Term 1 Week 4 - 24th February 2023

Staff Acknowledgement

I sincerely thank Mr Shane Hyland, our Leader of Evangelisation for his outstanding coordination of our recently held Inaugural Mass and Ash Wednesday Liturgy. Of course, alongside Mr Hyland is a team of staff playing important roles to bring gatherings such as these to fruition. I would like to pay special thanks to some key staff members; to College Youth Minister Emily Burg for your support and tireless organisation, to Year 11 student Hannah Jennings for beautifully commentating on these occasions and to Adam Jennings and Dane Bittu for being altar servers, to our junior and senior Youth Ministry teams for their roles throughout the services, to Mrs Julie Hickling, for her administration role and lastly to the entire staff of St Joseph's Regional College, our teachers are amazing, thank you for preparing and organising students for these occasions.

Extraordinary Minister of Communion

At the beginning of our Inaugural Mass, Father Paul Gooley commissioned six Eucharist ministers. Congratulations to; Mrs Hulbert, Hannah Jennings, Jacob Somers, Ella Juric, Ellyra Squires and Isabella Dragos who can now undertake the role of Extraordinary Minister of Communion. 

These members of our community are to be entrusted with administering the Eucharist at St Joseph’s Regional College during 2023.

I refer you to the full report by the Leader of Mission, Mr Bushe.

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Family Connect Service

Our school, Social Futures and the Catholic Schools Office are in partnership to integrate the 'Family Connect in Schools Service' into our school. Jerico Navea is the Family Connect Worker for our school.

The Family Connect in Schools Service helps families to connect with a wide range of services in the community. They can also accompany families to service appointments and case manage a support plan if a family needs a significant variety of services.

Families are able to self-refer by directly contacting Jerico by phone or email (0419 720 515 or jerico.navea@socialfutures.org.au)

We invite you to read the following profile that Jerico has prepared:

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Hi, my name is Jerico Navea, and I will be your Social Futures Family Connect in Schools Program Worker. I have 7 years of experience working as a case worker, youth worker, program manager and facilitator in the Child, Youth and Family support sector for both Non-Government and Government organisations in Melbourne, Sydney and now in the beautiful Birpai Land - Port Macquarie. I am passionate in my work with supporting families, children and young people experiencing challenging circumstances and draw on my experience, skills, compassion, and understanding to support families with their goals and needs. I very much look forward to collaborating with the Catholic Schools in Port Macquarie and offering my support and services to the families and students within your school.

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College Fee Statements

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Statements will be emailed to families today regarding College fees and levies. Every cost allows us to provide your child/ren with the highest quality educational experience.

This first statement will provide you with a breakdown of your latest charges, the levies are listed below:

Subject / Course fees: This fee is an aggregated amount that covers costs such as course equipment and maintenance of equipment associated with the provision of the curriculum.

Resource Fee: The curriculum component of the resource fee covers things such as purchasing of textbooks, including e-books, repair to existing texts, and software platform costs, such as licensing for various subjects. This fee has been largely subsidised by the College in previous years .

Activity costs: There will sometimes be other costs that will be billed for occasions such as elective sports, retreats and excursions.

Please note: Tuition Fees are paid at the Parish and do not appear on your College statement. Statements for tuition fees come directly from the Parish Office.

Parents are asked to please pay their account by the due date, 31st March 2023.
Payment may be made by cash, cheque, EFTPOS or BPAY.

Sometimes, for very good reasons that are usually out of your control, an account cannot be paid by the due date. If you are experiencing difficulties in paying your account, please contact the College Office as soon as possible, preferably before the due date. We will then be able to offer some assistance, such as extending the time to pay or offering a payment by instalment option.


2022 College Yearbook

Our College Yearbook is a great historical record of the St Joseph's Regional College school year.

The 2022 Yearbook has now been distributed to current students, while students who were in Year 12, 2022 can collect their copy from the College office.

A limited number of copies are available to purchase for $20 from the College office.

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Afternoon Pickup and Bus Safety

Keeping our students, staff and visitors safe is a priority for us. This year, we have implemented and will continue to enforce the additional safety measures regarding afternoon pickups, and I thank you for your corporation in supporting these measures.

This week is Bus Safety Week, and given this, it is a timely reminder that when driving on College grounds, there is a 10km speed limit.  We all have a part to play in pedestrian movement and bus safety. Buses are large, heavy vehicles that do not stop quickly. It is important that motorists, pedestrians, school children, parents, and bus passengers #BeBusAware to avoid accidents in and around buses.

I sincerely thank families for their patience and understanding when collecting their children from the College grounds in the afternoon.

