2022 | Issue 3 | SJC Newsletter

It is always good to view any situation with fresh eyes. Last week I was chatting with a teacher who had just joined the staff this year and I asked them for their initial observations. They said ‘it surprised me that boy’s say ‘thank you’ at the end of each lesson’. They went on to say that they were surprised at how obliging and compliant our students are, ‘when you ask them to do something they seem really happy to do it’. When I asked whether they could identify an area for improvement they said ‘many of them just don’t work hard enough, particularly at home’. The conversation made me reflect that our culture and the working relationship between staff and students is absolutely outstanding…. but that we all need to encourage our students to work a bit harder at their studies.

Critics of boys’ schools often claim that the single-gender environment contributes to misogyny, at best creating an ignorance of how to relate with females, and at worst an environment that encourages disrespect that may lead to gendered violence. While this may have been true in various historical iterations of boys’ school culture in some settings, it is certainly not the case at St Joseph’s in 2022. On Wednesday this week, we celebrated International Women’s Day with a range of activities conducted and promoted by the students and staff from our respectful relationships team.

Activities included:

• Some staff and students attending the IWD Breakfast at GMHBA - where the guest speaker was Associate Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Director Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre and Chair of Respect Victoria on Tuesday morning. Other staff and students attended the IWD Breakfast at Clonard.

• The all female Sweethearts Band played in the quad on Tuesday lunchtime to a huge crowd that included Sacred Heart student leaders as our guests. A BBQ lunch was also available with funds raised supporting the https://empowermentchallenge.org.au/

• Our pedestrian crossings are painted purple with key messages stencilled on them. A large banner highlighting the theme #BreakTheBias was displayed prominently in the quadrangle this week. Westcourt – have partnered with Clonard with a range of activities taking place in classes, at lunch and at the Tuesday assembly.

• Perhaps the most high profile event is the annual Respect Cup – this was played in Ballarat on Wednesday. Sacred Heart and St Joseph’s football teams travelled together to play Loretto and St Pat’s respectively. Our Geelong teams trained together last week in preparation and the winner, determined by the aggregate score. Although we did not bring home the Cup, it was very close with both games being strongly contested. We are proud of the students from SJC and SHC who played their hearts out for each other. It was a terrific day with all four schools being really proud to be part of the IWD initiative. Next year it will be played at the GMHBA stadium on International Women's Day, Wednesday 8 March. Thank you to all of the spectators who made the trip to cheer on the students and to those who watched the game online. 

Work on the College strategic plan continues. We welcome input from all parents and you are invited to gather at 7:00PM on the evening of Tuesday 5 April in the College Staff Room. Please confirm your attendance by emailing Adele Watt at [email protected] A light supper will be provided.

Last week the college athletics team won the Associated Catholic Colleges championship. Athletics is by far the largest team we field each year involving boys from Years 7 to 12. This year marks 40 years since we first completed in the championships and this is our first victory. On Monday the team gathered for lunch to celebrate this wonderful achievement. Congratulations to all involved including Tom Cashin and his assistant coaches.

I would like to acknowledge and thank students, staff and families who continue to work cooperatively as we manage the ongoing challenges of COVID-19. We have been working closely with Barwon Health who have advised that we should continue to wear masks indoors at school this week. I hope that next week we will be able to return to normal.