Fourth Sunday of Lent – the greatest joy comes from seeing Jesus.

On Friday we celebrated St Joseph’s Day with a whole school Mass and fete. In both instances the light and joy of our school community shone brightly. Thank you to all those involved and especially to Mr Morcom, Mrs Palfrey, Fr Joel, Mr Gough and Mr Bogoni. How absolutely wonderful to have our College community gather again. Thank you to the parents who attended and joined in in the festivities.

It was a very busy Week Seven for our College. Years Three, Five, Seven and Nine began NAPLAN, which continues in Week Eight.

Our Associated and Catholic Colleges (ACC) swimming competition in Perth when swimmingly. The PE department have posted photos and their report on our Wisdom feed, but my sincere congratulations to the team who represented St Joseph’s. The commentator certainly has a soft-spot for us – thanks to the live feed on the day!

Our sensational Solar Car Challenge entrants made us proud at our very own gym last Thursday. We won both the Year Six and Eight divisions as well as third for the second Year Eight team. Thank you to the Science department for hosting and the Year Six teachers for preparing our teams in Science class lessons.

On Saturday night, St Joseph’s Staff and members of the School Advisory Council gathered at Holy Family Church for our Commissioning Mass. We were reminded of our mission and work at a Catholic school, and pledged our commitment to our students in their learning journeys.

On Tuesday night is the General Sacramental Meeting. Parents of Reconciliation/First Holy Communion/Confirmation students are kindly reminded to attend this special meeting in Holy Family Church (6pm).

Tuesday is also national Harmony Day. Students are encouraged to wear a splash of orange with their uniform. Alternatively, they may like to wear their national dress. I will be wearing traditional Filipino attire.

In the spirit of safety on the roads and fitness is Ride to School Day on Friday. The PE department have organised a bike ride to school and you are invited to participate.

Finally, today, the 19^th of March, is St Joseph’s Day. May we all be inspired by the life of St Joseph’s and his humility. I always think of Joseph in the way in which he made his ordinary life extraordinary.

I hope you have a great week.

St Joseph – Pray for Us.

Ms Rachael Keenan

Third Sunday of Lent – Jesus and the Samaritan women at the well. “Breaking the barriers.”

As we learn in today’s Gospel, let us celebrate our differences rather than make them an obstacle in forming good and strong relationships.

Our Year Sevens certainly rose to the challenge in Week Six with their camp to the Stirling Ranges. As so well-put by Mr O’Donnell that when life gets tough, they only need to remember the difficult climb to the summit of Bluff Knoll and the fact that they made it. Life is not always smooth sailing, but with the right attitude, we can conquer mountains! Thank you to Mrs Trichilo for her organisation and supervision, and to Mr O’Donnell, Mr Probert, Ms Ferrell and Ms De Chief for looking after the students and walking alongside them every step of the way.

A big week in Week Seven with our annual St Joseph’s Day Mass (10.50am) and Fete (1pm) on Friday. Students may wear their House shirts with their College PE clothes. Small change would be most appreciated rather than notes for the fete. We will be raising money for Caritas (Project Compassion).

Before all the fun, is NAPLAN for Years Three, Five, Seven and Nine. Relevant Heads of School have sent communications home via SEQTA regarding the assessment. Secondary students should bring a fully charged, working laptop to school.

We also wish our ACC Swimming Team all the very best as they head of Perth on Wednesday. Thank you to Mr Ruck, Mrs Coutts and Mrs Driver (mum) who will be accompanying the squad.

St Joseph’s College will be hosting the annual Solar Car Challenge at the school on Thursday. We wish our teams well. Thank you to Mr Veerappan and the Science department for their organisation.

Finally, we wish Fr Joeff all the best in his transfer to Denmark and Mt Barker as Parish Priest. He was College Chaplain for four years and made a significant impact on our lives. We also wish Fr Eli safe travels back to the Philippines after his time first in Albany followed by Denmark and Mt Barker. We hope that you will always have a little bit of St Joseph's College in your hearts.

Have a great week.

St Joseph’s – Pray for Us.

Ms Rachael Keenan

https://www.raffletix.com.au/?ref=38gbm

P & F Easter Raffle

It's that time again! Please use the above link to purchase tickets or find the link on the P & F's Facebook page.

We are still happily and eagerly accepting donations! We appreciate your support.

Many thanks

P & F Committee

Saint Patrick

Feast Day: March 17

Patron Saint of: Ireland and Engineers

Life:

St. Patrick was two things - humble and courageous. At 16, Patrick was sold as a slave in Ireland and forced to work as a shepherd, suffering greatly from hunger and the cold. He escaped after six years and spent many years studying in France after a spiritual conversion which led him to be a bishop at the age of 43. His great desire was to spread the good news to the Irish which he did until his death.

