25 February 2022 - Newsletter (Vol 39 No 2)
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Principal's Message
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Assistant Principal - Mission
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Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
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Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
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School Evangelisation
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Transitus Retreat - opportunity for Year 7
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Staff Development Day
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Library Matters
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Curriculum Matters
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Leader of Student Wellbeing
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Literacy Matters
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Public Speaking
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College Choir and Stage Band
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Sports Corner
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Year 7 Men and Boys Camp Out
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Year 12 2022 Fundraising - Golf Day
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Act of Peace
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Office News
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Parish School's Office
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Hoys Athlete Sponsorship 2022
Ash Wednesday and Lent
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in the Church, a period of repentance and renewal which leads to Easter. A period of 40 days which reminds us of the time Jesus spent in the desert fasting and being tested.
Lent is a time where we are provided the opportunity to focus more on our daily lives in 3 specific areas; prayer, fasting and giving to charitable works. We are challenged to think about our relationship with God and to focus on others less fortunate. More has been written about the Lenten season further in this week’s newsletter.
Building Updates
Phase 1: PDHPE block, Staffroom and Library
After months of delays due to COVID and poor weather, the new staff room and Library are nearing completion. Staff have moved into the staff room and students will have full access to the library next week. There is still work to be completed outside and on the rooftop but we are really excited about this new resource being available for all. There will be an official opening and blessing later in the year to which we will invite parents to.
Phase 2: Additional PDHPE centre and Gym and total refurb of Blocks N, B, C and D
Over the next 12 months we will be adding to the buildings and refurbishing the existing classrooms. Demolition work begins this week and there will be disruptions for staff, students and parents as we work to make this the best education campus in the area. I will keep you informed as the year progresses and ask for your patience and cooperation during 2022.
God bless
Michael Carniato
Principal
Next week we commence the season in the Church’s year known as Lent.The meaning of Lent would have been powerfully obvious to the Apostles after witnessing Christ’s death and resurrection. Every Ash Wednesday, we are faced with the challenge of bringing this apostolic tradition to life for twenty-first century students. Ash is a symbol of death and life. It is inconvenient and painful and leads to new growth – just as the sacrifice of Lent can act as the precursor to a Spring in our own lives. The best sacrifices come from renouncing self-interest and self-centeredness, replacing them with care, compassion and service to others.
Lent can be a time for great self-honesty. Practically speaking, some try to stop gossiping or using unkind acts and words. Alternatively, some start with putting aside the frustration of being interrupted while immersed in screen time or social media, and use this opportunity for an act of generosity and sacrifice. Encourage your children to not feel annoyed if they are interrupted to help with dinner or to take the rubbish out, but rather respond with a positive attitude and action as an act of care and service. What will your choices be as a family?
Here at St John Paul College, we will be holding liturgies for Ash Wednesday and distributing the ashes as a reminder of how blessed we are and the life that was given for our salvation. Perhaps in our own families, we can support each other as we enter this important season, make simple changes which make an impact on others and embrace the importance of reflecting on our own behaviours. Most importantly let it be a time where we give thanks for our families and for all that we have been given. Lent gives each of us the opportunity to take time to reflect on the most relevant and appropriate opportunities for care, compassion and service in our own lives.
I encourage you to take some time to talk about the upcoming Ash Wednesday liturgies and the beginning of Lent as we walk the next 40 days with our students, together.
Yours in Christ
Assistant Principal - Mission
The College values the health and wellbeing of each and every member. One of the major concerns of our current times is that of vaping, and in particular vaping on the College premises. Vaping at school (mainly occurring in the toilet) not only affects the health and wellbeing of the individual but also those who wish to use the toilet and change rooms for their designed purposes. Some students fear being ‘caught up’ with those that are vaping when random toilet checks are made by supervising staff, while others feel intimidated by the mere fact of this small group of students (both male and female) who continue to take part in this practice. This then affects students getting changed for practical PD/H/PE lessons and may prevent students from going to the toilet for the entire school day.
So what can be done about this practice?
The College will:
- continue to highlight the dangers of vaping via PD/H/PE classes and during Homeroom pastoral sessions.
- maintain a “Student Movement Register” throughout the day that records the time a student visits the toilet during regular classes and follow up any suspicious activity.
