COLLEGE NEWS
IMPORTANT DATES
Read upcoming important dates here.
COLLEGE TOUR AND TEACUP TUESDAY
Families interested in a walk around our facilities are warmly invited to attend a college tour on Tuesday June 1 at 9:30am (bookings are essential). Following the tour, you are welcome to join the Principal, Mrs Marg Blythman, and the college Executive team for morning tea.
PORTRAIT PHOTO DAY INFORMATION
The college portrait photo day will occur on Tuesday May 25.
All students are required to have their photo taken wearing FULL winter uniform. Please remember:
- Shirts must be tucked in and buttoned up, including the top button.
- Ties must be knotted to cover your top shirt button.
- Blazers MUST be worn.
- Hair must be neat, tidy and tied back.
- The only earrings must be small plan spherical gold/silver stud or small round sleepers only.
Individual ordering forms have been distributed to all students via their Homeroom and the online ordering from is attached below.
Family/sibling photos can also be taken. Please follow the instructions which are attached below to register your interest.
YEAR 9 NAPLAN AWARDS
NAPLAN Certificates of Achievement are being introduced for Year 9 students in 2021.
The certificates recognise Victoria's Year 9 students who achieve a result in Literacy and/or Numeracy that places them in the very top band of NAPLAN, as well as those students who significantly improve on their Year 7 results.
The certificates will be awarded for two categories of achievement:
- Category one: the achievement of excellence through getting a result in the top band for literacy or numeracy, or both.
- Category two: the achievement of outstanding learning growth through improvement by two or more bands between the NAPLAN Year 7 and Year 9 tests for literacy or numeracy, or both.
The new certificates celebrate those who achieve the highest level and those who excel by making exceptional progress, irrespective of where they start.
Mr Emmet Brown
Director of Learning and Teaching
PROJECT COMPASSION
Project Compassion is Caritas Australia's annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal. Millions of Australians come together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. This year, through our generosity during Project Compassion, we are empowering communities with hope and helping those in great need to shape a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.
Every year, the staff and students at the college use Lent as a demonstration of faith, love and generosity by coming together as a community to serve those in need. The Mercy Action Group led this year’s fundraising campaign by running food stalls, shaking tins and selling raffle tickets to raise $1700. First prize for the Easter Egg raffle was taken out by Lola and Olive Blythman. We hope they enjoyed their very large Easter Egg Basket.
The focus of Project Compassion in 2021 was ‘BE MORE’. The simple action of donating money in morning homeroom raised over $800. The money raised through everyone’s kind donations and the work of the Mercy Action Group’s Fundraising Activities will enable Caritas to work around the world with their local partners to offer hope to those most vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice. Lives change when we all give, come together and work as a united community. We look forward to improving on this amount in 2022. By donating to Caritas through Project Compassion we are all contributing towards a more just and compassionate world.
PASSION LITURGY
The college celebrated the Passion Liturgy on Thursday April 1 in the Sacred Heart Church. This Liturgy anticipates Holy Week, which began with Palm Sunday.
During this liturgy we reflected on Jesus’ arrest, suffering and death through a variety of scripture verses and video clips. We see, as a human like us, Jesus suffers: the humanness of Jesus is on display. In our Christian tradition, the resurrection of Jesus speaks of the faithfulness of God.
The college would like to thank the staff and students who were involved in the liturgy readings, processions and music.
ST JOSEPH THE WORKER FEAST DAY MASS
The Feast of St Joseph the Worker, the Patron Saint of our college, was celebrated at the college over two days comprising of our Feast Day Activities, Carpenters Classic Concert and Feast Day Mass.
St Joseph is recognised by the Church as special, in that he is the Patron of the Universal Church, of Fathers, of Carpenters, and of Social Justice. Pope Francis proclaimed 2021 as the Year of St Joseph, ahead of the 150th anniversary of his universal patronage. Pope Francis said we could discover in St Joseph, who often went unnoticed, “an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble”…“St Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”
St Joseph showed us how to live a simple, yet powerful life of respect and commitment to the Mercy values. Everything we know about Joseph, the husband of Mary and the father of Jesus, comes from the Gospels. Jesus was known as Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph the carpenter. Joseph wasn't rich, but well-respected. He was a compassionate and caring man and passed this on to Jesus. As a Catholic school we take St Joseph as an excellent role model for family values, personal integrity and Mercy Values. St Joseph showed these values in the way that he cared for his family, did his work as a carpenter and followed his Jewish religion.
On Friday April 30 Fr Matthew Thomas celebrated our Feast Day Mass. During this Mass, Fr Matthew blessed 12 Communion Bowls that were carved out of local Jacaranda wood by Mr Clive Morgan, a past parent and grandfather of the college. The bowls were presented to the Fr Matthew for blessing by Mr Clive Morgan, Sr Helen Nolen and our ten College House Captains. These bowls are representative of the talented carpenter and wonderful father that St Joseph was, and will be used by the college community for many years to come. The Mass was a wonderful celebration focusing on the Word of God and St Joseph the Worker, led by Fr Matthew and supported by our beautiful musicians.
Miss Paula Cox
Director of Catholic Identity
CAREERS NEWSLETTER
A friendly reminder to our college community that a dedicated Careers Newsletter is published fortnightly.
The purpose of the Careers Newsletter is to communicate information in one central location. This newsletter is emailed directly to Years 10 to 12 students fortnightly and is also available to the wider college community on the St Joseph’s College website which includes past editions for your reference.
Information relating to upcoming external and college events, VTAC/SATAC, university focus, apprenticeships and employment vacancies are just some of the information available to you.
If there is additional information you would like please feel free to contact me via email.
Happy Reading!
Ms Fiona Dimasi
Careers Practitioner
FRAYNE SPEECH FESTIVAL
The Frayne Speech Festival is an annual event where students from all Mercy Education Limited schools participate in debating and public speaking competitions. The event will be held at Mount Lilydale Mercy College on August 26 and 27.
If students in Years 10, 11 or 12 would like to represent the college and would like further information they should speak to one of their English teachers or email Mrs Helen Gowers.
REAL CARE BABIES
It is that time again! The VO Introduction to VCE Health and Human Development students are about to experience the joys (and challenges!) of being a parent, caring for a Real Care baby over two days/nights.
Students will need to care for the advanced simulator baby and meet their needs of feeding, changing nappies and sleeping. A report is generated with feedback on the caregiver’s behaviours such as manhandling actions, meeting needs as well as regular clothing changes.
This program is scheduled to run during weeks 5 to 7 of this term and students have been encouraged to choose days where they have no major assessment/tasks. Your support is much appreciated with this valuable program.
Mrs Jane Roberts
Health and Human Development