SJRC News in Brief: Term 4 Week 5 - 15th November 2024
Year 12 Graduation Dinner
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending our Year 12 Graduation Dinner at Port Panthers. It was a wonderful night filled with celebration and good cheer for our 2024 Year 12 cohort, who have now completed their secondary schooling. My sincere thanks to the Leader of Student Wellbeing, Year 12, Mrs Kellie Croft, for her organisation of the evening and for guiding our young adults through their senior years. The evening was attended by 40 staff members who came to support these wonderful young people and celebrate the culmination of being educated in a Catholic College. We are fortunate to have such committed and caring teachers at St Joseph’s Regional College.
My thanks also to our Year 12 parents. I am sure that they, as parents, were feeling deservedly proud and somewhat relieved that the HSC was finally over. I also want to acknowledge the many families who will be leaving the College after this chapter. A heartfelt thank you. Thank you for partnering with us to help your children strive for their personal success and fullness of life. We are so grateful, to have you walk beside us during their secondary journey.
I wish Year 12 every success in whichever path they choose to follow in the future.
Thank You, Senior Leadership Team
A big thank you for the exceptional job that our new 2024/2025 Student Leadership team did at welcoming and ushering our guests. Thank you to Mrs Heidi Flanagan for her organisation of the team.
Remembrance Day Commemoration
On Monday morning, the College held its Remembrance Day Commemoration. Starting just before 11:00am, students stopped what they were doing to acknowledge and pay their respects to those Australians who died or suffered while serving in wars, conflicts and peace operations. The prerecorded slideshow was played one minutes coinciding with 11:00am.
The presentation also included information about the significance and history of Remembrance Day, The Prayer of Remembrance, The Ode, the Last Post, the Rouse and the National Anthem. A special focus this year was the Remembrance Day Poster which commemorated the Battles of Leyte Gulf and Lingayen Gulf.
Thank you to our College Captains, Jacob Hill and Bonnie Clark for lending their voices to the commemoration slideshow and Karyn Mooney for her audio recording and editing work.
Remembrance Day Service on Town Green
Our College Vice Captains, Esther Cummins and Gideon Marr-Grogan, proudly represented our school community at the Remembrance Day service in Port Macquarie. They served as outstanding ambassadors , engaging with notable community members and honoring those who have served.
The photos show Esther and Gideon by the Cenotaph, before the service with local member for Cowper, Pat Conaghan, and after the service.
Thank you Esther and Gideon.
Tuition Fees & School Levies and Charges 2025
Thank you to all families who have been paying their accounts throughout 2024. The schedule of Tuition Fees and School Levies and Charges for 2025 has now been uploaded to our website for families to access. Once again, we extend our thanks to families who have ensured their accounts remain current and we kindly remind others to review any overdue accounts.
Enrolment 2025
It would be greatly appreciated if parents/carers could notify me at the College as soon as possible if their son/daughter will not be attending St Joseph's Regional College in 2025. We have a number of applications for places at the College for 2025, and it would be good to be able to offer places where known vacancies will occur. If you are relocating or moving your child to another school, please notify us. Thank you.
Leavers 2025 - Busways
A reminder: Parents and Caregivers of Year 10 students who are leaving the College to go to Newman or another school in 2025, will need to apply to Busways for a new 2025 bus pass. Apply here
All other students who are remaining at the College should receive theirs automatically.
Tanya Daley
Principal
NSW Parliament’s Constitutional Convention Attracts Students from State’s Regional and Remote Areas
In last week's newsletter, we featured an article about Esther Cummins and her selection for the NSW Schools Constitutional Convention. The Parliament of NSW has now released the following media.
Once again, we congratulate Esther Cummins on this extraordinary opportunity.
The NSW Schools Constitutional Convention, held at NSW Parliament House last week, showcased the exceptional talents of students from across NSW, with some travelling over 400km to participate.
This year, almost 100 Year 11 students from regional and metropolitan schools gathered to engage in meaningful discussions with their peers and civic educators about democracy and the Constitution.
The annual convention aims to connect students from across the state and empower our young citizens to understand their role in shaping Australia’s democratic future.
