This week we have celebrated St Joseph’s Day with a whole school liturgy. St Joseph is the patron saint for the sisters of St Joseph and our first Australian saint Mary Mackillop. Mary saw St Joseph as being the protector of those who could not protect themselves. He inspired the motto “never see a need without doing something about it “. Joey’s students are great and generous young people who are the hope of the world now and in the future.

We are also moving into Holy Week as final preparation for Easter. This is a special time of year for Christians as it is central to our faith that Jesus is both human and divine. Easter is a time to reflect on your relationship not just with God but with your family and I sincerely hope that you take the time to celebrate with your family and friends and take some time to rest and relax

‘N’ Warnings

To support our senior students, we are changing the way we are notifying parents regarding outstanding work. This week we had Shane Chapman provide inservice to all teachers regarding the use of ‘N’ warnings for students in years 10 -12 and Year 9 electives.

Students may receive an ‘N’ warning and this allows them a reasonable time to rectify the situation. This allows the student to ‘redeem’ the ‘N’ warning and then business goes on as usual. Students can receive multiple warnings and can redeem each time. The work has to be done regardless of the reason for the work not being completed. Pastoral support will always be offered to students to support wellbeing, but that is a separate process to the completion of academic work. It is important that parents and carers understand that the purpose of the actions is to support the student in their learning.

If a student does not complete the outstanding work, they may receive an ‘N’ Determination for that course of study. This is a serious point that will involve multiple ‘N’ warnings and parents to support their child and work with the school. But at the end of the day the student is responsible for their own work and education as they lead to their future pathways in life.

Bus Times Update

We are still on track for a change in school time for Term Two. We are awaiting the official letter from the government and the bus company. When this arrives there will be notification going out through COMPASS to all parents and students which will include the new times for buses morning and afternoon.

Change of Bus Times summary:

8.10am Warning bell

8.15am Homeroom

2.40pm School finishes

2.45pm Buses collect students.

This will mean that SJCHS will be the first run in the area.

Ms Amanda Wilson

Principal

Enrolling Now - Year 7 2025/2026 

Enrolments are now open for Year 7 2025 and Year 7 2026. We are also accepting enrolment applications for other year groups.

Applications have moved to a digital platform this year. Please head to the Enrolments section on our school website for access to the Enrolment Application Form.

Places are limited so don't miss out and make your application today!

As part of our commitment to building improvement for student learning, our staff will be involved in working on enhancing our teaching programs to align with student data collected from recent internal and external assessments.

Our Staff are working to embed strategies for our Read, Comprehend, Respond writing project to create enriching and challenging written learning opportunities for our students. We will continue to work together as a team to share our wisdom, experiences, and passion as we continue to strive for excellence in our teaching.

The weather this week has given us a window into what awaits us come Winter. Students will return to school in Term 2 in Full Winter Uniform.

Please check that your child’s Winter Uniform fits and make arrangements if skirts need to be taken down or uniform items need to be replaced/purchased.

All students are required to have a Blazer as part of their Winter Uniform. This is not an optional accessory, and it is an expectation that it is worn to and from school during Terms 2 and 3 and during formal school events such as Assembly, Mass/Liturgy, School Photos and at any other times advised by the School Leadership. Boys will require the school tie to be worn at all times during Terms 2 & 3

A reminder that students will not be permitted to wear undershirts that exceed the length of their shirt sleeve. They will be instructed to remove them. The school has a range of clothing options for thermal comfort that include two types of jumpers, the blazer and an overcoat. Hoodies are not permitted as they are not part of our school uniform.

Boys are required to wear trousers (no shorts) and girls have the option of trousers or their skirt worn with black opaque stockings.

Please familiarise yourself with the uniform requirements below. If you have any questions, please contact your child's PALS for clarification.

Mr Chris Shelton

Assistant Principal

NAPLAN

I would just like to once again congratulate students in Years 9 and 7 on the manner in which they approached this Years NAPLAN assessments. Their diligent and mature attitude assisted in making the process very smooth which was greatly appreciated, and it was pleasing to see so many students using all the time available in each of the tests. Hopefully their efforts will be recognised with pleasing results when we receive them later in the year.

