Newsletter Term 4, Week 4 2023

Dear Members of the St Joseph's College Family,

Be grateful.

You don’t know how lucky you are.

Think about the fact there are people far worse off than you.

We have all heard those statements before.  Realistically, there is a fair amount of truth in all three.  But at times it can be challenging to extricate ourselves from the “Woe is me” feeling.  This is especially the case when we face situations in our lives that make us feel that everything is stacked against us.

Permit me to refer to the life of Professor Chris O’Brien.  Some would remember him from the television series RPA, based on the happenings at The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.  Chris was in internationally-renowned head and neck surgeon and director of the Sydney Cancer Centre.  He was widely recognised as a compassionate doctor by his patients.  He died at the age of 57 as a result of brain cancer.  His treatment became part of the television show.  His aim by doing this was to create a comprehensive cancer hospital.  The Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Hospital is a not-for-profit and aims, as its vision and mission states:

Vision:  to transform the lives of people affected by cancer.

Mission:  to minimise the burden of cancer by providing integrated expert care, delivered with compassion and founded on research, innovation, education and training.

Chris O’Brien was humble, intelligent, passionate and compassionate and above all grateful for the opportunity he had to help people who were vulnerable and suffering.

In her book, The Happiness Code, Domonique Bertolucci suggests ten keys to being the best you can be.  The seventh key is Be Grateful.  She referred to it as The Principle of Abundance.  She refers to the eternal wish of many of us to have more and a need to focus on the what I have not what I don’t have nor what I need.  She writes,

Find a way to express your gratitude for the wealth and abundance in your life.

She concludes by writing,

The only way to get an understanding of the true wealth in your life is to acknowledge all the things you have to be grateful for.

The lives of people like Chris O’Brien are a great guide and inspiration to us.  They encourage us to focus on what’s important:

Being a good person
Think of others
Care for our environment

And as James Kerr writes in his book, Legacy,

Leave the jersey in a better place.

And never ignore our Catholic Christian faith:

‘Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest.’
(Matthew 11:28)

The message for us here is that God supports us.  And sometimes we forget that.

Yours in Jesus, Mary and St Joseph.

Mr Peter McLoughlin
College Principal

30 October 2023

The Catholic Schools Parent Assembly have a number of opportunities for our parents and carers in the coming weeks, including the first Parent Group Meeting to talk about the coming 2024 school year ...

Parent Webinar - Nurturing Neurodiversity - 30 October, 6pm

The Catholic Schools Parent Assembly is hosting a webinar for parents on Nurturing Neurodiversity with Clinical Psychologist, and mother of two neurodiverse children, Mariane Power.  Please note it is suitable for parents with both primary and secondary age children.

See the attached flyer for more information.  You can also register for this event here.

St Joseph's College Parent Group - First Meeting! - Monday 13 November, 6-7pm

All parents and caregivers are invited to join us for our first parent group meeting.  This will be a great opportunity to meet other parents, the 2024 school leadership team and be an engaged and supportive member of our school community.

See the attached flyer for more information.  We hope you will join us at the College for light refreshments on the night - we'd love to see you there! - and we ask you to please register here for catering purposes.

Free Suicide Prevention Training for Parents and Carers

Parents and carers are well-placed to observe suicide warning signs, encourage alternative coping strategies and help young people and adults access support.  Empower yourself to have effective conversations with others by registering for this FREE 90 minute online training via the link on this flyer.

St Joseph's Parish

St Joseph's Catholic Church
56 Frances Street, Tweed Heads

Weekday Mass times

• • Monday to Friday – 9:10am

Weekend Mass times

• • Saturday – 9:00am
  • Saturday Vigil Mass – 5:00pm
  • Sunday – 7:00am & 9:00am

St Camillus Catholic Church
36 Urliup Road, Bilambil

• • Sunday – 9:00am

St Anthony's Parish

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

Weekday Mass times

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

Weekend Mass times

• • Saturday – 5:00pm (6pm during DST)
  • Sunday – 9:00am

Sts Mary & Ambrose Catholic Church
1 Charles Street, Pottsville

Weekday Mass times

• • Tuesday – 9:15am

Weekend Mass times

• • Sunday – 7:30am

Reconciliation Times

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

Our special day is fast approaching!  

Please register your interest to attend the 30th Anniversary Celebrations at St Joseph's College to be held on Friday 17 November.  The evening will take place from 3:30pm through to 7:30pm. 

We are looking forward to a great event!

