Thank you to Innes House Leaders, Timothy Kobelke and Piper Seale who displayed their commitment to our College as well as their leadership skills as they so ably ran our College assembly this week. I also thank PC F05 for leading us in the Opening Prayer.

Principal Awards

Congratulations to the following students who received a Principal Award at this week's assembly.

To receive a Principal Award, students must  have:

• 5 Merit Awards = a Pastoral Coordinator's Award
• 5 Pastoral Coordinator's Award = a Principal Award
• Principal Award is presented at an assembly.

Excellence in Music

Year 12 student, Lily Cooper, this week performed her own unique rendition of Coldplay's 'The Scientist' at our College assembly. Accompanied by Harry Turnbull on Double Bass, Nicholas Murray on drums and Mrs Sharon Green on piano, Lily demonstrated her highly developed skill on tenor saxophone, gained during her schooling years.

Well done, Lily, your dedication and obvious love of music shine through in your performance.

Year 12 Retreat

I sincerely thank Ms Heidi Flanagan, Mr Timo Gobius and all staff who collaborated and assisted on our most recent Year 12 Retreat. Thank you also to many who covered lessons last week. A real team effort for an exceptionally successful retreat. 

I refer you to the below report prepared by Ms Flanagan.

The 2021 Year 12 Retreat was a wonderful experience for all involved. The students entered the experience with open hearts and minds and what resulted was easily our best Year 12 Retreat ever. For the first time in the history of the College, we took the whole cohort away together. This meant that all students were able to come together and the overwhelming feedback from students was that the year group grew much closer as a whole.

I cannot thank our wonderful Year 12 Retreat staff enough. They were incredibly giving of their time and energy, leaving their families and College lessons behind to ensure that our Year 12s had a memorable and meaningful experience. Thank you to Mr Gobius, Mr West, Mr Jennings, Mr Inatey, Mr Hyland, Mrs Woods, Mrs Haydon, Ms Wallis, Ms Hyde, Mrs Jensen, Ms O’Reilly, Mrs Croft, Mrs Mahon and our YMOs, Matthew Strumolo and Emily Burg and ex-student and Newman YMO, Connor Hudson. Your contributions really made the retreat experience one to remember.

I think the final word on Year 12 Retreat for 2021 should come from the evaluation comments of the students at the end of the retreat, here are just a few of many wonderful comments.

“Year 12 Retreat was a life-changing experience that allowed me to become more connected with my peers”

“Overall the retreat has been both a fun and meaningful experience, allowing our year to connect over thought-provoking and enjoyable activities”

“The Retreat is an amazing experience, a great opportunity to talk to people who you usually wouldn’t and the year group has become closer as a result.”

“I feel stronger and more connected”

“A once in a lifetime opportunity to get together to learn and love”

“Year 12 Retreat was one of my favourite experiences at SJRC and I would like to thank the teachers from the bottom of my heart for all the effort they put in to make this an enjoyable and amazing experience.”

Ms Flanagan
Leader of Pastoral Care Year 12

God bless

Mr Jim Dempsey
Principal

St Agnes’ Parish and St Joseph’s Regional College are taking a proactive approach in managing traffic safety around our College. Moving vehicles around the College pose a significant risk to our students and to date we have avoided injuries to young people within our College zone. In order to maintain a high standard of safety for our College students, parents are reminded to use extra caution when driving in the College zone, particularly at College opening and closing times.

St Joseph’s Regional College is fortunate to have separate car and bus pick-up zones for students. The speed limit within the College precinct is 10km/hr in these specific areas. Parents are requested to pick up their children from the car pick-up zone. Parents are requested not to collect students if they are double-parked in the pick-up area. If parents choose to use car park areas to collect students, they are asked to meet the student at the front of the College Administration area. Students are advised that they are not to enter carpark areas or go outside of the College gates unless they are accompanied by an adult. In this respect, parents are advised to maintain direct supervision of their children when within the car park, constantly reminding children to be careful and stay close. As pedestrians, young people can be easily distracted and may tend to act impulsively. Similarly, parents are reminded to be wary of reversing vehicles.

The Bus Zone

Staff at St Joseph’s Regional College always supervise our students when boarding their school bus to ensure children’s safety. This quick and efficient boarding process also allows the bus to exit our College grounds promptly, reducing traffic congestion. The bus zone;
• is for buses to exit the College.
• is a no stopping area for other vehicles.
• requires extra caution when a bus with flashing lights is present as the lights are indicating that children are within the vicinity.

