7 November 2022 - Newsletter (Vol 39 No 17)

Like many parts of pop culture, Australian culture adopts practices from other countries and slowly integrates it into our psyche and way of life. Halloween and all its images and symbols has, over the last decade, become a staple in our shops and advertising during the end of the month of October. Did you know that Halloween is in fact deeply rooted in Christian observance?

The following extract has been taken from The Christian Origins of Halloween by Justin Rouillon.

‘The secular version of Halloween as we know it was heavily commercialised in the early and mid-20th century, with much of the celebration having its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Soh-nn).

Samhain celebrated the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, the dark time of the year that was often associated with death. The Celts believed that at this time of year the gap between the spiritual world and the physical world would draw closer – a thin place where humans walked in two worlds, and where the ghosts of those departed would be more likely to return to.

This is where much of the modern, secular versions of Halloween come from. But for centuries before its commercialisation, Christians observed the holy days of All Hallows (Saints) and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2. All Hallows Eve (October 31) was reserved for the remembrance of family members who had passed away, along with prayers and fasting ahead of the feast days’.

Regardless of our spiritual affiliation and beliefs, we all have ways to honour those family and friends who have died. As we celebrate and observe All Saints and All Souls day this week, I invite you to also reflect on Jesus’ ultimate gift to all of us, his death and resurrection for the Salvation of all. Take time this week to remember and pray for those who have died, especially those who have had an impact on the person you are today.

Here at the College I will certainly be reflecting on the past staff and students whose names are on the rock in our memorial garden.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Michael Carniato
Principal

As we approach the end of the 2022 school year we come to the realisation that this is the first ‘normal’ year for our students in some time. Covid has meant that the last couple of years prior to this was a mixture of attending school and blended learning. A full year of attending school can be very tiring and stressful. In my position I hear many statements such as ‘My child is not coping with the workload’, ‘My child is not coping with their friendship group’ or ‘I’m having trouble coping with school and part time work’,  just to name a few. ‘Coping’ describes any behaviour that is designed to manage the stresses and overwhelming feelings that come with tough situations. By learning and developing positive coping skills in their teenage years, your child will build resilience and wellbeing and be set up with an important skill for life. It’s also important to understand the difference between positive and negative coping skills, and how these strategies can have very different long-term results.

Positive coping skills will help if your child doesn’t cope well with stress, your child often feels overwhelmed or your child’s health and wellbeing are negatively impacted by stressful events and difficult emotions.

Being a teenager isn’t easy. The teenage years are accompanied by a number of stressors and significant life stages. Throw into the mix the hormonal changes that accompany puberty and an increasing need to fit in with their peers, and it’s no wonder that young people often find their adolescent years stressful and overwhelming. To tackle the difficulties that come with being a young person, it’s crucial to encourage young people to develop positive coping strategies. Positive coping strategies increase long-term resilience and wellbeing. In contrast, negative coping strategies usually only produce a helpful distraction in the short term, a band aid solution. For example, using drugs and alcohol may provide temporary relief from difficult emotions, but reliance on this strategy can lead to substance dependency and abuse. This is why a focus on positive coping skills is crucial in maintaining long-term wellbeing or resilience. Resiliency is the ability to ‘bounce back’ from a difficult situation. Resiliency allows us to withstand adversity. It is important for our young people to learn from their experiences and cope confidently with life’s challenges. As parents we can foster resilience in our children by encouraging and more importantly, demonstrating ourselves having a positive attitude, being optimistic, having the ability to regulate emotions and seeing failure as a form of helpful feedback. Resilient teenagers are able to control their emotions in the face of challenges such as: physical illness, transitioning from primary school to high school, managing study workload and exams, change in family make-up (separation and divorce) or change of friendship group, to name a few. Resiliency can be taught through practising positive coping skills. If you wish to find out more about this important topic go to:

helping your teenager develop positive coping skills and resilience strategies.

