10 March 2023 - Newsletter (Vol 40 No 3)
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Principal's Message
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St John Paul College Celebrating 40 Years
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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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Youth Ministry Team
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Office News
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SJPC Calendar Dates
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Spotlight on Student Representative Council (SRC)
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Curriculum Matters
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Year 8 and Year 9 Parent Student Teacher Conference
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Science
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Literacy Matters
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Writer of the Week
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Sports Corner
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2023 Diocesan Swimming Championships
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PDHPE in Focus
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AFL Gala Day
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Leaders of Student Wellbeing
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Visual Arts
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TAS
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International Women's Breakfast 2023
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Generation Vape Advocacy Forum
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Council of Catholic School Parents - Free Webinar: Anxiety and Resilience
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Year 10 Learner Driver Road Trauma & Safety Session (Free)
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Spectrum Spectacular Gala Ball
Our Mission Goal for 2023
To animate the Gospel values through our Catholic Traditions
In the first newsletter of the year, I outlined the College Goals for 2023 and in this week’s newsletter I’d like to outline some ways you can support our College Mission goal at home.
I am often reminded that first and foremost, the primary educators of children are their parents, a role that as teachers in a Catholic school we are privileged to share. Together we have the opportunity and obligation to mould and shape young people as they make their way through life, ask questions about the world they find themselves in and their place in that same world. In a Catholic setting we do this through the lens of a Catholic worldview shaped by values and traditions.
Often times parents ask how they can help their child with homework, curriculum tasks and work aligned to classroom subjects but seldom do they ask about how they can help teach and discuss the College vision and mission at home. Why? Because it is a really hard thing to do!!!
Here are some really easy things that you might like to consider at home in the next few weeks of Lent as we lead up to the celebration of Easter.
- Participate in the sacraments: The Catholic Church has seven sacraments that provide a tangible way to encounter God’s grace. Through participating in these sacraments, we can deepen our relationship with God and live out the Gospel values in our daily lives.
- Follow the liturgical calendar: The Church’s liturgical year is designed to help us remember key events in salvation history and to live out the Gospel message in our daily lives. By following the liturgical calendar, we can become better attuned to the rhythms of the Church and find ways to express our faith in concrete ways.
- Practice Christian hospitality: One of the core Gospel values is hospitality, which involves welcoming others with open arms and making them feel at home. Catholic tradition offers many ways to practice hospitality, such as inviting others into our homes for meals, volunteering at soup kitchens, and reaching out to those who are marginalised or forgotten.
- Engage in contemplative prayer: Contemplative prayer is a way of quieting our minds and hearts in order to listen to God’s voice. Through this type of prayer, we can become more aware of the Gospel values that are central to our faith and learn to embody them in our daily lives.
- Embrace Catholic social teaching: Catholic social teaching provides a framework for living out the Gospel values in the world. By studying and embracing these teachings, we can find ways to work for justice and peace in the world and to love our neighbours as ourselves. Caritas Australia has a great website that I would recommend to you as a starting point to explore the teaching in further detail.
I invite all families to contact the College and ask for assistance with any of these activities, or better still, share with us what you might be doing in this space so we can pass on to others your great ideas.
I continue to be proud that I am leading a great College, one which has much to celebrate. Please follow our Facebook page where we acknowledge the many great things happening at SJPC.
God bless
Michael Carniato
Principal
Last Tuesday evening, while our students were getting their groove on at the ‘Fluro 80s’ themed school social, the P&F met in the College library to discuss a whole range of issues, such as new and refurbished learning spaces, alumni, literacy, parent-industry partnerships and community-building social events, just to name a few.
A major agenda item for the evening was the parent involvement in our Emmaus Project. As many of you may be aware, this project was developed at SJPC as a model to help articulate the focus for each year group, and support us as we accompany our students on their faith journey.
Here are the Themes and Gospel Passages for each Year Group:
Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
Year 10 |
New Beginnings |
Who am I? |
To Walk with Others |
Stewardship |
The Greatest Commandment |
Know your Value (Matthew 6:25-26) |
Love for Enemies |
Who is the Greatest (Mark 9:33-37) |
Year 11 |
Year 12 |
Staff |
Community | Igniting the Future | Shepherds of the Flock |
Feeding the Five Thousand (John 6:5-15) |
Light of the World (Matthew 5:14-16) |
The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7) |
During the meeting, parents were invited to join the Emmaus Project and asked to consider 9 different Gospel passages from which to select. Following individual thinking time and group discussions, these were narrowed down to two passages.
