College Leaders _____________________________Pages

College Leaders

College Captain’s Report

2020 was to be the final journey of our 13 years of schooling. In many ways, 2020 has been a year of many beginnings. Returning to school in October was like starting school all over again. No one could have anticipated or ever dreamed of what would have filled this year. And no one could have predicted the unique impact this had on us individually and as a community. It has given the leadership team an opportunity to consolidate both the leadership structure and the addition of vertical homerooms. This year the importance of being there for not just our Year 12 cohort, but for our house mates from all year levels has been pivotal in how we have banded together as Joey’s boys. Being College Captain this year has been a predominantly silent and unseen role, but it has taught me the importance of leadership by service to others. Besides school athletics and swimming sports, there has been no opportunity for big showcase events. As disappointing as no TriUMPH festival or Edmund Rice Day may have been, the opportunity to stand alongside my peers in the more challenging areas of mental health and isolation are what I have found most significant. Watching emerging leaders find their calling in such a complex set of circumstances has been truly humbling. I am proud to be able to reflect on the culture of St Joseph’s and what it means to be a Joey’s boy. We have a strong sense of identity showing the College values of Compassion, Innovation and Integrity. Building on this we have strived to guide students to be ‘Strong in mind, gentle in heart.’ This year we have embraced the vulnerability that comes with such uncertainty and continue to build resilience that will see us tackle future challenges with confidence, knowing that we are not alone on our journey. This has been a partnership. I want to acknowledge the role Matthew and Jolyon have played in helping to pilot such unfamiliar territory. The support, compassion and mateship that the three of us share is one of the greatest gifts that this year has provided.

Freddie Dripps, College Captain Deputy Captain’s Report

Throughout our time at St Joseph’s and particularly in this last crazy year we have had a tremendous amount of support from a number of staff who have done so much work behind the scenes to help facilitate the initiatives and aid in the ideas of our student leadership team to come to fruition. So thanks are in order for making our time at St Joseph’s and in particular our time as leaders so very special. To Mrs Drever, Mr Querella and Mr Crook, on behalf of the entire leadership team we would like to express our gratitude for the continued support throughout the years. Thank you for the commitment and dedication you have shown in the leadership team and continuing to challenge us to become the best leaders we can be. To Mr Paatsch and Mr Kennedy thank you for not only being great role models but great advocates in what we have wanted to achieve as a leadership team. You always had your doors open (when we were actually on Campus) and never let an email go unanswered if we had any questions or we needed steering in the right direction. To Ms Gleeson who has supported the Year 12s, not just leaders but the entire year level in the extremely tough year it has been. Your incredible work does not go unnoticed and we are so thankful for the support that has come our way as we finish our time at St Joseph’s. As a leader for the whole of Mt Sion you are truly inspiring and have allowed us to become the best men we can be.

To the House Leaders – Mr Hale, Mr Walsh, Mr Prendergast, Mrs Flint and Mr Holt, we admire your dedication to your positions and the passion to strive for a greater House and school culture. Through the work that you have done over the last couple of years you have created a passionate House spirit which is welcoming and supporting and allows boys to reach their potential. To the Class of 2020, we have been thrown an absolute curve ball this year. Through all this we have come out the other side as greater men and have taken this unprecedented year in our strides. Thank you for being role models, peers, supporters, teammates and most of all great mates. We could not ask for anything more and the bond that we have forged since the beginning is one that will never be broken.

