SJRC Newsletter: Term 1 Week 2 - 9th February 2024

Music Notes

Our 2024 co-curricular music tutoring program starts next week (Week 3).

If you are new to the College or have decided to commence tutoring in voice, drums, guitar, bass guitar, brass, piano, woodwind, drop into the co-curricular music office and speak to Callum to pick up your expression of interest form. Drop it back to Callum or the front office.

At this stage we have the following tutors and their area of expertise, we are continuing to look for a guitar tutor and hope to have this position filled in the next week.

• Mr Mark Spence - Drums
• Mrs Sarah Morabito - Singing
• Mr Mark Morabito - Singing
• Ms Karen Gill - Piano
• Mr Chris Trotman - Woodwind
• Mr Jacob Corbet - Bass guitar
• Mr Derek Moule - Brass instruments

Year 10-12 music students will have access to the practice rooms at lunchtime from Monday, Week 3. Please ensure you eat before you arrive, as food is not permitted in the rooms.

Due to the much-anticipated BRAVISSIMO concert on Wednesday next week, morning bands will not commence until Week 4. Senior Jazz Band is confirmed for a 7:45am start on Wednesday, 21st February. We will confirm the commencement of the other bands and ensembles next week.

Ian Lutton
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

Living Truth 2024 

This year, our theme is Living Truth. Truth is one of the 6 values we draw from our College prayer over a six year cycle, and all of these are derived from our Catholic identity. When we talk of truth in a Catholic/Christian context, ultimately, we are referring to the person of Jesus Christ who is “the way, the truth and the life” as this is what he explains to his disciples in John’s Gospel

This quote from John 8 features on our Living Truth posters for 2024.
Our College motto is Veritas Liberabit, which we know translates to “the truth will set you free” and this too comes out of John’s Gospel. John, was writing for a community of Jews who believed in Jesus. The writer reassures them that to the extent that they persevered or remained in Jesus’ word, they would be true disciples; they would be in touch with the truth; and their life, in line with that truth, would be an experience of true freedom. So in this College motto, it is proclaimed that freedom comes through belief in Jesus Christ or in other terms, abiding in Jesus.

Panning out now to a broader understanding… A simple definition of truth is the mind being in accord with reality. Through our vocation as educators in a Catholic school, we seek always to place our students and ourselves in a proper relationship with the truth.

As Catholics, we believe that faith, revelation, reason and science will never be in ultimate conflict, as the same God created them all. During this term, we will look further into the relationship between faith, reason and science, and as part of this, we will seek to address some misconceptions because faith and science need not be in conflict.

House 'Living TRUTH' Justice Patron

This year, each house will have a 'Living Truth'; someone who has lived a life according to Gospal truths. Our house patrons are drawn from our Catholic heritage, both from the Australian Church and the Global Church. One of our patrons still lives and resides less than an hour away from our College!

For Flinders:
Uncle Richard Campbell is a Gumbaynggirr-Dunghutti man, and he is a survivor of the Stolen Generations. Uncle Richard was taken to Kinchela Boys Home, where hundreds of Aboriginal boys were raised from the 1920s to the 1970s. He earned a degree in Fine Arts and is now an internationally recognised artist who mentors young Aboriginal artists. Uncle Richard’s Christ-centred spirituality has been a source of restoration too; he grew up Catholic before being stolen from his parents, and now gains great strength from the stories of the Bible. He has found healing through brotherhood with his childhood mates, through the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation and was featured in Caritas’ Project Compassion stories in 2017 for this work. Today, he lives in Kempsey, and his current focus is on helping future generations to learn what really happened to Aboriginal people. He continues his art today and is working on re-telling Gospel stories through Aboriginal art.

Uncle Richard is our only living 'Truth' patron, and we hope to have him visit us this year. His life speaks to the heart of what Richard’s work is about and offers a challenge to us all.

For Hastings:
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Mary MacKillop was an educator, a pioneer and a leader, someone who had compassion for others regardless of their situation or race. She founded the Sisters of St Joseph, who in turn established Catholic Schools around the country, including in Port Macquarie.

Galvanised by her belief in the value of education as the foundation for a fulfilling life, Mary's motto was: “Never see a need without doing something about it”. This quote demonstrates the optimism of Mary and echoes that the truth will offer us freedom.