Please register your ability to attend here: https://forms.gle/JNYyJLRTUDPZAA75A

OnShow 2023

St Joseph's College Creative Arts students would like to invite our community to the opening of our annual OnShow Exhibition.  The exhibition will feature the Year 12 Visual Arts HSC major works as well as showcase the achievements of our talented Visual Arts students.

Please join us on opening night, with doors opening in the COLA Space at 5:30pm (and closing at 7pm) on Wednesday 8 October.

Last term Talk Money delivered sessions to a group of Year 7 and Year 10 Mathematics students as well as students in Year 10 Commerce.

Talk Money is an independent charitable foundation committed to enhancing the financial wellbeing of Australians. Their financial education programs aim to equip young Australians with essential money management skills, fostering financial literacy, and empowering them to make informed financial decisions for a brighter future.

The Year 7 module ‘Spending and saving money’ focused on spending and saving choices, how decisions can affect future finances, and how conscious consumers can positively impact people and the planet.

The Year 10 module ‘Making money work’ explored ways to make money to help build financial independence. It also provided insights into effectively navigating the workplace and understanding the rights and entitlements of employees.

As a follow-up to the module, the Year 10 Commerce class participated in an informative Zoom workshop. During this session, they gained valuable knowledge about managing their digital profile, deciphering pay slips, and how to manage tax and superannuation.

The Year 10 Commerce actively participated in this workshop and below are some of their insightful comments and questions.

Talk Money helped me to understand key points about superannuation including the future benefits of comparing the performances of various funds. – Scarlett

Talk Money helped me learn more about superannuation and rights in the workforce. – Eloise

Talk Money helped me to understand the workforce and the connections between money, savings, and the factors to consider when choosing a superannuation fund. – Cody

Talk Money helped me understand how superannuation works and how important it is to pick a good-performing superannuation fund, as it can affect your future. – Georgia

Talk Money provided me with a broader understanding of how the workforce operates and how contributions and income paid into superannuation can assist with living comfortably in retirement. – Savannah

How income earnt in super is taxed? – Savannah

How often are payslips given out incorrectly? – Lily

What my digital profile looks like. – Kaleb

What happens if you don’t claim back your tax? – Olivia

How much tax does an average person pay each year? – Zhola

What super fund is the best to have my superannuation in? – Layla

Can you request more of your salary to go into your super? – Lachlan

How often do people get paid wrong? – Scarlett

Why do we have to submit a tax return if we didn’t pay any tax? – Georgia C

How do you know which super account is the best for you? – Eloise

How do superannuation companies decide on the best investment choices and what determines their respective fees? – Caiden

Why the financial year ends in July instead of December? – Riley

If there is a mistake on a payslip, why do employees have to pay back employers, when the employers are the ones that made the mistake on the payslip? – Georgia M

As you can see the students’ questions highlight both their curiosity about financial matters and the importance of promoting financial literacy.

Mrs Georgia James
HSIE Teacher

Dyslexia is difficulty learning to read

Children and adults with dyslexia often have difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition and may also have difficulties with spelling, writing, reading comprehension.

Dyslexia is the most common learning difficulty affecting between 5-10 percent of people. Dyslexia does not impact a person’s intelligence and is not caused by vision difficulties.

Dyslexia is also known as a specific learning disorder in reading.  Dyslexia is a brain-based (neurological) disorder or disability.  People with dyslexia have difficulty working with the sounds in language (phonology) and the written form of language (orthography).

Children and adults with dyslexia often have a family history of dyslexia or other reading and/or spelling difficulties.

In order to reach their full potential, students with dyslexia can benefit from adjustments made to their school environments. 

Adjustments to learning are very important for students struggling with reading and should be implemented in conjunction with appropriate intervention.

Adjustments need to be tailored to the individual and will change over time.

Adjustments can include:

• only asking students to read aloud if they are comfortable
• allowing the use of audio books
• assistive technology such as text to speech software or C-Pen
• limiting the amount of reading and writing required
• providing outlines, summaries, vocabulary words and word banks
• extra time to complete tasks
• avoiding copying large amounts of notes from the board
• allowing students to express knowledge verbally
• assistance with spelling, writing and editing (eg. use of a word processor, predictive spelling, scaffolded writing tasks, speech to text software)
• making allowances for poor working memory in relation to giving instructions and general school organisation
• directly sending parents/carers important information, homework and assessment tasks

Our Diversity and Inclusion team are always happy to answer any questions you may have, please feel free to email deborah.pirlo@lism.catholic.edu.au our Administration support.

Great News!  The Twin Towns Kids Party is going ahead this year!

After a few years of missing out (Covid, floods etc), Twin Towns Community Foundation is going ahead with the event this year and hosting 'Twin Towns Kids Party' for children with special needs and their families.

