Issue 13 SJC News 2021

As parents and teachers, we are shepherding young people through a time of great uncertainty. We can rationalise and be grateful for our situation by concluding that we are better off in Geelong than Melbourne, in Victoria than New South Wales, and in Australia than many other parts of the world. Being rational and grateful is important but it can still be difficult for us to remain upbeat and positive in our current context.

The world has changed with the arrival of the COVID era and none of us can be certain exactly what this means for us in the long term. Many things will return unchanged, some things will return changed and some things will not return. This uncertainty is particularly difficult for our young people and they need reassurance from us as their parents and teachers.

Listening to how young people are feeling, acknowledging their feelings of loss and confusion, and being open about our own concerns… including about what we are doing to keep ourselves well and forward-looking are important. It is not helpful to remain stoic and pretend we are unaffected ourselves.

Among the many significant changes imposed on our students is the necessity of expanding their learning repertoire to include learning remotely. Most students coped reasonably well with the early iterations of remote learning however many have found it difficult to maintain their enthusiasm engagement as the novelty has worn off.

Both Mark Kennedy and Lisa Pope have provided some important guidelines to help students operate effectively in remote learning later in this newsletter. It seems highly likely that at some stage we will be asked to shift to remote learning again so I encourage you to go through this advice with your son and help and encourage him to implement these guidelines.

While we remain at school we are guided by our COVID safe plan. The core elements of this are wearing a correctly fitted mask at all times, maintaining social distancing where possible and undertaking basic hygiene and hand sanitising measures. Our teachers report enormous difficulty having students consistently comply with expectations regarding masks. We all know masks are uncomfortable and none of us enjoy wearing them, but they are an important safety measure.

It is becoming increasingly clear that vaccination and mask-wearing are the two most important elements in maintaining a safe environment for all. We expect that vaccination will become available to secondary-aged students in the coming months. In line with scientific and medical advice, we will be strongly encouraging everyone in the St Joseph’s school community to access vaccination as early as possible. In the meantime, we would appreciate your support in emphasising to your son of wearing a mask correctly at all times.

At St Joseph’s we take pride that every College event is organised thoroughly and well in advance. With the current restrictions and the knowledge that these can change quickly, this is extremely difficult. We are currently planning multiple scenarios for each event and are leaving a final decision on each event, both whether it can run and under what restrictions, until as late as possible. I apologise for any additional uncertainty that this creates for students and families.

I am pleased to report that important infrastructure developments are progressing well. The ground floor of the Peter Chanel Centre is progressing on time and we expect to have occupancy next month. Site set up has commenced for the construction of change in toilet facilities on Carey Oval, a long overdue improvement! We expect completion early in the New Year. The College also recently purchased the property in Leslie Lane behind our Heritage Centre and adjacent Zampatti Oval. While there are no immediate plans for this property this long-term strategic purchase completes the current College footprint.

Stay well and God Bless

Remote Learning

Motivation and engagement go hand in hand and lead to better outcomes with wellbeing and learning. There is no doubt going in and out of lockdowns is challenging but it’s important we all pivot and adapt to the face to face or remote learning modes as quick as we can. We have consistent expectations when learning at school and our aim is to try and ensure our students, staff and families are all aware of the remote learning expectations if/when we go into learning online again.

The following information has been shared with the students this week in their year level and house gatherings and we feel important we are all aware of our strategies and procedures to make sure we have smooth transitions, and consistent expectations when our students are learning from home.

Homeroom

• Homeroom Meetings should be via Teams

• If you are not in attendance there will be a text message sent to parents by 9.30am

• Therefore, it will be important that you are ready to join Homeroom by 8.50am

• Parents/Carers please notify the school of absence in the usual process

Preparing for your Day

• Check your Class Notices

• Plan when you need to be online to meet via Teams

• A planning tool may help with this

• Read the Messages on SIMON

• Check your emails

Class Notices

• All teaching staff have been asked to use Class Notices to communicate their lesson for the day
• The outline found on Class Notices during remote learning should include;
• Day/Date

• Time/ Period
• Indication of learning: Real Time (Link posted here) or Any Time
• Instructions

Cameras On

• Join your Team Meeting with your cameras on please

Why?

• Teachers want to see you

• Talking to blank boxes is not engaging

• Enables us to ensure your presence

• Greater interaction

• Rolls will be marked

Note:

• Background – such as a blurred background should be used in your settings

• No screenshots of Teams Meetings

• If this occurs, it breaches our IT policies and as such serious consequences will follow

Real Time Learning

• Face to Face Online Meeting via Microsoft Teams

• SIMON Rolls will be marked for Real Time Learning, therefore, attendance is compulsory

Real time Learning is used for:

• Wellbeing Check

• Clarification of Lesson Requirements

• Lesson Delivery

Any time Learning

• This is self-directed

• Follow the lesson instructions

• If you are unsure of the work required email your teacher for clarification (but remember they may be in other lessons if its outside your scheduled class time)

• Adhere to due dates

• No rolls will be taken, but follow up may occur if there is no evidence of work completion

We thank the SJC families for the support you are providing our staff, helping us ensure we are promoting a common understanding, enabling consistent approaches whilst developing a shared commitment, leading to good outcomes for our students.

Subject Selections 2022

Thank you to all staff, students, and parents who have helped to ensure our subject selection process went ahead, whilst the interruptions of remote learning occurred. The process has now closed, and the timetabling team will be working through the process of collating this information, and students will be notified of their choices before Headstart in Term 4.

