We have exciting news for Term 4 for St Joseph’s - our Carpark is being constructed at last!!! However this means some significant changes for Term 4.

Carpark on Macquarie Street:

• There will be no student parking access on site
• There will be no parent entry to the school to drop off students. All drop offs will have to occur on the road and students walk up the path to the side of the driveway.
• There will only be one disability car park available, all other parent parking will have to be in neighbouring streets until the car park is completed.

Building improvements

We also have four science labs being refurbished during Term 4 -

This is the concept for design from the architects for the refurbishment. During Term 4 we will have only 2 science labs in operation and classes will have to rotate through these rooms for practical experiences. Year 12 2025 will have priority for their learning.

I would like to thank the Catholic Education Office for the priority given to St Joseph’s in renewing the learning spaces for the students to give state of the art facilities.

Other School News

Thank you to our Year 8 and Year 10 students who attended the HSIE excursions and had such positive feedback from the venues and the teachers. You were wonderful ambassadors for the community.

Year 12 have been completing their Trial HSC examinations. After this, it is time for students to take the feedback from their exams and work to improve their results for the HSC - it is never too late to work towards improvement - the mantra ‘one more mark’ can make such a difference! I remember back to last year and the significant number of students that we had on 89 a high band 5 but one more mark would have made it a 6….. Keep working Year 12 there is only a short time to go!

August is the month of Mary Mackillop the founder of the Order of the Sisters of St Joseph’s. The sisters have had a significant involvement with SJCHS from its foundation with Sr the founding Assistant Principal. This month will culminate with our liturgy and awards  ceremony for students who are living our Josephite values.

Ms Amanda Wilson

Principal

National Week of Action Against Bullying

This week marks the National Week of Action Against Bullying, a time when Australian communities unite to acknowledge and promote efforts to reduce bullying in our schools and broader society. The theme for this year, "Everyone Belongs," underscores the vital importance of human connection and kindness towards all, regardless of background. Our school is a reflection of this diversity, offering us a unique culture that we have the opportunity to celebrate every day.

The recent Olympic Games gave us numerous moments of joy and showcased the best of humanity. However, they also reminded us that there is still much work to be done as a society. Many of us witnessed the performance of Rachael Gunn, known as ‘B-Girl Raygun,’ and saw the harsh criticism she faced on social media.

Raygun has been at the centre of worldwide ridicule over the past week, with countless memes, media commentary, and a general public sentiment that they could have done better. This wave of bullying could have had serious consequences for her and may yet still have an impact on her mental health when the dust settles.

Amid all this negativity, I was impressed with the response of the Australian Olympic Team. They did what many of us failed to do—they supported her and stood by her.

Our most successful Olympic team in history showed their solidarity before the closing ceremony. Raygun received a champion's reception, carried on the shoulders of some of our Olympic rowers and honoured with a guard of honour made by her fellow athletes.

Let's reflect on the actions of our athletes—a teammate of theirs showcased breakdancing moves and embraced her individuality on the world's biggest stage, only to become the target of widespread mockery. Instead of leaving her to face it alone, they rallied around her, making her feel like a winner, a teammate, and a valued member of the family.

This is the kind of humanity we should all aspire to—lifting up a friend when they fall, helping others not because it benefits us, but because it's the right thing to do, standing up for what is right, and calling out what is wrong.

As a school community, I urge all students to stand up against bullying and refuse to be bystanders. We need our young people to be strong enough to call out bullying, harassment, and exclusion. We can learn a lot from our Olympic athletes.

Mr Chris Shelton

Assistant Principal

Congratulations to Year 12 who have now completed their trial HSC exams. Students now begin the final push of their HSC program as they work to complete courses and begin a revision program to prepare them for their HSC exams in Term 4. Attendance in class is crucial to allow the class teachers to provide the optimal level of support for each student. This is especially true of the HDSC Intensive sessions which will take place in Week 8. More details for this program will be provided in upcoming weeks.

Subject Selection for Year 11 2025 is now closed. We will be finalising student choices in the coming weeks. Thank you to the students and their families for the diligent manner this process has been completed this year.

Stage 5 electives for 2025 are now open. Students need to complete their choices via the online portal that was emailed to them earlier this week. The online elective selection portal will close at 9:30am on Monday 20th August. Any student who has not chosen electives will be placed in classes where there are vacancies, so ALL students are encouraged to complete this process.

We will be holding a zoom meeting for students and their families who may be considering HSC Pathways as an option for their elective line in Year 10 2025 on Monday evening (20th August). All students (and their parents/carers) who may be interested in exploring this option are invited to attend - the link for the zoom meeting will be emailed to students.

