11 February 2022 - Newsletter (Vol 39 No 1)

Michael Carniato
Principal

As the year commences for 2022, I find myself reflecting on the journey that we each take in our own lives. Each of us has a unique story to tell and throughout our ups and downs, we meet new challenges and new opportunities.

My path has certainly given me the gift of commencing work at St John Paul College which sees me return to Australia after living and working in Europe for the past 15 years. I have worked in England and Germany in a number of roles in day schools, boarding schools and international schools. It has been a privilege to serve and to lead in these diverse environments. I hope to be able to use some of those learnings in service here also.

Most recently, I was in Germany so you can imagine the shock coming from the freezing winter conditions in early December in the Northern hemisphere to the blistering and sweltering ones here on the coast of NSW. Returning home to be closer to my mother, sisters and extended family has been a real blessing, especially during these Covid times.

I am excited to work with our community here at the College and cannot be more grateful for the welcoming reception that I have received from all those that I have met so far. It is a true sign of the culture of St John Paul College. 

I trust, in time, that I have a chance to meet more and more of you personally as restrictions are lifted and encourage you all to feel that you can come forward and contact me at any time also. 

As we expand to three Assistant Principals in order to serve our growing community, I hope that this particular role in Mission will be one in which I can help support our vision and mission as a Catholic school proudly in tangible and practical ways. I value your decision to send your child to St John Paul College and will work endlessly with our community to ensure that we continue to celebrate our unique ethos and develop young men and women ready to serve in our world. I thank you in advance for your continued support.

As a Catholic community, I implore each of us to maintain the high standards that we have set for ourselves, our families and children. Remember that we are here as partners to educate your child. You are the first educators and we look forward to being companions on this journey. 

May our paths cross soon. 

Yours in Christ

It has been great to see the smiling and enthusiastic faces of both students and staff returning to school over the past week as we prepare for what I’m sure will be both a challenging and rewarding year at SJPC. By now the new school shoes may not be feeling as uncomfortable as they were and the students will be beginning to familiarise themselves with their timetable and classrooms. The College is always ready to be of assistance to families no matter what the issue, as we aim to develop responsible and happy young people. I take this opportunity to welcome all new families to the College.

Last week at the opening College assembly, I had the opportunity to address the students and staff on the importance of respect. Respect forms the basis of the College Code of Conduct. Respect comes in many forms and involves the way we act towards one another, the environment and our College. We need to be very aware of how we speak and treat others. We care for the environment by trying to use only what we need and at every opportunity recycle for the next generation, and, we respect our College when we care for the buildings and do our best to follow the school rules. 

As we return from the Christmas break, some students need to look at how they are following the uniform and presentation rules. These rules are clearly stated in the College Diary. Of particular concern is the wearing of excess and incorrect jewellery, facial piercings, some of the hairstyles and the length of the girls skirts. While some of these concerns can easily be fixed (removal of piercings, rolling down of the band of the skirt and so on), some of the haircuts may take longer to grow out. Parents are requested to be of assistance in this area by checking their child’s uniform before they leave home in the morning and not allowing your child to shave sections of their hair above the regular hairline. The College will be following its normal practices (uniform detentions) for students who are unable to make the necessary adjustments. 

Last week the College continued its transition programme for our youngest members. Thirty three keen year ten students, who gave up their final day of their holidays, completed the first session of a program under the guidance of Mrs Furey. The College is very thankful for their efforts in building a relationship with the year seven students that will last for many years to come. At the same time Mrs Johnson took our year eleven group through a seminar day that looked at what it meant to be a senior at SJPC among other things. Thanks to Mrs Johnson for all her preparation and to the students who gave their all on a very busy day.

Until next time:

Welcome Back

Welcome to the 2022 academic year at St John Paul College. I especially welcome over 200 new students in Year 7and hope your time at SJPC will be an enjoyable one. 

My only piece of advice for any Year 7 student is to ‘get involved’ early in all that we offer at the College. This will help with the orientation into our community and begin what I hope will be a successful year 2022.

I extend an open invitation for all parents to contact me either by phone or email regarding their child’s progress. In my role I work closely with the Leader of Curriculum - Ms Brown, the Leader of Pedagogy - Mrs Gennat and all the various Leaders of Learning who lead their respective subject areas. 

