Year 7

Keiran Blissett

Charlotte Boyton

Myah Grace Bramstedt

Noemi Branchi

Ketzia Jomon

Beau Ledwidge

Heidi Lewis

Levi McEwan

Jacob Piffarelli

Mia Tasevski

Edan Toohey

Jacob Villella

Lily Whittle

Year 8

Matthew Hay

Holly Welland

We also take this opportunity to thank our wonderful SRC students who led school tours at our Open Days for Year 7 2024 and 2025 last Tuesday, 7 and Wednesday, 8 March. The feedback on the information and help provided by these students was excellent. They are all fine ambassadors for St. Joseph's Catholic High School and their time and contributions to these days were greatly appreciated.

We also thank and congratulate all students who participated in a school community initiative of the Environmental Club by cleaning the playground. Our grounds are absolutely spotless! We are blessed to have such expansive and beautiful playground areas and it is a joy to see the students demonstrating respect for their environment.

This coming Friday we celebrate St. Patrick's Day and a prayer for reflection is included below.

Wishing all our families a wonderful week ahead.

Regards,

Jenny Bell

Assistant Principal

Term 1 Week 7

If you have any questions regarding the learning needs of your child then your first point of call will generally be an email or phone call to the relevant classroom teacher. You can also contact the appropriate Leader of Learning or the Curriculum office at any time to discuss other matters should the need arise.

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS 7-12

Bookings for Parent Teacher Interviews are now open in Compass. Interviews for all year groups will be held over two nights, Monday 20 March from 3:40 pm to 8 pm and Wednesday 29 March from 3:40 pm to 8 pm. Interviews will be held via Zoom. Please take this opportunity to meet your child’s teachers for 2023 and to keep up to date with their progress so far this year.  

Subject Selection

The window for changing electives in stage 5 and Year 11 is now closed. Students are locked into these subjects for the remainder of the year. Year 11 students may have the opportunity to review the level of English and/or Maths they are doing halfway through the year. Year 11 students generally can drop a subject from their pattern of study at the end of the Year 11 course at the start of term 4.

Assessment Manuals

All students have been emailed a copy of the 2023 Assessment Manual for their relevant year group. Students and their parents/carers are encouraged to take the time to review these documents to be aware of the requirements around formal assessment. This is particularly important in Years 10-12 where students are working towards their ROSA/HSC and must meet the NESA requirements regarding assessment to obtain these credentials.

Student Assessment

Now that we are into the swing of things we are approaching that stage in the Semester where students will begin sitting Formal Assessment tasks. As mentioned above students have been issued with an Assessment Manual that has the assessment grid for each subject they are studying that outlines when formal tasks will be held and the weighting of those tasks. Some other things to be aware of:

• Students will receive a written notification at least 2 weeks prior to the submission date for each formal assessment task. This will contain specific detail about the nature of the task, the outcomes being assessed as well as submission details
• Tasks need to be submitted on time, and issues with submitting/completing a task should be notified to either the class teacher/Leader of Learning or the Curriculum Office asap.
• Technical issues such as printer not working are generally not considered a valid reason for a task not to be completed
• Students can email work to their teacher as an interim to demonstrate completion of class work, tasks may also be submitted by others such as siblings/parents if a student is absent on the day of submission
• Students who are absent on the day of an in-class assessment task need to make arrangements to complete the task by contacting their class teacher or the Curriculum Office. Tasks will generally be rescheduled for the first day the student returns after their absence
• Students in Years 10-12 need to ensure they are following the appropriate NESA protocol regarding submission/non-submission of tasks

Home Study

Home study is an important process for all students from Years 7-12. Home study is different from completing homework/assessments as it is a way to refine and enhance knowledge of concepts covered in class. All students should be allocating time to home study as part of their weekly schedules, this is particularly important for younger students to help make this process part of their regular routine. This is particularly important for subjects that have scheduled an exam as part of their assessment requirements for the semester (refer to the assessment manual to determine). Students are encouraged to explore various study methods to determine which ones most suit their learning style as well as the subjects they are studying for. Students seeking assistance can discuss with their class teachers if they feel they could do with support.

NAPLAN

ACARA have moved the dates forward for NAPLAN this year. It is scheduled to take place in weeks 8 (next week) and 9. Students in years 7 and 9 will start with their writing test on Wednesday. They will then do tests on Thursday, Monday, and Tuesday. We will run catch-up tests From Wednesday to Friday of week 9 for students who miss any of the tests.

To help your child through this process you may wish to consider accessing the online Naplan Public Demonstration Website. On this page you will find links to the various tests for each year group. It is highly recommended that students take the time to access these practice tests (usually only 10-20 questions/test) as it provides an opportunity to access and familiarise themselves with the online platform and types of questions used for each test. This helps to reduce a lot of anxiety on the day of the tests and supports students in their performance as they know how to access the resources provided such as the calculator, ruler, protractor etc.

