20 May 2022 - Newsletter (Vol 39 No 7)

You are worth what you give

A famous and very rich man was once asked, ‘What are you worth?’ The rich man thought for a minute and then named a figure. His questioner did not believe him. ‘You are famous as one of the richest men in the country. Surely you are worth more than that.’ With a smile, the rich man replied, ‘You did not ask me how much I own. You asked me how much I am worth so I told you the amount I have given to charity so far this year – because we are worth what we are willing to share with others.’

In a modern society, we need to remind ourselves of the importance of giving, in terms of both money and time. The amazing effort of the SJPC community at the end of last term in assisting with flood relief was a testament to the amazing worth of so many. Through giving we bridge the gap between those that have and those that have not, those that can and those that can’t. Healthy communities are built on co-operation, on all of us sharing the resources we have.

The virtue of altruism, doing good for another person is so important. The teachings of Jesus always focused on the dignity of the individual, irrespective of their circumstance or posting in life. We become better people and better citizens when we remember just like the rich man, we are only worth what we are willing to share with others.

Acknowledgement: Adapted from Credo written by Professor Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the united Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.

Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to seek reward, except that of knowing that I do your will. Amen. 

St. Ignatius Loyola

God bless

Michael Carniato
Principal

Is a Catholic school right for your child and your family? 

Often, the heart of many of the problems that arise and cause tension day to day arise as a result of misaligned goals. It occurred to me that many families make the decision to send their children to a Catholic school for a number of different reasons but ultimately, everyone signs up to the same set of standards and codes of conduct to ensure that we can offer the quality education in a Christ centred environment. But, what  do our children understand about where you have sent them and why? 

The Catholic school, for many, is a natural pathway for families who may have been to Catholic schools themselves. For others, they may like the standard of discipline, the mission and the values of the school. It is really important that you are able to articulate and discuss with your child why they are being sent to St John Paul II College too. We have declared our mission and vision and set out our expectations. Crucially, each child should understand that you have signed a contract on their behalf agreeing to basic standards such as behaviour and uniform. It is so important that they know that they are signed onto an education where Christ is at the centre and there is no space for disrespecting that position nor fighting against it. Finding the right school for your child is essential and plays an important role in the mental health, sense of belonging and purpose in what your child does everyday. 

The primary goal is for a Catholic school to be a faith and values based learning environment. It is based on a holistic education that celebrates and develops academic, spiritual, social, emotional and physical development. We are welcoming, inclusive and family orientated intentionally. At St John Paul College, we also provide a safe and caring environment where we develop a sense of belonging and community. We set high standards of behaviour and respect for self and others. Most importantly, we aim to develop life-long skills and a love of learning with a commitment to social justice. 

All of this is what makes our College a great place to be but we can only achieve this in strong partnership with parents and the community. I really look forward to meeting many of you and want you to know you are welcome here any time. We have an upcoming Parents and Friends meeting next week in the new library  which provides a great opportunity to meet other like minded parents and to discuss issues that matter. We have seen many sporting and academic successes this week. Meanwhile we have had groups of students who took the step forward in their own formation and have attended the Year 7 Transitus retreat  and Seniors Lead retreat.  With so much going on, it reminds us of why we choose a great school.

Our faith is a gift which enhances our capacity to live rich and meaningful lives. We will continue to engage with people wherever they are in their lives and faith journey. I urge you to spend some time to share with your child why they have the gift of attending St John Paul College and encourage them to understand that their choices in behaviour and respect are vital to making this a place that they want to be and where we, in partnership, can support your child throughout their time here. 

As we approach the feast of Pentecost, we are reminded of the birth of the Church when the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and went out to bring the good news of Jesus to all who will hear it. I pray that we may all prepare to reflect, and remain ever new, alert to hearing the good news in a new way that helps us take the next step in our own personal formation. I hope our students are grateful for the choices you have made as parents and also value the reason why you chose St John Paul II College for your child and family. 

Yours in Christ

Year 11-12 Academic Reports

This Term has seen the publication of Academic Reports for Year 11 and Year 12. These reports were made available by an email link and also available on Sentral’s parent portal. 