Beginning the Year with effective Study habits

This year the College invited Year 7 and Year 11 to begin a day earlier than as part of their orientation. Year 7s had their orientation to SJPC and the practicalities of the changing expectations from primary to secondary schooling. In this process there are a lot of ‘firsts’. Rest assured the College is here to support this transition and establishing good academic habits are part of this orientation. 

In a similar vein, Year 11s were orientated into the senior school both in a pastoral and academic sense. Like Year 7 our Year 11s were instructed on academic goal setting and the expectations of Stage 6. 

Both orientation processes introduced students to our Studyskills subscription in which all parents and students have access to all year. This web resource has many helpful resources that may be of assistance for families. 

The details are as follows:

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

What a busy start to the school year it has been!

Our wonderful new YMOs (Youth Ministry Officers) Darcy Hartin and Gabriella Majarich, have been part of the “Equipping Schools” program held in Lismore last week, and are energised and ready to go! Darcy and Gabi will help to plan liturgies, prayer services and school Masses, as well as their important roles in working with students on faith formation across all year groups.

We are all looking forward to working as a team to build positive relationships with staff and students, focussing on “Evangelisation, Discipleship and Witness”. 

And Darcy confirms, "I am thrilled to be given this opportunity to contribute to the school faith community”.

Drop by the YMO’s office located in B Block and say hi!

Janine Sawtell
Leader of School Evangelisation

Student Diary

Welcome to 2022, especially to those who are new to our College community.

Throughout the year we will keep you abreast of Curriculum issues across the College, along with links to current educational research and advice. 

On Wednesday 9th February, Year 11 and 12 students participated in workshops run by Elevate representatives Jack and Trinity. These workshops provided opportunities for our students to further develop their understanding of what constitutes effective study and which strategies have been proven to work. 

As is evident from the data, these seminars were well received by the majority of students.

We continue to have access to the Elevate Education Student Portal. This portal contains resources and useful study tips that ALL SJPC students will find effective.   

We encourage all students to; 

• access this Student Portal via the Students Links page on our website
• try some of the strategies outlined. 

The password for this site is rondo.

This password can also be found on the Curriculum Office Noticeboard.

https://austudent.elevateeducation.com/

Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, the 2 Elevate parent seminars, had to be cancelled. However, you can gain some insight into how you can best support your children in developing effective study habits by registering for Elevate’s free Parent Support Webinar series.

Webinar 1 - How to Get (And Keep) Your Child Motivated This Year?

Wednesday 23rd February at 6:00pm

To register for the FREE 60-minute webinar simply click here!

The College also subscribes to Edrolo, which is an online video lesson and exam practice resource for Year 11 and HSC students that covers all key content and knowledge areas in specific subjects. We have extensively assessed the resource and chosen it as the leading online tool for our Stage 6 students. All Stage 6 students will have access to this platform across most subjects. 

Teachers use Edrolo as a teaching, consolidation, revision, and assessment tool to further enhance what we are doing day-to-day. 

As Leader of Curriculum, I have met with Year 10 and Year 11 students to outline the College’s Assessment Policy and Protocols, as well as the NESA (New South Wales Education Standards Authority) requirements for obtaining RoSA and HSC qualifications.

We were impressed by their positive attitude and respectful behaviour at these meetings. It can be a challenging time for Year 10 and 11 students as they develop the improved study habits needed to cope with the increased rigor required by the courses they are studying. The College offers many support structures and resources, all of which the students can access with ease. 

As always Years 10, 11 and 12 have access to their own Curriculum Matters Google  Classroom in which all matters regarding Curriculum can be easily accessed. 

The Curriculum page on the College website contains Assessment Books for all year levels, along with the links to the Year 10, 11 and 12 assessment calendars, and copies of all forms Year 10, 11 and 12 students need in regard to assessments.

https://www.cofhslism.catholic.edu.au/learning-teaching/curriculum

The Student Link page is the ‘one stop shop’ for all students to easily access resources and platforms commonly used by students.  

https://www.cofhslism.catholic.edu.au/student-links

We encourage all students to have their browser set up so that when they log in, the following tabs appear. These are the sites and platforms that students are required to access on a daily basis.

It is timely for us to recall the advantages of approaching our lives with a growth mindset. This 1 min video on growth mindset gives some insights into what we mean by a growth mindset and how it assists all students in their approach to learning and life in general.

