Fifth Sunday of Easter – “I am the way, the truth and the life”.

One of my favourite bible verses, this reminds us of God’s goodness. We can be strengthened by His truths.

On Tuesday at 6pm the Holy Family Parish will be meeting with students receiving First Holy Eucharist/Communion and their parents this year. There will also be a Commitment Mass on Sunday 9.30am at HFC for all students receiving Sacraments this year.

Thank you to all parents, students and teachers in the Secondary School for attending the Parent Interviews on Monday and Tuesday. There is nothing like a face-to-face meeting to discuss ways to support students.

We saw glimpses of Marie Antoinette, the Plague Doctor, Cleopatra, Lenin, PM Harold Holt, a Suffragette and Filipino revolutionary on Friday as a bookend to Humanities and Social Sciences Week. Thank you to Mrs Trichilo and the HASS department for teaching us more about significant people, places and events of our world.

The Year 9 and 10 students attended the Regional STEM Festival with members of the Science department at ALAC on Wednesday. I hope you have been inspired to know more about the world of science and potentially investigate careers in the field as your journey continues through Senior School.

I am looking forward to learning the results of the Regional Netball Competition which the College sent Year 7 – 12 students to last Thursday. Whatever the outcome, I know you represented the school with pride.

Not only is St Joseph’s College part of a system with 163 Catholic schools in Western Australia, but we are part of a regional group schools, the Great Southern Network. Staff in Kindy to Year 2 visited St Patrick’s School on Friday with other schools in our system to collaborate and share teaching practices. Thank you to St Pat’s for hosting.

I look forward to seeing students and mothers at our Mother’s Day Breakfast this Friday. A letter has been sent home to parents of Junior and Middle School. Please rsvp for catering purposes.

And to all mothers, grandmothers and mother figures of our students and staff, I wish you all a happy and blessed Mother’s Day on Sunday. We also think of those who are no longer with us - days such as these give us the time and occasion to remember the beauty and joy they brought to our lives.

The month of May is devoted to Jesus’ Mother Mary so I again I finish this article with the Hail Mary -

“Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

St Joseph – Pray for Us.

Ms Rachael Keenan

The College was fortunate to have been invited to attend the 2023 Great Southern Budget Briefing by Rebecca Stephens MLA, Member for Albany. The keynote speaker for the event was the Hon. Reece Whitby MLA, Minister for Environment; Climate Action; Racing and Gaming. Year Eleven Student Leaders Cassandra Swarbrick and Daniel Keenan represented St Joseph's, joined by students from other Albany schools. Following a light lunch, all attendees listened to the presentation, which outlined how the state budget will affect the Great Southern Region. At question and answer time, Cassandra braved the occasion, asking the minister how the budget will address the issue of mental health support for the region, especially for young people. Unfortunately, a true politician's answer was given, with little clarity in the response. Nevertheless, the afternoon was in insightful opportunity for our students.

Well done to our first Celebration of Talents (Variety Show) auditionees - Jessica, Suri and Gabriel. They did an outstanding job! Watch them on the actual shows on Term 3 Week 3 August 12 and 13. If you haven't booked your audition yet, here is the link of the audition form Celebration of Talents (A Variety Show) 2023 Audition Form.docx. We still have available time slots next week Thursday 25th of May from 3:35 - 4:20pm. Book your audition now!

Mr Habal, Mr Collins and Ms Rowe

Event Coordinators

On the 4th of May 2023, students from Years 9 and 10 went on an excursion to the STEM Regional Festival. The convention aimed to provide an opportunity for students to explore different careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with experts in these fields.

This year, the festival was held at Albany Leisure Aquatic Centre and hosted several stalls with different themes. The students had the opportunity to explore various fields, such as medicine, oyster farming, and artificial intelligence (AI). Each stall was manned by professionals who were available to answer any questions the students had about their respective fields. The students had the opportunity to ask questions, interact with the professionals, and learn about different career options in the STEM field.