The Car Park 

The car park is for use by parents who wish to park their car and physically enter the College grounds to drop off or collect their child. In the car park;
• Be vigilant! There are students and other pedestrians traversing the car park and many other vehicles intent on their own manoeuvres.
• watch out in particular for small children when you are reversing your vehicle.
• remember that the speed limit is 10km/hr.
• be sure to always park in the designated areas and avoid dangerous manoeuvres like U-turns and three-point turns.
• always give way to pedestrians and watch out for cyclists.
Your support through the correct use of our College Traffic Management and in demonstrating safe behaviours with your child is appreciated in keeping children safe and free from injury.
We thank you for your patience and hope you understand that these reminders are to reduce and minimise the risks of danger from motor vehicles to our children and if followed, will result in the safety of all.

Caritas Australia - Project Comprassion Update

On Wednesday at our College assembly, I announced to the students the amount of money they had so generously raised for Project Compassion (Caritas). $4670 was the total the staff and students raised through activities such as almsgiving, the giant Easter Egg raffle, selling ice blocks, fun activities, and an out of uniform day. This is an amazing amount!

I reminded the students that we are called to serve others through our Catholic mission. We are called to walk alongside the world's most vulnerable and poor in our own community, in our country, and in the world. While it is great to have the Easter Egg raffle, food and drink sales, fun activities and an out-of-uniform day to raise money for Caritas' Project Compassion, it's important for us to not lose sight of WHY we do it.

Each student is serving the poor and vulnerable and for that, they should be proud.

Real Talk Presentations

Thank you to Mr Michael Walsh for organising the very valuable, Real Talk presentations. I refer you to Mr Walsh's report below.

On Tuesday, Year 8 and Year 10 attended the Real Talk presentations at the College. Real Talk is a Catholic Organisation that has developed media presentations that deal with some of the important issues that young people face. Both of the presentations are founded on the Catholic view that everyone is unique, have dignity and that God loves them.

The Year 8 presentation covered the concept of consent and sexting, while the Year 10 presentation covered these issues as well as the impact of pornography on a young person. The legal issues that surround these important social issues were clearly covered and the students were left with the understanding that the negative consequences occur now and can reappear in the future.

The presenters and the content were engaging, real and authentic. The students gained a greater understanding and insight into these topics and we hope that it helps them to make good decisions.

Michael Walsh
Leader of Pastoral Care

Safe on Social

I encourage all families to take advantage of the following FREE parent seminar that the Catholic Schools Parent Assembly have organised.

Kirra Pendergast, has been presenting the 'Safe on Social' information sessions to our students for many years. This will be a wonderful opportunity, for you as parents, to better understand what our young people are looking at online and to get answers to your concerns around the safety of 'Social Media'. 

Please register your interest to attend via the QR code in the below flyer.

Safe of Social - FREE parent information session

Mrs Tanya Daley
Assistant Principal - Mission

Family Faith Retreat - Please download the below flyer to access the link.

Our Year 7 2022, enrolment interview process is well underway. Interviews for a position will be finalised early next week. If you are aware of friends or siblings wishing to enrol for 2022, please ask them to either contact our Enrolment Officer, Mrs Michelle Reynolds or visit our website for information about how to enrol at St Joseph's Regional College.

Online Enrolment Application

Our College has moved to Online Enrolment Application and access to the application is via our College website:  https://www.pmreglism.catholic.edu.au/how-to-enrol

Mr Jim Dempsey
Principal

Indigenous Women’s Festival

On Friday 7th May, Birpai Land Council hosted this year's Indigenous Women’s Festival. We took a group of Year 9, 10 & 11 girls to enjoy and be a part of the day. The day is held each year to promote women's health and wellbeing and for attendees to participate in a number of cultural activities. The girls had a great time!

Great Book Swap

This week at our College assembly, students were shown the below video about how, by donating a book, they can help with the Indigenous Literacy cause.

Our College Library will be collecting donations of books to sell for a gold coin at our Indigenous Literacy Foundation Great Book Swap to be held on Thursday 27th May. Students can bring in their donations to the Library for cleaning and storage until the day of the sale.

Mrs Carly Taylor
Indigenous Education Worker

Year 7 Transitus Retreat

Thank you to Mr Cameron McKee for accompanying a group of Year 7 students to the recent Transitus Retreat. I refer you to Mr McKee's report below.

Seven intrepid SJRC students ventured to Yarrahapinni for the Year 7 Transitus retreat.

This retreat was the second for the Lismore Diocese and the students were drawn from the Southern end which included students from St Joseph’s Regional College Port Macquarie, MacKillop College Port Macquarie, St Pauls College Kempsey, Macauley Catholic College Grafton, and St John Paul College Coffs Harbour.

Kate Nestor, from the Catholic Schools Office-Lismore, facilitated the two days as Year 7 students participated in a range of activities related to the theme of the retreat: ‘Take Heart, it is I. Do not be afraid’. Aided by Year 10 students, the participants were challenged to reflect on their recent transition into high school.