Prayer:

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in my eyes, Christ in my ears and Christ in my heart. St Patrick, pray for us. Amen.

Mr Luke Bogoni - Religious Education Coordinator K-12

The St Joseph’s swim team travelled to Perth to compete in the annual ACC swimming competition, competing in ‘G’ division on Thursday the 16th March. 

Unfortunately a couple of late withdrawals hampered the quest for silverware but nonetheless, the squad, led by Imojen and Laura, went toe to toe with fellow competitors across a number of events at HBF stadium. 

The trip up was pretty smooth sailing before being greeted by a rather unpleasant muggy Perth afternoon. A walk to Optus stadium to get the blood pumping, before a quick training session at headquarters (Trinity training complex) was just the tonic. 

A bite to eat, a bit of basketball, a few cartwheels, some uno and one very very long chess game later and the squad was ready to call it a night. Some questionable sleeping patterns and disturbances amongst the female members hindered Mrs Coutts' attempts at a solid night's sleep, however their male counterparts (to the surprise of staff) slept like baby lambs. 

An anxious volleyball coach, wondering why there were 35 St Josephians asleep on his volleyball court (must of missed the email), greeted the squad at 6.30am as we managed to get up and get rolling (including the sleep deprived). 

Brekky, pack up and we were on our way to HBF stadium (via City Beach for some scenic views). 

The competition started with our captain, Laura, finishing a creditable 5th in the 100m Open Freestyle before our resident dolphin Max V got pipped for 3rd in the corresponding event. This set the tone for the carnival as our swimmers gave their all, competing hard and never giving up.

Some honourable mentions must go to the following squad members. 

A pet peeve for staff is not having swimmers compete in all events (therefore missing points), so Hien’s effort to step up and tackle the 50m butterfly when no one else would, despite never completing it before, was a phenomenal effort, inspiring her teammates. 

The Dolphin Max must also get a special mention as despite losing his breakfast after a galant third in his opening event. He got back on the horse and demoralised his opponents in the 50m Open Butterfly, despite only being a Year Year against year Elevens and Twelves. Wow. Look out next year.

The 2000 American 4 x 50 swim team famously said they would smash the Aussie’s like guitars. Well. the 15 boys team, consisting of Natale, Gary, Jonah and Daniel, did exactly that to their opposition, as Daniel held the opposition at bay in the final leg, hanging on to their slender lead. The St Joseph’s Swim Club head coach would no doubt be proud as punch of his charges as they demonstrated near flawless entries, especially his son Gary whose entry was pure poetry. Well done lads. 

And finally the last event, the Opern Boys 4 x 50m Freestyle, was a great way to finish the meet as the departing Max S (who departs St Joseph’s for an apprenticeship next week) was joined by three Year Tens, Max V, Ollie and Hoa, to finish a very impressive second. Giving away both height and weight to their more senior competitors mattered little as they broke the two minute mark. 

A very successful day with the senior schoolboys finishing runners up, Max V finishing runner up champion, Lillian, Ambrose, Jack and Jonah all finishing in the top five of their respective age groups. 

Congratulations to the entire team on finishing a creditable fifth and a very special thanks to Mrs Molenda (our parent helper), Mrs Coutts and our bus driver Mike for a very enjoyable trip away with some good banter and laughs along the way. 

The students' behaviour was exemplary and parents should be extremely proud of them. 

PE team 

The exhilaration and pure relief of reaching the summit of Bluff Knoll was just one of the many highlights for the newest members of St Joseph’s College secondary school as they embarked on the Year 7 Challenge last week.

With tents, swags, pillows, bags, lollies and smiles packed onto buses on Wednesday morning, the Year 7s headed to their first stop, Castle Rock, in the Porongurup Range. The excitement on the journey was palpable and a little deafening.

Before they knew it, the students were facing their first physical challenge up the trail towards the Granite Skywalk. Those choosing to climb “the ladder” enjoyed the panoramic view from the Skywalk before descending in time for a quick lunch and the rest of the bus journey to the campsite at Stirling Range Retreat.

The happy campers then enjoyed an afternoon of group activities which included a cultural workshop with Aunty Carol and Uncle Rob and some team-building games with Mr Probert. This part of the camp provided both mental and physical challenges as students gained an understanding of the land they were on, creation stories and the importance of communication when working with others, especially when blindfolded.