A huge congratulations to the whole school for their efforts on Clean Up Joey's Day this past Monday. 99 bags of rubbish was collected from around the school. Congratulations everyone. Thank you to Mrs Musgrave and the environmental team for organising this cleanup.

Singing and Band Practise

Meet Mrs Minns in E01 for  singing and band practice on Friday, new members always welcome .Come along and scan the bar code and  get points for your house as you have fun making music.

Sports Update

It has been a very successful fortnight for our sporting kids. I am so proud of all the students who have participated in team trials, represented our school in touch, and have been selected to represent at a higher level. A reminder to check Compass for regular updates on upcoming trials, nominations, and relevant information so your child does not miss out.

Girls Diocesan Touch Reports

Congratulations to our girl's touch teams who competed last week at the Diocesan carnival. 

Results & MVP:

13s - 6th Place - Ruby Evans

15s - 9th Place - Emily Hollingsworth

Opens - 4th Place - Kiana Rieck

Special mention to Alexandra Tololeska (Open girls teams) who has been selected as part of the Diocesan Representative Team. We wish her all the best in the tournament later this term.

I would also like to thank our three referees and coaches who attended on the day.

Referees:

Cooper McIntyre, Tasman Rippon, and Phoenix Hiscocks. 

Coaches:

Mrs Smith, Mr Hetherington, and Miss Sneddon.

Under 13s Team - Coach: Mrs Smith

The girls started enthusiastically and after 5 games were in 3rd spot out of a pool of 9 teams. Ruby Evans directed the team brilliantly and made some lightning breaks with some fine running also from Noemi Branchi and a try-scoring step from Stacey Rayias. Maddi Crawford and Noemi offloaded quickly from dummy half. Angel Barbaro and Lucinda Akele were quick off the mark and never tired throughout the 8 games. Good defence from Zali Hili, Georgie McLaren, and Abbey Mansbridge. Charlie Mayer put in a good all-round performance and saved a try against St Josephs with her courageous full-length-of-the-field chase. After lunch, lunch sat a bit heavy and the girls lost their last three games sliding into 6th place. A thank you to Phoenix Hiscocks who was the referee for the day for the U13 girls. All the girls showed improvement throughout the games and Ruby Evans has been picked as MVP for the competition. 

Under 15s Team - Coach: Mr Hetherington (Ms Jansson/Ms Rasmussen assistants)

What a day, started off Sunny, and by the second game it was pouring down, and three teams huddled under tents. But our ladies in the under-15s battled on. Our first game was against Magdalene and when the girls who were mainly Oz tag players realised that touch is played differently it was too late down 4-0. Now we were on the right track. We started playing Touch and we had a draw 1-1 against John Therry. Then we hit our straps in the next game winning 2-1 against St Benedict’s. Our next six games were hard-fought. I was very proud of the U15 Team and the way they conducted themselves throughout the competition, They were

respectful in their wins and gracious in defeat. A fantastic representative for St Joseph’s. A great day all round.

Open Girls - Coach: Miss Sneddon

On Friday 3 March, the diocesan touch football tournament was held at Thomas Dalton Park. We had three teams entering the competition, U15s, U15's and an open's senior team. The seniors were off to a great start, winning their first game and tying in their second. The girls kept their spirits high all day and demonstrated great sportsmanship as they came up against some tough teams. Hunter Graham and Emma Judd were strong in their defence, quickly getting the ball up the field and assisting in the tries of all other teammates. Tries were scored by Sommer Sacco, Bella Sacco, Monica Tololeska, Alexandra Tololeska, Kiana Rieck, Chantel Hristovska, and Grace Pomery. Congratulations!

NSW All Schools Triathlon Report 

Individual 

Congratulations to Ashton Byrne and Benjamin Martin of Year 7 for competing in the junior NSW All Schools triathlon on Thursday 23rd February at the Penrith Regatta Centre. Ashton is an accomplished triathlete and holds a position in the Illawarra Academy of Sport for triathlon. He finished midfield in the 12 - 14 years age group. Huge congratulations to Benjamin Martin who completed his first triathlon ever. Both boys needed to swim 400m, ride 10km and run 2km. 

Well done to Ashton and Benjamin. 

Teams

This year we entered five teams in the relay event. Each member of the team was required to either swim, bike, or run. For some of our students, this was their first-ever exposure to triathlon. Well done to our cyclists who were called upon to ride 10 km at pace. For all except Ashton, this was their first bike racing experience.

A big congratulations to our junior boy's team of Te Ari’i Aperau-Bob, Ashton Byrnes, and Pacey Moylan who came home with an NSWCCC Bronze medal. 

Well done to all members of all Joey's teams. 

Juniors Girls: Lily Whittle, Mikayla Fernandez, and Lani Ly

Junior Girls: Xara-Jade McCrimmon, Kiara Shelton, and Maggie Healey

Intermediate Boys: Tasman Rippon, Sam Shepherd, and Harlen Blue

Intermediate Boys: Nayte Miller, Jordan Miller, and Thomas Welland

A big thank you to Mrs Linsley

Elite/Aspiring Athlete Excursion to Baimed Performance Centre

On Wednesday, our Elite/Aspiring Athletes attended Baimed Performance Centre where they completed their second lot of fitness testing. Standouts of the day included Thomas Hofman exceeding jump test results, Declan Bone showing some serious speed in the 40m sprint test, and Tasman Rippon being the last person standing in the Yo-Yo test. 