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Collection Notice for parents/guardians

Please take a moment to read the following information received from The Australian Government Department of Education regarding the collection of student information. 

Mrs Tanya Daley
Principal

Web Article Wellbeing Student Welfare Principal's Message Administration News

Parent Partnerships - Year 7, Year 11 & Year 12

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We look forward to welcoming families and students of Year 7, Year 11 and Year 12 cohorts to our College on Monday, 6th March. This is an opportunity for Year 7 to meet & greet teachers, staff and other College families. For Years 11 & 12, this will be their first Parent-Teacher interviews of 2023. 

Parent-Teacher interviews are a fantastic opportunity for families to meet with teachers, and we encourage students to attend along with their parents. You are most welcome to stop and connect with other families at the complimentary BBQ that will be held on the evening. 

Families of students in Years 8-10 will have an opportunity to meet with teachers on Monday, 15th May. There will also be another evening held later in the year on Monday, 21st August, for all year groups.

Following my article is further information about the process of booking a Parent-Teacher interview.

Uniform Reminders

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A huge thank you to our families for your support of the phase-out of the old-style sports shorts. All students are now wearing the new shorts with yellow trim. Feedback from students is that the new shorts are much cooler than the previous style. The draw-string waist also allows for greater flexibility in sizing options. A reminder that all shorts should be “mid-thigh length” as per the Student Code of Presentation.

We appreciate your support in ensuring our high standards of presentation are maintained for all students within our College community.

ESafety advice for parents - ThinkUKnow program

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The Australian Federal Police (AFP) are urging families to be proactive this school year and update the privacy settings on children’s devices to help prevent predators from contacting them online.

The AFP-led ThinkUKnow program – Australia’s first and only nationally delivered, law enforcement-led online safety program – has produced guides for parents and carers.

  • Gaming devices and what you need to know
  • Parent and carer social media starter kit

For more information, visit this website.

Hastings Youth Voice

Are you between 12-25 and want to influence what goes on in your community?

There is a great opportunity for you to join a working group that will work together to develop a youth voice within the community and share that voice with Councillors and Council staff.

The group will comprise of young people who are from all walks of life including from different schools, colleges, universities and other youth-based organisations from across the region. Young people who have varied areas of interest will represent the diversity of youth living in the Port Macquarie-Hastings area.

If this sounds like you, then we would love for you to get involved.

https://portmacquarie.applynow.net.au/jobs/PMC2022306

Applications close Friday, 31 March 2023 at 11.30pm.

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Mrs Jennifer Furney
Assistant Principal- Pastoral Care

Web Article Student Welfare Assistant Principal - Pastoral Uniform Wellbeing Year 7

Year 7 Meet & Greet
Year 11 & Year 12 Parent Interviews

Monday, 6th March 2023
in the College Hall from 4:00pm – 7:00pm

Bookings will OPEN today at 4:00pm
and will CLOSE at 9.00am on Monday, 6th March.

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On Monday, 6th March we will hold Meet & Greet interviews for parents of Year 7 students, and subject interviews for parents of Year 11 and 12 students. Interviews will commence at 4:00pm and will be held in the College Hall.

Year 7 - This night provides parents/guardians of Year 7 students with the opportunity to have a 5 minute meeting with each of their child's teachers (not PC Teachers as you met with them early in the year).  Students are encouraged to attend the evening with their parents.

Year 7 students will be given a note, outlining the process for booking an interview time with each of your child's teachers. To assist you with your booking, your child's teachers and subjects are printed on the back of the note.

Year 11 & 12 - These interviews provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in either their Preliminary or HSC Courses.

Booking an Interview

Before you log in to book an interview, please have a copy of your child’s timetable with subjects and teachers' names for each subject.

To book your interviews (5 minutes per teacher)

  1. Access the School Interviews website by clicking directly on the link below or scanning the QR code. 
  2. Follow the below instructions

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/3fnaf

Parent_Teacher_QR_code_6Mar23.pngEnter the School Event Code from the box below
and then follow steps 1, 2 and 3.

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Don't forget to click finish. Your interview timetable will then be emailed to you automatically – check your junk mail folder if you do not receive your email immediately.  

You can return to the site at any time and change your interviews – until bookings close.

Please REMEMBER to bring the confirmation email with your interview times on it to the evening.

Parents who do not have access to the internet at home, at work, at a friend’s house, or on their phones, may send a note in with the approximate times they require or phone the College on 5525 4100.

We look forward to meeting with you.

