Term 2 Week 3 - 15th May 2020
- Principal's Message
- Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care & Staff Support
- Year 7 2021 Enrolment Information
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Correspondence
- Parenting Courses
- News from the Leader of Curriculum
- News from the Leader of Evangelisation
- Literacy Enrichment - Get Involved!
- #LITFEST2444
- Library News
- Word of the Week
- Wanted Barbie Dolls - HSC Major Works
- St Agnes' Uniform Store
- Journey into the Catholic Faith for Teens
Year 12 Mid Year Awards
On Thursday, Year 12 students, were presented with their Outstanding Application and Outstanding Achievement Awards. Our Year 12 Coordinator, Mr Johnston, led the ceremony with a prayer; giving thanks for our being back together as a community. Instead of handshaking, Mr Johnston recommended that certificates were to be presented to students with a ceremonial bow which was embraced by all. Despite the fact that students’ peers, Pastoral Teachers and families were unable to attend, the College Leadership Team was an affirming presence.
Our students should feel really proud of their achievements given the circumstances that they have faced over the past months. They have shown much resilience, independence and personal resolve to aspire to achieve the best they possibly can during this time. It is our hope now that all of our students benefit from working together with their teachers towards their learning goals.
Outstanding Application
Congratulations to our Outstanding Application recipients:
|
Aynslea Bambling |
Matthew Burke |
Gabrielle Coles Marlon Dutlow Nathan Garrett Annabelle Instrell Amber Newman Jag Shore Matthew Strumolo |
Outstanding Achievement
Congratulations to our Outstanding Achievement recipients:
| William Dakin Grace Robb |
Cameron Hunt Natasha Small |
Thomas Merkus Tara Young |
Lewis Ring |
#LitFest2444
Each year, our Teacher/Librarian, Mrs Bale, along with Mrs Penson from MacKillop College, organise a literary festival known as #LitFest2444. This year in 2020, the annual festival of story in different forms and mediums - #LitFest2444 - was moved to a digital format because the current COVID-19 restrictions made it impossible to continue in the established face-to-face mode. This week, the first of 10 online sessions were delivered via FaceBook feed to an audience that reached 160 people. These sessions are being offered free of charge, and are a neatly-fitting complement to our SJRC Literacy Enrichment program. The sessions are open to anybody and involve a mix of theoretical and practical work.
My sincere, thanks, to both Mrs Bale and Mrs Penson for this initiative.
I refer you to the #LitFest2444 section of this newsletter for a program summary including future dates and sessions. Without a doubt, the organisers would love to 'see' you online with them.
Social Distancing and The College Office
While we don’t require students to socially distance themselves at the College, we are obliged to maintain this expectation for adults. For this reason, I would ask that parents attend the College Office for relatively urgent matters only and ask parents to be mindful of using other forms of communication wherever possible.
If you do need to collect your child in an emergency or for an appointment, you are most welcome to call the College Office and arrangements will be made for your child to meet you outside the office.
There is currently a limit of three people in the office foyer at any one time.
Staged Return to School Week 4
Year 11 & 12 students have returned to the College and continue to attend every day.
As per St Agnes' Catholic Parish advice, attendance next week for other year groups is as follows:
| Year 7 | Monday, 18th May | |
| Year 8 | Tuesday, 19th May | |
| Year 9 | Wednesday, 20th May | |
| Year 10 | Thursday, 21st May |
Full return of the student population is expected from Week 5 - Monday, 25th May. I ask you to refer to the email correspondence in regards to the transition back to school which was sent to all families on Wednesday, 13th May.
Welcome Back BBQ
Next week, we commence the transition back to school for Years 7-10. To celebrate, we invite year groups to come together for a reconnection breakfast.
Year 7-10 students are permitted to wear their Sports Uniform in Week 4.
Uniform Reminder
Week 4 commencing Monday 18th May
- Years 7-10 Sports Uniform
- Years 11 & 12 - full Winter Uniform
Week 5 commencing Monday 25th May
- Year 7-10 students are required to wear their full Winter Uniform from Week 5
- Years 11 & 12 - full Winter Uniform
All Students who have taken the opportunity to experiment with "ISO haircuts and colours" need to ensure they are able to follow the College Code of Conduct upon their return to school.
