Newsletter Term 1, Week 6 2023

Dear Members of the St Joseph's College Family,

Lent for 2023 began on Ash Wednesday, 22 February.  Lent by tradition is the forty days which comes before Easter and is a season of reflection and preparation for the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.  The forty days of Lenten observation replicate Jesus’ sacrifice, withdrawal and temptation in the desert.  Jesus’ temptation in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) is the traditional gospel reading for the first Sunday of Lent.  The Catholic Church gives us three challenges every Lent:

1. Prayer – pray more and focus on our prayer
2. Fasting – going without so that we are in solidarity with the poor and marginalised.
3. Almsgiving – helping those less fortunate than ourselves.

During Lent the colour purple is worn by priests.  It symbolises or represents penance (expressing sorrow at one’s wrongdoing), preparation and sacrifice.  It’s always interesting amongst primary school children to listen to what they say they are going to give up for Lent.  Lollies, chocolate, saying bad words etc. are common.  This Lent, Pope Frances has challenged us all to Fast from (going without) eleven behaviours.  Its almost like a “glass is half full” list!  I have included it for your consideration:

Let’s all endeavour to implement the challenges of Pope Francis this Lent.

Yours in Jesus, Mary and St Joseph

Mr Peter McLoughlin
College Principal

We are so very pleased to invite everyone to our College Open Evening for 2023.  No booking required, just come on in!

Next Monday, 13 March, commencing at 6:00pm, we will begin the evening with a showcase in the Doyle Centre, followed by self-guided tours.  Please join with our students and staff and see how your child can reach their full potential as a student of St Joseph's College.

The College will also be calling for student volunteers from all grades to be part of the evening.  This is a tremendous way for students to serve their community and showcase our great school. 

The closing date for Year 7 2024 enrolment applications is Friday 28 April 2023 (Week 1, Term 2).

St Joseph's Parish Mass Times

Weekday Mass times

St Joseph's, Tweed Heads – 56 Frances Street, Tweed Heads

• Monday – Friday – 9:10am

Weekend Mass times

• Saturday – 9:00am
• Saturday Vigil Mass – 6:00pm
• Sunday – 7:00am & 9:00am

St Camillus Bilambil – 36 Urliup Road, Bilambil

• Sunday – 9:00am

St Anthony's Parish Mass Times

Weekday Mass times

Sts Mary & Ambrose Church, Pottsville – 1 Charles Street, Pottsville

• Tuesday – 9:15am

St Anthony’s Church, Kingscliff – 12-14 Pearl Street, Kingscliff

• Wednesday – 8:00am
• Thursday – 9:00am in the school term and 8:00am in the holiday period.
• Friday – 8:00am

Weekend Mass times

St Anthony’s Church, Kingscliff

• Saturday – 6:00pm 
• Sunday – 9:00am

Sts Mary & Ambrose Church, Pottsville

• Sunday – 7:30am

Reconciliation Times

• Kingscliff – Saturday 5:00 – 5:30pm
• Pottsville – Sunday 7:00 – 7:25am

Starting Secondary School - Tips

We all want the best for our students - your children - and their experiences while attending St Joseph's College.  We encourage you to read these newsletters as there will be a number of support resources to assist you and your child/ren get the best high school experience possible.

Today, we continue with more tips:

Starting Secondary School - Our Catholic Community

Please take some time as a family to discuss some of the points raised therein.

Vaping: Information & Awareness

Vaping is on the rise in Australia and has become popular amongst teenagers and young adults. Alarmingly, a recent study has also shown that there is an increase in the number of primary school-aged children who are experimenting with vapes. There are many misconceptions about vapes being fairly harmless and that vapes in Australia do not contain nicotine. 

Our school is committed to the health and wellbeing of our students and will be including a series of informative resources for our parent community over the next 3 editions of our newsletter. We hope parents and carers use these helpful resources to:

• learn the facts about e-cigarettes and vaping, 
• recognise what a vape looks like,
• understand why vaping is attractive to young people and 
• engage in positive conversations at home.

By working in partnership we hope to support our young people to make healthy choices. 

Please watch this informative 2 minute video which provides some key information about vaping and e-cigarettes.

