Term 2 Week 3 - 7th May 2021

Ex-College Vice-Captain 

I always enjoy hearing from our ex-students, and I was particularly thrilled to hear of Zac Roach, our 2020 College Vice-Captain, outstanding achievement. Zac has recently graduated from training with the RAAF, based in Wagga. At his Graduation Parade, Zac was presented with The Legacy Airmanship Award. This award is presented to a recruit from each course who displays the highest standards of Airmanship through their personal qualities of teamwork, integrity, respect for others, professionalism, commitment and effort. Air Vice Marshal V lervasi, AM, CSC presented the award to Zac.

Congratulations, Zac.

Year 12 Retreat

This week, Year 12 embarked on their annual retreat. From all accounts, the retreat was once again very worthwhile and well-received by all participants. Next week, we will feature more about the three-day retreat.

The History behind Mother's Day

Mother’s Day has been celebrated in Australia on the second Sunday of May since 1924. But, Catholics have been celebrating a sort of mother’s day since the first few centuries of the Church. The fourth Sunday of Lent, or Laetare Sunday, traditionally was a time to return to your mother church (home parish) and leave an offering.

Those who practised this custom were said to have gone “a-mothering”, and soon it became known as “Mothering Sunday.” As the popularity of “Mothering Sunday” grew, it became a day when domestic servants were given leave to be with their families. The day became one of the few times a year where a grown family could gather, as working families often had conflicting schedules. Once the tradition became a day for  family reunion, with a reference to mothers in the name, it naturally evolved to include all mothers within the celebration. For children, the long walk back home became a time for picking flowers for mum, and this would grow to the tradition of giving gifts of all sorts to mothers.

In Catholic tradition, the month of May is dedicated to Mary. Chosen by God above all other women, Mary’s faith and obedience paved the way for the Incarnation. Her example teaches us faith, obedience, humility and most of all, how to love. As St Thomas of Villanova said, “If in this world any creature ever loved God with whole heart, with whole soul, and with whole mind, she was the creature.”

“From Mary we learn to surrender to God’s will in all things.
From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone.
From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God.”
St Pope John Paul II

At the foot of the cross, her heart broke for Jesus, yet she accepted God’s will not only for her Son, but for herself in her new role as mother to us all (cf. John 19:25–27).

As we honour today our earthly mothers and mother figures—including stepmothers, relatives, guardians, close family friends and those who would be mothers—let us honour our heavenly mother as well. Those devoted to her are always led to her Son. For her wise counsel tells us, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).

I invite you to pray:

Lord Jesus Christ, You chose to put yourself—tiny, needy and helpless—into the nurturing and watchful hands of a human mother. Since then, every act of mothering, both physical and spiritual, in every time and every corner of the world recollects Mary’s. Inspired by this example, we, too, honour our mothers and mother figures today. Bless these women, that they may be strengthened as Christian mothers and nurturers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, honour them always with a spirit of profound respect.

We ask this in your holy name. Amen.

Source: https://www.dow.org.au/a-mothers-day-prayer/

God bless

Mr Jim Dempsey
Principal

I am, once again, very proud of our teachers and students in the way that they so wholeheartedly and respectfully remembered our Patron Saint, St Joseph. I would like to thank all staff for the examples that they set for our students. Thank you to our College Chaplain, Fr Peter Wood and Mrs Sophie Woods for your coordination of a beautiful Mass. to Mrs Amy Haydon, thank you, we appreciate the amount of planning that is required for the many activities that students were involved in throughout the day. 

I refer you to Mrs Woods report below:

On Friday, 30th April, we came together to celebrate the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, the Patron Saint of our College. This is a significant event in our liturgical calendar and as Catholics, it is important that we celebrate the life of our patron St and remember his contribution to our faith.

On December 8, 2020, Pope Francis published an Apostolic Letter Patris corde, meaning (With a Father’s Heart), commemorating the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of St Joseph”, running from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021. The way Joseph led his life can provide inspiration and an example to all of us on how to make the most of life and to accept challenges that arise. It is fitting that he is the patron saint of the Universal Church, of fathers, carpenters and of social justice.

We thank our College Chaplain Fr Peter Wood for leading us in Mass and all those musicians, altar servers, readers and helpers who assisted in making the Mass such a special event.

Sophie Woods
Leader of Pastoral Care - Macquarie

St Joseph the Worker Mass

Feast Day Activities

A meal shared...

