Term 3 Week 9 - 18th September 2020

HSC MAJOR WORKS

This week I would like to particularly compliment Year 12 Industrial Technology students for their very impressive Timber Products and Furniture Industries HSC Major Works. Thank you to the Technology and Applied Studies staff, parents and families for supporting the students in the production of their work.


Congratulations to all on this wonderful effort.


Year 12 Schedule of Events - Week 10

Please see below the Schedule of Events for Year 12 next week. As you are aware, parents/guardians are unable to attend this year's Mass and Major Award Ceremony. However, we invite you to join us via a live-stream link, which will be emailed to you.

Monday
PC– Period 5  Normal day as per timetable
Tuesday
PC With PC
Period 1 - 3 Stoney Aqua Park
Period 4 Games/Activities on Oval
Lunch
Period 5 Games/Activities on Oval
Wednesday
PC With PC
Period 1 Ceremony of Light – Watching in PC
Period 2 Normal Lesson
Recess
Period 3 Normal Lesson
Period 4 Normal Lesson
Lunch
Period 5 Rehearsal for Mass & Awards Ceremony
Thursday
PC With PC until called for Mass
Period 1 & 2 Graduation Mass
Recess 11.00-11.30am
Period 3 & 4

PC Lunch in Amphitheatre (Hall if Wet Weather)

11.30am-1.00pm - Special Awards & Games

Lunch 1.00-1.30pm
Period 5 Award Ceremony in PAC - 1.30-3.15pm

Staff Development Day

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Friday, 25th September is a Staff Development Day. During this day staff will undertake professional learning in relation to School Improvement as part of a three-year strategic planning process. Furthermore, they will attend a spirituality session, taking time to reflect on their personal connection with God. The final part of the day will focus on future planning in the area of Curriculum. Students are not required to attend school on the day.

Collecting Students

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A reminder to parents, if you are collecting your child from the College in the afternoon, we ask you to collect students from the front of the Administration block in the drop off/pick up zone only. To assist with traffic flow, please move forward to the furthest flag pole.

Students are asked not to walk through the carpark or down to the areas outside of the gates to be collected.

This initiative is to ensure the safety of all students as they depart the College.

God Bless

Jim Dempsey
Principal

Principal's Message
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Year 11 Changes to Patterns of Study

As Year 11 students draw to the end of their Year 11 Courses, they have the option of altering their pattern of study. In Year 11 they were required to study a minimum of 12 Units, whereas in Year 12 they are required to study a minimum of 10 Units of study.

I must stress here that students DO NOT HAVE TO alter their pattern of study, it is entirely optional for them. Having said that, at this time, many students do take the opportunity to reduce the number of units they are studying by discontinuing a subject, thus reducing their workload for Year 12. If students choose to do this, there is a form they need to complete which includes a parent signature.

I have addressed students about this matter and the change forms are now available to them. Please note also that students do not have to change their pattern of study at this time, they can discontinue a subject at any time through the HSC course, so they should not feel pressured into taking any action if they are unsure.

Should students or parents have any questions at all about changing their pattern of study, I would be only too happy to discuss the matter and assist where possible.


Year 12 Holiday Study Facilities

During the upcoming holidays, a number of staff members have volunteered to be available to supervise a study room for the use of our Year 12 students.

Study facilities will be available from 9.00am to 11.00am each day in the first week of the holidays, and from 9.00am to 1.00pm Tuesday to Friday of the second week of the holidays. I would encourage our Year 12 students to make use of this excellent opportunity to do some quiet study in the lead-up to HSC exams.


HSC Exams

HSC exams this year commence on Tuesday, October 20th. Year 12 students have all been issued with personalised HSC exam timetables, and it is essential that students familiarise themselves with their timetable, as no provision can be made for arriving late or missing an exam due to misreading their timetable.

Students have been reminded of the importance of obtaining a currently dated medical certificate to explain any absence from an exam.

This year, any student displaying flu-like symptoms should immediately get a Covid test, obtain appropriate documentation, and present for exams when they can present evidence of a negative result. Students who display flu-like symptoms in an examination room may be asked to leave the exam, and to follow the procedure outlined above. Students will be asked to sanitise their hands on entry to the exam room, and all desks and chairs will be cleaned between exams.

Year 11 Exam Timetable

Year 11 commenced their End of Course Exams on Monday. The exam period will conclude on Tuesday, 22nd September. Please click on the link below to view the timetable. Separate timetables were distributed for speeches and presentations/performances by the relevant course teachers.

If a student is unwell, or unable to attend an exam, it is imperative that they contact either myself or Mr Ian Lutton prior to the commencement of the exam.