The excursion was a great success, with the students being very engaged and enthusiastic throughout the day. The students enjoyed the interactive nature of the event and the opportunity to ask questions about their potential career options.

One of the highlights of the event was the stall on medicine. The students were able to interact with doctors and nurses who explained the different career paths within the medical profession. The students were able to learn about the different specializations, such as cardiology and the different pathways to enter medical school.

Another highlight was the oyster farming stall. The students were able to learn about the science behind oyster farming, including the role of water quality, the importance of temperature, and the process of harvesting. The students were also able to sample some freshly shucked oysters and learn about the culinary arts associated with seafood.

The Artifical intelligences (AI) stall was also a highlight of the event. The students were able to learn about the latest advancements in AI and its potential applications in the future. The professionals at the stall demonstrated the capabilities of AI, including facial recognition, voice recognition, and decision-making algorithms.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students as all the presenters on site were really impressed with our students' engagement, interest and behaviour on the day.

Mr Callaghan

This morning the Matteau open space was a hive of activity early as our community celebrated its first Mothers Day Breakfast. Almost 1000 pancakes were cooked along with many kilos of fruit to feed over 500 people. Thank you to all the mothers who attended with their children and enjoyed the time catching up with other mothers in the community. A huge thank you to the staff who organised the event and were busy from 6.45am preparing for the event. the P& F Mothers day stall was once again a popular destination for children to buy a simple gift for their mother. Thank you to the P & F team for organising and setting up the stall and to those community members who donated items for the stall. We hope all mothers have a lovely Mothers Day on Sunday.

Regards

Jim Morcom

Head of Junior school Year 3-6

The College is seeking suitable applicants for a Science Lab Technician. Details of this part-time position is available on the Catholic Education WA and College website.

The College is seeking suitable applicants for an Accounts Officer. Details of the part-time position is on the Catholic Education WA and College website.

Our Lady of Fatima

Feast Day: May 13

Patron Saint of: Humanity

Life:

Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three portuguese children - Francisco and Jacinta and their cousin Lucia, received visions of Mary near Fatima, Portugal. Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners and for the conversion of Russia. While Francisco and Jacinta died shortly after, Lucia became a nun and died in 2005 at the age of 97. The message of Fatima is simple: Pray.

Prayer:

Mary, take under your motherly protection the whole human family, which with affectionate love we entrust to you, O Mother. May there dawn for everyone the time of peace and freedom, the time of truth, of justice and of hope. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

Last week the Humanities and Social Sciences Department was busy coordinating HASS activities for the College. Lunchtime activities were held in the JS Undercover Area, with a different focus each day. On Monday, students enjoyed a hands-on experience with Ancient Rome and Viking handling kits. Both Junior School and Senior School students dressed up and examined artefacts, predicting their purpose and function. Tuesday’s activity focused on Geography. Students used maps to learn where some of the most destructive natural disasters occurred and where famous foods originate. Economics was under the spotlight on Wednesday, with students introduced to the Ration Challenge, where they were able to see how little refugees are able to consume each day. Thursday saw students engage with a democratic vote of their favourite lolly and matching the political leader with the country. The culmination of HASS week was the staff dress-up as a significant Historical figure and an energetic ‘Just-Dance’ session to the likes of Rasputin and Walk like an Egyptian.

Thank you to the HASS Department and the Year 11 and 12 Modern History students for your enthusiasm and energy all week and to the students for participating in the activities each day!

Mrs Samantha Trichilo

Head of Learning – Humanities and Social Sciences

On Thursday 4th of May, Netball WA Great Southern held their annual High School Netball Cup at Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre. This year was celebrating the big 30th year in all the schools participation, around the region. Saint Joseph's put in 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12's girls teams. Everyone did an amazing job and a special mention to the 7/8 girls who came runner up for their division. Thank-You to all of the parents, coaches, managers, helpers and umpires for your smoothly efforts to ensure that all players could participate. A massive Thank-You to the parent coaches, the teachers and staff behind the scenes for providing these opportunities for the students and for the school. 

