I hope everyone is keeping warm and dry this winter season. As I sit at my desk with the heater going, I am thinking about individuals experiencing hardship. For some, hardship may be feeling cold. Others, access to nutritious food. Some individuals may be struggling with the cost of living but also the ability to connect with others. Whatever the case may be, they are in my prayers; however, we can all make a difference by giving to the St Vinnies Winter Appeal this term.

I would like to commend our Secondary School students for their preparation and sitting of their examinations this term. Especially our Year 12s for whom the countdown is underway. I would also like to congratulate the Year 11 and 12 students who are on valuable work experience. The College is very fortunate to have the support of local businesses who take on our students; some do so well that they are offered ongoing work or apprenticeships.

The Junior School Cross-Country team will be competing at the inter-schools this Friday. They have been training very hard at 7.30am! It is such a wonderful sight to arrive at school and see the students pushing themselves in preparation for what will be a great competition.

Congratulations to all St Joseph's College students who participated in the recent Albany Eisteddfod. Back in the old days (when I was a student), it was held at the Albany Town Hall. How wonderful it was to see our students perform at the Albany Entertainment Centre in a modern, state of the art facility.

Teachers are currently marking assessments and writing Semester One Progress Reports. These will be released at the end of term. Our Parent Teacher Interviews are scheduled on Monday 27 July (week 2) from 1.15pm. Please mark this on your calendar. Booking instructions and more information will be sent to parents and guardians.

I will be on long service leave next term for 4 weeks - just in case anyone at our school wished to see me before I am away. Mr Jim Morcom will be stepping in as Principal. I know this wonderful community is in good hands. Mrs Jen Grimes will be acting Deputy Principal.

St Joseph - Pray for us.

Amen.

The College hosted a number of local businessmen and woman on Wednesday the 23rd of June for the inaugural 'Year 10 Career Panel'. Alysia Kepert from UWA, with the support from local businesses, put together a group of panel members from a variety of businesses, mainly across the Great Southern 'Agriculture' sector, to attend the College and provide students with an understanding of the possible careers and pathways within the 'Agricultural' Industry. We were also fortunate to have panelists who provide pathways training and support to students across a variety of traineeships, apprenticeships and alternate training pathways. We appreciate all of the time and effort (and travel) many panelists made to attend the afternoon and provide some great insight for students.

This begins the subject selection process for year 10's moving into 2027 and we look forward to seeing as many Year 10 parents as possible on Monday the 29th of June at 5.30pm in the J/S undercover area for the 'Year 10 Parent Information Evening'

Thankyou to the following businesses for their support;

Panel 1- Local industries and agencies · Aust Bluegum Plantations · Elders · CSBP · Great Southern Development Commission · Stirlings to Coast Farmers · Aust Grain Technologies

Panel 2- Post school further education and training · Local Jobs · TAFE · UWA · Apprenticeship Support · Food Fibre Timber Industry Training Council

On Thursday and Friday of Week 9, twelve students from Years 5 to Year 8 attended the ‘Have Sum Fun’ competition, which is an exciting mathematics initiative that uses a quiz-night format. Our two teams of six students raced against the clock to solve four intense rounds of eight challenging problems. This initiative was held at Albany Senior High School and Mount Lockyer Primary School and all the schools from the region attended. Our students worked very well together to solve the challenging problems.

Congratulations to our Year 5/6 team who were awarded 3rd place! Although our Year 7/8 team didn’t place, they performed well. The students all had ‘sum fun’ and are keen to return next year.

For sleep week I was invited to speak to Year 5 Blue and both Year 7 classes about sleep science, with some tips for getting a great night sleep, as well as reminding them how much sleep they actually need. If you want to recap what they have learned, please try the QR code to access the presentation.

Sweet dreams!

Jo Dechief

Is your child or young person struggling with school attendance?

At School Can’t Australia we understand the challenges and distress of caring for a child or young person experiencing school attendance difficulties.

As Australia's largest parent/carer support network and lived-experience knowledge organisation for school attendance difficulties, we're here to offer support, guidance, and understanding grounded in collective wisdom from over 16,500 families.

https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/minibook

Early intervention to reduce stress & increase resilience helps young people to build their inner strength so they learn to cope with life's everyday challenges. If your child is experiencing difficulty with school attendance, please contact your classroom teacher in the Junior School or the Pastoral Care Team in the Secondary. We are here to support you.

