SJRC Newsletter: Term 1 Week 1- 7th February 2025

Welcome Back!

We're excited to embark on another year of learning, growth, and community engagement at St Joseph's Regional College. We commenced the year with a whole school assembly where the leadership team spoke to students about College expectations and what that means, some of which will be shared in this week's newsletter.

New Beginnings

It's been a wonderful and busy few days as we welcome our newest students and their families to our College community. Your presence enriches our school, and we look forward to the journey ahead together. Additionally, a warm welcome back to our returning students, who looked very smart in their white formal uniforms. This week marks the beginning of a new chapter in the education journey of our new Year 7 students. I am confident that they will all have a positive experience at St Joseph’s Regional College. I encourage them to involve themselves in every opportunity that arises, remain open to making new friendships and embrace the gospel values that we place at the centre of all we do. 

Appreciation

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the St Joseph's Regional College staff for their dedication and efforts in ensuring a smooth and welcoming transition for our students and families. Your commitment to our community is truly commendable. 

I also would like to thank our fantastic maintenance team, who have worked tirelessly over the summer break to have our College looking its very best for our return.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank key staff members for their organisation of the St Agnes' Parish staff Mass that St Joseph's Regional College hosted last Friday. Thank you to Mr Matthew Bushe, who was instrumental in the organisation. To musicians Nerida Hornery, Emily Young, Sarah Butler, Fiona Jensen and Michelle Redman, as always, your skills are amazing. And lastly, to the setup team - John Sprague and the maintenance team, Wendy Welsh, Shane Hyland and Kathryn Gill. 

Devices

As we gear up for the start of normal timetabled lessons next week, I encourage students facing technology difficulties to log a help desk ticket promptly. This can be done via Compass. Help Desk tickets will be handled promptly by our It department.

Stay Connected

Remember, our College newsletter is published fortnightly on even weeks during the term (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10). On odd weeks, you can find a shorter version published as "SJRC News in Brief," along with a link to the College Calendar and upcoming events.

St Joseph's Regional College Calendar Link  

Here's to a fantastic start to the 2025 school year!

Staff News

Returning Staff & New Roles

At this week's special assembly, new staff and staff who have new roles within the College were introduced to students. 

Mr Matt Cato Leader of Learning Technologies (returning)

Ms Mahni Philpott Leader of Student Wellbeing Oxley

Ms Alice Turner Leader of English

Mr Nathan Cox IT Assistant

New Staff

Creative Arts - Keiana Dreelan

TAS - Deegan Mason

PE - Tom Jenkins

Warm regards,

Traffic Management

The best practice is for students to catch a bus, or walk home if they live in the local vicinity. I understand that is not always practical.

Parents collecting their children by car, please be reminded:

• The drop-off and pick-up zone is a NO PARKING zone. Cars can sit in the zone for 2-3 minutes then will need to move on. You will be required to drive into a visitor car park space or drive out of the grounds and around the roundabout on College Drive/Chancellors Drive to re-enter if you exceed the 2-3 minutes.
• Bus Zones are STRICTLY NO PARKING zones.
• The road past the Administration Building is ONE WAY.
• If parents park in the Visitor Parking area, they must walk across to the drop-off and pick-up zone and collect their child to take them to the car.
• A new pedestrian crossing has be installed across from the administration office to the front car park.
• Cars are required to park REAR to KERB.

The two pedestrian crossings are the ONLY two places students are permitted to exit the College on foot or by bicycle. Students are not permitted to walk out through the front College Main gates and have been advised not to cross the road in unsafe places.

Year 11 students who park in the allocated Year 11 parking area must walk past the maintenance shed and across the pedestrian crossing near the tennis courts to cross the road to and from that car park.

Thank you for your continued support to ensure all of our community stakeholders, particularly our students, are safe at drop-off and pick-up times.

The updated Traffic Management Policy can be found on our College website on the Policy & Procedures page, which is located under the 'About' tab. 

Exciting News for Our School Community!

We're thrilled to share some wonderful news with you. 

Mr Shane Hyland, one of our dedicated teachers and our Leader of School Evangelisation, will be ordained as a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church in just two weeks! This is a very special occasion for our school and parish.