I encourage all parents to speak with their children about how they can make the most of their time at SJPC, and in particular, to encourage your children to access the support structures and resources available through the College.

Claudia Brown
Leader of Curriculum

School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SbAT’s)

School based apprenticeships and traineeships allow senior high school students to commence an apprenticeship or complete a traineeship while at school.  School-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs) are more than just part-time jobs - they’re a great way to set yourself up for the career you want whilst you are completing your HSC.

SBATs are available to all Year 10, 11 and 12 high school students in NSW. They allow students to commence an apprenticeship or complete a traineeship while at school.

A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship combines paid work, training and school; and as well as an industry recognised national qualification that can be used to  gain credit towards the HSC.

School based apprentices and trainees work part-time and undertake the first stage of their apprenticeship or traineeship training before the end of the HSC year. School based apprentices will commence full-time employment as a 2nd year apprentice from January after they have completed the HSC, providing that they have successfully completed both their on-the-job and off-the-job training program during their senior high school years.

In 2022 the following students have commenced or are completing an SBAT: 

Year 12 Students

Oshae Coe Mid North Coast Local Health District Allied Health Assistant

Trinity Kachel Coffs Harbour Golf Club Business Administration

Year 11 Students

Lucas Couper Withus Builds and Constructions Carpenter

James Howard Northwind Painting Painter and Decorator

Dayne Peel Tomco Electrical Services Electrician

If any of our parents reading this are employers and you have thought about taking on an SbAT or you would like to know more about School Based Traineeships and Apprenticeships please contact me and we can discuss the benefits for your business and our students.

Paul Corsalini
Careers Adviser

Japanese

The year has started off well in the Japanese classroom with a new cohort of Year 8s being introduced to the language. These students have already been learning about Japan, its language and culture and have made a positive start to the year. Staff have been very impressed with their motivation and willingness to step outside of their comfort zone. 

One key element of Year 8 language learning is the use of the Accelerated Integrated Methodology (AIM) where high frequency language is taught kinaesthetically and visually through gesture, and contextualised through a dramatised story. AIM also focuses on the auditory skills with the emphasis on speaking and listening.

Students have also started to learn one of the Japanese writing scripts - Hiragana – and will be able to make the most of the school’s Education Perfect membership to practice to read and write them. 

Japanese classes in Years 9-12 have also begun with the students focused on continuing to expand their vocabulary and grammar knowledge. This year we are hoping to have more interactions with our sister schools in Japan through online conversations which will be fantastic practice for our elective students.

Japanese Film Festival

Staff and students were able to enjoy the Japanese Film Festival last weekend here in Coffs Harbour. The Jetty Theatre played host to 3 movies including an animation and two dramas based on Japanese life.

Current and past students of SJPC came along on the Saturday and watched the animated film, “Children of the Sea”. We spoke to them about what they thought of the movie:

“I enjoyed the movie. It showed how the Japanese think about the environment. Although the ending was a little strange.” Henry

“It was an interesting movie and I learnt a lot about friendship. It also showed me a lot about Japanese culture.” Grace

“Children of the sea was a beautiful and imaginative film that entranced me with its mesmerising visuals and compelling characters. The story was confusing at times, but the film was still a thoroughly enjoyable experience that I’d love to see again.” Eloise

Staff attended the other two films with “Born Bone Born” definitely the favourite amongst everyone.

Kirsten Binnie
Leader of Learning - Languages

Welcome Year 7

It was fantastic to be able to welcome the new Year 7 students along with their parents and families last week. We have not had the opportunities for parents to take an active role in the College for a while now and by supporting your children on their first day it’s given them a solid start to their time at SJPC.

All students need to make positive adjustments to high school and classes so that their wellbeing is maintained and their learning is coherent and continuous. Some of the ways we try to support our students to make successful transitions is by helping them to develop a sense of themselves as competent and capable learners characterised by: 

• a ’can-do’ attitude and sense of self capability,
• resourcefulness and resilience,
• strategies to deal with challenges,
• independence,
• skills relating to others such as listening actively, being tolerant and cooperation, and
• a sense of contribution to school and community.

In their first week, Homeroom teachers were able to deliver a range of activities and information sessions to attempt to establish a sense of understanding of some of the procedures and processes involved for students and members of the SJPC community.