Key Information:

• Vaping is the act of smoking e-cigarettes or ‘vapes’ that can look like metallic pens, USBs and other hand-held systems. 
• Vapes use cartridges filled with liquids, which typically contain nicotine, artificial flavouring, and various chemicals. These can be harmful to the developing body.
• Research shows that 1 in 5 young people have vaped and nearly 80% of young people say it is easy to get a vape illegally at a shop or online.
• Nicotine is especially addictive for young brains. It can cause long-lasting negative effects on brain development and can include impaired attention,learning, memory and changes in mood.
• You can find out more about vaping from NSW Health.

Conversation Starters at Home:

Start conversations about vaping with your child early. You could consider the following questions or conversation starters:

1. Are a lot of kids vaping at your school?  Are your friends vaping?  Be sure you don’t react, just listen.
2. What do you think about vaping? You may hear your child say that vaping is harmless.  It’s important to share some good information with your child about the impacts of vaping.
3. Do you know what is in vapes?  Share with them that they’ve tested vapes and they do not contain only water vapor and flavouring.  Vapes can contain very high levels of nicotine and other toxic chemicals that damage lungs.

Lenten Prayer Resource for Families

Lent is the period of 40 days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar.  Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter.  It's the perfect time to reset your spiritual and sometimes emotional and physical self.  This Lenten prayer resource is a simple way to share the traditions of Lent within your family.

Mr Eamon Brown
Assistant Principal - Mission

The season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday, which also marked the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal.  Donations to Project Compassion allows 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.

I share with you the words of Kirsty Robertson, CEO of Caritas Australia, introducing Project Compassion for 2023:

"Each year, Project Compassion comes as a timely reminder of the importance of solidarity and how a single act of kindness – whether big or small, can make a life-changing impact in the lives of those who need it most."

"The theme of Project Compassion is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and 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 your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion."

"This phrase is a powerful affirmation that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come.  It is also a call for all of us to play our part in making the world a better place by working together as sisters and brothers in finding long-term solutions to global issues.  This year, the theme asks us to think about the great ‘yes’ that Mary spoke when the angel told her she was to become the mother of Jesus.  She freely accepted God’s invitation to take up a unique place in the history of the human family.  The prayer Mary shared with her cousin Elizabeth says, “all generations will call me blessed”.  Her 'yes' is for all  future generations.  Project Compassion 2023 brings us the stories of four incredibly inspiring individuals whose futures have been touched by the relentless work of our partners and by your unwavering generosity."

Each AWC group has been provided with a Project Compassion box for their donations, or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: lent.caritas.org.au.  Through to the end of this term, we will be sharing the personal stories of four individuals who have been assisted through donations to Project Compassion.

"These inspiring stories are living proof that your generosity can make a life-changing impact and create better opportunities so that future generations may live to their full potential and thrive."

Week 1 - Laxmi's story (from Nepal)

16-year-old Laxmi lives in one of the most remote communities in Nepal which experiences high levels of poverty.  Laxmi’s chance at a better life was through education, supported by her parents.  Sadly, when she was 10 years old, her father passed away and Laxmi stopped going to school.  Before her father’s passing, Laxmi joined a child's club at her school that was run with the support of Caritas Nepal, through the Nepal Livelihoods and Resilience Program.  Child's clubs support students to develop their speaking, writing and leadership skills through extracurricular activities. 

Thanks to the support of her child's club, Laxmi was encouraged to resume her education.  She became an active member of her child's club, where she developed the skills and confidence to become a leader, advocating for clean water taps at her school. 

“If I don't get to study, then I'll experience hardship.  I'll have to struggle like mother.  If I don't get to study, then I'll have no knowledge,” Laxmi said.

Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer.  She has become a mentor to other girls in her village, encouraging them to stand up for their rights and creating lasting change For All Future Generations.

Watch a short film about Laxmi's story here:

Week 2 - Tereesa's story (from Australia)

A young Gamilaroi woman born and raised on Darug land, Tereesa felt disconnected from her culture.  At just 16 years old, she had to leave school after falling pregnant with her first child.  A single mother struggling with homelessness, Tereesa’s only concern was finding stability for her children.  “I was homeless. I didn’t have a place to call home…my kids never had a connection to the community,” Tereesa said.

Seeking a better future for her children, Tereesa joined Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation’s Young Mums and Bubs program, supported by Caritas Australia.  Baabayn helped Tereesa access housing for her family and psychological support.  

Through the program Tereesa reconnected with her culture through Indigenous art. Her artistic skills flourished, and her artwork was chosen for the Vivid Festival in Sydney in 2022.