You might be wondering what this means. A Deacon is a special role within the Church, and it's one that we haven't had in our part of the Diocese for many years. In other Dioceses around the world, it's a common and very important part of Church life. Think of it as a unique way of serving God and the community.

Shane has spent many years preparing for this, studying and reflecting on his faith. This decision is a lifelong commitment, made in partnership with his wife, Leanne, and our Bishop. Ordinations like this are incredibly significant, as the person being ordained is dedicating their life to this special calling.

Priests in training are also Deacons for a period of time; however, the role of a Permanent Deacon is a distinct one in the Church. Deacons are ordained through a special ceremony called the Sacrament of Holy Orders. They are called to serve the Church in a variety of ways, working alongside our priests and bishops. This might include reading the Gospel at Mass, assisting with Baptisms and Marriages, and helping those in need. Unlike priests, Permanent Deacons can be married men, and they often continue to work in their everyday lives, bringing their faith and service to the wider community. They act as a link between the Church and the people, helping to address local needs and share God's love.

Shane's Ordination will take place on Sunday, 23rd February, at the 5:00pm Mass at St Agnes’ Church on Hay Street. This is a truly momentous occasion, and we warmly invite all our staff, students, and families to join us in celebrating this special event.

Let us keep Shane and his family in our prayers as they begin this beautiful ministry within our Church.

Compassionate Respect 2025

This 'Compassionate Respect' theme is inspired by the verse from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans (12:10): "Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other."

What can Compassionate Respect look like here, in our school?

It starts with creating inclusive spaces (our friendship circles, our classes, our grades and all of the groups we might be involved in) where every person feels valued, respected, and supported. We build meaningful relationships, fostering a sense of belonging and community among our peers, with teachers and other staff, with parents, and with the wider community that supports us. We promote social justice, advocating for the rights and dignity of all, especially those who are marginalised and vulnerable, whether they are here in our College, in our local community, or across the globe.

Compassionate Respect isn't just about these big ideas; it's about the small, everyday actions that make a real difference. Practically, it means treating others with kindness and respect and showing genuine empathy and compassion. In our daily lives, we can demonstrate Compassionate Respect in simple, yet powerful ways. We participate in social norms like applauding at the end of performances, showing appreciation for the efforts of others and participating in prayers. We actively listen and track the speaker with our eyes, showing that we value their words. We help the elderly and those less mobile, offering a hand to those who might need a little extra support. We practise good sportsmanship, both on and off the field, demonstrating respect for our opponents and the spirit of the game.

Living Compassionate Respect in 2025 also means acknowledging the challenges facing our world. We must actively challenge prejudice, promote understanding, and build bridges of connection in a world where intolerance, misinformation and fighting are all too common.

As a Catholic school, we are called to be a shining example of Compassionate Respect, demonstrating through our words and actions the transformative power of love, empathy, and respect. Let's make this a year where we truly live our College values, beginning with Compassionate Respect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

House Patrons and phasing in our new House Names in 2025

After a period of community input and careful discernment, we're thrilled to announce our new House names! These names reflect our Catholic identity, honouring significant figures who embody our values of truth, commitment, justice, witness, excellence, and respect. This is a significant step forward, as we move away from names tied to our colonial past towards a theme of social justice and faith. This is also a positive move towards reconciliation and it will assist in making our school a more culturally safe and inclusive environment.
Our new House names are:

Aquinas
MacKillop
Nagle
Romero
Teresa
Vincent

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) - AQUINAS will replace FLINDERS

Imagine being one of the most influential thinkers of your time, and still being studied centuries later. That's Thomas Aquinas! He was a brilliant Italian philosopher and theologian. He was a bit of a late bloomer academically, and his classmates even nicknamed him "the dumb ox" because he was so quiet. But boy, did he prove them wrong! Thomas used logic and reason to explain complex religious ideas in a way that made sense to people. He wrote a ton, and his most famous work, Summa Theologica, is like a giant instruction manual on Christian theology. Thomas's ideas are still a big deal in philosophy and religion today. As the patron saint of students, Aquinas encourages us to pursue knowledge with passion and integrity leading to TRUTH.