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)
The College is currently going through the NCCD process. I invite you to view the below images which explain a little more about the collection of data.
For further information and to learn more about the NCCD, visit the Portal: www.nccd.edu.au
Tanya Daley
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care and Staff Support
The enrolment process has commenced for our Year 7 2021 cohort. All students wishing to attend our College must complete a 2021 Enrolment Application Form.
Cancellation of Enrolment Information Night & College Tour
The planned Enrolment Information Night and College Tours that were scheduled to take place for St Joseph's Regional College on May 4 and McKillop College on May 5, were, unfortunately, unable to go ahead this year. However, we do plan to give families an opportunity to visit the College and tour our facilities later in the year.
Enrolment Interviews
We are currently planning to commence the enrolment interviews, possibly via ZOOM, and will communicate the plan as it unfolds depending on social distancing restrictions. We hope to commence interviews in mid to late May and will continue into Term 3. Parents will be contacted by the College Office.
Enrolment Packs
We encourage all parents of Year 6 students wishing to attend the College in 2021 to collect an Enrolment Application Pack which must be completed and returned to the College Office.
Places will fill quickly so it is imperative that you return packs as soon as possible. Please note: we can not move forward with your Enrolment Application until we receive all completed Enrolment paperwork.
It is important that the instructions enclosed in the packs are read and carefully followed. Please supply photocopies only of the required supporting documentation.
Please return completed applications to the College Office if possible, alternatively, applications can be mailed to the College or scanned to pmreg-enrolments@lism.catholic.edu.au
Our College Office is open between the hours of 8.30am-3.30pm. We look forward to receiving your application.
We thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. As new information is coming to hand, our College community is being informed. Please find below a link to the latest Parent Correspondence relating to COVID-19.
Federal Government’s COVIDSafe App
As we return to College, I would like to refer you to the COVIDSafe app, which has been developed to minimise further spread of COVID-19 through early notification of possible exposure to the virus. St Joseph’s Regional College has recognised that the app could play a vital role of slowing down the pace of a potential outbreak. As such the Leadership Team is encouraging all families and staff to download the app. The app can be downloaded by clicking here.
GameAware
The Lismore Diocese, Catholic School Parents and Carers Assembly are hosting a FREE webinar, empowering parents with insight into culture and psychology surrounding video games.
Please click here to register for the webinar.
Peta Rourke | Parent Assembly Cluster Coordinator
Catholic Schools Office Diocese of Lismore
FREE Online HSC Subject Sessions
The University of Wollongong is offering 30 FREE subject-specific online sessions designed to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of key subject content and discover what HSC exam markers and assessors are looking for. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive tips and strategies directly from education professionals with years of experience.
Students must REGISTER for each online session. These webinars are anticipated to go for an hour, commencing at 7:30 pm on their respective dates. Webinars are currently running with the final session (An English Writing Module) on 1st July. Visit this link for more information and to register for relevant courses.
https://www.uow.edu.au/study/events/hsc-support-series/
Assessment Planners
All Assessment Planners for Years 7-12 are now available for students to view on Moodle. Both students and parents are able to access the planners through our College website, under the Parents tab - http://www.pmreglism.catholic.edu.au/assessment-exam-timetables/, and also via the link in the side menu of the College newsletter.
It is important that students check their planners to see when each task is due and start on each assignment as soon as possible. If you know in advance that you will be absent from school when a task is due then you should contact me as soon as possible at the College.
A further reminder that if a student misses an assessment task they need to contact the College and see me at school at 8.45am the very first day they arrive back at school to complete the task.
Ian Lutton
Leader of Curriculum
Prayer Knots
We invite you to try this next activity.
Firstly, you will need to find a piece of string/rope/twine to hold. As you hold the string, take a moment to pause and ask God to show you the storyline he is writing for your life. As this storyline comes to mind, make a knot in the rope.
Continue this process until you have around five knots. These knots symbolise your worries, stresses and insecurities.
