As Semester 1 comes to a close, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to parents/carers for your continued support and partnership in your child's education. There have been many opportunities already this year where we have seen record parent engagement:

• Tell Them From Me Survey - 192 families
• Year 10 Subject Selection Evening - 90 families
• Year 9 Elective Information Evening - 101 families
• Year 7-10 Parent Teacher Interviews - 1350+ bookings

I wrote in the last newsletter about parents in partnership and the positive impact this can have on your child's education. Parent engagement in the high school years can lead to positive outcomes such as more enjoyment of school, better academic outcomes and a higher percentage of students going on to tertiary education.

School Bell Times / Bus Changes

By way of an update, I can advise that a further round of consultation has been completed.

• Transport for NSW consultation in the rural and regional contract regions has been completed, nil major issues raised;
• St Paul’s and any other major service gaps have been reviewed and;
• Final schedules will be prepared by the Operators

Transport for NSW has advised that the change WILL NOT be in place for the start of Term 3. Once I have received the official start date from Transport for NSW and the new Bus Operator schedules, I will communicate this with the St Joseph’s community in writing.

Years 7 - 10 Semester 1 Reports

Years 7 - 10 students received their Semester 1 Reports this week via Compass. These reports provide a detailed overview of their learning gains. Every student has areas for improvement, which are highlighted in their reports. We encourage you to discuss these areas with your child during the break, helping them to reflect on their progress and prepare for the term ahead.

Year 12 Final Term Plan

Year 12 students will embark on their final term of school when they return in Term 3. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Year 12 students the best as they prepare for their Trial HSC Examinations and many students are in the process of completing Major Works for a number of courses. I wrote to Year 12 families this week and provided them with a comprehensive outline of the key events for Term 3. If you have not had a chance to view this letter on Compass, it can be found here.

Change to Senior School in 2025

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the educational experience at St Joseph’s Catholic High School, we surveyed students, parents and staff to explore transitioning Year 10 students into the Senior School and have them wear the senior uniform from 2025.

The results of the student, parent and staff survey were overwhelmingly in favour of making this change. This change will go ahead, meaning that the current Year 9 cohort will be wearing the senior uniform commencing Year 10 2025.  Moving forward our Junior School will be students in Years 7-9 and Senior School will be students in Years 10-12.

This transition to the Senior School for Year 10 students will provide them with a smoother and more gradual progression into their final years of schooling. We already align our Year 10 students with the senior curriculum through our HSC Pathways program. Additionally, wearing the senior uniform fosters a sense of belonging and pride among our students, encouraging them to take ownership of their academic journey and engage more actively in school life.

Some key benefits of this change are:

• Integration with HSC Pathways Course: Year 10 students have the option to study a HSC Pathways course, which places them in the same class as senior students. This integration means that some Year 10 students are in classes with Year 11 students but are wearing different uniforms but striving for the same goals.  This change will see all Pathways classes wearing the same uniform.
• Uniform Replacement Timing: Parents tell us that students typically require replacement uniform items late in Year 9. By transitioning to the senior uniform in Year 10, we can streamline uniform purchases and reduce costs for parents by extending the lifespan of uniform items.
• Preparation for Senior Leadership: By aligning Year 10 students with the Senior School environment, we aim to prepare them to take on leadership roles within the school community. This includes opportunities to develop leadership skills, participate in senior-level activities, and serve as role models for younger students.

This change will impact our current Year 9 students and their parents/carers. The Uniform Shop has been made aware of this change so that extra stock can be ordered.

Privacy Policy - Update

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong’s (CEDoW) Standard Collection Notice for parents and students has been updated. This notice explains how CEDoW handles the personal information of students and parents, and replaces the notice previously provided to you in our enrolment package. You can access the updated notice by visiting our website.

Thank you to our Staff

I want to acknowledge the work of our dedicated teachers and support staff who have worked tirelessly to provide quality education and support, and we are grateful for their ongoing commitment to the St Joseph’s Community.

As we move into the holidays, this is an opportunity for students to relax, rejuvenate, and prepare for Term 3. Thank you once again for your partnership and trust in our school community.

Chris Shelton

Acting Principal

This week has been one of engagement, celebration and service. On Tuesday we celebrated the rich culture of First Nations peoples with our NAIDOC Assembly. We had over 30 elders in attendance and our student body was excellent. Thank you to students and staff who were involved. The celebration featured staff and student reflections, a smoke ceremony, a performance by Corpus Cristi and unpacking of the theme; Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.