St. Mary MacKillop (1842-1909) - MACKILLOP will replace HASTINGS

Mary MacKillop was an Aussie legend! Born in Melbourne, she was a super passionate woman who cared deeply about education and helping the poor. She co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, a religious order dedicated to teaching and caring for those in need, especially in rural areas. Mary faced a lot of challenges, including opposition from some church leaders, but she never gave up on her mission. She was a trailblazer for women in religious life and education, and her legacy continues to inspire people in Australia and beyond. MacKillop's tireless work with the poor and marginalised inspires us to live out our faith through service to others. She embodies COMMITMENT

St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) - VINCENT will replace INNES

Vincent de Paul was a French priest who was deeply moved by the suffering of the poor. He organised groups of volunteers to provide food, clothing, and other assistance to those in need. He also founded hospitals and schools, and he worked to reform the prison system. Vincent believed that everyone deserved to be treated with dignity and respect, and he put his beliefs into action. He's the patron saint of charities and social workers, and his legacy of service continues to this day. Vincent's compassion and selfless service challenge us to live a life of love and charity. He embodies JUSTICE
We're also pleased about the gender balance in our new House names, recognising the inspiring contributions of both men and women. This reflects our commitment to equality and diversity.

St. Oscar Romero (1917-1980) - ROMERO will replace MACQUARIE

Imagine being a priest in a country torn apart by violence and injustice. That was Oscar Romero. He was the Archbishop of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. At first, he was seen as a pretty conservative guy, but as he witnessed the suffering of the poor and the oppression of the government, he became a powerful voice for the voiceless. He spoke out against human rights abuses, even when it put his own life in danger. Tragically, he was assassinated while celebrating Mass, but his courage and commitment to justice made him a hero to many. Romero's courage and unwavering faith inspire us to stand up for what is right, even in the face of adversity. He embodies WITNESS

Nano Nagle (1718-1780) - NAGLE will replace OXLEY

Nano Nagle was an Irish woman who risked everything to educate poor children at a time when it was illegal to do so. She secretly opened schools in defiance of the law, teaching kids to read and write in the evenings, which is why she became known as the "Lady of the Lantern." Nano believed that education was the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and giving people a better chance in life. She eventually founded the Presentation Sisters, a religious order that continues her work in education and social justice around the world. Nagle's dedication to education and her belief in the transformative power of learning inspires us to strive for academic EXCELLENCE.

St. Teresa of Kolkata (1910-1997) - TERESA will replace WILSON

Mother Teresa, as she was known to the world, dedicated her life to caring for the poorest of the poor in Kolkata, India. She founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order that runs hospices, soup kitchens, schools, and other charitable programs for people living in extreme poverty. Mother Teresa's work was incredibly challenging, but she approached it with unwavering compassion and love. She saw the dignity of every human being, no matter how sick or destitute, and she inspired millions to show kindness and generosity to others. Mother Teresa's compassion and selfless love challenge us to live a life of service and to treat all people with dignity and compassion RESPECT.

As we move forward, we look forward to celebrating our local Aboriginal heritage and creating a more culturally safe and inclusive school community. Together, we will embrace these new House names and continue to strive for excellence, guided by our faith and inspired by our new Patrons.

We are looking for staff and students with a keen eye for design to help us create the visuals we require for the changeover. Stay tuned for more information as we progress towards the change.

The process: 2025 is a year of transformation for our College.

Term 1: A Foundation of Knowledge

• We'll begin by delving into the lives of our inspiring Patrons. Their stories and their values will form the bedrock of our new Houses.

Terms 1 & 2: A Collaborative Creation

• Students and staff will come together to design crests that reflect our shared identity. Local Totems, symbols that resonate with our community, will be carefully selected and integrated into our House culture in collaboration with local elders.

Late Term 2/Early Term 3: A Visual Transformation

• New flags, signage, House symbols, and even candles will be designed and ordered, marking a visible shift in our identity.

Term 3: A Farewell to the Past

• The final House Shield will be awarded under the old names as we bid farewell to a chapter of our history.

