DEPUTY PRINCIPAL STUDENTS

NAVIGATING TRICKY ISSUES FOR TEENS

Allie Collyer from Mallee Family Care Community Legal Centre will present an information session to St Joseph's College parents and carers covering the following topics:

• Sexual Harassment and sexual consent;
• Sharing of intimate images ("sexting");
• Keeping your teens safe online - social media, cyberbullying, grooming etc;
• The importance of a positive digital reputation;
• Where to find resources and support.

Do you find it difficult to keep up with the digital world of your children?

Do you want to know the laws around sharing of intimate images, sexual harassment and consent?

Do you struggle with knowing where to find quality resources to help with these often difficult to talk about issues?

This presentation will cover the issues in general and also from a legal perspective. No lectures or judgement - just important information to help navigate this often challenging time.

Please join us on Tuesday June 8, 7.30pm to 9.00pm at the Mercy Theatre. Bookings are essential.

Allie Collyer is the Community Legal Education Worker for the Mallee Family Community Legal Centre. Allie has been in this role for eight years and delivers information sessions on legal topics to schools, community groups and workplaces.

Allie loves the challenging work, travelling throughout regional Victoria engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds and has a particular passion for issues affecting young people. She parented through the emergence of social media and navigated her way through many of the issues being covered in the information session.

COLLEGE UNIFORM

A reminder that students are required to wear the college blazer as the outer garment when they enter and exit the college during Terms 2 and 3, as per the College Uniform Policy. This also applies to Year 12 students when they are wearing their Year 12 rugby jumper on a Tuesday and Thursday.

Students are required to wear the FULL winter uniform and blazer for formal college events, such as assemblies and masses.

LOCKS FOR LOCKERS AND PROTECTIVE BAGS FOR LAPTOPS

A large number of students do not use locks for their lockers at the Enright Campus, or lock their lockers correctly at the Mercy Campus. While we are fortunate to go to school in an environment where theft is extremely uncommon, we encourage all students to have and use a lock to ensure their belongings are safe. As stated in the Student Mobile Technology Policy, students are required to keep their phones in their locked lockers throughout the day. Students do keep valuable items in their lockers, and they need to ensure these items are kept safe.

We also remind students to carry their laptops around the college in their protective bags. While laptops are covered for one insurance claim per year, this is based on the assumption that students are carrying their laptops in the protective bags that were supplied with the laptops.

YEAR 7 CAMP

Year 7 students were informed that they will be going on a Year 7 Camp to Victor Harbor later this year from Monday 6 to Friday 10 September. The camp is intended to be an amazing educational and personal experience for our students allowing them to strengthen their peer relationships, and further develop their sense of belonging and connectedness to the college. 

The students will be involved in a wide range of activities; body boarding, kayaking, Granite Island walk/hike, Big Duck Boat Tour, mountain bike riding, beach games, raft making, water obstacle course, tribal games and the Flying Kiwi.

The news of the camp was met with great excitement from the students, staff and Year 7 families.

SENIOR CAMPS

Following a COVID impacted year, it is great to see students are again able to participate in excursions and camps. Already this year our students have had the opportunity to attend various senior educational camps to improve their understanding and engagement in their studies; Year 12 Geography, PE, Art, Languages, Years 11 and 12 VCAL, and Year 11 Outdoor Education. We also wish our Year 8 students an amazing time at the upcoming Grampians Camp.

ANZAC CEREMONY AND WAR GRAVES SERVICE

The Anzac Ceremony was held on Friday April 23 with Mr Ian Kellett, President of the Sunraysia branch of the Naval Association of Australia, Mildura Legacy President, and ex-Navy member speaking to the students about the importance of ANZAC day and those who fought in war so we can live in peace. It is a very important ceremony for the college where we acknowledge and remember members of our community who died during war time.

The college was invited to continue its association with the Mildura RSL by participating in the War Graves Service at the Nichols Point Cemetery on Anzac Day. Due to COVID restrictions, many groups were unable to participate officially in ANZAC day ceremonies, so it was an honour for our students and college to be involved. We thank those students and families that participated and attended the service. It was a very moving experience.

VCE CAREERS EXPO

Twenty two students attended the VCE Careers Expo at the Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday May 1. These students left school on Friday following the St Joseph the Worker Feast Day Mass, and returned on Saturday evening (with a number of students then returning to Melbourne for their respective camps on the Monday). While it was a short trip in terms of time, these students found great benefit from speaking with the various Universities and Tertiary Institutions. As St Joseph’s College was the only college allowed to attend on the day, the students were able to get all their questions asked and received individual support and guidance. We thank Mrs Fiona Dimasi, Careers Practitioner for her preparation and organisation of the trip.

FEAST DAY ACTIVITIES AND CARPENTERS CLASSIC

A highlight on the college calendar, we were blessed with perfect weather for the Cross Country, won by McAuley House, and Homeroom stalls. This was followed by the Carpenters Classic where the college students had the opportunity to show off their vocal and musical skills. Each House had an act (won by Mackillop), with the Year 12 students as the final act. This being my first Carpenters Classic, it was great to see the Year 12 students bonding together for their act, and the support shown by the students to all students brave enough to perform in front of their peers.

Mr Heath McClaer

Deputy Principal Students