The school also held parent/teacher interviews on Tuesday. To echo Chris Shelton’s words of parents in partnership with schools have a big impact on education. Thank you for the work of staff and parents who made appointments. It was a very successful night.

As a school we also concluded our Vinnies Can Drive collecting over 1000 cans and essential items. A big congratulations to Keira House who collected 280 cans! They are the winners of the 2024 Vinnies Can Drive. Thank you to families who donated. These items will help those struggling this winter with food. The final house tally for the Can Drive includes: Keira with 280, Marshall with 215, Macquarie with 208, Kembla with 187 and Warrigal with 132.

Comfy Day was also this week with students dressing up for a gold coin donation to raise money for St Vincent de Paul Society.  Thank you to the SRC students involved. The fairy floss and popcorn were a great success and all students seemed to enjoy being able to come to school in their track pants and jumpers! Over $900 was raised. An amazing effort.

As we head into the holidays I’d like to thank you for a great term and wish your families a safe and relaxing break.

Ms Eliza Biddle

Acting Assistant Principal

Congratulations to all the student’s, staff and families on getting through a massive semester of teaching and learning. Reports have been distributed via Compass, this week was our first round of Parent Teacher Interviews and there has been plenty happening around the subject selection space in our junior year groups.

We wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday and look forward to seeing everybody refreshed, energised and ready to jump back into Term 3.

Trial HSC Exams

Again, a reminder these start in Week 3. Exam schedules have been shared with students. Year 12 students will have flexible attendance during the exam period, students in Year 11 doing one or more pathways courses will receive 1 day of study leave prior to their exams. This process will be outlined in early Term 3.

Students are again encouraged to use some of the holiday time to get organised and start/continue with their exam preparation. Some staff are coming in during the holidays to help with this process as well as providing time and support to work on major projects as required. Please make every effort to access this support that is being provided.

Year 11 2025 Subject Selection

The initial stage of subject selection is now open. Students have been shared to link to the online selection portal via email. Students are asked to make their initial choices before the end of Term 2 where possible. From here we will be looking to develop the lines for 2025 based on student’s choices so it is important this is done diligently and on time.

Students are again asked to choose subjects that are comparable with their interests and ability levels. Reports were issued this week alongside the updated Academic Forecast tracking sheet. These should be used as a supporting resource to help guide students with their selections. Mentoring interviews will continue early next term as we support students through this process.

Copies of all the slides used in the presentations across the term will also be shared with students via email before the end of the term.

Year 9 2025 Subject Selection

Thanks to the large number of families who attended our information night last week. Students will have access to subject specific presentations early next term before finalising their elective choices for 2025.

Year 7

Year 7 have now finished their first full semester in high school. Generally, they have settled in fine but Semester 2 usually provides some additional challenges. Now that students have ‘been around the block’ and have a pretty good grasp of the expectations of high school, it can be easy to drop the ball as the focus shifts to other aspects of school life such as social structures. The break is a good time to sit with your student, evaluate their progress and set some clear goals around approach to schoolwork both in the classroom and at home to avoid any unintended implications to their learning across the remainder of the year.

Parent Teacher Interviews - Tuesday 23rd July

Face to Face Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Tuesday 23rd July commencing at 4pm. Please make sure you complete your bookings via compass before the closing date of Monday 22nd July at 9am.

CAN DRIVE

Winter Warmer Soup Day

Joey's raised over $240 for the Vinnie's Winter Appeal. Thank you to Mr Ferderer's Hospitality class for creating delicious soups as part of their competency. Under the guidance of Mrs Curcio-Borg, our wonderful Senior SRC students served up the winter warmer soups!

Comfy Day

On Thursday, 4th July, the SRC students organised a Comfy Day so all staff and students were able to dress in their comfiest clothes to stay warm and to raise money for the Vinnies Winter Appeal. At lunchtime, students had the opportunity to vote on a movie of their choice and the majority voted and enjoyed viewing the Batman Lego movie in the hall. Students were also able to purchase hot popcorn and fairy floss.

Through this SRC initiative and organisation, close to $1000 was raised.

Thanks to everyone for making it a cosy and fun day while supporting a worthwhile cause!

Mrs Flora Curcio-Borg (Acting REC/SRC Coordinator)

All proceeds go to the Vinnies Winter Appeal

School Fees

A reminder about school fees for those families who have significant amounts still outstanding. We have been asked by the CEO to follow up outstanding school fees. We ask that you address any outstanding fees as soon as possible. We appreciate your support with the payment of your fees.