With dinner served, the Quiz Night done and lights-out on time, the flashes of lightning, rumbles of thunder and steady rain during the night threatened to kibosh the camp. Thankfully, the clouds parted by morning and the big climb up Bluff Knoll was soon underway, fuelled by delicious bacon and egg wraps.

The challenge of climbing the summit of Bluff Knoll, which sits 1099m above sea level, became very real, very quickly for all the students (and staff) who soon felt the strain of climbing up every step. With plenty of encouragement and regular rest breaks, the entire group made it to the summit in various states of disrepair, the pain of which soon eased with the amazing views across the Stirling Range and beyond. Most of all, the group revelled in the sense of achievement and camaraderie of reaching the peak together. After a few happy snaps, the climb down the mountain proved just as challenging for some, who may have admitted to perhaps a little bit too much screen-time at home.

After returning to camp a little worse for wear, somehow the students found an extra energy reserve and were soon scattering in all directions during a game of Predator/Prey, thanks to Ms De Chief. The game carried valuable social and environmental lessons and was just a whole lot of fun.

With much-needed showers, and the devouring of sumptuous burgers complete, it was time to share in a liturgy, then head for the tents, where not a peep was heard after lights-out!

The final day of camp brought mixed feelings as there was still plenty to look forward to, but there was also the realisation that it would soon be over. The bus ride from Stirling Range Retreat to The Museum of the Great Southern was a fair bit quieter than the journey out, but the students were nonetheless enthusiastic during an interactive workshop which taught them how to put together their own museum display.

With the physical and mental challenges of three days and two nights of camping overcome, the students were rewarded for their efforts and enthusiasm with a delicious serve of fish and chips and a quick swim/bombie competition at Emu Point before arriving safe and sound, and slightly shattered, back at school.

Big thanks go to camp coordinator Mrs Trichilo and her band of helpers, Ms De Chief, Ms Ferrell, Mr O’Donnell, Mr Probert and Mrs Keenan, who surprised the students with a visit on Thursday afternoon. With the bar set high at this year's camp, will the Year 7s of 2024 be up to the challenge?

For Project Compassion this week we hear Priscilla's story.

Climate change continues to bring challenges for people living in the most vulnerable and remote communities in Zimbabwe. During times of intense drought and food shortages, Priscilla had to commute to the town centre and wait in long queues to collect food. With the support of Caritas, Priscilla learnt farming skills to grow drought-resistant crops and started poultry farming to support her family and local community. You can find her story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3rpFKAsZg

"Tapitas" will continue this Wednesday at lunchtime next to the Canteen stairs, Donate any spare change that you may have and display your name on our "running water" collage to showcase our commitment to this worthy cause.

Please donate where you can to the class/ homeroom boxes! Thanks for your generosity and support this Lenten season!

Mr Luke Bogoni - Religious Education Coordinator K-12

With St Joseph's Day to be celebrated on Friday March 17 please be aware of the following information that will help you enjoy your day.

Mass: Begins at 10.50am, everyone is welcome.

Fair: Begins at 1.00pm, finishes at 2.40pm, parents and grandparents welcome.

Uniform: Students are to wear their house shirt along with either College shorts or track suit pants, white socks and sports shoes, and the College hat.

Food: All students are to bring their lunch. No sausage sizzle. There is limited food at the fair besides lollies, soft drinks etc.

Canteen: Only serving food at recess. No Lunch orders.

Money: Most stalls cost between 50c to $2, some food items may cost up to $5. Encourage students to bring coins as notes are hard to give change for if everyone has them.

Waterslide: Students wishing to use the waterslide, must change into bathers after mass and change back into uniform before leaving school.

Leaving Early: Junior school students leaving early must be signed out by a parent with their classroom teacher. Senior School students must sign out with their home room teacher.

Calling all parents whose students will be making the Sacraments of Eucharist, Reconciliation or Confirmation during 2023. The General Sacramental Meeting for parents will be held in Holy Family Church on Tuesday evening 21st March commencing at 6.00pm. The meeting is expected to last no longer than one hour. If you have not completed a Sacrament Initiation Registration Form and returned it, there will be copies available on the night for you to complete. Details of date and place of Baptism are required. If you have a Baptism Certificate it would be good for us to cite this. If you are unable to attend this meeting please let the Parish Office know on albacath@iinet.net.au or myself, chris.palfrey@cewa.edu.au and so we can ensure information is passed on direct to you.