We are now seeking input from the wider parent community in order to make the final selection. To have your say, please vote for your preferred Gospel passage via this GOOGLE FORM which will be open until the end of Week 7.
It certainly was wonderful to see the high level of enthusiasm and genuine desire that our P&F have to be involved in our College. I look forward to collaborating with our P&F as together we strive to create a stronger sense of community and connectedness within our College community. Watch this space!
Assistant Principal - Mission
Many times in the career of a teacher, non-teachers will say to them, ‘I don’t know how you do it’ or 'I could never be a teacher’. To be perfectly honest I believe the hardest job is being a parent.
As much as a child’s major development occurs in the years from birth to 5yrs, it is believed that the most memorable (for both children and parents) is the adolescent years of 13-18.
Navigating our way through our children’s natural stages of development and then throwing in peer pressure and the influence of social media into the mix can create an enormous challenge. The challenge is in guiding our children through this journey while maintaining a positive relationship. The teenage years can be particularly difficult for our young people and equally as difficult for us as parents.
Perhaps consider the following as ways to foster your adolescent's social abilities:
- Encourage your adolescent to take on new challenges.
- Talk with your adolescent about not losing sight of one's self in group relations.
- Encourage your adolescent to talk to a trusted adult about problems or concerns, even if it is not you he or she chooses to talk with.
- Discuss ways to manage and handle stress.
- Provide consistent, loving discipline with limits, restrictions, and rewards.
- Find ways to spend time together.
As important as it is to be an advocate for your child, it is also important to see all sides of a situation. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are the parent and it’s OK to say ‘no’. Limits and restrictions are essential in our responsibility in guiding our young people to make informed decisions.
We are all trying to do the best job we can as parents without any formal training. We need to have faith in ourselves that the foundations we establish will keep our young people in good stead for the challenging times ahead.
Our faith is not just limited to faith in ourselves but more importantly our faith in God.
When we ask in faith for something that is in accordance with the will of God, He will grant us according to our needs. God knows us, loves us, and desires everything necessary for us to return to His presence. And sometimes that includes trials, troubles, and challenges.
So in a nutshell, we do the best job we can, have faith in God and ourselves and hope our children become the best version of themselves.
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
NAPLAN 2023
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.
At St John Paul College, NAPLAN will occur for all Year 7 & 9s from next week, starting with:
- Writing on Wednesday 15 March;
- Reading on Thursday 16 March;
- Conventions of Language on Friday 17 March; and
- Numeracy on Monday 20 March.
- NAPLAN ‘catch up assessments’ will be from Tuesday - Thursday in Week 8
Students and parents can access the public demonstration site to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN and the types of questions and tools available. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended.
NAPLAN 2023 Information for parents and carers is attached in the resources below. If you have any further questions about NAPLAN, please do not hesitate to contact the College.
Resources include:
- Public demonstration site
- NESA NAPLAN website
- NAP parent/carer support page
- Watch a video that explains tailored testing
Why Students need to turn off devices at least half an hour before sleep!
As we progress into Term 1, the school routines should be well established by now. The following looks at the importance of regular sleep patterns and the awareness of how electronic devices affect the sleep of our students.
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 F.lux, 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!).
Study Skills
Learn more about the ‘managing stress’ resources 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
On Fasting During Lent
As you know, Lent is our 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways. Monica Dutton suggests two other practical types of fasting this week, relating to the modern dilemma of busy-ness and speed; and many people’s (including the media’s) preoccupation with negativity:
"Fasting from speed and negativity"
“Mahatma Gandhi said ‘There is more to life than increasing its speed; not everything has to be done fast."
In fact, some things deserve to be done slowly – like reading a bedtime story to a child, eating lunch with a friend, cooking a special meal, pottering in the garden, watching the sunset… Slowing down nurtures patience’. Slowing down gives us a chance to also become positive.
Negative people see the world through gray-coloured glasses. They focus on what’s wrong with the world instead of what’s right. They complain. They shoot down every new idea and every expression of hope.
Yes, life has disappointments.
Yes, life has pain.
But life is also filled with goodness, joys, and beautiful surprises. If we tend to look at life negatively, then Lent is a good time to get a new pair of glasses”.
CSYMA Classes in action!