If you are experiencing significant financial difficulties, please do not hesitate to speak to the finance office.

TERM 3 2024

July

22nd - Staff Development Day - Spirituality

23rd - Term 3 Commences. Years 7-10 Parent-Teacher Interviews

August

2nd - Diocesan Athletics Carnival

5th - 19th - Trial HSC Exams

8th - Feast of Mary of the Cross Mackillop

15th - Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

19th - Staff Development Day - New Curriculum Implementation

September

12th - R U OK? Day

16th - 27th - Year 11 Preliminary Exams

16th - 20th - Year 12 HSC Intensive Week

20th - Final House Assembly, Year 12 Activity Afternoon

25th - Year 12 Final Assembly & Year 12 Graduation (Day Events)

27th - Last Day Term 3

Year 7 Food Technology

Year 7 Technology students learnt about worm farms this week. They did a worksheet then met the worms and learnt how to look after them.

They learnt about the outputs from the worms, and they came used to grow our herbs. They also enjoyed their quiches and smoothies.

Last week, Mrs Acevedo's Year 7 English class acted out the play they have been studying in class 'Honeypot'. By acting out the play, students were able to immerse themselves with the text, particluarly with characterisation and language. Well done to all the students!

Miss Refalo’s Year 11 Biology attended a field trip to Mt Kiera as a part of their assessment task on Ecosystem Dynamics. The students got to learn about the different tree species in the area, as well as their adaptations to the environment.

Students also got to use field equipment such as field microscopes, hand lenses, and set up their own quadrats to study the tree species. Their day ended with catching some vertebrate in order to study how these organisms have adapted to their environment.

Our Year 11 Biologists had a great time!

The SRC Student's in Year 11 attended the The Whitlam Roundtable forum for students to workshop ideas and present them to Stephen Jones, Federal Member of Parliament. 

It was a great opportunity for us to interact and learn from other schools and initiatives. It allowed us all to share our own opinions and ask questions about what the government was doing and how it was going to affect us in the future. These questions included, the impact of the housing crisis and what is being done in response, the changes in HECS Debt and other topics. The day also involved us advocating for societal and/or environmental issues that we believed were important and sharing those beliefs with others that were present.

Taylor Darke, Year 11

Our recent NAIDOC assembly was a memorable celebration of Aboriginal culture and resilience. Elders, including Aunty Bev and Uncle Macky, graced us with their presence and shared their wisdom on this year's theme, "Keep the fire burning! Blak, Loud and Proud".

Their inspiring speeches highlighted the significance of cultural pride and perseverance, leaving a profound impact on students and staff alike. It was a poignant reminder of the strength and spirit within our community, making the event both educational and deeply meaningful.

Congratulations to the following Students who have received Principal Awards for the month of June:

Principal Gold Award Recipients

Principal Silver Award Recipients

Principal Bronze Award Recipients

Diocesan Athletics Team

Congratulations on all students selected to represent St Joseph’s Catholic High School in the Diocesan Athletics Team. The team will compete at the Wollongong Diocesan Secondary Athletics Championships to be held at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Friday 2nd August. A charter bus has been organised to transport students to and from the event. Students will need to arrive at school bright and early at 6:15am.

Permission notes have been put onto Compass so could all parents/guardians please pay and give consent ASAP. It is expected that all students will attend this event. If students cannot attend (e.g due to injury), we need time to be able to fill their spots so that St Joseph’s can have maximum representation at the carnival. If unable to attend, please decline the event and ask your child to let Mrs Musgrave know why they are unable to attend (email musgravec01@dow.catholic.edu.au).

The team that has been selected can be found at this link:

Diocesan Athletics Team

Diocesan Hockey Championships: Our Teams Shine!

On June 24th, Narellan hosted the Diocesan Hockey Championships, where our Open Boys and Girls teams represented our school with pride and determination.

Boys Team: Overcoming Challenges with Honor

Despite playing short-handed with only nine players throughout the entire day, the Boys team showcased their resilience and skill, securing an impressive third-place finish. They were a credit to the school and Mr Shelton was proud of their determination, skill and the spirit in which they played their games. Jayden Mare was named Coach’s Player and Player’s Player with a haul of 10 goals and incredible teamwork and leadership. His exceptional leadership and talent on the field were truly inspirational.

The boys played a free-flowing attacking brand of hockey and possessed the strongest spine of all teams present at the carnival. We will return bigger and better in 2025 with some new recruits joining St Joseph’s next year.