After fitness testing was completed, students were then given an opportunity to work with a coach from Baimed to go through their new gym program. This program aims to develop students' strength through resistance training that is suitable for their sport and age group. Tyler Morris and Xara-Jade McCrimmon were standouts in their gym programming session demonstrating outstanding efforts in their pull-ups. 

The day ended with a nutritional education session that helped students to understand the basic concepts around fuelling for training, school, and competitions. 

Students in this program will be working with Olympian Sarah Carli early next term to learn about resilience and mental strength through the Olympics Unleashed program. 

St Joseph’s Dance Company 

Students in all years will be offered the opportunity to audition for this dance company. Successful students, will have the opportunity to develop choreography skills and improve their dance technique. Students will also be given multiple opportunities to perform as part of the dance company including school open days and competitions. The company operates as an extracurricular activity before school.

To nominate for the 2023 Dance Company please use the following form:

Audition Nomination Form

Nominations Close: Friday 24th March (Week 9)

Audition Date: Tuesday 4th April (Week 11)

13s Boys Rugby Nominations 

We are looking to enter the upcoming Shawn Timmins Shield Competition in Week 11 and invite students who currently play rugby league outside of school to nominate to trial for this team. Due to time restraints, current playing experience is a necessity for safety.

Nominate here: https://forms.gle/4u6X35nJcg9uXZ5c8

Nominations close: Monday 13th March (Week 8)

Junior Boys & Girls Soccer teams & info

Over the past couple of weeks, students have been trialing for our Junior Soccer teams which will compete in Week 10 (Friday 31st March). We had over 60 boys attend the trials who were run through drills and mini-games to show their skill and ability. Joining us for these workshops has been Neil Mann from the Wollongong Wolves who has been providing our students with his knowledge and expertise to upskill all students in their soccer.

This Friday (17th March), both boy's and girl's soccer teams will be completing trials or commencing their team training. The Boys Pathways team and both girl's teams will be finalised next Friday.

I would like to congratulate the following 13s Boys on making the team:

2023 13s Boys Soccer Team

Max Gamble

Beau Deaves

Ashton Byrne

Sam Goodwin

Archie Spencer

Max Elliot

Tynnan Fuga Paglialunga

Lachlan Mackillop

Phoenix Sherwood

Joshua Thiruthanathi

Beck Bissett-Amess

Jaxson Ford

Kobe Heeley

Beau Ledwidge

Jacob Villella

Upcoming NSWCCC Trials

Registrations are now open for the 2023 NSWCCC trials.

If your child plays at a high/rep level for their sport and is keen on trialing 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

Upcoming Events:

NSWCCC/All Schools Volleyball SELECTIONS U15s Boys & Girls @ Netball Central (Sydney Olympic Park) 6 April CLOSE DATE: 31st March @5pm

NSWCCC RUGBY SELECTIONS 18's & 16's - Boys @ Rowland Park 26 & 27 April CLOSE DATE: 14 April 

NSWCCC RUGBY 7s SELECTIONS GIRLS - @ Rowland Park 27 April CLOSE DATE: 14 April @5pm

NSWCCC WATER POLO SELECTIONS Open Boys & Girls @ Ryde 1 May CLOSE DATE: 21 April @5pm

NSWCCC AFL SELECTIONS U15s Girls @Wagga Wagga 1 & 2 May CLOSE DATE: 14 April @5pm

NSWCCC Basketball SELECTIONS Open Boys & Girls @ Sutherland 8th May CLOSE DATE: 28 April @5pm

NSWCCC Basketball SELECTIONS U16's Boys & Girls @Sutherland Sutherland 9th May CLOSE DATE: 28 April @5pm

NSWCCC Football SELECTIONS U16's Boys @ Kareela 10 May CLOSE DATE: CLOSE DATE: 28 April @5pm

Sporting Success 

Congratulations to Tayissa Buchanan and Grace Pomery on their results from NSW Junior State Championships.

Grace placed 2nd in the U20 1500m and 3rd in the 800mm. Grace has qualified for Nationals and will compete at this event later in March.

Tayissa placed 2nd in the U18 800m and 3rd in the 400m with a shiny new PB. She also competed in the NSW Open State Championships, where she ran a PB to make the final and placed 7th overall. She will also be competing at Nationals later in March.

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

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

St Joseph’s Sport Instagram Page 

For all things sport follow our new social media page.

@SJCHSSPORTS

Regards,

Stephanie Power
Sports Coordinator & PDHPE Teacher

Uniform Shop Winter Hours

Resume of normal trading hours from

Monday 17.4.23 – 11.30am-4.30pm

Thursday 20.4.23 – 8.30-1.30pm.