SJRC Term 4 Week 8- 1st December 2023

Inspired Display Showcase Evening

Congratulations to all students & staff involved in our Display Showcase Evening on Wednesday night. The student work on display was outstanding and the performances in the concerts were amazing. We should all feel proud of the high standards our students are achieving and the great sense of community witnessed on Wednesday night. Special thanks to the TAS & Creative Arts staff for coordinating this special night. 

Movember

Our senior students and staff at St Joseph's Regional College participated in the "Mo" movement to raise awareness for men's health. The Movember Foundation has successfully used the moustache as a symbol to start conversations about men's physical and mental well-being.

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you - our recent Movember Fundraiser was an incredible success! Thanks to your unwavering support and generosity, we have raised an astounding $5,621! Your contributions have made a significant impact on raising awareness for men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health. Together, we've taken a big step toward creating a healthier future for men around the world. 

Donations can still be made via the following link: https://movember.com/t/st-joseph-s-regional-college?mc=1

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING

The safety of our students, families and staff is our highest priority. In order to best ensure this, the St Joseph’s Regional College leadership and staff, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, plan for a number of possible incidents, emergencies or natural disasters that could take place at school or during the school term. The events of recent years have reinforced how important this planning is and we all have a role to play when it comes to emergency management, including families.
Our students participate in various safety drills and staff participate through training and safety drills. We’d like to share with you the role of parents and families in emergency management.

School Lockdown

A number of the situations we plan for include a school lockdown as one of the immediate safety actions to ensure the safety of our students and staff. We understand that some may understand the word ‘lockdown’ to mean there is an immediate safety risk to all students. It is important to understand that when a school initiates a lockdown this may not be the case.
Depending on the situation, the purpose of a school lockdown will differ. A school lockdown may be a preparation step for an evacuation, or a school lockdown may allow emergency services access to an area of the school without having to navigate past students. Regardless of the purpose of a school lockdown, no one can be admitted to the school grounds other than emergency services.

Should we initiate a school lockdown, parents and families will be informed via text message and Compass app notification. We will also inform parents and families as soon as the school lockdown has been lifted or if there are any actions required of parents and families. It is important that you do not attempt to attend the school during a school lockdown. We understand that you may be concerned however attending the school may also add risk to a possible emergency situation, block emergency services or impede an evacuation.

Natural Disaster

In the event of a natural disaster, such as flood or bushfire, the school leadership, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, will determine if it is safe for the school to open. If there is a probability the school may have to close part way through the day, the school will not open for that day as it is extremely difficult to evacuate a school site and ensure all students are able to go directly home safely.

In a bush fire or flood event it is important that parents and families have a plan to get your child/ren home from school, or into your care, at short notice. Please be aware that school buses may not be running and the school cannot allow your child/ren to go home to an empty house or home with another parent without your permission.

Family Preparedness

How can you help us prepare for emergency situations? Please ensure that:

● You have downloaded Compass and have allowed notifications.
● Any changes to your contact details or custodial arrangements have been updated with the school.
● You have a bush fire/flood plan in place that all members of your family understand.
● In the event of a school lockdown or evacuation, directions in the parent notifications are followed.

It is always our hope that these measures will never be needed but it is also our responsibility to ensure our school community is prepared and informed should the need arise. We thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.

Tanya Daley                                   Nigel McIntyre                         
Principal                                        Catholic Schools Office 

Merits and Bronze Certificates

Congratulations to all students who have received Merits. Students and parents can track merits through the student profiles on Compass.

As of Thursday, there were a total of 2988 Merits awarded to students. The house count for Merits for currently-enrolled students is as follows:

Flinders - 617
Hastings - 481
Innes - 500
Macquarie - 502
Oxley - 450
Wilson - 437

As the assembly this week, we also awarded another PC Pizza Lunch to the most improved senior class for merits. Well done to PC F11.

Congratulations to the following students who have received 10 merits each. This has also added 20 house points to your house’s tally.