Important Dates: Mid Semester Reports and Parent Student Teacher Interviews

Mid Semester Reports released to Parents on Friday 27 August (pm)

Bookings for Parent Student Teacher Interviews Open Friday 27 August via PAM

Bookings for Parent Student Teacher Interviews Close Wednesday 1 September (pm)

Parent Student Teacher Interviews Online from Thursday 2 September from 4 pm -7 pm

Parent Student Teacher Interviews Online from Friday 3 September from 9 am – 12 pm (student free day)

CRY OF THE EARTH, CRY OF THE POOR: BISHOPS’ SOCIAL JUSTICE STATEMENT 2021

In a tradition reaching back to 1940, the Australian Catholic Bishops release a major social justice statement each year. Such statements encourage Catholic communities, such as St Joseph’s College, to reflect and act on social, economic and ecological issues.

In the not too distant past Australia has experienced the millennium drought, the 2019-2020 bushfire season, the 2021 Eastern Australian floods and of course we are still living in the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week the UN released a climate change report that was labeled a “code red for humanity” where rapid action was called to cut greenhouse gas emissions to prevent rising temperatures for our Earth. As such the 2021-22 Social Justice Statement is aptly titled “Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor” with a focus on inspiring us to care for creation while responding to the needs of the disadvantaged and excluded. Pope Francis highlights that social, economic, and ecological issues can only be effectively addressed in an integral way.

Ultimately the Bishops’ Social Justice statement encourages us to respond to Pope Francis’ invitation to journey towards total ecological sustainability guided by seven Laudato Si’ Goals. Laudato Si was the second encyclical written by Pope Francis, which critiqued consumerism and irresponsible development, raised awareness of environmental degradation and global warming, and called all people of the world to take "swift and unified global action.”

The seven goals are

• response to the cry of the earth
• response to the cry of the poor
• ecological economics
• sustainable lifestyles
• ecological spirituality
• ecological education
• community engagement
• participatory action.

How can we as a St Joseph College community work towards these seven goals? Our Service Learning initiative Mac & Joe's calls for community engagement and participatory action. Numerous sustainability events, coordinated by our Sustainability Coordinator, are offered that respond to the cry of the earth and ecological engagement. As a Catholic community we are certainly trying but still need to do ALOT more if we want to prevent the code red for humanity.

Wan-Yaari Cultural Strengthening Program

Last Friday our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students participated in the Wan-Yaari Cultural Strengthening Program. The session focused on First Nations Culture with great speakers from different backgrounds and different work roles. They are leaders and mentors for our boys. The program was led by Lowell Hunter Nyul Nyul Saltwater Man/Founder, Artist and Creative Director Salty One with guest speaker Troy Benjamin from ‘Really Good Radio” who has his own Podcast. The boys listened, connected and asked questions.

Download the latest Careers News below: 

Free Webinars: Development of Work Skills and Employment of Young People with Diverse Abilities

Feel free to attend, watch, sign up or share with your networks and young people, families/ carers you work with!

The Workability Live & Free webinars aim to highlight services that support the development of work skills and employment of young people with diverse abilities.

This series of FIVE FREE online Sessions has different themes that will highlight ways to start early from year seven and build on strengths, skills, and knowledge to help young people with diverse-ability transition into education and employment. Starting on 18 August at 5:30pm to 6:30pm with a Session on NDIS and supports for leavening school,

Find info out more @ https://workabilitylive.eventbrite.com.au/

Next week, 23 – 27 August, we will celebrate Book Week at St Joseph’s College. There will be events and activities in the library or online each day. The Book Week LibGuide has information about all of the competitions, with links to enter online. Students are encouraged to participate in the Book Week fun.

Events include:

• Book Week Kahoot – Monday at lunchtime in the library. Bring your laptop to take part.
• Tuesday lunchtime - author visit with Shivaun Plozza, author of fantasy novel The Boy, The Wolf and the Stars.
• Wednesday lunchtime - staff panel – staff members talk about their reading inspired by the Book Week theme.

Competitions include:

• Writing Competition – Write 100 – 500 words on the Book Week theme. Due on Wednesday 25 August.
• Reading Competition – Read a book on the theme, enter details online. Winners drawn daily.
• Book Week trivia quiz – Enter online.
• Match the staff member to their chosen ‘World’ book quiz – Enter online.

Prizes include chocolates, canteen vouchers, and book vouchers.

School photos are fast approaching and are scheduled to take place during Term 3. While the current Government restrictions do not allow photos to occur, we are hoping these will ease in the coming weeks. We are planning to begin with our Year 12 portrait photos however the latest COVID-19 restrictions have impacted our original scheduled date. All other photos are scheduled to occur in the final week of Term 3. Below are the dates for the school photos:

Year 12 Portrait Photos –  Due to the latest COVID-19 Restrictions we are working on a rescheduled date for the Year 12 Portrait Photos

Year 7-11 Portrait Photos – Monday 13 September

Family Photos – Monday 13 September

Group & Sport Photos –14 & 15 September

It is important that all students are in their winter uniform for the day of their photos (College blazer, long sleeve shirt, long pants and tie). Year 12’s will be wearing their commemorative tie. On the day of their photos, students will receive a flyer with instructions on how families can order photos from Arthur Reed.

We all have a duty of care to be wearing our masks inside our classes and in the yard. We need to improve in this to keep our community safe. Other than if you are eating, drinking or engaging in physical activity your masks must be worn.

If you require more information check out the state website where it states clearly.

Face masks

• Face masks must be carried at all times and must be worn indoors and outdoors.

https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covidsafe-settings