The reason for the season of Advent often gets lost in the busyness of the events of tying up the end of a year, getting ready for holidays or for Christmas day. We usually get to the day exhausted and only then can we begin to find the peace and joy of the reason - the birth of the Christ child.

I ask students to be the ‘present’ for their families to be the peacemakers, helpers, and bring joy to their world. This is the greatest gift you can give to your family, the gift of your presence and yourself. Don’t have them chase you off a device to be with your family. Family is precious and too often unappreciated until they are gone. Be ‘Christ like’ and show your appreciation for everything your family does for you.

Thank you to our Senior SRC for the events of Santa Photos and ‘Christmas in the Cola’ day that occurs next week.

Our carpark is underway and the science labs are in the process of being demolished and services being set up for the new lab design. This work will continue into January.

Parents will be receiving the PAT data as part of the report package that demonstrates your child’s growth over the year in Maths and reading. The overall results for the students are positive with the average growth being above the PAT data norm. This is just one measure of student achievement in combination with the student report and teacher comments, it paints a fuller picture of your child’s growth over the year.

St Joseph’s has high expectations, high levels of support available and high accountability. We are aiming for student attendance to be 95%, regular attendance is deemed to be 90% or above. Please consider this when planning your holidays for 2025. Every day at school counts.

Minimum Standards Tests

We will not be running any further Minimum Standards Tests this year. Students in Years 10 and 11 who have yet to complete these tests will need to wait until next year before they can finish this NESA requirement. To the students who did attend and completed the tests across the year thank you and congratulations on your efforts.

Year 10 Reminder - All My Own Work

Students in the two Year 10 Catholic Studies classes have been completing the NESA All My Own Work Course in recent weeks. This course is a NESA requirement for all students in NSW to complete before being allowed to start Year 11 course work. With time running out in the term there are a number of students who are yet to complete the four online modules that make up the course. To avoid lost class time at the start of 2025 we ask that students yet to complete the course do so and provide the evidence of completion of each of these modules. A reminder any student doing Year 11 SOR or an elective Pathways course (including Skills For Work) does not need to do this as they completed the course last year.

Years 7-10 Reports

Reports are being finalised and will be distributed by the end of Week 9. We will be holding Parent Teacher Interviews in Week 10. This is an opportunity for parents/carers to discuss their child's progress across Semester 2 to help start preparations for further academic growth in 2025.

PAT Testing

Students in Years 7-10 have been completing the second round of PAT Testing in Numeracy and Reading. Preliminary results are encouraging with significant growth evident in both domains in most cases. Each student will be issued an informal report showing the comparison between their result at the start of the year and the end of the year in coming days.

Subject Eligibility Tracker (Years 9 & 10)

Students in Years 9 and 10 will be issued with an updated subject eligibility tracking report in coming days. This report compares a students current academic progress with what we feel are the minimum academic standards required to be automatically eligible for senior HSC courses.

For Year 10 students this should be used as a guide to make a final reflection on the subjects they have chosen for Year 11 to make sure they have chosen subjects that complement their ability.

For Year 9 this is the first time they have received this report. As students move to Year 10 and begin the HSC subject selection process this is an opportunity to consider the subjects they may be interested in selecting and comparing their current level of progress to that which is expected for each stage 6 course. This provides a chance for students to make any changes to their school and home study habits to maximise the number of courses available for them in the subject selection process.

Year 12 Cookery ll

During Week 6 Year 12 Cookery ll spent time getting some culinary experiences out in industry. From all reports our students enjoyed the week and learnt another range of skills, all supervisors were impressed with their skills. Thank you to the following businesses for supporting our students.

• Culinarious Catering
• Ambiance Ristorante
• Amber's Cafe
• Kiama Leagues Club
• Rookie Restaurant
• Smith's Lane Eatery Cafe
• Steamers Restaurant

Year 12 Cookery ll made a range of delicious pizzas this week. The students made a 6kg batch of dough to prove and ferment in the fridge over the weekend, they then made a classic tomato, mozarella and basil pesto, a potato and pinenuts, a chorizo, tomato and marinated vegetables, finishing off with some dessert pizzas. 