Any parents who can still not access these reports are asked to make contact with the College for further assistance as we have had several instances of missing reports on several Sentral student profiles. 

Although I am confident that these have been rectified, I would ask students and parents to check and contact the College if there are any issues. 

Parent Student Teacher Conferences 

My thanks to the families who were able to commit to attending our recent Year 12 Parent Student Teacher Conferences. These conferences are always beneficial at this point in the HSC course as  the discussion of academic progress can yield some positive changes for the remainder of the year. 

Student Resources on offer from the College Curriculum Office for all students to access.

The College has been focussing on student led conferences with the following key questions:

• How are you feeling about your progress in this subject?
• Have you tried hard to do your best? 
• Have you been distracted/distracting? 
• What goals do you have to improve your learning habits and effort? 
• What strategies do you need to have in place to support your goals?
• Where can you put more effort in?

Study Skills - Structures for Learning at Home

PARENTS: Many students come home from school and end up just waiting until they might ‘feel’ like doing schoolwork. Or else they drag everything out over the whole night. 

A much better way is each night to set allocated times for home learning. Many students find that learning in 20-30 minute blocks works well for them. During this time students should do homework first, then work on any assignments or upcoming tests, then use the rest of the time allocated for schoolwork to complete independent learning activities such as reviewing work they find difficult, making study notes or doing practice questions to build their skills. 

All distractions should be removed during this time, so students learn to focus for 20-30 minute blocks of time. It is a great idea to make a timetable of home learning and place it on the fridge so everyone is clear when students are focusing and when they are doing other activities or having free time.

STUDENTS: Some of the benefits for students of having set times allocated for home learning are:

• You are more likely to learn at home if you know when to start and when to end.
• You will be more effective when you remove distractions and learn to focus for 20-30 minute blocks.
• In all the times NOT allocated to schoolwork you can do whatever you like without feeling guilty about it.
• Having set times stops arguments between students and parents as everyone has agreed when the timeslots allocated to students will be.
• You know that you are definitely doing enough work for school.
• Keeping your home learning and personal life separate means you will be able to manage all of the distractions in your life and still complete your work for school.

Study Skills

Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au. Our College access details are:

School’s Username – stjohnpaul

School’s password – 89success

In addition, our subscription to Elevate Education may assist in this area.

This online platform contains resources and useful study tips that all SJPC students will find effective. We encourage them to access this Student Portal and try some of the strategies. Students have the password to this site. The password can also be found on the Curriculum Noticeboard.

AMDG

James Furey
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

The Senior Youth Ministry Team is up and running for 2022. This is open to senior students at SJPC and is an opportunity to get amongst ministry initiatives happening both within the college and in the wider community. SMT students can find themselves learning about ministry, participating in various ministry initiatives such as Awaken, Brotherhood, or sisterhood. Outside of school they will be able to participate in primary school enrichment and retreat days along with community involvement.

Our role is to meet the students where they are in their faith journey. We have to understand that everyone is at different stages in this journey. Some students haven’t opened their hearts or minds to the possibility of having a relationship with God, yet we accept them for who they are, and still make sure that they know that they are loved and worthy. This is being achieved through the formation of Brotherhood and Sisterhood sessions that now run once a week over the Friday lunch breaks. These sessions create a space where people could come as they are and feel welcome and safe to share whatever they wanted.

At Brotherhood in 2022 we are seeking to make change. With the chaotic world we live in; it can be difficult to find time to spend developing our relationships with the young men around us. We sometimes forget that we are all in this together; which is why it is important we have opportunities such as Brotherhood. Brotherhood this year will be an opportunity to create bonds with new people and strengthen existing relationships. Our goal is to become the best versions of ourselves, and it's through the help of the people around us that we can do this. Our theme for this term is accountability; As it's only through being accountable for our mistakes and our decisions that we can become better people.

