SJRC Newsletter: Term 2 Week 2 - 10th May 2024
Pupil Free Day
Friday 31st May - Proclaim Staff Day
On Friday 31st May, all Catholic Schools in the Hastings area will be closed as all staff are attending an important event, Proclaim 2024.
Proclaim, is an initiative of the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools launched over a decade ago and has been instrumental in fostering vibrant Catholic communities within our schools. It began by prioritising the New Evangelization in 2013, followed by a focus on our Catholic vocation to work and teach in 2017. In 2019, it emphasised that all are welcome and called to discipleship. Proclaim 2024 marks a significant day for all school staff across the Lismore Diocese as we renew our commitment to advancing the Gospel in our schools.
Year 7 2025 Information and Open Evening
The night was very well attended and I sincerely thank our Enrolment Officer, Michelle Reynolds, for her expertise in the enrolment process and in the organisation of the night. Also, to Assistant Principals for Teaching & Learning, Mission and Pastoral Care for presenting on the evening. Families were greeted by our amazing Jazz Band conducted by Chris Trotman. I also want to thank the many staff who volunteered to park cars, welcome families and supervise students, staff who presented in classrooms, staff who made us afternoon tea and cleaned up. The evening was truly another awesome SJRC team effort.
We are really proud and congratulate the 49 students who acted as tour guides and the two Year 7 speakers, Armani Daley and Fletcher Taylor. They are all such great ambassadors for the College.
Year 7 2025 interviews commence this week and I thank all staff involved in the process of conducting those interviews over a period of days.
Year 12 Semester One Award Ceremony
This week, I had the pleasure of presenting the Semester One awards to our Year 12 cohort. What a marvellous group of humans they are! I encouraged the cohort to keep focusing on the end goal, to challenge themselves to do more and to maintain a healthy balance as they near the completion of their secondary schooling.
To parents and caregivers, the end of Year 12 is in sight for you and your child. Thank you for your unwavering support, which has been instrumental in guiding these exceptional young individuals through their journey at St Joseph's Regional College.
Congratulations to the following award recipients:
Outstanding Achievement (Gold)
To receive an Outstanding Achievement award, students must have achieved Excellence and Application Awards in there or more of their subjects.
Abhishek Amada Sophia Dominguez Keiana Dreelan Rhea Edden-Moore |
Lauren Johnston James Merkus Gabriel Moore Olivia Moore Hudson Potter |
Charlotte Shee Aryan Vaishnav Jamie Vinod Aden Young |
Outstanding Application (Green)
Students must have achieved Application Awards in five or more of their subjects to receive an Outstanding Application award.
Adam Cook Isabel Dickinson Elokin Harrison Ava-Grace Hawker |
Nicholas Honeysett Thomas Little Bailey Moore Cora Puttick |
Laura Smith Maisy Taylor Madeleine Tunbridge Alaska Webber |
Community Service
Awarded to students who have participated in 10 or more hours of community service.
Zoe Copeland Liam Cusack Ziggy Ewart Alexander Farley Cooper Farrington |
Grace Kruk Annie Mepham James Merkus Gabriel Moore Cora Puttick |
Lucas Pynaert Charlotte Shee Maisy Taylor Aryan Vaishnav Jamie Vinod |
Congratulations Year 12
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Finally, to all the mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, carers, aunts, sisters and other women in our lives who care for us, and love us unconditionally. Happy Mother's Day. May your day be filled with love, joy and laughter.
Arise - Year 10 Spirituality Day
On Wednesday this Week, fifteen Year 10 students attended St Agnes’ Parish Hall to experience a day of spirituality. This day was developed as an extension of the Year 10 Retreat program and it offered students the opportunity to explore their relationship with Jesus Christ deeply. The day began with the group sharing where they experienced God in the Year 10 Retreat. Students also engaged in Lectio Divina (prayerful meditation on a passage of Scripture). Students spent some team reading and reflecting on the challenges of being a teenage Christian in our contemporary world. The day culminated in the students creating a closing liturgy for a time of prayerful worship. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr Hyland and Emily Burg for planning and facilitating this day. We hope to share some student reflections in future newsletters.