One of the most influential aspects of school environments is the extent to which students feel connected while they are at school and via our peer mentor program we are trying to establish these connections. This began with our Year 10 students running some games and activities with homerooms and will form an important step in our peer mentors getting to know the year 7 students better. This will continue throughout the term and next week we will have our annual ‘Belonging Day’ at Boambee Creek Reserve where we will develop these friendships further between the peer mentors but also the Year 7 cohort.

It’s been a week full of new and exciting experiences and the students should be learning how to read the timetable, move confidently around the College, organise themselves with the correct materials, and start to get to know their teachers and fellow classmates. The transition to high school is never easy but with the support of the homeroom and class teachers, along with their families, it's been a fantastic start to now being a vital part of the SJPC community for all of our new Year 7 students.

As always, please contact the College, your child’s homeroom teacher, or myself if you have any worries and concerns.

Mark Coster

Year 7 Leader of Student Wellbeing

Year 8

Hello and welcome to Year 8 2022

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself and invite all Year 8 parents and carers to be part of the journey through to Year 12 2026.

My name is Tony Abbotts and I will be the Leader of Student Wellbeing for this group for the next 5 years.

I have been a teacher at SJPC for the past 20 years after teaching for 20 years in the Primary school system. I am currently in the PDHPE department and this group of young men and women will be the 6th year group I have had the pleasure of leading.

After meeting with the group for the first time last week I am really excited about the potential of this group and I’m looking forward to walking alongside them as they develop their identity over the next few years.

As I have shared with each group I have worked with, my philosophy is very simple - respect one another’s right to be different, own your actions, make decisions you can be proud of, and  be a participant not a bystander.

My experience over the years tells me that Year 8 is always a difficult year. From growth spurts to friendship break-ups to establishing their independence, it is usually a case of 2 steps forward and 1 step backwards and requires a unified effort from home and school to support them through this developmental stage of their life.

As parents and carers I acknowledge your position as role models and supporters of your children. I welcome any inquiries you may have throughout the year which are productive in supporting your child develop into a responsible and positive adolescent. 

Looking forward to a strong partnership with you and your child.

Tony Abbotts

Year 8 Leader of Student Wellbeing

Year 11

The beginning of a new chapter

It is with such excitement and joy that I have returned to the College as the Leader of Student Wellbeing for Year 11 2022. 

I left for parental leave when the students were half way through year 9 and I am shocked at how much they have grown and changed over the last year and a half. I have enjoyed re-connecting with them and am eager for what the future holds. 

Their first week back as seniors has been a smooth transition. I felt so proud of each and everyone of them as they walked into the College in their new white uniforms. 

This year will be a year of change and growth. New uniforms, new teachers and new expectations yet there are still so many things that remain the same. Their mission of why they belong at St John Paul College, their teachers and their friends. 

I asked the cohort a really important question which will continue to guide us over the next two years - how do they want to be remembered? I look forward to the next two years of their senior school life, one which I know will be full of memories, goals, hard work and achievement. 

As always, I welcome your enquiries and can be contacted at: alana.johnson@lism.catholic.edu.au or alternatively by College phone (02) 6653 3155.

Alana Johnson

Year 11 Leader of Student Wellbeing

Year 12

YEAR 12 FUNDRAISING

Valentine’s Day - Love is in the air at SJPC!

Students will be able to order gifts for their friends and loved ones at recess and first half lunch in the canteen area until next Tuesday. When purchasing you will be given the option to buy from yourself or anonymously. EFTPOS will be available. Items will be handed out during the morning of Wednesday 16th February.

Prices 

Single items:

Roses $2 each or 3 for $5

Songs $3

Love Heart Lolly bags $2

Chocolate roses $4

Ring pop proposal $3 

Love Heart lollipop $1

Packages 

Small - cupid package $10 *save $3*

• 3 roses 
• Love heart lolly bag 
• Song 
• Ring pop proposal 

Large - sweetheart package $15 *save $7*

• 6 roses 
• Love heart lolly bag  
• Chocolate rose
• Ring pop proposal 
• Song

This year in addition to our annual Valentine’s Day event, we will be holding a Valentine's Day love song quad jam to be held on Tuesday 15 February. Students are encouraged to bring in coins to donate and vote for the winner. The performance that earns the most money will be crowned the love song quad champion! 