Mr Jim Dempsey
Principal

Our Year 7 2022, enrolment interview process is well underway. We are concluding these interviews next Friday 14^th May 2021.

If you are aware of friends or siblings wishing to enrol for 2022, please ask them to either contact our Enrolment Officer, Mrs Michelle Reynolds or visit our website for information about how to enrol at St Joseph's Regional College.

Thank you to the following leaders for conducting these interviews: Mrs Tanya Daley, Mr Tim McCosker, Mr Ian Lutton, Mrs Christine Harmer, Mr Michael Walsh, Mr Mark Robertson, Mr Sean Jennings and Mr Timo Gobius. I would also like to sincerely thank, Mrs Michelle Reynolds, for the outstanding job she has done coordinating these interviews.

Online Enrolment Application

Our College has moved to Online Enrolment Application and access to the application is via our College website:  https://www.pmreglism.catholic.edu.au/how-to-enrol

Mr Jim Dempsey
Principal

A big thank you to Year 8 student, Kayden Cook, who so generously donated a handmade bookshelf to raise funds for Caritas Australia, Project Compassion. The bookshelf was raffled to staff; raising $124 for the cause. The very lucky and excited winner of the bookshelf was Mrs Anne Marchment.

Kayden and his grandfather collect old pallets and turn them into masterpieces. Kayden has also made a hanging rack which he donated for use in his PC classroom. Kayden and his grandfather plan to keep working together, making their original shelves, tables, hangers, desks to sell at the Beechwood Cafe.

Well done, Kayden, and once again thank you for your contribution to our fundraising efforts.

Oxley Highway Intersection Plans

'Have Your Say' on the Oxley Highway Intersection Plans ?

The Oxley Highway affects traffic to and from our College. The community is invited to provide feedback on the proposed intersection upgrades until 5.00pm this afternoon, Friday 7 May 2021.

Have Your Say Survey

More than Mother's Day

I would like to acknowledge all mums; every single one of us. On Sunday, Facebook will be filled with words of love for 'the best mum in the world',  I am, however,  reminded that Mother's Day is not always easy for many families. My thoughts and prayers are with all mums this Sunday. May you always know your worth.

“Blessed be all mothers
Who have come into our lives
Whose kindness, care and loving
Remain with us to guide.

Your inspiration in us
Made us strive in every way
Especially to remember
Helping others makes our day.

Mothers, this little tribute
Flows directly from my heart
You are so loved and cherished
Invaluable, one and all, you are.
-Susan Kramer

Mrs Tanya Daley
Assistant Principal - Mission

YHQ@SJRC

The YHQ@SJRC Project is a new initiative aimed at students in Year 10 who wish to work in a collaborative environment to solve real-world problems using entrepreneurial skills. The Youth Headquarters (YHQ) was launched earlier this term, followed by a process of self-nomination through an expression of interest.

Students have been selected, teams formed, and an audit of skills and talents conducted.

Students will be guided by staff members and will work directly under the guidance of our Leader of High Potential Learners, Mrs Amanda Cassegrain. Each session will target key entrepreneurial skills and provide students with the opportunity to showcase their tablets and work towards achieving specific goals. The final day of the program will involve judging by an external panel of experts, and be celebrated with an evening event.

Mrs Amanda Cassegrain
Leader of High Potential Learners

Year 12 has been engaged in some worthwhile extra tutoring and opportunities for student/student and student/teacher collaboration in the SJRC library's "Food for Thought" program. The latest two sessions from the English KLA have focused on Module C - The Craft of Writing. Both sessions have seen an impressive turnout of students, keen to receive extra tuition and to collaborate with their peers and teachers.

The first session focused on discursive writing, with an appraisal of a speech by famous author JK Rowling (of Harry Potter fame) and offered students an opportunity to brainstorm potential topics and techniques in order to write successful discursive pieces. The second session focused primarily on the use of a motif in writing and asked students to consider using a repeated symbol in their imaginative writing in order that they can create highly effective imagery, further the theme of their narratives, and add texture to their writing.

Students will be offered other opportunities to engage with the content of the English syllabus this term and should ensure they pay attention to the College's daily notices.

Anne Marchment
Leader of English

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Years 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

Our school will be participating in NAPLAN Online on:

• 11th May – Reading  Years 7 and 9
• 13th May – Writing   Years 7 and 9
• 18th May – Conventions of Language   Years 7 and 9
• 20th May – Numeracy   Years 7 and 9

Catch up NAPLAN assessments will also be completed during this period.