Similarly, we have Sisterhood up and running every Friday lunch in the Youth Hub. We are blessed to have sisters representing ages ranging from 13-18 years of age. Each term, sisterhood will be based around a female figure, this term it is St. Joan of Arc. Her story has been broken up to focus our sessions once a week on a different part of the story such as doubting, beauty, pain, faith, belief and strength. Each one of these sessions has been explained and developed so Gabi or a guest female teacher can share an honest testimony about themselves on said topic in order to allow the girls to witness the depth of their faith and their courage at being open, honest and engaging. We have also put aside sessions to focus on forming and strengthening our sisterhood bond as a group. Sisterhood is a great chance for students to develop new friendships and strengthen old ones. It is a chance to become empowered in new ways and reminded that when faced with struggles, you can trust our sisters in Christ to help us stand strong.

Everyone is welcome and the YMOs hope to see many new faces as the term progresses.

Gabriella Majarich & Darcy Hartin
Youth Ministry Officers

Interview with Madison Pearce - Year 10 Student

What is your favourite animal and why?   

I don't really have a favourite animal but I can say I'm a cat person rather than a dog person. I'm someone that likes to sit and read books so a cat can hang with me while a dog would just like to run around and play.

Why did you decide to join the CSYMA class this year? 

I personally wanted to grow my relationship with God as well as learn a bit more about what faith is all about. 

Why do you choose to come to the lunchtime ministry activities?

In Year 8 I was going through a rough time with my mental health and one of the YMOs at the time talked to me and got me into participating in the lunchtime ministry activities which have helped with my mental health.

What role does God play in your life?

God is a person I can go to when I need someone to talk to for help in which he plays a huge role in my life.

Gabriella Majarich & Darcy Hartin
Youth Ministry Officers

2022 is the year I commit to writing every day. Please join me, and please encourage our children to join us.

We have an epidemic of anxiety and depression among our young people. While in education we continue to give more time to mental health and mindfulness, I believe personal writing is invaluable as a form of mindfulness and escapism. 

We  know the power of reading for both personal and academic reasons. 

We know the power of academic writing and writing in general as students make their way through school  into their chosen vocation.

We must also realise and share the power of personal writing. When we write we own new information in a very personal way and we discover our own questions and inner thoughts. It can unveil our own lives to us. Personal writing can most certainly help our young people navigate their way through this turbulent world.

Let’s commit to writing every day.

Word of the Week for Week 5 and 6

Luddite noun

DEFINITION - In our contemporary world, this denotes a person who dislikes or is opposed to new technology.

The original Luddites, followers of the mythical Ned Ludd, were British labourers of the early nineteenth century who smashed textile-machines that threatened their jobs.

SENTENCE - For the first time ever, the Luddites fear that machines will replace people seems to be coming true.

Paradox noun

DEFINITION - a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement that when investigated, may be true

ORIGIN - Middle French paradoxie

IN A SENTENCE - It is a paradox that in such a rich country there can be so much poverty.

Maree McKelvie

Year 10 Work Experience Block Reminder 

Week 8 is fast approaching and students and parents are reminded that the completed work experience paperwork needs to be returned by Friday 27 May to our College Office.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mr Corsalini in the Careers Room if you have any questions regarding work experience.

Coffs Harbour Career Connections Expo

Year 10 will attend this event on Thursday 2 June. The Coffs Harbour Careers Connections Expo is an annual event that brings together training organisations (TAFE and Universities), employers and career ambassadors (people who are currently working in particular industries and occupations who will give up their time to provide an insight into their jobs to students). The event will be held at the Coffs Harbour Racecourse and students will travel bus to and from the venue.

Careers With Drones 

This workshop has been rescheduled to Tuesday 21 June 2022.

The Australian Drone industry is booming, reportedly contributing AUD5.5 billion to the country’s economy and by 2040, the economic impact of this industry is expected to reach AUD14.5 billion.

The use of drones in different industries continues to grow and, as such, it is presenting an  amazing array of new career pathways opening up for our students – as seen in this infographic.

 

Upcoming Events

Paul Corsalini
Careers Adviser

Year 12

This week our HSC students were able to practice their Japanese conversation skills with students from Seiwa Girls’ High School, in Sasebo, Japan.  