Tim McCosker
Assistant Principal - Curriculum & Administration

Ph: 5525 4100

Assistant Principal - Curriculum

What is ‘Literacy Enrichment’ at SJRC?

It’s opportunities in and out of SJRC that enrich students’ understanding of and experience with media, film, reading, writing, and language in general. It’s excursions, festivals, writing, debating and public speaking competitions, and live performance.

Check us out at - SJRC Literacy Enrichment

SJRC Literacy Enrichment Special Focus:
Where Can My Interest in Media and English Take Me?

The careers that fall under this banner and how to get there.

Where and What to Study for a Career in Media

Australia has some top universities for media studies like Queensland University of Technology, University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland. More locally, University of Newcastle offers courses in media and communications, as does Charles Sturt University. Please visit their websites for further information.

If university study is not for you, then NSW Tafe offer courses in media with a focus on animation: 

You can check out further options for study in media here:

Good luck with your hunt!

Next week: A peek at The Australian Film and Television School, and creative writing courses.

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The SJRC Literacy Enrichment Team

Literacy Enrichment

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F Scott Fitzgerald was born on 24th September 1896 and is best known for his novel set in The Jazz Age – “The Great Gatsby”.

Reading and Genres

“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.”
― Oscar Wilde

Our brain needs variety to grow, and St Joseph’s Regional College Library is well-placed for this to happen. Our Fiction collection has been organised into 8 different genres:

Realistic Adventure/Mystery Supernatural
Historical Science Crime
Humorous Sport

Genres are colour coded and are very easy to find on the shelves with genre-specific coloured labels on their spines.


By expanding our reading experience, we can improve our vocabulary. Having a comprehensive vocabulary assists us in communication – a very necessary life and career skill. Additionally, we can broaden our perspective by exposure to new worlds. We can also gain inspiration when we read widely.

Library

Vacation

Meaning: A fixed holiday period between terms.

The next term break is almost upon us. Stay safe, relax and enjoy the time off.

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We love catching up with past students and following their journeys since graduating from St Joseph's Regional College. The breadth and variety of career paths and life choices are amazing and make for such interesting reading. Our current students will find inspiration in these stories.

This week's alumni update is Madi Roberts who graduated from St Joseph's Regional College in 2012, and is a living example of successfully combining her pursuit of personal goals whilst carving out a successful career for herself in Marketing. 

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Leanne Tinsey
Leader of Careers and University Transition
Alumni

Year 12 2020 were given another opportunity to work on their HSC English Paper One preparation last Wednesday afternoon. They were given an intensive workshop by Ms Marchment and Ms Smith on how to approach extended response style questions and provided with a scrumptious afternoon tea to help keep their brains and bodies well fed.

Best of luck for your upcoming exams Year 12, from the SJRC English faculty.

Ms Anne Marchment

Leader of English

Boat Smart Program

Year 9 Marine Studies classes have had the opportunity this year to participate in the Boat Smart program.

The Boat Smart Program was initiated in 2009. With the aid of Government grants in partnership with the Boating Industry Association, five Boat Smart Hubs were established along the NSW coast. The Port Macquarie hub is the only one currently running, with its strict Covid-19 protocols.

Students were met by the Boating Education Officer for the RMS, Peter Bennetts, who led the students through a vigorous information session on safety, small motors and troubleshooting engines, rowing, anchors and knot tying.

Students were then taken in small groups to demonstrate their driving and navigational skills in the 4.5m half cabin boat used by Mr Warren Bridge of Newman Senior Technical College. The two days were blessed with exceptional weather and made better by our two marine classes that were enthusiastic and keen to get their boat licences in the near future.

A huge thank you goes to our Year 9 Marine classes who behaved exceptionally well and were engaged in the learning experience.

Snorkelling

Year 9 and Year 10 Marine Studies have been taking advantage of the great weather to go snorkelling for the past few weeks. The Shelly Beach lagoon is a wonderful place for both beginner and competent divers, with a vast array of fish and marine life. So far the four classes have seen an abundance of bream, luderick, wrasse, whiting, drummer, long tom, flathead and the occasional octopus, as well as a number of shellfish and plant life.

With conditions being ideal, the students have experienced Port Macquarie’s waters at its best. This has only been highlighted by their behavior and enthusiasm within the community.


Mr Ty Cooper

Marine Studies Teacher

Year 8 Technology - Clock Maker Unit

Two classes of Year 8 Technology students recently completed their Clock Maker unit. These young designers began with their own Design Statement focusing on who they were planning to make the clock for. After designing and making their own acrylic bag tag and toast tongs they used their newfound skills to create their clocks.

