Principal's Silver Awards

At Monday's assembly this week, we congratulated the following students in Years 7-11 for their fine achievements in achieving Principal's Silver Awards:

Ryan Cazalet-Smith, Sommer Sacco, Lucas Davison, Cooper McIntyre, Andre Oliveira, Kooper Edwards, Sierra-Jade Martos, Harrison Edwards, Isabelle Sweet, Cohen Smith, Helena Yates, Cooper Thomas, Alyssa Hughes, Jackson Cottam, Matilda Gibson, Oliver Gana, Ben Maloney, Cadence Hardy, Elliot Klein, Holly Welland, Jaxon Davitt-Stonham, Liam De Gabriele, Amy Jedrzejczak, Ebony McCloy, Isaiah Infante, Nikita Toseski, Sienna Kaschubs, Zachary Tobin, Alexandar Sipka, Alyssa Shepherd, Flynn Whalan, Jae Narciso, Nissa Robin, Katelyn Blissett, Kayleigh Alaban, Kobi Shaw, Amelia Morris, Cameron White, Kiana Rieck, Lachlan Whitfield, and Jordan Tasevski.

Two Interstate Trips - WIPCE, Adelaide and Northern Territory Immersion

During the recent school holidays, the World Indigenous Peoples Conference for Education (WIPCE) was attended by Mrs Ball, Miss Acevedo, myself and five St. Joseph's students. The conference was held on 26-30 September at the Adelaide Convention Centre at Tarndanya, the place of the red kangaroo. Sienna Bourke, Shae Rhoden, Madeleine Varga, Preston Wall and Miah Williams proudly represented St. Joseph's by attending the conference with students and staff from St. John the Evangelist and John Therry Catholic High Schools. 

The students had a wonderful time. They participated in a rich cultural program which included an Aboriginal smoking ceremony in which various native plants were burnt to cleanse bad spirits, as well as the Opening Ceremony and Parade of Nations on Monday 26 September. In custom dress, the students processed into the main auditorium performing Aboriginal dance and playing the didgeridoos. The Conference also featured seven Indigenous keynote speakers who addressed the WIPCE themes of Sovereignty, Voice, Youth and Futures, along with 300 workshops from First Nations across the world. The students attended a number of workshops to learn about Indigenous Education in Australia and abroad.

Mrs Karan Taylor from the Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong presented a very informative workshop at the Conference. One of the many highlights of this presentation was an engaging, vibrant and captivating traditional Aboriginal dance and didgeridoo performance by the students from the three selected schools. This was thoroughly enjoyed by participating delegates. The students then confidently led smaller group discussion forums as a part of this workshop. The students were proud ambassadors for their schools and the Diocese. 

At the same time, 14 students and a number of parents and staff participated in a very successful immersion trip to the Northern Territory. Students and staff attended this life-changing experience travelling to and around the regions of Darwin on Larrakia Land, of the Larrakia People. Talking to a number of students, they enjoyed being surrounded by nature and highlights included spending time exploring waterholes, hiking trails, learning local traditional Aboriginal stories and cultural practices and sleeping under the stars. This trip would not have been possible without the preliminary vision and excellent planning and organisation of Miss Corradini. We would also like to thank Mrs Burns, Mrs Behl, Mr Burns, Miss Sneddon, Miss Fohrman and Miss Jensen for attending this trip and once again making the trip possible for the school community members who attended.

Thank you to parents and carers for your support in ensuring that your child is presenting themselves in full school uniform each day. A reminder that the regulation length for the school skirt is to the knee and to please keep a check on your daughter's skirt so that it complies with this requirement. We have had a number of students return to school wearing excess jewellery items. School policy is that these be confiscated and kept securely at the front office till the end of the week. Parents may come to the office to collect it sooner if preferred. Students have also been reminded that white undergarments are not permitted in the Summer terms, Terms 1 and 4. Every student is expected to demonstrate that they belong to the St. Joseph's community by wearing their school uniform with pride both at school and when in the broader community.