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Dates for your Diary

  • Monday 15th May 2023 - Years 8-10 Parent/Teacher Interviews
  • Monday 21st August 2023 - Year 7-12 Parent/Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interview

St Joseph's Regional College Inaugural Mass

Our Inaugural Mass was held on Wednesday, 15th February in our College Hall. During this time, the hall was transformed into a sacred space and we were so proud of the way our students demonstrated reverence for the occasion. We extend our gratitude to all who prepared the liturgy: Mr Shane Hyland, Emily Burg (our College Youth Minister), Mrs Leanne Johnson, Josh Wright, Jonah Garven and all the other staff and students for their contributions.

The Scripture and prayers were centred around our 2023 College them of 'Justice'. Father Paul Gooley presided over the Mass and shared an insightful and entertaining homily on our theme.

Father Paul began with a challenge to guess what may have been printed on two t-shirts he was given last year. One was an image of well-known superheroes sitting around Jesus, and Jesus is saying “...and that’s how I saved the world.” The second had an appropriate Superman crest with a P instead of an S. Around it was “I am a priest… what’s your superpower?” Father Paul asked students to talk with those around them about who their favourite superhero is and why. He then revealed that his favourite has always been The Phantom! He is also known as “the ghost who walks”, “guardian of the Eastern dark”, and “the man who cannot die”. Unlike many superheroes, he has no superpowers. He totally relies on his strength and intelligence.

We were then challenged to work out the one thing that these superheroes all have in common. It was that they all... fight for justice. They all try to make things right, they all work for peace, and they all help those in need. Father Paul reminded us that these are all features of Jesus Christ. In his earthly ministry, this is what Jesus taught his disciples and, in turn, us to do. We need to be heroes for justice in our school community and in our world. This is our challenge in 2023.

We look forward to sharing more good news stories and accounts of our community members working for justice for others.

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Ash Wednesday and the Beginning of Lent

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During this past week, we also participated in an Ash Wednesday Liturgy. Again, we thank all students for their reverence and respectful participation in the liturgy.

Ash Wednesday marks the end of Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Cycle of the Church. A new season begins, called Lent. The colours in the church go from green to purple. Purple symbolises a period of waiting and expectation. The mood of Lent is one of repentance. It is a time to turn from ways that do not line up with the teachings of Jesus and draw nearer to God’s will for our lives.

There are three key themes of Lent:

  • Prayer - spending time in God’s presence in formal and informal ways
  • Fasting - going without something as a way of joining Jesus in the human struggle of his trial and death.
  • Almsgiving - sacrificing some of our finances to support causes such as Caritas’ Project Compassion.

Ash Wednesday’s name comes from the fact that a particular rite is always celebrated on this Wednesday in which the faithful have ashes put on their foreheads. The ashes come from the leftover palms from Palm Sunday the previous year. They are a ‘throwback’ from early times in Christianity where, as a sign of penitence, the faithful would put ashes on themselves to symbolise their remorse for their sins.

Over the next 40 days, the Scripture readings during Masses address key points during Jesus’ earthly ministry, from his temptation in the desert through to his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday before he endures his Passion during Holy Week (the last week of Lent before Easter).
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Impact Uganda Raffle

Thank you to all those students who have already purchased tickets in our Raffle to raise money to send children in Uganda to school. We extend a special thanks to Ned McRae in Year 12 who generously donated a large sum to support this cause. Our Student Leaders of Mission will continue to sell tickets next week. We hope to send at least two Ugandan students to school and we can do this if everyone in our College spent only $1 in this raffle. For more information about this cause, please visit: https://www.emmanuelcommunity.com.au/impact-uganda

Thank you Hastings Co-Op IGA Sovereign Place IGA for a generous donation of five two-kilogram blocks of Cadbury Chocolate to give away.

Tickets are on sale at lunch near the canteen area.
$1 each or 3 for $2.

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St Agnes' Church Gospel Reflections 

Fr Paul Gooley is continuing to provide Gospel readings and reflections via email and online Monday to Saturday for those interested in connecting with their faith in this way.

Click to watch Fr Paul's Gospel Readings and Reflections.

St Agnes' Parish News Bulletin

Each week the Parish produces a news bulletin. In this week’s bulletin:

  • Homelessness Support continues
  • Bishop Greg Lenten reflections
  • Catholic Mission Support for the people of Turkey and Syria
  • Return of Children's Liturgy of the Word
  • Music Ministry volunteers needed
  • Baptism Information sessions across Feb and March

Click to read this week's Parish News Bulletin

Mr Matthew Bushe
Assistant Principal- Mission
Web Article Mass and Liturgies Assistant Principal - Mission

At our Ash Wednesday liturgy, we launched Project Compassion 2023. As Caritas Australia’s main annual fundraising campaign, Project Compassion aims to raise much-needed funds to help alleviate poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity in the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in the world. Project Compassion is an extraordinary demonstration of the faith, empathy and generosity of our Catholic community.