Year 10 REL15 ran a successful Brownie Stall on Monday raising $183 for Project Compassion. We sold out in about ten minutes, testimony to the fantastic support given by students and staff. Thank you to the students and staff who baked, those who made posters and those who helped serve in the day. Faith in action! Stay tuned for more Lenten almsgiving initiatives!
10 CSYMA Incitare Junior Retreat Helpers
We had a successful day assisting the primary schools' Incitare Junior Retreat program on Tuesday. Our students facilitated small group activities and accompanied younger students on their day of faith and fun. Our YMOs, Ashlinn and Kalob also assisted on the day, leading sessions and helping out.
Thank you, Year 10, for your superb leadership on the day.
COFFS HARBOUR PARISH |
St Augustine's Church |
Saturday: 5 30pm |
Woolgoolga St Francis Xavier's Church | Sunday 9:00am |
Coramba St Therese's Church | Sunday 10:30am |
St John Paul College Chapel | Tuesday 9.15am (school term only) |
Coffs Harbour Reconciliation | Saturday - after 9am Mass |
Woolgoolga Reconciliation | Sunday, before Mass |
SAWTELL PARISH |
Mary Help of Christians Church | Saturday 6:00 pm Sunday 7:30am & 9:00am Tuesday 9:30 am Wednesday 9:30 am (OLOW Chapel) Thursday 5:00 pm Friday 9:30am |
Reconciliation | Saturday 11:30am-12:30pm or on request |
Janine Sawtell
Leader of School Evangelisation
Interview with Riley Duff - Year 8 Student
What is your favourite sport and why?
Basketball, just because it's fun and energetic. I get to spend some time with my friends and just have some fun.
Favourite subject?
PEHPE pretty much the same as the last question but I learn more about my body and spend time with friends.
What item would you take to a deserted island?
Definitely a basketbal!
How are following in God's footsteps?
I like to attend Mass with my family every Sunday, I also go to youth group regularly.
Ashlinn de Dassel & Kalob Stone
Youth Ministry Officers
Forest Coach Lines - Bus Update
Finance
REMINDER - A friendly reminder to all families that payment for Term 1, 2023 tuition fees is due by Friday, 10 March, 2023. If you have requested a payment plan for 2023 with the Catholic Schools Office, no action in relation to this date is required.
If you would like a recurring payment plan calculated, please contact the Catholic Schools Office on cofhs-fees@lism.catholic.edu.au (advise what date you wish to commence and if payment will be weekly, fortnightly, monthly etc). The Catholic Schools Office will reply with a suitable payment plan following your request.
Full details of your account can be viewed on your Compass App and the next Statement will be emailed to you first week of March.
Thank you for keeping your tuition fees up to date with St John Paul College.
SJPC Communication - Facebook
Do you follow SJPC's facebook page? This is where you will find reminders of upcoming social events, sporting updates, transport delays, job advertisements and photos of SJPC students participating in everyday life at the College.
To start following St John Paul College, Coffs Harbour please click on this link
Compass - Permission to Leave from SPORT - Early Departure
Students must bring a written note from their parents/carers to the College Office before they depart for sport. Early departure from Sport cannot be submitted via the Compass App only a written note will be accepted. Only full day absences can be submitted using the attendance note via the Compass App.