“I don't think I'd be the person I am today without Baabayn and being part of the mum's group has brought out a lot of creativity in my bones that I didn't even know I had,” Tereesa said.

Today, Tereesa works at Baabayn, providing support to young mothers and mentoring the next generation of young people.

Watch a short film about Tereesa's story here:

We will continue to share these stories in upcoming newsletters.

Mr Jonathon Visser
Leader of Catechesis

From Monday 21 to Wednesday 23 February, the Year 12 students of St Joseph's attended their final school retreat as a year group.  The beautiful Tyalgum Ridge Retreat, situated twenty minutes from Murwillumbah in the verdant bush, provided a sublime setting for the introspective and exciting activities planned out by the St Joseph's staff and Youth Ministry team.  Over the course of the retreat, students were given the incredible opportunity to deepen their connection with their peer group, creating and cementing friendships and demonstrating Christ-like values through forgiveness and healing activities.  As one student said, “It was a great bonding experience for all of year twelve”.

Students and staff were given the opportunity to explore a change of scenery, which allowed them to escape from the stress of their daily routine and reflect on their previous years, as well as the time that they have left at St Joseph’s.  Other activities such as high ropes, hikes and small groups gave a chance for students to have some wholesome fun, perhaps why one described it as, “an awesome camp, it never gets boring that’s for sure!”

Sessions of reflection and personal sharing tugged on heart strings and allowed for the staff and students to connect with each other as people, fostering a camaraderie which will surely carry them through the highs and lows of the year to come.

The last day of retreat happened to fall on Ash Wednesday, which was commemorated with a beautiful liturgy. In a final act of collaboration students and teachers came together to craft a liturgical service of their own, with specially selected prayer and readings.  It was a wonderful way to end a truly heartfelt and wonderful retreat, which created memories for a lifetime.

By Valentina Muccillo

How to: View your child’s Learning Tasks on Compass

As you are aware, St Joseph’s College has moved to a new school management system called Compass.

Compass has the ability to set Learning Tasks that can be used for a variety of purposes.  This includes setting homework and assessments, engaging students in class activities, and providing feedback to students about their learning.

At this stage, it is not compulsory for teachers to use Compass but you may have noticed that some of your child’s/children’s teachers are using Compass to issue homework and assessment tasks.

Navigating Compass Learning Tasks

To access Learning Tasks you need to be logged into Compass https://bpslism-nsw.compass.education/ on your web browser (Google Chrome, Safari, etc).  When logged in, you will be on the Home page.  Here you will see different sections of key information.  On the Home page, you will see your child’s/children’s dashboard and you will see notifications about upcoming learning tasks and any overdue learning tasks.

When you click on the ‘Pencil’ at the top of the screen and then click on ‘Learning Tasks’, a list of all tasks will automatically appear. 

The coloured dots next to each task indicate whether the task is Pending, Overdue, Submitted Late, or On Time.

Please note that the teacher needs to check the task has been completed and there may be a delay in updating the status of the task.

Information about each task can be accessed by clicking on the title of the task.

On the task information pop-up, there are two different tabs.

• The ‘Task Details’ tab shows information such as due date, attachments & submissions.
• The ‘Feedback’ tab shows any results/grades and comments that have been entered for the task. On Compass, teachers are not required to provide feedback but some may choose to do so.

For more information, you can access our Compass parent guide on the College website.

Georgia James and Jack Hamers
Compass School Rollout Team 

Study Skills Tips for March:  Why students need to turn off devices at least half an hour before sleep

Artificial light from electronic and other devices generally emits a blue light (it may not look blue, but that is the underlying light).  Blue light is a type of non-visible light at a very short wavelength. 

What does blue light do to the human body?

Non-visible light has a lot of energy, and studies show that a lot of exposure to this type of light can impair your sleep cycle.  During sleep lots of essential physical processes take place and it is also when learning from the day is consolidated in memory.  This means that having enough sleep is vital for students.

Blue light is naturally generated only during the day, from sunlight.  When it gets dark, naturally occurring blue light ceases, signalling the body to produce melatonin, the hormone associated with sleep.  Using artificial lighting and devices which emit a blue light at night confuses the body-clock (the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle) by stopping the body from producing melatonin.  This can result in disrupted sleep patterns, including difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep and shortened sleep duration.

Those at greatest risk from night-time exposure to blue light are those with existing sleep disorders and adolescents who often experience delayed sleep patterns as a result of biological changes.