In purchasing an item and contributing to the quad jam you will be helping us raise money for Coffs Harbour Men’s Resource Centre and CanDo Cancer Trust.

So let’s all spread the love this Valentine's Day by spending some money for a good cause.

Swimming Carnival BBQ

On Friday at the swimming carnival our Year 12 Fundraising team successfully ran a sausage sizzle to raise much needed funds for our chosen charities Coffs Harbour Men’s Resource Centre and CanDo Cancer Trust. They also raised funds from the teacher’s race so thank you all for donating to these special causes. A big thank you to Big Country Meats and Banana Coast Hot Bake who once again donated sausages and loaves of bread for our charity BBQ. We really appreciate your generosity!

Charity Golf Day

Teams are filling fast for this annual event to take place on the 20th March at Coffs Golf Club. Thank you to all those businesses who have kindly sponsored our event. If you would like to sponsor a hole please contact Mark Sultana by email mark.sultana@lism.catholic.edu.au. We are also looking for small prizes like vouchers, umbrellas, caps, hats, etc so if you are able to donate any of these items please feel free to drop them off at the College Office.

Mark Sultana

Year 12 Leader of Student Wellbeing

Welcome back to school! We hope you are feeling refreshed after your holiday, Denise and Andrew enjoyed being with family and spending time in our beautiful rivers and ocean.  

We are excited to see all the students returning. Many of our students are excited to see their friends and start their new subjects. As part of the Pastoral Care team we are working to ensure that our students feel supported as they return no matter what challenges they are experiencing.  

If you would like to find out more about your College Counsellors please click on the link to the St John Paul College website College Counsellors

Welcome to another year in the Library at SJPC

We are almost ready to move into our new Library. Staff have been busy moving resources and arranging furniture in our amazing new space. Keep an eye on Facebook and this newsletter for photos.

Our library offers a large number of resources, both physical and digital.

Students can login with their username and password to access Oliver our library catalogue. They can see what resources we hold in the library and what resources they have borrowed.  As long as a resource is not overdue, resources can be renewed by students. We also provide access to a number of electronic resources.  Overdrive provides access to eBooks and audiobooks. Digital video content is provided by Clickview Online 

We subscribe to the following electronic databases: World Religions Online, Ancient & Medieval History, Modern World History, History Reference Centre, Australian/NZ Reference Centre, Australia/New Zealand Points of View, Literary Reference Centre, Science Online and Science Reference Centre. These can all be accessed from the Homepage on Oliver.

Homework Centre 

Unfortunately the Homework Centre will not be operating Weeks 1 - 4 this year.  You will be informed if this closure will extend past Week 4. When it reopens it  will operate after school until 5:00 pm each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Students must be collected from the College by 5:00 p.m. Occasionally we are unable to keep the library open but students will be given adequate notice via Daily Notices and will be able to contact parents if necessary. 

A wide range of students make use of the Homework Centre. Many come who are highly motivated and want to take advantage of the quiet space and resources to get their work done. Other students come needing help with particular assignments while others come to review class work. Students who are working on group assignments are also welcome. 

The Homework Centre has been of great benefit to the whole school community. It is hoped that this year students will again take advantage of this service. 

Printing 

Students are credited with $20 printing credit each year and are charged 10c for black and white and 50c for colour copies. Documents can also be scanned and emailed or saved to the student's Google Drive. Extra printing credit can be purchased from library staff. 

A student library card is needed to print and borrow resources from the library. Year 7 and new students have been issued with a temporary card. If a card is lost, replacements can be purchased from the library for $2. 

Overdue Resources 

Thanks to the many students who searched for missing library books over the holidays. However, we still have a few outstanding resources from 2021. Please have another look for these missing resources. Please remember that students are responsible for any resource they borrow from the library.  Students may not borrow for 2022 until 2021 resources are returned. Please email sharon.brennan@lism.catholic.edu.au if there is an issue.

Sharon Brennan
Teacher Librarian
Leader Learning Technology

All things Literacy, because Literacy matters in all things

As Literacy Coach at SJPC, Maree McKelvie endeavours to work in-class coaching and mentoring teachers in evidence-based practice to improve their impact on student learning, with a particular focus on literacy skills across the disciplines. 

This position aligns with our whole college goal to ‘Increase students' achievement in literacy’ and presents a targeted approach to literacy in Stage 4 (Years 7 & 8). It commits SJPC to a relentless focus on explicit teaching and high expectations for all students.