Lost Property
Uniform Shop
Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 7:30am - 9:00am
Homework Centre
Hours: Monday - Thursday 3:20pm - 5:00pm
Week 7 A - Monday 13 March - Friday 17 March |
Mon 13 | Yr12, 11, 10 & 9 | Yr 11 VET - White Card Course (additional students attending - Yr9, 10 & 12) |
Mon 13 & Tues 14 | Yr 7 (selected) | Transitus - Yarrahapinni Adventist Youth Centre, Grassy Head |
Tues 14 | Yr 8 & 9 | Parent/Student/Teacher Conference Interviews 3:40pm - 7:00pm |
Wed 15 | Yr 7 & 9 | NAPLAN - Writing |
Thurs 16 | Yr 7 & 9 | NAPLAN - Reading |
Yr 11 | Geography Excursion | |
Yr 10 | Ethics Olympiad Training - Library | |
Fri 17 | Yr 7 & 9 | NAPLAN - Conventions of Language |
Yr 10 | Geography Excursion |
Week 8 B - Monday 20 March - Friday 24 March |
Mon 20 | Yr 7 & 9 |
NAPLAN - Numeracy |
Tues 21 | Yr 7 & 9 |
NAPLAN - Catch up |
Wed 22 | Yr 7 & 9 |
NAPLAN - Catch up |
Yr 11 & 9 |
Yr 11 VET - White Card Course
(additional students attending - Yr9) |
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Yr 10 & 11 |
Parent/Students Road Trauma & Safety Talk
College Theatre |
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Thurs 23 | Yr 7 & 9 |
NAPLAN - Catch up
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Sport |
Dio Open Basketball - Port Macquarie |
Term Dates 2023
Term 1 |
Wed 5 April | Last day of Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Mon 24 April | First day of Term 2 |
Tues 25 April | ANZAC Day PH |
Thurs 1 June | Pupil Free Day |
Mon 12 June | Queens B'day PH |
Fri 30 June | Last day of Term 2 |
Term 3 |
Tues 18 July | First day of Term 3 |
Thurs 3 Aug | Coffs Harbour Cup 1/2 day holiday |
Fri 25 Aug | Staff Development / Pupil Free Day |
Fri 22 Sept | Last day of Term 3 |
Term 4 |
Tues 10 Oct | First day of Term 4 |
Fri 10 Nov | Staff Development / Pupil Free Day |
Friday 15 Dec | Picnic day Boambee Bay Reserve *Last day of Term 4 |
Taj Hosking - SRC - Year 12 Student
Why did you choose to be a leader?
Communities are guided to greatness by those amongst them who lead. By accepting a leadership role within the college my goal is to guide those around me into feeling a greater sense of belonging and purpose within the St John Paul College community. During my years here, I have always had certain people I look up to, both students and teachers. These people inspire those around them to do better and hold themselves to a high standard. Ultimately by choosing to be a leader I aim to be one of those people others look up to.
What makes a quality leader?
When I think of a truly great leader, the greats such as Edith Cowan, Sir Douglas Mawson and Steve Irwin come to mind. To me, the reasons such people come to mind can be boiled down into a few points:
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Be passionate about everything you do and never give up - a lazy leader accomplishes nothing
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Don’t be afraid of being the bearer of change, we live in a constantly changing world that needs people to guide us through
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Always speak the truth - lies don’t benefit anyone
How do you plan on leading your year?
This year, as a representative of the Year 12 Cohort, I plan on supporting my peers in what is to be the most strenuous and challenging year of our schooling lives. I know that the weight of simply being a Year 12 student is immensely straining on us all, however, there is a light on the other side, and the best way to reach that light is by leaning on one another. It is a known fact that you won’t be able to reach your full potential without peer support. To ensure every one of us reaches our full potential, I believe we should all be focusing on supporting each other as well as building and strengthening existing bonds with our peers.
Favourite quote
"In no department can a leader spend time more profitably than in the selection of the men who are to accomplish the work." - Sir Douglas Mawson
Favourite food
Porterhouse Steak
Yasmin Murphy - SRC - Year 12 Student
Why did you choose to be a leader?
As a leader I aim to create an environment where each pupil can explore their talents and ambitions amongst a supportive network. Providing opportunities that caters for every individual, highlighting that everyone is capable of something, they just need a little guidance to find out what that something is. This allows students to gain a sense of agency so that they may flourish and achieve their maximum potential. High school is an important stage for self discovery/development.
What makes a quality leader?
A quality leader has the ability to be approachable for people with a similar vision to confide in their wants and concerns, so that they can vocate and act on these needs.
How do you plan on leading your year?
I plan on leading my year through being able to create a sense of belonging in our final stressful but exciting year of school.
Favourite quote
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” – Confucius
Favourite food
Hummus :)
Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series you will learn how you can help better support your children at home through reinforcing the skills they learn at school.
Elevate Education's next free webinar will be taking place on Wednesday 15 March, focusing on Using Technology and Beating Distractions.
Wednesday 15 March @ 6:30pm (AEDT)
Click here to register for free Here's what Elevate will be covering:
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Claudia Brown
Leader of Curriculum
Year 8 and Year 9 Conferences for Parents/Teachers/Students are being held Tuesday 14 March 2023 from 3:40pm to 7.00pm. Interviews are 5 minutes each and will take place in the College Hall.
Bookings are now open and will close at 1:00pm on Monday 13 March.
Parents can book interviews online by logging into the Compass Portal and clicking the link on your dashboard.
https://cofhslism-nsw.compass.education/
We look forward to seeing you there.
