Term 1 Week 6 - 5th March 2021

My congratulations to Mr David Constantine and Mrs Diana Walsh who have most professionally prepared our students for the SJRC Worldskills Competition.

Our students should feel most proud of their achievements. They are all working exceptionally well in the Hospitality course in their HSC studies.  Competing at Worldskills at a National level takes students' learning to another level. Hospitality is flourishing at St Joseph's Regional College.

I refer you to the below report by Mrs Walsh.

SJRC Worldskills Competition

The students were given an unseen recipe where they had to prepare, cook and serve the dish to industry standards. Charles James from Newman Senior Technical College was the chief judge and had a difficult job analysing the student's skills throughout the course of the afternoon to select a winner. All students participated in a positive manner and should be congratulated on their ability to prepare and cook the dish under pressure.

Congratulations to Holly Coles, Brianna Ducker, Courtney Grove, Molly Hutcheon, Sarah Jennings and Kaitlyn Tarrant for nominating themselves for this competition. Unfortunately, there could only be one winner.

Congratulations to Molly Hutcheon who will now travel to Perth in August for the National Championships.

Mrs Diana Walsh
Assistant Leader of TAS

God Bless

Mr Jim Dempsey
Principal

Year 7 experienced a wonderful team building day last Friday at their annual Reflection and Positive Education day.  It's always great to see students making new connections and positive conversations with their peers.

A huge thank you and to Ms Kylie Wallis, Leader of Wellbeing and Mr Timo Gobius, Leader of Evangelisation, who organised and facilitated the day. I refer you to Ms Wallis' report on the day below.

Last Friday, Year 7 participated in their Reflection & Positive Education Day. The morning started with students travelling into town for a scripted mass at church where they learnt about expectations, traditions and the structure of Mass. The day provided students to gain a better understanding of what happens at Mass and why.

Upon returning to school, students played games with our YMO’s, Matthew Strumolo & Emily Burg, and participated in activities that focussed on kindness and what it would look like if we did everything like Jesus did. Students also had the opportunity to participate in meditation with Mr Gobius and Mr West.

The Pos Ed sessions focussed on making new friendships, teamwork and getting to know Pastoral Coordinators and our Year 12 House Leaders. The House Leaders joined us for activities that included, The Wright family Chupa-Chup story, Our Life story, Two truths and a lie, a toolbox challenge, and a variety of different outdoor events. These activities encouraged students to use their curiosity, teamwork and humour in a positive manner so that all students enjoyed the day. It was wonderful to see students stepping out of their comfort zone; meeting others in their House and the Year group has developed new friendships.

A big thank you to go to Pastoral Care Leaders, Religious Education staff and House Leaders for creating a fun and memorable day for Year 7.

Kylie Wallis
Leader of Wellbeing

Vaping and e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes are electronic devices that heat a liquid and produce an aerosol or mix of small particles in the air. Using an e-cigarette is called VAPING and unfortunately, this has made its way into the College. This is not acceptable for a number of reasons:

• e-cigarette devices and liquids are illegal for any person in Australia under the age of 18 to possess, buy or sell.
• most e-cigarettes contain the drug nicotine, which is highly addictive.
• E-liquid also contains toxic chemicals such as propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin base, heavy metals and diacetyl. When inhaled, these chemicals and toxins can cause damage to the lungs and body. NB. many young people are under the impression they may be using "water" vapes, however, this is untrue.

Unfortunately, many e-cigarettes are now sold online in an unregulated space, making it easier for our young people to obtain them. They are also sold in brightly coloured packaging and flavoured, making them more appealing and desirable. If you are unsure of what they look like, I recommend searching "vapes" in your internet browser.

As a College, we will be doing what we can to educate our staff and students on the impacts of e-cigarettes, however, we encourage you as parents to have open, non-judgmental conversations with your child around the topic. This includes educating them on the health impacts and empowering them to make their own, safe decisions.

Aerosol Policy 

The College Policies are updated regularly and the Aerosol Policy has just been reviewed. Please be reminded that Aerosol, sprays and perfumes have the potential to be highly flammable; can act as triggers for people who suffer from asthma, allergies and anaphylaxis, resulting in symptoms such as asthma attacks, headaches, including migraines and in extreme cases anaphylactic shock.

Aerosol cans are also known to cause serious burns if directly applied to the skin.
In view of the potential risks associated with aerosol products, the College has banned pressurised aerosol products such as deodorants, hair spray and body spray.