Using Zoom, they were able to chat with a group of students about their daily life, school subjects and their future plans. 

It is amazing how technology can help bridge the gap between the countries and enable the students to make new friends. 

Year 8

Students have been learning all about the writing script, Hiragana. There are many ways students can revise this including using flashcards, online websites and games as well as apps.

One Year 8 student, Ty Callander, has really engaged with his hiragana learning and we asked him all about it.

“Hi, I’m Ty and I just want to share with everyone about how Duolingo is great for learning and helping you with your Japanese. I chose Japanese because it helps me with my tasks in class and I am improving my learning because I am getting better scores on my tests. Duolingo has all these different languages, stages and levels for you to complete to improve your writing and reading skills. So I encourage you to get Duolingo to help you with your Japanese.”

Kirsten Binnie
Leader of Learning - Languages

Year 11 Textiles and Design

Congratulations to Hayley Little, Jayda Kachel and Maya Loader,  Year 11 Textiles and Design students, for completion of their first Unit Design. These students worked tirelessly during class and at home to learn various techniques and skills in a short period of time to produce a beautiful and functional laptop case.

A folio component of the task is also an integral part of the process. The students focus on recording their thoughts and ideas of the Design theory. Design is an important part of Textiles projects and enables the student to produce and evaluate an item for a specific purpose. The students gathered inspiration from a variety of sources and created their designs based on decorative techniques, emotions, nature and the elements and Principles of design.

Sarah Coates
Leader of Learning - TAS

Year 7 students have been investigating the elements of art, in particular, line and tone. They created Neurographica drawings with a focus on these two elements, to create a harmonious artwork.

Neurographica drawings were introduced by Russian psychologist Pavel Piskarev in 2014. The idea behind Neurographica art is for the person to embrace a meditative process whilst drawing and immersing themselves in the process of creating. When this occurs, the rational thinking of the mind is bypassed and reaches into the hidden layers of our psyche. The unconscious, which is usually inaccessible, is opened up and new neural networks are formed in the brain. This type of art can also be used as a form of art therapy.

It’s been a busy start to the term for our Year 7 students. Traditionally Term 2 brings about assessments and assignment due dates, not to mention the recent NAPLAN testing. This is a great time to speak to your children about planning homework and study routines. 

Pre planning and discussing upcoming tasks is one of the best steps to reducing anxiety surrounding school work. Reachout has some fantastic articles to support families and a great place to start your planning discussions would be via How to prioritise and get stuff done.

The College Social (dance) makes a return to the calendar next Tuesday night and Year 7 is encouraged to check out the details and instructions about times, tickets etc. It’s always a fun filled night to ‘hang’ with friends and show some moves on the dance floor.

On Wednesday, I spoke with the group about Graciousness and Kindness at our Pastoral Gathering. In Year 7 we endeavour to “...live Gospel Spirituality by being kind, showing respect and treating others with the love Christ shows me” and these two attributes underpin how we can achieve this. 

It was a simple message of Graciousness being ‘patient towards someone or striving to speak in a way that will not cause offence or hurt to others’.

The students were asked to think about themselves and how they can:

• Overlooking small hurts and lack of consideration
• Making others feel noticed and valued
• Learning not to make a big deal of our own (small) problems

We finished with another important message, Kindness. ‘That we think of strength and bravery when we hear the word courage. However, one of the most courageous things we can do is be kind to others, regardless of how they treat us’.

It’s vital that our students remember that when we choose kindness, we automatically wind up caring for others in our lives. If we truly are to be a community following Jesus and living his spirituality, then we need to be taking care of each other each and every day as He showed us.

The Year 9 Pastoral camp is set up with a range of activities that will allow students to work together as a team and offer challenges in a safe and supportive environment.

Parents can call the numbers listed on the permission note should you wish to or need to contact your child. If your son/daugher is unable to attend camp we ask that you contact the school as soon as possible.

For students who take medication; please put your child's medication in a plastic ziplock bag clearly marked with their Name, HR and dosage. Students will give their medication to the teacher as they enter the bus. 