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This week, the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

The theme of Project Compassion 2023 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good we do today extends to impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues. We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through prayer, fasting and almsgiving in support of Project Compassion. Each family will receive a Project Compassion box and/or a set of envelopes for their donations or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion

In this season of Lent, we encourage all students to give what they can for those that aren't as lucky as us. 

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We begin our annual Lenten Project Compassion journey by learning about Laxmi, a 16-year-old girl living in Jajarkot, a remote district in Nepal where almost half of the population lives below the poverty line. Tragedy struck when Laxmi was 10 years old, and her father passed away. Her father worked hard to pay for his children's education and after losing him, Laxmi was at risk of falling further into extreme poverty.

With the support of our partner Caritas Nepal, Laxmi joined a child's club at her school, where she was encouraged to resume her education. Through the child’s club, Laxmi developed the skills and confidence to become a leader, advocating for clean water taps at her school.

Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer. She continues to be involved in the child's club, serving as an advisor and mentoring the next generation of young leaders at her old school.

Watch a short film about Laxmi’s story here.

Please support Project Compassion: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion.

Web Article Pastoral Care Evangelisation

HSC Callbacks

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In 2022, Year 11 student Hannah Jennings as part of her HSC acceleration pattern of study, completed her HSC Dance course which consisted of the following elements:

  1. A Core Performance work. This is a 3–5-minute performance that is choreographed by the teacher to highlight the students’ skill and technique
  2. A Core Composition work. This is a 3–5-minute work that is choreographed by the student and is taught to another student to perform for the examination.
  3. Major Work, which in Hannah’s case was a Major Study Performance. This work is a 4–8-minute performance that is choreographed by the teacher to highlight the stamina, performance quality and technique of the student.
  4. Core Appreciation. This is the written component of the dance course where students are required to analyse professional dance works in essay form.

Following the completion of her practical examinations in August, Hannah received Callback nominations for all three of her practical works:

  • Core Performance
  • Core Composition
  • Major Study Performance
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What is special about Creative Arts subjects is that once all the HSC results are released, the Creative Arts and other practical subjects get the chance to be awarded and chosen to represent the school in state-wide exhibitions of their works. For dance, this exhibition is known as ‘Callbacks’, which is the annual showcase of performances and compositions by HSC students of dance, presented by the NSW Education Standards Authority and the NSW Department of Education. This year there were over 700 nominations for Callback, but only works were chosen.

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In December of 2022, Hannah Jennings was chosen to perform her Core Performance work in the HSC Dance Callback exhibition, as well as, her Core Composition was placed on the waitlist to also be presented. This is a dream come true for any HSC dance student, and on Thursday, 9 February 2023, Hannah got the opportunity to perform her Core Performance work at the Seymour Centre, Sydney in front of an audience of over a thousand people. Not only did Hannah perform her work in both the matinee and evening shows, but she was also selected on the day to speak to future HSC dance students in workshops, as well as be selected for an on-stage interview about the HSC Dance content. Some of our staff and Creative Arts students travelled to Sydney to watch Hannah at Callbacks and reported back that she represented the SJRC community with dignity and grace throughout the entire day.

It is an absolute honour to be selected for such a prestigious event, as it is well known that only the top 5-10% of the state get the opportunity to perform on the Callback stage. We are so proud of Hannah’s achievements. Congratulations, Hannah!

I refer you to the report by Hannah.

I was fortunate enough to have been invited to the 2022 HSC Callbacks. "Callbacks" is an event showcasing and celebrating the outstanding achievements of the top performers from the practical portion of the syllabus as a part of the HSC Dance cohort of 2022. They can provide a highly valuable insight into the standards and outcomes for current and future dancers and their teachers. Of the cohort last year there were 700 nominations from all over the state and only 34 students were selected.

Just to be nominated for something such as this was beyond what I thought I could achieve. It was a goal I had set for myself at the beginning of my HSC journey with Mrs Woods and Miss Oppedisano (aka Miss O) and it is hard to explain the true feelings and to understand what this actually means.

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Over the course of the first two weeks back to school this year, I made several trips to and from Sydney to take part in a workshop with other performing students, a launch event where I had the privilege of meeting the Minister of Education, Sarah Mitchell, as well as a technical rehearsal. But most importantly, my show on Thursday 9 Feb which included two Q&A sessions, where schools bring their students to hear what the journey can bring and entail for them a matinee show and a night time performance where I danced my 'Core Performance, Gravity'.