AMDG
James Furey
Assistant Principal
Learning and Teaching
In Science, Year 8 Students have been studying a unit called Elements and Compounds. As part of this unit, students investigated how different compounds have been used by different peoples throughout history to make a variety of helpful items. One lesson involved students investigating how metal compounds were used by, and continue to be used by, Indigenous Australians to make ochre. The pictures below show students making ochre using different metal compounds and then using the ochre to paint a collaborative artwork.
All things Literacy, because Literacy matters in all things
Word Consciousness
Word Consciousness refers to ‘awareness and interest in words and their meaning’ Graves & Watts-Taffe, 2008. Teachers and family members who share their love for words (logophilia) and who provide engaging opportunities for children to interact with words both in conversation, reading, writing and research and creative opportunities, help to ignite this passion for words. It is a very effective way to motivate students to read and continue to build vocabulary and embrace the gift of words.
Word consciousness is empowering for children and adults. Vocabulary is not a closed file - we continue to add to it through our entire lives. Words are more than just words - they are envelopes packaged with concepts. When effective readers come in contact with different words it can trigger connections of familiarity, enabling them to make word associations and become more sophisticated comprehenders.
‘Vocabulary is more than words. It is knowledge. To know a word’s meaning is to know what that word represents and to begin to understand the network of concepts that go with it.’ Neuman and Darger 2009
Playing word games in the home invites children to become animated and motivated learners and can help struggling readers. Shared curiosity about words, word origins and word history, poetry, puns, proverbs and idioms and exposure to a variety of reading materials in the home can engage children in a thirst for new, rich vocabulary and a journey toward word consciousness. Vocabulary knowledge is one of the best predictors of reading achievement.
Word of the Week - 6
Self-deprecating (adjective)
DEFINITION: Trying to make your abilities or achievements seem less important
IN A SENTENCE: Although he is always self-deprecating, he is a student of extraordinary talent and dedication.
Word of the Week - 7
Languor (noun)
DEFINITION: feeling of listlessness or sluggishness
IN A SENTENCE: The languor which had weighed upon her for so long, all of a sudden gave way to boisterous activity.
Thank you to members of the P&F for their healthy discussion at the most recent meeting and the contribution to our focus on generating enthusiasm and passion for vocabulary.
The door crashes shut as footsteps thud towards him. The hour since the doctors last visit seemed to have taken days, as Jack counted the seconds passing, ticking over in his brain like a clock.
“Up,” the doctor yells. Jack stumbles up onto his feet. He moves towards the blurry outline of a man in the centre of the room. The other test subjects appear from the other corners of the room.
“Time for our next activity,” the doctor says almost too calmly. The others groan, knowing that in the forty-two times they’ve heard that phrase it has never led to any good. “This one has yet to be tested on humans, but I have plenty of faith that at least eight out of ten of you should survive. At least that was the odds with the other subjects.” Jack thinks back to a few hours ago - the screaming coming from the other side of the wall, the thud of people kicking the wall, trying desperately to escape. “Remember, remain awake for-” he checks his watch. “Thirty more hours, and you will be released without harm. However, falling asleep will get you executed.” The first time Jack heard ‘executed’ it left him shaking, but now the idea of falling asleep and being executed doesn't sound too ba-. He interrupts his own thoughts. No, I have to get out, for Angela. The doctor takes one final glance around the room and walks out, the heavy iron door slamming behind him. Some of the other subjects stay standing, stretching, awaiting the new challenge. Jack stumbles back over to his corner, collapsing onto the ground. He starts counting again. One, two, three, four, five. His mind wanders as he begins wondering what new challenge will be placed upon them in an attempt to keep them awake. Last hour it was yoga - an insane juxtaposition of the previous - the room flooding with water until there was only a slither of air remaining. Jack shudders at the thought. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack sees one of the other subjects stand, placing her hand over an air vent in the roof.
“There’s something coming out of here-” she collapses to the floor. An automated voice echoed through the room.
“Subject 76, executed.” The others are sent into a flurry. Screams erupt around the room, people scrambling to escape the gas. As it floats closer to Jack he feels it burn his eyes. He covers his mouth with his hands and takes a deep breath, knowing it could be his last for several minutes. The shrieks of the subjects carry around the metal room, filling every corner, leaving no space to escape the terror.
“Subject 68, executed.”
Quick deep breaths, quick deep breaths, Jack tells himself.
