24 July 2014

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s News

Dear Families of St Joseph’s School,

Welcome back to Term 3. This term is traditionally a very busy one, so I do hope everyone is well-rested after the break.

I was very eager to return to school after a seven week secondment to the Catholic Education Office. While the work I was doing was interesting and hopefully useful, there’s nothing quite like being back at school. Schools are dynamic and life-giving environments, and I have a sense of being revitalised since my return.

Next week marks Catholic Education Week. This is one of the high points in the calendar of Catholic Education, as it represents an opportunity to celebrate all that is great about our Catholic school. As parents who have chosen a Catholic school for your children, you know the special difference that a Catholic education offers, not only to students, but to all those connected with our Catholic school family. As a Catholic school, we have a very clear mission, bestowed on us by Jesus: to proclaim the ‘good news’. What is this ‘good news’? It is found in the life of Jesus Christ, in his death and resurrection. It is a message of hope that we can have “life to the full”. For students, this means helping them to realise their God-given potential, and to guide them to choose to be proclaimers of the ‘good news’. When we reflect upon the daily experiences at St Joseph’s School, we can identify so many examples where this is made possible for students: the work of our Mini Vinnies, our visits to Carramar, the efforts of our Leo’s Club and all the other initiatives which aim to teach students to look beyond themselves with love and compassion. This is what sets the Catholic school apart: we are invested in forming human beings according to the beliefs and values espoused by Jesus in the Gospel.

Our celebrations commence this Sunday, 27 July at the 8:30am Mass at St Joseph’s Parish. All our families are encouraged to participate in this celebration. Students are asked to wear their school uniform on the day in order to highlight the presence of our school community to the Parish. The Mass promises to be a vibrant celebration and I look forward to seeing you there.

It is also fitting given our focus on Catholic Education Week, to take this opportunity to welcome three new staff to St Joseph’s School. Mr Dwain Macnamara and Miss Gia Nicholson joined the Secondary Campus teaching staff at the beginning of the Term. Dwain and Gia will be teaching predominantly in the area of Mathematics. We also welcome Madonna Brosnan to the position of Teacher-Librarian. Madonna replaces Lesley Grant for Term 3 while she is on long service leave. We welcome Madonna, Dwain and Gia, and we pray that their time at St Joseph’s School is fruitful for them and their students.

Finally, this year our school will be participating in a School Improvement survey managed by Research Australia Development and Innovation Institute (RADII). As well as school staff and students from Years 5-12, all parents are invited to participate in the survey. We hope the parent survey will help us to identify what we are doing well as well as areas for development. On Monday the 28 July RADII will send all parents a personalized invitation to complete the survey online. If both parents' email addresses are on file at the school, the invitation will be sent to both parents. However, the survey will close once the first person has completed it. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. You can complete the survey from anywhere you have access to the internet. The survey will close on Friday, 22 August. We encourage you to be very honest in your responses to the surveys. All responses go directly to RADII so they are confidential and anonymous. When the surveys are completed we will share the findings with you.

Dr Michael McCarthy
PRINCIPAL

Leader’s News

Over the first week of the holidays I once again embarked on what has become for me an annual adventure, the Confraternity Rugby League Carnival, held this year at Aquinas College on the Gold Coast. This is my ninth year with the combined team from St Joseph’s and Assumption Warwick, and each year the actual size of the competition stuns me (I played in this Carnival in 1982 and there were only 8 schools) with 44 schools from across Queensland travelling to compete. A full blow by blow account of the competition can be read elsewhere in the newsletter, thanks to Mr. Dominic ‘Scoop’ Philp. I want to focus today on why so many teachers and parents give up their time on school holidays to attend.

Quite simply, ‘We take away boys and we bring back men.’ Our young men travel away knowing that we are going to play schools with much larger populations, with greater experience and exposure to higher levels of representative sport, and in almost every case, play against students who are physically stronger. Why?