Students used Adobe Illustrator to generate their graphics and then used our College laser cutter to make it a reality with solid pine timber and bamboo plywood. They have done a great job and were rightfully very proud of the finished products.

Great Work Year 8 Technology!

Mr Phil Pares
Leader of Learning TAS / Technology Teacher

2020 HSC Creative Arts Showcase

We invite you to view our Time to Shine HSC Showcase 2020. This is a video that has been put together to showcase the major works of our HSC Creative Arts students. Under the current circumstances of COVID-19, we were unable to hold this event on-site this year. Rest assured that we have still given our talented Year 12 students their Time to Shine. Sit back, relax and enjoy the talent of our amazing Creative Arts Crew of 2020.

Creative Arts

Year 7 Medieval Castles

Year 7 students have been studying Castles from the Medieval period and this small group of students started constructing a castle as a group project. The photos depict the early stages of construction and what they managed to construct in one lesson was quite amazing!


Prayer through Music

Listening to music is a powerful way to relax and manage stress. A slower tempo song can soothe the stress of the day by quieting your mind and relaxing your muscles.

Check out some of the great music featured this week on the SJRC Digital Ministry Blog https://sjrcministry.wixsite.com/digitalministry

Featured Music

Enjoy Peace be Still by Hope Darst. This song is a declaration of God’s promises over our lives while inviting us to drown away our fears and doubts.

Hope explains, “... this is a prayer and a weapon; a prayer of peace over everything you are facing and a weapon of worship to defeat fear, depression, and doubt. God has promised you peace.”

Digital Ministry

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We invite you to click on the links below to see the great resources on the SJRC Digital Ministry Blog and Instagram Page put together by our Youth Ministry Officers, Chloe Nash and Amelia Stennett.

SJRC Digital Ministry Blog https://sjrcministry.wixsite.com/digitalministry

SJRC Digital Ministry Instagram Page https://www.instagram.com/sjrcdigitalministry/

The Soul

Each week, the Catholic Schools Office, Lismore puts together 'The Soul' e-newsletter; packed full on great information and resources.

We invite you to click on the link below to check out this week's edition:

http://csolismore.schoolzineplus.com/_r/LYGE4/5f584c3aac278

Timo Gobius
Leader of Evangelisation

Evangelisation

What is a Prayer Sponsor?

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It is someone who prays for another person with a specific intention in mind and at specific times. When someone is sponsored they know that someone else is praying for them at a certain time.

The Scheme

Each year, we invite our Year 12 students who wish to be sponsored in prayer to submit their names and times of their HSC exams to us. We will then allocate their name to a sponsor who has volunteered to pray for a student at this time. Each sponsor will receive information with:

  1. the name of the student
  2. the prayer offered
  3. the times of the student’s HSC exams

A strong aspect of our Catholic Faith is the efficacy of prayer (i.e. prayer does make a difference). At the same time the injection “Pray as if everything depended on God; work; as if everything depended on you” has its own wisdom.

We appeal to parents, family and friends of our Year 12 HSC class to make themselves available as a prayer sponsor. Knowing that someone is praying for you at a difficult time is a source of great strength and consolation.

If you are interested in being a Prayer Sponsor for one or several of our Year 12 students from a St Agnes' Parish Secondary School, please contact the College Office on 5525 4100 with your details.

You will receive the following information (student name, exam times and prayers to be offered) before the commencement of HSC exams on Tuesday, 20th October 2020.

Leaders of Evangelisation
St Agnes' Parish Secondary Schools

The “Homework Hub” was established to provide students with a chance to complete set work and study away from the distractions that can occur at home.

It takes place in the library at the following times:

  • Monday to Thursday 3.15pm to 4.30pm.

Attendance is voluntary and is under the supervision of experienced staff.

The library is open from 7.30am every morning providing another opportunity for our students to work quietly outside of school hours.

If your son or daughter struggles to do homework and study, this may be the solution to get them “on the way” to the results they are looking for.

Weekly Lunch Specials

Term 3 Week 10 Lunch Specials 
Monday Beef Nachos
Tuesday Fried Rice and Honey Soy Chicken Wings
Wednesday Hawaiian Chicken Burger
Thursday Pizza - Vegetarian or Meat Lovers
Friday Pupil Free Day

The Canteen opens at 8.00am every school day.

The Canteen's everyday menu can be found on our College website at the following link. http://www.pmreglism.catholic.edu.au/community/parent-information/

Volunteering in our Canteen

In the current climate, Canteen volunteers will not be required until further notice.

Thank you for your understanding and take care.

Ms Donna Hamlin
Food Services Manager