- while at all times respecting the privacy of the individual, closely supervise toilets and change rooms during recess and lunch breaks.
- enforce a firm line of suspension/expulsion for students caught practising/being in possession vapes at school.
While the College has looked into other measures to monitor vaping in toilets and other internal spaces (alarms etc.) the success of these products is somewhat inconclusive.
We all realise that a successful education relies on a positive working relationship between the school and home. As a College we require all parents to take this subject very seriously and to speak regularly to their children about this topic. Attached is a vaping fact sheet received by a teacher at a recent professional development inservice. Please take the time to read this sheet and share the information with your family.
Should parents/carers require further information on vaping, please do not hesitate to contact the College.
Until next time:
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
The importance of celebrating student success
At our recent College Assembly, we acknowledged students who sat the University of NSW’s International Competitions & Assessment for Schools in Science, English and Mathematics.
As part of this acknowledgement, I wanted to remind our students why it is important to celebrate student achievements.
The benefits of celebrating student achievements is that it adds to the level of motivation as young learners. This in turn builds confidence, and confidence builds our resilience to try and try again when learning something new and challenging.
Students were asked to consider if there was anything more affirming than someone telling you, “you’re doing well”.
I wanted to reinforce the connection between effort and achievement for our student body.
With this in mind, I sought to highlight and recognise the recipients of the Yearly Application Awards presented last December.
This award requires a student to apply themselves in their learning continually at an “A Grade” level. This has to be done in both Semesters for every subject. A typical Year 10 student would need to receive 18 As for effort in the year.
Although we present this award in all junior years, I feel the Year 7s from last year deserved a special mention as they successfully made the transition from primary to secondary school, while still applying themselves all year. This recognition stands not only as an acknowledgement of achievement but as a model for our new Year 7s to align their learning goals for this Semester and the next.
The Year 7 2021 Yearly Application Award recipients were: |
Study Skills
Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au. Our College access details are:
School’s Username – stjohnpaul
School’s password – 89success
In addition, our subscription to Elevate Education may assist in this area.
This online platform contains resources and useful study tips that all SJPC students will find effective. We encourage them to access this Student Portal and try some of the strategies. Students have the password to this site. The password can also be found on the Curriculum Noticeboard.
AMDG
James Furey
Assistant Principal
Learning and Teaching
Last Thursday we celebrated our whole school Commencement Mass outdoors, on the hardcourts on a beautiful sunny morning! The respect and reverence shown by students was outstanding and a credit to them.
Father Peter Rebello, our new College Chaplain, welcomed students and staff and officiated at the Mass, marking his very first whole school event.
Our YMOs have been busy meeting students and visiting classrooms while planning for a busy term of events. Check the YMO office in B-block for upcoming events, including AWAKEN and other faith opportunities.
If you're keen to learn more about the Bible, Father Michael from Sawtell Parish is running a Bible Study Group on some Thursday afternoons after Mass, a great opportunity to better understand scripture. Contact the Sawtell Parish Office on 6658 3544 for further details.
The Lenten Season is fast approaching with Ash Wednesday on 2 March. This is the holiest time on the Church calendar as we reflect and repent during the 40 days leading to Holy Week. Let's spend some time focusing on how we will use prayer, fasting and almsgiving this season.
"No matter how quietly I speak, God listens."
St Teresa of Avila
Janine Sawtell
Leader of School Evangelisation
Transitus is a retreat for invited Year 7 students from Parish Secondary Schools in the South of the Diocese to create a smoother transition to secondary schools, celebrate and be nurtured in their faith at a diocesan level.
The retreat will be a chance to bring students together to meet like-minded peers and to celebrate with other young people who want to grow and be supported in their Christian faith. The activities will be a mixture of large and small sharing groups as well as celebrating the Eucharist together. The program has been geared to meet the needs of these Year 7 students.
The gathering will be an overnight experience that will allow students to build relationships with other students from throughout the Diocese as well as a chance for students to talk and share about their faith journey. Students will be sleeping in male and female dorms with at least one student from their school.
What: Transitus – a youth retreat for Year 7 students from every Parish school in the Southern Region of the Diocese.