A reminder about attendance. This has been a focus for the whole year with a goal of achieving over 90% attendance for the year. We appreciate that we are in the middle of cold/flu season and understand the need for students to take time off if they are unwell/symptomatic. We do encourage students and families to make every effort to organise activities not related to school outside of school hours as much as possible. It may sound obvious, but student learning is optimised by having students in the classroom completing set work in front of their teachers as much as possible.

Mr Brett Moran

Curriculum Coordinator

TERM 3 2024

August

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 11 Cookery

Year 11 Cookery made a yummy lasagne, garlic bread and a salad with a herb, sour cream dressing.

Year 9 and 10 Food Technology

Year 9 & 10 Food Technology have been making nutritious foods lately...lentil soup, Buddha bowls and today healthy snacks...Grasshopper and Chocolate slice and Apricot Bliss balls.

Year 8 Geography Excursion

On Friday 9th of August Year 8 travelled to Bundeena for a field work excursion.

They walked along the coastal track in Sydney’s beautiful Royal National Park and discovered a range of natural environments along the Eastern coast. They then embarked on a walk to the iconic Wedding Cake Rock, along the way students located and assessed the various features and characteristics of natural landscapes and examined how such landforms were formed over time. 

Year 10 Geography Excursion

As part of their Year 10 Geography Coursework on Tuesday 6th of August, students participated in a fieldwork excursion at Cronulla Beach, exploring the scale of human-induced environmental change challenging sustainability.

Students used an array of geographical tools including quadrats, field sketches, maps, graphs, statistics, images, anemometers and temperature gauges, as part of their fieldwork.

Students also had an opportunity to design their own eco-friendly esplanade and analyse ways to improve and minimise human impact on the surrounding environment.

Year 11 Business Studies and Year 9 Commerce

Young Eyes Entrepreneurship Workshop – Zig Zag Hub

On Friday the 9th of August, Year 11 Business studies and Year 9 Commerce Students participated in the Young Eyes Entrepreneurial Workshop run by the Zig Zag Hub. This workshop gave them the opportunity to create a business or product idea and work through the process of creating a business plan.

The students then pitched thes eideas to the presenters in a Shark Tank presentation, with the chance for successful ideas proceeding to the Young Eyes Entrepreneurial Festival. Success at the Young Eyes Entrepreneurial Festival could lead to students being named Young Entrepreneur of the Year or Young Innovator of the Year and gaining start-up money to proceed to running their business or creating their product idea.

We would like to congratulate the following students who have been put forward to participate in the Young Eyes Entrepreneurial Festival in September:

Young Innovator of the Year

• Taylor Darke
• Amy Jedrzejczak
• Sam Huetter and Finn De Almeida
• Jett Vilarinho

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

• Ashley Claridge
• Kiana Rieck
• Indiana Hiscocks

We wish these students the best in pitching their projects at the Young Eyes Entrepreneurial Festival!!

Students in junior classes will be given an opportunity to participate in novel science experiments and activities as the Science Faculty celebrates Science Week 2024.

This year's theme is 'Species Survival - More than just sustainability', and classes will be looking at how we can improve our stewardship of the natural world and sustain our shared biosphere for future generations.

Year 7 students will also be going on an excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park as part of our Science Week celebrations.

Congratulations to Dylan Hoogendoorn!

 

Work Readiness Program

This week four Year 10 students were participating in the program session two.

During the session the students were very pleased to undergo mock job interviews. These interviews were conducted by Apprenticeship Careers Australia representative Jacob Mouwad.

Jacob interviewed each student as if he was interviewing them for an apprenticeship position. The students appreciated this experience even though it was a little nerve-racking! Later in their evaluation of the course they stated that this was highly valuable to them in their search for apprenticeships.

The next step in the program is to receive feedback on August 23rd.

Nursing and Healthcare Workshop Shellharbour TAFE

Students interested in Nursing and Healthcare careers had the opportunity to attend workshops at Shellharbour TAFE. These involved practical sessions and consisted of some basic medical and career pathway information into Nursing, Allied Health & Community Services careers, practical hands-on activities, and an expo area with an opportunity to speak with other health industry professionals working in areas such as Age and Disability Care, Occupational Health etc.

Thanks to Mrs Smith for accompanying the students to this event.

ITEC Open Day

This report was written by the students who attended the event…

We thoroughly enjoyed the education facility that is ITEC. The visit opened our eyes to new career paths, previously unbeknown to us. These career industries include courses you can access at ITEC including: hospitality, construction, music and media. The staff at ITEC who guided us were friendly and hospitable as they also provided us with food experiences and gift lanyards. We are  all greatly appreciative of this learning opportunity.