This initiative sees a whole-school approach to the implementation of actions to improve student literacy outcomes. Professional learning and further building the capacity of classroom teachers to improve their practice in literacy will be embedded across the College.

Mrs Maree McKelvie has introduced her role to Year 7 & 8 students and will collect writing samples from all Stage 4 students in the first weeks of this term. This will form part of the data used to indicate students’ current skills and literacy needs and guide teacher professional learning to ensure progress for all students.

Another initiative is our vocabulary focus across the college. Our ‘word of the week’ will be shared with staff and students in the daily notices and with parents in the newsletter. We hope to develop in students a thirst for new words.

Word Wise Week 2

Jubilation noun

DEFINITION - feeling of great happiness and triumph

ORIGIN - Late 14c. Old French, jubilacion meaning rejoicing, and Latin iubilationem, a shouting for joy

IN A SENTENCE - The beginning of a new school year is an occasion for general jubilation and celebration.

Word Wise Week 3

Comply verb

DEFINITION - to do what is asked of you; to conform or adapt; to act according to someone’s wishes or rules

ORIGIN - early 14c. ‘To carry out, fulfill; Old French, compli 

IN A SENTENCE - To comply with school rules is to show integrity and selfless respect for others.

Maree McKelvie

High Potential & Gifted Learners Program

New to St John Paul College in 2022 is the role of High Potential & Gifted Learners (HPL) Coordinator. This role is designed to extend students who, by virtue of highly-proficient abilities, are capable of complex creative, lateral and critical thinking. Forming a fundamental cornerstone to our 2022 College goal (to increase student engagement in their learning), the aim of the HPL program is to identify, support and challenge students whose intellectual, creative and/or social-emotional potential extends beyond that of their peers. The support activities of this program, both within and beyond the regular College program, will enable our HPL students to realise their intellectual and academic potential and the contribution they can make to themselves, the College community and society.  

The coordinator of the HPL program is Mr Aaron Dewhurst. Mr Dewhurst comes to St John Paul College with extensive experience in the education sector. He is a passionate English teacher and fundamental to his personal and professional values is a belief in the transformative power of education, especially for students of high-intellect, and the value of academic endeavour. His most recent experience includes Clarence Valley Anglican School, where he previously held the position of Director of Teaching & Learning/Head of Campus, and the Country Universities Centre (Clarence Valley) where he was the Academic Skills Advisor, mentoring university students in their studies.  In both of these roles, and throughout his career, he has enabled the provision of academic opportunities for students of all abilities, especially high-potential learners.

As we prepare the HPL program for 2022, we would like some feedback regarding similar programs that have been offered in the past. We invite parents and students to provide feedback, via the following form, by Friday 18 February.

HPL Program 2022 - Feedback

Stage 5 Textiles Competition

Last Year Georgia Bath, who was then in the Year 9 Textile class, entered a competition run by the Technology Educators Association titled ‘Textile Art Piece Challenge’.

Originally all submissions were to be sent to Sydney by the end of September however, due to Covid, the date was changed to late December.

Judging took place over the holidays and Georgia was very successful in gaining 3rd place in the Stage 5 section.

This is excellent news for Georgia!

Congratulations on an outstanding project Georgia!

Susan Haley
Textiles Teacher

Welcome to 2022 at SJPC and I hope your children are settling in well. Our Faculty would like to welcome Carla Snow who is joining us from Grafton. Carla is an ex-student who excelled in a number of sports at the College. We also welcome Matt Fowler who is our PDHPE and Sport trainee.  

Uniform Reminders

Parents please note that online timetables are now displaying when students have prac in our subject. This will hopefully reduce ‘out of uniform’ issues. Please read through the ‘Guidelines for Practical Classes in PDHPE’ section in your child’s diary in the front section. The guidelines have not changed in 2022. Year 7 parents in particular please make yourself familiar with these. They are also a timely reminder for other parents. If students have prac period 1 or 2 on their timetable they may wear their full sport uniform to school and change into their school uniform at recess. If students have prac period 5 or 6 they are allowed to wear their sports uniform home.

