2024 | ISSUE 3 | SJC Newsletter

Identity News

Shining a light on building communication and relationships skills with our Year 8 students and their Fathers and the mentors in their lives.

Last Wednesday, we welcomed Bill Jennings to lead our annual Year 8 Father/Mentor and Son Time & Space Event. Bill Jennings has over 30 years’ experience in ‘people program’ innovation and design. Bill is the Founder of Time & Space, a service for schools he established in 2006. Time & Space now reaches schools in every state of Australia and has been international since 2013.

It was a hot, but fun filled evening which got everyone actively involved and highlighted the importance of ongoing 1-to-1 conversations between young people and their parents or mentors in their lives. It was also a great opportunity for our excellent team of volunteer student helpers who gain Service Learning and House points by helping with the organisational aspects of the evening and as small group leaders along with past participating parents and Waterford Leadership staff.

Student Reflections

I had loads of fun going out of my comfort zone and meeting new people.

It was a really great night for me and my dad and me both had a great time.

We had a very good discussion about our interests and passions.

We both got to share our treasured item which was good because it expressed our feelings.

It helped me and dad bond a lot more and figure out where each other’s minds were at with this stage of our lives.

Parents/Mentors Reflections

It was good that we both were able to open up and express our feelings both good and bad.

Great event that will assist open and honest conversation with my son throughout his time at St Joseph's ... and beyond.

Brilliant to hear from fellow parents and my son’s peers.

Open and honest… made me think of a few things differently, especially coming from the boys.

Great eye opener to my child's needs and experience in life.

Shining a light on Gospel Spirituality

Today we gathered together for our first Touchstone Assembly for the year led by our Gospel and Spirituality Prefect Leaders Josef Paatsch and Ky Berends and their team. Our leaders focused on the following key areas: Laudato Si Action Plan, Lenten Prayer and reflection, International Women’s Day theme ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress,’ and the Respect Cup, Catholic Education Week events in Melbourne, guest speaker Josef Paatsch reflecting on the ACU Young Leaders Program, an interview with 7C students on their recent Chapel orientation experience, and a performance by the SJC Stage Band.

To conclude, we shared the importance of why we are encouraged to live our faith by supporting a broad range of service learning opportunities, where all members of our college community can get involved. Every student is required to do a minimum of three hours of service per year. During Lent, we are called to really live out our Touchstones and be involved in alms giving. Giving alms is about donating your time, money, services, or resources to others. Please start a conversation with your son and family about how they can make a difference and what type of service your son would like to complete. Service Learning and Enviro Service Learning opportunities are advertised on the student bulletin, student email, social media, the College Newsletter and at gatherings. We reminded students to, ‘Let your light shine through service to others, by completing your learning opportunities soon.’

Caring for Wadawurrung Country

In order to shine a light on caring for Wadawurrung Country, we are calling on our SJC community to engage in Pope Frances’ Laudato Si Action Plan, to ‘keep our college clean’.

We are committed to the action plan’s seven goals to provide guidance on urgent and immediate actions each one of us can take in care for our common home. It states: “All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to their own culture, experience, participation and talents.”

A group including representatives from our Justice and Solidarity Touchstone leaders, FIRE Carriers, First Nations students, Identity team and Sustainability leaders met recently, to brainstorm ideas to do so in a variety of ways.

We all agreed, the state of litter in our yard and misuse of our recycling practices requires us to educate our community. We came up with the idea that if we make connections to the importance of activities students engage in, it will impact their practices such as when we are participating in Outdoor Ed and PE classes, using our local waterways, enviro service, sporting/training and recreational activities on our ovals at recess, lunch and after school.

Be on the lookout during the season of Lent in the weeks ahead for your son to share the reminders around the College and knowledge shared at gatherings to highlight ways to improve our daily actions and enjoy living and learning on Wadawurrung Country.

Lenten Prayerful Reflection

In this Year of Prayer, our Gospel Spirituality student leader Tom Slater, lit our Gospel and Solidarity Touchstone candle, from our college candle, to enflame our hearts with the Holy Spirit, reflecting the presence of our Lord, the light of the world. To fill us with compassion and courage, to live out our Lenten commitments to act through prayer. Acts that change our daily actions and especially the act of alms giving. Lent, the 40 days following Ash Wednesday, is like a spiritual makeover. We are given the chance to reflect on how we are living our lives and how we can ensure we are renewed and reflecting the best version of ourselves, as we begin a fresh new day each sunrise, and as we move towards the great celebration of Easter.

Josef Paatsch’s Reflection on ACU Young Leaders Program

My name is Josef Paatsch, and I have the privilege of being the 2024 Gospel Spirituality Touchstone Prefect. As a Gospel Spirituality Prefect, I was afforded the incredibly enriching experience to participate in the 2023 Australian Catholic University Leaders Program, in late November and early December of last year.

The ACU Leaders Program was a three week international program, with two weeks in Rome and one week in London. The program was structured around three modules, each with their own teachings, but all providing leadership formation for Year 11 Catholic school leaders like myself through an immersion in the Catholic tradition and Western civilisation.

Module 1 featured the Church and the West providing an overview of key periods in the development of the Church and its influence in shaping the Western world.

With learnings about the teachings of St Peter and St Paul being prominent throughout, I particularly enjoyed our visit to the medieval town of Assisi. Despite being a small town of around 30,000, Assisi was filled with significant sites both religious and historical, the most significant being the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, in which we had the opportunity to celebrate Mass in the presence of St Francis’ sacred bones.

St Francis, known for his ministry to the underprivileged, cared deeply for God’s sacred creations, for the environment and all that lived in it.

Module 2 explored some of the major ideas and challenges shaping the Church and the West, and how they influenced our understandings of politics, religion, knowledge and society. Module 2 provided arguably the best experiences of the trip with visits to Vatican City, the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel, all of which were awe-inspiring. The visit to the Vatican City, including the life-changing experience of having a live papal audience with Pope Francis, in which his main message came from the first letter of St Peter, centred around spreading joy and hope while treating people well. A message I think is extremely relevant given the current conflicts in Gaza and the Ukraine.

Lastly, module 3 delved into the teachings of recent Popes on democracy, the challenges of the modern world, and the Catholic response to them. Although module 3 still had the religious undertones through these papal teachings, it placed greater importance on leadership and politics with a visit to the Churchill War Rooms and Westminster.

In closing, firstly, thank you for reading this reflection, but if you are able to take something away from it, make it be the importance of embracing challenges and seizing opportunities presented to you. At first I was apprehensive about going on the trip, I would be away from family and friends for a long duration and in foreign countries with people I’d only meet once. However, after the trip I’m eternally grateful to those who encouraged me to embrace the opportunity and challenge. So, whether it's in sports, academics, music, immersions or debating, our college provides opportunities that we should all be grateful for and embrace so don't shy away from stepping out of your comfort zone and seize the challenges presented to you. Thank you.

Josef Paatsch - Gospel and Spirituality Prefect Leader