Good morning parents and caregivers,

Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas. This preparation involves taking some time to personally reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. All St Joseph's College families and staff are invited to an Evening of Worship that will be held at the Holy Family Church this Sunday 4 December at 6.30 pm.

Best wishes,

Mark Browning

Principal

Last Thursday, The Robotics Enrichment Team of students in years Four, Five and Six competed in the First Lego League Robotics competition competing against other schools in the Albany region. Only one other Primary School team competed on the day, and all the other teams were from the various High Schools in the region. The dedication and hard work the students put in was fantastic. They gave up a number of their Sundays to come to school and work on their innovative project, robot engineering and coding.

One team won the Engineering and Innovation section, and the other team was the overall winner for the day. By winning First and Second on the day, they have won the right to advance to the FIRST LEGO League Challenge Nationals District Championships WEST, held at Curtin University on Saturday, the 10th of December.

Good Luck Teams

Mrs Cavanagh and Mrs Naughton

An Advent Prayer for The Lord to Come

This Christmas, Lord, come to the manger of my heart.

Fill me with Your presence from the very start.

As I prepare for the holidays and gifts to be given,

Remind me of the gift You gave when You sent Your Son from Heaven.

The first Christmas gift, it was the greatest gift ever.

You came as a baby born in a manger.

Wrapped like the gifts I find under my tree,

Waiting to be opened, to reveal Your love to me.

Restore to me the wonder that came with Jesus' birth,

when He left the riches of Heaven and wrapped Himself in rags of earth.

Immanuel, God with us, Your presence came that night.

And angels announced, "Into your darkness, God brings His Light."

"Do not be afraid," they said, to shepherds in the field.

Speak to my heart today, Lord, and help me to yield.

Make me like those shepherd boys, obedient to Your call.

Setting distractions and worries aside, to You I surrender them all.

Surround me with Your presence, Lord, I long to hear Your voice.

Clear my mind of countless concerns and all the holiday noise.

Slow me down this Christmas, let me not be in a rush.

In the midst of parties and planning, I want to feel Your hush.

This Christmas, Jesus, come to the manger of my heart.

Invade my soul like Bethlehem, bringing peace to every part.

Dwell within and around me, as I unwrap Your presence each day.

Keep me close to You, Lord. It's in Your wonderful Name I pray.

Important Dates

Thursday 1 December                   Year Six Graduation Mass in the Holy Family Church at 9.00 am

Tuesday 6 December                     Junior School Presentation and Christmas Concert Night at 5.00 pm in the gymnasium

Friday 9 December                        Kindergarten to Year Ten students conclude the school year

Friday 16 December                      All staff and the College Office conclude the school year

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Staff, Students and Parishioners,

Advent marks the beginning of the Church’s new year and commenced last weekend. It is the season of waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ. The word ‘advent’ means ‘coming’. One of the symbols of Christmas is the Advent wreath. Lighting the candles on the wreath symbolise the coming of light (Jesus) into the world. The first candle (violet) represents hope, the second (violet) represents peace, the third (rose) represents joy, and the fourth (violet) represents love. The central white candle is lit on Christmas Day and represents Christ. The Advent wreath is a reminder of how much we want hope, peace, joy and love at St Joseph’s College and in the wider community.

Preparation also involves taking some time to personally reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. All St Joseph's College families and staff are invited to an Evening of Worship that will be held at the Holy Family Church this Sunday 4 December at 6.30 pm.

As the end of the year approaches, St Vincent de Paul are again running their Christmas Appeal. They are creating hampers for families in need located in Albany and the Great Southern. The families at St Joseph’s College, while not financially rich, have received sufficient blessings to assist those in need. Families are asked to donate one or more of the following items for the Christmas Appeal: Pasta, pasta sauce, tin vegetables, baked beans or spaghetti, tin fruit, fruit juice, Xmas puddings, Xmas cakes, fruit mince pies, carton custard, sweet and savory biscuits, chips and lollies. Items can be left with the classroom teacher in the Junior School and in Homeroom for the secondary school. Thank you so much to the families that have sent in one or more items to-date – your generosity is most appreciated! If an item has not been purchased yet, there is still time so please do help with this worthy appeal. No child, family or elderly person should go without at Christmas time!

Congratulations to the Year Four to Year Six students in the Enrichment group who competed in the First Lego League Challenge last Thursday. Under the guidance of Mrs Cavanagh and Mrs Naughton the students displayed excellence, probably the result of many hours given over weekends and lunchtimes to perfect their robots and visual presentation. Competing against other secondary and primary schools from Albany and the Great Southern, St Joseph’s College was the recipient of the Engineering Excellence Award and was the Albany Regional Champions. Last night the students showcased to their parents and family what they had learnt in terms of coding, wind power and a floating boat that cleans the waterways. Our two school teams will now progress to the finals in Perth on 10 December and we wish them all the best!