Assessment Reminders

We are approaching that time in the semester where students in all year groups are receiving/completing formal assessment tasks. A few things to note:

• Students not present for an assessment task need to complete an Illness/Misadventure form detailing the reason for their absence. This should include appropriate documentation explaining the reason for their absence. Generally, this should be a medical certificate (not from an online provider). If you cannot get an appointment with your regular GP you can usually get one from your local pharmacist if need be
• We are seeing a number of students missing tasks due to family day/weekend trips. These are generally not considered a valid reason for missing an assessment task (especially in Year 12 where the consequence will likely be a 0 mark awarded for the task)
• If you are intending to take extended leave parents/carers are reminded that students should complete the Application For Leave Form (obtained from the front office) and submit to the Principal for approval well before the intended leave dates where possible

In regards to Illness/Misadventure forms:

• • Students in Years 10-12 must submit these to the Curriculum office within 3 days of their return to school. They must also come to to Curriculum office on the first day they return to school to organise a time to sit/complete tasks if required (this will generally be ASAP possibly the day of their return.
  • Students in Years 7-9 should return the completed form to their class teacher Subject LoL. This should be done on the first day they return to school. The teacher/LoL will then make the necessary arrangements to complete the task if required. Again, this could be on the first day the student returns to school.

Minimum Standards Tests

A reminder we will be running minimum standards tests for Year 10 as well as students in Years 11/12 who still need to complete in weeks 10 and 11 of this term. The process is more effective if students are at school during these times.

As always if there are any issues with anything related to Curriculum feel free to email or call the Curriculum office at any time.

Mr Brett Moran

Curriculum Coordinator

International Women's Day Bluescope Brunch

March 12th three students represented the school at the annual BlueScope Brunch to celebrate International Women’s Day. The theme this year was “Count Her In”, International Women’s Day began in Australia in 1911. To celebrate this day we heard from three inspirational women: BlueScope Electrical Engineer Lauren Blasi (pictured above right), Steph Steel, Defence Industry Advisor and Sharon Arrow, Founder & Director Balthazar Champagne Bar. The co-hosts were Sarah Cawte from WIN News and Bella Breakfast Co- Host on i98 FM.

Our students: Isabelle Plattner, Taylor Darke and Tamara Frendo were inspired to bring today’s key messages back to our school community in the future, through video clips providing inspiration to fellow students. The speakers explored topics such as success and failure, starting tasks early and chipping away to achieve the best results, teamwork, self-doubt, strengths and vulnerabilities and determination. It was inspirational to hear an insight into their careers and personalities.

Transition and Pathway Lessons (TAPP)

On Tuesday this week, 19th March all Year 9 students explored career information and career planning in their TAPP lesson. Next week Year 7,8 and 10 have scheduled TAPP lessons to support their career planning. If your child should require support in resume writing, job interview coaching or wish to meet one to one with a career practitioner please don’t hesitate to email me kennedys01@dow.catholic.edu.au

Coming Career Events

May 7th Illawarra Careers Expo at Berkley Stadium- all Year 10 & 12 students will be attending, however Year 11 students are invited to attend the public information session on the afternoon of May 7- more details soon

May 1 - Nursing and Health Career Workshops- all students in Year 10 -12 have received an invitation  to this event via google classroom

June 4 Apprenticeship Support Morning - students have been invited to express their interest in attending this event via google classroom

Career Spotlight

The job of a NUTRITIONIST by one of our Year 10  Students

Brief Description:

Nutritionists integrate, disseminate and apply knowledge drawn from the relevant sciences to enhance positive effects of food on the health and well-being of human populations.

Skills and aptitude required for this position:

Communication skills - As a nutritionist, your work involves professionals and patients from diverse backgrounds which requires excellent communication skills. This is crucial in discovering people's eating habits and advocating for healthy eating patterns.

Interpersonal skills - Interpersonal skills include compassion, patience, empathy and the ability to build cordial relationships with others. Nutritionists gather information by patiently listening to their clients and with empathy, they understand the dietetic needs of their clients.

Mathematics - Nutritionists also use calculations in their daily work to determine the appropriate nutrient intake for their clients. Several common math applications nutritionists use include calculating caloric intake, measuring body mass index (BMI) and other key metrics that help these professionals better develop individualized plans for clients.

Courses and Pathways:

Many online and in-person courses will guide you through a pathway into Nutrition, examples of the most common pathways include Certificate IV in Allied Health

Assistance (Nutrition and Dietetics) a TAFE course and Bachelor of Nutrition Science a University degree. Some of these courses offered at UNI are non-atar pathways.

Labour market information:

There are currently 11,800 positions available in the Nutritrion Profession in which 88% being female.

Outline of this career?

Nutritionists main job includes plans diets and menus, and instructs people on the requirements and importance of diet and on the planning and preparation of food. Supervises the preparation and serving of meals. Monitors food intake and quality to provide nutritional care. Calculates nutritional values of food served. Monitors food intake and quality to provide nutritional care. Consults with other health professionals.

School Holiday Workshops

/https://aim.edu.au/whats-on/school-holiday-workshop-performance-syd-campus-8-april/

https://aim.edu.au/whats-on/school-holiday-workshop-songwriting-syd-campus-8-april/

https://aie.edu.au/aie_event/industry-experience-day/

https://aim.edu.au/whats-on/syd-holiday-hsc-masterclass/

https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/events/2024/april/discover-health-sciences-at-acu-north-sydney

If your child would like to book a one-to-one career planning session please email me.