Mrs Jenny Bell

Assistant Principal

Term 4 Week 2 and 3

HSC Exams

Year 12 students are currently in the second week of their HSC exams. We wish them all the best and hope they receive the marks commensurate with the effort they have put into their courses over the past 12 months.

Yr 11 Update

Subject Finalisation

Year 11 students are at a point where they can look to drop one subject from their Yr 12 pattern of study. A Year Meeting was held to outline this process with the key points being to ensure students still meet the NESA criteria to qualify for the HSC and an ATAR if they want one. Changes to students' patterns of study will take place from Week 3.

In saying this, students can choose to keep their current pattern of study for as long as they choose before making their final decision on their HSC courses. There may be some benefit in keeping subjects until the first round of HSC assessments is completed at the end of this term before finalising their choices. Students wishing to drop a level in English or Maths will be provided with the respective cut-off dates by the English and Maths Leaders of Learning.

HSC Assessment Requirements

Year 11 students have been emailed a copy of the 2023 HSC Assessment Manual. Students as well as parents/carers are encouraged to take the time to review the manual as it clearly outlines the NESA expectations around assessment, attendance and completion of coursework as well as our school procedures to ensure we comply with these protocols. Students not meeting NESA requirements may place their overall performance or even their ability to qualify for a HSC at risk. We will also be holding a Year Meeting with students to further clarify these requirements and expectations.

2023 Electives

The elective process for 2023 has now closed. I would like to thank students and their parents/carers for the way the process unfolded this year. Year 10 students will have an interview with a senior staff member in the coming weeks to ensure their final selections meet NESA requirements and match their personal abilities and future pathways. Students in Years 9 and 8 will receive final confirmation of their electives for 2023 in the coming weeks also.

Semester 2 Assessment Periods

Please note that assessment weeks for students in Years 7-10 are as follows:

• Year 10 Week 4
• Year 9 Week 5
• Years 7 & 8 Week 6

Exam schedules have been emailed to students. Your child should be accessing the resources available from their class teachers as well as other resources such as Study Samurai Library Study Skills to help with their preparations.

The P&F association meeting scheduled for Monday 31 October at 7 pm has been postponed due to the current industrial circumstances.  

A reminder about school fees for those families who have significant amounts still outstanding.

We have been asked by the CEO to follow up on 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.

On Saturday, Year 11 student, Samuel Morris went to the NSW Air Training School and took a flying lesson. His father was the flight instructor and they flew a few laps over the school and up the coast from Albion Park to Hill 60.

Indianna Surian Year 7, Latisha James Year 9 and Ellie Mitchell Year 11, all participated in the 2022 National Acrobatic Clubs Carnival on the Gold Coast, throughout the holidays. Latisha & Indianna are National Champions, coming away first overall in their selected group/level (11-16 years Trio & Level 10 Trio) and Ellie came second overall in the Level 8 Trio. They all had a wonderful time & displayed all their hard work and training on a National level. All students should be so proud of their efforts! 

Girls' Diocesan Basketball 

On Monday 17th October, the junior and senior girls’ basketball teams met for an early 7 am start at St Joseph’s. We arrived in Wollongong at ‘The Snakepit’ with a combination of nerves and excitement. Both teams had a bit of a tough start against tall and athletic John Terry and St Pat’s, and both went down by quite a lot in their initial games. Neither team put their head down and instead used the disappointing starting games as motivation to improve throughout the day. The junior girls had a very close second game against Mt Carmel, unfortunately being unable to get the win, despite a late comeback. The junior’s final games were against teams with a number of rep players (Holy Spirit and St John’s), and despite showing great hustle and effort, they were unable to come away with a win. A special mention goes to Rebecca McGlashan for being the junior girls’ top point scorer for the day. 