Overall it was such a positive and joyful experience. The organising team truly wanted the best for every dancer, ensuring we were well-prepared to put our best foot forward. I also met some stunning dancers but also beautiful people, from the backstage chats and laughs with all the dancers to being able to share my hard work over the last two years, I am very grateful for having been a part of this event. I couldn't have done it without the support of my teachers, Mrs Woods and Miss O and my parents and the endless trips they made to make this dream become a reality.
Hannah


Year 11 & 12 Study Skills Seminars

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On Tuesday, 7th March, Year 11 and Year 12 will attend Study Skills seminars at the College, conducted by Elevate Education.

These seminars have proved to be extremely useful over the years and are a great opportunity for Year 11 students to pick up skills that will help them handle the increased workload of senior school, and assist Year 12 students in preparing for their major exams at the end of the year.

  • Year 11 Periods 1&2 (9:05am-11:05am)
  • Year 12 Periods 3&4 (11:35am-1.35pm)


Ian Lutton
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Web Article Student News Year 12 Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Food for Thought

Year 11 and 12 students have settled into their pattern of study for the start of the academic year. There has been a strong focus on students taking advantage of the support offered here at the College.

One of the programs we offer our senior students is the "Food for Thought" program which operates from 3:15pm-4:30pm Monday to Thursday in the Library. As part of this program, students are offered a quiet place to study, complete homework, prepare for assessments or just keep on top of their workload. To help maintain their energy levels, food is provided, ranging from fresh fruit each afternoon and light snacks to 'Hot Food Tuesday, which this week, included party pies and sausage rolls.

Additionally, teachers often run subject seminars, and this week we had seminars in Visual Art, Economics and English Standard. Thank you to Mrs Pares, Mr Harper and Ms Marchment for offering these sessions to our senior students. Students are strongly encouraged to attend at least two sessions a week, and currently, we are averaging over 30 students attending each afternoon.

Cold Write

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On Monday, Week 3 of this term, our Year 7 and Year 9 students were asked to compose a “cold write” for our literacy team to assess. Students were given various prompts they could choose from and were tasked with writing an extended piece in a 35-minute window, on a subject of their own choosing.

The purpose of the “cold write” was to assess the mechanics of student writing and to determine key focus areas for whole school literacy improvement work here at the College. We recognise that literate individuals have the best outcomes at school and in life. We are committed to strong literacy standards in order to facilitate targeted growth in this area. We have high expectations in this regard and aim to increase the rigour and development of our students in literacy.
Students are marked to proficiency scales, and work samples are retained for our improvement focus.

Parents can expect an email this term with their child’s proficiency scale marksheet and work sample attached.

Please don’t hesitate to call me if anything requires further clarification.

Assessment Matters

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We are at the end of week 4 after a very busy first month here at St Joseph’s Regional College.

As the weeks continue to pass this term, students will start bringing home assessment tasks to prepare for. It is timely, then, to bring to your attention some assessment matters which will set your child up for success.

Students typically receive both a hard copy and an electronic copy of assessment tasks to aid their organisation. Completing these formal assessment tasks are a required component of your child’s education here at the College. Assessments are important because:

  • they let us know what students can do and what they cannot,
  • they provide motivation for students to attempt to achieve their best,
  • they help teachers differentiate instruction in order to cater for learning needs.

There are two types of assessment tasks:

  • In-class assessments: Students complete these tasks in their allocated class time.
  • Hand-in assessments: Students complete these tasks and hand this in at a designated time and date.

If a student fails to complete a hand-in assessment or is absent from an in-class assessment, we will be informing parents via email.

Legitimate grounds for student absence from assessment tasks do occur – a student might be ill, away on an excursion or attending a College endorsed event. If a student is away on the day an in-class assessment is carried out, regardless of the reason, they must report to Ms Marchment, Leader of Curriculum on their FIRST DAY back at school after being away. This is to ensure that the task is completed in a timely fashion and the student can access their results promptly.
We are hoping that we can work together in partnership to ensure the best learning and teaching outcomes for all students.
Further to this, the first page of the assessment task notification contains information to keep students and parents informed about the processes for failure to complete assessment tasks. This information is also contained within the College diary.

This information is as follows:

Non-submissions of HAND IN tasks:

Penalties apply for late and non-submission of hand-in tasks. As per College policy, students will incur deductions of:

    • 30% of the maximum assessment mark for the first day of non-submission,
    • 20% for the second, third and fourth days, and
    • 10% for the fifth day of non-submission.

Students will be required to complete the task regardless of whether marks are allocated to this task.

Students are encouraged to speak with their classroom teacher, in the first instance,
regarding reasons for non-submissions.


Non-submissions of IN-CLASS tasks:

All students are required to complete all in-class tasks. If a student is absent from school on the day an in-class task was to be completed, they must do the following:

    1. See the Leader of Curriculum, Ms Anne Marchment, on the first day back at school to organise a “catch up”.
    2. Complete the task to the best of their ability.