When: Thursday 31 March – Friday 1 April, 2022
Where: Yarrahapinni Adventist Youth Centre, Grassy Head.
Cost: Nil. All transport and booking expenses met by the Catholic Schools Office.
This retreat is for students who:
- Regularly attend Mass,
- Are involved in some other form of Church involvement either at school or in the parish
- Show initiative, common sense and maturity, and
- Are seeking to grow in these areas
We can offer 17 places for Transitus this year. Any student who would like to be considered is asked to complete the Student Application Form provided by Mr Hardgrove, Mrs Sawtell or the Youth Ministry Officer’s knowing that they are committing to be available at the time of the retreat. Attention should be given to the stated selection criteria. Nominations should be handed to the college office no later than Wednesday 9th March.
Scott Hardgrove
Assistant Principal - Mission
Teacher collaboration is a powerful professional learning tool
On Monday this week our staff participated in a day of learning and collaboration which provided opportunities to engage in professional discussion on evidence-informed practices and develop our skills around making learning visible for our students. Teachers then applied their learning by working together in faculties to co-construct Learning Intentions and Success Criteria for Stage 4 & 5 programs.
Our focus was on deepening our awareness and understanding of evidence-based practices to enhance student engagement. Some key takeaways from the professional readings included:
- Present new material using small steps - tapping into prior knowledge
- Being clear about WHAT students are learning and WHY - using Learning Intentions that are drawn from the syllabus
- Describe what success looks like in relation to the Learning Intention by providing Success Criteria
- Provide models
- Provide scaffolds for difficult tasks
- Check for understanding and ensure students are thinking hard by asking a range of questions - e.g. Cold-call, No opt-out, Think-pair-share, Whole class response
- Move from guided practice to independent practice ‘I do, We do, You do’
- Review material using a range of retrieval strategies - e.g. online platforms (Education Perfect, Kahoot, Quizlet, Gimkit, Blooket etc), class tests/quizzes
- Providing explicit descriptive feedback is one of the most powerful influences on student achievement
- Higher levels of wellbeing are linked to higher academic achievement
- Effective analysis of student data to inform teacher practice - teachers need to know students and how they learn (Teaching Standard 1)
- Having a culture within the school of high expectations is linked with higher achievement and performance for all students
- Explicit teaching is vital for students to master some of the foundational knowledge associated with a topic of study before they can go deeper with their learning
- Data confirms a link between effective classroom management and student performance
Following the Staff Development Day, an afterschool workshop was held on Tuesday on the Microskills of Teaching. This well attended workshop focussed on strategies that teachers can use in the classroom to promote positive learning environments. It was wonderful to see teachers with a wide range of experiences support one-another by sharing effective behaviour management strategies.
As our work with the Lyn Sharratt Learning Collaborative progresses, Learning Walks and Talks will continue to assist the Leadership Team to gauge the effectiveness of our Professional Learning and provide feedback to inform future steps required to support our teachers to reflect on their practice and refine their craft.
Leanne Gennat
Leader of Pedagogy
The most frequently asked question this year has been, “When will the library be open?” I can now say that the finishing touches are almost complete, and after a very long wait, our new library will open Period 1 Monday.
The ground floor is dedicated to fiction and our HSC collection. The first floor houses our non-fiction, Extension History, Issues in Society and Teacher Resource collections.
There are five individual, small group or class-sized teaching rooms with open spaces on both the ground and first floor. Each space is equipped with the latest digital technology.
Our main staircase will offer the perfect space for presentations, debating and public speaking. The rooftop area will provide space for a whole year group.
Staff had the opportunity to visit the library on Wednesday after school and it was wonderful to listen to conversations about how they would use the various spaces with their classes. Today our Year 11 and 12 students were able to visit at recess and lunchtime. They had been catching glimpses through open doors for months, so were finally able to see what that staircase actually looks like.
Homework Centre
The Homework Centre will open for 2022 on Monday afternoon. The centre will operate after school until 5:00 pm each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Students must be collected from the College by 5:00 pm. Please pick them up at the front of the school. Occasionally we are unable to keep the library open but students will be given adequate notice via Daily Notices and will be able to contact parents if necessary.
I’m looking forward to a very exciting year of reading, exploring, investigating and learning in our library this year.