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Make A Difference (MAD) Foundation Fundraiser - Opening of Thrumster Business Park
On Thursday, five senior students and three staff members, who typically participate in our regular Wednesday MAD shift, assisted in hosting a launch breakfast at the new Thrumster Business Park site. This event was a significant fundraising endeavour for MAD, yielding $1300 for the foundation. These College members served as exemplary representatives of our school, showcasing the remarkable charitable spirit for which we are renowned in our local community.
Ironman 2024
On Sunday, we had a large number of students and staff crewing a Run Aid Station for the Ironman Australia event held in Port Macquarie. These members of our College community braved the rain that eventually cleared to support the athletes, keeping them hydrated and nourished for their race. It was another fine example of the wonderful, community-minded spirit that exists in our College and is becoming our calling card within our local area. It was inspiring to see how our students cheered on the women and men as they ran. The competitors all moved a little faster after visiting the Run Aid Station - spurred on by the positivity from our students.
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Journey in the Catholic Faith for Teens (JCFT)
JCFT has commenced this week; however, if you are interested in attending, you may still do so. Expression of Interest. The 10-week program is held at the College on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:30pm.
Who is JCFT for?
- Students who have received their sacraments but would like to understand more of their Catholic faith.
- Students who have been baptised but not confirmed and would like to become full members of the Catholic Church.
- Students who have received no sacraments and would like to be fully initiated into the Catholic Church.
What would JCFT look like? A 1-hour session with:
- Afternoon Tea and Icebraker/Grabber/Activity
- Essential knowledge to understand the Catholic Faith
- Prayer
- Small Group Discussion / Reflection Questions
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:
- FA letter from Fr Paul
- Our Place Update
- Sacrament of First Holy Communion Narrated Masses
- Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima
- Clergy Retreat 13 - 17 May
- Encounter Youth
- Encounter Young Adults
- Kathleen Briscoe Tuition Scholarships
The latest edition is available via this link Parish News Bulletin
Assistant Principal- Mission
Year 12 Awards Ceremony
Congratulations to our Year 12 students on their reports and academic awards. At the end of the awards ceremony, Mrs Daley spoke to Year 12 about the academic pathway they have chosen and the challenges of that pathway. She asked them to reflect on the messages contained within their reports and the insightful comments their teachers have written. Mrs Daley challenged them to take these lessons into the second half of their assessment journey, continue to strengthen the gaps in their knowledge and skills and take heart in the many strengths identified in their reports.
Finally, Mrs Daley asked them to continue on the fantastic platform they have laid both individually and as a cohort, continue to grow as young men and women and maximise their opportunities as they prepare to move on to the next phase of their lives.
Well done, Year 12, on a superb performance so far.
Parent-Teacher Interviews - Years 8, 9 & 10
Monday, 20th May 2024
4:00pm- 7:00pm
Parent-teacher interviews are an important opportunity for parents to discuss the progress of their sons/daughters with teachers and to help formulate strategies to assist their children in their educational journey.
- As many teachers have a full programme of interviews through the night, I would ask that parents respect the 5-minute time allocation for interviews (if an extended discussion is needed, a separate time should be booked through the College office to see the teacher).
- Also, I would ask that parents adhere to the allocated time slots – if a teacher appears to be “free” it may be the only break they have all night
Year 7, 11 & 12 Parents have recently had interviews, however, if there is anything you wish to discuss with your child’s class teacher/s, please contact the College. There will be another opportunity for parents of students in Years 7-12 to meet with teachers again on 26th August 2024.
How to book a Parent-Teacher Interview:
All interviews are to be booked via the Compass App.
Further information regarding the evening and the link to book an interview, will be sent out via the Compass App on Monday.
Bookings will open on Monday 13th May,
and close on Monday, 20th May at 10:00am
We look forward to meeting with you.
TAFE- Boys/Girls CAN TOO Program
14 other students, recently took part in the "Boys/Girls Can Too" program, coordinated by Port Macquarie TAFE and Mid Coast Connect. This initiative aims to challenge traditional gender roles by offering students the chance to explore industries typically associated with the opposite gender.
During the program, the female participants, engaged in workshops covering fields like engineering, electrotechnology, landscaping, and information technology. Meanwhile, male participants delved into workshops on fashion & design, early childhood care, hairdressing, and nursing.
Well done to Sophie Bentley and Charlee Maher who presented an overview of the program at this week's assembly. Reflecting on their experience, Sophie emphasised how the program broadened their horizons regarding career possibilities after school. They both highly recommend the Boys and Girls Can Too! program to other students, highlighting its value in helping individuals explore potential career paths and learn about available TAFE courses.