Jolyon Simpson, Deputy College Captain

Deputy Captain’s Report

I think I can speak for the whole leadership group when I say that 2020 was not the year that we had planned. For many of us the year that promised celebrations, hope and excitement was quickly swept away for something unrecognisable. Tasked with the role of leading in a year like no other, the Leadership Team evolved into something never seen before, setting up various Zoom meetings, videos and online challenges to bring us all together in a year that attempted to keep us apart. The many leaders, including my fellow Captains Freddie and Jolyon, exemplified the definition of a true Joey’s Boy. I cannot speak higher of the 2020 Leadership Team for their courage to adapt and keep the SJC spirit alive. Being a Deputy College Captain has been a rather humbling experience this year. While it was my goal to develop connections with each and every student at St Joseph’s, I am rather disappointed to reflect that I wasn’t able to achieve that goal. Building connections and relationships cannot be done through a screen, which shows the true value of the little moments that are often overlooked by us all. I believe this year has shown that leadership is not about who is able to give the best speech, who has the most friends or is who deemed most popular. This year has shown us that every single one of us are leaders in our own right. True leaders this year were those who were there for their mates during the tough times, and I believed many of us at SJC stepped up to the challenge. While I am so incredibly grateful for my time at St Joseph’s, I believe myself and the Year 12 cohort are ready for our next adventure in life. While I am truly saddened leaving SJC, I am confident that the next group of leaders will carry on the tradition of what it means to be a Joey’s boy.

Matthew Issell, Deputy College Captain Justice & Solidarity Prefect’s Report

The coronavirus is a life force, an organic being that morphs and changes like our own desires and whims. We are not fighting a war against a biological entity. We are not taking up arms against a living thing. We are learning from it, letting the virus be our teacher and accepting that we humans are its humble disciples. If the world is our classroom, then Mother, earth is our teacher and we are the students. The Australian continent and the globe more broadly, from the Andes to Antarctica is undergoing a climatic upheaval that threatens the existence of multiple species around the planet including ourselves. We are passionate about this issue and want to make a carbon positive contribution to this school; that is to ensure St Joseph’s, as the largest Catholic boys school in Geelong, fosters a healthy environment both amongst the student body itself and in our local ecologies. St Joseph’s is an institution with a great deal of potential to be at the cutting edge of the groundswell in this sphere. With the Barwon River situated below the school, the coast not far away and with a view looking out over Corio Bay and the grassland plains, we have a unique geographic perspective on the diverse ecosystems that sustain us as people. To make the most of such inspiring surrounds we feel it is integral to instill a cultural attitude of regeneration and ecological awareness. Thus, the school plans to implement in the near future methods that will reduce the amount of plastic in student lunches, engage the cohorts with nature and the soil through vegetable gardening, tree planting and other programs, whilst also cultivating a political consciousness in the students regarding action on climate change. We understand that not all the students who attend climate strikes will be exemplars of how to live a truly harmonious existence, cohabiting with nature but we feel that St Joseph’s has a great deal of people power to harness. Justice and Solidarity is the name of our Touchstone and we feel like this is synonymous with having justice for all races and indeed all life. We want to stand in solidarity with our brothers, sisters and fellow species on the planet. While the dilemmas humanity faces are serious and daunting we realize that it is basic human connection with nature and other people that will perpetuate our existence. Thus, we want to help make St Joseph’s a leading example in good regenerative practices and natural awareness.

Patrick Day, Justice & Solidarity Prefect

College Leaders

INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY & HOUSES

2020 presented us with many challenges. Starting off the year strong the St Joseph’s community came together to fill an entire mini bus full of long-life items and toiletries for victims of the 2019 bushfires. What started as a rainy summers day, then turned into an absolute ripper for the SJC Swimming Carnival with Butler taking out the top spot, followed closely by Jordan. The Manu Bomb was a crowd favourite on the diving boards. Butler had a cracking start to the year and came into Athletics Day as red-hot favorites. However, Brophy’s energy was too much for the other houses to handle, ultimately proving the deciding factor as they came away with the win, cementing themselves as a dynasty in the memories of students for many years to come. Term 1 ended prematurely with the school community stunned by the announcement that Term 2 would be undertaken remotely. Upon returning, the Year 12 cohort came together and held lunchtime sessions where we could open up about our feelings, and as quoted by many, it was the most powerful collaboration within a year level that we had ever seen. We became more than just a year level. We became a group of strong young men, who had come together with one goal, breaking down the stigma around men’s mental health. A team of students, staff, old collegians, dads, uncles, brothers and nephews were brought together during the Stage 2 lockdown by the Mullets for Mental Health campaign. Led by Year 11 Student Anton Ridgeway, the Headchecks team raised over $26,000 for mental health services provided by the Black Dog Institute. The group gained attention with notable characters such as The Streets Barber, Eamon Sandwith from The Chats and Andrew Scott from Surf Trash who offered their services to boost awareness for the cause. In October, we saw a light at the end of the tunnel as we returned to school for a final few weeks together, with many of us no longer looking forward to major milestones and events but looking forward to enjoying time and experiences with our mates for the last time. Any normal person would say 2020 has been the worst year on record, yet as a school we made it one of our best. From the darkest times the brightest in everyone emerged, as we mingled with other year levels and made new friends we managed to turn a bad situation into a learning opportunities and made lasting memories along the way.