Now, work backwards, starting from the last knot you created, untie it while talking to God about what this knot represents. Slowly repeat this process, working your way back to the first knot.
Take your time, and explain in detail to God why you want to let go of this burden.
You will soon find that all knots are untied, and you once again have a straight piece of string. The string is your relationship with God. The knots represent anything that strains it or temporarily puts a stop to it.
By communicating to God, these knots disappear, and the relationship is back to how it was at the beginning. This can also be seen in the sense of a relationship with a friend, a family member, a teacher, a partner, or with anyone.
We strongly encourage you to take the time to untie these relationships in your life that are currently knotted.
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.
If you are looking for some background music while you are studying or just relaxing at home, I encourage you to check out Endless Years, songs written Will Reagan on Spotify.
Focus Song
Set a Fire - Will Reagan, United Pursuit
Focus Lyrics:
“Set a fire down in my soul, That I can’t contain, that I can’t control. I want more of you God, I want more of you.”
Digital Ministry
We invite 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/
Timo Gobius
Leader of Evangelisation
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
CREATIVITY remains “HOT” right now at SJRC, as do all things reading, watching and listening.
On this note, we’ve included a bit of a ‘What I’m Reading, Watching, Listening’ to “whip around” and the results speak for themselves: isolation stops none of us from engaging with a good book, series, podcast or music!
Podcast and Book Recommendation from SJRC Students
Lauren Johnston, Year 8, recommends ‘The Darkest Minds Series’ by Alexandra Bracken. She also recommends ‘The 100’ by Kass Morgan and ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by L.M Montgomery.
Kiara Newman, Year 7 recommends the book "You, me and everything" by Catherine Isaac. It is pretty much a life story and is super interesting and good to read. I would point this book to the girls' side for reading
Matilda Shields, Year 7 recommends several good reads, the first being "Wings of Fire" series! It is amazing and always gets you to visualise. It is about dragon tribes and a war for the throne and also friendship, but it is not for the squeamish! The graphic novels, in particular, mention a lot of blood and death heaps of death but mostly to the bad guys.
And the second recommendation from Matilda is "Fing" by David Walliams, Matilda says it is hilarious! It is kind of like a long "World's Worst Children" book but with only one bad child and a very furry monster.
What has been read, watched or listened to in your home lately?
Drop us a line and let us know. This could be the beginning of a ‘SJRC Virtual BookClub, PodClub or NetClub’!
What SJRC Staff are
Listening to, Reading and Watching
| Amy Haydon | Reading: ‘Wolf Hall’ Trilogy by Hilary Mantel, ‘Uneducated’ by Tara Westover, ‘All the Light we Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr Watching: ‘Unorthodox’ and ‘Schitt’s Creek’ (Netflix) |
| Sophie Woods | Listening: Motherhacker, Someone Knows Something, Unravel |
| Diana Walsh | Reading: ‘Last Bridge Before Home’ by Lilly Malone |
| Fiona Jensen | Reading: ‘Boy Swallows Universe’ & ‘Normal People’ Watching: Stateless ABC & NETFLIX Listening: Casefile, True Crime Podcast |
| Matt Bushe | Reading: Just started ‘Boy Swallows Universe’ and LT Ryan (Jack Noble) novels on Kindle Watching: ‘No Offence’ (ABC iView) & ‘The Man in the High Castle’ (Amazon) Listening: Tony Martin’s Sizzletown (podcast) |
SJRC and MacKillop 2020 Interschool Debating & Public Speaking Competition Week 6 Term 3 Years 7-12
As mentioned last week, we’re pleased to advise that at this stage our annual SJRC and Mackillop Interschool Debating Competition planned for Term 3 is due to go ahead in Week 6. To accommodate the current health guidelines, there will be only one team from each year group; A section for public speaking will be included.
Further details will be made available within the next week or two regarding team training and selection, and public speaking guidelines.
Keep reading, writing, reflecting, composing, creating, musing and connecting.
The SJRC Lit Enrichment Team
Join Cristy Burne for a fast-paced funny workshop on May 18
This fast-paced and funny workshop looks at how science and innovation can inspire creative writing. From fatbergs and hoverboards to bolus and syzygies, fire up your imaginations and share your ideas with the ever-effervescent science writer and children’s author, Cristy Burne.