Until next time:

PAT Assessments Year 7-10

Over the past two weeks, students from Years 7-10 participated in Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) in Science, Mathematics and Reading. These 40 minute online tests completed during lesson time, have been designed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

PAT tests are designed to assess each students’ current capability against the appropriate standard for their age. Unlike NAPLAN, the PAT assessments are run each year in Term 1 for Yr 7 and in late Term 3 for all Yr 7-10 students. 

PAT also has an advantage by having instant results given to teachers. There is no student/parent report but rather providing staff key data in student ability across all junior years. 

As student data is available to the College as soon as the student completes the test, it is a valuable and researched based source of information on each student's development. As a College, we can immediately use PAT data towards better understanding each student in Science, Maths and Literacy. 

The College also uses the results to track each student's progression from year to year, noting what potential misconceptions reoccur. This information is then used to better tailor our teaching programs, communication with students on their goal setting and in the celebration of growth.

The PAT testing process is explained to all students by teachers and should be not seen as a stressful pass or fail assessment. The College does not promote unnecessary attention to the testing process, instead, students are encouraged to view the tests as a way for teachers to learn more about their capabilities and for the results to encourage better learning programs that will help them improve.

As data becomes more important to our learning and teaching goals, it makes sense for our staff to increase their data literacy to best serve our students and encourage student engagement.

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

“To promote the Catholic tradition with a focus on the Gospels”

Another busy start to the term! How quickly the weeks are racing by and so, let's take a moment!

We often consider what makes our College a special place, a Christ-centred place of education where students are nurtured in their faith formation. And it’s much more than Catholic Studies’ class content, where a rigorous curriculum supports student knowledge and understanding of what the Catholic Church is all about. And as Father Peter Rebellos reminded us recently in his homily , we need to work together with families who are at the very heart of their children’s faith formation: we are walking together. 

Staff strive to lead by example through actions and words, discussing their faith and encouraging students to consider their own faith journey. We need to meet our students where they “are at” on their journey, with the ultimate aim of deepening their relationship with Jesus, which was the theme of last week’s Gospel reading: “Lord, I leave the doors of my heart open, please enter in.”

Bishop Gregory eloquently framed the aim of Catholic education during his speech at the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony, noting that we should be asking the question, “what kind of person do you want to be?”. The qualities of integrity and care for others are so important, and he urged us NOT to be “less than you (we) could be”. The formation of people and being WHO God wants us to be are at the heart of our College, and developing a close relationship with God is essential to these aims. 

It is wonderful to have our chapel open again after many weeks of hail-repair work, and it is certainly looking resplendent with a new roof!  We are really blessed to have such a beautiful sacred space to be nourished within.  We have missed having our Friday morning staff Prayer Fire before school in the chapel, emphasising the need for a “moment” spent with God, before the start of a busy day. Staff come together in scripture and prayers of intention. Sunny mornings in the chapel are a bonus- it is such a peaceful place. 

Feel free to join our Tuesday morning 9 am Mass in Chapel, too, where members of the parish community and parents are always welcome. We have a rotation of classes attending Mass each Tuesday morning, sadly with some gaps due to Chapel closure and priest availability. 

I have included prayers for World Teachers’ Day (28 October) All Saints’ Day (1 November), and All Souls’ Day (2 November) reminders of supporting our staff and reflecting on the many wonderful Saints throughout history.

As we hurtle towards the end of the year, let’s not forget to take  a moment!

“A Church which “goes forth” is a Church whose doors are open.” 

(Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 2013)

Prayer for World Teachers' Day- 28 October

Giver of all wisdom and greatest of all teachers,

Look upon our teachers with love

Grant them the resolve to nurture our eager minds

and to never give up on us who fall behind.