Term 4: A New Dawn

• From this point forward, our Houses will transition to the new names. The transition will be significant. We will hold a special ritual as we lower the flags of the previous names and raise new flags for this new era.

Term 1: A New Era Begins

• Pastoral Care groups will be rebranded, reflecting the new House names. For instance, Flinders01 will become A for Aquinas A01. We'll also introduce new rituals and routines that celebrate our heritage and embrace our future.

This is our legacy for future generations of students who will pass through the gates of our College. Together, we will continue to strive for excellence, guided by our faith and inspired by our new Patrons.

We invite you to join us as we embrace a new identity in our Houses.

Student Leadership: Empowering Student Voices

We're excited to announce a refreshed approach to Student Leadership at St Joseph's this year, designed to maximize student impact and development.

Last year, while we had a large team of student leaders across various areas, we recognized that we could better empower students to develop their leadership skills and contribute meaningfully to our College community.

This year, we're focusing on developing a smaller, more impactful team of student leaders. Our new model will pair our Year 12 student leaders with a representative from each grade (Years 7-11) in every House. This structure will create a dynamic team of 27 Year 12 leaders and 30 leaders from Years 7-11, ensuring representation across all year levels.

This team will collaborate on exciting initiatives and have a real voice in College decisions. These are not just titles; they are genuine opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, make a difference, and represent the entire student body. To kick things off, the newly elected team will participate in an off-site planning day later this term to develop their vision and initiatives for the year.

Here's how the process will work:

• Nominations: Students will be invited to nominate themselves for a leadership position.
• Speeches: Students who submit successful nominations will have the opportunity to deliver a short, inspiring speech to their fellow grade students within their House.
• Voting: Students and staff will then vote for their preferred candidates.
• Induction: We will proudly induct our new student leaders at the Week 8 assembly.
• Planning Day: On Tuesday of Week 10, the newly elected leaders will participate in an off-site planning day to connect, brainstorm, and develop their action plan for 2025.

Nominations open next Wednesday (Week 2) after assembly. This is a fantastic opportunity for your child to step up, develop valuable leadership skills, and make a lasting impact on St Joseph's. We encourage all interested students to consider nominating themselves.

We are looking forward to working with our new student leaders as they achieve great things for our College.

Save the Date

Parents of Year 10 Students- Information night coming up

On Monday, 17th of February at 6:00pm, we are hosting a very important Parent Information Evening in preparation for the Year 10 retreats. Both retreats will be held at St Francis Retreat Centre in Bonny Hills. Students will be allocated to one of these retreats over the coming weeks.

The Retreats occur in Week 7 of this term, with

• Retreat A occurring from the 11th to the 12th of March, and
• Retreat B from the 13th to the 14th of March.

This retreat is always a highlight for our Year 10 students as they begin to make decisions about their future beyond school.

Essential information will be presented at the parent meeting on the 16th. It will not go for more than 1 hour. We kindly ask that parents make every effort to attend, and ideally, each student should be represented by one parent or caregiver. Students are asked NOT to attend this meeting.

We look forward to meeting with our Year 10 parents and caregivers on the 17th at 6:00pm in the College Performing Arts Centre (PAC).

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

Mr Matthew Bushe
Assistant Principal - Mission

I want to welcome you all to the start of the 2025 academic year at St Joseph’s Regional College, and I hope everyone had a restful break. I look forward to supporting our students through the challenges and encouraging them to be open to the new year's opportunities. Our mission is to ensure that each student has the opportunity to immerse themselves in our rich learning environment and achieve their personal goals as they journey through secondary education at the College.

For those new to the College, whilst the start of the year may appear overwhelming at times, especially for our new Year 7 students, you will soon settle into the routine of secondary education at the College. The start of any year is a great opportunity for students to reflect on what they wish to achieve this year and to formulate actions that will ultimately lead to each student achieving their goals.

As part of this journey to achieve our best during the year, three key focus areas will drive learning throughout 2025. The first is a focus on high expectations. Our goal at the College is to see each student believe in their capacity to achieve their potential. While there will be times when the challenges of schoolwork may appear difficult, the ability to persevere and work through the obstacles will develop excellent personal skills that will serve them well after we complete our schooling and head into the next phase of our lives.