She demonstrated great faith, even after being excommunicated from the Church she kept up her good work and after an audience with the Pope, she was restored to the Church. Mary MacKillop’s attitude was always of forgiveness and respect. Her many letters are evidence of her vision, courage and leadership.

She was canonised as a Saint on 17 October 2010.

For Innes:
St Vincent de Paul is primarily recognized for his charity and compassion for the poor, though he is also known for his reform of the priesthood. We know of St Vincent de Paul through the many outreaches and charities established under the Society of St Vincent de Paul.

Vincent urged his followers to bring God’s justice and love to people who were unable to live a full human life. He said: “Deal with the most urgent needs. Organise charity so that it is more efficient…teach reading and writing, educate with the aim of giving each the means of self-support”.

He was canonised on 16 June 1737.

St Vincent de Paul’s quote highlights the importance of us living our vocation in developing out students to be good and virtuous.

For Macquarie:
Saint John Paul II was among the longest-serving Popes and is remembered for his successful efforts to end communism, as well as for building bridges with people of other faiths and issuing the Catholic Church's first apology for its actions during World War II. St. John Paul II used his influence among Catholics and throughout the world to advance the recognition of human dignity and to deter the use of violence. He also was one of the first religious figures to honour Aboriginal Spirituality in his sermon to our First Nations people in Alice Springs in 1986.
He was Pope from 1978 to 2005
He was canonised as a Saint on 27 April 2014.

Saint Pope John Paul the second’s quote aligns with some of our professional learning in the faith-space for this year.

For Oxley:
Irene McCormack was a Sister of St Joseph (Mary MacKillop’s order of sisters) from Western Australia. McCormack felt called to serve Latin America's poor. She became a missionary worker in Peru, in 1987. McCormack and her companion, Sister Dorothy Stevenson RSJ, were eventually asked by Caritas Peru to supervise the distribution of emergency goods. When warned of impending danger from the Shining Path terrorist group, many missionaries left the village. Irene chose not to abandon the poor community and so stayed, risking her life to help those in need.
On the 21st of May 1991, Irene's fears were realised when she and five others were dragged to the village square by the rebels, told to lie face down and executed with a shot to the back of the head. Irene's 'crime' in the eyes of her murderers was caring for, working with and handing out Caritas food parcels to the impoverished villagers.

Sister Irene’s quote also echoes values already present in our College prayer as we strive to set ourselves and our students free.

For Wilson:
St Teresa of Calcutta. During her time on earth, she was known as Mother Teresa and devoted her life to serving the poor and destitute around the world. She spent many years in Calcutta, India, where she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation devoted to helping those in great need. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and became a symbol of charitable, selfless work. Her life’s work was centred around the dignity of the human person.
She was canonised on 4 September 2016.

St Mother Teresa’s quote seems simple but offers a vital challenge to our school community.

Shove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. 

Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

Traditionally, it was the last chance for a spot of indulgence before 40 days of fasting, and also an opportunity to use up food that couldn't be eaten during Lent. This included eggs, fat and milk, which were made into pancakes and eaten on that day.

The name Shrove Tuesday derives from the practice of Anglo-Saxon Christians going into confession the day before Lent, and being ‘shriven’ (absolved of their sins). A bell would be rung to call people to confession, which became known as the ‘Pancake Bell’ and is still rung today.

Ash Wednesday Liturgy

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Lent is the forty days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. The number forty is significant as it refers to Jesus’ forty days in the desert before beginning his teaching ministry.

On Ash Wednesday, Catholics receive ashes in the shape of a cross on their forehead or sprinkled on top of their head. These ashes are created from the palms used during the previous year’s Palm Sunday Mass. They symbolise penance, which is appropriate as Lent is a season of penance and reminds us of our own mortality. During the Liturgy, as the priest or lay minister applies the ashes, he says, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Anyone is able to receive the ashes, not just practising Catholics.

The Ash Wednesday Liturgy will also include a smoking ceremony with Indigenous Elder Uncle Bill.

Project Compassion

This week, the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

Please give generously to Caritas Australia this Lenten season and help vulnerable people around the world, now and for all future generations.

