DEPUTY PRINCIPAL STUDENTS

STUDENT REPORT

Welcome to the 2020 school year. A warm welcome to our new students and their families that have joined St Joseph’s College this year. We have had a great start to the year with Year 7, 8 and 12 students starting on Thursday January 30, and the remaining year levels returning on Friday January 31. The Year 7 students completed a two-day induction program to familiarise themselves with the College. I would like to congratulate them on their quick adaptation to secondary school. A special thank you to our Year 7 staff and Mr Emmet Brown for their work in preparing and delivering this program.

Like the Year 7 students, I am new to the St Joseph’s College community. With 2020 being the year of Community at St Joseph’s, I thank the staff, students and families for welcoming me into this amazing community and assisting me in settling into my new role. I am genuinely excited and looking forward to working in a College with such a long and proud history, outstanding facilities and great reputation for faith development, wellbeing and academic achievement.

The students have started the year with a really positive mindset. The College community had the opportunity to gather together and celebrate the successes of the 2019 Year 12 cohort at the opening College assembly. Our Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 students participated in seminar days in the second week of term with a mixture of internal and external presenters. It was great to see our Year 9 and 11 students have the courage to sing in front of their peers with Chris. Our Year 12 VCE students performed positively on their Orals, with a combination of relieved and excited Year 12 students and English staff.  Our Year 7s enjoyed their open water experience which was also highlighted on the cover of the Mildura Weekly. The whole college gathered again on Thursday February 13 for the Swimming Carnival. The House spirit was exceptional, led by our Year 12 students who thoroughly enjoyed their last swimming carnival. Congratulations to Xavier House who were victorious on the day.

All students were required to complete Student Learning Agreements. These agreements demonstrated the students’ commitment to accepting the high expectations that come with being a St Joseph’s College student. The College has launched new initiatives this year that were present in the learning agreements: the ‘hands up for silence’ and ‘pick up four’ strategies. The students have welcomed these new initiatives which create a calmer and cleaner environment for learning.

Another change for the students has been the revision of the Student Mobile Phone Policy. Students are required to secure their mobile phone and/or smartwatch in their locked lockers whilst at school. The research is clear that mobile phones and smartwatches are a distraction to student learning.

The vast majority of students are wearing the uniform correctly with pride, but we do remind students that we are a SunSmart school and that students must wear a hat at all times when outside. We also remind families about the correct socks and earrings allowed to be worn with the uniform. We thank you for your support in keeping our school uniform one of our most distinctive and proud symbols.

I wish the students and families a successful 2020.

Mr Heath McClaer

Deputy Principal, Students