Harry Hoad Hayley Honeysett Jorja Hurrell Jaydee Jones Noah Langdon Jamie Lombardo Byron McCullough

Aidan McManus Lachlan McNeice Imogen Mulligan Mason Nowak Zahra Parker Isabella Russell Alicia Smith Louisa Smith

Zoe Swan Shanay Taylor Jaina Thakrani Lily Walker Cooper Williams Jamon Young Ada Zerafa-Johnson

“Through Our Eyes” Project.

A couple of weeks ago we shared some information regarding the completion of the terrific project.This week, we share a brief report from two students who were involved in the project. We also have some students involved in an ABC News article that should air on Weekend Breakfast in the coming weeks. We will share more details once we know.

From Isabelle S:

Mine and Connor’s resident Malcolm is a sweet and lovely man. He was always so excited when we visited him on Tuesday afternoons and always had things he would love to talk about and show us. The process of interviewing our resident was a little hard because if we were to ask him about his love for trains or his life in general he would have so much to tell us and so it was a little hard to be able to get him off that topic and onto the next topic. The process for creating the book was a bit difficult as we didn’t have as many photos to put into the book and didn’t really get much information about his family; for example, their names, where they lived and if they were married. Eventually, by the end of the 11 weeks of this memoir project, we had officially finished our book with the help of Ms Mooney, Mr Hyland and Mr Gobius. They were able to help us to retrieve more information and photos for us to include in the book for our resident. When it came to the end of the 11 weeks, it was time for us to visit our resident one last time to present to them their finished book. As we handed over the completed book to our resident, his face lit with joy and the first thing he did was show his wife who also has a book written about her from previous years. He looked so happy and it just made us both feel proud that even though given the circumstances, we were still able to complete and publish the book for our resident to keep forever. I think a highlight for us was being able to see our resident's face light up every time we walked into his room on a Tuesday afternoon knowing that he had so much to tell us about his life and to show us his woodwork crafts. The main thing that we were able to get out of this project as a participant was that a lot of people think that older people are boring and are just draining, but in reality, they actually aren’t. Being with my resident every Tuesday afternoon made our afternoons special because I loved seeing his face light up every time Connor and I walked into the room and listening to these amazing stories that he was prepared to tell us. Not only that, but we both felt that we had made a really special connection with our resident and it made us feel happy inside knowing that he had someone younger to talk to about his life experience and how the world has changed since he was our age.

From Jazmin C:

Lilly, and I were part of the Through Our Eyes Memoirs project for 2023. Mine and Lilly’s resident, Colin, was an experienced and kind man, he was always happy to see us and answer any questions we had about his life and experiences. As it is with older people, it can be difficult for them to remember the answer to the questions, but thankfully his lovely wife was there for a few of the weeks to help him, and us out. Often with Colin he only wanted to talk about his job as a fitter and turner, it could be difficult to turn him back around, but in the end, after many weeks we managed to learn much about Colin’s life, and, the next obstacle to hurdle was photos. Many residents only have a few photos with them, and are not the best with technology, this again where Colin’s wife stepped in and helped us out, she found all the photos we asked for and more! I would also like to extend thanks to Ms Mooney, Mr Gobius, and Mr Hyland, who were there helping all of us out whenever we needed, and after 11 weeks everyone’s memoirs were sent off the be published. I think this project really allowed many of us to understand and hold a greater appreciation for the stories of the elderly and everything they have experienced in life, and I know I will forever be grateful and hold fond memories when I think back on activities such as this. My highlight of this project was going over to Emmaus every Tuesday and just listening to the stories that Colin had to tell us, especially stories about him and his wife that showed he loved her deeply. I definitely recommend doing this project if you get the chance, you learn so much, and the joy of everyone’s residents when they see the book for the first time is absolutely heartwarming.

Advent Wreaths

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the special Church season which reminds us to prepare for Christmas spiritually. An Advent wreath at home is a beautiful way to mark the passing of the four weeks of waiting for Christmas day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. An Advent wreath can be as simple or as ornate as you want to make it. Create one at home with some of these symbols.

All families are reminded of the fantastic Family Connect service offered free of charge to all SJRC families. Please refer to the flyer below for additional information and self-referral information. Families can access this service by contacting the College Office or our Family Connect Worker, Jerico, on the mobile phone number provided. In 2024 Wendy Jansen will be commencing with us at the College.