Our results for the day are below:

Game 1 win against Corpus Christi 5-0

Game 2 loss Edmund Rice College 5-1

Game 3 win against St Johns 5-1

Finished second in Pool A

Semi-Final drew Magdalene 2-2 (Magdalene progressed to the final as they were top of Pool B)

3rd place playoff win against John Therry 4-1

A big thank you to Mr Shelton for all the time he has spent training the team and coaching on the day. Well done boys!

Girls Team: Champions Crowned in a Dominant Display

Our Girls team emerged as the champions of the tournament, displaying a remarkable level of dominance. They scored a staggering 19 goals while conceding only one, a testament to their offensive prowess and defensive solidity.

Charlee Buckman, Maya Huetter, and Breanna Cresswell were recognised as Players of the Tournament, receiving the Players' Player, Captains' Player, and Coaches' Player awards, respectively. Their individual brilliance and team spirit contributed to the Girls' overall success.

A big thank you to Mr Dennelly for all the time he has spent training the team and coaching on the day.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the parents who supported our teams and made the long journey to witness their extraordinary performances. Your presence and encouragement meant the world to our players.

Congratulations to both teams for representing our school with such distinction and passion. Your achievements have made us incredibly proud.

Dioscesan Volleyball Championships

On Wednesday 26th June the open girls and boys volleyball teams competed in the Diocesan Volleyball championships at Illawarra Hockey Centre, Unanderra. Both teams had excellent sportsmanship and behaviour on the day and were a credit to St Joseph’s.

Senior Girl's Volleyball Team

Most of the girls had never played volleyball competitively before and were grateful for Mr Plattner’s tips and explanation of the rules at training sessions.

With a few late withdrawals from the team, we only had 7 players (one sub). They had a tough first game and big loss against Mt Carmel (who ended up winning the whole thing) but the girls didn’t give up and showed a lot of improvement throughout the day. We had a convincing win over St Benedict’s 52-36 and some strong performances against St Pat’s and John Therry. The girls did enough to make it to the playoffs against St Francis which was very exciting with the boys’ team doing great cheering. It was point-for-point most of the game but we lost by a few points coming 8th place overall. All the girls played so well despite never having played volleyball before. Brianna Memmo was the MVP and very strong on serve, in one game winning 10 points in a row on serve.

Well done to the girls for their great sportsmanship and willingness to learn and improve each game.

Senior Boys Volleyball

On Wednesday June 26th, the Open Boys Volleyball Team competed against other schools in the Diocese. Many of the boys had never played volleyball before, but despite the steep learning curve, they were all able to acquit themselves well and represented St Joseph's with passion and sportsmanship. MVP on the day goes to Travis McGeorge, who gave a solid performance in all our matches, both at the net and in the backcourt.

Thanks to Mr Plattner for his volleyball expertise in training the boys’ and girls’ teams at lunchtimes and helping all players to learn the game of volleyball.

Sam Bremner shield (U14 Girls Rugby League)

On Wednesday 26th June, the under-14 St Joseph’s girls headed to Croome Road to compete in the Sam Bremner Shield.

To start the day, they played an intense match against Dapto High School. The game showcased exceptional talent and determination from our team, resulting in a thrilling contest and narrowly going down 14 pts to 8pts. Not bad for our first game together. Our next game was against Kanahooka High school which we won 18pts to 10pts. Our third game was against Warilla High which we lost 16pts to 4pts. Lani Graham displayed outstanding agility and improved each game showcasing remarkable skill. Charlie Mayer also demonstrated excellent defensive capabilities, making crucial tackles throughout the games. Jayda Stringer was a powerhouse up the centre of the field. Our defence formations were solid, effectively closing attacking opportunities from the other teams.

The match was played with great sportsmanship, highlighting the respect and camaraderie within our team. Players exhibited a strong sense of teamwork and determination, encouraging each other during challenging moments and as a result we were the best performing Catholic team at the carnival. All players gave their all which made me a very proud coach.

The under-14 girls rugby league continues to showcase promising talent and competitive spirit. The team is set to achieve further success in the years ahead.

Thanks so much to Mr Hetherington for training and coaching the girls leading up to the tournament and on the day.

The Push-Up Challenge

Congratulations to all the Joey’s students and staff who took part in the Push-Up challenge from 5-28 June. The point of the challenge wass to raise awareness of the number of lives lost to suicide in Australia and to raise awareness of mental health issues. Money raised in this challenge went towards programs supporting mental health.

During June, every Friday lunch, teachers and students came together in the COLA to do push-ups which has been a lovely way to raise awareness and have fun as a Joey’s community.