As many in our community already know, at SJPC we recognise that learning is not static. It is a continual process that involve practice, reflection, adjustment, and refinement.
Our focus is on student growth and building the capacity of learners to improve. The NSW education system uses a standards referenced approach based on what students are expected to learn and how well they have achieved, with grades being the indicators of the level of achievement of outcomes in each course. However, grades are only part of the discussion, they are not the discussion.
As such, we have a flexible, supportive approach to assessment in Years 7 – 9 with an emphasis on developing an attitude which promotes continuous improvement, engagement and therefore learning.
Our aim is to develop expert learners who are motivated, knowledgeable, resourceful and goal-directed. Learners who are focused on effective habits and routines as opposed to deadlines. Students in Years 7 – 9 have multiple opportunities to provide evidence of their learning and achievement of course outcomes across a semester. With feedback playing a vital role in student growth and improvement. Grades are based on this evidence which teachers have collected during the teaching and learning cycle.
Students are encouraged to;
- reflect on their learning and whether they have met each lesson’s success criteria
- act on feedback from their teachers and peers regarding which strategies they need to employ to improve.
It is important that we continue to ensure everyone understands what learning, assessment and grading ’looks’ like and what strategies students can use to allow them to grow and move to the next grade across a multitude of knowledge and skill sets. Year 9 students attended a Curriculum presentation last Tuesday which outlined many of the ideas discussed here. The students were receptive, engaged and well-mannered during the entire presentation. With the cohort achieving an average of 87% in the exit quiz! These young adults showed they were ready to take on the more challenging Stage 5 curriculum, including their 3 new electives.
All information regarding Scope and Sequences of courses, and what assessment looks like in Years 7 to 9 can be accessed via the Curriculum page on the College website. SJPC Curriculum
Last newsletter we included information about the how you, as parents and carers, can gain some insight into how you can best support your children in developing effective study habits by registering for Elevate’s free Parent Support Webinar series. It was wonderful to see many of our community register for last Wednesday’s Webinar How to Get (And Keep) Your Child Motivated This Year?
We will continue to post when these webinars are scheduled to support you and your children’s education.
The College continues to base decision making on data and educational research. We ask you to continue to trust us to implement the strategies that international educational research has shown to be effective.
Below is a video you may find helpful when discussing how to study effectively with your children.
13 Study Tips - the Science of Better Learning
Claudia Brown
Leader of Curriculum
Year 7
Year 7 ‘New Beginnings’ - ‘Living Gospel Spirituality by being kind, showing respect and treating others with the love Christ shows me”
As our Pastoral theme in Year 7, it’s firmly placed at the beginning of our students journey that we enable new relationships to develop to show them the face of Jesus here at the College. We do this through many different ways and last week saw Year 7 take part in ‘Belonging Day’, which is an important milestone in this process.
It was glorious weather for our annual Year 7 Belonging Day celebration and this experience is an opportunity for all of year 7 to bond and develop new relationships and friendships within the group and also their home room classes.
Before departing the College, we had one important job to do and that was to award the first home room the newly created, ‘Homeroom Cup’. The first homeroom recipients of the Homeroom Cup was 7B after they were the quickest class in Year 7 to return all their College Permission notes at the end of week three. A very happy Mrs Martin collected the trophy to keep safe on her desk until the next challenge.
We then all jumped on the bus and headed off to Boambee Reserve high on excitement and anticipation for what the day was to bring.
Session one began with the Year 10 Peer Mentors coordinating a range of fun games and activities for their respective Year 7 home room group. The students had a great time playing ‘fruit salad’, ‘tied in knots’ and the traditional favourite ‘duck, duck, goose’. These games allowed everyone to break the ice and bring energy and enthusiasm to the day that would see them have a much more enjoyable time.
After some swimming, cricket and hot chips during the recess break, it was on to session two. This involved home rooms developing their very own original war cry for the ‘War Cry Challenge’. The peer mentors assisted the groups to bring out a range of chants, raps, and dance moves that wowed the crowd and 7G were awarded first place by our special guest judges Gabby and Darcy (YMO’s).
