School Newsletter

Catholic Schools Week

This week, we will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week.

The week is an opportunity to celebrate our community and identity as a Catholic school. Students are also encouraged to be really thinking about thanking. It is an opportunity to show heartfelt gratitude to others and respect for what others do to help us grow and be better people.

We will have four Appreciation Days where specific groups of the St Joseph’s College community are highlighted. Students and staff can write letters of appreciation and/or help the highlighted group out in some way. The Friday of this week is a pupil free- Staff Development Day- 20 March.

The idea of attaching a year group to a group within the community is to ensure that as many members of the community as possible receive at least one letter of appreciation and an act of help or assistance in some way if at all possible.

Monday 16 March: Will see two appreciation days combined as we have a shortened week.

Teacher Appreciation Day.
Students from Year 10 are asked to take the lead by writing notes of thanks to all the teachers and present them to the teachers on this day. All students can be involved by making a super special effort to be on time to class, have the right equipment, and be really well behaved.

Support Staff Appreciation Day.
Students from years 11 and 12 are asked to take the lead by writing letters of thanks and volunteering their services to assist: office, library, canteen, learning support, IT support, ancillary and grounds staff. Also included with this group are Danny Shaw and Laurie Pratt, our Youth Ministry Officers, Monique Burns, Sports Trainee and TAS Trainee for 2020 and new members Miro Garzina and Deb Pirlo. If students are able to assist at break time, support staff might have the opportunity to have morning tea together.

Tuesday 17 March:
Parent Appreciation Day.
Students from years 7 and 8 are asked to take the lead by making this day their focus. Letters of thanks can be written to parents and acts of service to parents are to be the focus that day for everyone. It would be great to see heaps of Years 7 and 8 students, for example, volunteering to help with Open Evening.

Wednesday 18 March:
Parish staff and community support Appreciation Day.
Students from Year 9 will be going to the Wednesday Mass in the Holy Family Chapel and then they are asked to present Fr Wilber, Fr Rego or Fr Michael with notes of thanks for all the parish staff.

As well as thanking the priests, there are other parish staff to consider: Mrs Kathy Twohill (Pastoral Associate), Mrs Donna Neal, Mrs Sue Heffernan, Mrs Kym Lockley, Mr Bob Heffernan, Mr John Klein, Mrs Pam Harlock, Mr Algis Budzinauskas (maintenance) and John Lee (You have a Friend). It is important that because these people work behind the scenes, we show our appreciation of them.

Thursday 19 March:
Student Appreciation Day (St Joseph’s Day).
The Staff are going to be the facilitators of the St Joseph’s Day Liturgy. SRC students run the show with activities after lunch. It is still very important that students realise that their behaviour on this day still needs to be exemplary. We would like to show that they are appreciated for their good work and actions.

Friday 20 March:
Staff development day-pupil free.

It is hoped that the activities staged during this week will provide an opportunity for the whole community to be involved and appreciate others.

Miss Helen Gooley
Leader of Catechesis