What can students do to limit their exposure to blue light at night?

Some suggestions include:

• Be exposed to sunlight during the day to assist in accurately setting your body clock.

• Stop using all electronic devices, preferably an hour before bed.
• Get a red or orange reading lamp, which does not emit blue light.
• Use blue light blocking glasses at night.
• Install a program or app on your computer or device to change the type of light it emits.  A variety of programs are available including Flux, EasyEyez, Night Filter, Zzz iPhone filter, Bluelight and Twilight.
• Invert the colours on your smartphone or iPad or Kindle, or change the device to the night-time setting.
• Turn the brightness down on your device for a few hours before bed (not perfect, but better than nothing!).

You can learn more about how to optimise your performance as a student at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.

Username:            sjc
Password:             24results

Mr Carlo Trimboli
Acting Assistant Principal – Learning and Teaching

Are you the parent of an HSC student who is uncertain about their future path?  Help them make an informed choice by bringing them along to the HSC and Careers Expo 2023, Thursday 1 June, Friday 2 June and Saturday 3 June, 9am-3pm at Royal Randwick Racecourse (Sydney).  For more information, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram – or visit our website: https://www.hscandcareers.com.au/

Mr Matthew Hall
Leader of Curriculum

The Diversity and Inclusion team have had a busy five weeks transitioning students back to school after the holiday break and getting to know our new year 7 students.  We are staffed by a Learning support team of Teacher Aides and Inclusion Teachers.  Our dedicated staff also liaises with our pastoral support team, Psychologist and counsellor in matters of pastoral care.

Our faculty assists students to ensure that they are all provided with access to the curriculum and are given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and understandings, on the same basis as their peers.  Our primary focus for students is engagement and inclusivity. Learning support plays an integral part in the classroom.  Our Teacher Aides provide time, expertise and encouragement to students who have issues with learning.  We are committed to following the guidelines and policies of the CSO and DDA.

Support for students may include:

• Teachers make reasonable adjustments in class to meet the needs of diverse learners and allow equal opportunity for students to access the curriculum and achieve results in the least restrictive manner.
• Creating Personalised Learning and Support Plans which outline student learning goals and provide strategies for staff to implement to meet the learning needs of identified students
• Implementing Intervention Programs to assist achieving literacy and numeracy outcomes
• Providing in class support and withdrawal support (where necessary) for individuals and small groups with diagnosed learning needs
• Organising exam and assessment provisions to make the curriculum accessible to all students
• Making applications to NESA to provide adequate exam provisions for students undertaking the Higher School Certificate

To touch base with our team please feel free to email Deb Pirlo deborah.pirlo@lism.catholic.edu.au our Administrator for Inclusion & Diversity who will assist you.

New Caledonia Trip 2022

After a long awaited break due to covid, our New Caledonia Trip was relaunched in December 2022. Students from Years 9, 10 & 11 enjoyed a week in Noumea, with a variety of cultural experiences and some added Marine activities.

French Polynesian Culture at Amedee Island 

It was wonderful to see students conversing in French; ordering lunch/ dinner, buying bus tickets and asking for directions. We also enjoyed authentic French cuisine including; baguettes & croissants for breakfast and galettes and crepes for dinner.

French lessons, dinner & out and about in Noumea

Year 8 French - Project based Learning Activity

Students were given a brief to plan and organise a 4 week trip to France, visiting at least 4 regions and 4 towns. They were given an imagined $25,000 to cover all costs and they were asked to create a presentation. 

This could be either: a series of postcards, a brochure, a video or a journal. There were 10 dot points that needed to be included for example; French sentences and weather, costings, images and modes of transport.

A display has been set up in the library of the student’s amazing presentations. Prizes were awarded for specific categories: French content, Visual appeal, originality and overall design.

It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and interest built with this project, and observe the transfer of skills into their finished presentation.

Mrs Jo Scotcher
Teacher of French

Lowes has advised that there will be a 20% off sale this week - on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 March.  We are pleased to pass on the information that the Lowes on-site uniform shop will operate on both of these days from 8:00am to 12:00pm.

Their contact phone number is (during shop hours only) 07 5523 9300.

Lowes is also pleased to advise that they have both boys trackpants (grey) and girls trackpants (maroon) available for purchase from the uniform shop.

We provide again information from Kinetic Surfside Buslines of the school bus timetables for 2023:

Kinetic Bus Timetables January 2023