The retreat was a great success with lots of smiles and laughter as many students formed relationships with other students from throughout the Diocese.

Mr Cameron McKee

May - Rosary Marathon Month

Pope Francis has asked the Catholic world to pray a Rosary Marathon during the month of May, the month of Mary, for an end to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Leader of Evangelisation
Mr Timo Gobius

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Years 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

This week students in Year 7 and Year 9 completed the Reading and Writing online testing. Next week the following NAPLAN Online testing is scheduled: 

• 18th May – Conventions of Language   Years 7 and 9
• 20th May – Numeracy   Years 7 and 9

Catch up NAPLAN assessments will also be completed during this period.

In preparation for NAPLAN Online, our College has already participated in practice tests. The practice test is a trial-run and key preparation activity for NAPLAN Online in May. It is not an assessment of student ability and the tests will not be marked.

Excessive preparation for NAPLAN Online is not recommended. Students can use the public demonstration site https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and tools available in the NAPLAN Online tests.

Please ensure that your child has a fully charged device, with the NAPLAN lockdown browser installed, and headphones throughout the                NAPLAN assessment period.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN Online, please contact the College’s NAPLAN coordinators: Ian Lutton, Lisa Freeman or Jessica Lewis.

Information for Students

Year 9 iSTEM students have begun developing their Fusion 360 skills in drawing their Formula One cars on the computer. Fusion 360 is a computer-aided design program whereby the students will eventually construct their cars, finishing off with a dragster car race.

Mrs Diana Walsh
Assistant Leader of TAS

Year 10 Music

On Thursday, 29th April, Year 10 Music participated in their annual Classical Concert. A selection of pieces were performed by composers of the era, such as Bach, Beethoven, Kalalevsky and Grieg. Congratulations to all students...they did an amazing job.

Debbie Kennaugh
Music Teacher

Mrs Karen Bale - Teacher Librarian (Monday-Thursday)
Mrs Michelle Lawler - Teacher Librarian (Friday)

Puzzle Friday

There was so much fun in the Library with the re-introduction of Puzzle Friday. Make this happy activity a great way to end your school week.

#jigsaws #chess #colouringin

SORA

We have an exciting reading service available through Sora, the student reading app, which provides free 24/7 access to ebooks and audiobooks. What better way to engage your student’s mind than through reading?

Starting May 5 – August 20, 2021, the Sora Sweet Reads program will offer a collection of Juvenile and Young Adult titles that will be prominently displayed in Sora for quick and easy unlimited access. You can explore the title offerings and learn more about the program here: https://resources.overdrive.com/sora-sweet-reads/.
How does it work?

Sora provides the quickest and easiest way to get started with digital titles from our school. Students can simply log in and instantly access hundreds of ebooks and audiobooks on virtually any device. Get started today at https://soraapp.com or download the free Sora app for Android or iOS. For easy access, our school’s setup code is ACEN.

AudioBook Sync

Over the next few weeks, various audiobooks will be made available for free download and lifetime ownership. See the attached flyers for more detail.. See below for FAQ about getting set up for downloading your free audiobooks.

Frequently Asked Questions about SYNC

Can I use Libby or the OverDrive app for the SYNC program instead of the Sora app?

The SYNC program will only work with Sora, the student reading app from OverDrive. You don’t need to be affiliated with a school to use Sora with the SYNC program.

First register for SYNC 2021. Then set up Sora.

How do I set up Sora?

1. Download Sora from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or go to soraapp.com in your browser.
2. In Sora, tap I have a setup code (at the bottom of the screen).
3. Enter this setup code: audiobooksync.
4. Enter the email address you used to sign up for SYNC.
5. Tap Explore (at the bottom of the screen) to see the week’s featured titles [SYNC 2021 starts April 29]

I already use Sora for school. How do I add SYNC titles?

If you already use Sora, you’ll need to add the SYNC program’s library. Here are the steps:

1. In Sora, open the menu (in the top-right corner).
2. Select Add a library.
3. Search for audiobooksync and select the library from the results.
4. Enter the email address you used to sign up for SYNC.

When does each SYNC week start?

New titles will be available each Thursday at midnight Eastern time (ie, 12:01am ET). You can access the titles for 7 days, until the next Wednesday at 11:59pm.

How long is each audiobook available in Sora?

To keep each audiobook, you must tap Borrow. Each audiobook is available to borrow for one week. Once you’ve borrowed an audiobook, it stays on your Shelf in Sora indefinitely.

I missed last week's audiobooks. Can I still get them?

No, our agreement with publishers is that the audiobooks are only available during their featured week.