If students fail to adhere to these requirements and do not organise their “catch-up” task on immediate return to school, penalties for non-attempts may be incurred. As per College policy, students will incur deductions of:

    • 30% of the maximum assessment mark for the first day of non-attempt
    • 20% for the second, third and fourth days
    • 10% for the fifth day of non-attempt.

Students will be required to complete the task regardless of whether marks are allocated to this task.


Thank you for your support of our assessment practices.

Anne Marchment
Leader of Curriculum

Web Article Year 12 Assistant Principal - Curriculum Student News
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The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point-in-time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills. Each year students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

From 2023, NAPLAN is moving to Term 1 and will take place from Wednesday, 15 March to Monday, 27 March. The reason for this change is so that results can be returned to schools earlier in the year which will support teachers to understand the learning needs of their students and plan accordingly.

Our school will be participating in NAPLAN between Thursday, 16 March to Tuesday, 21 March 2023 and the following tests will occur on the dates indicated:

  • Thursday 16 March – Writing
  • Friday 17 March – Reading
  • Monday 20 March – Conventions of Language
  • Tuesday 21 March – Numeracy

Additionally, students who miss a NAPLAN test will sit a catch-up exam during the testing period from Thursday 16 March until Monday 27th March 2023.

All students require a working set of headphones and a fully charged laptop for each test.

NAPLAN tests are just one part of our school learning assessment program and questions are primarily based on knowledge, understanding and skills gained from the prior year of schooling.

Students and parents can access the public demonstration site https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN and the types of questions and tools available. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact our NAPLAN Coordinators.

Anne Marchment, Lisa Freeman and Sarah McLeod

Each year, our College provides the venue for NSW Health to conduct the NSW Schools Vaccination Program. We are writing to advise that NSW Health has a new process for collecting consent for your child to receive their vaccination at school. I refer you to the information below provided by NSW Health;

Year 7 and Year 10 Vaccination Program Dates

Term 1 – Friday 31 March 2023

• Year 7 HPV dose 1 of a 2-dose course – (HPV dose 1 & 2 are given six months apart)
• Year 7 Boostrix – 1 dose only
• Year 8 HPV dose 2 - catch up
• Year 11 Nimenrix (meningococcal ACWY) – catch up

Term 2 – Friday 16 June 2023

• Year 10 Nimenrix (meningococcal ACWY)
• Year 7 catch ups for HPV dose 1 & Boostrix
• Year 8 HPV dose 2 - catch up
• Year 11 Nimenrix (Meningococcal ACWY) – catch up

Term 4 – Friday 13 October 2023

• Year 7 HPV dose 2
• Year 7 HPV dose 1 & Boostrix - catch up
• Year 8 HPV dose 2 - catch up
• Year 10 & 11 Nimenrix (meningococcal ACWY) catch up

Online consent for school vaccinations

If your child is in Year 7 or Year 10 this year, you can now provide online consent for their routine school vaccinations.

• Year 7, students are offered free vaccines for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Year 10, students are offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received.

How to provide consent:

  1. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit:https://nswhealth.service-now.com/school
  2. Click the login with ‘Service NSW Account’ button and log in using your Service NSW details. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you don’t have a Service NSW account, refer to Service NSW to create one.
  3. Update or confirm your personal details in Service NSW as required.
  4. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren.
    1. Enter your child’s personal details
    2. Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
    3. Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement
    4. Provide consent

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form directly from your child’s school.

Read a step-by-step guide on how to provide consent online. Translated guides are available in Arabic, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese.

For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination.

Translated information about school vaccination is available in 27 languages, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/school_vaccination_language.aspx

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15th February 2023

On Tuesday the 14th February the Port Macquarie Olympic Pool hosted our annual swimming carnival.  Despite recent stable weather, organisers were greeted with rain showers, lightning and humid conditions for set up. Luckily, the rain held off for most of the day before the heavens opened up just after lunch. Thank you to our students and staff who demonstrated strong resilience and pushed on to finish the carnival without a fuss.

The carnival started at 9:45am with 1100 staff and 900 students in attendance.  The first event was the 50m freestyle followed by breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly.  Participation points were awarded in the 50m pool (5 points) and 25m pool (1 point).  It was wonderful to see so many collecting points.

We stopped for lunch at 12:30pm and were entertained by the annual body slap competition.  Relay teams were announced and the double points event got underway at 1:15pm.  

This year we introduced a new event; the Top Gun Relay. A relay involving the 2 fastest girls and 2 fastest boys in each house. A staff team also contested the event.