With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to assist communities around the world through income generation, water and sanitation, food security, education and disaster risk reduction programs.

Project Compassion 2024 reminds us that the good we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow.

You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes and online by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion or by calling 1800 024 413.

St Joseph's Regional College has a strong culture of learning, with high expectations for the engagement of students in their learning.

All students were introduced to the 5 Critical Questions for Learning this week at the High Achievers Assembly. These questions provide students with a tool to improve their learning and strive for success.

In their lessons, teachers guide students to think deeply about these questions to be certain about what they are learning, why it is important to learn, and how they can achieve success in their learning. Reflecting on the what, why and how of their learning then allows students to take action to improve.
We encourage parents to ask their children about what they are learning in their classrooms and why this learning is important.

Attendance
Research shows that even one day off can be detrimental to student learning. While we realise sickness and family situations arise, we encourage all students to aim for 100% attendance.

We ask that families notify the College via the Compass App or by phone at 5525 4100 if their child is absent on any given day.

St Joseph's Regional College yearly reports for all students in Year 7-12 will record attendance at special events such as Masses, Feast Days, Retreats, Camps and Sporting Carnivals. The report will simply indicate whether or not students were in attendance on these days, irrespective of sickness, leave, etc.

If you would like further explanation of this reporting initiative, please contact Mr Ian Lutton or Mrs Tanya Daley.

Late Arrival to the College
Students arriving late must report to the College Office prior to going to Pastoral Care (PC). This includes arriving late during PC time 8.45am- 9.05am. Doing this will prevent students from being marked absent.

Early Departure from the College
We ask that families endeavour not to pick students up, unless in an emergency, prior to 3.15pm. Arriving late and departing early places increased pressure on students in relation to catching up on missed work. It is also disruptive for other students and teachers when students enter or leave a lesson during class time.

Wherever possible, please ensure appointments are made outside of school hours. However, if this is not possible, it would be appreciated if collection times can be arranged for the end of a period.

When collecting students early from the College, please follow the procedure below. Please Do Not advise of early departure through the Compass App.

• Note from parent/guardian. Noting the reason for early leave, the time name of the student leaving, and who will be collecting your child.
• Students are to report to the College Office prior to morning PC, with the note from home, where an Early Leave Pass will be issued.
• The departure notice will be visible on the Compass dashboard. When close to departure time, the student will then politely inform the class teacher that it is time for them to go to the office to be collected.

Please note: If a student does not come to the office at the arranged time, we may be unable to call the classroom or use our internal or external systems. This may result in parents waiting until the end of the period to collect their child.
We thank you for your cooperation with these procedures.

We have received several emails requesting messages regarding leaving early to be passed on to students. Please note, our College email is checked intermittently throughout the day, therefore, we may miss the time required for the message to be passed on. Please contact the College Office if the above procedure was not able to be followed. 

Messages/Items passed onto Students
Our College Office staff are happy to and will do their very best to pass on messages and forgotten items. However, on some occasions, students have not come to the office to receive these messages/items. We encourage students to take responsibility for preparing the required items for each school day.

Due to COVID-19 we ask that any items to be passed onto students are to be in a plastic bag with their name clearly written on it.

Mobile Phone Usage
A reminder that students in Years 7-10 are not permitted to use their mobile phones between the hours of 8.15 am-3.15 pm. The College rules clearly state this, and it is College policy that students using their mobile phones will have it confiscated until parents can collect it, and the student will be given afternoon detention.

Senior students may use their phone at recess or lunch, however, no student is to phone parents to be picked up. This call must be made by the College Office.
Students are very aware of the rules regarding mobile phone usage. The Acceptable Use Agreement for Digital Technologies Policy on mobile phone usage can be found on pages 22A-23A of the College Diary.

Sick at School Procedures
Students are not permitted to phone parents from mobile phones when they are ill and requesting to be collected. Students are to advise their class teacher that they are unwell. The teacher will then sign their diary and they will be allowed to go to the sickbay where office staff will contact their parents/carers.

If your child does contact you from a mobile phone, we would ask that you phone the front office prior to coming out to the College in order to avoid an uncomfortable situation for all concerned, and detentions having to be issued. Please note that regular late arrivals and early departures are detrimental to your child’s overall attendance rate and education.