The event kicked off with an inspiring keynote address from Professor Anne Twomey, followed by a series of engaging workshops and discussions which fostered critical thinking and encouraged student participation. By the end of the day, students had selected 30 of their peers to attend the prestigious National Constitutional Convention in Canberra in early 2025.
Among those selected were Bailey, Esther, Makaylah, and Eliana — students who had travelled over 400km to attend the event at NSW Parliament. These four will now embark on an even greater journey as they head to Canberra to represent their NSW peers at the National Constitutional Convention.
The Hon. Ben Franklin MLC, President of the NSW Legislative Council, and a resident of regional NSW, welcomed the students with enthusiasm.
“It’s wonderful to welcome such a diverse group of students, and particularly those travelling from far and wide, including Goonellabah, Griffith, Mungindi and Narooma to be with us today and share their voices, “ Mr Franklin said.
“We must nurture their enthusiasm and ensure these remarkable young people have every opportunity to shape our shared future.”
For more information about the NSW Schools Constitutional Convention and other free learning programs supporting regional students, please visit the Parliament of NSW Education website.
Image of the 11 Regional Students selected for the NSW Schools Constitutional Convention in 2025.
Bega High School – Josephine
Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School – Bailey
Macksville High School – Andrew
Mt Saint Patrick College – Makaylah
Mungindi Central School - Mylo
Narooma High School – Kya
Oxley High School – Emily
The Henry Lawson High School – Harmony
St Jospeh’s Regional College – Esther Cummins
Summerland Christian college – Eliana
Ian Lutton
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
Community Celebration - Christ the King - Sunday 24th November
Please find below a letter from our Parish Priest, Father Paul Gooley.
Links:
- Please RSVP here so that we can ensure we cater for all
- If you would like to provide some entertainment with a performance, please complete this form
- If you can support this day by serving, please complete this form
View the latest promotional video and follow Encounter on Instagram
UPCOMING
- St Agnes' Parish & Schools Christmas Hamper Drive with Hamper Donation Day with Out of Uniform - Friday 29th November
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 will now be published monthly.
The latest edition is available via this link Parish News Bulletin
Assistant Principal- Mission
| Term 4 Week 6 Lunch Specials $6.00 | |
| Monday | Beef Burritos |
| Tuesday | Hawaiian Chicken Burger |
| Wednesday | Pasta Salad w/ bacon |
| Thursday | Beef & Vegetable noodle stirfry |
| Friday | Caesar Salad Bowl |
The Canteen opens at 8.00 am every school day.
Breeanna Stone
Food Services Manager
Encounter Youth
Where: The Youth Hub
When: Every Friday from 5:30-7:30pm
What do we do: Dinner, games, and a great time
Who can come: You and your mates
Cost: $5 for dinner.
Week 6 – Who dun it? (Nov 22nd)
‘Who did it?
It was Jesus, with a miracle, in Jerusalem!
It’s time to unmask the workings of God in our lives.’
Join us at Encounter Youth for a mystery night with food, fun, and more.
Encounter Kick-on’s (Sunday’s after the 5pm Mass)
Group games and supper. Come join us.
Ignite Summer Camp: 8-12 January
Ignite Summer Camp is four massive days of fun, friends and getting closer to Jesus! The camp is from the 9-12th of January up in the mountains of Mapleton, which is why we leave early on the 8th and arrive home late on the 12th. The total cost of the camp is $580 and includes registration, transportation, and accommodation (this may become cheaper depending on numbers).
We’re currently taking $100 off our $580 all-inclusive Ignite Summer Camp Ticket (8-12 Jan).
This is for the first ten teenagers who pay their $150 deposit, so get in quick!
For more information and details to make your deposit, please contact our Youth Coordinator: Zac Parnell (M 0487 971 744).
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Zac Parnell
Youth Coordinator
St Agnes' Catholic Parish
49 Hay Street, Port Macquarie NSW 2444
T 02 6588 7444
E zac.parnell@stagnesparish.org.au
The Uniform Store will be closing for Christmas and re-opening in January.
Trading hours through January are slightly longer each day (opening at 10:00am)