Bless their hearts for they rejoice

when we succeed and encourage us when we fail

And bless them with gentle patience

for the path of learning is never easy

Kindle a spirit and passion in them

it is the flame that ignites the love of learning in us

Help them see the potential in each student

Their belief in us means much more than the grade we make

Instill in them a commitment to keep on learning

It shows us to not fear new knowledge and experiences

Inspire them to touch the future

They influence how big a dream we dream for ourselves

Bless our teachers who have come before

For their work endures to this day

Let the light of your example shine upon all teachers

To build up with their words

To love with their mind

To share with their heart.

Amen

Prayer for All Saints’ Day- 1 November

Bless the many parted souls who lived their lives with grace, 
Bless the saints in heaven, gathered in that special place. 

May we tell their stories and remember all the ways they lived their faith and spent their days. There is glory and reward, even if at first there’s strife.
Oh, blessed saints, you help us see a path that’s to eternal life. 

May we always hold them dear and know their life and place.
May we know their inspiration and aspire to their grace.

What’s Happening In Our Parishes? 

For further information to our associated parishes please use the links below.

Here you will find ways to join with the local community, specially planned events and times for reconciliation and Masses. 

St Augustine's Parish including St Francis Xavier

Mary Help of Christians Parish 

Janine Sawtell
Leader of School Evangelisation

Finance

2023 Fee Assistance Scheme Application Form SJPC

2023 Fee Assistance Scheme Application Form SJPC 420.96 KB

The Catholic Schools Office Fee Enquiry
Ph: 6653 1655 - Mell and Tess
Office Hours: 8:30am to 4:00pm
Email: cofhs-fees@lism.catholic.edu.au

Uniform Shop Term 4 Closing Date & 2023 Holiday Trading Dates

EMPOWERING PARENTS TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN

Elevate Education webinars continue into November. There are only 3 webinars left in the series this year, focussing on;

1. Stress and Wellbeing
2. Resilience
3. Setting Up for Success in 2023
   
   

The webinars run live online from 6:30 pm – 7:30pm. The presenter will share key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q and A so that you can ask questions directly, with the next webinar occurring in Week 5.

Wednesday 9 November @ 6:30pm (AEDT) 

How to Help Your Child Manage Their Stress & Wellbeing

Register for free using the link below, Elevate seminar registration link

Year 12

The HSC examinations finished this week and students celebrated this milestone by attending their formal.

Year 11

Thank you to all those students who have joined the 2023 HSC Curriculum Matters Classroom through which all communications regarding your final year of schooling will be disseminated. Your proactive response demonstrates your readiness to take on the challenges of the next 12 months.

Week 6 signals the beginning of in-school HSC assessments. I encourage students to either pick up a Term 4 and weekly planner from the Curriculum Office or download a copy of each from the 2023 HSC Curriculum Matters Classroom.

Year 10

As you are aware, all Year 10 students returning to SJPC received their Stage 6 Confirmation packs this week.

Please read and check the documentation carefully and return the signed checklist to the Curriculum Office by Friday 11 November.

Once again thank you to all those families who have informed us of changes in regard to 2023 enrolment. We appreciate you understanding how important that information is to our 2023 planning.

This time of year can be very challenging for Year 10 students as they prepare for entry into either the workplace, TAFE or Stage 6 study in 2023. Over the coming weeks students will need to complete a number of NESA mandated requirements in preparation for Stage 6. We are aware that students sometimes lose focus and feel anxious about the future at this time. Maintaining routine and consistent standards, along with goal setting, will help students maintain the focus and energy required to complete their Year 10 studies and attain the best possible RoSA grades on their first formal academic qualification.

Year 8

All Year 8 students received their 2023 Elective Confirmation letters this week. We did our best to accommodate all elective requests. Please forward any queries to Ms Brown in the Curriculum Office.

Claudia Brown
Leader of Curriculum

As we get closer to the end of the year, we would like to let you know about some changes in our counselling team. After three years, Andrew is moving on from St John Paul College at the end of the year. He is going to take up a position as School Psychologist with Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth.  