Are you not sure if Family Connect could be of benefit to you? Please get in touch with us to find out more information. This is a free and confidential service for families, including parents and siblings of enrolled students.

Class Structures for 2024

We are currently finalising class lists for 2024 for rounds classes for Years 8 - 10. This is a complex process that incorporates pastoral information, learning data and timetabling management to come up with mixed ability rounds classes that will best serve our large cohorts of students. Students will be advised of their 2024 rounds class on Monday 11th December. Students may then request a review of their rounds placement for documented wellbeing concerns only. Any requests for rounds class reviews must be submitted to Leaders of Student Wellbeing by 3:15pm on Tuesday 12th December. In most cases, a change of class will be highly unlikely due to our strong enrolment numbers. Should parents wish to discuss 2023 class placement, the relevant Leader of Student Wellbeing is the best point of contact.

Jennifer Furney
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

Year 7-10 Semester 2 Awards ceremony

The Year 7-10 Semester 2 Awards Ceremony will occur on Friday 15th December in the College Hall. The awards ceremonies will cover both the academic awards and service and spirit awards and will occur during the following times:

•  Academic Award Ceremony: 9.15 am- 10.35 am
•  Service and Spirit Awards Ceremony: 11.15 am- 12.30 pm
•  Academic Award Ceremony: 9:15am-10:35am
•  Service & Spirit Award Ceremony: 11.15am-12.30pm

Families will be notified if their child is receiving an award by Friday 8th December. These awards ceremonies are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the end of the academic year and parents and other family members are strongly encouraged to attend. After the second ceremony, students will return to PC for 15 minutes and will then be able to leave early as long as a note has been provided to their PC teacher. There will be supervision provided for those students who remain at the College for the rest of the afternoon.

Year 7-10 Reports

Year 7-10 Semester 2 reports will be issued via the Compass platform on Friday 15th December from 2.00 pm. These reports will reflect your child’s learning across the second half of the academic year and will consist of the following aspects:

1. Common grade in each subject studied using the A-E Common Grade Scale
2. Descriptors explaining your child’s Knowledge, Skills and Understandings in each subject as well as their Commitment to Learning descriptors which are a reflection of their attitude to the learning environment. These descriptors are a fantastic reflection tool and acknowledge the relative strengths and areas for growth in you son or daughters learning progression.
3. Pastoral care comment which is reflection of your child’s engagement in PC and aspects of college life throughout the year.

Parents will have an opportunity to discuss their child’s report with teachers on Monday 18th December from 8.30 am until 11.00 am. If you wish to arrange a meeting with a teacher, please contact the front office to arrange a time.

Year 12 Assessment Week

Good luck to our 2024 Year 12 HSC cohort who commence their first HSC assessment block during Week 10. The students have had a strong start to their HSC studies and this assessment block will help hone their examination technique as well as identify areas to continue to focus on over the course of the next twelve months.

Webinar for Career Conversations

Education Services Australia is providing an opportunity for parents and carers to gain an insight into helping their child through the upcoming time of receiving results and making decisions.

Tuesday 12 December 1:00pm (AEDT) Career conversations at results time:

Support your young person’s wellbeing and help them plan their next steps

The end of the year can be an anxious time for senior secondary students as they await their exam results, and also an anxious time for parents! Some will celebrate, some will be disappointed, and many will just be uncertain about what it all means.

Join us as Dr Michael Healy shares practical tips on how parents and carers, teachers, friends, and others can support young people to understand their results and plan their next steps accordingly. Learn how to help your young person recognise and manage their emotions at results time (both positive and negative), discover post-school pathway options for them to consider, and how they can make good career decisions and approach the next chapter of their journey with confidence. Register now:

Webinar Registration Link

Ian Lutton
Assistant Principal- Learning & Teaching

Nursing Home Tour

On Thursday Week 7, twenty six students attended three Nursing home venues to entertain the residents. The College choir & College Flute Ensemble performed for Mary Knoll and Mt Carmel residents, before walking around the corner to sing and play for St Agnes Hostel. The day concluded with a concert for the residents at Emmaus and returning to school.

