The Joeys way...

Welcome back to the 2020 school year. The holiday period was a challenge for many families with bushfires, and then floods up north, storms to the west, pandemics, and the issues between the USA and Iran. From all this there is not just challenges but opportunities for change. 

This year our theme is ‘Walking With’. As we walk beside all these people in challenging circumstances, we are called together as a community. It is not just about giving money, it is about giving ourselves the chance to do our best. For students, it is about being educated so that they can make contributions to the future. 

Our builders use sustainable materials; our plumbers are water wise and encourage others to be too; our medical personnel can work with burns patients and make break-throughs that support disease management; scientific research contributes to a better future; our business people make ethical decisions for the planet, environment and people; and most of all, our relationships with others throughout our lives are positive. 

The ‘Walking With’ theme comes from the Emmaus ‘walk where Jesus talked with others’, to make sense of their experiences, develop an understanding, celebrate by eating with them, and then seeing them forth to share the good news. For students, it is learning as much as you can, making understanding of what it is you are learning, applying your knowledge, celebrating achievements and then moving forward. 

During the holiday period we had work done in repainting the hall (I think it looks fantastic and thank you to our contractors Program Services for their fantastic work), replacing some of the projectors and televisions around the school, and made some improvements to the infrastructure. The retaining wall at the back of the construction space is also being replaced. Updating of the front office facilities and refurbishment of a couple of the rooms also occurred. A busy time. 

Year 7 had a great start - they have settled very quickly. The remainder of our students have also had a very smooth start.

Just a reminder for parents, that if you are on the school property you must sign in at the front office. It is not appropriate just to wander the school. This year we also have our Pastoral and Learning Support (PALS) team for each stage of students. This gives the students the opportunity to connect with one of the four people on the team rather than relying on connecting with just one person as in the previous model. 

Parents are welcome to approach any of the four people on each stage team to support your young person so that may do their best learning possible.

Thank you to all parents and caregivers for attending the information nights with their child. This will make your understanding of the school year so much better as you now have a sense of where we are heading together. 

If there are any issues, please contact the school. 

Ms Amanda Wilson

Principal