Chris Palfrey

Sacramental and Liturgy Co-ordinator St Joseph's College

Thank you for all your support to our College Production in the past few years. This year, we will be doing Celebration of Talents (A Variety Show). We know that we have lots of talents in the college that we can showcase and celebrate. Auditions will be on Term 2 Weeks 3 - 5 Thursdays (May 11, 18 and 25) from 3:30 - 4:30pm. It is open to all of college community members e.g. student, parents, family, staff. We would love to see you unleash your talents so start rehearsing now and see you on the auditions. Thank you in advance for all your support!

Mr Richard Habal, Ms Hiedi Rowe and Mr Mark Collins

Event Coordinators

Dear Parents of Year Three and Five Students,

Starting this year, the Naplan Assessments have been moved forward to Term 1. The dates below will be used for the testing of students. In most cases, the assessments will be conducted in the morning of each testing day.

Week 7

Wednesday March 15, Writing

Thursday March 16, Reading

Week 8

Monday March 20, Language Conventions

Tuesday March 21, Numeracy

Following this, Catch-up sessions will take place if students have missed assessments for some reason.

Apart from Year Three Writing, students will complete all tests on the College laptops. 

Please ensure your child has a working set of ear buds or headphones.

If you have any further queries regarding Naplan, please contact me via Direct message.

Regards 

Jim Morcom

Head of Junior School Year 3-6

The Year One students were lucky enough to have Jaxon come down as the Great Southern Regional Development Officer and teach us some very important footy skills during our physical education lesson today. The Year One's loved being active while learning new AFL skills.

If you are interested in your son or daughter competing in the Auskick community program, Jaxon promoted the Information and activity day for Auskick footy on the following dates and locations:

March 21 - 3:30pm - Mount Barker CC

March 22 - 4:00pm - Albany Eastern Precinct Oval K3/4

March 23 - 3:30pm - Mclean Park.

The session includes: Rick the Rock Eagle in Attendance, Parent Information Session about the up and coming season, Football Activities and a Sausage Sizzle.

Zak Mola - Junior School HPE

Registration Link: Albany Auskick Centre - PP - Y2

https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/70ebcd

Registration Link: SDJFA Albany (Y3-Y8)

https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/4b3459

Spencer Park Dental Therapy Centre offers free dental examinations, oral care advice, preventative, restorative and emergency treatment for children from pre-primary to Year 11.

Enrolment forms will soon be issued to your child if he/she has recently changed schools or enrolled in Pre-Primary, please return the forms by Monday 3^rd April if you wish to use our service.

Parents of enrolled students are reminded to contact the centre to update your details if you have moved in the last few years. All appointments are posted home and many are returned due to incorrect addresses, this means that your child misses out on their dental visit. If you no longer intend to use our service please let us know as soon as possible as your valuable appointment could be taken up by someone else. You can call us on 9841 3967 or send us an email to spencerparkdtc@health.wa.gov.au. Unfortunately the centre does not have reception staff so please leave a message and we will sort out your request as soon as we can.

The Albany Public Library is running an event aimed at parents or caregivers to give guidance on supporting young people with online relationships.

Topics include:

1. how to support young people to have safe and respectful online relationships
2. what to do when something happens at school and ends up on social media or private messaging apps
3. how to report to social media platforms and eSafety.

Bookings are essential via Events | City of Albany Libraries (albanylibrary.com.au)

Registrations are now open for Pre-Primary to Year Six Players.

To register, visit www.playfootball.com.au

Registrations close 31 March

Chris Collard is coming to ALAC on Friday 17th March. Attendance is free, but you need to register at : recprograms@albany.wa.gov.au

You can learn more about his story by following the link below.

https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/the-point/article/aboriginal-warrior-one-mans-rise-from-juvenile-detention-to-world-champion/vykzxolv0

Register for this 8-week program if you are in year 11/12 or on your gap year and gain exclusive access to the below sessions:

• 3 May 2023 - Resumes & Interviews (Lincolns Beyond Numb3rs)

• 10 May 2023 - Tax & Budgeting (Lincolns Beyond Numb3rs)

• 17 May 2023 - Rentals 101 (Merrifield Real Estate)

• 24 May 2023 - Healthy Relationships: How to live away from home (Relationships Australia)

• 31 May 2023 - Meal Planning 101 (Ocean and Paddock)

• 7 June 2023 - All things WASTE (City of Albany)

• 14 June 2023 - Sustainable Living (City of Albany)

• 21 June 2023 - Responsible Pet Ownership (RSPCA & City of Albany Rangers)

When registering you will be asked which session(s) you would like to attend (you can select all of them or only those that interest you).

All sessions will be delivered at the Albany Public Library from 4pm - 5pm.

GRAZING PLATTERS ARE AVAILABLE AT EACH SESSION!

REGISTER HERE: https://stuff-you-need-to-know.eventbrite.com.au