Year 12 Cookery ll made a large range of salads and desserts. Nicoise, chicken and pasta, calabrese, Greek salad and some nectarine puff pastry tarts with creme fraiche.

Year 9 and 10 Food Technology

Year 9 and 10 Food Technology had a step up in culinary skills this week. The students made meringue baskets with cream and fresh fruit. Lots of technical skills and carefully following instructions. Five out of six groups achieved a great result!

Year 9 and 10 Food Technology also made Ceaser Salad with boiled eggs and pan fried chicken. From all reports the students enjoyed this dish, they used lots of cookery methods to create this meal.

MLC Food Technology

MLC students had fun making some delicious coconut covered balls that were enjoyed by all.

Senior students had some fun playing Rummikub and calculating numbers with Mr Sutton.

The transition and pathways lessons for Years 7 to 10 were delivered last week. The learning objective was to help students recognise and navigate their journey of personal discovery. Specifically, the understanding and appreciation of how one's interests, strengths and purpose align with the world of work. I would like to thank Mr Dribbus and Ms Janson for sharing their journey into the teaching profession. Through sharing their experiences, students were taught how discovering your “purpose” can lead to an enjoyable and fulfilling career.

Celebrating Apprenticeship Success

We are incredibly proud to announce the exciting achievements of our students who have secured apprenticeship roles starting next year! These young professionals are taking the first big step towards their future careers, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Congratulations to:

• Harlen Blue (Year 10)
  Employer: Ash Miller Painting
  Position: Apprentice Painter and Decorator
• Luke Kolts (Year 12)
  Employer: Splice Tech
  Position: Apprentice Mechanic / Polymer Processing Technician
• Ty Smith (Year 10)
  Employer: BITR Enterprises: Illawarra Truck Repairs
  Position: Apprentice Diesel Mechanic
• Ethan Whitfield (Year 12)
  Employer: John Holland
  Position: Apprentice Electrician
• Lachlan Whitfield (Year 11)
  Employer: Illawarra Toyota
  Position: Apprentice Light Vehicle Mechanic

These fantastic opportunities are a testament to their hard work, determination, and passion. Wishing them all the best as they embark on this exciting journey!

Lee Morley
Careers Advisor / TaPS coordinator
morleyl01@dow.catholic.edu.au

UAC

UAC Digital: How to review your UAC application following your ATAR result

Demystify the impact of your ATAR on your uni application. Whether you're fine-tuning your course preferences or contemplating your next steps if you receive an offer, this session is your roadmap to success.

UAC Digital

UAC Dates - December

5 December - December Round 1 Offers Released

18 December - ATARs Released

18 December - Deadline to change preferences for December Round 2

23 December - December Round 2 Offers Released (Main offer round for Year 12 2024 student)

23 December - SRS Conditional offers converted to unconditional offers

University of Wollongong:

UOW Discovery Day 2025 - Registration OPEN!

Student registrations for Discovery Days are open until 3.00pm Friday 13th December 2024, allowing students to sign up and submit their details. Unlike previous years, students will not select their timetables at this stage. Timetable selection will be available in the new year, once schools return, and we will notify you of the exact date soon. 

During the initial registration period, students will select the study areas they are interested in, and UOW will use student responses to design a tailored program based on these preferences.

uow.edu.au/engage/schools-parents/high-school/discovery-days

Once timetable selections are available in the new year once school returns, students will receive a direct link to complete their timetable registration easily ensuring they have speedy access to plan their day.

Useful links 

Other University / TAFE news

SJCHS Careers Instagram

SJCHS Careers Facebook

In these closing weeks of school, I would like to congratulate every student who has been part of the sporting programs for 2025. To every child who signed up and nominated to trial for a team, to every student who had the courage to give sport a go…thank you. Our teams have been working hard this year and the improvement seen in their skill and technique has been phenomenal, but it has also been great to see the students reap the rewards of success as well. Our teams have climbed the ranks at many gala days this year taking out the Girls Hockey Championships, 2nd place in Boys Cricket, Junior Boys Basketball,U16s Girls Blues Tag and U16s Mixed Touch as well as placing higher this year in Girls AFL, Boys AFL, Junior Girls Basketball. For a small school, we have done an outstanding job amongst our diocesan competitors.

