Students attended the Albany Bowling Club during Term One and participated in some lawn bowl sessions under the guidance of a number of members from the club. Students gained insight as they learnt valuable lessons about trying to get their bowls closest to the kitty. Phrases such as 'wrong bias', 'too much grass' and 'it's all about the follow through' echoed around the greens as the classic one liner's brought new meanings for the students. It was great to see the banter and interaction between the students and Club members throughout.

Gianni and Peri ended up the winners after some creative accounting after the final competition, and we can't thank the Albany Bowling Club for hosting us over the five weeks.

Saint Joseph

Feast Day: March 19

Patron Saint of: Families

Life:

Joseph was the husband of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. He was a good and patient man who always put himself before others. A carpenter by trade, Joseph was a man of action, someone who had complete trust in the Lord but above all, loved God and his family - a wonderful patron of our school and an example to us all of how an ordinary man can have an extra-ordinary love for others.

Prayer:

Saint Joseph, watch over me and care for me just as you cared for the child Jesus; and by your help, may I come to know your Son, and so grow in strength and wisdom and the favour of God. Amen. St Joseph, pray for us.

At St Joseph's College, we are proud to join thousands of others across Australia to create real, lasting change for people like Manaini.

Manaini is a mother of six and a grandmother of two living in rural Fiji. Life has always been a struggle - holding back tears, she shared: “The thing I worry about the most is my children’s education. The requirements that need to be met are hard for me to try and achieve with my daily income”.

Thanks to the generosity of schools like ours, Manaini joined training offered by Caritas Australia’s local partner, FRIEND. Through the program, she learnt food processing skills to transform leftovers from crops into flour, improving her family’s nutrition and increasing her weekly income to support her children’s education. “The project totally changed the life of my family and even the community,” Manaini said.

Watch Manaini’s story HERE to see how the actions of our school community today can create a lasting legacy of impact and change that will be felt for generations to come.

Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent.

During the Lenten season we are challenged to embrace the three pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. This year we asked every student in the College to write down someone or something that they would like to pray for.

Whether our students prayers be for family members, pets, good health, world peace and more, we know that the power of prayer is transformative and although we may not always get what we want, by faith we can be confident that we will always get what we need.

"Remember that you are never alone, Christ is with you everyday of your lives" - Saint Pope John Paul II

On behalf of the Holy Family Parish, you are warmly invited you to the elevation of St Joseph's Church to a Shrine in honour of the great Saint whom our College is named after.

Please find attached the schedule of events for the special weekend celebrated by Bishop George of Bunbury and we hope that you can join us for this very special day for our parish and college community.

Mr Luke Bogoni

Director of Faith and Mission

There is to be a General Sacramental Mass and Meeting for families of students who wish to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation during 2026 on Thursday the 26th March. The Mass will be held at Holy family Church and will commence at 6.00pm. The evening is not expected to last beyond 7.30pm. The expectation is that families need to attend. If you are unable to attend, please contact myself via Direct Message, or contact Fr Vince or Fr Marvin on 98 41 1129 so that alternate arrangements can be made. Thank you.

Sacramental Initiation forms will be available for completion if you have not forwarded your form to me already.

Chris Palfrey

Liturgy and Sacramental Co-Ordinator

Last Tuesday the Year 7-12 students assembled at ALAC for the annual Inter-House swimming carnivals. It was a great day of competitive swimming and exciting team-based novelty events with both contributing points to the overall house shields.

After a tough day of racing the final results were:

Middle School

1st Cunningham 660pts

2nd Ozanam 464 pts

3rd DeVialar 457pts

4th McCormack 358pts

Senior School

1st McCormack 490pts

2nd DeVialar 428pts

3rd Cunningham 409pts

4th Ozanam 344pts

Congratulations to the following students who were the champions and runners up in their year groups.

Year 7 girls runner up Indi V

Year 7 girls champion Indi B

Year 7 boys runner up Mason B

Year 7 boys champion Benji

Year 8 girls runner up Sadie B

Year 8 girls champion Nicolette T

Year 8 boys runner up Isaiah S

Year 8 boys champion Mackenzie S

Year 9 girls runner up Abi M

Year 9 girls champion Mahayla S

Year 9 boys runner up Heath W

Year 9 boys champion Josh M

Year 10 girls runner up Hope V

Year 10 girls champion Ellie-May S

Year 10 boys runner up Connor G

Year 10 boys champion Jack H

Year 11/12 girls runner up Hien N

Year 11/12 girls champion Lillian M

Year 11/12 boys runner up Daniel C

Year 11/12 boys champion Reef P

The students selected in the team for the upcoming Inter-School carnival have been notified and will be competing on Wednesday 25 March.