This workshop will be available on Facebook's Watch Party via our profile
Cristy Burne grew up climbing trees, jumping drains, chasing runaway cows and inventing stories. She has a passion for STEM and STEAM, loves learning through doing, and aims to inspire creativity, daring and resilience in her readers.
Cristy Burne is a past editor of CSIRO’s Scientriffic magazine for kids, was a regular contributor to Crinkling News and Double Helix mag for kids/teens, and has worked as a travelling performer in the Shell Questacon Science Circus. She still writes for…loads of places.
Cristy has worked as a science writer at CERN in Switzerland, Fermilab in the US, Scitech in Perth and even a year in Japan at a biotech patent law firm. She has a Bachelor of Science in biotechnology, plus a Grad Dip in Science Communication, and a Masters in Professional Communication.
Her books are published in three languages. Her latest book is To The Lighthouse, out with Fremantle Press in 2017. Off The Track and Zeroes and Ones are published in 2018. Visit www.cristyburne.com for more information.
This content will help supplement your online learning platforms and further enhance storytelling skills during this difficult time. All sessions will be available through Facebook's Watch Party so please encourage staff and students to follow our Facebook Profile to watch all the upcoming sessions.
More sessions will be announced over the coming days and weeks.
Storybombing
Currently, an exciting competition is in progress, the #LitFest2444 Storybombing Phone-It-In Competition. Details can be found here. The competition is limited to students aged 15-18 years, and has an awesome prize for the eventual winner.
We encourage those students who fall into this age bracket to take part. It’s a combination of writing, speaking, and technology, and is an ideal exercise for students at home or at school. The competition closes on May 31.
Karen Bale
#Litfest2444 Organiser
THIS WEEK'S FREE DOWNLOAD
The weekly free download of audiobook titles continues this week with "Faust" and "Stalking Jack the Ripper".
Visit www.audiobooksync.com to access and download the titles, and then use your Sora app (see setup instructions below) to keep and listen. Too easy!
Any questions or issues, please email pmreg-lib@lism.catholic.edu.au
Listening to Podcasts about Books and Authors
Here’s one for all the lovers of Jane Austen
https://soundcloud.com/goodreadingpodcast/lucy-worsley
We invite you to read a sample of her book, The Austen Girls.
https://issuu.com/bloomsburypublishing/docs/austen_girls_extract
What is SYNC?
SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for teens. SYNC will give away two complete audiobooks per week - pairs of high-interest titles, based on weekly themes. Sign up for email or text alerts and be first to know when new titles are available to download at www.audiobooksync.com.
The process to register, access and download titles are outlined below:
First register for SYNC 2020 on our homepage. Then set up Sora.
How do I set up Sora?
- Download Sora from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Open Sora and tap I have a setup code (at the bottom of the screen). - Enter this setup code: audiobooksync.
- Enter the email address you used to sign up for SYNC.
- Tap Explore (at the bottom of the screen) to see the week’s featured titles [SYNC 2020 starts April 30]
- I already use Sora for school. How do I add SYNC titles?
If you already use Sora, you’ll need to add the SYNC program’s library. Here are the steps:
In Sora, open the menu (in the top-right corner).
- Select Add a public library.
- Search for audiobooksync and select the library from the results.
- St Joseph's Regional College Library
St Joseph's Regional College Library
Karen Bale (Mon-Thu)
Tracie Hartley (Fri)
@sjrcexchange
Word of the week:
Distance Learning
Meaning: The education of students who are not physically at school
We have had to embrace this type of learning during this unprecedented time.
Are you able to help?
One of our HSC Visual Art students is in need of old Barbie dolls for her Body of Work. If you have any old dolls lying around that you are happy to part with, please drop them off at the College Office.
The St Agnes' Uniform store has now resumed trade from under revised hours of operation.
The store will be open Monday to Friday from 1.00pm - 5.00pm.
Online ordering has also resumed with a click and collect and delivery available. Please visit our webpage for online orders - https://stagnesparish.org.au/st-agnes-uniform-store/
