Education Support ____________________________Page

Education Support

Lord Jesus open our minds to the needs of our fellow men…

Edmund Rice to Brother John Patrick Corbett, Carrick-on-Suir, 1835 With the challenges presented in 2020, the significance of these words from Edmund Rice some 185 years later still seems unquestionably relevant to the area of Education Support. The effects from the COVID-19 pandemic has not only been extensive in our society but also in the education of our young people. Trying to minimize its consequences for our most vulnerable while meeting their learning needs has been a strong focus for our Education Support Team in 2020. We have 503 students funded through the NCCD (National Consistent Collection of Data) with varying needs ranging from the physical, social-emotional and cognitive, and 39 Education Support staff (either full-time or part-time) providing support over both our Edmund Rice and Westcourt cohorts. Concerted efforts to maintain learning continuity during remote schooling has meant that our Education Support Team have embraced and adapted to new technology platforms and modes of curriculum delivery. This has allowed our Team to best support and enable student education during both remote learning and on-site lessons. Much of this has been done with the added pressures of navigating the remote learning nuances of their own families. I am very proud of their commitment and skill in their roles as Support Staff and acknowledge this support is vital in maintaining a positive connection with many students during this most difficult time. We are again very fortunate to have the dedication of the following teachers coordinating various year levels and overseeing the students’ wellbeing: Jackson Langhorne (Years 7 and 8), Marnie Lunnon-Johnson (Year 9), and Natasha Scanlon (Years 10, 11 and 12); along with Child Safety Officers John Stephenson (Waterford), Luke Parsons (Westcourt) and Kate McLaren (Mt Sion). With our ever increasing need to support students across the College, their vast experience, care and professionalism in working with our parents and students is a living example of St Joseph’s College’s strong commitment to Pastoral Care and our EREA touchstones. In our continually evolving world it is reassuring we can rely on the constant care and professionalism underpinning the SJC Education Support Team. On behalf of all our Team I would also like to take the opportunity to wish all our Senior Students who are finishing their time at SJC all the very best in their future endeavours as they take their place in the world.

Mark Turner, Educational Support Coordinator

Working in Education Working in Education Support general area Support general area

Our Boardroom also offers a separate Our Boardroom also offers a separate space for senior students to work