Sue Kennedy

Transition and Pathways Specialist/ Career Adviser

kennedys01@dow.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations to Warrigal for taking out the first carnival of the year. They are now back to back champions for this carnival.

5th place: Marshall

4th Place: Kembla

3rd place: keira

2nd place: Macquarie

1st Place: Warrigal

Cross Country Age Champions

Congratulations to Kembla for taking out the second carnival of the year.

5th place: Macquarie

4th place: Marshall

3rd place: Warrigal

2nd place: Keira

1st place: Kembla

Touch

U13 Boys - Coach: Mr Akai

Before the tournament started the coach gave the nervous lads a speech of encouragement and never underestimate the underdogs.  Our first game was against Magdalene and we got defeated by 2 tries. This game allowed us to shake the nerves off and face up against the top teams of the competition. Against Edmund Rice, we found our rhythm with the likes of Taj Miller stepping up and encouraging the team to drive the middle and force errors from the opposition. Round 4 against the Colossal Giants known as Holy Spirit coached by our recent staff member Ms Davidson. We had our first six juggernauts to take them on who were Finn Behl, Kayden Douet, Taj Miller, Charlie Babi, Lucas Glover and Taj Boyd. They scored first with a runner-way try. Finn levelled the score with a side step and try in the corner. It was almost full time and the scores were even. Until, at the siren they managed to sneak through our defence and score to win the match. It was the closest any team got to winning against the Giants. Next we drew against John Therry from Campbelltown and won against St Benedicts at 2-1 with Charlie Babi and Finn Behl finding the try line. This team made their mark on the day and will not be taken lightly next time.

The MVP and players player is Finn Behl.

U15s Boys - Coach: Mr Young

A big day out for the U15s Boys' side. Overall, the boys showed a lot of heart and dealt with the heat and the wind with determination, while maintaining a positive outlook toward the day. The boys had a few tough matches to start, but pulled back and managed a convincing win over St Benedicts heading into the break. Using this momentum, the boys held out for the remainder of the day, with 3 tight matches to finish up, only going down by a point.

Each of the boys showed sportsmanship, courage, and demonstrated fairness when calls didn't go our way. A big thankyou to our refs that were out there for every game - not an easy job!

MVP: Quinn Rippon

Open Boys - Coach: Mr Hetherington

The Snr boys touch team showed good progress during the CEO touch competition held at Dalton Park Fairy Meadow. The boys touch team has demonstrated skill and teamwork on the field. Their understanding of how touch is played improved greatly during the competition. They showed good sportsmanship and respect for both teammates and opponents, contributing to a positive team culture. The team achieved notable improvement over the 9 games played. Although not winning a game during the tournament they held the strongest teams to a 2-1 loss and showed strong communication and individual skill. Several players have shown exceptional talent and leadership qualities, which have positively impacted the team's performance. While the team has shown great progress, there are areas that could be improved. Overall, the boys touch team has had a successful competition.

MVP Tasman Rippon

Athletics Carnival - Week 4

Upcoming NSWCCC Events

If your child plays at a high/rep level for their sport and is keen on trialling for a NSWCCC team, please register via the link below:
https://csnsw.sport/

Please note:
- No late entries are accepted.
- Students attending these trials should be at a representative level/standard.
- Further information regarding each sport is available on the website (see link above)

For assistance with registering your child please see the document below:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kFW57cps5mTHPK7PfJMvpVK4qtM651keNVZcu014gVQ/edit

If there are any further issues please contact me:

powers01@dow.catholic.edu.au

NEW SPORT PATHWAY - LAWN BOWLS - Closes 18 March

Expression of Interest closes 18 March. Successful applicants will be informed by 25 March.

NSWCCC Selections - Wednesday, 29 May @ Club Sapphire Merimbula  $45  (NSW All Schools - 9 August)

NSWCCC GIRLS 15 YEARS & UNDER AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL (AFL) Closes 12 April

NSWCCC Selections - Monday 6 May & Tuesday 7 May @ Wagga Wagga $90

NSWCCC BOYS 16s FOOTBALL - EOI Closes 30 April

Successful notification by 7 May

NSWCCC Selections - Friday 17 May @ Kareela $45

NSWCCC 16 YEARS & 18 YEARS BASKETBALL - Closes 3 May 2023

NSWCCC Selections - 18 Years Monday 13 May, 16 Years Tuesday 14 May @ Sutherland $45

NSWCCC 15s & OPENS HOCKEY SELECTIONS - Closes 3 MAY 2024

NSWCCC Selections - Monday 20 May @ Bathurst  $45

NSWCCC 17 YEARS & UNDER WATER POLO SELECTIONS - Closes 17 May 2024

NSWCCC Selections Monday 27 May @ Ryde 8:30am - 12pm Boys & 12pm - 3:30pm Girls  $35

If your child has had sporting success outside of school we want to hear about it. 