Excursions

All excursion information is sent to parents/guardians via the Compass App, including an email. A link to an online permission form is included for your convenience and must be completed so your child can attend any off-campus activities. Please note: all excursion permissions MUST be completed via Compass. 

Upcoming events & excursions will be displayed on your child's profile on Compass. If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact Lisa Bulley, Excursion Officer at the College, by telephone: 5525 4100 Option 3 for excursions or email: lisa.bulley@lism.catholic.edu.au

Lockers

Lockers have currently been allocated to Year 7. Locker hire for the year is $20.00, which will be billed to your account once your child has been allocated a locker. This fee includes locker hire & use of the lock for the school year.

For years 8-10, please contact the college office to request a locker. Your College account will be billed $20.00 hire. Students will be advised to collect their lock through morning notices and also via announcements during recess and lunchtime.

If a student requires a locker for medical reasons, please contact Mrs Julie Hickling in the College Office to make immediate arrangements.

All locks must be returned at the end of the school year or if the student leaves the College. If locks are not returned the student account will be billed an additional $20.00.

Medical Alert - please keep us updated
The College maintains a “Medical Alert Information Card” for students which are displayed in an appropriate area in the staff room. Please be mindful of informing the College of any diagnosis or change in medical conditions for your child. This is especially important for those students with Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Seizures, Diabetes and Epilepsy.

In order to keep our records up to date, we ask that you update these very important details at your earliest convenience, via the following link. Medical Information Form

If your child has an allergy or anaphylaxis, please forward the ASCIA form completed by their doctor to the college.

If you need further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Julie Hickling in the College Office.

Bus Pass Information
Busways will forward the initial batch of passes (student's continuing from last year and new applications) directly to the student's home address. Any student who is eligible for school free travel and does not have a pass should complete an Application Form online at:  https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ticket-eligibility-concessions/school-student-travel

Students Travelling to another destination - Students may travel to another destination for sporting or family reasons, however, there is a charge for this and there is no guarantee that they will be able to board the bus due to numbers. Priority will always be given to those students who are allocated to that bus. If your child plans to travel on a different bus please ensure that they have a backup plan if they are not able to board.

The following are the fees applicable if you travel on a bus different from the one allocated.

• Travel to Port Macquarie - $1.10
• Travel to rural areas (Laurieton, Wauchope) - $2.10

Alternatively, if you regularly travel to another address, you are able to purchase a term pass at the cost of $40.00 AM only or a PM-only pass. Otherwise, the cost is $80 for less than 2km of travel and $100 for more than 2km of travel.

School Bus Timetables

Student Conduct when travelling on a bus

Replacement Pass Procedures

Each year, our College provides the venue for NSW Health to conduct the NSW Schools Vaccination Program. We are writing to advise that NSW Health now collects consent for your child to receive their vaccination at school via the Service NSW app. However, some hard copies of the consent forms are available at the College's front office. 

Families of Year 10 students have this week received an email advising them of the below process. Year 7 families are able to commence the online consent process. However, for Year 7, this does not need to be done until Term 2

The following vaccines will be offered free to students at school in 2024:

• Year 7 - diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Year 10 - meningococcal ACWY vaccine 

TERM 1 - Thursday, 15 February 2024

• Year 10 Nimenrix (meningococcal ACWY)
• Year 11 Nimenrix (Meningococcal ACWY) – (catch up)
• Year 8 HPV & Boostrx (catch up)

TERM 2 - Thursday, 23 May 2024

• Year 7 HPV (ONLY 1 DOSE REQUIRED since 2023)
• Year 7 Boostrix – SINGLE DOSE
• Year 8 HPV and/or Boostrix catch-ups from 2022

TERM 3 Thursday, 1 August 2024

• ALL MISSED DOSES FOR 2024 (& CATCH-UPS for 2023)
• Years 10 & 11 Nimenrix (Meningococcal ACWY)
• Years 7 & 8 HPV and/or Boostrix

Please note: Year 8 & Year 11 students who have an online consent/signed consent form from 2023 will be offered catch-up vaccinations in 2024.

If parents/guardians consent online, they will receive a reminder text 3 days prior to the clinic date.

