Following the success of the College Sleepout to raise awareness for the homeless, the Year Eleven Religion and Life students have been working hard to put together personal care packages for those doing it tough in our community. The aim was to create as many care packages as possible with a variety of sanitary products that are not always easy to attain when money is needed for more urgent items, such as food.

For two weeks, the College staff and Year Elevens teamed up to gather as many products as possible which included razors, body wash, deodorant, tissues, toothbrushes, toothpaste and more. The students then sorted and packed the items, making a total of 75 individual packs for males, females, children and families. In conjunction with Vinnies Albany and Albany Youth Support Association (AYSA), these care packs will be distributed to those in need. We thank these organisations and the College staff for their support as well as teachers, Mr Zak Mola and Mrs Montana Bogoni for coordinating the project.

Our Catholic faith demands that we see the human dignity in each person and this initiative is another way that the College is working for solidarity and to assist our "neighbours," just as Jesus would.

Mr Luke Bogoni

Religious Education Coordinator

Students who still have their library books,

please return them ASAP.

Thank you!

https://www.raffletix.com.au?ref=bke46

Got to be in it to win it!

Click on the above link to purchase tickets in the P & F's last raffle of the year! Some great prizes to win, just in time for Christmas - including $1000 as first prize!

Only $5 per ticket.

Thanks for your support throughout the year!

Merry Christmas x

Last Thursday, the Junior School and Secondary School Choirs entertained staff and clients at the Albany Community Care Centre. The afternoon was a resounding success and several of the audience were moved to tears by the beauty of the singing. The Junior School began by singing five songs; Dream, Christmastime Again, The Prayer, Holiday Jazz and May a Rainbow Run Beside You. The Secondary Choir, including five Year Sixes who joined the choir this term, took the performance to even greater heights when they sang Connected, Count on Me, Fly Away Home, and Carry the Light. The performance of the afternoon was undoubtedly the Secondary School Choir’s hilarious rendition of Deck the Halls which included some serious ballet moves by Natale and Boe.

We thank Mrs Palfrey and Mrs Keenan for helping on the day, and we sincerely thank Mr Watson for accompanying the choirs so beautifully at all our rehearsals and performances.

Parents are invited to come and listen to both choirs at the Whole College Assembly on Thursday 7 December at 9.00am.

A mime of the Nativity will be performed during the Gospel reading at Holy Family Church on Christmas Eve this year. There will be two practices for this, and parents are asked to bring their children along to both practices if they would like to participate Some costuming is available and will be supplied at practice after characters have been chosen.

Practices: Friday December 22 and Saturday December 23 from 10.30 to 11.30 a.m. at Holy Family church.

Anne Smith  0478 616 137

Each year, the staff, students and families of St Joseph's College generously support St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies) in their annual Christmas Appeal. With the cost-of-living increasing, Vinnies focus on assisting the vulnerable in our community whom may be struggling financially or facing other challenges in their lives as we approach the Advent season.

As we prepare for the birth of Jesus, we are called to reflect upon how we can bring a little hope, peace, joy, and love to those around us. St Joseph's College works to assist those less fortunate in our community through our annual Christmas appeal. Collection boxes will be in each classroom and homeroom for any non-perishable food items that you wish to donate. This year Vinnies has asked for more of the following, if possible:

1. Christmas puddings, cakes and fruit mince pies
2. Long life custard and milk cartons
3. Cereal, chips, and sweet and savory biscuits
4. Long life Juice cartons
5. Canned Vegetables

For more information or if you would like to make a monetary donation to the Society, please visit: https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-wa/christmas-appeal-wa

On behalf of St Joseph's College, I would like to thank you all for your generosity and commitment each and every year. For many people, Christmas is about creating precious memories with family and friends and your support will ensure that this upcoming festive season is far less stressful for some of the families in our local community.

Mr Luke Bogoni - Religious Education Coordinator

The WAATI Student Exchange Program is an 8-9 week cultural and academic full immersion program, run in partnership with AFS Intercultura (Italy). It is one of WAATI’s most successful programs which offers students the opportunity of a lifetime and opens a world of possibilities to all involved. The program began in 1981 and has grown massively over the last 35 years. Last November 44 students stayed in various parts of Italy for two months and we are currently hosting 68 Italian students until late August 2016.

The first stage of the program is hosting. In late June students arrive from Italy for a 2 month stay. The students are hosted by an Australian family throughout the metropolitan area as well as country towns like Bunbury, Busselton, Australind and Esperance. At times students have even been hosted as far away as Canberra. They attend school and are totally immersed in Australian family life. It is an opportunity for them to improve their English and really experience what life is like as an ‘Aussie kid’!

Stage two is sending and this offers students here the opportunity to spend two months in Italy. Students leave in late November and return in January. They attend school and many experience a white Christmas for the first time. For students studying Italian it is opportunity to immerse themselves. For those that go simply for the cultural experience, it is the opportunity to experience the Italian way of life and explore the culture.

I am looking for expressions of interest in hosting a student in 2024 with the intent of sending St Joseph's students at the end of 2024.

Students need to be 15 years or older at the time of sending and there are costs involved.

If you are interested in hosting in 2024, please send me an email by Thursday 7th December.

hiedi.rowe@cewa.edu.au

Dear Junior School Parents and Guardians,

The Junior School Presentation Night and Christmas Carols Concert will be held on Wednesday 6 December at 5.00pm in the College Gymnasium. All students in Kindy to Year Six are required to attend. Families are invited to join us to recognise the efforts of students in the Junior School and to celebrate the end of a wonderful year. Please read the following information carefully.