Due to travel times and the programming of the camp, we have amended the departure time on Wednesday 25 May to 8:00 am. 

In preparation for camp, please see the Equipment list attached. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.

Checklist for Year 9 Pastoral Camp

Checklist for Year 9 Pastoral Camp 120.61 KB

Nick Haworth

Year 9 Leader of Student Wellbeing

Year 11

Relationships. They are one of the most important things we can invest in in life. With the pastoral focus for Term 2 being relationships, Year 11 have spent the last two pastoral assemblies engaging in activities that promote friendship and collaboration. 

During Week 2, Year 11 spent time participating in teams completing many abstract relays with a focus on fun, laughter and of course, competition. 

Egg and spoon relays, balloon relays, old-school tunnel ball and partner-based relays are just an example of a few types of activities the students engaged in. 

It was humbling to see a large group of students whose time spent at school is now so task-oriented, spending time laughing, running around with eggs on spoons and genuinely enjoying each other’s company. 

Further to this opportunity, this week we continued to develop and strengthen the relationships we have with one another with a morning spent in the sun playing games, drinking hot chocolate, chai lattes, eating cupcakes and just being in each other’s company. 

A few key points the students took away from the morning were the following:

• No one ever regrets kindness (never). 
• Have high standards when it comes to friends, but don’t be unrealistic. People will mess up, so will you. Grace is essential. 
• Be yourself. Let other people be themselves right back. 
• You can’t have friends if you don’t know how to be a friend. Focus on being the best friend you possibly can. 
• Listen. 
• You can’t be best friends with everyone. But you can notice everyone. You can smile at everyone. You can say hello to everyone. You can be good to everyone and make sure people feel seen. 
• Your worth will never come from others. You have to learn to accept yourself if you want others to accept you. 

I continue to be blessed by this year group as they navigate their way through Year 11. They are focussed, well-mannered, respectful and very humble. 

Thank you for trusting us with your most prized possessions.

Alana Johnson

Year 11 Leader of Student Wellbeing

Diocesan Open Basketball Champions

On Thursday 19 May, our senior teams finally took to the court for the long awaited Diocesan tournament in Coffs Harbour. The teams, having trained since early Term 1, were more than ready to showcase their skills.

The girls were outstanding from the first whistle to the last. They defeated every team with grace, good sportsmanship and superior skill. Every player contributed to each win with the girls achieving scores such as 53 - 20, 64 - 24, and 43-8 even with the ‘mercy rule’ in place. Finishing undefeated on 18 points, and with a massive 271 points for and only 95 against across 6 games, means the girls will definitely be a team to beat at CCC! Well done Diocesan Champions!

The boys were in a tight tournament with a very close tussle against Mackillop going down in the rounds by 1 basket and Trinity who they drew with. The narrow loss and draw resulted in the team placing 2nd going into the finals. A convincing win against Trinity saw our boys take on the polished 3 point shooting machine that was Mackilliop. Despite heroic efforts, our boys went down, however, should hold their heads high achieving a silver medal and being crowned Diocesan Runner Up Champions!

Thank you to the coaches, Mr Verbruggen and Mr Hiddlestone who have been regularly training their teams each week before school. The dedication and preparation certainly paid off with both teams being convincing entrants into the NSWCCC Championships scheduled for June in Port Macquarie. We wish our teams all the best.

Open Boys Basketball 

Open Girls Basketball

CCC Rugby League

For the first time in many years we were able to put an Open team in the CCC Rugby League competition in Port Macquarie last Tuesday. For many of our die-hard League players, this was their last chance (and due to COVID and lack of numbers in the past), for some it was the first chance to play their sport for the College! Whilst many of the team had played League before, for a number, the conversion across from Union or AFL was a fun challenge. The boys were defeated in both games against well-drilled Port Macquarie teams, however, the coaches sang the boy's praises. They were determined, passionate and truly grateful for every moment on the footy field. Memories that will always be treasured were made on the day and in the many mornings of training in the lead-up to the event. Thank you to Mr Gregson and Mr Abbott who coached the team and to Mr Kent who drove the bus.

