The annual Great Southern Year 9/10 basketball was held during week four and St Joseph’s College sent four teams across the four grades.

The Division two boys and girls teams, made up of younger and inexperienced students found many of the games more difficult than they perhaps anticipated, however they persisted throughout the day as they competed hard and learnt some valuable lessons which will hold them in good stead into the future. As we are a smaller school we sometimes lack the depth of other schools, however students should be congratulated for representing the College and conducting themselves in great spirit throughout the day.

The Girls Division 1 recorded their most impressive finish in the previous 6 years, only losing to a stacked Denmark side throughout the day. With the twin towers of Imogen and Jessica controlling the paint and the fleet footed Torie and Anima leading the way across the floor, the girls went undefeated until the round where a formidable opponent, from a specialist basketball academy, denied them victory. Great effort Girls! You should all be extremely proud of our efforts.

Finally it was down to the Boys Division 1 team, entering the competition as the ‘hunted’ in 2024 after winning in 2023, to see if we could attain some silverware. A win over Denmark set the scene early as the team went through the day undefeated, before again playing Denmark in the decider. Natale was everywhere like Taylor Swift at the Superbowl, Tyler was knocking them in from everywhere and Andre was waxing glass better than ‘Mr Miyagi’. The Grand Final was a competitive affair with several lead changes before St Joe’s held on to win consecutive titles by 3 points, capping off a great day for the College.

Thanks must go to Mr Probert and Mr Picard for all of their coaching efforts before and on the day! Our student helpers and finally a special thanks to Dot Ruck for umpiring! Just remember, your never too old to thank your mum 😊

The 2024 Secondary School Presentation Night was held last Wednesday night, October 23^rd. The College Gymnasium transformed into an auditorium for the evening, with students, staff, families and special guests in attendance. 

Following an Acknowledgement of Country led by Year Eleven student, Jocelyn Gibson-Kungah, the congregation respectfully celebrated a liturgy. Next, the audience was treated to two performances by the Certificate II and III Music students. Hip hop was first up with Eminem’s Monster. The students then rocked out with Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane.

The awards themselves showcased a wide variety of talents and achievements across the Secondary School. The special awards are always unique, where students from different parts of the College are recognised, many of those who often those who go under the radar. The year level awards then recognise the top performing student in each subject for each year level. The final two awards deserve special mention. Congratulations to our Dux ATAR, Lillian Cooper, and our Dux VET, Jessica Williams. 

We welcomed our new prefects for 2025, before outgoing head prefects Lachlan Gorman and Smriti Keerthana Gowtham delivered a final address to the College community. The Year Twelves were farewelled by the community, but not before the Secondary School Choir performed a moving performance of I am Still Your Dreamer by Pinkzebra, that caused a few tears in the audience.

Presentation Night is always a beautiful event, and a reminder of the special community that is St Joseph’s College.

The St Joseph’s Junior School Athletics Carnival took place last Friday out on the college oval bringing together students, staff, and parents for a day filled with energy, enthusiasm, and strong athletic performances. The school oval was buzzing with excitement as students competed in various track and field events, and novelty games, with parents lining the sidelines to cheer them on.

The competition among the houses was intense, but it was Ozanam House that claimed victory, finishing with an impressive 1310 points. Devialar House followed in second place, Cunningham came in third, and McCormack took fourth place. The camaraderie and sportsmanship displayed by all students throughout the day were truly inspiring.

A big congratulations to all our champions and runner up athletes in each age group as seen in the photo above. A big special thanks go to the Year 10 CERT II Sport Coaching students, whose help in organising and officiating events was invaluable, as well as to the dedicated staff and parent volunteers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the day ran smoothly. The St Jo’s Junior School Athletics Carnival was not just about competition but also about community spirit and creating lasting memories for everyone involved.

Zak Mola - HPE

Stage 6 of the Ulster Road Wastewater Pipeline Replacement will begin on Friday, 11 October and will involve the northbound closure of Ulster Road between North Road and Bardley Road.

This morning’s athletics training emphasised refining sprinting technique. We worked on starting positions, maintaining form, and optimising stride frequency and arm movement. Students showed progress in efficiency and control, gaining confidence for their upcoming inter-school carnival Great energy throughout! 