In preparation for NAPLAN Online, our College has already participated in practice tests. The practice test is a trial-run and key preparation activity for NAPLAN Online in May. It is not an assessment of student ability and the tests will not be marked.

Excessive preparation for NAPLAN Online is not recommended. Students can use the public demonstration site https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and tools available in the NAPLAN Online tests.

Please ensure that your child has a fully charged device, with the NAPLAN lockdown browser installed, and headphones throughout the                NAPLAN assessment period.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN Online, please contact the College’s NAPLAN coordinators: Ian Lutton, Lisa Freeman or Jessica Lewis.

Information for Students

Year 11 Textile and Design students are learning about design, communication techniques, manufacturing methods and properties and performance of textiles. Practical experiences, experimenting and product manufacturing have been integrated throughout the content area and will include the completion of a textile project which is a bodice. This project will develop each student's creative abilities and skills in designing, manipulating, experimenting and selecting appropriate fabrics for the end-use.

We look forward to seeing the completed projects in the next few weeks.

Mrs Diana Walsh
Assistant Leader of TAS

Literacy Links Excursion

Last Monday morning, bright and early, a cohort of students from St Joseph's Regional College and MacKillop College embarked on the Literacy Links tour to Sydney. Our highlight on Monday was the walking Ghost Tour around The Rocks. The two-hour visit allowed us access to many 'off limits' locations where our tour guide regaled stories passed down through generations of local residents.

Tuesday, we were able to hear four Australian writers pass on their creative writing process, their background stories or even allow us to participate in a writing exercise. The four authors we were privileged to listen to were: Garry Linesborough, Michael Pryor, Leanne Hall and Zane Fraillon.

A sample of comments from our students who went on the excursion are:

Charlotte: The Sydney Lit Links excursion provided a wonderful opportunity to enrich our writing skills, encourage creativity and learn more about the history of Sydney. Overall, it was a great and worthwhile experience.

Fin: I really enjoyed listening to authors at the Sydney Writers' Festival and learning more about their experiences.

Juniper: The Sydney Writers' Festival was an amazing opportunity. All four speakers had diverse experiences and great advice. The ghost tour is also a worthwhile activity we were lucky enough to do. The stories behind a lot of the old buildings in Sydney are nothing short of thought-provoking. By far, though, my favourite thing about our trip to Sydney was definitely the people I got to spend my time with, all of us grew as friends and got along great, a lot of us also connected with other school students attending the event, Overall I had a great time!

Josie: Sydney Writers' Festival was both a stimulating and gratifying experience that allowed us, as students, to think creatively. One of my favourite activities was sitting by the Sydney Harbour Bridge and writing until our heart's content. I cannot recommend this opportunity enough.

A big thank you to Richard Battiston for driving our bus and our two colleagues from MacKillop Nikki Gray and Pat Byrnes.

Karyn Mooney
English Teacher

Year 8 Poetry in Action

Earlier in the term, Year 8 were treated to the dynamic performance troupe, Poetry in Action, who translated poetic techniques into a fun and engaging show. It was once again great to see a live performance at our College and to witness our Year 8 students engage with actors and the power of poetry.

Coming Up:

2021 SJRC Debating and Public Speaking information.

See you next week!
The SJRC Literacy Enrichment Team

Work Experience

Congratulations to Year 10 student, Brodhie Newman, on his very successful Work Experience this week at The Dolphin Marine Conservation Park - Coffs Harbour.
His supervisor during the week has given him a glowing reference:

"Brodhie was an incredible student and I feel will be back with us to study Cert III Captive Animal at TAFE when he is finished with school and you know maybe even a job in the future!"

I am very proud of the wonderful representative Brodhie was for both his family and St Joseph's Regional College. Congratulations Brodhie.

Medical Information Session

Former students Hannah Garven and Michael Barnes presented a very informative session to senior students interested in learning more about Allied Health courses, and in particular Medicine. Both Hannah and Michael are currently studying Medicine (Michael is in 1st Year at The University of Newcastle, Australia, and Hannah is in 2nd Year at UNSW), and both found themselves there via very different pathways.

Many thanks to these ex-students for giving back their time and knowledge so generously to our students.

#doctor #nurse #biomedical

Mrs Leanne Tinsey
Leader of Careers and University Transition

#aHSC4opportunity #wherearetheynow

Guest Recommender

SORA

We have an exciting reading service available through Sora, the student reading app, which provides free 24/7 access to ebooks and audiobooks. What better way to engage your student’s mind than through reading?