Diocesan Cross Country Championships

Our Cross Country team, although heavily depleted due to illness, travelled to the Grafton racetrack to compete in the Diocesan Cross Country championships. Our students were outstanding in their attitude and determination, with all students doing our College proud by their efforts. 

Lily Betland (1st), Zane Guthrie (1st), Abby Sams (2nd), Harrison Colyer (2nd), Rhys Mulholland (2nd) and Laila McDonald (3rd), Matilda Newton (3rd), Adelaide Keating (3rd) and Lily Morgan (6th) produced strong performances on the day to finish in the top 6 of their age division and therefore qualify for the NSWCCC Cross Country Championships.

It is from this event that we determine our College Age Champions. Congratulations to the following students:

	Girls	Boys
12 Years	Adelaide Keating	Zane Guthrie
13 Years	Matilda Newton	Marc Rogers
14 Years	Dayna Loy	Jaxon White
15 Years	Jade Newton	Riley Woods
16 Years	Abby Sams	Robert Gallatly
17 Years	Lily Betland	Rhys Mulholland
18 Years	Laila McDonald	Harrison Colyer

Congratulations to all students and thank you to Mr Marle and Mrs Stocks for accompanying the team.

SJPC Representative Sport

Our representative squads have been training hard before, during and after school in preparation for upcoming events such as League Tag, Rugby 10’s, Junior Diocesan Football and Diocesan Basketball. Students are reminded to check the Sport classroom, Palace noticeboard and the Daily notices for information regarding training and details of events. All squad and team selections are posted on the Palace noticeboard and permission notes can be collected from the Palace.

Bill Turner Cup

Our Bill Turner Cup boys played against CCS at Bonville Friday Week 2. After a fairly tight contest initially and a few missed chances we led 2-0 at half time courtesy of goals scored by Nik Davies and Anthony Omtha. CCS came out all guns blazing in the second half only to be silenced by our wonderful defence and awesome teamwork. Our boys went on with the job finishing 6-0 after 60 minutes of football with further goals to Iggy Hibberd, Raph Wirth, Will Eames and a second goal for Nik Davies. Congratulations to the boys on a fine achievement. Our round 3 game will be against a Grafton based school and will be played at SJPC. More details to come.

Bill Turner Trophy

On Friday 6 May the Girls Bill Turner Trophy team travelled to Christian Community College to compete in Round 2 of the Knock out competition. The game started off slowly but finally 10 minutes into it the girls found themselves and started to play like a real winning combination.

The half time score was 4-0 to SJPC and after a team chat and more tactics put into place we came away with a 7-0 win. This amazing team will now progress to the next round to be played in a few weeks.

Sporting Success

• Congratulations to Zara Temesi (Year 11) who recently returned from Europe where she competed in International Modern Pentathlon competitions. Her results were exceptional, even achieving a PB. Zara has her sights set on the 2024 Paris Olympics and we can’t wait to support her on her journey! Well done Zara!
• Ex-student Isla Juffermans was recently announced in the Australian Under 17 Women’s Basketball team. As a member of the team, she will compete firstly in the Asian Cup (in Jordan) and if the team finishes in the top 4 will then travel to Hungary to compete in the World Cup! We are so excited for Isla and wish her all the best! 

• Ex-student Kailtin Leaney was recently selected to represent Auatralia as a member of the Australian Rugby Union Women’s team. This is particularly impressive as Kailtin has only been playing Rugby for four years!

Year 7 and 8 Sport

The past two weeks have seen a mixture of sun and rain grace us for our Wednesday sport afternoons. Whilst every effort has been made to keep students moving, it has been a challenge given that valuable spaces such as the Hall, Drama room and N Block classrooms have been unavailable, leaving us with the Hardcourts for well over 300 students! Instead, we had students bused off campus to activities such as Crossfit, Basketball, Aquatics and the SCU indoor courts and some of our groups even undertook their Smart Rugby or Coach AFL basic qualification online. Thank you to our amazing staff who, as always were flexible and committed to presenting engaging sporting opportunities for our students.

