St Joseph's Regional College Port Macquarie eNewsletter

Principal's Message

RUOK day

Yesterday the College supported the annual RUOK Day which aims to inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with those in their world who may be struggling with life. As part of this special day students were greeted at the beginning of the day with a lollipop and participated in many activities throughout the day. The culmination of the day was the fiercely contested volleyball competition, played out in front of a packed audience in the hall at lunchtime. Further details regarding these events are included in this newsletter.

Cochrane Cup

A special mention to our Under 14 Cochrane Cup team who have progressed through to the state final of this prestigious tournament. The Cochrane Cup is a State wide Rugby League competition for the U14 sides from all New South Wales Independent Schools and the boys will play in Gosford on Thursday against St John’s Nowra. Good luck boys!

Hudson Potter: Congratulations University of New England High Achievement Prize!

The Vice-Chancellor’s High Achievement Prize (VCHAP) is awarded to selected High School students in recognition of outstanding performance and endeavour in the fields of academic performance, personal development, social and community contributions, and School activities. Hudson has been an exemplary student over the course of his studies and is a gifted musician and has achieved outstanding academic results. Hudson plans to study education and music next year at UNE.

Z Cabrera: Congratulations Winner ‘design a SOLD Sticker Competition’!

Congratulations to Z Cabrera in Year 11 who has won the ‘design a SOLD Sticker Competition’, as a result of this St Joseph's Regional College has received a $1000 contribution to the Art department. Mrs Jennifer Grein the Leader of Creative Arts pictured with myself and Z is thrilled with the contribution to the faculty. The competition was extremely competitive with over 380 entries in both the primary and high school division. Z acknowledged the hard work of our Visual Arts teachers, Ms Howard and Mrs May who provided support and advice in completing her artwork. The judges commented on the high quality of the entries and the recognition of this highlights the power of Z’s final piece. Congratulations and thank you Z on a magnificent honour.

HSC performance and Major works

Over the last two weeks our Year 12 students have completed their major works and in the case of Drama have completed their HSC performance exam. Last week the Industrial technology Timber projects were marked and over the next two weeks will see the final marking in design and Technology, Visual Art and Music.

Olivia Moore, Reghan Buckley, Eli Greenwell, Teleah Hicks, Brock Holliday, Lauren Johnston, Gabriel Moore, Rocco Polacci Byrnes, & Alaska Webber

Deegan Mason, Makai Avery-Hoy, Lara Crawley, Eli Davies, Hamish Hawkins, Thomas Little, Mackenzie Moreta, Daniel Reeves

Mr Ian Lutton
Acting Principal

Sport Principal's Message Student News Creative Arts

Assistant Principal - Mission

Lunchtime Mass and Blessing of Our New Monstrance

This week, on Wednesday, a small group of students and staff came together in the chapel for this intimate celebration of the Eucharist, presided over by Fr Alejo.

A highlight of the Mass was the blessing of our new Monstrance, which will soon be used for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The beautiful new Monstrance will allow us to deepen our devotion through Adoration, offering us all an opportunity to spend time in prayer before the Eucharist. We look forward to welcoming more students and staff to future Adoration sessions as we continue to strengthen our community in faith.

What is Adoration and Benediction?

Adoration and Benediction are deeply spiritual and inclusive acts of worship in the Catholic Church, inviting believers to spend time in the presence of Christ through the Blessed Sacrament. Adoration, the quiet contemplation before the exposed Eucharist, is open to all, regardless of background or personal struggles, as a moment of reflection and communion with God. In this stillness, the faithful are drawn together in their shared reverence for Christ's real presence, fostering unity among diverse participants who seek to deepen their relationship with God in their own unique ways.

Benediction, the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament, further enhances this sense of inclusivity. It is a communal act where the priest, standing as Christ's representative, blesses the congregation with the Eucharist, symbolizing God's grace and love being poured out upon all. The ritual transcends personal differences, reminding worshippers that God’s love is universal and accessible to everyone. Through Adoration and Benediction, the Church embraces the diversity of its members while drawing them together in shared worship, reinforcing the communal bonds of faith and the presence of Christ in their lives.