Andrew says:

I have enjoyed supporting our students at St John Paul College. I am grateful for being able to work with the staff at St John Paul College as they help our students learn and grow. I would like to express my thanks to all the parents and carers for the opportunity to assist your children and to help you in your important role as their parents. I leave with lots of memories of assisting students and families, as well as being part of the school community from witnessing the Year 12’s break the tug of war rope to coming runner-up in the staff handball competition. Thank you, I wish you all well for the future. 

We would like to welcome Brad Poidevin, who will be the full-time College Counsellor in 2023 with Alessandra Isgro our part-time counsellor.

Hi, I’m Brad and am excited to be introducing myself as the new school Counsellor for 2023. I’ve worked in high schools for 20 plus years in a variety of roles including teaching science, special education, behaviour programs and wellbeing. For the last 6 years I have been working as a school counsellor in local primary and high schools and look forward to joining the team, getting to know everyone and building positive relationships with our students, staff and families. 

For the rest of Term 4 Andrew and Alee will continue to provide our counselling services. Andrew will be working Monday to Wednesday at the College and Alee works Tuesdays and Thursdays. You are welcome to contact our counsellors by email or call 66533155.  

Andrew Hart andrew.hart@lism.catholic.edu.au
Alessandra Isgro alessandra.isgro@lism.catholic.edu.au 

Andrew Hart & Alee Isgro

Over the past few weeks, we have been fortunate enough to have some University students from Japan assisting in our Junior language classes. These students are in Coffs Harbour until the end of year and are studying English while they are here. 

Our Year 8 and Year 10 classes were able to spend some class time talking to the students in Japanese and getting to know more about Japan, especially the northern island of Hokkaido which is where the students are from. 

There were lots of laughs and friendships made with some students already having spent time outside of school with the students doing activities such as ice skating at the Big Banana.

Kirsten Binnie
Leader of Learning - Languages

During the week Mr Sultana’s Year 8 Science class performed a chicken wing dissection as per the Science program. Students learned about the particular parts of a chicken wing and identified their functions /uses. All students benefited from the valuable experience and completed the task successfully. Well done 8F!!

Nick Burke

Leader of Learning - Science

Year 9 PASS Outdoor Education Excursion

Last week 70 Year 9 students traveled to the Nymboida River for an overnight excursion as part of their Outdoor Education unit. Under very difficult conditions students completed a rotation of activities which included rafting, laser tag and orienteering. A big thankyou to Mr Haworth, Mr Coster, Mr Moore and Mrs Johnson who accompanied them on this excursion.

Year 9 Sport Performance & Exercise Studies - SCU Sport Science & Allied Health Experience

Year 9 Sport Performance & Exercise studies students visited Southern Cross University to explore additional practical applications of their learning. Students were provided with excellent opportunities to discover health and movement principles in a range of new and unique settings, while also exploring potential career opportunities in Sport Science and Allied health related fields. Thanks must go out to Gurpreet, Kate and Josh from SCU's health sciences faculty for hosting us and Mr Gregson for his organisation of this valuable experience.

Kurt Marle
Leader of Learning - PDHPE

CCC Basketball

Our amazing Basketballers headed to Bankstown on Sunday 30 October in preparation for the Combined Catholic Colleges Junior and Intermediate Basketball Championships. 

Both the Junior boys and girls were strong in their pools, putting together some solid wins and some narrow losses. Despite some excellent results, the confining draw meant that they did not progress further. Thank you to Mr Tim Davis and Mr Michael Hewitt who coached these students each week, sometimes as early as 7am in the morning and who accompanied them to Sydney.

The Intermediate girls took the Championships by storm, amassing a massive 104 goals after only two 20 minute games on the first day. The ladies were impressive in both skill and determination and their steadfast sportsmanship was a credit to them despite their dominance. The ladies fought hard in their quarter final and semi final, which set them up for a tough, sea-sawing game. Skill and tactics saw them pull away to beat Xavier High from Aulbury 26 to 23 in the last 2 minutes. To be crowned CCC Champions is a fine result from such a wonderful team. 