After some more beach games and swimming at lunch, session three got underway with the ‘Homeroom Games Challenge’. This challenge would see the potential re-awarding of the Homeroom Trophy. After some tight games of tug-a-war, skipping challenges, fill-the-bucket, and pass the ball team games, each team was also awarded ‘spirit’ points for cooperation, supportiveness, and teamwork. The winner was announced at our year assembly this week and the winning Homeroom class was 7G and now the trophy will sit proudly on Mrs Bentons desk until the next challenge.
Friday was a fantastic day that could not have been possible without the support and assistance of the Homeroom Teachers and Mr O’Connor , Teachers Assistants - Mrs Mitchell and Mrs Slaviaro, Mr Stubbs and Mr Furey for cooking the BBQ and delivering the ice blocks, plus Mrs Furey and the wonderful year 10 peer mentors that delivered enthusiasm and spirit that was again an example of the St John Paul College Community and how we wish for every member to feel as though they can contribute and belong.
The major school events are coming thick and fast and it was fantastic to see the participation and support from our students at the swimming carnival recently. There were many great performances by year 7 students and the results can be found in this week's sports results. Good luck to those swimmers who qualified for the next level.
Next Monday night sees the first opportunity to experience and contribute to the family community of our Year 7 group through students, parents and their families being invited to ‘Belonging Night’. This will begin in the College Hall from 5:45pm on Monday night where we will gather together for a Welcome and prayer, followed by an information Q&A session with your child’s Homeroom teacher. It will conclude with a free sausage sizzle and families have been emailed a letter and rsvp request over the past few days.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back on site and into the Year 7 SJPC community.
See you Monday
Year 8
Year 8 has had a busy time in the sports arena over the past few weeks with some outstanding achievements.
Jaxon White and Cooper Andrews were very impressive in winning their respective age championships at the recent school carnival with Jaxon breaking the 50m Freestyle record with an amazing 26 second swim. Congratulations on a well-deserved achievement.
Another Year 8 student, Max Miller, has recently been selected to represent NSW at the National U15 Boys Hockey Championships.
Max was originally selected last year in the U13 NSW Boys Field Hockey Squad. Unfortunately, due to COVID the U13 National Championships which were to be held in Hobart were cancelled.
Max's selection follows an intensive weekend of trials where athletes take part in fitness testing, technical skills and match play.
The national Championships will take place at the newly upgraded Newcastle Hockey Centre in April.
Good Luck Max!
Year 12
YEAR 12 FUNDRAISING
Valentine’s Day - Love is in the air at SJPC!
Valentine’s Day Fundraising
Last Week Yr 12 celebrated Valentine’s day in style. Celebrations commenced on Tuesday with the Cupid’s Quad Jam at lunch as students and staff crammed the quad to witness our talented student’s voices. There was a range of singers from all year groups and some talented solos too. A big thank you to Mr Hoare, Mr Meredith and Mr Baldwin who made this event happen and for showcasing the wonderful talent we have at SJPC.
On Wednesday we had the huge job of delivering over 500 orders of roses, chocolates, ring pop proposals, songs and even love heart lollipops! So, after assembly year 12 dressed up in their Valentine’s Day best and from the photos I’m sure you will agree that they looked fantastic. Not too sure about their singing though and probably best they keep their casual jobs! Students broke off into different 6 groups and went around the College spreading their love and kindness to all.
Caitlin Waugh was instrumental in leading our Yr 12 fundraising team to raising a grand total of well over $2000 for our chosen charities this year “Can Do Cancer Trust” and “Men’s Resource Centre”. She was ably supported by Laila McDonald and the rest of the team taking orders during recess and lunch for over a week in the lead up to the big day. Thank you to all staff and students for supporting the event.
I would also like to thank Susan Hilliar and the team at Hilliar Roses for their wonderful contribution of 600 roses. We really appreciate your support and we could not have had a successful event without your generosity.
Enjoy the colourful photos!
All Things Literacy, Because Literacy Matters In All Things
Vocabulary is an important focus of literacy teaching. Words all have:
- meaning, which can vary according to context
- phonology – that is, sounds
- morphology – that is, word parts
- syntax, that is, the way in which words are arranged to form phrases or sentences
- uses, which may be multiple, depending on context.
Oral vocabulary refers to words that children can understand or use while speaking and listening. Oral vocabulary is closely related to reading vocabulary, which is the words that children can recognise and use in their reading or writing.