Interfaith_Dialogue_flyer_Mission.pdf

St Agnes' Church Gospel Reflections

Fr Paul Gooley is continuing to provide Gospel readings and reflections via email and online Monday to Saturday for those interested in connecting with their faith in this way.

Click to watch Fr Paul's Gospel Readings and Reflections.

St Agnes' Parish News Bulletin

The Parish news bulletin is produced weekly. In this week's bulletin:

Parish Long Service Awards
Welcome Confirmation Candidates
Horton and Gordon Streets Intersection Upgrade
40 days of life vigil
Family Group - September Activities
Encounter Youth
St Agnes' Parish Library opening hours

The latest edition is available via this link Parish News Bulletin

Mr Matthew Bushe
Assistant Principal- Mission

Administration News Assistant Principal - Mission

Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

Reminder for Year 8 Parents

The Year 8 Camp Information Night will be held in the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) on Tuesday evening 17th September, There will be refreshments served from 5.30pm with an opportunity for parents to connect with one another and College staff before the information session commences at 6pm.

Bus Travel

At this week’s Assembly, students were once again addressed regarding conduct on buses. We work closely with Busways to ensure safe and respectful travel to and from school for all students. A number of students have been issued sanctions, including suspension from bus travel, as a result of unsafe conduct on buses. This results in inconvenience for parents who then become responsible for transport of students to and from school. We are therefore requesting that parents please speak with students to reinforce expectations of positive conduct on buses, including wearing of seat belts and respectful interactions with peers and bus drivers.

Support Ceceaila Ducker’s Brave Act for a Great Cause!

Year 12 student Ceceaila Ducker has taken a courageous step to support the World’s Greatest Shave by signing up to shave her hair. This incredible act of solidarity will help raise funds and awareness for people living with blood cancer.

You can support Ceceaila by making a donation to this important cause. Every contribution, big or small, helps make a difference in the lives of those affected by blood cancer.

If you wish to donate to Ceceaila please follow this link World's Greatest Shave

Mrs Jennifer Furney
Leader of Pastoral Care

Assistant Principal - Pastoral

Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

Year 12

As our Year 12 students enter the final few weeks of schooling prior to their HSC written exams, it has been pleasing to see many students continue to focus on their studies and take advantage of the opportunities provided at the College.

Students are strongly encouraged to continue to access the full range of support services at the College and make the preparation for the HSC exams their core priority over the next month. To further support our Year 12 students, the College will be open throughout the Term 3 Semester holidays from 9.00 am until 12.00 pm each day (excluding the public holiday on Monday 30th September ) to provide a quiet supervised environment for students to prepare for the exams. This is an invaluable opportunity for students to combine their knowledge and work together in preparation for the HSC exams. This opportunity is made possible due to the generosity of the teaching staff.

Year 11 Exams

Year 11 students will commence their end of course exams starting this Monday 16th September. These exams will provide valuable feedback on how a student has progressed over the three terms of the Preliminary course, as well as providing invaluable practice for the Trial and HSC exams that they will undertake as part of their HSC. As they transition into their HSC pattern of study, students will look at adjusting the subjects they will continue into the HSC. Students are advised to think wisely about this choice and to ensure that they take the time needed before deciding to discontinue a subject. Please see below for the end of year exam timetable for Year 11. This timetable is also visible on the students Compass schedule.

Sunday Study

The College library will be open for our HSC students from 11am - 1pm this Sunday 15th September. We encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity as our library offers a quiet comfortable well resourced space. This is also an excellent opportunity for students to gather and help each other work through common content.

Year 11 2025 - Subject Letters

Parents of our year 10 students that are progressing into year 11 here at SJRC will receive a letter next week on Wednesday 18th September. This letter will confirm subjects that have been chosen as a pattern of study as well as provide information regarding important dates and meetings that have been arranged for our new year 11 students.

Compass - New Feature

A favourites Tab has now been enabled in your Compass portal. In the coming days this will be populated with useful links for pastoral and curriculum information. Please take the time to explore this new feature.