It is a fabulous day.  The food and entertainment is great!  Come along and enjoy ....... Be sure to book in (Contact Sandy Rogers - Kids in Need 0415 801 947 or sandyr152@hotmail.com) ... Hope to see you all there! 

Cricket Thriller: Downie Shield Opener

We're delighted to share the thrilling performance of our Open Boys' Cricket Team in the first round of the Downie Shield.  The stage was set as our boys faced off against the formidable opponents from Mt St Patrick's College, and the showdown certainly lived up to its reputation.

Impressive Start and a Collapse

Our team showed great promise as they took to the field, with a fantastic start that saw them amass an impressive 100 runs in just 20 overs while only losing two wickets.  At the forefront of this strong start was the remarkable Ryan Reid, who made batting look easy, cruising to 76 runs.  His display was a true testament to skill and determination, only halted by a low-diving catch at mid-off.

The Comeback Saga

Despite the remarkable start, fate took a different turn as our team experienced a sudden batting collapse.  The boys were bowled out for 107 runs, leaving everyone on edge.  But this was only the beginning of a remarkable match filled with ups and downs.

Bowling Excellence

With the challenge of defending 107 runs, our bowlers were determined to make a difference.  They struck early, claiming the wickets of the opposition's top order, reducing them to just 30 runs with three wickets down.  The bowlers displayed consistency, taking wickets at nearly every 10-run interval, putting the opposition under immense pressure.

A Nerve-Wracking Finish

As the match progressed, it became a thrilling contest.  At the game's culmination, Mt St Patrick's College needed just six runs to secure victory, while we required two more wickets.  The tension was palpable.  The spotlight fell on Isaac Caspersz, who bowled a brilliant yorker that went crashing into the stumps, leaving us with just one wicket to capture while defending a mere two runs.

In a nail-biting moment, Caspersz delivered an excellent ball, which struck the number 11 batsman's pads.  The entire team appealed vehemently, but to their disappointment, the appeal was turned down.  With the last gasp of hope, Mt St Patrick's College edged a ball away, securing the game with a win.

Outstanding Performances

The match saw several outstanding performances from our boys.  Ryan Reid's heroics weren't confined to his 76 runs; he also made a significant impact with the ball, claiming three wickets for just 44 runs.  Isaac Caspersz bowled exceptionally, securing three wickets for 36 runs, and David Conallin's tight bowling led to two wickets for just 16 runs.

This match was a true showcase of determination, sportsmanship, and the thrill of competitive cricket.  We commend our Open Boys' Cricket Team for their valiant effort and sportsmanship throughout the match.  It's performances like these that remind us of the true spirit of sports and the unpredictable nature of cricket.  Well done, boys!

Mr Mark Yager

Monday to Thursday, from 3:15-5:00pm in the College Library

Bring your Study Skills worksheets to Homework Hub and test each other to prepare for Weeks 7 & 8 (exams).  We welcome any new students who may need this service. 

Mrs Fin and Mrs Williams

The uniform shop hours are as follows: 

Every Tuesday during the school term: 12:00pm – 3:30pm
Every Thursday during the school term: 8:00am – 12:00pm

During shop hours: (07) 5523 9300
This shop is managed by Lowes staff only

Payments: Cash and EFTPOS Only
NO CHEQUES ACCEPTED

Or, if you'd like to make an online purchase, you can use this handy link.

Tweed Shire Council - Save water to delay restrictions

Following the El Nino declaration by the Bureau of Meteorology and less than average rainfall now forecast for the Northern Rivers, Tweed Shire Council is urging everyone in the Tweed to save water to prolong the shire’s water supply.

Without significant rain, the Tweed is heading into water restrictions.

Council is asking everyone who lives, works and plays in the Tweed to unite and save water now.

Level 1 water restrictions for most of the Tweed will be triggered when the Clarrie Hall Dam level drops to 85% full.  If each of us is using less than 160 litres of water a day when water restrictions are introduced, we delay the need to impose harsh restrictions during extended dry periods.

Some great water-saving tips for families include cleaning hard outdoor surfaces with a broom not a hose, mulching your garden, keeping your showers to 4 minutes, doing full loads of washing and fixing your water leaks indoors and out.

Go to tweed.nsw.gov.au/water-savings-restrictions for more tips.

In 2020, Council banned water carting from Tyalgum and Uki.  Whenever water restrictions are triggered, Council bans water carting from elsewhere in the Tweed to other local government areas.  

Council is currently completing planning works for the proposed raising of Clarrie Hall Dam to increase the volume of water that can be stored, securing our water supply in the face of climate change and population growth.