Uniform out of stock

If you are experiencing difficulty sourcing sports shorts, shirts or socks from the Uniform Store, please ensure you write a note explaining the situation to your child's PC teacher. We have a supply of pre-loved uniform items and will endeavour to assist you in the meantime.

Mrs Tanya Daley
Assistant Principal - Mission

The annual giant Easter Egg Raffle is on again!

Each year, students from two House groups are responsible for running and contributing to the raffle. This year, it is Innes & Wilson House turn to donate Easter eggs. All students are welcome to donate.

Our Easter Egg raffle is held in the College Hall, on Wednesday, 31st March 2021.

Tickets will be available for sale from Monday, 8th March during recess and lunch. All proceeds will go towards our Caritas Australia - Project Compassion fundraising efforts.

Together, we can make this year's Easter Egg raffle the biggest yet.

Tanya Daley
Assistant Principal - Mission

Year 7, Year 11 & Year 12 Parent Meet & Greet Interviews
Monday, 8th March 2021
in the College Hall from 4.00pm – 7.30pm

Bookings are NOW OPEN and will CLOSE at 8.00am on Monday, 8th March.

On Monday, 8th March we will hold Meet & Greet interviews for parents of Year 7 students, and subject interviews for parents of Year 11 and 12 students. Interviews will commence at 4.00pm and will be held in the College Hall. All parents attending will be required to sign in via a QR code, so please arrive in time to be able to do this before your first interview time. Also, due to current spacing restrictions, we would ask that a maximum of 2 persons per family attend the interviews. In the interest of the health and safety of parents, students and staff, all parents attending are asked to adhere to current social distancing recommendations.

College Tours
As our usual Year 7 night was cancelled last year, we will also be providing school tours for parents of Year 7 students. To book your tour time please click on the link below.

College Tours

Please find below details of the booking procedure for these interviews and the code required.

Year 7 - This night provides parents/guardians of Year 7 students with the opportunity to have a 5 minute meeting with each of their child's teachers (not PC Teachers as you met with them on the 29th January 2021).  Students are encouraged to attend the evening with their parents.

Year 7 students have been given a note outlining the process on how to book an interview time with each of your child's teachers. To assist you with your booking, your child's teachers and subjects are printed on the back of the note.

Year 11 & 12 - These interviews provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in either their Preliminary or HSC Courses.

In order to book your interviews (5 minutes per teacher) please visit the following website: http://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/book

You will need a copy of your child’s timetable with subjects and teachers' names for each subject.

Enter the School Event Code from the box below
and then follow steps 1, 2 and 3.

When you click finish, your interview timetable will be emailed to you automatically – check your junk mail folder if you do not receive your email immediately.
You can return to the site at any time and change your interviews – until bookings close.

Please REMEMBER to bring the confirmation email

with your interview times on it to the evening.

Parents who do not have access to the internet at home, at work, at a friend’s house or on their phones, may send a note in with the approximate times they require or phone the College on 5525 4100.

We look forward to meeting with you.

Mr Tim McCosker
Assistant Principal - Curriculum & Administration

'Elevate Education' Parent Seminar
Tuesday 9th March 2021
6.00pm - 7.00pm

Year 11 & 12 Seminars

On Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th March, Year 12 (Tuesday) and Year 11 (Wednesday) will attend Study Skills seminars, conducted by Elevate Education. These seminars have proved to be extremely useful over the years and are a great opportunity for Year 11 students to pick up skills that will help them handle the increased workload of senior school and assist Year 12 students in preparing for their major exams at the end of the year.

Mr Tim McCosker
Assistant Principal - Curriculum & Administration

Transitus is a retreat for invited Year 7 students from Parish Secondary Schools in the South of the Diocese to create a smoother transition to secondary schools, celebrate and be nurtured in their faith at a diocesan level.

The retreat will be a chance to bring students together to meet like-minded peers and to celebrate with other young people who want to grow and be supported in their Christian faith. The activities will be a mixture of large and small sharing groups as well as celebrating the Eucharist together. The program has been geared to meet the needs of these Year 7 students.

The gathering will be an overnight experience that will allow students to build relationships with other students from throughout the Diocese as well as a chance for students to talk and share about their faith journey.

What: Transitus – a youth retreat for Year 7 students from every Parish school in the Southern Region of the Diocese.
When: Wednesday 24th – Thursday, 25th March 2021
Where: Yarrahapinni Adventist Youth Centre.