Children need to have a rich vocabulary that continually grows through language and literacy experiences, in order to comprehend and construct increasingly complex texts, and engage in oral language for a variety of social purposes. It is an unconstrained skill, meaning we continue to develop over our life span.
The explicit teaching of vocabulary allows students to access academic language and discourse, and facilitates their comprehension of increasingly complex texts. Vocabulary is an unconstrained skill, meaning it is a skill that we continue to develop over our life span.
Here at SJPC, we thoroughly enjoy sharing our passion for words.
I encourage you to watch this beautiful clip exploring the young boy who loved and collected words - a beautiful story to share at home.
May I recommend a fabulous read, The Dictionary of Lost Words
REVIEW:
In 1901, the word ‘Bondmaid’ was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it.
Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the ‘Scriptorium’, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word ‘bondmaid’ flutters to the floor. Esme rescues the slip and stashes it in an old wooden case that belongs to her friend, Lizzie, a young servant in the big house. Esme begins to collect other words from the Scriptorium that are misplaced, discarded or have been neglected by the dictionary men. They help her make sense of the world.
Over time, Esme realises that some words are considered more important than others, and that words and meanings relating to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. While she dedicates her life to the Oxford English Dictionary, secretly, she begins to collect words for another dictionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words.
Set when the women’s suffrage movement was at its height and the Great War loomed, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. It’s a delightful, lyrical and deeply thought-provoking celebration of words, and the power of language to shape the world and our experience of it.
Word of the Week 4
Eradicate Verb wurraa (remove) w-u-r-r
DEFINITION - to get rid of something completely; destroy completely or put an end to something
ORIGIN - from the latin word, eradicare, meaning to ‘root out’.
IN A SENTENCE -We are determined to eradicate racism from our sport.
Word of the Week 5
Contempt Noun duluunymarr (rude) g-i-rr-r-l-gay-g-u-rr-u
DEFINITION - a strong feeling of disliking or having no respect for someone or something.
ORIGIN - Latin, contemptus, meaning scorn
IN A SENTENCE - The boy shows utter contempt for authority and continues to disobey rules and regulations.
JFK said this as President of the USA, and his words continue to inspire people throughout time including our SJPC students who also want to make a positive difference in the world they live in. As we through the 21st Century we are seeing the rise of rhetorical skills and speech making as an important tool to change people’s hearts and minds through forums such as Ted X and YouTube.
The 2022 SJPC Public Speaking team has begun preparations for this year’s entry into the statewide tournament. We have a large contingent this year in both the senior and junior divisions and we hope to keep building on the skills that the students have already learnt in class and through past competitions. We are very lucky that our local primary schools have a strong tradition of Public Speaking allowing our Year 7 students to enter high school with a high level of confidence and skill that they can carry into these bigger competitions.
Two students from the Year 7-9 age group will represent the school in the national Legacy Junior Public Speaking Competition with a five-minute prepared speech and a two-minute impromptu speech. Two students from the Year 10-12 age group will represent the school in the international Plain English Speaking competition with an eight-minute prepared speech and a three-minute impromptu speech.
New students are invited to attend meetings which will be held every Friday, our senior team will need to begin their preparation early as their competition dates have been moved forward into the final weeks of Term 1 for the 2022 season.
Linda Gleeson
Public Speaking Facilitator
Choir
It sure is good to sing again! With restrictions lifting, we have already enjoyed returning to choir rehearsals, hearing again vocal harmony and sharpening our skills together. With already new members, we have been brushing up some songs we needed to shelf last year and also learning some new songs. We have lots of performances to look forward to this year; the Coffs Harbour Choir Eisteddfod at the end of May, school assemblies and possibly a combined choir concert toward the end of this year with our local Catholic Primary Schools. If anyone is keen to join - you are very welcome - please chat to Mr Baldwin or meet us at the theatre every Tuesday at 8am.
SJPC stage band
We have begun rehearsals already for this year and are excited to learn some new songs to perform. We meet every Tuesday afternoon to rehearse together some very groovy tunes with influences from jazz, though soul to latin American genres. We currently have spots and instruments available for saxophones, trumpet, trombone, and flute. If interested, please chat to your nearest music teacher or speak with Mr Meredith.
