Love of Learning

At St Joseph’s, we often speak about being lifelong learners. The VIA Character Strength Love of Learning is more than enjoying school subjects. It is about finding joy in discovering new ideas, deepening our understanding, and embracing challenges as opportunities to grow.

In our Catholic tradition, learning is not just about gaining knowledge but about seeking truth, which ultimately leads us closer to God. St Augustine reminds us: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” This restlessness is a holy curiosity; a desire to learn, to question, and to explore the world God has created.

When students show a love of learning, they are not only building skills for the future but also living out their vocation to grow in wisdom and understanding. They learn to see feedback as a gift, mistakes as part of growth, and effort as a way of honouring the talents God has given them.

For our community, nurturing a love of learning means celebrating curiosity, effort, and perseverance. Whether in the classroom, on the sports field, or through creative pursuits, each new lesson helps us respond to God’s call to “grow in wisdom, stature and favour” (Luke 2:52), just as Jesus did.

Fortnightly Focus - Weeks 7 and 8

For Weeks 7 and 8, our Learning Focus is:

“Actively seek and apply feedback to improve your work.”

Feedback is one of the most powerful ways we can identify where and how to improve, and we encourage all students to embrace it as an opportunity for growth.

Our Uniform Focus is:

"Wearing the sports uniform only on designated sports days"

Students should wear their sports uniform only on days they have:

Double PDHPE

CASA

Morning Fit Club / Get Active

Representative team training or trials

If, for an unavoidable reason, your child needs to wear their sports uniform on a non-sport day (e.g., washing not done), please write and sign a note in their diary for that day.

Our Character Strength for this fortnight is:

"Love of Learning"

When we enjoy what we are doing, it becomes much easier to engage deeply and experience success.

Diocese of Wollongong Vocational Education & Training Awards

On Thursday afternoon, I had the pleasure of attending the Diocese of Wollongong Vocational Education and Training Awards. I am delighted to share that Heidi Colless was awarded VET Student of the Year for Construction. Congratulations, Heidi, on this outstanding achievement!

Heidi’s dedication and hard work have already opened doors for her future, with an apprenticeship secured through her work placement this year, a wonderful step forward as she prepares to graduate from Year 12.

A special thank you also to Mr Gilbert for the guidance and support he has provided Heidi as her Construction teacher this year.

The Year 12 awards season continues in the coming weeks with the Bishop’s Excellence Award and the Workplace Learning Illawarra VET Award, where we look forward to celebrating more student success.

Year 12 HSC Major Works Showcase

I warmly invite our St Joseph’s community to attend the Year 12 Major Works Showcase on Monday, 1 September, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Held in the School Hall.

This special event will feature the outstanding Major Works from our Year 12 students in:

- Design and Technology

- Industrial Technology

- Visual Arts

- Drama

The showcase will be open between 4:00 and 6:00 pm, so you are welcome to drop in at any time. Come along to celebrate and admire the creativity, innovation, and hard work of our graduating class.

Book Week and Science Week

This week we celebrated both Book Week and Science Week. These events remind us of the joy of reading and the wonder of discovery, and they provide our students with rich opportunities to learn beyond the classroom.

I would like to particularly thank Mrs Schneider, Mr Webb, and the English Faculty for their organisation of Book Week, and Mrs Elphick and the Science Faculty for bringing Science Week to life. Your creativity, enthusiasm, and commitment make a real difference.

I am truly grateful to our teachers who go above and beyond to create these opportunities for our students.

Yours in learning,
Mr Chris Shelton

Acting Principal