Cost: Nil All transport and booking expenses met by the Catholic Schools Office.

This retreat is for students who:

• Wish to learn more about their faith and attend BOOST at lunchtime
• Are involved in some other form of Church involvement either at school or in the parish
• Show initiative, common sense and maturity, and
• Are seeking to grow in these areas

A large number of St Joseph’s Regional College students have already expressed an interest in this retreat. We can, however, only offer 19 places. Any student who would like to be considered is asked to complete the Student Application Form provided by Mr Gobius, and available at the front office. Attention should be given to the stated selection criteria. Nominations should be handed to the office no later than Monday 15th March.

Mr Timo Gobius
Leader of Evangelisation

Caritas Australia is Hope in Action

The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allows Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to alleviate poverty, hunger, oppression and injustice. With hope, support and compassion at the core of what Caritas does, they work towards a world where all people may thrive.

We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. Families wishing to donate can do so online via the Caritas Australia website lent.caritas.org.au

Saint Oscar Romero is our inspiration for Project Compassion 2021, so in his words let’s “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”

Third Week of Lent - Barry from Gamilaroi

Project Compassion, Week 3, brings you the story of Barry, a Gamilaroi man originally from western NSW. Barry is a father of four and he embodies resilience and strength. Growing up in a tough environment, he had to look inside himself to make the right choices for himself and his family.

Barry, and others like him, were able to take part in a cultural healing program called Red Dust Healing. This program encourages participants to examine their own personal hurt and allows them to heal from within, addressing family and personal relationships and what may have been life-long patterns of violence, abuse and neglect.

Your support of Project compassion can help build a brighter future for people like Barry through the Red Dust Healing program.

Let’s Go Further, Together! 

“Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”

Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

Working together for justice and dignity. Walking together in hope. Building together a thriving future for all.

Walk with us towards a world of hope.

Mr Timo Gobius
Leader of Evangelisation

Students in Year 12 were offered the last of four reading and comprehension sessions run by Ms Clare Hayes, Leader of English, MacKillop College last Tuesday. Students examined an extract from Ms Hayes' own dystopian novel, "Corrosion" and were very impressed with the content of the novel and the quality of the presentation. We thank Ms Hayes wholeheartedly for offering her time and resources to our Year 12 students over the past month. Gaining differing perspectives and hearing other approaches is undoubtedly beneficial for our students and I would also like to thank them for the

ir exemplary attitudes, enthusiasm and attendance at this extension opportunity.

Further extension opportunities outside the classroom will be offered to Year 12 in English very soon, so stay tuned.

Ms Anne Marchment
Leader of English

Year 9 Visual Art

Mrs Renee May
Visual Art Teacher

HP Device Support - Warranty Claims

In the event of a need to make a warranty claim against a device, we ask that you follow this process. For further information about the College BYOD program, please visit our College website - https://www.pmreglism.catholic.edu.au/information-technology

Group chats can be an excellent way for several people to participate in an online conversation together. They most commonly happen through Whatsapp, Instagram Messenger, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Messenger for Kids, and Discord. Participants are getting younger and younger.

They can be both helpful and harmful. Notifications ping all hours of the day, stacks of unread messages build up until they are not worth the effort to catch up on, and important information gets lost in the stream which can cause some issues at school. However, it does not have to be this way.

We have not been informed of any issues with kids under 13yrs using Facebook Messenger for kids because we would assume because of the strict parental controls included. However, parents need to remain vigilant. Group chats on other apps can be where drama, nasty behaviours, exclusion, cancel culture, and bullying can thrive.

What we find, time and again, is that if there is a group chat of fourteen young people, for example, that is potentially fourteen sets of parents that may be checking their child's phone and reading that chat, mainly if those parents have decided to keep an eye on their child's device and interactions while they are younger. There have been countless times schools have told us parents had contacted them because of the nasty, bullying, or inappropriate things happening in the group chats.

Furthermore, there are ways to share online content via screenshots, saving and forwarding to other people. This is when things can spiral and fast. 

Drama, exclusion and cyberbullying.

There have also been many times when young people have engaged in nasty behaviour about another person in a group chat, then deliberately invited them into the chat to see those comments. The deliberate nature of this abuse makes it cyberbullying.