Imojen Gill

Well done to the 38 students who contested the Inter-School cross country event at Great Southern Grammar last Monday afternoon. The students raced over a challenging course in perfect conditions against eight schools from the region. The Year 7-9 students raced a 3km course while the Year 10-12 students raced a 4km course. Congratulations to Oliver Pass 3rd Year Ten boys and Emily Larham 3rd Year 12 girls.

Please see attached information for the upcoming JS IH X-Country on the 26th of May, 2023.

The first meeting for parents and children for children making their First Holy Communion is fast approaching. The meeting will be held on Tuesday the 9th May, 2023 at 6.00pm in Holy Family Church. The meeting is expected to take between an hour and an hour 15 minutes. The following Sunday, the 14th May 2023, there is an enrolment Mass where your child will be enrolled to receive their First Communion. This will be at the 9.30am Mass at Holy Family Church. All parents and children are expected to attend these events. If for any reason you are unable to attend either one or both, please contact Fr Vince or Fr Joel at the Parish Office on 98 41 1129 or Chris Palfrey at chris.palfrey@cewa.edu.au We will need to make further arrangements with you.

Thanking you.

Chris Palfrey - Liturgy and Sacramental Co-ordinator

FOR ANY QUESTIONS CONTACT  diannaivic@gmail.com OR CALL 0432633582.

ONE SHOW IS AVAILABLE AT 11.00AM, AT THE ALBANY PCYC HALL.

Our local St Vinnies store is seeking an assistant retail manager. Part-time or full-time available. Experience in retail required. Cover letter and resume can be emailed to Sue.Wilson@vdpwa.org.au

After a successful summer season in our southern waters, STS Leeuwin II has now entered a period of refit, in preparation for our northern rotation. During the winter months we head North, where trainees will get to have a very special experience in an extraordinary location.

Attached is flyer detailing the opportunities for your Duke of Edinburgh students to potentially achieve their Award levels before the year is over.

We have a range of generous sponsorships available. Information on each, and application forms will be available on our website. Please feel free to call me for more information on these. 

This voyage is open to any student aged 14+ wishing to have an adventure and develop leadership skills. 

For more information, please visit www.sailleeuwin.com or feel free to contact me on 9430 4105 or education@sailleeuwin.com.

Sally Jonasson

Education Manager

The City of Albany is exploring opportunities to assist students during exam periods.



If you are in year 11 or 12, please take a moment to complete our Exam Tutoring Support survey which can be accessed through the following link:

www.surveymonkey.com/r/ExamTutoringSupportSurvey

The survey will help us understand the needs of exam students and will only take approximately 5 minutes to complete.

There are three fabulous school shows that are visiting our Albany Entertainment Centre in May and are offering school matinees. May is jam packed with fantastic shows and we hope you can make it into the centre to enjoy some of them.

1. Alphabet of Awesome Science | May 1^st, 11.00am & 4.30pm - A thrilling voyage through the alphabet – where great big chewy sesquipedalian words inspire mind-blowing scientific surprises! 

1. Cicada | May 24^th, 6.30pm | May 25^th, 10.00am– Barking Gecko are bringing Cicada to the AEC- winner of the Children’s Book Council Award for Best Picture Book in 2019! An adaption of master story-teller Shaun Tan’s much-loved Cicada, onstage with live puppetry and exquisite visual storytelling

1. Are We There Yet | May 30^th, 4.30pm | May 31^st, 11.00am- Join 8-year-old Grace and her family on an adventurous (and often funny) expedition across the country, visiting iconic Australian landmarks along the way

Contact:

ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 

2 Toll Place, Albany WA 6330 

PO Box 5743, Albany WA 6332 

T   +61 8 9844 5000

email: kelly.fregon@artsculturetrust.wa.gov.au

FREE Fathering 101 course sponsored by WANSLEA WA available to all fathers and father figures.

Link to our Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/JnTaCGVe

When: Thursday 11 May

6:00-8:00pm

Where: Royals Football Club

Lockyer Ave, Albany

Register here >> http://bit.ly/3K0Jwoz