CLOTHING

1. All students in Kindy-Year 6 are asked to dress in something Christmas themed. This can be as simple as a Christmas shirt or a red/white/green coloured shirt. Students are not permitted to wear a hat/headband, however, hair clips and scrunchies are fine. This is so that all students can be seen on the stage.

DROP OFF AND PICK UP

1. All students are required to be dropped off at their classroom between 4.30pm and 4.45pm.
2. Students in Pre-Primary to Year Six will sit with their class for the duration of the concert and can be collected from their classroom after the conclusion of the concert. 
3. Kindy students will return to their parents/guardians after their item and must be collected from the carpark side of the gym directly after their item.  

Please contact your child’s class teacher if you have any questions. We look forward to a wonderful evening and appreciate your cooperation with the above matters.

Kind regards,

Michelle Lister & Jim Morcom

Heads of Junior School

Spencer Park Dental Therapy Centre will be closed from Thursday 21^st December until Monday 29th January 2024. If your child requires emergency dental treatment during our closure, please contact Albany General Dental Clinic on 9842 2211 from 8:15am to 4:30pm. For emergencies outside of these hours, please contact your own private dentist or Albany Regional Hospital on 9892 2222.

Your child will be eligible to attend a Dental Therapy Centre from ages 5 to 17. If you no longer wish to use our service, please let us know as soon as possible as your valuable appointment could be taken up by someone else.

All appointments are now sent to your home address when your child is eligible for an exam appointment, if you have moved house in the last few years, we may not have your correct address and your child could miss out on their check-up. Please contact us to update your details either by phone: 9841 3967 or e-mail: spencerparkdtc@dental.health.wa.gov.au

The Dental Therapy Staff wish you a Merry Christmas and a Safe Happy New Year!

Bluff Knoll hike on Dec 17 with an art session

https://events.humanitix.com/ogs-family-hike-bluff-knoll

3 Day Expedition Hike in Denmark

https://events.humanitix.com/expedition-3-day-hike-jan-15-17-2024

We are inviting everyone to join us and celebrate the Simbang Gabi (Evening Masses) which is a Filipino Christmas tradition. It is a series of nine masses on the days leading up to Christmas with this year's theme "Keeping the Spirit of Pinoy Bayanihan through sharing the Joy of Faith".

We are accepting new enrolments for 2024 for our Out of School Hours Care program.

This is the 4^th consecutive year our community has come together to turn our town orange during the 16 days campaign, to raise awareness. The 16 Days in WA campaign runs from 25 November (International day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) through to 10 December (Human Rights Day) each year. This year’s theme is “ Play your part” and even though we have had great participation to raise awareness, this year the focus is on how you can play your part and what can you do to make a difference in our community. 

As part of this years 16 days, AnglicareWA is hosting a sundowner to learn more about practical ways you can take action through an informed and in-depth understanding of the necessity to develop supportive ecosystems that can hold both victim survivors safe and people who use violence accountable.

We are looking forward to an evening of robust conversations, ideas and learnings while enjoying a glass of wine in good company.

Book your free ticket now, to reserve your seat and lets come together to make a positive impact and work to create a safe and caring community.

Hawthorn House is holding a Christmas Fair.

Academic Task Force - January Head Start Program

ATAR January Head Start Program - ­Enrolments Open - Increase your understanding and boost your confidence for Year 11 and 12. 6 hour subject courses where you will gain an overview of the syllabus, receive expert teaching from ATAR subject-specialist teachers and preview important concepts.

Year 7- 10 January Head Start Program - ­Enrolments Open - Get a flying start to the new school year with engaging courses in NAPLAN Preparation, Maths, English, GATE Preparation, Learning Skills and Essay Writing.

Enrol online: www.academicgroup.com.au | Phone: 08 9314 9500.

Email: learn@academicgroup.com.au

The University of Newcastle is conducting research to develop a well-being program to improve teenage girls' physical and mental health, as well as support fathers to nurture their bond with their daughters.

We are hopeful this program will achieve similar success to our multi-award winning Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered program which targets primary school aged girls and their fathers for improved wellbeing, sports skills and physical activity.

We have developed a short survey for high school aged girls to complete and another one for father/father figures of high school aged girls. The surveys ask questions about well-being, sport, physical activity and family relationships and have been approved by the University of Newcastle Human Research Ethics Committee.

Dads of high-school aged girls.

Have your say in developing a program that aims to enhance the father-daughter connection & wellbeing of your teenage daughter.

Complete a 10-minute online survey - https://redcap.link/DDteens_fathers_survey

Chance to win one of 6 x $50 gift vouchers!

Parents of high school aged girls, we need you!

Register your daughter to complete a survey to help us develop a program to support teenage girls’ wellbeing, physical and mental health https://redcap.link/DDteens_teens_survey

Your daughter will go in the draw to win one of 6 x $50 gift vouchers!

GAP YEAR STUDENT OPPORTUNITY

A position is available within the Department of Communities - Housing for a school leaver to be based in Albany, work business hours and earn a great wage!

The role is as a Customer Service Officer, Level 2, with a starting wage of $70, 432 per annum and includes four weeks of annual leave, five additional leave days and 15 days of personal leave, plus a range of other great benefits.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be trained on the job, build your skills, and be part of something bigger.

You don’t need to be pursuing a future career in the housing industry to be suitable for this role.

We have had school leavers complete a gap year of work, then progress to further university or other study, with the option to transfer to an office in the same Department in a different region. We have flexible work options in multiple locations and the opportunity to try different roles.

For further information or to apply, please contact Meg Slattery at meg.slattery@communities.wa.gov.au or 6414 2183 or visit the link below.

https://search.jobs.wa.gov.au/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=315939

Off the Beach Sail Training Program. Sailing provides such a rich and interesting experience for those children and teens who take it up.