Thank you to Mrs Trish Furey who was devastated not to attend the tournament with the girls as their weekly training and strong preparation resulted in their spectacular win. Mrs Carolyn King generously stepped in to help me in my manager role down in Sydney so that I could undertake the task of coaching the girls - a job that was a joy to do!

Well done to all, you made our College proud!

NSW Netball Cup

Our 7/8 girls travelled to Homebush to represent the Mid North Coast in the NSW Netball Cup finals. The top 8 teams from the whole state converged on Netball Central to determine the champion school in NSW. Despite some struggles with the floor surface, our girls fared well, notching up some pleasing wins and some heartbreaking losses. Mrs Tanya Slaviero (Coach) and Mrs Alana Johnson (Manager) were very proud of how the girls handled the challenges and overcame the disappointment of taking on some very tall and well-skilled teams from the Sydney region. Well done ladies, and a massive thank you to the coaching staff for their time, energy and care.

Diocesan Volleyball

The Diocesan Volleyball Carnival was held in Coffs harbour on Friday 14 October. The carnival was well attended by Diocesan schools with as many as 12 teams in a division. We had a team entered in each division, with varying degrees of success. 

Junior Boys > A great effort by the boys who played really well against some strong teams across the Diocese. Unfortunately, no finals for the boys despite their efforts against some tough teams. A great team to coach at the recent Diocesan Volleyball Championships. Mr Fowler

Junior Girls > The girls were agile, determined and fierce in their play, to go through to the cross over finals. Successfully winning, they took on St Mary’s Casino in the final, unfortunately going down to a very strong and well drilled team. They were a pleasure to coach. Mrs Furey

Open Boys > Fantastic effort by the boys who performed well above expectations and managed to dig out some tough wins and one close loss in the rounds. This put them through to the semi final, but they went down in a close one to the eventual winners. Great enthusiasm all round and a pleasure to coach. Mr Harrison

Open Girls > The ladies had a wonderful tournament, going through undefeated into the crossover finals. Despite their best efforts, they ended up going down to St Mary's Casino by 1 point. The team was a dream to coach and a pleasure to accompany to the Diocesan Volleyball Championships. Mrs McAra (substitute coach for Mrs Johnson)

Year 8 OSSA

The boys are currently undertaking training in surf safety at either Park Beach or Sawtell Beach on Wednesday’s during sport time. This is a compulsory activity for students and a vital life skill for our children who live in a coastal town. Students are gently encouraged and taught the skills they need. Parents are encouraged to insist their children attend as they will have the opportunity to increase confidence and knowledge when dealing with the water.

Students must also have a rash shirt, swimwear (school shorts are not acceptable) and a towel each Wednesday.

9/10 Sport Selections Term 1

Our Year 8 and 9 students will soon undertake the sport selection process to choose their sport for Term 1 2023. A meeting will be held with both Year 8 and 9 on Thursday 10 November. Students will be briefed on the process and requirements when selecting. A letter will also be distributed to families through the Compass system outlining the process and due dates. 

Please note the following dates as changes to sports and late payments cannot be accepted after the dates listed below.

Coming Up

Danielle McAra
Sport Co-ordinator

Today four of our Year 10 students attended a regional “GRIP Leadership Conference” at the local Coffs Harbour C.ex club. There were many innovative strategies presented to the crowd of 150 students from local schools to energise and inspire their students to engage their generation in healthy school life initiatives. Flynn Oates, Koko Nichols, Riley Andrews, and Payton Lawler were our student leaders who attended, and were personally inspired to develop student-led participation in school events such as sporting days and community pastoral events in our college calendar.

Jon Baldwin
Teacher

The session aims to:
- Strengthen understanding of how young people can be affected by change and uncertainty
- Build skills and strategies to support young people who are navigating change
- Identify signs that young people may need additional support
- Build awareness of local, state, and national supports available to young people
- Following the webinar, all those who register will be supported by a digital pack of information that will be sent out via email within 5 days after the event.