The second focus area is around enhancing our culture of learning and improvement. As part of this, I challenge students to continue to reflect on the quality of work they produce and seek to deepen their understanding of course content and improve the quality of the work produced throughout the year.

The third focus area relates to starting the year fresh, and as we settle into our new classes and subjects, we reflect on those learning behaviours that will help each of us achieve our goals for the year.

Specifically, we believe that the six core learning behaviours detailed below will ensure that the classroom is an environment that is conducive to learning. Embracing these learning behaviours allows all students to strive for high expectations and embed a culture of learning and improvement in every aspect of their learning journey throughout 2025.

1. Demonstrate a positive learning behaviour and be ENGAGED in your learning
2. Display respect for others
3. Use time Effectively to complete homework and assessments
4. ACT on feedback to IMPROVE the quality of your work
5. BE self-managed and organised
6. Work collaboratively with teachers and peers

Finally, Ms Anne Marchment (Leader of Curriculum), Mrs Claire Goldie (Leader of Pedagogy) and I wish you all a great start to 2025, and we look forward to the many opportunities that emerge throughout the course of the year.

Ian Lutton
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

What a great week at St Joseph’s Regional College! We were genuinely delighted to welcome our new and returning students to school this week. Students and staff have settled back into routines positively and seamlessly. I would like to extend a particularly warm welcome to our Year 7 students and families and to our new students in all year groups and their families.

Students have spent time with their Pastoral Care (PC) groups this week, becoming familiar with their timetables and discussing how to best set themselves up for a successful year of learning and school involvement. Sincere gratitude to PC Teachers for investing their time and expertise in ensuring students commence the academic year in an informed and supported way. A reminder to all parents and carers, that PC Teachers and Leaders of Student Wellbeing are always available to listen, offer support and answer questions related to your child’s learning or wellbeing. College Staff can be contacted via email/Compass or by ringing the College Office- 5525 4100.

At our College Assembly on Thursday morning, I reminded students of some baseline expectations to underpin a calm and productive school environment where our core focus is learning and teaching. Punctuality, learning readiness and positive learning habits are all simple things that students can do to generate a mindset for learning. We also spoke about the importance of the Code of Presentation. Visual information to supplement the Code of Presentation was emailed to parents during the school holidays and can be accessed at the links below:

Uniform Reminders for Senior Students

Uniform Reminder for Junior Students

The beginning of a new school year is a great time to think about the importance of establishing and maintaining positive patterns of school attendance. Whilst regular school attendance is mandated by legislation for all young people under 17, the most important benefits of regular school attendance are increased learning and wellbeing outcomes for our students. Please support your child in attending school on time every day if they are physically able to do so.

I wish all of our students a positive, healthy and supported school year!

Mrs Jennifer Furney
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

jennifer.furney@lism.catholic.edu.au

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the College’s Leader of Sport.  Within this role, I oversee the organisation of sport at the College. 

Internal Sport 

As communicated at the end of 2024, our internal sports program will be different from previous years.  The main change to the program is that students will no longer have their timetabled sport as a whole year group, but rather, in their class rounds. This change allows the College to have the ability to offer students greater flexibility and variety in the program.  

We understand that at times it may not be possible for some students to physically participate in sport due to illness or injury.  If this is the case, a note from the parent or caregiver is required to be written in the diary for your child’s teacher. Your child's timetabled sport teacher will be your first port of call for any internal sport related queries.

Representative Sport

In regards to extracurricular representative sports, St Joseph’s Regional College provides a range of sporting opportunities for students to participate in organised team and individual competitions within the school, locally, and at Diocesan and State levels. This document outlines the dates of all sporting opportunities scheduled for 2025. The list is updated frequently and is subject to change.

All representative opportunities are communicated through Compass and students express their interest in trialling for a team using a Google form. Once students have registered their interest, coaches will contact students to arrange a trial/training session to allow them to select a team. Once selected for a College representative sport team students will be required to attend training sessions prior to the day of competition. 

