DEPUTY PRINCIPAL STUDENTS

ST JOSEPH'S COLLEGE BALL & SUNRAYSIA YEAR 12 BALL

Alongside the Debutante Balls which are held in Term 3, the St Joseph's College Ball is one of the highlights of the College calendar. The College Ball took place on 31 May for our Year 9–12 students. This year we had a change of venue, moving from the Mercy Campus Stadium to Club Da Vinci. The new venue created a more intimate feel, and the dance floor was packed all night. The students had a great time and gave really positive feedback about the night and the change of venue. Thanks to Miss Andy Higgins and her team for putting on such a great event for our students. An experience that the Year 7 and 8 students will have to look forward to in future years.

The Sunraysia Ball for all Year 12 students in the district was held on 14 June. It was a great night with almost all our Year 12 students attending. This year, it was our college's turn to host the event, again with Miss Andy Higgins and her team doing an amazing job to ensure this event was enjoyed by all.

COLLEGE ASSEMBLY

The Term 2 College Assembly was held on 13 June where we had the opportunity to celebrate the many achievements and acknowledge the great efforts of many of our students.

Virtue Conquer Achievement Awards are given to students who are exemplars of our Mercy Values with achievement in one of the following categories of college life:

• Academic Excellence
• Leadership in Sports
• Community Service
• Creative Endeavour

The Virtue Conquers badges were presented and awarded to the following students:

Gold Badge – 12 Virtue Conquer Achievement Awards in all four categories.

Lilliana Bertalli

An outstanding achievement for any student, but to receive this award as a Year 9 student is extraordinary.

Silver Badge – 9 Virtue Conquer Achievement Awards in at least three categories.

Bronze Badge – 5 Virtue Conquer Achievement Awards in any category.

At the College Assembly we also acknowledged our Student Representative Council (SRC) members and heard from SRC representatives Giselle Ribarits and Annabelle Munn about their new recycling initiative.

2024 SRC Representatives

Our Year 9 Peer Support Leaders completed the Peer Support Program with our Year 7 students this term over three sessions. The Peer Support Leaders undertook training in 2023 with Mrs Jodie Birnie and Ms Danielle Duscher. The Year 9 students led their allocated Year 7 core group through interactive activities to build on connectedness, resilience, and respect amongst their peers. The Peer Support Leaders have worked hard on building these skills and were excited to re-connect with Year 7 students following the Term 1 Community Day.

The Year 9 Peer Support Leaders were acknowledged at the College Assembly.

We also heard about some of the amazing camp experiences that our students have participated in, including the Year 8 Camp to the Grampians, and the VCE/VM subject camps – PE, Art, and Vocational Major.

BRIGHT SPARKS

The Bright Sparks – Technology program was held over four weeks in May to June. As per previous years, the Bright Sparks program welcomes Grade 5 and 6 students from local Catholic and Government schools to try something that they may perhaps not be exposed to at Primary School. It allows students to have fun, meet new people, learn something new, get to see some of our amazing facilities, and meet some of our friendly staff. 

Numbers have been steadily climbing for the program. 26 primary school students booked into the final session. Thanks to all the Technology staff for supporting this program and to Mrs Tracy Aston for ensuring it ran smoothly.

IDAHOBIT

St Joseph’s College strives to be a place of diversity where everyone is welcomed and celebrated for who they are. 

IDAHOBIT Day is held annually on 17 May. On this day LGBTQIA+ people and their allies seek to raise awareness and understanding of the issues that LGBTQIA+ people face. While it is a day for celebration (it commemorates the date on which the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its classification of ‘diseases’), it is also a day on which we acknowledge that many LGBTQIA+ people in the world still face prejudice and discrimination.

Mrs Amanda Morrison with the Rainbow Alliance student group set up tables to sell cupcakes and offer free face paint 'glitter glow-ups' to their classmates. The Rainbow Alliance also created a rainbow mural in chalk in the courtyard and encouraged staff and students to contribute to it. This day means a lot to our LGBTQIA+ students and was a great event.

YEAR 8 GRAMPIANS CAMP

Our Year 8 students and staff enjoyed their camp in the Grampians on 13–17 May. The camp was blessed with some amazing weather and the students and staff enjoyed the many camp activities, including high ropes, rock climbing, abseiling, a hike to the Pinnacle, mountain bike riding, team Initiatives, mini golf, an amazing race, visiting the Halls Gap Zoo, and plenty of evening activities. Thanks to Ms Danielle Duscher and the Year 8 staff who provided this great opportunity for our students.

SPORT

At the College Assembly we acknowledged the Cross-Country Age Group Champions:

13G – Alexis Paterson

13B – Giacomo Tabacco

14G – Charlize Paterson

14B – Darby Fraser

15G – Liana McClaer

15B – Hamish Pitt

16G – Julia O’Bryan

16B – Anthony Fordham

17B – Lockjack Nending

20G – Willow Dimasi & Olivia Kambouris

20B – Frankie De Maria & River Southwell

I also wish Indiana Morello (Year 8) and Frankie De Maria (Year 12) all the best as they represent the college at the Cross-Country State Championships in Term 3.

The MVP and Coaches awards were also presented at the College Assembly for Interschool Football and Soccer.

FOOTBALL

SOCCER

Looking ahead…

It has been a very busy term with many highlights and great achievements for our students. I wish all students and families an enjoyable and restful break – stay warm.

We have an action-packed Term 3 around the corner with the Debutante Balls, Australian Business Week (ABW), Athletics Carnival, and the 2025 College Captain Speeches and Elections. We also have three Year Level Camps: the Year 11 Snow Camp, the Year 7 Victor Harbor Camp, and the Year 9 Central Australia Camp.

Mr Heath McClaer

Deputy Principal Students