Online consent for school vaccinations

If your child is in Year 10 this year, you can now provide online consent for their routine school vaccinations.

How to provide consent:

Please note: Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received.

To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit: https://engage.health.nsw.gov.au/engage

1. Follow the steps to log in to your existing Service NSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver's licence. If you don't have a Service NSW account, refer to Service NSW to create one.
2. Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required.
3. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:
   1. Enter your child's personal details
   2. Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
   3. Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement. Translations are available in 27 languages
   4. Provide consent

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper- based consent form directly from your child's school.
The benefits of providing consent online:

• easily update your child's details
• receive SMS and/or email notifications when vaccinations are given
• faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination.

Gadalung Program - Sydney University 15th-19th January 2024

Over the Christmas break, Esther Cummins- Yr11 and Ceceaila Ducker- Yr12 participated in the Gadalung Program held at Sydney University.

The Gadalung Program is a week-long residential program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Years 11 -12 in 2024, who want to explore their future at university. This program allows students to experience university life, explore world-class facilities and meet current university students and staff. Students will learn useful skills for their final years at school and get a heads-up for their future at university and beyond.

Here is a reflection by Esther:

What lectures did you choose to attend, if you got to choose?

I attended the Law, Socio-legal, Social Work and Education lectures. My favourite lecture was the socio-legal lecture. This is because it changed my perspective about possible subject areas that I could major in and I discovered my passion for criminology.

What was your favourite thing?

My favourite part about the Gadalung Program was the private performance by Barkaa. Barkaa is a proud Barkindji and Malyangapa rapper and musician who shares her stories of survival and protest through her music. Barkaa has overcome addiction; she has navigated the criminal justice system and has been given custody of her children once again. Her mum is a survivor of the Stolen Generations, and her Uncle was a victim of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Today, she is a role model for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and her story is one of success. The evening she performed for us was definitely the highlight of the trip.

Was it a great experience?

The Gadalung Program was an incredible experience that I would recommend for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students considering university in Years 11 and 12. We participated in many cultural and social activities, lectures, and information activities held at the University of Sydney. Personally, It gave me so much clarity around entry pathways and admission criteria, as well as scholarships and financial support. I loved being able to speak one-on-one with professors in my areas of interest as well as representatives of residential colleges. Because of this program, I now feel confident that I can study for my dream double degree at the University of Sydney.

Carly Taylor
Indigenous Education Worker

Swimming Carnival

How many of us love to talk ourselves out of uncomfortable situations? This week's alumni spotlight is focused on Sophie Myhill, currently undertaking post-graduate studies in Neuroscience whilst practicing as a Behaviour Support Practitioner in the NDIS space. Congratulations Sophie! Designing interventions to both increase a person’s quality of life and reduce challenging behaviours is a fantastic contribution to the quality of life for the individual, and to the health of our society.

#behaviourtherapist #wherearetheynow #aHSC4opportunity

Alumni - Where are you now?

St Joseph's Regional has a rich tradition spanning over 50 years, so if you're a parent, grandparent, community member, interested bystander, and a former student, we would love to hear from you. Our alumni program showcases former students with a story about their post-school journey. Our ex-students can be tradespeople, business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, and more. They can be dealing with people on a daily basis, researching in a scientific lab, caring for our vulnerable members of society, keeping a protective eye on our communities, writing the stories that make up our history, caring for our environment etc.

If you would like to have YOUR story showcased in our fortnightly newsletter, broadcast across our social media channels, used in information sessions for our students, and spotlighted in our Senior Study, then please send the following to pmreg-careers@lism.catholic.edu.au:

• a bullet point list of what you have done since leaving Regional (please include the dates)
• a short statement outlining advice that you would give to your younger self, knowing what you know now, and
• an appropriate photo of yourself, possibly depicting you undertaking the work that you conduct as part of your career.

Mrs Leanne Tinsey
Careers Pathway

The Canteen opens at 8.00 am every school day.

CLICK HERE for the Canteen's everyday menu.

Breeanna Stone
Food Services Manager

St Joseph's Regional College has a number of different social media platforms. We would love for you to follow us.

St Joseph's Regional College

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St Joseph's Regional College - 50 year Celebrations

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Library

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