The senior girls had a very close and exciting second game against St Benedict’s, which ended in a 16-16 draw after some scoring confusion. They then had a convincing win for their final pool game against St John’s which put them in the 7th/8th playoff providing a chance to get the win against the team they drew with earlier in the day. A great game, which included two consecutive 3-pointers from Emma Judd and Chloe Bloomfield meant they came away with the win and finished in 7th place. A special shout out to Monica Tololeska for being the senior girls’ top point scorer for the day. 

Both teams showed excellent sportsmanship, effort and camaraderie during the day and are to be commended for trying their hardest all day. A fun day was had by all. Thanks also to Mrs Linsley for organising the teams, Miss Corradini for helping to coach the senior girls, and Tim Bloomfield for refereeing all day (including being selected to referee the grand finals). 

Junior girls’ team:

Elizabeth Bryla, Bethany Campbell, Tahlia Coan, Cate Mansbridge, Rebecca McGlashan, Kiara Shelton, Zahra Wilson

Senior girls’ team:

Chloe Bloomfield, Jessica Cheetham, Hunter Graham, Emma Judd, Kaliah Tindall, Alexandra Tololeska, Monica Tololeska, Madeleine Varga

Boys' Diocesan Basketball 

Our junior (Years 7-9 ) and senior (Years 10 & 11) boys basketball teams had a very early start to their day, leaving Joey’s at 6 am to make the trip to Minto Basketball stadium. We arrived ahead of schedule giving both teams some time to relax and calm their nerves prior to our first game. After numerous training sessions, both teams were excited to play on the Gala Day.  

The junior boys' team played 4 round games, playing against teams who were much older, taller and more experienced. Throughout the day, the boys developed their understanding of the game and became more familiar with each other. Our third game of the day saw the Joey’s boys comfortably beat St Francis, putting themselves into the crossover games to contest 5th to 8th place. Unfortunately, we were unable to win any further games, finishing off the day in the eighth position. A special mention to Thomas Hoffman, who demonstrated excellent leadership and basketball skills. Well done boys, it was a pleasure coaching you. You all displayed outstanding sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game. 

Junior boys’ team: Thomas Welland, Thomas Hoffman, Alex Sipka, Zep Treuen, Samuel Shepherd, Ridhaan Pannala, Tristan Denmeade, Nash Burling, Blake Barsby, Cody Cartwright. 

The Senior Boys' Basketball team also played 4 pool games, competing against schools from around the Diocese. Although they were the youngest competing team, they played with competitiveness, respect and passion, however, we were outplayed by more experienced and taller players. They continuously grew more cohesive as a team and improved their movement and shot selection. Although St. Joseph's students played hard, we lost all 4 games, with the last pool game losing by 2 points to Magdalene. All students enjoyed a competitive day with their friends. Full credit to the team as they never gave up, and played with the utmost respect for the game and their opposition. Plenty of promise, and there is always next year!

Senior Team (L - R): Xavier Infante, Isaac Galea, Matthew Jewitt, Ryan Cazalet-Smith, Lucas Thompson, Liam Cergovski, Harvey Andrews, Luke Kolts. 

Cricket Team:

The Diocesan Boys Cricket Gala Day was held on Wednesday, 19 October at Dalton Park. We were certainly blessed with the weather, as the only sunny, glorious day in recent memory fell on this day. It was a 7 over per game, with St Joseph's Year 7-9 boys playing 4 pool games. We dropped a game early against Edmund Rice, we won the next two games against St Benedict's and St John's. Unfortunately, we lost the last pool game against Magdalene, which led to us finishing third instead of at the top of our pool. We then played Holy Spirit in a battle for 5th/6th, losing that meaning we finished 6th overall. Cricket was definitely the winner after the past 2 years of multiple interruptions to sports and extra-curricular activities. The showing of passion, respect and competitiveness will hold us in good stead for the Berg Shield, which is the longer, knockout competition.

Team: Tristan Denmeade, Wil Moran, Aaron Smith, Tyler Ruprecht, Ben Maloney, Thomas Welland, Archie Faulks, Sam Huetter, Riley Smith, Cody Cartwright.