Dear Year 11 Parents & Carers,
Welcome to Year 11 and particularly to the 15 new families whose sons will commence at Joeys for the first time. Specifically a very warm welcome to Duncan Baxter, Lachlan Cairns, Anthony Chan, Joshua Commins, Edward Dudley, Daniel Duignan, Miles Franklin, Nicholas Henry, Dominic Huggett, Lewis Mullins,
Declan O’Donahue, Robert Sidaway, Jackson Whiting, James Williams, Charlton Wilson and their families. We look forward to you joining the Year 11 family and I am sure your experience at Joeys will be a most rewarding and life changing one.
This makes our number 176 with 72 Full Boarders, 65 Weekly Boarders and 39 Dayboys.
My contact numbers are:
Jeremy Ticehurst 9816 0840 (Phone & Fax number)
Email:jticehurst@joeys.org
Darren Frost is the Year 11 Academic Co-ordinator: 9816 0871 (Phone & Fax number)
E-mail: dfrost@joeys.org.
Please feel free to contact either of us at anytime on these numbers. Both Darren and myself are very much looking forward to reacquainting ourselves with your sons, having looked after them in Year 8. As we said back then, they are a tremendously talented and energetic Year group and we all have great expectations for them as individuals and collectively.
YEAR 11 BOARDING STAFF
We are very fortunate to have an experienced and energetic staff that will look after your sons this year, and you should feel very comfortable and confident in the care which the boys will experience. I will just briefly introduce them to you.
David Drain is the Assistant Boarding Co-ordinator,Mr Bruce Carr, Mr Damian Chase, Mr Mark Conlon, Mr Darren Fitzpatrick, Mr Paul Graziani, Mr Michael McCormack, Mr Matthew Rollo, Mr John Summers and Mr Adam Whalley. We are indeed lucky, as are your boys, to have a wonderful blend of youth and a vast amount of experience in dealing with Senior Boarding students.
YEAR 11 DORMITORIES
As you are by now aware, the College has undertaken significant and extensive refurbishments to convert last year’s Year 10 Dormitories into a magnificent accommodation area for our boys moving into Year 11. Each Boarder will have his own area with bed, desk space and large individual lockers in air – conditioned dorms. You, and your sons will be very impressed. This will enable the two senior Year groups to be alongside each other and work on a similar program which will definitely benefit the boys.
STUDY TIMES
To maintain uniformity throughout Year 11 and 12 the study times will be from
Monday to Thursday –
Session 1 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm.
Break – 8.30pm – 9.00pm.
Session 2 – 9:00pm – 10:00pm.
Friday –
Session 1 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm.
I would encourage you to go through these times with your son so he is fully aware of this timetable of study when he returns. In preparing for your son’s return each Boarder and Weekly Boarder will require having three padlocks and Day Boys two locks. The Boarders will need two padlocks for their Dorm area and one for the classroom locker. Dayboys will require one padlock for the Dorm Press and one for the classroom locker.
FIRST WEEK BACK:
The following is a few things which will hopefully help make this busy period a little easier for you.
MONDAY NIGHT 31st:
All Boarders are due back by 8.00pm on Monday night whether they are Full Boarders or Weekly Boarders.
Day students arrive on Tuesday morning at 8.00am. All DAY BOYS will mark off and have Breakfast each morning commencing at 7.45am being there by 8am from this Tuesday, 1st February. The Day Boys departure times are 5pm, 8.30pm or 9.30pm. I’m sure that “Day Boy” Parents are familiar with the Parent Portal on the Joeys website to inform me of your son’s departure times each week. These times are to be recorded by 9pm on the Sunday night for the commencement of the new week. If you do happen to miss the deadline, please email me directly or even send a note with you son on Monday morning. If there needs to be a change to your son’s departure time on an occasion, please contact me to confirm this request. Could I request the following departure times for all dayboys:
Friday 4th: 9.00pm as all boys will be required to attend the Annual Academic Prize Giving Evening.
Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th February: 9.30pm. I would request this so Darren, David and I can have two nights with the boys to lay down our expectations and requirements of them during evening study. If we set these ground rules immediately it is very much beneficial for the boys. Your assistance here would be greatly appreciated.
UNIFORMS: Please ensure your son brings back his full uniform, both greys and blues as well as shoes. Last year I was quite amazed at the number of boys who would return each term missing their College Blazer or their shoes. The boys will need their Blues twice next week. On Friday night we have the Academic Prize Giving in the Br Emilian Hall from 7.00pm – 8.45pm (approximately). Then on Sunday we have our Family Mass of Dedication in the Hall again and this commences at 10.00am and will conclude at approximately 11.15am. Attendance at both events is compulsory and they are traditional events to commence the new College year. All boys also need to have a set of Good Neat Casuals that include a collared shirt, tailored shorts, pants and shoes. (T-shirts, thongs, track suit pants, footy or board shorts, do not classify as Good Neat Casuals).
HAIRCUTS: Most boys are super keen to “let their hair down” so to speak during the summer break. I trust that when he arrives at Joeys on Monday night or Tuesday morning, your son’s hair will be at the required College standard of cut neatly and definitely no additional colouring schemes (which sometimes do appear). We will have 3 very lively and experienced barbers on the premises on Tuesday morning from 8.00am and if anyone’s hair is not up to standard they will be reporting to Mr Reading and his lively team of barbers and staying there for a good 15 minute appointment.
COMPULSORY EVENTS IN WEEK 1
As mentioned, in the usual busy first week to the Term, I just remind you of two important events that all boys will be in attendance for. Firstly: – The Academic Prize Giving Night for 2011 will be held on Friday evening, 4th February, commencing at 7pm and the Family Mass of Dedication on Sunday, 6th February, commencing at 10am where the boys will need to be in their “Blues” for both events. Of course, all parents, families and friends are most welcome and warmly invited to these events.
OVERNIGHT REQUESTS
For parents of Full Boarders, all Overnights must be requested on the Parent Portal. It asks exactly where your son is staying for his Overnight even though on most occasions it is home or with you (stating the obvious). This leaves both of us in no doubt of where your son is staying. Knowing you have spoken to the parents caring for your son, confirms his welfare and care for the Overnight. It can be found on the Joeys website. www.joeys.org, which is the easiest way to complete such a request. You may also fax the form to me on 9816 0840, post or even hand deliver.
May I please receive all requests for Saturday Overnights by last communications Thursday evening (10.30pm). The Weekly Boarders obviously do not have to request Overnights or inform me of their Weekend Movements as the understanding is that they all go home with their families after their sporting commitments on Saturday during summer.
A FRESH START
My final point is that irrespective of what your son did, or did not do last year, this is a new year. If he had a good year last year, please sit down with him before he leaves to return and have him identify how he is going to take a further step this year. Conversely, if he did not do so well last year, that is forgotten, it is a new year and every person deserves the right to start again. We will help each boy go after his goals, but please, sit down and talk to your son about what he wants to achieve this year and how he endeavours to do this, so he arrives ready to and extract the most out of the year ahead.
As this week concludes everything quickly is taking shape for the return of the boys. They certainly are the heart and soul of the wonderful Joeys spirit. Sam Walker spoke warmly of the boys from Year 10, 2010 and with our new boys joining, we have a great group that I am looking forward to working with. Please, do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any concerns at all. I look forward to meeting you all throughout the year and to all families who are travelling distances to bring your son back to Joeys, please travel safely.
Enjoy the warm weekend weather and Happy Australia Day!
Regards,
Jeremy
Year 11 Boarding Coordinator.
Email: jticehurst@joeys.org
Phone: 9816 0840