Please email details to Miss Power (powers01@dow.catholic.edu.au)

St Joseph’s Sports Instagram Page 

For all things sports follow social media page @SJCHSSPORTS

Year 8 Technology 

Mr Ferderer's Year 8 Technology class has been making jewellery this term. They started with a simple wedder ring, moved onto a similar ring shank with an adornment that was designed by them. We move onto a snake ring and pendants in the following weeks.

Year 9 & 10 Food Technology

Year 9 & 10 Food Tech made a simple butter chicken and rice dish. Enjoyed by all, maybe it could be done at home for dinner!

They also made a yummy Spanish Paella this week, from all reports it was well received by the students and they enjoyed, for some, a 'new sensation.'

Year 11 Cookery Class

Year 11 Cookery made rice paper rolls this week to show they can cut a range of vegetables into julienne precision cut.

This term, the Youth Ministry Leaders have undertaken a prayer formation experience with Father Leo, our Parish Priest from St Pauls. This was an enriching experience as the Youth Ministry Leaders learnt the different types of prayer, and the importance of prayer in Lent as we prepare for the coming of the Risen Jesus at Easter.

Following their prayer formation experience, the YMLs wanted to develop a response that they could share with the whole school. Guided by the Youth Ministry Coordinator, Miss Cristina Curcio, the YMLs prepared and presented the Stations of the Cross to all students in Year 7. This was a deeply rewarding experience as the YMLs gained Catholic leadership experience, but were also able to impart their wisdom with the Year 7 cohort. Students were encouraged to reflect on the true meaning of Easter and were challenged to take up gratitude for the duration of Lent. This was a unique experience as Year 7 was asked to move around our prayer space for each station, to imitate and reflect on the movement of Jesus and His journey to Calvary.

As well as this, to contribute to our Project Compassion fundraiser, the Youth Ministry Leaders prepared Easter egg bags with an Easter prayer which we sold at lunch time in Week 8. All proceeds are going to Project Compassion, helping impoverished communities improve their access to clean water, build shelter and greater access to education.

Miss Curcio and the Youth Ministry Leaders would like to wish the St Joseph’s community a happy, holy and safe Easter. May it be a time of love, renewal and peace.

St Joseph's is raising funds to help support Project Compassion, Caritas Australia’s annual fundraising campaign.

Project Compassion brings together supporters from across Australia to address the challenges of poverty today, and drive lasting change for a better tomorrow.

Join us to help support remote and vulnerable communities across Asia, Africa, the Pacific and in Australia. Your generosity today can help communities access clean water, food security, skills training, health and sanitation and disaster risk reduction training.

Together with your support, we can create lasting change today, and For All Future Generations!

If you would like to donate, please scan the QR Code below and follow the prompts:

Being a part of the Saint Joseph's School vocal ensemble has a myriad of benefits that extend beyond musical proficiency. The Saint Joseph's School vocal ensemble fosters a sense of community and camaraderie, offering a supportive environment where individuals collaborate towards a shared artistic goal.

Through regular rehearsals (every Tuesday Lunchtime in Music room E01) and performances, students develop discipline, time management skills, and resilience in overcoming challenges. Vocal groups also provide a platform for self-expression, allowing students to explore their creativity and build confidence in their abilities. Not to mention singing is also loads of fun!

All levels of vocal ability and every year group from 7-12 are invited to attend. 

Happy Singing!

Mrs Minns 

The Disability Trust's Vacation Care School Holiday programs run 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday through to Friday each School Holiday not including Public Holidays from the following facilities -

Teen Ability – Edney Lane, Spring Hill

A group for social teens with low support needs wanting to get out and about with their friends.

Mini Movers – Aspect School, Corrimal

A group for children under 12 years – all participants are supported 1:1.

Mt St Thomas – Mt St Thomas School, Mangerton

A group for participants 12 – 18 years with low, moderate or high support needs.

Peterborough – Peterborough School, Warilla

A group for participants 12 – 18 years with low, moderate or high support needs.

They have lots of fun activities and outings planned across all our Vacation Care programs. All programs require NDIS funding. Please get in touch with Sport & Rec via ilsrecprograms@disabilitytrust.org.au or 42502260.

Abilities Unleashed School Holiday Program is a national initiative by Disability Sports Australia focused on promoting active pathways for people with disabilities aged 25 years old and under during the school holidays.

It is a Free School Holiday Clinic offering a fun and inclusive day of activities connecting people with disabilities to local sport and active recreation opportunities.

Please see below flyer with more information and how to register.