“Subject 74, 72, 70, executed.” Only four of us left. As Jack continues avoiding the gas, his skin begins tingling. Now it’s starting to get to him.
“Subject 75, 69, executed.” What is this? Why is everyone being executed by a gas? It finally hits him. Sleeping gas.
“71, executed.” Jak begins panicking - he’s the only one left, he needs to make it out, he has to escape. He pulls himself up and starts running towards the door. Suddenly he trips, the gas finally working its way into his system. His eyelids begin shutting, but he fights, forcing them to stay open. He’s then swallowed into a dark abyss.
“Subject 67, executed.” echoes around the silent, lifeless room.
Congratulations to the following students who have excelled in the sporting world recently:
- Lachlan Mifsud, Logan Lacey, Cooper Moore and Jaxon White were recently selected to the attend the Northern Country Catholic Colleges League selection trials teams at South West Rocks later in the term.
- Georgia Silvy was selected in the Open Girls Diocesan Football team and Loki Marchant in the Open Boys Football team. Both will represent the Lismore Diocese at NSWCCC in Sydney later in the year.
- Congratulations to our AFL players who participated in the U15 Gala Day last week. Our girls finished in 2nd place and our boys in first. Congratulations to all students and coaches.
Diocesan Swimming Championships
Congratulations to all our swimmers who represented the College at the Diocesan Swimming Championships in Kempsey on 2 March. I would like to congratulate Jaxon White who was named Age Champion and Mary Thompson and Riley Woods who were named Diocesan Runner Up Age Champions on the day. Our Junior girls relay team smashed it out of the park with a record breaking swim (see photo). Additionally, congratulations are to be given to Jaxon White, Mary Thompson, Riley Woods, Isla Martin, Josie Straw, Mitchell Newton, Cara Crockford, Holly Tyler, Matilda Newton, Carlo Eiler and Ethan Dawson who have qualified to represent the Lismore Diocese at the NSWCCC Swimming Championships in Sydney.
Please see Mrs Kimbers article for a full report on the event.
Cross Country
This year due to our course not being available, we have to conduct a modified Cross Country event on Wedensday 5 April. The details are still being finalised, however, students who wish to compete in order to represent the College at the Diocesan Carnival are encouraged to sign up at the Palace or online via the Representative sports sign up sheet. More information will be provided closer to the event.
Year 9 and 10 Term 2 Sport selections
Compass events have been sent out to all families of students who selected a paid sport for Term 2. Please ensure permission is given and payment is made by Tuesday 21 March as no extensions will be given unless previously organised through the Finance Department.
Coming Up - Term 1 2023
Tuesday’s lunch time |
Interhouse Volleyball, College Hall |
Thursday 23 March |
Diocesan Open Basketball, Port Macquarie |
Tuesday 28 March |
Rugby Girls 10’s, Crescent Head |
Wednesday 29 March |
NSW Netball Cup Boys and Girls Year 7 - 9, Coffs |
Thursday 30 March |
Rugby Boys 10’s, Crescent Head |
Monday 3 - 4 March |
NSWCCC Touch football, Wagga Wagga |
Tuesday 4 March |
Diocesan Open Football, Kempsey |
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NSW Netball Cup boys and girls Year 9&10, Coffs |
Wednesday 5 April |
College Cross Country - by nomination |
Danielle McAra
Sport Co-ordinator
On Thursday, 2 March, 31 swimmers from our school travelled down to Kempsey to compete against 11 other Catholic High Schools in the Lismore Diocese.
Many swimmers had a very busy program, with Riley Andrews, topping the list with 11 events, totalling 1.4kms! There was a great spirit amongst all our swimmers who gave everything to their individual and team events. Many students achieved PBs on the day, a testimony to their amazing efforts in the pool.
Congratulations to our very successful 12-14 years Girls’ team: Cara Crockford, Holly Tyler, Matilda Newton, and Josie Straw who came first in the 4x50m freestyle relay, setting a new record in this event.
Congratulations also to our 15-16 years Boys’ team of Carlo Eiler, Ethan Dawson, Mitchell Newton and Jaxon White who set a cracking pace in their 4x50m relay, winning the event 4 seconds ahead of the next team.
Both of these teams have successfully qualified for the relay in the Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) Carnival at Homebush in three weeks’ time.