Group chats mostly happen outside of school hours. Nevertheless, schools are asked to manage the behaviours of the young people involved in the chat by parents, but more often than not, these chats are happening at very late hours of the night. Parents need to help their kids build some intellectual muscle too by teaching them the life skill of politely exiting a social situation that they feel uncomfortable in, online and off.

This should serve as another reminder of everyone's role to combat negative online experiences especially parents. Removing access to the devices late at night helps avoid interrupted sleep caused by the group chat notifications and beeps. We asked a group of primary school-aged children this week, "who sleeps with their phone beside their bed" most raised their hands. They also said that they check messages in the middle of the night. This is not OK. If they need it for an alarm clock, trot on down to a store and buy one of those ones with the big red numbers that we had before smartphones.

Remove the ability to engage in conversations at night when the emotional part of the brain switches on, the rational part of the brain takes a break, and we are therefore left more emotionally vulnerable.

Helping young people take control

Leaving a group chat without warning can offend the remaining group members and become an awkward situation for this text-obsessed generation.

Teach them the skills to know how to leave a group chat that is not helpful or is harmful in any way, including the actual words to use should they need to leave. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a significant factor in a tween/teen's life, so you will need to navigate around that as well.

We hear reports of young people trying to "catch up" on the hundreds of messages that they have received overnight first thing in the morning (the record being a Mum reporting there was almost 800 messages her 13yrs old daughter was trying to catch up on). Their brains are bombarded first thing in the morning, sometimes after a night of often broken sleep checking messages in the middle of the night. They are often anxious and exhausted from it. We are told this directly by teens as well as their parents.

Kids have come up with statements such as "sorry guys, this is getting pretty nasty, I am out of here" in our sessions as words they can use when they need to remove themselves. There have also been some hilarious responses that can add some humour when they exit a toxic chat that may also help to defuse a situation. "I don’t have to go but I am pretending that I do," "I am going to practice my ninja skills and sneak away now. "Do you want to see my impersonation of a tree whilst I leave" "I have to go the planet needs me" and do not forget the timeless "my battery is low" excuse.

Getting kids to realise that they can be "guilty by association," even if they are not the ones saying the nasty stuff is also a necessary part of growing up and parenting.

We want to give young people the skills and confidence to put boundaries around their friendships. We do not have to be accessible all the time just because we can be. We want our kids to know their friends will not go away if they are not involved for thirty minutes while they have dinner. Teach them to be in charge and confident in their relationships. Their friends will understand that their refusal to engage at every moment has nothing to do with the state of their relationship. They will understand this is the way they manage their time, their devices, and their priorities.

Tips to teach young people (and yourself):

• Keep group chats positive, helpful, and supportive. These are not places where we have a whinge about someone else, share images without the consent of others, reveal secrets, or create drama, gossip, or spread rumours.
• Learn how to leave. Often kids are in multiple chats at once. If the chat is getting toxic, bullying is happening or images circulated, or anything that may be deemed illegal, make sure they know to take a screenshot and log out, so they do not find themselves in a "guilty by association" situation if something gets reported. They need to speak up to a trusted adult immediately.
• Sometimes they have got no other option but to leave a group chat, the notifications have become too much, the conversation has become increasingly irrelevant, and their phone has become cluttered with too many group chats for them to keep across them all. In most cases, the exit button is easy to find. In the case of group chats on Instagram for example, tap the header banner in a group conversation to see its participants and then tap on Leave Conversation to quit it.
• Make sure they know they should not feel compelled to respond straight away or be a part of every single interaction.
• Remember that just because there are only six participants in a private chat does not mean that the chat will remain private. There are plenty of ways these chats can become very public.
• Avoid using late at night or let people know when they are signing off for the day.
• If getting overloaded with alerts, change the way chat notifications appear. Make those pings silent and invisible quickly on both Android and iOS. On Android, open up Settings, go to Apps & notifications, and choose an app to make changes. On iOS, take even more control over the alerts style: From Settings, pick Notifications, then tap on a particular messaging app to see the available options.
• It is also useful to silence individual conversations temporarily. It is easy to make sure alerts from certain people come through while limiting the number of pings from everyone in the chat. Most messaging tools and group chat apps allow conversations to be muted for a period, and the option should be easy to find in the app of choice. If not, a simple google search will give instructions.