Students and families are reminded that Week 5 is the last week of this sport rotation and that sports will change for all groups except the CRL group. Please check the Sport Classroom, Palace noticeboard and Daily notices for updates on all things sport.

Year 9 and 10 Term 3 Sport Selections 

All families should have received an email with the sport options available for Term 3.

• Selections will take place during Homeroom on Monday 23 May.
• Permission notes will then be sent home to those students who selected a paid sport. They are due back by Thursday 26 May.
• Invoices will be emailed to parents on Monday 30 May
• Payment is due by Monday 20 June. NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.

Year 9 and 10 Term 3 Sport Selections > SJPC Representative Basketball

Those students who have signed up for and/or made the Basketball squads for the year 9/10 teams will not need to select a sport for Term 3. In a new initiative, the teams will train for the Diocesan Championships during sport time. It is hoped that if this is successful, we will be able to schedule more representative squad trainings during sport in 2023.

Coming Up

Danielle McAra
Sport Co-ordinator

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”
Proverbs 27:17

Despite the rain, on Friday afternoon 6 May a group of brave Year 7 boys and ‘cautiously optimistic’ men gathered for the annual Year 7 Boys and Men Camp Out.

An executive decision was made to leave the tents packed in the vehicles and instead small camps were set up on carpeted areas in classrooms close to the hall.

The focus of the event was for Year 7 boys and their fathers/guardians to simply spend time together. The evening involved plenty of games and sports in the hall followed by a big BBQ cook up and then some team competitions where the boys worked with the men to battle against other teams making structures including a small catapult.

Later in the evening everyone settled around the bonfire, where conversation flowed freely and plenty of marshmallows were cooked. 

Before long the men and boys began drifting off to their air mattresses to rest weary bodies.

The next morning started early with a bacon and egg cook up and then the men and boys dispersed for their various weekend commitments.

Staff members Will Gregson and Michael Stubbs, were once again outstanding support and without whom the event would not have run so smoothly!

Thanks must also go to the continual support of Tracy Baillie from the canteen and the maintenance  crew who helped with catering and logistics as well as front office staff who fielded questions and organised administrative requirements.

And finally to the Men and Boys who took a risk and invested in their relationship by attending, the feedback was all positive, thanks for making the evening a success. We look forward to possibly another gathering when the boys hit Year 9.

The strong turn out paves the way for the continued growth of this important initiative in the years to come.

Tim Davis
Teacher

SJPC Year 12 Charity Fundraiser Trivia Night Friday 27 May

Our Trivia night charity fundraiser is on this Friday 27 May and we have all 30 tables sold, so we will have over 300 trivia buffs in attendance. We have had many prizes donated and have several silent auction items up for grabs. However, we welcome more donations, vouchers and gifts to enable us to offer great prizes to all those who attend the event. Your ongoing support of our fundraising efforts will ensure that Can Do Cancer Trust and Bridging the Gap-Men’s Resource Centre can continue to serve those in need in our Coffs Harbour community. If you would like to make a donation please contact Mark Sultana via email mark.sultana@lism.catholic.edu.au

Don’t forget to bring lots of gold coins for all the fun games to be held on the night!!

We look forward to a great night of fun and frivolity and remember the dress-up theme When I Grow UP... "Occupations"

Mark Sultana

Year 12 Leader of Student Wellbeing

SJPC are proud to, again, be a part of the PUSH-UP CHALLENGE fundraiser. 

During the month of June our staff team will be doing 3139 push-ups. This number represents the number of deaths by suicide in 2020.

Our team consists of: Maree McKelvie, Jana Elling, Paul Harrison, Brendan Goswell, Gabriella Majarich, Claudia Brown, Sharon Reeves, Charles Boshier, Daniel Hickson, Darcy Hartin, Matt Fowler and Nataleigh Baxter.

Please support us as we raise money for mental health and suicide prevention. Head to the following link to support us. 

SJPC Staff Push-up Team