Joeys Year 7 2018

Getting into the festive spirit up in the dorms.

As part of the College’s Christmas Appeal, Year 7 have been asked to donate items for newborn babies up to 8 year olds. The items will then be donated to the St Bakhita Centre. St Bakhita’s is a pastoral care centre and meeting place for the Sudanese Australian Catholic Community and is located in Homebush West.

If your son would like to donate an item these could be placed neatly under our beautiful tree.

Congratulations to Xavier on receiving an award for Academic Excellence. Xavier was absent when these awards were presented at the Headmasters Assembly last week.

Last Monday, the Resources Centre in collaboration with the Japanese department hosted a Manga Madness Festival in the College library. The festival was a big success with staff, students and special guests all having a wonderful afternoon, while celebrating the manga tradition and all things Japanese.
We welcomed over 50 Year 6 students from Villa Maria Primary School to help us celebrate this event with our Year 8 Japanese elective students. The festival was a huge success with staff, students and special guests all having a wonderful afternoon celebrating Japanese culture and the manga tradition.
Mrs Xouris spoke to the students about the importance of manga in Japanese culture and its long and complex history in early Japanese art. The students were treated to manga drawing lessons conducted by manga artist and author, Matthew Lin, as well as origami and calligraphy lessons. The students also participated in Cosplay, and enjoyed dressing up in a range of character costumes from Mrs Xouris’ extensive collection. Derived from the phrase “costume play”, cosplay has become a very popular pastime amongst teenagers and young adults in Japan and this tradition is spreading worldwide.
Matthew Lin also ran advanced Manga drawing lessons after school, which was attended by many Year 7 and 8 students.
This annual event aims to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of Japanese traditions and culture and judging from the enthusiasm by staff and students, it most certainly fulfilled its brief.
The boys were invited to enter a manga drawing competition, which was judged by our visiting artist. Matthew Lin was impressed by the standard of art work created by our boys and awarded prizes to the following boys:

Rumtin Abediasl
Jack Cullen
Tristen Seeto

Aidan turned 13 last week

Ollie turned 13 on Saturday

Max turned 13 on Monday

Family Mass:

The boys are to be seated in the Hall by 9.45am for a 10am start. They are to wear their Full Blues to this. The Mass will finish at 11am approx. upon which the boys can head up to the dorms to get changed into casual clothes quickly. It is suggested that the boys bring in a set of casual clothes over the next day or two and leave them in their press in the dorms.

Spring Fair:

The Fair will begin at 11am. As mentioned above the boys can get changed into casual clothes for this. The dorms will only be open for a limited time and will not reopen until 4pm. The main building will be locked and all boys will not be able to enter it from approx. 11.30am until 4pm. I will remind the boys of this today but you may also wish to do the same.

Dress: Neat casual clothes with shoes.

A roll call will occur just before 4pm. Once their name has been marked off, the boys will be free to leave.

This Friday the SJC OBU will host a commemorative Mass and luncheon to honour all Old Boys who have been involved in conflict and for those who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of their country.

At 11.00am, the bells of the College will ring out, as they did across the Western Front and around the world, heralding the end of what the world hoped would be the war to end all wars.

As a feature of the commemoration of Armistice and Remembrance Day 2018, ‘The Poppy Project’ has involved our community. It is estimated more than 6000 poppies have been received. The depth of feeling that went into the making of these poppies, and the stories of families who participated in remembrance of someone they knew who has served, represent the love, honour and respect of those who participated. These are now displayed on the Circular Lawn and on the cross in the Chapel.

With the support of the Religion and TAS departments, the Resource Centre has had each student from Years 7 to 11 attach a poppy to the cross or a stem to a poppy while acknowledging the name and date of the fallen, often a member of their family.

With home games at the College this weekend, there will be limited parking on the College Grounds. There will be no parking until 2.30pm.

With the Spring Fair this Sunday there will also be no car access Sunday morning.

At the Headmasters Assembly today, Fr Gavin led the College in prayer. He began by informing the students that Thursday November 1, is All Saints Day. You will be pleased to note that Fr Gavin refereed to you all, the parents, as Saints!!! How accurate he was.

Fr Gavin then discussed that All Souls Day is celebrated on Friday November 2 and that this is a time to stop and reflect on our loved ones who have passed. The Year 7 boys will have the opportunity both in the Religious Education classes and in some free time, to write a message to someone special to them that has passed. The boys can place this message in the All Souls chest in the Chapel. Fr Gavin with then bless these messages.

All Saints Day and All Souls Day stem from the belief that there is a powerful bond between those in heaven and the living. November is therefore a very special month and a time for us all to remember and pray for those who has passed.