Callum O’Leary, Foley House Captain Jack Farrow, Brophy House Captain Lachy Shoemaker, Inclusive Community Prefect

Westcourt leaders BBQ Mullets 4 Mental Health

Athletics Day Bushfire Appeal

College Leaders

Year 11 Touchstone Leaders

Terry Goodkind once said, “If the road is going easy, you’re going the wrong way” and this statement certainly rings true for the peculiar year that is 2020. There have been many tragedies that have struck our school this year and unfortunately, all year levels have been affected in one way or another. However, if we dissect these hardships, we also find many opportunities to grow, be happy, and nurture newly formed bonds of friendships. A consistent theme across the year has been a collective admiration for the strength of the Joey’s community as we have pulled through, and not only made it through the year, just scraping by, but rather undeniably matured, learned and progressed as young men. One of foremost principles of why the students have been able to maintain resilience, has been how well so many of the young leaders who don’t yet have a badge contributed to the many different programs lead by student leaders which aimed to help students digest the adversities of this year and will continue to do so moving forward.

During wellbeing periods, professional psychologists and staff have spoken to us and facilitated discussions that enabled an understanding that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, providing all students with pathways to keep striving for the highest. The Student Leadership team have developed several initiatives with the focus to change the stigma around asking for help and reiterate our belief that it is not weak to speak. These programs have assisted students to check up on their friends and look after their own physical and mental wellbeing through the foreign experience of home learning and isolation, demonstrating every situation truly is what you make of it.

The obstacles faced throughout 2020 provided everyone, not just the SJC community with an opportunity for growth, and we are able to proudly say these challenges did not define us, but rather helped forge the strong bonds felt between the Year 11 cohort as well as across the school.

We look forward to the 2021 school year, and we are confident it will be one to remember, stay safe and God bless.

Oscar Morrison, Thomas Brooks & Benji Mangar, Year 11 Touchstone Leaders Year 10 Touchstone Leaders

Despite the difficulties of COVID-19 and online learning, the student leadership team continued to ensure fellow students were maintaining good mental health practices. Restrictions had not allowed us to simply go to a friend’s house to check up on them, so we had to adapt. As a group, the leaders brainstormed and produced several activities and forums. These included creating a year level Facebook group, which allowed boys to engage with each other and share positive messages. The team produced several videos, which focused on the importance of going beyond social media to check up on your mates. Remote learning study tips and cyber safety tips were also emphasised. In the short amount of time we had at school, the team had big impact in bringing the year level together by presenting actions we can take as a group to form a closer cohort. We were able to attach ourselves to established events like RUOK day to focus on Mental Health and checking in on your mates with the goal to stay connected. One of the focuses from the school throughout online learning was utilizing time for exercise. The wellbeing program, developed by the PE faculty, was a massive hit with everyone. The engaging and fun program kept students busy and healthy. The Leadership body also tried to drive getting out as much as possible, encouraging ‘running 8 with a mate’ on a few occasions along with many other initiatives. The wellbeing program ensured students remained in a good mindset and ready to learn. This also enabled, in some cases, being able to meet up with a mate to get some exercise, which was vital in enjoying your time at home.

Patrick Fitzgerald, Arden Cunneen and Willem Sanders, Year 10 Touchstone Leaders

Toilet Rejuvenation Project

Women’s T20 World Cup Final for International Women’s Day