Presentations took place at 2pm for age champions, runners up and winning house.  

Some thank yous:

  • Port Macquarie Olympic Pool Staff
  • Staff – catering, recording, timekeepers, place judges, referees, Leaders of Student Wellbeing and assistants, marshalls, starters, announcers, canteen supervisors.  A massive team effort
  • Amahli Kennedy our Sport trainee – a huge amount of work organising marquees, timekeeping, marshalls, place judges and trophies.
  • Maintenance Staff – John and Marty for pre-carnival set up and post carnival pack up.
  • The students – Everyone is to be congratulated for the positive attitude displayed at the carnival.

The SJRC Swimming Squad to compete at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival will be announced this week. If you would like to compete in the following events you must submit times to Mr. Kelly by 8:30am this Friday 17th February.  Times from a Swimming Australia results page required (available on their website).
100m freestyle,
100m breaststroke,
100m backstroke,
100m butterfly,
200m freestyle,
200m IM.
The 400m has a special nomination link.  400m Nomination Form

Congratulations to Flinders who won the carnival for the first time since 2018.  Please check the following links for full details of House and Age Champions.

2023 Age & House Champions

2023 Girls Results

2023 Boys Results

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Mr. Damien Kelly
SJRC Leader of Sport

Web Article sports_article Sport Swimming
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20th February 2023

Congratulations to students who qualified for the SJRC Swimming Squad – link below. The squad will be competing at the Lismore Diocesan Championships in Kempsey on Thursday the 2nd of March 2023. 

The link below lists the students who have qualified for the Diocesan Carnival.  At the top is the event and how they were split.  Age Groups are: 12s, 13s, 14s, 15s, 16s, 17+. Some events, particularly the longer distance events are split Junior (12, 13, 14), Intermediate (15 & 16) and Senior (17+).

2023 SJRC Swimming Squad – students times highlighted yellow are reserves for that specific race.  

400m qualification is done at Diocesan level – entry list will be included once we receive qualifiers.

An email will be sent to parents and students with permission form attached and further information this week.  We are traveling by bus and return to Port Macquarie after the event. A reminder – it is not a compulsory excursion. 

Any questions or problems please contact Mr. Kelly by email damien.kelly@lism.catholic.edu.au

Web Article Swimming sports_article
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22nd March 2022

Congratulations to the following students who were named in Diocesan Touch Teams this week.  Students selected now trial for NSWCCC teams at Wagga on 3rd - 4th April 2023.

    • Thank you to Mrs Hunter and Mr Prince for accompanying the players to the trials
    • Congratulations to Mr Beeby who continues as the Open Girls CCC Manager.

    SJRC 15 Girls Diocesan Touch Team Representatives

    • Grace Smith, Keira Donovan

    SJRC 15 Boys Diocesan Touch Team Representatives

    • Bohdi Kennedy, Zac Lovett, Preston Croft, Noah Langdon

    SJRC Open Girls Diocesan Touch Team Representatives

    • Ava Glassie, Tenay Bonney, Ashton Daley, Savannah Nowak

    SJRC Open Boys Diocesan Touch Team Representatives

    • Jett Hanson
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    Damien Kelly

    SJRC Leader of Sport

    22nd February 2023

    Web Article Touch Football sports_article Sport
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    24th February 2021

    Congratulations to the following students who were successfull with their application to attend the Diocesan Winter Sport Trials in Lismore on 7th March 2023.  Parents will be emailed further details and the excursion form link on Monday Wk 5. Students who make the Lismore Diocesan Teams progress to CCC selections in Glenwood (Soccer) or Northern Country Trials in South West Rocks (Rugby League)

    Open Boys Soccer Open Girls Soccer 15s League 16s Girls League Open Boys League 18s Girls League
    Danny Barrat Emilee Franklin Bodhi Kennedy Grace Smith Jett Hanson Sharni Graham
    Kallin Furlong Evie Gill Preston Croft Sami Edwards Clay Atkin
    Chester Wade Lauren Johnston Sam Fox
    Brendan Walsh

    Thank you also to students who put their name forward but did not make the trial.

    Damien Kelly
    SJRC Leader of Sport

    24th February 2023

    Web Article Soccer Sport sports_article Rugby League

    The Creative Arts Nest on behalf of St Agnes’ Education is excited to announce the A4Art Prize is back for 2023!

    The A4Art Prize encourages creativity in young artists and staff from across all St Agnes’ Catholic Parish Schools. Set to be bigger and better than last year, our 2023 A4Art Prize will feature more categories and even more prizes!

    The Arts Nest is also thrilled to announce, the popular A4Art Pup-Up touring Exhibition will be back, showcasing all finalists artwork, so that future artists get to experience the joy of exhibiting and see an audience appreciate their work.