Soloists that featured throughout the day were Brigitte Steele, Aysha Wilson, Imogen Baker, Alannah Steele, Phoebe White and Tori Knox. Following each performance, the students had the opportunity to meet and chat with some of the residents before getting back on the bus. Not only did the residents love the musical entertainment and the chat, the students also enjoyed hearing the life stories of the elderly too, here is some of the feedback from the students;

“One of the older women I spoke to said it made her day”

“One of the older ladies I talked to said she wasn’t going to get out of bed today, but then she heard our songs’

“ One of the men I spoke to said he doesn’t get out much, but that he really enjoyed the music’

“I remember one woman said that what we were singing, reminded her of what she was singing in her teenage years”

“I found that a lot of people were lonely and that it made their day”

“They were doing the actions with us and singing along with us”

“One of the women asked us to do this again very soon”

“Someone told me that one of the songs we sang reminded her of her husband, which brought back nice memories”

“The lady I spoke to sang me a song in German!”

A huge thankyou to Mrs Johnson for organising the day and leading the choir and to Ms Young for conducting the Flute ensemble on behalf of Mrs Green.

Primary Schools Band and Choir Tour

Last Friday, Week 7, 62 student musicians from our College headed out to two schools: Long Flat primary school in the morning and St Joseph’s Primary Wauchope in the afternoon, to entertain them with a music concert. The entire school at Long Flat has 42 students so the band was bigger than the school assembled!

Under the venerable leadership of Mrs Sharon Green, the band introduced the many instruments in a highly interactive performance. Singers from the College choir also had the students singing and highly engaged with their interactive songs. A number of soloists were featured including Lauren Johnston, Georgia McMahon, Brigitte Steele, Alannah Steele, Imogen Baker, Aysha Wilson, and rapper Alyssa Hyland.

A huge thankyou to Mrs Sarina Macnamara and Trainee Jonah Garven for their tremendous assistance managing all the equipment and keeping the entire day running like clockwork.

Sunday the 3rd of December

6-8PM | @THE YOUTH HUB | $5 for dinner

We all have that one story that we want to tell everyone but get too nervous…
Come along to youth & find out how to share it and tell the world
This week is going to be awesome and we want to see you there!

2024 School Travel Applications are Now Open

Students who need a School Opal card or travel pass for 2024 can apply HERE. A new application will need to be submitted if they are applying for the first time, or if they are requesting additional travel entitlement because of new shared parental arrangement (e.g. joint custody).

Students who change address, school, campus location, have repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should renew or update their details before the end of Term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications, and entitlements remain valid for the start of the 2024 school year. School Opal card holders will have the changes applied to their existing card.

If a student’s distance eligibility has changed based on their grade (i.e. grade two to grade three), the system will automatically update their entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, we will send them an expiry notification via email.

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply.

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their Student Opal card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2024.

Students living in rural and regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. It may come via the school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Travel from Term 1 2024

We ask that parents plan ahead and make sure their child knows which service/s to use and has a valid ticket to travel; either a School Opal card or Child/Youth Opal card (within Greater Sydney) or a School Travel Pass (outside Greater Sydney), from the start of the school year.

Applications for 2024 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel open at the start of Term 4 2023, so parents/students can apply or update details early and be ready for the start of the new school year.

Most students using the Opal network will not need a new Opal card and can continue travelling on their existing card each year.

The start of the year is a busy period for local transport operators, and students travelling without a valid ticket make service planning and operations difficult.

We recognise that for some families last minute changes to school enrolments mean they may not have a School Opal card or Travel Pass for the start of term. In the Opal network, we strongly encourage these families to have their children travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

Bus operators are flexible and understanding, particularly at the start of the school year, and will ensure students can travel safely to and from school. But to best support our operators we encourage all students to have a valid ticket, as early as possible, from the start of the school year.

The Canteen opens at 8.00 am every school day.

CLICK HERE for the Canteen's everyday menu.

Breeanna Stone
Food Services Manager

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