Upcoming Events

• STEMC Transport Day - 20 August - Students are travelling to Sydney Olympic Park for this event- more details at a later date
• Mindflight Experience -  18 September - held at school

SBATS and EVET Courses

Students in Year 10 will be made aware of course opportunities at TAFE in a meeting Week 5

Student Spotlight

Marine Biologist

A Marine Biologist explores and protects the world’s oceans, studying marine life and ecosystems. The job will involve researching marine organisms' behaviour, genetics, and habitats to understand better and conserve our oceans. By analysing human impact on marine environments, it contributes to sustainable practices that ensure the health and diversity of ocean life for future generations.

A strong foundation in biology, chemistry, and ecology would be highly useful for this role. The ability to design and conduct experiments will help write research papers. Interpreting complex data and making informed conclusions can help in creating sustainable practices to preserve our oceans for the future.

If you are seeking to be a marine biologist the main pathway, is the undergraduate pathway and then gaining an advanced degree. The undergraduate pathway can include a Bachelor's in Marine Biology, Biology, Oceanography, Environmental Science, or a related field. UOW offers a Bachelor of Marine Science, throughout this degree, you will learn how to understand, observe and define oceanographic and coastal processes, ocean biodiversity, governance, and management. You will use emerging technologies in marine science and be trained in skills necessary for the workplace. Then a Master's or Ph.D. is often necessary for research positions, specializing in areas like marine mammalogy, ichthyology, or marine conservation. Specialised training can be undertaken to further expand your knowledge.

There are approximately 760 Marine Biologists employed in Australia. The median age of Marine Biologists is 41 years and the female share of employment for Marine Biologists is 44%. Salaries vary widely depending on the level of education, experience, and sector. Entry-level positions may start around $40,000 to $50,000 annually, while experienced researchers in higher positions can earn significantly more.

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

Sue Kennedy

Transition and Pathways Specialist/ Career Adviser

kennedys01@dow.catholic.edu.au

School Trivia Fundraiser

We are so excited to get this event up and running!!

Come join our St Joseph’s Catholic High School Trivia night that is fundraising for our sporting teams for 2025. All funds raised will go towards new team uniforms, updated sporting equipment and assisting with transport costs.

The theme for the night is ‘All Things Sport’, so come dressed in your best sporting attire.

Tickets are $80 per table with 8-10 people. BYO snacks and table decorations.

Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CUMYZ

If you or someone you know is able to contribute to prizes/donations on the night, please get in touch with me at Powers01@dow.catholic.edu.au

Upcoming Events

Diocesan Athletics

We had a great day out at the Diocesan carnival on Friday 2nd August at Campbelltown Athletics Stadium. St Joseph’s took a team strong team of 67 students and it was so great to see so many students putting themselves in the mix for the podium. Some great highlights were Caiden Judd’s and Christian Oanea’s enthusiasm to assist in any extra events, Archie on rubbish clean up for our school area (he took the lead on looking after the environment which was so great to see). These students went above and beyond to make sure our school was well represented across the day.

Congratulations to the following students on their results:

Bianca de Swardt - 3rd 1500m, 2nd 800m

William Stoneham - 3rd 800m

Amelia Porter - 3rd 100m, 1st long jump

Callum Attard - 2nd High Jump

Mackenzie Hutchinson - 1st Discus, 3rd Shot Put

Owen Wall - 3rd 200m, 3rd 400m

Mason Hili - 2nd Place Discus

Kobe Dunn - 3rd place Shot Put 15s

Cooper Reay - 3rd Place High Jump 17+

Abbey Yau - 3rd Place Shot Put 15s

Emily Csellich - 2nd Place Discus

Lucas Fernandez - 1st Place Long Jump

Andrew Soutter - 2nd Place Discus 16s

Travis McCabe - Junior Boys Triple Jump 1st Place

Bianca, Amelia, Mackenzie, Lucas and Travis will all be representing Wollongong Diocesan at NSWCCC later this term. Good luck to these athletes and congratulations to our entire Joey's Athletics Team.

Olympics Update - Basketball

It has been great to see so many students involved in our Joey’s Olympics for 2024. Both grand finals in basketball were very tight but there could only be 1 winner for each division. Congratulations to all involved and keep an eye out as our Touch games get started.

7-8 Winners - USA Dream Team

9-10 Winners - Majmun

Sport Sign Ups

Boys Cricket Nominations

Please fill in this form if you are interested in trialling for this years Boys Cricket Teams. 

We will be looking to enter a range of competitions including:

- 7-9 Berg Shield (Knockout)

- Snr Boys Downey Shield (Knockout)

- 7-9 Boys Diocesan Gala Day

Nominations close: Week 5, Friday 23rd August

Nominate here: https://forms.gle/wAPxxj2SDmaEXmoJ7

7-9 Girls Cricket Nominations

Please fill in this form if you are interested in trialling for this years Girls Cricket Team.