The following dates are for our upcoming training sessions:

Week 5: Thursday 7th of November 7:45am

Week 6: Monday 11th of November 7:45am

Another reminder our inter-school carnival is split across two days: Tuesday Wk 6 (12/11) - Jumps & Throws @ SJC and Thursday Wk 6 (14/11) - Track events @ North Road Athletics Track.

Parents are invited to come along to support our mini athletes on both days.

Thank you to Mr Kasap (Kasap Carpentry) for our fabulous new custom-made mud kitchen in Early Learning! It is already a very much-loved addition to our play space.

Our final 2 visits to Clarence Estate saw the Pre-Primary children making wooden spoon puppets with the clients and conducting some wonderful science experiments. Highlights included making lava lamps and watching the coke bottle explode as mentos were added. We look forward to continuing to build these important community and intergenerational relationships into 2025 and beyond. A very special thank you to Michelle at Clarence Estate for her organisation and support of the intergenerational program.

Tara Academy of Irish Dance in Albany is performing Alice in Wonderland at the Albany Town Hall on November 16 & 17, this project has been in the works since November last year and the kids would like to show Albany our Irish version of Lewis Carols favourite tale.

Southern Edge Arts will be presenting our latest Aerial and Dance work: Traps and Ladders, A climate story of life, loss and restoration.

This will be held at Emu Point on Saturday 16th November at 6:30pm to 9pm, and is a free family friendly event.

Studiosity is a vital tool available to students 24/7 and offers online subject specific assistance with Connect Live, Writing Feedback and Practice Quizzes for years 7-12.

We feel that offering this service for FREE is a great way we can support our regional students that may otherwise be affected by our regional location and not have the same access as our metro colleagues to weekly and weekend study camps etc.

Sign in FREE at studiosity.com/connect

2 free online parenting workshops. The third workshop is on offer in person in Albany.

Youth Girls is Year 7 - Year 10 and affiliated with GSFLW Clubs starting in 2025.

High school students interested in speedway and, who are willing to spare an hour with similar people, can find out more about the sport on Thursday October 31, 2024, at the Middleton Beach Bowling Club (Garden Street, Albany) when question time between 3.30 to 4.30pm will be open to answer your questions.

It's a chance to consider your options. Speedway is for the whole family, parents are encouraged. If you have the confidence to try calling races live, it may be your gateway working in the media. Questions on other facets of speedway will also be invited. Gary Bartholomeusz 0428 514 605.

We have our annual spring fair coming up on 16th November (Saturday) 10am – 1pm.

Please encourage any students interested to pop their expression of interest in as the position is available before the end of the year.

The DSF literacy clinic in Albany has been operating for nearly ten years providing specialist tuition, psychological assessments, advice and advocacy for families of children with learning difficulties, as well as resources and professional training for teachers and psychologists.

During this time, we have been able to help hundreds of families deal with the struggles of a learning difficulty and improve the level of educational and clinical services provided to the community. In turn, we have developed strong relationships with local schools and have received tremendous support from our families and community stakeholders.

It is therefore with regret that I inform you of the closing of the Albany DSF literacy clinic at the end of the current school year. The clinic will close its doors on Thursday, December 12th, 2024. Please be assured that this is not a decision that has been made lightly or without lengthy consideration. We have worked incredibly hard for a significant amount of time to find an alternative solution.

On behalf of DSF and all our employees, I would like to thank the parents, caregivers, students, teachers, and health professionals who have supported us and allowed us to provide such a vital service to the region. Although we are saddened to be closing, we are proud of what we have achieved and the level of service we have been able to offer.

If you have any questions regarding the clinic closure, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will continue to serve the community until we close.

Thank you, once again, to all those who have supported us. It has been a joy to work at the clinic and my personal pleasure to meet all of you.

Sincerely,

Mark Jones

Albany Clinic Coordinator

DSF Literacy and Clinical Services / www.dsf.net.au

Albany Clinic – Unit 1 / 70-74 Frederick Street, Albany WA 6330

+ 61 (08) 9842 2594