Jo Dechief, BSW

School Social Worker

St Thomas More

Feast Day: June 22

Patron Saint of: Politicians, Civil Servants, Lawyers

Life:

Thomas was a man of conviction. Born in 1478, he was a "man of all seasons" including a literary scholar, lawyer, father of four children and a chancellor of England. He was a spiritual man who would not support or acknowledge King Henry VIII's choices including to establish the Church of England and breaking away from Rome. This cost him his life as he was committed to the Tower of London for treason and was executed in 1535, canonised a Saint four hundred years later,

Prayer:

Lord, give us a mind that is humble, quiet, patient and peaceful and a faith that is firm in hope, charity and a love of you. Give us the grace to work for the things we pray for and for those in need of our prayers. Saint Thomas, pray for us!

The College was represented by both the girls and boys at the recent year 7/8 AFL football carnival.

What a fantastic day of football for our Year 7 & 8 Girls AFL team! After two weeks of dedicated training, the girls arrived at the carnival ready to put their hard work into action. The excitement started on the bus ride, with coaches Maddy, Jade and Charlotte building the energy and confidence of the team as they prepared for their opening match against ASHS. The girls hit the ground running, securing a strong win against ASHS and carrying that momentum throughout the day. Playing with determination, teamwork and skill, they continued their winning streak against some very tough opposition. Every player contributed, with strong performances across the field helping St Joseph's remain undefeated throughout the pool matches. Their outstanding efforts earned them a place in the Grand Final against Great Southern Grammar. In a hard-fought and highly competitive match, the girls showed incredible resilience and never gave up. Despite their best efforts, Great Southern Grammar proved too strong on the day, with St Joseph's finishing as deserving runners-up.

A special congratulations goes to Freya O, who was named Best on Ground for St Joseph's after an exceptional performance throughout the carnival.

Unfortunately, it was a day to forget for the boys from a score perspective as they went 0-6 throughout the day and missed the finals. It was however a great effort to get enough support from students to participate in the carnival (after not looking very promising) with such a low number of footballers in the cohort. Daniel, Noah and William received the coaches votes for the day.

A huge thank you to all the helpers, coaches and umpires who contributed to the success of the day. Your support and commitment made this wonderful opportunity possible for our students.

Year Nine students attended Southern Regional TAFE during Term two to participate in a multi-stage career taster project which provided opportunities for students to help create a new cultural garden space, while exploring a range of creative and hands-on careers. Working with local artists, industry professionals, Aboriginal programs, and SRTAFE regional lecturers, students contributed to the construction of the shared space for students to enjoy. 

St Joseph's college provided three groups of students to assist with the project. The first group of students designed and built outdoor timber screens which will be covered with local aboriginal artwork later in the project. The second group designed and used specialised machinery to produce metal signs highlighting the six noongar seasons Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba and Kambarang. The third group worked collaboratively with local ranger groups to gain insight into traditional knowledge, native plant care and practical land-management techniques through the planting of native plants.

Thankyou to all of the teachers who assisted with the supervision of students and to CEWA for funding the Personal Protection Equipment required for students to attend the excursions.

Are you wanting to get fit and healthy? we have you covered

The Gym is open before school on the following days for all secondary school student (and staff)

Tuesday; All students - upstairs mezzanine, gym floor (basketball / volleyball / badminton)

Wednesday; All students - upstairs mezzanine, gym floor - Volleyball Training ONLY

Thursday; GIRLS ONLY - upstairs mezzanine, gym floor (basketball / volleyball / badminton)

All students are welcome to attend to use the facilities including the upstairs mezzanine which has recently undergone a refurbishment (see attached photos). the college also has introduced a GIRLS ONLY space on Thursday mornings with Ms Grove to encourage female student participation.

The H&PE team would also like to thank the P&F committee for additional funds to purchase some new equipment. Your support is greatly appreciated.

This term, the Year 4 students have been busy at the Trade Training Centre designing and building their very own land yachts. Over several weeks, we used our Science learning about forces and applied it to a hands-on Design and Technology project.

