This morning at assembly the start of Reconciliation Week was marked by some of our indigenous boys. They also created a video which can be downloaded from http://tbf.me/a/CQUeUC.

Books & Blokes Breakfast with Tomas Fleming

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Edmund Burke

And so began a very confronting, poignant and moving presentation by Holocaust survivor and Joeys grandfather, Tom Fleming (formerly Fleischmann). It is hard to fathom that this dark part of our history actually occurred and such incredible evil was able to flourish; hearing the stories firsthand from a survivor was a powerful and overwhelming experience.
Tomas began his story with the family’s capture by the Gestapo after they lived in hiding while assisted by the Catholic Church. He spoke movingly of the final time he saw his father alive, and evoked the atmosphere of fear, horror and uncertainty during transportation across Slovakia and the Czech Republic in a putrid, stench-filled and overcrowded train. In the final years of World War II, Tomas and his pregnant mother Lolli survived arrest, internment at Szered Camp, transportation to Auschwitz and internment at Terezin where Lolli gave birth to another son Peter. Many times he came close to being killed but the incredible fighting spirit of his mother Lolli managed to keep both he and his baby brother alive in Terezin concentration camp against all odds. Tomas is one of only 123 survivors of 16,000 children who went through Terezin Concentration Camp during WWII.
What stood out from his story was Tomas’s incredible resilience, positive attitude, witty sense of humour and ability to adapt. His parting words of wisdom were: “You can’t stay bitter. You only have one bash at life, so try to make something of yourself and have a wonderful life.”

A truly incredible man and a remarkable story.
Our next Books & Blokes Breakfast will be on Monday 22 August, where Stan Grant will talk about his seminal book Talking to my Country. To RSVP click here.

This morning at assembly the 1st XI Football were presented with their jerseys which included Joe Doherty from Year 9. The 1st XI football competition commences this weekend.

The boys are currently making stools with Mr Ross in Industrial Technology Timber.

Da Vinci Decathlon is an academic gala day. Students compete in ten disciplines that connect to this year’s concept, Exploration, and are inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. The disciplines are:

• Mathematics and Chess
• English
• Science
• Code Breaking
• Engineering
• Philosophy
• Creative Producers
• Art and Poetry
• Cartography
• General Knowledge

Boys from Year 9 competing were: Daniel Gibbons, Angus Dermody, Rhys Barrow, Tom Haddad, Jack Lewis, Oliver Sidgreaves, Robbie Matchett, Shae Beynon.

First photos from the Synapse competition today. More photos and details to come.

Year 9 boys involved:

Rhys Barrow
Shae Beynon
Ruestam Bhangal
Oliver Sidgreaves
William Sidgreaves
Daniel Gibbons
Nick Davies
Emmanuel Rimagmos
Thomas Haddad
Jack Lewis
Angus Dermody
Robbie Matchett

The Year 9 FED debating team of Daniel Gibbons, Nick Davies and Robbie Matchett with Julian Visalli at 4th had a win on Friday night which puts them into the semi-final.

Year 9 at Waratahs v Cheetahs.

Joeys Old Boy Ned Hannigan runs on for his Waratah debut as Year 9 boys look on.

Joeys Old Boy and SJC boarding staff member Tom Robertson interviewed after winning man of the match for the Waratahs.

Ned Hannigan talks to the boys and signs autographs after the game.

Year 9 at the Super Rugby tonight. 

“By digesting books, I am creating myself. You are what you read.” Malcom Knox

Reading is the single most important skill a person can master, but it does not come naturally and many people struggle. Reading is a skill that is mastered by practicing, much like mastering any other skill such as riding a bike, playing football or playing a musical instrument. The more you read, the better you will be at it, and the more you will enjoy it. All the research points to a strong positive correlation between time spent reading, academic achievement and long-term emotional wellbeing.

It is critical that children read content they enjoy, to find a book that connects with them and try to spend at least 10 – 20 minutes a day on quiet sustained reading. Before going to sleep is perfect! The staff in the Resources Centre encourage all boys to come to the library to borrow a book and if they are unsure about what to read, we are more than happy to make suggestions. Alternatively, they can view books recommended by other Joeys boys on our HUB website.

Below is a list of the Top 10 borrowers for Year 9 in Term 1. These boys are all well on their way to academic success and emotional wellbeing. Well done boys!

1. Mitchell Hoare
2. Hugh Bokenham
3. Ted Hines
4. Curtis Fricot
5. George Johnson
6. Michael Jones
7. Zac Lawler
8. William Qiu
9. Nicholas Mirow

A quote from Andy Griffiths which for me sums up the power of books…

“For me, books – both reading and writing them – have always represented an opportunity to take a walk on the wild side. To leave the comfortable, well-ordered confines of normality and go to where the wild things are. And not to play with the wild things, but to go inside their minds. To become a wild thing. And to become a wild thing so completely and utterly that, when you shut the book, you have totally forgotten you have even laboured under the delusion that you were a human being.”

Happy Reading!!

Linda Roden | Head of Library
St Joseph’s College | Mark Street, Hunters Hill, NSW 2110 | Locked Bag 5009, Gladesville, NSW 1675
T +61 2 9816 0854 | F +61 2 9817 1208 | E lroden@joeys.org| W www.joeys.org

St Joseph’s College – excellence in boys’ education since 1881

Pictures of the main building taken from the Channel 7 news helicopter showing the posters up in preparation for the rugby games against Riverview.

During Lent the boys were asked to donate money for the College Lenten Appeal which was for La Valla School in Cambodia. We also held a very successful 20 minute recess challenge which was a cake stall for the boys to buy cakes kindly prepared by a number of parents.

The donations have been finalised.  The College raised just under $22,000 in the appeal which will make a massive difference to La Valla school.

Year 9 raised $4,000 of that which was the second highest total in the school after year 12. We are the second smallest year group with just 3 students more than Year 7 which is the smallest. On average Year 9 donated $24.54 per student, which was also the second highest in the school (see chart below).