Beep Test

Students in years 7 -10 have been participating in the multi-stage fitness test or ‘beep test’ as it is more commonly known. The idea behind completing this task is to promote and assess aerobic or cardiovascular endurance.  We have started an ‘honour board’ in the PE staffroom that recognises the boy and girl with the highest score in each year level. We understand that not all students will do well in this test, but encourage everyone to attempt to improve their result throughout the year and set themselves a realistic goal.

Male Beep Test Norms

Female Beep Test Norms

Kurt Marle
Leader of Learning - PDHPE

College Swimming Carnival

Friday 11 February turned out to be a glorious day for the College swimming carnival. Despite the need for certain restrictions like sitting in year groups instead of House groups, movement being restricted by physical barriers and being separated from the public and family spectators, the day was a great success. We had humourous visits from 3 ducks who kept wanting to get into the action with the swimmers, a hard fight teacher race which was eventually won by Kelly house with Mr Goswell storming home and a full program of relays to finish the day. The House Captains lead all the houses with passion and determination and the level of participation in both the Championship and Novelty events was high across the whole College. It was wonderful to have the Year 12s at the carnival for the whole day and their fancy dress efforts were outstanding and amusing!

As always, the competition for Champion house was close, going down to the relays. In the end, McAuley pulled ahead by 2 points taking the carnival and resulted in Mr Furey, House patron, being pushed into the pool in celebration!

Results

1st - McAuley

2nd - Kelly

3rd - Casey

4th - Hargraves

Age Champions

12 years - Harper McIntosh and Jemilah Booth

13 years - Jake Wilson and Josie Straw

14 years - Jaxon White and Cooper Andrews

15 years - Riley Woods and Jade Newton and Eliana Straw (joint)

16 years - Loki Marchant and Riley Andrews

17+ years - Rhys Mulholland and Lily Betland

Thank you to the amazing staff from the College, the Coffs Harbour Memorial Pool staff and the Coffs Harbour Swim club who were all instrumental in ensuring today ran smoothly.

Students who finished first or second overall in their event (not their race) will be eligible to represent the College at the Diocesan Swimming championships in Lismore on Thursday 10 March. Students are encouraged to check the Palace noticeboard for results on Monday and attend the swim team meeting in the Hall at lunch on Monday.

2022 Dio Secondary Swimming Carnival 400mtrs Freestyle Application

2022 Dio Secondary Swimming Carnival 400mtrs Freestyle Application 156.29 KB

Representative Sport Information

• The Diocesan Touch, League and Open Football (Soccer) trial nominations are almost closed. Please see the Diocesan Sport website and the attachments for details on each of the events. 
• CSNSW-Sport are in need of qualified referees for the CSNSW-Touch  championships at Nelson Bay (Tuesday 29 March). This is a pathway sport. If your child is interested in becoming or developing their Touch Referee skills, they need to see Mrs McAra in the Palace early next week.  
• The Northern Selection Trials for under 16 girls rugby league will be held at South West Rocks on the 16 March (see attached). Please be aware that the girls need to play tackle rugby league or have attended the Katrina Fanning Cup. This is not a come and try day but a selection trial to select a Northern Team to attend further selection trials in Sydney. The registration process is live now on the Lismore Diocesan sports website. (See attachment for further details).

Families are reminded to regularly check the CSNSW sport website (CCC tab) for information about the individual pathway representative sports open to our students.

Danielle McAra
Sport Co-ordinator

Study Skills Handbook

Our College access details are:

School’s Username – stjohnpaul

School’s password – 89success

A St John Paul College Community outreach support project giving the gift of education to a small, rural and isolated Catholic community located in the village of Kawalazi within the tribal area of Chinyakula in Malawi, Africa.

It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of Chief Chinyakula shortly after he suffered a stroke in late December, 2021. He was Head Chief, since 1985, of eleven villages in the Chinyakula District, one of which is Kawalazi. He will be sadly missed by his community as well as his friends here in Australia. He brought vast improvements to Chinyakula, especially in the establishment of schools and the promotion of education. He was a great supporter of the work of the Kawalazi Development Project and he was instrumental in the establishment of the Nursery School. He will be succeeded by his son Chrispine Lwani. We believe that Chrispine is also a very good man and he will be supportive of the continuation of the Kawalazi Development Project.

Thank you once again to all of the supporters and sponsors from the SJPC Community who have given the gift of education to 70 Secondary Students and 90 Primary Students as well as supporting the Women’s Agricultural Chicken Project and the Girls Arise Club.