Thank you to Mrs Janine Handley, Leader of Learning (Diversity & Inclusion), and accompanying Teachers' Assistants, Kylie Joseph and Nathan Cox for maximising the students' learning experience.
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Literacy Standards and Expectations Resource
This week, Year 7 and 9 students will receive a hard copy of our College Literacy Standards and Expectations resources, during a class visit from our College Literacy Coach, Mrs Sarah McLeod. This resource is intended to support students in their application of punctuation and grammar, alongside developing sentence and paragraph structures within their writing. Students can use this excellent resource to revise their writing carefully and purposefully, to edit and elevate their responses and to develop their accuracy, cohesion and fluency in writing. Our Literacy Standards and Expectations are transferable to all subjects from various disciplines and will be particularly valuable for students when preparing for and undertaking assessments.
Please note that Year 8 and 10 students received a hard copy of these resources in 2023 and will receive an electronic copy via Compass email in 2024. These students are encouraged to download and save these resources digitally. We sincerely hope that all students will use these valuable resources.
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Mr Ian Lutton
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
“Tell Them From Me” Survey
All parents are warmly invited to complete our annual “Tell Them From Me” survey. The survey platform is easy to navigate, with the survey taking around 15 minutes to complete. Students and staff also complete a version of the survey. Data and feedback from the survey responses are analysed to inform decision-making and to shape our school improvement focus. We encourage all parents to please take the time to complete the survey so the feedback is as comprehensive as possible. As parents are such a vital part of our school community and play such a key role in their children’s education, we really value parent voices and want to ensure we capture as many parent experiences of our school as possible. Please click the link below to access the survey:
http://tellthemfromme.com/regional2024
College Representative Expectations and Behaviour
It is a fantastic time of year for our sporty students with so many Winter Sports opportunities on offer. Our staff, led by the very talented and capable Mr Damien Kelly (SJRC Leader of Sport), give generously of their time to ensure students are able to experience a wide range of co-curricular sporting activities, often giving up their lunchtime, extending their working hours and travelling away from home or overnight to accompany students on these experiences. All students and parents are therefore reminded that students are learners first and foremost. Application to learning and respectful conduct in all learning spaces must underpin College representation of any kind. Expectations of exemplary behaviour and sportsmanship are well-communicated to students prior to any off-site or representative participation. High expectations underpin these experiences in terms of selection, participation and game time.
We thank our parents for their support in this area as we work to support the holistic learning and development of the students in our care.
RealTalk Australia
Earlier this year, a presenter from RealTalk Australia visited the school to deliver respectful relationships and consent education talks to our students. SJRC parents can now access the RealTalk Australia resources, thanks to the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools, who have purchased a parent subscription accessible to parents within our Catholic schools. All parents can now access a comprehensive online resource created by RealTalk Australia that provides access to a collection of resources to support parents and caregivers explore a diverse range of topics including:
- Puberty and personal development and identity
- Online Safety
- Friendships
- Consent and respectful relationships
- Impacts of Pornography
For information about how to access this resource see the FLYER. We encourage all parents to proactively view the resources and to dip into the resources as you encounter moments of growth and challenge with your young person.
Catholic Schools Parent Assembly
On Saturday, 15 June 2024, the Catholic Schools Parent Assembly is holding the Your Child: Nurturing Hearts and Minds conference. Unfortunately, this event has already reached the registration limit. However, if you are interested in attending this conference, please complete the Google form in the link to be placed on a waitlist, as places will likely become available. Click to Register
Support for Tom Jenkins
Year 12 student, Tom Jenkins is taking part in the World's Greatest Shave, raising money for the Leukaemia Foundation. Tom said: "It is a way for him to show his support for the 53 Australians who are diagnosed with blood cancer per day." The big shave will happen here at the College at lunchtime on Wednesday 22nd May.
If you feel you are able to support Tom, please do so by scanning the QR code or following this link- http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/thomasjenkins1
Thank you for your support
Jennifer Furney
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
Alumni - Where are you now?