Parents/guardians will receive permission notes for representative sports events via Compass where you can provide consent and payment for the event.  It is critical that consent is provided before students attend any offsite event.

Any questions or queries about representative sport can be directed to myself via email at damien.kelly@lism.catholic.edu.au or by calling the College on 02 55254100.

NSW CCC Sporting Representation

Families with students who wish to nominate for trialling in a sport at the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (NSWCCC) level should make themselves familiar with the Catholic Schools NSW (CS NSW) Sport website https://csnsw.sport/.  Parents/carers will need to create an account to be able to register their child.  Once a student has been registered on the CSNSW Sport portal the request will be sent to the College for Principal approval.

This document is a summary of all the representative sports pathways that NSWCCC offers. Many of the team sports require entry through the Diocesan pathway. This requires the student to trial for the Diocesan team first and communications for these teams will be sent through Compass. Please be prepared to travel if your child is accepted.  Parents/students  have the responsibility to register on the NSWCCC portal, please make note of the registration closing dates as there will be no reminders about these sports.  

College Swimming Carnival 

Our College swimming carnival will take place on Thursday, Week 3, 20th February at the Port Macquarie Olympic Pool. Further information about the program of events and details for the carnival will be sent to students and families soon.

Warm regards,

Damien Kelly

Leader of Sport

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, which will be acknowledged at the end-of-year major award ceremony.

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 semester 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 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, don't hesitate to get in touch with 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 increases pressure on students regarding 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 be arranged for the end of a period.

When collecting students early from the College, please follow the procedure below. Please do not advise us 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.
• 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 do occasionally receive 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 get in touch with the College Office if the above procedure cannot 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.

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 in 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 then 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 before coming out to the College 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, including an email, is sent to parents/guardians via the Compass App. A link to an online permission form is included for your convenience and must be completed in order for your child to attend any off-campus activities. We ask that you be vigilant in submitting your approval by the due date.  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 the College via phone) 5525 4100 or email) pmreg-excursions@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 new diagnosis or change in medical conditions for your child. This is especially important for those students with Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Seizures, Diabetes and Epilepsy.

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 (students 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:  

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

Term 1 Week 2 Lunch Specials
Monday	No Specials
Tuesday	Chicken Schnitzel & Salad Wrap
Wednesday	Fried Rice (GF)
Thursday	Bacon & Cheese Burger
Friday	Chicken Caesar Salad
Term 1 Week 3 Lunch Specials
Monday	No Specials
Tuesday	Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Wrap
Wednesday	Chicken Pumpkin Feta & Macadamia Salad (GF)
Thursday	NO CANTEEN ORDERS - Swimming Carnival
Friday	Hawaiian Chicken Burger

Welcome back to 2025!

Introducing.... our awesome canteen ladies.

Food Services Manager - Breeanna Stone 

Canteen Assistants - Alison George, Shannon Fraser & Jo Farthing(absent from photo)

Our College Canteen opens at 8.00am every school day.

We have a delicious variety of 'Lunch Specials', available for $7.00 from Tuesday to Friday, and an everyday menu.

CLICK HERE to view 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

Website - https://www.pmreglism.catholic.edu.au/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SJRCPort

Instagram - @sjrcport

St Joseph's Regional College - 50 year Celebrations

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SJRC50years

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sjr50years/

Digital Ministry

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sjrcdigitalministry

Library

Website - https://pmreglism.libguides.com/home

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sjrcexchange

Instagram - Instagram - @sjrcexchange

Careers

Website - https://www.sjrcportcareers.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sjrcportcareers

Calling all budding photographers!

As part of the Jubilee Year, the Vatican is promoting an international photography contest, titled: ‘Sport in Motion’. It is for young photographers, professional or amateur, under the age of 25.

There are five categories: sport and hope, sport and family, sport and disability, sport and politics, and sport and ecology.

The winners will be awarded a meeting with the Holy Father, a visit to the Vatican Museums, a workshop in the Osservatore Romano newspaper and their photo will be published internationally.

Do you know a young person - student or teacher - who may be interested in entering this competition?

The deadline to enter is 30 April 2025.