Starting May 5 – August 20, 2021, the Sora Sweet Reads program will offer a collection of Juvenile and Young Adult titles that will be prominently displayed in Sora for quick and easy unlimited access. You can explore the title offerings and learn more about the program here: https://resources.overdrive.com/sora-sweet-reads/.
How does it work?

Sora provides the quickest and easiest way to get started with digital titles from our school. Students can simply log in and instantly access hundreds of ebooks and audiobooks on virtually any device. Get started today at https://soraapp.com or download the free Sora app for Android or iOS. For easy access, our school’s setup code is ACEN.

AudioBook Sync

Over the next few weeks, various audiobooks will be made available for free download and lifetime ownership. See the attached flyers for more detail.. See below for FAQ about getting set up for downloading your free audiobooks.

Frequently Asked Questions about SYNC

Can I use Libby or the OverDrive app for the SYNC program instead of the Sora app?

The SYNC program will only work with Sora, the student reading app from OverDrive. You don’t need to be affiliated with a school to use Sora with the SYNC program.

First register for SYNC 2021. Then set up Sora.

How do I set up Sora?

1. Download Sora from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or go to soraapp.com in your browser.
2. In Sora, tap I have a setup code (at the bottom of the screen).
3. Enter this setup code: audiobooksync.
4. Enter the email address you used to sign up for SYNC.
5. Tap Explore (at the bottom of the screen) to see the week’s featured titles [SYNC 2021 starts April 29]

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:

1. In Sora, open the menu (in the top-right corner).
2. Select Add a library.
3. Search for audiobooksync and select the library from the results.
4. Enter the email address you used to sign up for SYNC.

When does each SYNC week start?

New titles will be available each Thursday at midnight Eastern time (ie, 12:01am ET). You can access the titles for 7 days, until the next Wednesday at 11:59pm.

How long is each audiobook available in Sora?

To keep each audiobook, you must tap Borrow. Each audiobook is available to borrow for one week. Once you’ve borrowed an audiobook, it stays on your Shelf in Sora indefinitely.

I missed last week's audiobooks. Can I still get them?

No, our agreement with publishers is that the audiobooks are only available during their featured week.

If you miss an audiobook, we suggest borrowing it from your local library or visiting the title’s page on the SYNC website for purchasing options.

I have students/patrons who love audiobooks. May I give them copies of my audiobook in class or reading/listening group?

SYNC audiobooks are for your personal use only and may not be distributed to others. Please encourage students/patrons to sign up for the SYNC program and download their own copies.

Can I delete the titles from my device?

Yes, you can delete the downloaded audiobook files in Sora if you need to free up space on your device. If you delete the files, the title will stay on your Shelf, and you’ll be able to download and access it again.

To delete a downloaded audiobook’s files, tap the checkmark next to the title on your Shelf, Stream (when online), then select Yes, delete download.

PLEASE NOTE: If you RETURN an audiobook, it will be completely removed from your account in Sora and you’ll lose access to it once its SYNC availability period is over. We don’t recommend doing this!

Can I access the audiobook’s MP3 files?

No, you need to download and listen to the audiobooks entirely in the Sora app. There’s no option to download separate MP3 files.

Karen Bale Teacher Librarian (Monday-Thursday)
Michelle Lawler, Teacher Librarian (Friday)

Word of the Week: LEADERSHIP

Meaning: The action of leading a group of people or organisation

We have many young people who have wonderful leadership qualities at our College.

For all things Sport please visit the SJRC Sport Website.

Pages include:

• Upcoming events
• Links
• Sport News
• Representative Sport
• Sport Program
• Sport Records
• Sport Awards
• Jim O'Brien Cup

Michael Cannon
SJRC Leader of Sport

Congratulations to the SJRC Open Girls Football (Soccer) Team who were crowned Lismore Diocesan Champions yesterday.  The final was played at Coffs Leisure and Sports Park against a strong Xavier College Ballina team.  The final result was a 3 - 1 win.  

This is the 3rd time SJRC have been Dio champions in the past 20 years and the 1st time going back to back after winning in 2019. The team has now progressed into the statewide CCC knockout competition to play O'Connor Catholic College Armidale in the round of 32.

NSWCCC Open Girls Soccer Draw

Michael Cannon
SJRC Leader of Sport

5th May 2021

Our College canteen is in need of volunteers. If you are able to spare an hour or so of your time, we would love for you to join us. Please contact Donna Hamlin through the College Office 5525 4100 to arrange.

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