St Joseph's Regional has a rich tradition spanning over 50 years, so if you're a parent, grandparent, community member, interested bystander, and a former student, we would love to hear from you. Our alumni program showcases former students with a story about their post-school journey. Our ex-students can be tradespeople, business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, and more. They can be dealing with people on a daily basis, researching in a scientific lab, caring for our vulnerable members of society, keeping a protective eye on our communities, writing the stories that make up our history, caring for our environment etc.
If you would like to have YOUR story showcased in our fortnightly newsletter, broadcast across our social media channels, used in information sessions for our students, and spotlighted in our Senior Study, then please send the following to pmreg-careers@lism.catholic.edu.au:
- a bullet point list of what you have done since leaving Regional (please include the dates)
- a short statement outlining advice that you would give to your younger self, knowing what you know now, and
- an appropriate photo of yourself, possibly depicting you undertaking the work that you conduct as part of your career.
Mrs Leanne Tinsey
Careers Pathway
Finalists have been announced & online voting is now open!
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Community Choice voting will close on Sunday, 16th June 2024.
The 2024 A4Art Prize has once again sparked a surge of creativity across our six St Agnes’ Parish Schools, with over 480 participants - representing more than 10% of the student body - contributing to the event, marking yet another year of growth.
The calibre of artwork in this year’s competition is truly outstanding. We've witnessed a diverse array of genres, from painting and drawing to origami, digital art, and 3D works, each accompanied by thoughtful artist statements. It's remarkable to see such a wide range of creativity stemming from a humble A4 sheet of paper.
After careful consideration by expert judges, 143 finalists have been chosen across 14 categories spanning from Kindergarten to Year 12, along with a special category for St Agnes’ Education Staff. This number includes artworks that have also been chosen as Packing Room Finalists, a category created to highlight outstanding pieces that may not have made it to the finalist stage but were recognized by the Creative Arts Nest Team.
All finalist artworks will be featured in the A4Art Pop-Up Exhibition, which will visit each of the St Agnes’ Parish Schools during Term 2. Visitors will have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award during the exhibition. Furthermore, the artworks will be showcased at ArtWalk 2024 on June 7th in the Creative Arts Nest Tent at PMQ Town Green.
428 artworks have been shortlisted and are now available for viewing online. Community members can cast their votes for the Community Choice Award at: www.artsnest.com.au/submission_2024/
Category and award winners will be announced at the Finalist Awards Night on June 17th, with all winners having their pieces displayed at the Wauchope Creative Hub Art Gallery post-event.
The Creative Arts Nest extends its heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors for their generous support including: St Agnes’ Education
Toms Creek Nature Domes
Port Macquarie Surf School
Sunset Framing & Gallery
The Seed Creative Workshops
Wauchope Creative Hub
Stoney Park
Innervision Surf & Skate
Alice in Paperland
Drawn to Art
Eckersley’s Art & Craft
Wildnets Adventure Parks
Got Ya Back Productions
TwoTripleFour
The Encounter Youth Program is on every Sunday 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
Friday 10th April: Letters
When did you last receive a latter?
When did you last send a letter?
Nobody really uses them these days.
What are they for?
How do we read them?
Who wrote them?
Over the next three weeks, that’s what we’re going to be talking about at Encounter Youth.
Join us at the Youth Hub on Friday afternoon (10th of May) from 5:30-7:30 pm for dinner, games, and a great time. Bring your mates and $5 for dinner.
Encounter Youth: Left on ‘Read’ - 17th May
Have you ever been left on read?
Left wondering if they meant to open your message or if they were ignoring you?
The big question is, do you send a second message and repeat yourself at the risk of embarrassment?
This is exactly what some of the letters in the New Testament do. The Authors really wanted people to pay attention and reply. I wonder what the message was?
Come along to Encounter Youth Friday….. to find out.
Term 2 Week 3 Lunch Specials | |
Monday | Vegetarian Ravioli |
Tuesday | Fried Rice & Honey Soy Wings (GF) |
Wednesday | Parmesan Potato's & Beef Sausages (GF) |
Thursday | Chicken Pesto Toasted Turkish |
Friday | Hawaiian Chicken Burger |
Term 2 Week 4 Lunch Specials | |
Monday | Spaghetti Bolognese |
Tuesday | Chicken Caesar Wraps |
Wednesday | Teriyaki Chicken Stir fry |
Thursday | Chicken Quesadillas |
Friday | Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Potatoes |
The Canteen opens at 8.00 am every school day.
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