Mr Mark Robertson
Acting Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Exams Curriculum Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

2024 Cochrane Cup Grand Final Jersey Presentation

Cochrane Cup

During the College Assembly on Wednesday 11th September, the 2024 14s Cochrane Cup Team were presented with their jerseys for the Grand Final, scheduled for the 19th of September at Industree Group Stadium, Gosford.

The final will be played in conjuction with the NRL National Schools Finals. Kick off is 11am with St Joseph's sending a coach full of spectators along to support the team.

The following message was sent to the team by founding tournament director Mr Bob Cochrane;

Dear St Joseph’s,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for entering the Cochrane Cup and wish you the best of luck in the grand final! No doubt you and your coaches have worked incredibly hard to get to this point, showing great dedication and teamwork at each stage of the competition.

Remember to stay focused and that pressure is a privilege. No matter the outcome, you should be incredibly proud of what you have achieved.

Yours in rugby league

Bob Cochrane

Best of luck to the players, Mr Toohey and Mr Sprague against St John the Evangelist College, Nowra.

13th September 2024

Damien Kelly

Leader of Sport

Sport sports_article Rugby League

Lost Property

We currently have a lot of lost property at the College. If you recognise anything, please call the College office on 5525 4100 or send your child in to retrieve them. To assist with returning lost property to their rightful owners, please ensure all items brought to school are clearly labelled with your child’s name.

Library News

Karyn Mooney
Teacher Librarian

Library

Alumni News

After graduating from St Joseph's Regional College in 2020, Cara Dowse-Collyer commenced a double degree - Bachelor of Education (Secondary)/Bachelor of Arts (Technology) at Australian Catholic University (ACU). During this time she has been the recipient of a Hastings Education Fund grant (2021), the ISSP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Accommodation Scholarship (2021-2025), the Hastings Education Fund Kay and John Burman Continuing Scholarship (2022-2025), and The St Vincent de Paul Society - Broken Bay Central Council Indigenous Student Scholarship (2021-2023). Cara is the first in her family to attend University - a wonderful achievement, and has engaged in tutoring and casual teaching during the course of her studies.

When asked what she loved about her field of study, Car's response was 'I love that as a TAS teacher, I can inspire students to express their creativity and provide a classroom that has fun and engaging practical activities. I love the ability to guide and be a positive role model to young people while they figure themselves out, and determine who they want to be or what they want to do when they are older. I chose this path due to my interest and love for metalwork and textiles, while also really enjoying helping people, so becoming a teacher allows me to do both. It's important to me as I feel that high school can be a difficult time for teenagers and it's important they have positive teachers and role models in their life.'

How lucky will your students be to have a teacher with such empathy and insight Cara... we wish you all the best as you move into your career as a teacher of Technology and Applied Studies.

#wherearetheynow #aHSC4opportunity #teacher #technology

Mrs Leanne Tinsey/Mrs Karen Bale
Careers Pathway

Alumni

Canteen News

Weekly Lunch Specials

Term 2 Week 9 Lunch Specials
Monday	Savoury Mince on Roast Potato
Tuesday	Pasta Salad
Wednesday	Zucchini & Feta Fritters
Thursday	Chicken Quesadilla
Friday	Chicken Caesar salad
Term 2 Week 10 Lunch Specials
Monday	Fried Rice
Tuesday	Nachos
Wednesday	Wombok & Honey Soy Chicken Salad
Thursday	Hawaiian Chicken Burger
Friday	NO SPECIAL

The Canteen opens at 8.00 am every school day.

CLICK HERE for the Canteen's everyday menu.

Breeanna Stone
Food Services Manager

Canteen

Youth Encounters

The Encounter Youth Program is held every Friday at the Youth Hub. Come along and join in the fun.

When: Every Friday
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: @ The Youth Hub
Cost: $5 for dinner

Week 8: L Plates (Friday 13th of September)

⚠️LEARNER ALERT⚠️

So, you got your drivers license last week hey? Have you ever considered you’ve got your L plates on as a follower of Jesus? Join us Friday Night - 5:30 pm at the Youth Hub to get your licence.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Encounter Kick-on’s (Sunday’s after the 5pm Mass)

Group games and supper. Come join us.