Last Friday there was a hive of activity across the College due to the Transition Morning in the Junior School and Orientation Day in the Secondary School. There are a number of new students joining our school next year and they had the opportunity to meet their peers and some of our staff. Despite the lateness in the year, one could be forgiven for thinking it was the first day of the new school year with all the energy and enthusiasm that was present. Thank you to staff for organising the various activities for the students.

Next Tuesday night (6 December) at 5.00 pm the Junior School will celebrate their Christmas and Presentation Night; what a joyous occasion this event will be for all in attendance! Please make every effort to be present for this event. Extended family members are most welcome to attend also. This event will go for several hours so please have something to eat before you come. A jumper or jacket may also be needed as doors will be kept open to allow adequate cross-ventilation to reduce the possible impact of COVID. All in attendance are welcome to wear a mask – this is a personal choice!

Many factors are considered when selecting class placements for students and each child’s best interests are the main priority when these decisions are made. Class placements are a team decision made in consultation with both the year level teachers. Teachers spend a lot of time considering the best placement of students and their professionalism should be respected. Consideration for placement uses the following criteria: Gender, Pastoral/Social/ Emotional, Special Needs etc, Academic Ability and Relationships. Every effort is made to place students where it is felt they will have the greatest opportunity to succeed. All teachers at St Joseph’s College are very professional and of an excellent standard and students will receive a quality education no matter which class they are placed with. Please do not request a particular teacher.

By now all families should have received the stationery list and book list (if applicable) for next year. If this is not the case, please look on our website under the heading of ‘Curriculum’.

The contract with YMCAWA to provide After School Care has now been cancelled. St Joseph’s College is now working with The Village Child Care Services to provide a service from the commencement of 2023. At the present time The Village is seeking casual school teachers, teachers’ aides, OSHC specialists for casual, permanent full-time and part-time positions. Flexibility to combine study, work/life balance or other personal commitments can be provided. For further information please contact: Preity Dhaliwal (0466 080 593) Email : preitydhaliwal@gmail.com

With only a week and a half left until the holidays, I ask parents and caregivers to make every effort to pay their school fees before the end of the year. If there are circumstances as to why the fees cannot be paid, please contact the office and make a time to come and discuss the situation with me. Fees paid by 30 November do receive a 3% discount on tuition for the following year.

Mr Tuaari Amor-Kuiti will retire from teaching Djembe drums at the end of this year. At the present time I cannot find a Djembe teacher in Albany despite contacting a number of people connected with music in the community. If any parent or caregiver knows of someone who can continue the teaching of this musical instrument please let me know ASAP. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

While students and staff begin to show degrees of weariness, it is important that the school year is finished strongly - one finishes the way one commenced! Please ensure all students arrive at school on time and have all the necessary books and equipment for the day ahead. Students should be neatly attired in their correct uniform and should, for example, shoes have fallen a part, please send a note to the relevant class or homeroom teacher. If your child is absent from school, it is important that parents and caregivers contact the school by 9.00 am providing an appropriate explanation.

Each day holds a surprise at St Joseph’s College. Only if we expect it can we see, hear or feel this surprise!

Best wishes,

Mr Mark Browning

Principal

You can still borrow from our E-Book collection over the holidays.  

READ fiction, non fiction, graphic novels and listen to audio books.

This is a safe and easy reading experience. Take some time out and enjoy a good e-BOOK or an audio BOOK.

“How do I do this???”

You can access the digital collection by downloading the APP SORA on your device……

Then in the list of Schools, select "St Joseph’s College" ALBANY and log in by using your school login.

Browse, borrow and read or listen to titles

Holidays are great.

You have so much time to enjoy reading

and so much choice at your fingertips.

DOWNLOAD SORA on your device, find your school and use your school login to start.

SORA is available to you ......

any time of the day

and any day of the week

and any where you are :)

There is a mountain of drink bottles and lunch containers at the Office.

If you have any lost containers please come and have a look.

They will be gone at the end of the year.

Also a FITBIT was found, if your child has lost theirs please come and see if it belongs to them.

Students aged 16 years or older are invited to register for a free four-day Pool Lifeguard course at ALAC on December 19th to 22nd. Spaces are limited and registrations are open on the RLSSA website. Further details are available by contacting ALAC swim staff.

https://royallifesavingwa.com.au/training/pool-lifeguard-course-(4-day)/c-25/p-1127

Preparation for Christmas

Good morning parents and caregivers,

Last weekend saw the beginning of the Church season known as Advent, a time of preparation for Christmas. This preparation involves taking some time to personally reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. All St Joseph's College families and staff are invited to an Evening of Worship that will be held at the Holy Family Church this Sunday 4 December at 6.30 pm.

Best wishes,

Mark Browning

Principal

This week we celebrate the achievements of Ella, who this week has attended the WA Worldskills 2022 Awards Ceremony at the Crown Tower Ballroom to receive the silver medal for Commercial Cookery in the South West Division. Earlier in the year Ella, along with her classmate, Jasmine competed in the Commercial Cookery division in Bunbury against other students in the South West. We thank Mrs Andrea Gallagher, the students VET in Schools lecturer in Certificate II in Hospitality at South Regional TAFE for all the work she has done with the students. This year, both students have successfully completed their qualifications, and Ella is now commencing a School Based Traineeship to gain a Certificate III in Hospitality whilst studying Year Twelve.

