With their academic work squared off for the year, the Year Nines headed off for a nice dose of sun, sand and surf at Torbay’s Camp Kennedy last week.

The group enjoyed rotations through four main activities of canoeing, surfing, photography and orienteering, where they had the chance to leave the classroom behind and get among the pristine outdoors of the Torbay area in mostly superb weather conditions.

As always, the surfing rotation was a hit. Over the years, the opportunity to learn the basic skills of surfing on Year Nine Camp has launched many amateur surfing careers and boosted Christmas surfboard and wetsuit sales. This year seems no different, with many first-timers leaving the whitewash beaming with pride and certain of what they want for Christmas.

In between rotations, the year group embraced the opportunity to slow things down and drift through games of volleyball and cricket or just sit back and talk about the finer things in life on the sprawling lawns of Camp Kennedy. The sound of jingling guitars and sweet-sounding songs echoing from the camp hall also helped set the relaxed mood.

A final few hours enjoying the many offerings of Perkins Beach (sandcastles, trench-digging, body surfing, bodyboarding, cricket, volleyball and all-out staff vs students NFL warfare) on the final day was just the ticket to end camp before tents were packed and the buses re-loaded.

The Year Nine group is to be commended for the enthusiastic yet relaxed way in which they participated in the camp, and for the resilience they drew on when the comforts of home seemed a little too distant.

Many thanks go to Year Nine Camp coordinating debutant Mr Ruck and his brilliant band of staff who either went the journey by staying overnight or undertook the essential morning coffee run or took time out of their busy schedules to pop into camp.

Special thanks goes to head chef Mrs Leusciatti and sous chef Mr Bogoni who battled it out in the heat of the kitchen and nailed the menu once again.

N.B. Cancel the Midnight Stunt Motorbike show for next year’s camp.

On Monday, our Year 10 students gathered for a night filled with laughter, delicious food and unforgettable memories! Thanks to Ms Meuzelaar's creative flair, the Junior School Undercover Area was transformed into a stunning venue, setting the perfect backdrop for an evening of glamour and celebration.

The festivities began with photos and canapes served by our soon-to-be Year 12 students in the courtyard. Bridie and Marcey gave a warm welcome before everyone enjoyed a nostalgic trip down memory lane. A mouth-watering buffet followed, with plenty of awards, sweet treats and dancing to keep the energy high.

Out students shone with maturity and spirit, making the most of their final days as a connected and vibrant Year 10 cohort. We are very proud of their achievements and the way they've grown into outstanding young people ready to take on new challenges.

Connect with us this Summer! In a world full of noise, distraction, and busyness, Jesus invites us to return to the Vine—the One who gives life, strength, and purpose.

Join us for the 14th annual Diocesan Summer Camp where adventure meets faith and lifelong memories are made. Summer Camp is designed to ignite your faith, be lots of fun, build deep friendships, and inspire you to live with hope and purpose in the world! 🙏💥

What to Expect:

1. 🌞 Epic Outdoor Activities: Beach, walks, games, and activities that build friendship and fun!
2. ✝️ Faith-Focused Talks & Workshops: Encounter God through powerful prayer, inspiring talks, and interactive workshops. Whether you're new to your faith or looking to go deeper, this camp offers a safe, supportive environment for teens to explore their spirituality, ask tough questions, and come away feeling more connected to God.
3. 🕊️ Personal Reflection & Spiritual Growth: Prayer and reflection, Reconciliation, Adoration, Mass and moments of quiet to understand yourself better and deepen your relationship with God.
4. 🤝 Community Building: Make lifelong friends and connect with other teens and experienced and trained leaders who are passionate about faith and fun.
5. 🙋‍♂️ For Teens (Ages 13 – 18 ): Designed specifically for high school students, the camp offers an open, safe space to explore your beliefs, ask questions, and grow in community.
6. 🌴 Beautiful Busselton: A stunning coastal location to relax, recharge, and connect with God and others in nature.

Spaces are limited, so don’t wait! Register now and be part of something amazing! 🌐 Register Now! https://brushfire.com/catholicdioceseofbunbury/events/620238

Don’t miss out on the ultimate summer experience — a chance to grow in faith, find hope, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

To celebrate the end of the year, students are permitted to add something Chrismassy to the normal uniform. Tinsel, one pair of earrings, nail polish. School socks can be swapped out with Christmas ones (but not black sports ones for example).

All other school rules apply! This is NOT permission to wear makeup, get your hair streaked different colours, grow facial hair, wear shoulder length hair out etc.

There is more and more research into ADHD and how to bring out the best in your child or yourself. Check out these great websites and resources about ADHD...

https://www.additudemag.com/

https://www.theconfidentadhdparentformula.com.au/

https://www.adhdwa.org/

https://childmind.org/topics/adhd-attention-problems/

https://www.anastasiahronis.com.au/thedopaminebrain

Cut and paste these links into your browser and save as favourites!

Birak marks the warm season, with easing rains and cooling sea breezes from the southwest. Noongar people practiced controlled burning during this time to reduce fuel loads, encourage new growth, support seed germination, and improve movement across the land. As temperatures rise and rainfall decreases, fledgling birds leave their nests, reptiles shed their skin, and baby frogs reach adulthood. The Moodjar (Christmas Tree), a deeply spiritual symbol for Noongar people, is also in full bloom during this season.

Last Friday St Joseph's had three teams competing at the Year 9-10 Inter-School volleyball carnival at ALAC. After many lunchtime and early morning training sessions the teams were keen to test themselves against the opposition schools.

The boys B team played some outstanding Volleyball throughout the day, showing some outstanding blocking skills and desperation play to work their way into the grand final. In the final they came up against a determined Bethel team who just took the win leaving the St Joseph's boys very pleased with their second place.