If you miss an audiobook, we suggest borrowing it from your local library or visiting the title’s page on the SYNC website for purchasing options.

I have students/patrons who love audiobooks. May I give them copies of my audiobook in class or reading/listening group?

SYNC audiobooks are for your personal use only and may not be distributed to others. Please encourage students/patrons to sign up for the SYNC program and download their own copies.

Can I delete the titles from my device?

Yes, you can delete the downloaded audiobook files in Sora if you need to free up space on your device. If you delete the files, the title will stay on your Shelf, and you’ll be able to download and access it again.

To delete a downloaded audiobook’s files, tap the checkmark next to the title on your Shelf, Stream (when online), then select Yes, delete download.

PLEASE NOTE: If you RETURN an audiobook, it will be completely removed from your account in Sora and you’ll lose access to it once its SYNC availability period is over. We don’t recommend doing this!

Can I access the audiobook’s MP3 files?

No, you need to download and listen to the audiobooks entirely in the Sora app. There’s no option to download separate MP3 files.

Karen Bale Teacher Librarian (Monday-Thursday)
Michelle Lawler, Teacher Librarian (Friday)

Word of the Week: MENTOR

What’s on the radar in Week 4?

2021 SJRC Debating V Mackillop College

Students in Years 7-11 are invited to be a part of the SJRC Debating teams to compete with Mackillop College in Term 3 in a battle of wit, wisdom and teamwork.

What’s required?

It’s easy and fun! To earn a spot in the SJRC 2021 Debating Team you will be expected to:

• attend coaching once per week
• be organised and prepared
• work as a team member

Now what?

An initial meeting will be held next week to gather names. Shortly after that teams will commence coaching which will occur at recess or lunchtimes as negotiated with your debating coach.

Students.... keep your eyes on Schoolworx Daily Notices for the first meeting of the SJRC Debating Competition 2021.

ADD DEBATING PHOTOS FROM 2020

See you next week!
The SJRC Literacy Enrichment Team

Further Post School Information For Students and Families

The following link has a wealth of information for young people with disabilities and their families navigating the next steps to further employment or study after Year 12: https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/finding-keeping-and-changing-jobs/leaving-school

The annual SJRC Athletics Carnival will be held on Tuesday 13th July (Term 3 Week 1).  Due to the size of our College, we are unable to run all events on carnival day.  For that reason some of the events are run at the end of Term 2 – they are listed below.  All high jump events require parents to provide permission on the official form.  All events are optional.  Points accumulated will count towards age champion tallies.

All Year 7 & 8 students will be provided with Fosbury Flop (high jump) tuition during sport classes so they are prepared for their high jump event if they choose to enter.

2021 SJRC High Jump Permission Form

Pre-Carnival Events

Term 2

Week 8
Thur 10th Jun - Athletics 1500m All Ages (Oval - lunch)
Fri 11th Jun - Athletics 800m All Ages (Oval - lunch)

Week 9
Mon 14th Jun - Queens B'day Public Holiday
Tue 15th Jun - Athletics Triple Jump All Ages (Oval - lunch)
Wed 16th Jun - Athletics 400m All Ages (Oval - lunch)
Thur 17th Jun - Athletics 16s High Jump (Hall - lunch)
Fri 18th Jun - Athletics 15s High Jump (Hall - lunch)

Week 10
Mon 21st-Thur 24th Jun - Yr 9 Canberra Excursion
Tue 22nd Jun - Athletics 13s High Jump (Hall - lunch)
Wed 23rd Jun - Athletics 17+ High Jump (Hall - lunch)
Thur 24th Jun - Athletics 12s High Jump (Hall - lunch)
Thur 24th Jun - 14 Boys Cochrane Cup Rugby League Gala Day @ Port Macq
Fri 25th Jun - Athletics 14s High Jump (Hall - lunch)

Term 3

Week 1
Mon 12th Jul - Pupil Free Day
Tue 13th Jul - SJRC Athletics Carnival

Week 5
Thur 12th Aug - Diocesan Athletics @Coffs Harbour

To qualify for the SJRC Athletics Squad, students need to finish in the top 2 of each event.  More information regarding this year's carnival will be out before the end of term.

Mr Michael Cannon
Leader of Sport

12th May 2021

Our College canteen is in need of volunteers. If you are able to spare an hour or so of your time, we would love for you to join us. Please contact Donna Hamlin through the College Office 5525 4100 to arrange.

Weekly Lunch Specials

The Canteen opens at 8.00am every school day.

Ms Donna Hamlin
Food Services Manager

The St Agnes' Uniform Store is open from:

Monday to Friday - 12 noon-5.00pm
Saturday - 9.00am-12 noon

 6 Boronia Street, Port Macquarie