On Friday 27th February, students from Years 1-3 enjoyed a day of fun, laughter and sun at Emu Point, participating in the annual Beach Fun Day. Activities included Beach Soccer, Rock, Bridge, Tree Tag, Noodle relays and the very popular Slip N' Slide. A big thank you to the St. Joseph's Junior School staff who helped with the activities, Mr. O'Donnell from the Secondary School for stepping in last minute, and to the Year 6 Leaders who were outstanding in their leadership and enthusiasm on the day.

Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre will be running a 2-day Bronze Medallion Course on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April 2026 (the middle weekend of the school holidays), from 8:00am – 3:00pm each day.

We will also be able to facilitate Bronze Medallion requalification's on Saturday 11 April.

If you would like to register your interest for your child (or yourself), please email alacswimschool@albany.wa.gov.au.

Course Fees:

• Bronze Medallion Course: $215.00

• Bronze Medallion Requalification: $110.00

Fees will be payable upon enrolment.

Please note that a minimum of 6–8 participants is required for the course to run.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Swim School on 6820 3420 or email alacswimschool@albany.wa.gov.au

Year 7 Transition Information Packs

The Saver Plus flyer is ideal for sending to parents or including in your Year 7 transition information packs.

Starting high school is an exciting milestone for young people and their parents/carers, and Saver Plus is here to help families manage some of the education‑related costs that come with this transition.

Saver Plus is open year‑round to eligible parents and carers. However, we often see families seeking support when higher costs arise. Families with children currently in Year 5 can begin setting a savings goal now in preparation for Year 7 in 2026.

Eligibility Criteria

Participants need to:

1. Have not completed Saver Plus before
2. Hold a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
3. Receive an eligible Centrelink payment*
4. Be studying themselves or have a child in school (including children starting next year)
5. Have regular income from work (themselves or their partner), including Carer Payment, Child Support, or cash‑in‑hand work
6. Be 18 years or older
7. Participate in free online MoneyMinded workshops

How families can enquire

If families would like to check their eligibility or request a callback, please share our enquiry link:

Saver Plus – Join Australia’s longest-running financial education and matched savings program

They can also call our national number, 1300 610 355, to speak directly with a Saver Plus Coordinator.

Free monthly gathering for parents and children to come along to support each other, share knowledge in a casual fun way.

St Joseph’s Junior Soccer Club is looking for volunteer coaches and team managers for the upcoming season. No experience needed – just a willingness to get involved and support the kids!

👉 Training: Thursday afternoons (with plenty of support from other coaches)

👉 Games: Saturday mornings

The committee will provide guides, drills, and ongoing support – you won’t be doing it alone!

It’s a fantastic way to be part of the club, support your child, and help make the season possible for all our players 🙌

Under 7s, 8s & 9s (yr 1, 2 & 3) especially!

📩 Send the committee a message via Facebook or email!

Email: stjosephssoccerclub@gmail.com

April School Holiday Program + Youth Week 2026

Easter Raffle time is here!

This Raffle is open to our St Joseph's Community only and there's 100 prizes to be won!! 🤩

Tickets are $2 each so buy a few & hopefully your child wins!! All proceeds are going to our School Playground projects so please support us to be able to provide for our children. 🙏

Gotta be in it to win it so Good Luck everyone!

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

Summary of our last P&F meeting.

Book Launch: Angel Bunny's Sleep Muffin

A Day in the Life at Murdoch University is back for 2026!

Held during the school holidays on the 8th & 9th of April, this popular hands‑on experience invites high school students onto our beautiful South Street campus to explore what uni is really like.

Students can step into real classes, meet our academics, and current Murdoch students, and get a feel for the courses and careers that inspire them. With interactive workshops, campus tours, and plenty of time for questions, it’s the perfect way for young people to discover their strengths, interests, and future pathways. Registrations are now open; student only need to register for one day — encourage your students to secure their spot and experience Murdoch for themselves!

Register Here!

We are aware that some junior soccer clubs across the U13–U18 age groups have experienced difficulty filling teams for the upcoming season. Albany Rovers Football Club is still seeking players for several of our junior teams, specifically U13 and U14/15, and we want to ensure that no young player misses out on the chance to participate this year.

Junior Players wanted Grades 2-6

We are excited to announce our Albany Then & Now Photography Competition which commences on 16th March 2026.

This coincides with Albany 2026 Bicentenary events and our current exhibition Albany Then & Now – Historic Panoramas of Menang Noongar Boodja.

Albany Then & Now: Historical Panoramas of Menang Noongar Boodja | Western Australian Museum

There are three age categories and Primary and High school students are encouraged to enter. Great prizes to be won and your photographs will be published in local publications.

P&F Easter Raffle Donations

Spencer Park Hockey Club are looking for new junior players for the upcoming hockey season.