The following swimmers were outstanding in their Age Group:
- Boys 15 years Diocesan Age Champion: Jaxon White
- Girls 13 years Runner up: Mary Thompson
- Boys 16 years Runner up: Riley Woods
In addition to the two relay teams, six swimmers have made it to CCC for individual events:
- Isla Martin: 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke and 200m Freestyle
- Josie Straw: 50m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke
- Mary Thompson: 50m Freestyle
- Mitchell Newton: 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle
- Jaxon White: 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle
- Riley Woods: 100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley
Congratulations on your amazing achievements and we wish you every success in the CCC Carnival at the end of March.
Debbie Kimber
Teacher
Welcome to 2023 at SJPC and I hope your children are settling in well.
Uniform Reminders
Parents please note that online timetables are now displaying when students have prac in our subject. This will hopefully reduce ‘out of uniform’ issues. Please read through the ‘Guidelines for Practical Classes in PDHPE’ section in your child’s diary. The guidelines have not changed in 2023. Year 7 parents in particular, please make yourself familiar with these. They are also a timely reminder for other parents. If students have prac period 1 or 2 on their timetable they may wear their full sport uniform to school and change into their school uniform at recess. If students have prac period 5 or 6 they are allowed to wear their sports uniform home.
SJPC Gym
Our faculty is very excited to have the SJPC gym fully operational. It is an excellent multipurpose space that allows for a variety of exercise sessions to be completed. The vast majority of students will access this space multiple times throughout the year. It will be utilised in PE practical lessons or in elective PE classes as well as during sport and VET fitness in Year 11.
Beep Test
Students in Years 7 -10 have been participating in the multi-stage fitness test or ‘beep test’ as it is more commonly known. This test is completed to promote and assess aerobic or cardiovascular endurance. We understand that not all students will do well in this test, but encourage everyone to attempt to improve their result throughout the year. Please have a discussion with your child about their results and if necessary help them set a realistic goal for improvement.
Male Beep Test Norms
Female Beep Test Norms
Kurt Marle
Leader of Learning - PDHPE
Forty-four students with all different levels of AFL experience decided to give the under 15s AFL GALA day a crack for 2023. North Coast AFL put on a day to remember assembling schools all across the Coffs Coast including Woolgoolga High, Jetty High, Orara High, Toormina, Bellingen High, Bishop Druitt College and of course the mighty SJPC ‘Saints’. Weather was hot, sunny and humid with players put to the test in trying conditions.
First round for the ladies saw a contest with Woolgoolga High. The ladies put on a clinic with great teamwork and some individual brilliance of Poppi Flanders, booting three majors, Laila McLaughlin kicking two and Cooper Andrews hitting the scoreboard with a goal. With the teamwork of champions they managed to win 40-1.
The gentlemen faced Bellingen High in their first encounter, met the challenge with grace and controlled the game with their brilliant game play and ability to out run the opposition. The team worked the ball down to the forwards from the start of the contest and saw Harper Landrigan sneaking in two majors and Beau Willoughby kicking a single goal. Boys won 26-0.
Round 2 for the women's team saw a match up vs the local rivals Toormina High. The girls outclassed their local rivals winning 39-6 behind a beautiful team effort and a scorecard stacked with major goal kickers. Laila McLaughlin continued her form with 3 goals and Lily Hooper, Hope Cassidy and Poppi Flanders kicking a goal each.
Round 2 for the men saw a great opponent with lots of skilled players from Jetty High. With a few changes we saw Jack Harrison and Iggy Hibberd dominate the middle, pushing the ball forward. At the end of the team's hard work was Cooper Moore with 2 goals, Beau Willoughby with 2, and Jack Harrison and Harper both scoring a goal each. Game SJPC 41-12.
With the form the girls were in, a Grand Final place was secure. Of course the highly anticipated game between the schools of acronyms saw SJPC play BDC to decide the winner of the Gala Day. With highly talented athletes from both schools taking the field it was always the fans' match up. The evenly fought contest saw scores locked at a goal each at the halftime buzzer with Poppi Flanders scoring the major. After a hard contest we saw the girls losing by just a goal in a great contest where AFL was the real winner on the day! Congratulations to all the girls for the spirit and hard work they put in on the day.