Today was the exciting testing and evaluation day! Students took their land yachts and Mr Long used the leaf blower to blow our yachts and we measured how far they travelled. We investigated which sail designs worked best and discussed how different shapes and sizes affected the movement of our yachts.

After testing, students carefully evaluated their projects by identifying what worked well and what improvements they would make in the future. It was fantastic to see everyone using their knowledge of forces, problem-solving skills and creativity to create their unique designs.

The project has been a wonderful opportunity to combine Science and Technology learning in a practical way and use our facilities at school. Year 4 students should be very proud of their hard work and teamwork throughout the term.

A big thank you to Mr Long for giving up his time to help make this project such a success. We have learned so much about forces and engineering while having fun building and testing our land yachts!

On Friday the 19th of June, 40 students from Years 3-6 represented the College at the Interschool Cross Country Carnival at Centennial Park. Conditions were perfect for long distance running, with overcast skies and cooler temperatures. The students were outstanding in their behaviour, school spirit and sportsmanship. St Joe's finished in 8th position out of 13 schools, which was a great result. A big congratulations to Jed O'Donnell (Year 5), who finished in 2nd position in his race. Honorable mentions to Max Curnow (Year 3), Mia Dykgraaf (Year 6) and Luke Molenda (Year 6) for finishing in the top 10 for their respective races. Thank you to Mrs. Wright, Max Naughton and Artan Xhindole (Year 9 students) for their help on the day.

We will be recommencing our L&P Plate Program from 1 July. This program provides individuals on their L or P plates the opportunity to complete a one-day First Aid course and receive a First Aid kit for their vehicle. All for free.

Grand Parents raising their Grand children. This group is to provide support and connection for grand carer’s in our region.

Thanks to those who helped & supported the Junior School Discos last Friday.

Term 3 Poster for Students using TransAlbany School Buses

We are noticing a slight increase in students not paying a Fare or having a Smartrider and also students crossing a road in front of the bus after alighting rather than waiting for the bus to depart.

2027 ALBANY VETDSS

Please find attached notices to parents and students regarding some Albany School BUs Changes coming into effect from Monday 20th July 2026.

A brief overview is as follows,

1. Route 735 will commence in the AM 2 Minutes later from the Terminus along Bushby Rd in Lower King and will no longer service bus stop number 72784 on Lower King Rd
2. Route 729 will now start earlier from the terminus at 7.56 and will travel the length of Lancaster Rd before turning around at Menang Dr to follow Lancaster Rd and then turn right on McGonnell Rd.
3. Route 736 will now commence from the Terminus at the later time of 7.43 and will no longer travel along Lancaster To the turn around point at Menang Dr.

International Day of the Seafarer

Thursday 25 June is International Day of the Seafarer.

Each year, more than 16,400 seafarers visit our ports in Albany, Bunbury and Esperance, often spending eight months or more away from home.

We’re in awe of what they do. They help connect Western Australia to global markets.

To celebrate our seafarers, send a message of thanks by 22 June.

Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7LR3HGJ

The City of Albany Events Team is excited to be bringing back the Maritime Festival, with a fantastic program of school holiday activities for local families to enjoy.

Further information can also be found here:

Maritime Movies | Albany Events

With the rising cost of living putting extra pressure on household budgets, many families in school communities are finding it harder to cover everyday education costs. Saver Plus helps eligible families build savings for essential school expenses and ease some of that financial strain.

Saver Plus is available year-round to eligible parents and carers, with many families seeking support when larger school costs arise.

To be eligible for Saver Plus, participants must:

1. Be 18 years or older
2. Hold a current Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
3. Receive an eligible Commonwealth social security benefit, allowance or payment
4. Have a child at school (or starting next year), or be studying themselves
5. Receive a regular income (including paid work, child support, or a carer’s payment, cash in hand)
6. Agree to participate in free online financial education workshops
7. Not completed Saver Plus previously

Eligible savings goals include school-related costs that support learning, such as uniforms, books, technology, and other essential items.

Families can check their eligibility and request a callback using our enquiry link:

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

Alternatively, they can call our national number on 1300 610 355, and a coordinator will be in touch.