

Led the way in recontextualising our faith through the Joey’s Way so that our students and staff can engage individually with their faith.
Clearly focused on the Edmund Rice Charism through prayer and celebration, assembly, classroom prayer and reflection, and Joey’s Way lessons.

To provide for the formation of students in the Joey’s Way, our way of living out faith and the Edmund Rice charism, the College has:

Introduced explicit formation lessons within the Joey’s Way curriculum.
Embedded scripture and the story of Edmund Rice in the Joey’s Way elaborations.
Educated staff and students on the process of restorative practices and its alignment with our Catholic Identity and Edmund Rice charism.

Key Improvement Strategies:

To provide further opportunities for students and staff to be involved in service, justice and peace, and advocacy projects, the College has:

Continued to strengthen links between Religious Education and the Religious Life of the School.
Further engaged students and staff in leading and participating in prayer and liturgy.
Begun the process of reviewing the College retreat program to ensure its relevance and validity in the context of RE, welfare, social justice, and faith development.
Started to provide further opportunities for students and staff to be involved in social justice activities in the community.

A copy of the strategic plan is available to all families at the front office of the College, or on our St Joseph’s College website.

As you can see through the review of domain two, we have come a long way over the last three years and we have a lot to celebrate in our growth towards achieving our strategic intents across this domain. Congratulations again to all community members who have contributed, we look forward to continuing to engage with and embed these intents over the next twelve months and into the 2024 – 2028 SJC Strategic Plan.

Respectful Relationships

Fostering a nurturing environment of respectful relationships within your family holds the key to not only harmonious living, but also improved academic outcomes for your children. As parents and caregivers, embracing the art of teaching children about respect at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy interactions and empathetic understanding. It will help cultivate a positive environment where communication flourishes, conflicts are resolved constructively, and bonds are fortified.

Teaching children to respect themselves and others will open up avenues for both personal growth and academic achievement. Fostering an environment where respect is not just a word, but a practiced behaviour, will empower young people with essential life skills. Effective communication, active listening, and the art of compromise, will provide your child with a solid foundation that will transcend family interactions and help them collaborate effectively with peers, teachers and the broader community.

Equipping children with an understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships is an important aspect of their development. It will guide them to make informed choices, foster positive connections, and set boundaries that contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy relationships provides children with the essential tools to navigate their social world, build self-esteem, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month's edition https://sjc.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/respectful-relationships

New smoke and vape-free public places and school carparks

As of 1 September 2023, smoking and vaping is prohibited in all school carparks. Smoking and vaping is already prohibited at public and private school facilities and in a 5-metre buffer zone extending from the boundary of the school. The new law extends the smoke and vape-free protection to include all carparks provided for school communities. This includes carparks located on council land that are intended for school community use. The smoke and vape-free requirements for schools always apply. This means school carparks are also smoke and vape-free areas outside of school hours, on weekends and in school holiday periods. The laws apply to all persons using a school carpark including students, teaching staff, parents and guardians of students, other employees of the school, visitors and persons providing a service or volunteering, clubs and organisations accessing school facilities. Thank you for your compliance with these laws.

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