Last game for the boys was against the state school all-stars. The best of the best from the public schools looking to test themselves against the giants of SJPC. After dominating all day it was time to put ourselves to the true test and the lads stepped up once again in the first half booting 3 goals with individual goal scorers in Harper Landrigan, Busby Hibberd and Jack Harrison. The all-stars hit back with 2 goals of their own. Controlling the tempo and maintaining possession, the boys secured the win against the breeze with dominating game play from Chayton Chang, Cooper Moore, Jaxon White and solid defending by William ‘dozer’ Gleeson (who lived up to his nickname) and Darcy Cruickshanks who set up the final goal and game winner slotted through by Tyler Irving to remain undefeated for the day.
AFL is vastly dependent on teamwork. No one player stood out as all students competed with such enthusiasm. I would like to thank all the students for giving AFL a go and I know from the smiles on their faces that they enjoyed the game. We would like to make a special thanks to two boys from McAuley College, Jack Donaldson and Duck Orr, for coming down to play. I would also like to thank Miss McAra and the whole sports department team for their amazing work behind the scenes as well as Mr Marle and Mr Davis for their coaching and effort with training.
Year 8
Year Gr8 Student spotlight!
This week's student spotlight celebrates Jemilah Booth. Jemilah recently competed in the Coffs Coast Jump Club events day in the all-ages group. She placed in all three jumping events she entered:
1st - 50 - jump
2nd - 60 - jump and
2nd - 70 - jump.
Well done Jemilah.
During the first five weeks of this year, Year 9 Photography and Digital Media students have been exploring their local environment and investigating photographic composition while learning the functions of the Canon DSLR cameras. Our first two excursions saw students explore their environment, using compositional and editing techniques to communicate narratives and develop their own visual voice.
A trip to Coffs Jetty, under heavy rain clouds, saw students apply leading lines and the rule of thirds within their digital images. Students have also been researching the portraits of Adde Adesokan, a German photographer who creates triptych portraits conveying the ‘essence’ of the sitter. These exercises encouraged students to explore various functions of the Canon DSLR, including the monochrome and colour picture styles, to enhance the visual drama of their portrait and the character of their sitter.
The Botanical Gardens provided a rich source of inspiration as the students experimented with dominance, focal point and texture in their captured moments.
In the classroom students are developing their understanding of Adobe Lightroom Classic and editing techniques. Through reflection and evaluation students employ curatorial practice to select their best images to submit. It's been a busy and productive time. We hope you enjoy these images!!







































Year 12 Industrial Technologies students visited Infracraft Detailed Joinery, who specialise in Custom Commercial Joinery in Toormina. IDF welcomed our students and toured the 80+ staff facility and were amazed by the robotic machinery. They also chatted with 5 ex SJPC students who are currently employed by IDF.













Pat Gleeson
TAS/Industrial Design Teacher
This year 10 fabulous women from SJPC Staff and SRC Students attended the International Women's Day Breakfast on 8 March. Ebony Davies (Year 10) delivered the Acknowledgement to Country and sang "Rise Up" by Andra Day.
Trish Furey, Ruby Lowrey, Koko Nichols (Yr11), Yasmin Murphy (Yr12), Lily Hallawell (Yr12), Lily Betland (Yr12), Riley Andrews (Yr11), Danni Stephenson, Susan Haley and Louise Maybury (Absent in photo)
Ebony Davies (Yr10) with Jade Naidu (2022 Coffs Coast Woman of the Year)
Lily Hallawell (Year 12 Captain) and Yasmin Murphy (Year 12 SRC) attended the IWD breakfast and share their thoughts from the morning.
I learnt just how important it is for women to stand together and support each other.
My favourite guest speaker was Jas Rawlinson, she spoke passionately about some of the serious issues that some women and young girls face daily. Specifically, domestic violence, sexual assault and discrimination. I found her really inspiring and motivational.
All of the guest speakers really ignited a sense of passion in me, and I’m hoping to be able to apply some of the things I learnt at the International Women's Day Breakfast within our school and greater community. One of these areas of action includes bringing the girls in our school together with the help of female teachers in the "Girls Unite” workshops. We hope to open up constructive and positive conversations about some of the problems girls face at school, and discuss how these issues can be solved or addressed.
The Advocacy Forum is aimed at key tobacco control and health stakeholders, parents, teachers and the wider community.
Throughout the forum, we will hear from experts on the current issue of vaping among young people in Australia, along with evidence on the harms of vaping, the current policy landscape and what needs to change.
Wednesday 22 March - 5.30pm - 6.45pm
College Theatre
Registration opens 10 March - click on the link