Value this information? Want more? Check out the Safe on Social website https://www.safeonsocial.com/

Courtesy of Kirra Pendergast- Safe on Social

On the Literacy Enrichment radar this week:

Sydney Literacy Links Excursion 3-4 May 2021:

Open to Year 10 and 11 students. This overnight excursion involves attendance at 'The Sydney Writers Festival Secondary Schools Day' and a possible 'Ghost Tour' around The Rocks as a stimulus for creative writing.

Offered to students with an interest in and an aptitude for creative writing, this excursion is combined with like-minded students from Mackillop College. Places are limited to 12 students only and will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis.

The cost for each student is approximately $180 and includes:

• Transport
• Accommodation plus breakfast
• Entry to The Sydney Writers Festival Secondary Schools Day
• Entry to The Rocks Ghost Tour (TBC)

Expressions of interest are welcome. Please contact Mrs McKee at the College of via email: penny.mckee@lism.catholic.edu.au

For more on The Sydney Writers’ Festival Secondary Schools Day visit:
https://www.swf.org.au/secondary-school-days-2021/

Have you checked out these writing challenges?

1. Little Stories.Big Ideas - a Flash Fiction Competition for all students 7-12
   Visit: https://littlestoriesbigideas.com.au/
2. Kids Lit Quiz (KLQ) - This was conducted for the first time last year with great success, and we’re thrilled to be organising teams to participate in it again this year.

3. What Matters? Writing Competition (Closes May 14)
   WHAT MATTERS? is an online writing competition open to students in years 5-12. What Matters? is a 'catalyst for young thinkers and young writers to develop a perspective, a point of view, on where we're heading as a society'. 

   What Matters? is an exciting way for our students to have a say, challenge themselves and develop their writing skills.

Coming Up:

1. Week 9 - Thursday, 25th March 9.00am
2. Year 10 English Incursion: Bell Shakespeare presents ‘Macbeth in Rehearsal’
3. What Matters? Writing competition closes 14th May
4. Kids Lit Quiz

How Can Students Participate in Literacy Enrichment: It’s easy!

1. Visit the SJRC Literacy Enrichment website
2. Check daily notices on Schoolworx
3. Read the SJRC Newsletter.

See you next week!

The SJRC Literacy Enrichment Team

Like us on Facebook – St Joseph’s Regional College Library

Follow us on Twitter – @sjrcexchange

Follow us on Instagram - @sjrcexchange

Mrs Karen Bale (Monday-Thursday)
Mrs Michelle Lawler (Friday)
Teacher Librarians

The Diocesan Tennis Championships are coming up on Tuesday the 9th March.  They will be played at Arkinstall Park in Tweed Heads.  Please find more information and a link to LIVE SCORING below:

• 2021 Diocesan Tennis Guidelines
• 2021 Diocesan Tennis Draw
• 2021 Diocesan Tennis - Live Scoring

Final Results:

Junior boys 

Winners - Woodlawn

Runner up - St John Paul

Open Girls

Winners - Mt St Pats

Runners up - St Mary's

Open Boys

Winners - St John Paul 

Runners up - St Mary's

Our boys were a credit to themselves and to the college due to their sportsmanship and conduct during the seven double's matches they played throughout the day. Both the juniors and the opens managed to improve in their tennis throughout the day, working together as doubles partners who communicated and backed each other up all over the court. Our opens did manage to best the MacKillop opens team but our juniors went down in the friendly rivalry. St John Paul College was the strongest school on the day. The boys expressed gratitude for the opportunity to travel to the tournament. We were all grateful to Mr Rob Irving from MacKillop who drove their minibus and to Mrs Lisa Bulley for coordinating the travel arrangements. 

Mr Matt Bushe 
SJRC Tennis Coach

10th March 2021

The Lismore Diocesan Touch Trials to be held in Coffs Harbour are POSTPONED until 17th March.  Coffs has received 340mm of rain in the last two weeks and all council grounds are closed for at least the next week. 

The new venue is Rugby Park, Rex Hardaker Lane, Sawtell

Michael Cannon
SJRC Leader of Sport

2nd March 2021

Weekly Lunch Specials

The Canteen opens at 8.00am every school day.

Ms Donna Hamlin
Food Services Manager

The St Agnes' Uniform Store is open from:

Monday to Friday - 12 noon-5.00pm
Saturday - 9.00am-12 noon

 6 Boronia Street, Port Macquarie

The Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has launched a new initiative called 'Big Battery Blitz' in which our College is participating in. Families and staff are encouraged to bring in their spent batteries and drop them into the tube provided in the College Office where they will be collected by a council representative.