QUOTE: “Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Be a hard master to yourself – and be lenient to everybody else!”
Dear Parents/Guardians;
The honeymoon period is definitely over as the work load of Year 11 starts to kick in. All boys returning at the start of the year with the new found vigour and commitment are seeing their resolutions tested. All of their varying commitments from Study, Music, Drama and Sport plus other extra-curricula commitments have seen our boys facing new adult like responsibilities of planning and time management. All very real and important lessons that come with being a Senior at the College.
In the last Newsletter we celebrated the academic success of twenty-two boys at the conclusion of last year. Though not every boy can come first in his chosen subject, every boy can obtain a Study Effort award. These are awarded each term to boys who have shown outstanding EFFORT in their studies.
This is what Joeys is truly about. We want all of our boys to give of their very best effort. It doesn’t matter where they come but as long as they have done the best they can, as our motto states: Strive for Better Things. Congratulations to the following boys who received Study Effort Awards for term 4, 2010:
James Allan, Henry Birtwistle, Henry Brindle, Mackenzie Broom, Ben Carolan, Oliver Coorey, Harrison Gould, Cameron Haddad, Matthew Hall, Maxwell Hall, Oliver Hartnell, Magnus Heywood, Max Honner, Thomas Laban, Michael Lawler, Tim Litherland, Henry Maher, Conor O’Gorman, Clancy Pattinson, Daniel Picone, Sean Quigley, James Quinn, Andrew Raumer, Jason Ren, Seth Turnbull and Allan Wu. All these boys are to be congratulated for having showed Excellence in Effort in their class work in Year 10, Term Four, 2010.
At the Headmaster’s Assembly, Mr Ross Tarlinton spoke to the boys and told them that at times in their lives they will be called and challenged in particular ways, both individually and in groups. How we respond to these challenges individually and as a community can be important to ensure others are safe and reassured. Sometimes we are called to help total strangers. Late last year, an ex – St Ignatius student, died tragically when he took his own life within the College grounds. This occurred on a Saturday which resulted in their Yr 11 Semi-Formal having to be rescheduled to a different venue, not an easy task, especially at 3.00pm in the afternoon before the occasion. However the night was relocated to our College Hall with the assistance and energies of many of the Joeys community and yesterday, the present St Ignatius College Captain, Callum Ryan and Vice Captain, James Tooth, came along to thank Ross and the Joeys community for their help during this tragic time. Callum said that one of the mottos of Jesuit education, being “Men and women for others”, was exemplified through this occasion and that the St Ignatius Community wanted to express their gratitude and thanks for the efforts of the St Joseph’s Community which enabled their special night to go ahead. Something, very important for the Year 11 students.
Ross then asked our boys that during times of desperation to always remember the extraordinary love their parents have for them, and urged them to reach out and ask for assistance during these times. He also implored them to always check on a mate, who they perceived to be struggling, to see if he was O.K, and it was their business to do this. Very important lessons for our young men to take on board.
Max Hall, played a magnificent piece of music for the College to enjoy and you can watch his tremendous performance on our blog by clicking on the picture below.
Each Friday afternoon at about 4pm, four of our boys go along with Ms. Helen Smith, to help serve the evening meal to the guests at the Matt Talbot Hostel for Homeless Men, in East Sydney. This practice has been running for well over 
twenty years where four Year 11 boys go each week. It is an important component of our Social Justice work in Year 11. The stories they come back with each Friday evening are really wonderful. On their return to the College at around 6.30pm they share a meal together having a de-briefing, discussing their experiences and swapping stories. They then proudly wear their volunteer name tags around for the rest of the evening. Lewis Mullins, Robert Kwan, Ben Chaplin and Curtis Witt were our first group to go in on Friday, 11th February, and spoke to the rest of the boys of the great experience they all had.
All of our boys will have an opportunity to help serve at Matt Talbot throughout the year.
Today James Goldie, Callum Flitcroft, Harry Mooring and Daniel Hughes will enjoy experience. I will put the names of the boys in the Newsletter each week who attend. Make sure then you catch up with your son and chat to him about it. Their stories are very animated and are true witnesses of the great power of volunteers. (As a postscript to this; there are old boys today who still drop in at Matt Talbot to lend a hand to serve the guests meals, coming from their busy corporate worlds to help.)
In sport, I am pleased to say all boys are involving themselves fully and this is extremely important so that they keep the balance between classroom, study and physical activity. If you are concerned about your son’s involvement in sport, and I am not alluding to selection issues here, but simply that he is fully involving himself and is receiving the opportunity to do so to his ability, please do not hesitate to call me and I will look into it. A special mention to the 1st X1 Cricket and 1st V Basketball teams who had strong wins last weekend against Kings. The 1st X1 scored 165 runs, with Declan O’Donahue top scoring with 67 runs and last weekend the boys bowled Kings out for 161 with Hamish Bartlett and Ben Rodgers taking 3 wickets each. The 1st V had a strong 62 -34 victory over Kings with Andrew Hookey top scoring with 14 points. Although our 1st tennis were soundly beaten by Kings, they played extremely well and Maurice De Costa, played a most admirable match in his singles against some top class opponents. This weekend’s Sports fixtures are attached and there will be some exciting matches with most of our teams playing away against St Ignatius.
The plans for the Year 11 Dinner are progressing well and it promises to be a great night. It is very much for the parents to meet their son’s friends and respective parents. The boys are busily organising the tables of 9, 10 or 11 people for the evening to have a meal together and for your sons to entertain you with music and video highlights of the year so far. The RSVP for the Dinner have been going well, please reply as soon as you can, if you have not already done so. If it has slipped your mind, could you please send in a note and payment to Mrs Rose Unwin first thing next MONDAY morning, 21st February.
Take care and enjoy the weekend with your families.
Regards
Jeremy Ticehurst
Yr. 11 Boarding Coordinator.