I would also like to thank our coaches who have been working hard behind the scenes week in and out to build our teams and share their knowledge and passion for sport with the students. Without this team of coaches, we would not have the great success we are seeing. I encourage your child to take a moment over these next few weeks to say thank you to their coach.

We have already commenced our training and preparation for 2025! We currently have Under 15s Boys Rugby League starting to train, our Junior Soccer teams working hard and also the selection of our U15s & Opens Boys and Girls teams. Early preparation is key to our improvement and giving the students enough time to trial so we are ready to go early next year.

And finally, I would like to thank you as the parents. Without your support to transport your child to and from events and encourage them to take part in our sporting programs, again our teams would not be as strong as they are. The start of Term 1 will be busy, so please keep an eye out for sporting information in your emails and Compass. Our Sports Instagram page (sjchssports) is a great way to stay in the loop with upcoming events and follow our sporting journey.

Miss Stephanie Power
Sport Coordinator

Berg Shield Round 3

Last Friday we took on St Greg’s College from Campbelltown at Des King oval in Albion park.

There was a bit of rain around this morning but we got a coin toss in and play was underway just after 10am. Coaches orders was once again to bowl first however Cody unfortunately lost the toss and we were sent in to bat on a wet wicket.

Our batters never really got going in tough conditions. Ball was swinging a little bit and was also skidding off the pitch. A few nice shots at the top of the order with Ben Gooda finishing on 10 runs, Mitch Whalan 15, Sam Huetter 12.

Ben, Mitch and Lucas Glover were all run out which hurt us.

We did dug in and we ended up getting 80 runs on the board. We still had hope and spirits were good but we knew 80 was well under par. 

St Greg’s came out with some good batting and eventually got the runs 3 down in the 11th over. Lucas Glover picked up 2 good wickets and also Ben Maloney picked up 1 wicket.

Not the result we wanted but a great effort for the junior boys cricket side this year. I do believe we are top 16 in the state and should be proud of getting this far.

Also big thanks to Riley Smith for scoring for us.

Olympic Athlete Workshop

This week we had 2024 Olympian Joshua Azzopardi come to our school and work with students in our Athlete program. He shared his stories and journey from transitioning from junior athlete to senior and the ups and downs along the way.

Joshua competed in the 100m individual event at the Paris Olympics and the 4x100 men's relay. He is part of the National record for this relay team as well. With a PB of 10.14 and on the improve, Josh gave invaluable advice to our up and coming athletes about the importance of training/life balance, staying patient and resilience.

Students then took part in a speed workshop with Josh working on their body position whilst sprinting as well as their foot placement technique. I thank Josh for taking time out of his training to come along and work with our students.

Girl's Cricket

As we close the year, I am so excited to announce our very first Girls Cricket Team for St Joseph’s. The girls will head out next week to Shane Lee Oval to have a friendly match against Holy Spirit College. Thank you to Mr Moran for taking on this team and sharing his brilliant wisdom and knowledge of cricket with the girls. We wish the team the best of luck and hope they have a great day out!

Joey's donations to Fiji

In November, Year 8 student Harry Rae travelled to Fiji to play in the Ultimate Fiji Soccer Cup. The boys played well securing second place.  Beyond the soccer matches, the players had the unique opportunity to visit Fijian villages, meet local players, and gain insight into the daily life and schools in these communities. As part of this enriching experience, St Joseph's generously donated sports jerseys and school supplies to the Fijian students and schools, who expressed heartfelt gratitude for the support. This event highlighted the power of sport in building connections and fostering a spirit of generosity.

Welcome to the first Kembla entry of House News. We are so excited to be able to spread the Kembla word and involve all of our wonderful parents, carers and friends in our community.

We are certain with our new enthusiastic House leaders and our strong sense of community and passion we will be able to take out the House Cup again in 2025!

Kembla is What? RED HOT!

Jamberoo Action Park

Kembla house was rewarded this year with a fun filled day at Jamberoo Action Park for being the 2024 House Cup Winners. Friday the 22nd of November was a great day out with almost every Kembla House member attending. It was an amazing opportunity to experience the park and all the rides without any lines! Everyone got involved and even the Kembla teachers were seen running around the park and getting tossed around in the slides.

