SJRC Term 1 Wrap up: Week 11 - 11th April 2024

Catholic Schools Week - Celebrating Innovation, Faith and Unity

Catholic Education Week (8-12th April) was recognised and celebrated in Catholic schools across NSW. It is a time to celebrate our shared faith, educational excellence, and the importance of every student. Catholic schools offer an educational foundation for enabling the fullness of life through the development of each student’s spiritual, intellectual, physical, moral, and emotional growth.

As part of Catholic Education Week, St Joseph's Regional College ushered in a wave of excitement under the inspiring banner of kindness, community, and innovation. Our College connected with St Joseph's Primary, Wauchope, to showcase their artistic and photographic talents, highlighting their commitment to a faith-based learning environment enriched with innovative opportunities.

On Tuesday, April 9th, four of our Year 10 students, Elijah Koivu, Oliver Koivu, Charlie Smith, and Emily Cook collaborated with their former peers from St Joseph's Primary Wauchope for a professional photo and video shoot. This session, intended for future promotional materials by the primary school, was a unique opportunity for our students to engage in real-world professional work.

The partnership between our schools injected a fresh dose of creativity and innovation into St Joseph's Primary Photo Day, transforming it into an authentic learning experience for our students. They had the chance to not only contribute actively but also to glean insights and skills from a seasoned local professional photographer.

Thank you to Kylie Joseph and Nerida Hornery for accompanying our students to St Joseph’s Primary, Wauchope.

This week, we also celebrated the many efforts of our students who engage in ministry events at the College with a luncheon. Thank you to all our students for their participation in the many activities and events available here at the College.

Catholic Education Week Prayer

Loving God,
You call all of us to live by the example of your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank you for the Catholic School community we belong to and for the gift of all those committed to Catholic Education.

We pray that our schools remain places where faith and innovation continue to thrive.

Bless our school community – past, present, and future- as they shine the light of the Good News on all of creation.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

ANZAC Day Commemorative Service

Today, an Anzac Day Commemoration service was held at our College. It is always such a wonderful occasion, and we feel so much pride for our diggers and gratitude for the sacrifice they made for our freedom.

Thank you to Mr Warneken, for organising the service, to our College Captains Alaska Webber and Jamie Vinod, Vice Captains Zoe Copeland and Aryan Vaishnav for commentating the service, and to Year 11 student Esther Cummins for delivering the address and laying of the wreath; Esther is one of the most engaging speakers, and I really enjoyed listening to her address.

Below is an extract of some of the commemorative service:

We are gathered here today to remember the sacrifice of our servicemen and women. They were the men and women who were willing to believe in something greater than themselves. It was their willingness to act as such, as much as their action, that gives them hero status in our society today. We are thankful for those first Anzacs whose actions established the traditions we as a nation hold so dear today. When the time again came, the sons and daughters of our Anzacs came forward without question and accepted the responsibilities asked of them in defending and representing their country in World War II and in times of turmoil in Korea, Borneo, Vietnam, and the various UN campaigns and more recently East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Australians are proud of our brave ‘diggers’ and those who continue to serve our country so selflessly. The notion of ‘mateship’ runs strong on Anzac Day and has done so for well over 100 years.

Less well known is the role played and the sacrifice made by thousands of Indigenous soldiers in past world wars and conflicts. Recognising this omission is a way to honour and pay respect to the remarkable Indigenous servicemen and women in our country’s military history.

Our commemoration this year specifically acknowledges Indigenous Service in World War I and other conflicts as well as remembering the sacrifices of our all servicemen and women who now sleep peacefully in faraway places.

Indigenous service has been a feature of every conflict that Australia has been involved in since World War I & World War II including Korea, Borneo, Vietnam and more recently Iraq, Afghanistan and various UN campaigns such as East Timor.

Different social norms and discrimination against Indigenous peoples throughout our history have left an incomplete historical record of Indigenous service. This is why the full contribution of Australian Indigenous servicemen and women may never be completely understood. Today, these men and women and the generations of Indigenous service personnel who have followed them in other conflicts are rightly and increasingly receiving the recognition that has long been their due.

The short YouTube video was played at our commemorative service.

Indigenous Anzacs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGaXtU-DKPw&t=6s

ANZAC Day Marches

I am looking forward to seeing our students and staff attend one of the Anzac Day Marches in Port Macquarie, Wauchope or Laurieton. For students new to our College, or if you haven’t been before, I highly recommend this experience.

School Improvement and School Review

As I have previously advised, our College will undergo a school review process next term in week 3 (14-17th May). If you would like to volunteer to attend the College on Tuesday 14th May 2.30-3.00pm to have a discussion with an ACER reviewer regarding how your child’s learning and wellbeing outcomes are being met, please complete the google form HERE

Volunteers will be advised at the commencement of Week 2, Term 2.

Finally, as we end Term 1, I hope that our students can spend some quiet moments reflecting on their individual successes and growth in their learning, friendships, and activities. Some prompts could be: 

• Are you achieving your personal best?
• Are you reaching your goals?
• Are you participating fully in every opportunity in our community?
• Are you being kind, respectful, truthful and forgiving and living out our Catholic Mission?

Thank you to all in our community who make coming to school here, at St Joseph's Regional College, each day a pleasure. 

I hope that our students and staff find time to relax during the holidays and spend time with their family and friends. To do things that make you happy and feed your soul.

Term 2 commences for staff on Monday, 29th April, with a Professional Development Day, and for students on Tuesday, 30 April 2024. I look forward to seeing you back feeling refreshed and ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Mr Ian Lutton
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

We invite all prospective families to attend the Year 7 2025 Information and Open Evening on Tuesday 7th May at 5.00 pm in the College Hall. Please register to attend HERE

Please see below a flyer for the evening and a timeline of the enrolment process. If you have not applied to your child please do so before the Information and Opening evening at the following link Enrolment Application

Would you like to learn more about the Catholic Faith or become Catholic?

• ✝️WHEN: Join us at our Journey into the Catholic Faith for Teens program commencing in Week 2, Term 2 concluding in Week 1, Term 3.
• ✝️WHERE: Each week a session will be facilitated in the chapel from 3:30-4:30 on Wednesday afternoons, with afternoon tea provided.
• ✝️If you can’t make Wednesday afternoons, you can catch up with a leader during the week or go to the session at MacKillop or the Youth Hub.

To find out more information and register for the program, follow this link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=H20THeu3ekWUgajPGsHo5ZcJ1nBrq8BDriWpeIGtxp9UNUVHTkpTNkg4OEwyMUFTREU2N1dUSzkzSi4u&origin=QRCode 

The Canteen opens at 8.00 am every school day.

CLICK HERE for the Canteen's everyday menu.

Breeanna Stone
Food Services Manager