We are so proud of Ella's achievements. She has continued to work hard in Year Eleven, and this is the icing on the cake to finish a very successful year!

Mrs. Caroline Tompkin

Head of Vocational Education and Training

https://www.raffletix.com.au/?ref=4r3kd

This year the P & F are again running their "Big End of Year" raffle. For $5 per ticket, you'll be in the running to win $1000 cold hard cash just in time for Christmas (along with the chance to win some other awesome prizes). Only on sale until the 14 December so get in quick!

Click on the link above to purchase your tickets or visit our Facebook page.

We appreciate your support!

Our Uniform Shop is now available on Quick Cliq - www.quickcliq.com.au

You can now order uniforms online and collect from the School office, between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday during school term.

Please refer to order pickup notes when placing your order to determine when your order will be ready for collection.

School Uniform shop open hours are: Tuesday 8.15am - 9.30am and Wednesday 2.15pm - 4.00pm.

On Friday 25th November the Year 9 and 10 Volleyball teams headed to ALAC for the Great Southern Inter-School carnival. The players were excited at the opportunity to contest the other schools after an extensive leadup and plenty of training.

The boy's team started their day with a comfortable wins over Mt Barker and Bethel before going down narrowly to both ASHS and NASHS. They played Bethel again in the play-off for third and fourth and managed a great win to finish third for the day. Thank you to John Delima and Harper O'Donnell for coaching the boys in the day.

The girl's team were keen to go all the way to victory following their second placing in 2021. They played some excellent Volleyball posting wins against Mt Barker, Bethel and NASHS but losing narrowly to ASHS in their final game. This set up a final round rematch against ASHS in the grand final. The girls stuck to their game plane and fought from behind to level the scores at 30 all on the final siren. With the final now decided on a golden point, Sharmel held on to a clutch serve and the girls fought hard to win the point and the championship. Congratulations to the team for their efforts at training all year which were rewarded with this excellent result.

Albany Basketball Association sending 7 Ladies Raiders Teams to compete from U12 to U18.

Girls taking part on the weekend from St Joseph's College were:

Imogen G U18 Raiders

Imogen I Year 8 U16 Raiders Team Green

Jessica Year 7 U16 Raiders Team Green

Jade Year 8 U16 Raiders Team White

Lelani Year 8 U16 Raiders Team White

Antonia Year 7 U16 Team White

Ava Year 6 U14 Raiders Team White

Willow Year 6 U14 Raiders Team White

Tori Year 7 U14 Raiders Team Green

It was a fabulous weekend with the Raiders Teams playing very well, and lots of memories made.

Are you ready for an adventure?

Go to www.sailleeuwin.com for more details

Parents and Community members

The Junior School Christmas Concert and Presentation evening will be held on Tuesday 6 December. The evening will celebrate the end of the 2022 school year and the work of staff and students. All Parents and Community members are welcome to attend.

There will be a large crowd in the gymnasium and with a growing number of Covid-19 cases in the community, people are asked to consider their own safety as well as others by wearing a mask. All doors and windows in the gymnasium will be open to provide ventilation and people may consider bring warm clothing if it is a cool evening.

Important times and notes.

4.30-4.45pm All students to be dropped at classrooms. Parents to be seated in gymnasium.

4.45pm Students to move to Gymnasium

5.00pm Concert commences.

1. Kindy students will return to their parents after their item.
2. PP- Yr6 students to be picked up from classes after the concert.

Well done, Year One Gold on being the first class to return all your library books this year!!!

We have had lots of fun in the library this term. Board games are always popular during the lunch time break, along with colouring in sheets, jig saw puzzles, and of course reading books. A group of Year Four students have enjoyed creating a Christmas paper chain decoration together and took much pride in hanging it up in the library.

Our Book Tasting Restaurant began with classes coming in to sample a variety of books from fairy tales, Indigenous Australia, sport, and wordless books. This week on the menu we have had books written by Jackie French, Mem Fox, Emily Rodda, Dr Seuss, and Nick Bland. This activity has allowed students to explore books that they may not usually pick up or consider reading. The feedback has been fantastic as students have thoughtfully engaged in book reviews and discussions.

Comments from the book tasting review...

"My favourite part of the book tasting was getting out of my comfort zone and reading things I never thought I would read. It showed me I like more then just one specific genre/series."

"It helped me to expand my taste in books and has got me to read more."



The St Joseph's College Junior School Presentation & Christmas Concert Night will be held in the College Gymnasium on Tuesday the 6th of December 2022 at 5pm.

All welcome!

Spencer Park Dental Therapy Centre will be closed from Friday 16^th December until Monday 30^th January 2023. 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. 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

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