We would like to thank the P&F for paying for this trip to Jamberoo. Huge thanks to the P&F!!

Year 6 Orientation Day

We were introduced to our new 2025 Kembla House members at the year 6 orientation day this term after the Sorting Hat Ceremony. We are so excited to welcome an awesome group to our ranks who seem ready and excited to get involved. We were able to spend some valuable time together, practicing the best house chant and getting engaged in team building activities.

Our English faculty has a strong focus on the enjoyment of reading and as in past years, we encourage all students to participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge. This year, we would like to recognise the following students for their outstanding efforts:

• Anayah Geraedts
• Oliver Gana
• Denver Spencer
• Nathan Berto
• Gabriella Alessi (who received a Platinum award for her seventh successful year in the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge)

 A huge congratulations to these students and a big thank you to all of our students for their participation! Reading is our window into the world of opportunity!

2025 School Fee General Information

School fees for 2025 will be invoiced and statements will be issued by the end of Week Two with annual or first instalment payment due on 28 February 2025. All school fees are 30 days accounts payable in full unless you wish to pay by instalment or agreement (Both explained below). You may view school fees in the Compass Parent Portal.

IF YOU WISH TO PAY BY INSTALMENTS
Many families have already elected to pay their school fees by instalments. If you wish to avail yourself of this option, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on St Joseph’s website or in the holder on the wall at St Joseph’s finance office. On completion of the request either email it  to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at St Joseph’s office.

Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your account and a schedule of payments and due dates will be provided on your detailed school fee statement at the beginning of the year .

Please note if you are paying by instalments at St Joseph’s or at a primary school you are coming from, no need to complete another request to pay by instalment form unless you want to change the frequency. It is only necessary to complete this form ONCE during the period of child/children’s enrolment unless you wish to amend your payment frequency. You may only have ONE instalment frequency across schools eg fortnightly at both.

Completion of a Request to pay by instalment IS NOT an authority for payment from your bank account, you need to setup BPay or a regular payment from your bank.

IF YOU WISH TO PAY BY AGREEMENTS
Many families wish for a more flexible payment arrangement paying irregular lump sums throughout the year ensuring fees are paid in full by year end or an annual payment at tax time or after the 30 days deadline in February has lapsed. Your Agreements need to be updated yearly, please contact St Joseph’s Finance office by phone 4230 8525 or email accounts@sjchsdow.catholic.edu.au .

REMINDERS FOR LATE PAYMENTS
These reminders are automatically generated based on the number of days a payment is overdue and are distributed by the Catholic Education Office. For those families that may have difficulty in paying their school fees, these reminders may cause some distress. This is not our intention. Our intention is to manage the collection of school fee accounts with new technology.

SCHOOL FEE ACCOUNT ENQUIRIES
The invoicing of school fees and the distribution of school fee statements each month, is carried out by the Catholic Education Office. Payment of fees, whether as an annual payment or payment by instalments is due on the date/s provided on your school fee statement.
St Joseph’s will always be your point of contact for matters pertaining to fees. If you wish to discuss your school fee account, please contact St Joseph’s finance office.

DIFFICULTY WITH PAYMENT
If you are experiencing financial difficulty and unable to increase your payments or pay, there are concessions available. We encourage you to contact St Joseph’s to discuss an arrangement that will assist you meet your commitments. This includes the completion of a Diocesan Application for Fee Concession which is available from the holder on the wall at St Joseph’s finance office.

Once the completed Fee Concession form is received, the school may be able to write off some of your outstanding fee balance. Be reassured that your situation will be treated with strict confidentiality and respect for your circumstances.

For those families that received a Fee Concession in 2023, you will receive an email prior to your annual review date attaching a further Application for Fee Concession. If you wish to submit the application, please do so at your child’s school. Please note, if you have children in more than one school, it will only be necessary to submit one application.

TERM 4 2024

December

Monday 16            
Presentation of Awards - 10:45am in the Gym

Wednesday 18
Last day of school for students

 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