Year 9 & 10 Term 2 Sport
Students have been asked via the Sport Classroom to check the Palace noticeboard and notify Sport staff if they would like to change their Term 2 sport selection. Changes will only be made if there's a place available in the alternative sport. New students will be asked to make a selection via the same process. This must be done by Wednesday 30 March to enable enough time to organise and invoice statements for Term 2.
Sport Classroom
Once again all students are being asked to sign up to our SJPC sport classroom. Many students are missing out on house information, school sport and trial information as they have not yet joined. The code is wi7ugjz Year 7 - 12 is expected to join.
Representative Sport
Congratulations to Isla Martin (Year 9) who won the 100m backstroke for her age group at the NSW Country Championships last weekend. This is on the back of an excellent display at the Senior State Age Swimming CHampionships held earlier in the year, where Isla competed in backstroke over 50m, 100m and 200m, and placed 6th, 7th and 8th respectively in each final. We wish her well for the upcoming Open State Swimming Championships to be held in Sydney in the near future.
Diocesan Trials
Thank you to all the students who signed up to attend Diocesan trials. Due to wet weather, League and Football have been postponed until 8 March. Congratulations to the following students:
League at Woodlawn on 8 March
Lachlan Mifsud, Logan Lacey, Jaxon White, Charlie Oates, Cooper Moore
Football at SCU Lismore on 8 March
Rylee Wilson, Loki Marchant, Liam Newbery, Taj Buck
Touch football at Leisure Park Coffs on 3 March
Ruby Flanders, Poppi Flanders, Mia McKeon, Lucas Burridge, Jayden Duff, Jaxon White, Cooper Moore
CCC Trials
A number of students have been asking about Individual representative pathways. All information regarding CCC representation can be found on the CCC website - https://csnsw.sport/ (Click on the CCC link). All sports are currently open for registration.
SELECTION TRIAL |
REGISTRATION CLOSE DATE |
Softball - CCC |
25/02/2022 |
Volleyball - Open |
25/02/2022 |
Cricket Girls - CCC |
1/03/2022 |
Water Polo - CCC |
11/03/2022 |
Diving - CCC |
21/03/2022 |
Swimming - CCC |
6/04/2022 |
Rugby - 16 Years |
8/04/2022 |
Rugby - 18 Years |
8/04/2022 |
Rugby 7's Girls - CCC |
8/04/2022 |
Volleyball - 15 Years & Under |
8/04/2022 |
Australian Football - CCC |
20/04/2022 |
Basketball - CCC |
22/04/2022 |
Football Boys U/16 Years - CCC |
26/04/2022 |
Hockey - CCC |
19/05/2022 |
For sports such as Swimming, Athletics, and Cross Country, students are required to qualify through the school carnival and then sign up online through the Diocese of Lismore Sport webpage in order to represent the Diocese.
It is important for all families to note that participation in a trial for Lismore Diocese or a NSW CCC team is considered a normal school day. A permission note will need to be collected from the Palace or Front office and must be returned to the College BEFORE the trial in order to be able to attend.
Lismore Sport website - https://sport.lism.catholic.edu.au/registration/
CSNSW website - https://csnsw.sport/
Coming Up
1 March |
Diocesan Tennis Championships, Tweed Heads |
|
Diocesan Rugby League Individual Trials, Woodlawn |
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Diocesan Open Soccer Individual Trials, SCU Lismore |
3 March |
Diocesan Touch Football Individual Trials, Coffs Harbour |
10 March |
Diocesan Swimming Championships, Lismore |
15 March |
All Schools Individual Triathlon, Sydney |
17 March |
NSW Netball Cup, Coffs |
18 March |
AFL Northern Region trials (U15 boys), Coffs |
22 March |
Diocesan Open Soccer, Kempsey |
24 March |
Diocesan Open Basketball, Coffs Harbour |
31 March |
Girls League Tag Challenge, Coffs Harbour |
1 April |
NSW Netball Fast 5 (Year 11/12 boys and girls), Port Macquarie |
7 April |
10-a-side Rugby, Coffs Harbour |
|
* More sport dates to come (League, Union, AFL) |
Danielle McAra
Sport Co-ordinator
The best thing parents can give their children is presence!
