Issue 17 SJC News 2020

The Toilet Rejuvenation Project is underway. The Respectful Relationships team and SJC Art Department have teamed up with the 2021 student leadership group and have spent the entire weekend rejuvenating the toilet block that sits just outside our college library entrance. Local artist Jai Allen has ingeniously added colour, functional artwork, inspirational and positive quotes, and QR coded help seeking contacts in the toilets for our students. The connection between the provision of clean, pleasant and safe toilet facilities and young people’s short and long-term physical and mental health and learning outcomes is the main driver behind this initiative.

The Respectful Relationship team drew from research, in Australia and abroad, that commonly finds students being dissatisfied with their toilet facilities, that students often avoid going to the toilet at school, and that expenditure on toilets is a low priority for many schools. Student based surveys also highlighted that a concerning number of St Joseph’s College students’ report avoiding eating and drinking throughout the day to ensure they do not need to use the facilities. We are very pleased with the quality of the work and we hope this has a positive impact on the students. We anticipate extending this project to Westcourt and other amenities in the College. I would personally like to thank Leah Irving who led this initiative with passion and purpose.

The Year 12s have completed their formal classes and all participated well in a fun and reflective Year 12 Celebration Day on Friday 30 October. Our VCAL and S ONLY students have all completed their requirements and our VCE students all sat the first of the VCAA exams ‘English’ this week. We wish our students all the best as they approach their exams over the coming weeks. We look forward to celebrating our Valedictory/Graduation ceremony on Friday 4 December.

Our 2021 Headstart program will commence on Monday November 30, which will see all of our students and staff commence the 2021 timetable and subjects. Headstart was introduced two years ago with the intent to have our students finish the year with purpose and to provide them with the familiarisation needed to get a head start with their subjects and teachers for the following year. Students will be provided information on this in the coming weeks.