    The A4ART Prize 2023 is now open, more information can be found at artsnest.com.au regarding categories, prizes along with terms and conditions.

    In case you missed it, some incredible statistics to share from our humble 2022 A4Art Prize:

    • More than 240 Artworks were submitted.
    • 6291 voting tokens were placed in jars where students and staff voted for the People’s Choice Award when the finalists' artworks toured all six of our Parish Schools in our A4Art Pop-Up Exhibition.
    • 1768 voting tokens placed in jars at the 2022 Port Macquarie ArtWalk, where an estimated 3000 community members visited our A4Art Room
    • 1572 Online votes were cast for the Community Choice Award

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    Web Article Creative Arts NEST Creative Arts SAPSS

    Future Leaders Retreat

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    Congratulations, Josie Yardley, on your selection to attend the Future Leaders Retreat. I refer you to Josie's report below.

    During the holidays, I was selected to attend a three-day Future Leaders Retreat hosted by Griffith University at the Gold Coast Campus. On this retreat, I met many like-minded people, and we were able to connect through group tasks such as the drumming workshop, where we learnt the power of silent leadership, as well as the amazing race, a more hands-on approach to being a leader. A number of guest speakers provided us with their insight and knowledge, most notably were Andy Gourley (founder and CEO of Red Frogs), Sonia McDonald (CEO and founder of Leadership HQ) and Scott Miller (CEO of BOP industries). Each speaker shared their life experiences, their adversities and how they got to the point they are at today, also enlightening us on strategies we can implement within our own lives to be successful.

    Overall, I am truly grateful for the opportunity I was given to be involved in this retreat and appreciate the inspiration it provided me with to complete my HSC journey.

    Josie

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    This week's Alumni is: Ezra Gibson- Class of 2018

    Reassuring words of advice from former student Ezra Gibson, not only an elite athlete, but also an environmental graduate currently working in the mining sector. "Don't stress, enjoy the whole process, and you will surprise yourself with what you can achieve"

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    Alumni

    Give your child the best start to their learning life with St Agnes' Education. Register for a Kindergarten 2024 Enrolment Information Session to find out all you need to know about sending your child to a St Agnes' Education Primary School in 2024.

    At our schools, your child will:

    • learn from professional, highly skilled and dedicated teachers that know how to help them reach their full potential,
    • be embraced by a community that cares for them and teaches them to care for others and their world,
    • grow spiritually, socially, physically, morally and intellectually.

    Please check your zoning before registering to ensure you attend the information session aligned to the school zoned for where you live. You can view the zoning map on our website www.enrolinexcellence.org.au

    Information session details:

    • St Agnes' Primary School – Tuesday, 21 March 2023 – 5.30 pm
    • St Joseph's Primary School – Thursday, 23 March 2023 – 5.30 pm
    • St Peter's Primary School – Monday, 20 March 2023 – 5.30 pm

    For questions regarding school zoning, please contact the Education Enrolment Team on (02) 6588 7444.

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    St Joseph's Regional College has a number of different social media platforms. We would love for you to follow us.

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    St Joseph's Regional College

    Website - https://www.pmreglism.catholic.edu.au/

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SJRCPort

    Instagram - @sjrcport

    St Joseph's Regional College - 50 year Celebrations

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SJRC50years

    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sjr50years/

    Digital Ministry

    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sjrcdigitalministry

    Library

    Website - https://pmreglism.libguides.com/home

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sjrcexchange

    Instagram - Instagram - @sjrcexchange

    Careers

    Website - https://www.sjrcportcareers.com/

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sjrcportcareers

    Administration News

    Volunteers Wanted

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    We cannot run the canteen without you; as the saying goes:

    "Many Hands Make Light Work".

    If you are able to spare an hour or so of your time, we would
    love for you to join us.

    Please contact Breeanna Stone through the College Office on 5525 4100.

    Weekly Lunch Specials
    Term 1 Week 5 Lunch Specials 
    Monday Chicken Parmi Burger
    Tuesday Tuscan Chicken Wings & Pasta Salad
    Wednesday Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Potato's
    Thursday Chicken Quesadilla's
    Friday Beef & Gravy Rolls
    Term 1 Week 6 Lunch Specials 
    Monday Butter Chicken & Rice
    Tuesday Loaded Bacon & Egg Rolls
    Wednesday Chicken Pesto Pasta
    Thursday Beef Nachos
    Friday Chicken Schnitzel & Salad Wrap

    The Canteen opens at 8.00 am every school day.

    CLICK HERE for the Canteen's everyday menu.
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    Breeanna Stone
    Food Services Manager

    Canteen