The boys A team had a very similar experience playing some great attacking volleyball to work their way into the grand final against NASHS. The NASHS Boys had a quick start which the St Joseph's team slowly reeled in but feel just four points short at the final siren to take a deserving second place.

The girls' team had a very strong day despite a scare in their first match against Bethel where they turned a seven-point deficit into a seven-point victory on the back of some strong serving. The team only dropped one match the entire day to finish deserving winners.

Congratulations to all players for their efforts in training and on the day. Thank you to Adrielle, Gary and Ken for coming back to coach and umpire.

Last Friday we had our Year 6 Middleton Beach Fun Day and it was honestly the best! It rained for a little bit, but not enough to ruin the fun at all. We still played heaps of games. Mason said he liked it when we played cricket, many also played volleyball, mini soccer, and we even had a group that tried to find the coolest seashells. We went for walks along the sand and played vortex ball on the grass.

The best surprise was seeing a super cute dog, and as Lilly said, “There was a dog we got to pat.”

Jack summed it up perfectly: “It was a lot of fun.”

Lots of us went swimming, the water was warm. Alyssa said, “I loved the swimming because we got to go out deep and playing by walking up to people and splashing them with water from the buckets. We loved making our feet sink into the sand.”

Aleeyah agreed, saying, “Swimming was fun, I played with my friends and did handstand competitions, and the water was so clear we could see the ground.”

Freya added, “I enjoyed being in the water for the longest and doing handstands with Alyssa and Aleeyah.”

Overall, even with a bit of rain, nothing stopped us from having an epic day. It was honestly one of the best ways to finish Year 6!

Congratulations to all the winners!

Minor timing change from Term 1 2026

NIE has scheduled a number of workshops over the summer break to support Year 10, 11 and 12 students who are aspiring to study medicine or dentistry and want to make a strong head start in preparing for the medical school entry assessments. The upcoming school holidays are the perfect time for students to begin their UCAT preparation, build interview confidence and gain a valuable advantage before the busy school year begins.

Coming up at NIE during Summer Holidays!

20 December 2025: Comprehensive Interactive 2-Part UCAT Workshop

22 December 2025: Public, Rural, and Indigenous Health Topics in Medical Interviews

27 - 28 December 2025: Intensive 2-day Interview Training Workshop

10 - 11 January 2026: Intensive 2-day Interview Training Workshop

4 - 17 January 2026: Academic Insights is a 13-day residential summer school program in Sydney offering experience at the university level. Available areas to choose from are Medicine, Psychology, Veterinary Studies, Creative Writing, Engineering, Business Management, and Law.

24 January 2026: Comprehensive Interactive 2-Part UCAT Workshop

Contact:

enquiries@nie.edu.au | www.nie.edu.au | www.niecareers.com.au

1300 974 187 | 0412 439 115 | 0404 197 178

Nativity - Children’s Christmas Mass

Christmas Eve, 6.00pm, Holy Family Church

Children of the Parish are invited to be part of The Nativity which will be performed during the Gospel reading.

Practice times at Holy Family Church

Monday 22 Dec 10.00am - 11.00am

Tuesday 23 Dec 10.00am - 11.00am

Parents are asked to bring their children along to both practices if they would like to participate.

For more information, please contact Helen Anderson on 0427 108 810.

We encourage early bookings to secure preferred dates, as spots always fill quickly. And as a little bonus, all attendees will receive an exclusive welcome pack with items they can wear and carry… (no spoilers!).

Here is a link to free/sponsored placement form for any youth who may face barriers to enrolling.

Some of the activities have already sold out, but the Freestyle Now BMX, skating and scooter coaching sessions still have plenty of space available.

Booking link: https://albany-events.bookable.net.au/#!/event-detail/ev_5424a76acd4e4507b21b0bfaefd5fdf1

As the year draws to a close, we know your school is bustling with concerts, activities and celebrations.

The Saver Plus team sincerely thanks you for your support throughout the year and wishes your staff and community a joyful, well-deserved break with loved ones.

Looking ahead to Term 1, our Back-to-School campaign will see many families seeking support.

To help us reach those who need it most, we’d love your assistance in sharing our updated flyer with your school community.

Your support makes a real difference for families preparing for the new school year. Thank you again for partnering with us—we look forward to working together in 2026!

Saver Plus is funded by the Department of Social Services and delivered by The Smith Family.

P&F Summary of 10 & 18 Nov Meetings

The City of Albany's Youth Friendly Albany Plan 2022–2025 - which guides our work with young people - is due for review. Responses to this survey will help ensure the new plan reflects what young people in Albany need, want, and believe will make our city more youth friendly. The Plan also supports local organisations to engage with young people and understand the issues that matter most to them.

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and students who complete Parts A, B, and C will go into the draw to win one of six vouchers to Scooped Gelato.

Albany PCYC is currently looking for gymnasts or ex-gymnasts who may be interested in some casual paid work with our gymnastics program.

We have opportunities for young people to assist with classes:

1. Over the Christmas school holidays, and/or
2. After school during term next year

These roles are ideal for students who:

1. Have a background in gymnastics (any level considered)
2. Enjoy working with children
3. Are keen to build skills, confidence and work experience in a supportive environment

Full training and support are provided, so they don’t need coaching experience – just a positive attitude and an interest in the sport.

Students can contact Albany PCYC directly on phone or via email for more information or to express interest.

We are inviting everyone to come and join the celebration of Simbang Gabi 2025.

Simbang Gabi (Filipino for ‘Night Masses’) is a devotional, nine-day series of Masses in anticipation of Christmas.

2025 St Joseph's College P&F End of Year SUPER Raffle

Get your tickets now https://www.raffletix.com.au?ref=h2sbw