We will be looking to put together a 7-9 Girls Cricket team for a local competition.

Nominations close: Week 5, Friday 23rd August

Nominate: https://forms.gle/KaXiM3dfcZK9Z8GZ6

7-9 Girls & U14 Boys AFL Nominations

If you are interested in trialling for the school AFL teams, please fill in the below form.

The diocesan carnival is in Week 3 of Term 4.

Boys MUST NOT be turning 15 this year (2024).

Nominations close: Week 5, Friday 23rd August

Nominate here: https://forms.gle/SH1UAm7MW9uFfDoR7

Aspiring Elite Athlete Applications

Once again our 2024/25 Aspiring/Elite Athlete applications will be opening very soon. Keep an eye out on Compass for more information and application dates. We will be looking to open these applications by the end of Week 5 or Start of Week 6.

St Joseph's Catholic High School has partnered with several local businesses to develop our Aspiring/Elite Athlete Program. The program is for students who are aspiring to or participating at elite level in their chosen sport. The program encompasses not only their sporting achievements but creates a viable future pathway which includes their academic studies.

Students in the program will have access to:

• 2 x excursions to Bai Med Performance Centre for fitness testing
• Several education programs on a range of topics to develop the athlete (including mental health, time management, leadership)
• Strength and conditioning training programs
• School teacher mentor meetings to help students cope with school and training workload
• Female athletes will gain access to a female health workshops
• Recovery workshops
• Nutrition practical and theory workshops with Embody Nutrition
• Guest Speakers

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

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. It is a nationwide measure that allows parents/carers, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments, and the broader community to determine if young Australians are developing the essential literacy and numeracy skills needed for further learning and productive participation in the community.

NAPLAN results provide parents/carers and educators with information on how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy over time, both individually and compared to national standards. The tests also support the monitoring and evaluation of school and school system performance in these fundamental capabilities, helping to identify areas for improvement and schools that may require additional support in teaching and learning literacy and numeracy.

NAPLAN results do not measure overall school quality but can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students' levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress. However, NAPLAN is just one aspect of each school's assessment and reporting process, and does not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student's educational progress.

NAPLAN tests are conducted in the following 4 areas (or 'domains'):

Reading, Writing, Conventions of Language (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation) and Numeracy.

St Joseph’s NAPLAN 2024 snapshot

Our Year 7 students achieved results that have provided valuable information to help us support individual student needs and plan for their ongoing academic growth. The cohort had excellent results in the reading domain, being above Diocesan, State and National averages.

We are pleased to highlight the improved performance of our Year 9 students in the 2024 NAPLAN assessments.

Students have demonstrated growth in all key areas however Year 9 students performed above the Diocesan, State, and National averages, in Reading, Grammar and Punctuation and Numeracy.

Significant Growth Areas

Numeracy

Reading

Grammar and Punctuation

We're grateful for the efforts of our students, the support of parents and carers, and the work of our teaching staff in ensuring the ongoing improvement of academic skills at St Joseph’s.

Mr Miller - Numeracy Instruction Coach

Mr Dennelly - Literacy Instruction Coach

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.

Book Week "Reading is Magic" - 20 - 26 August 2024

• Creating our own bookmarks
• Discovering our favourite authors
• Colouring in, reading circles and storytelling!

Also, prepare your costumes for our special Book Week Dress Up:

When - Monday August 26

Where - Morning Assembly

What - Come dressed as your favourite book character

Why - Have some fun and win some great prizes!

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

Discover NDIS Employment Services with The Personnel Group!

With nearly 40 years of expertise in helping individuals with disabilities secure meaningful employment, The Personnel Group is thrilled to introduce our NDIS Employment Services. Our hands-on approach is designed to build confidence, develop skills, and prepare NDIS participants for the workforce.

Join Us for an NDIS Employment Information Session

Date: Tuesday, August 20th
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: The Personnel Group - Shellharbour Office
Shop 4, 3 Burra Place, Shellharbour

Event Highlights:

• Learn how our services can assist NDIS participants in gaining crucial life skills, knowledge, and work experience.
• Understand how we support individuals on their employment journey.

Who Should Attend:

• Parents and carers of NDIS participants
• Individuals with NDIS funding focused on job placement and retention
• NDIS participants aged 15-22 who have recently graduated from school
• Teachers, Support Coordinators, and NDIS professionals

RSVP: Please express your interest by contacting Shamayne Anderson at 0411 184 958 or via email at sanderson@personnelgroup.com.au.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore how we can help pave the way for successful employment!