A big thank you to Tyler Morris and Thomas Hofman who organised the challenge at St Joseph’s.

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

Please email details to Mrs Musgrave - Acting Sports Coordinator (musgravec01@dow.catholic.edu.au)

St Joseph’s Sports Instagram Page 

For all things sports follow social media page @SJCHSSPORTS

UPCOMING EVENTS IN TERM 3

Illawarra Apprenticeship, Traineeship and Jobs Expo At the Hockey Centre - 2pm- 8pm

UOW EARLY ADMISSION CLOSES 9 August

Should you wish your child to attend these events please ask them to fill in the form or alternatively email me for the link to the form.

Expressions of Interest forms have been emailed to students about these coming events.

August 15 Nursing & Healthcare Workshop at Shellharbour TAFE ( Yr 10 & 11 students) Work Readiness Program ( Yr 10 & 11 students ) small group to work on preparing to enter the workforce and / or gain an apprenticeship. Program dates are July 30th and August 13. Each session will be 3 periods in length.

ITEC OPEN DAY August 8 An opportunity for students to gain information about courses and facilities.

TRANSPORT STEM Career Day at Darling Harbour August 20 ( yr 9-11)

OTHER EVENTS

UTS TRACE DAY: Discover Forensic Science

https://events.humanitix.com/trace-day-forensic-science-uts

ACU Guarantee entry program and pathway webinar

https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/events/2024/july/acu-guarantee-entry-programs-and-pathways-webinar-nsw-act-qld

AIE Industry Experience day July 10

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

Sydney Design School Interior Decoration Workshop July 10-11

https://sydneydesignschool.com.au/workshop/

For more information or to book an appointment, please contact:

Sue Kennedy

Transition and Pathways Specialist/ Career Adviser

kennedys01@dow.catholic.edu.au

The Premier's Reading Challenge - 26/2/24 -23/8/24

SJCHS is also participating in the Premier's Reading Challenge for 2024, so don't forget to log all the books you are reading into the PRC online. Your English teacher will have your username and passwords.

CBCA Book Week "Reading is Magic" - 17- 23 August 2024

SJCHS will again celebrate Book Week this year between 17th-23rd August 2024. The theme is "Reading is Magic". So put on your thinking hats and start thinking of ideas for this year's dress up!

• NAIDOC Week - 7/7/24 - 14/7/24
• The Paris Olympics which begins on 26/7/24

Student Library Monitors

The Library would like to thank our Library Monitors Denver Spencer from Year 9 and Katelyn Blissett from Year 10 for all their help in the Library this Term.

Denver and Katelyn created these displays in our Library for this year's Olympic Games and for NAIDOC week.

The Library would like to thank these two girls for their dedication and help. They have become invaluable as our Library Monitors.

Join us for an afternoon of hilarious mishaps and theatrical chaos as the Year 11 Drama class takes the stage in their production of "The Play that Goes Wrong"!

Performance Date:

Saturday July 27th at 3:00 PM

Location: St Joseph's Hall

This award-winning comedy follows the antics of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society as they attempt to put on a 1920s murder mystery, but everything that can go wrong does.

From falling set pieces and missed cues to actors forgetting their lines, this play-within-a-play will have you laughing from start to finish.

Don't miss this uproarious performance by our talented Year 11 students. Tickets are available at the door with a cold coin donation

For more information please contact Mr Dennelly dennellyh01@dow.catholic.edu.au

UNIFORM SHOP WILL BE CLOSED THIS SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

The school uniform shop will not be trading during the upcoming Winter Holidays. 

The Last day of trade for Term 2 will be Thursday 4th July, 2024 and resume normal trading hours for Term 3 will be on Monday 22nd July, 2024. 

UNIFORM REMINDER

A reminder to all students regarding your Blazers. Please ensure your Name is clearly labelled on your blazer incase you misplace it. There have been blazers handed in with no name and it is important that they have a name on them so they can be returned to the student.

NORMAL TRADING HOURS

Monday 11:30 am - 4:30pm

Thursday 8:30am - 1:30pm

ORDERING UNIFORMS

Online Ordering - click link below

ONLINE ORDERING

By Appointment - click link below

BY APPOINTMENT

This is an opportunity for you and your supervisor to experience a variety of driving conditions including night time driving to increase safe driver behaviour.

All learner drivers must have 40 or more log book hours.

Bookings are essential click on the link to register. https://forms.office.com/r/kBM2Vdzgr8