What: Annual SJPC Year 7 Men and Boys Camp Out
Who: Year 7 boys and their fathers (guardian or significant male in your boy’s life)
Where: SJPC
- Tents set up on the grass netball courts next to hard courts (Bring your own tent and sleeping mats/bags etc)
When: From 4pm Friday 11 March - 10am Saturday March 12 2022
Why: A chance for the boys in Year 7 to camp out, have some fun and spend some quality time with their peers and dad’s or a significant male in their lives.
What to expect: Good company, dodgeball, team challenges, BBQ dinner, Bacon and Eggs Breakfast, Bonfire, marshmallows and more.
What to Bring:
- A tent for you and your boy to share, sleeping bag and camp mattress/stretcher
- some snacks and all meals will be provided but feel free to bring anything else you may want to drink/snack on.
- A water bottle
We try to avoid:
- mobile phones or other electronic devices.
- No alcohol please
Cost: $20 (covers cost of student and their parent/guardian)
- Permission notes will be sent home with boys next week and be available from the College office.
Dietary requirements?: Please let us know through the permission note any allergies or dietary requirements that you or your boy may have so that we can do our best to accommodate.
Further reading and motivation:
THE IMPORTANCE OF A PRESENT DAD: ‘CHILDREN PERFORM BETTER IN EVERY SOCIAL INDICATOR IF THEY HAVE AN INVOLVED, NURTURING AND LOVING FATHER. IN FACT THESE CHILDREN WILL EXPERIENCE GREATER HAPPINESS, HEALTH AND SUCCESS.’
Robert Falzon- co-author of The Father Factor and the co-founder of the men's formation organisation, menALIVE.
If you have any questions, please contact: Tim Davis - tim.davis@lism.catholic.edu.au
Tim Davis
Teacher
GOLF DAY DONATIONS
A big thank you to all those families and businesses who have generously sponsored and donated items for prizes for our Charity Golf Day. We have over 25 teams who have registered to take part on what should be a fabulous day. Registrations are now closed as we have taken on as many participants as the day’s format will allow. If you have any vouchers, small gifts or raffle prizes please get in touch with the College office or send Mr Sultana an email to mark.sultana@lism.catholic.edu.auCalling all schools! Ration Challenge 2022
19-25 June 2022
Last year SJPC proudly raised $1,856.92 - how much can we raise this year?!
Ration Challenge - Calling all schools video
For further information and to register your interest for the 2022 Ration Challenge click on the link 2022 Ration Challenge or speak with Janine and the YMO's.
Janine Sawtell
Leader of School Evangelisation
Office
Year 7 Vaccinations – Thursday 3 March
As part of the vaccination program, the vaccinations being provided for Year 7 students are;
- Gardasil (HPV) dose 1
- Boostrix (Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis-Whooping Cough) 1 dose only
Please note, COVID-19 vaccinations will not be administered during this vaccination program.
Please return the vaccination card to the College office prior to Tuesday 1 March. If you prefer your child not to be vaccinated at school please send an email to sjpccoffs@lism.catholic.edu.au or telephone 02 6653 3155.
School Photos - Monday 7 March 2022
Your child received their school photo envelope on Friday, please fill out the enclosed MSP envelope with credit payment or cash and return to the College prior to Friday 4 March. All further information regarding ordering school photos please contact MSP directly on 6583 1968 or www.msp.com.au.
Finance
Installment reminder notice for the Top End Trip - $325.00 due 28.02.22.
This year, Hoys Allied Health and Wellness are offering an exciting opportunity targeted at both young and mature aged athletes on the Coffs Coast. The Hoys Athlete Sponsorship is an opportunity for dedicated and aspiring athletes to improve their training and maximise performance through exercise and nutrition.
Strength and Performance training is imperative for all athletes with the key goal of helping individuals to take care of their bodies not only physically but mentally as well. Teaching healthy training habits and working on preventative health and strength training, tailored to the individual is so important in keeping athletes of all ages in a positive mindset, and performing at their best.
What is available from the Hoys Athlete Sponsorship?
- Young Athletes aged 14 to 18 can apply
- Mature Aged Athletes aged 30+
Application Deadline is 31 of March 2022