The answer is to be found in the fact that our young men enjoy the challenge, the mateship that only a team sport can provide, the travel together, facing fears of the unknown and the uncertainty of what lies in front of them. For many of our young men the first taste of Confro can be daunting; there are over 850 players from all over Queensland who attend this carnival. This is soon overcome when the boys take the field and play their first game. At the end of each game the teams gather to be spoken to by one of the selectors at the carnival who discusses the match and awards a best and fairest award to each team. It is at this time the Spirit of Confraternity shines through; displayed in the support of team mates and opposition and the encouragement to all players. The comradery that is displayed amongst opposition teams stuns me still.

Our young men support not only their team mates but also players from other schools. The opening and closing ceremonies challenge the students to live up to the loftiest of sporting ideals.

“The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” Pierre de Coubertin.

I am proud to say that the young men of St Joseph’s and Assumption achieved this in all aspects of their week of Confraternity in 2014.

David Fleming
Assistant Principal

School News

Year 3

Last Term, students participated in their first NAPLAN testing and also in the Science and Computer Competitions. Congratulations go to Eloise Knight, Taylah Organ, Ava O’Reilly (Credits) and Kristy Bell(Merit). The students will also be presenting their Biographies they completed last term on a person of Italian Heritage. A big thank-you to our brilliant parent helpers, who continually come in once a week to work with small groups on Maths and Reading Activities.

At the end of last Term, the Year 3’s had special visitors for the last two weeks of school. Alex and Daniella Houwling, Tziana Zorzi’s,( a past student) children, joined our class from Texas, USA, to experience an Australian classroom. Mrs Zorzi spoke to the students about life as a Mum in America and some of the work the twins complete at their school at Beverley Elementary. Our students were fortunate to receive two reading books for our classroom and they were each given a Mickey Mouse lanyard with several badges attached as a reminder of their visit. Tziana also presented our class with two books and a Tutankhamen statue to keep in our Library. We thank Tziana very much for her generous donations and the overall experience of having the twins in our classroom.

This Term is also packed to the rafters with special opportunities to learn more about one another and also to become better at our school work. Students are looking forward to the Athletics Carnivals next week and the exciting opportunity to showcase their work during Catholic Education Week down town. In Geography, they are learning about Australia and its Neighbours and in Science, are excited about classifying animals according to their characteristics in the “Feathers, Fur and Flippers” unit.

Year 11 News

Term 2 was a busy term for the Year 11’s who have been focusing on leadership activities throughout the term culminating in The Year 11 Leadership Camp which was held in at the outdoor education facility “ Emu Gully “ at Helidon , east of Toowoomba . The purpose of this camp was to further develop leadership skills and prepare them for the responsibilities that come with being School Leaders.

The camp activities were built around epic ANZAC events. The ANZAC values of courage, self-sacrifice, perseverance and mateship were entrenched in everything that was done over the time at camp. Activities were based on “real life” events from past conflicts - the Kokoda Trail, Bridge over the River Kwai, The Tunnel Rats of Vietnam , The Siege of Tobruk and The Western Front” and Hellfire Pass. The Night Trek tested the student’s endurance and mateship, with them re-enacting the exercise of carrying an “injured” comrade on a stretcher at night for almost 2 hours through unknown territory. All of these activities were difficult and physically challenging but the cohort came through with flying colours and should be commended for the way they came together as a team. The final day saw the students board the “troop carrier” and head across country to the Paintball field. Great fun was had by all as they attempted to “capture the flag.”

A big thankyou goes to all students for their positive attitude – a great camp!

Term 3 is also shaping up to be a busy term for the Year 11 students who will be focusing on first aid in order to gain their Certificate in First Aid by the end of term. As well, many students will be involved in upcoming athletic events, Catholic Education week activities and Leo’s events.

Mr Armstrong/Mrs Muller
Year 11 Pastoral Care teachers

Year 8 Camp

The grade 8 cohort from St. Joseph’s attended their annual school camp in activities week, staying at Tallebudgera Active Recreation Centre from Monday 23rd June through until Wednesday the 25th. After an early morning start on Monday, students were pleased to wave goodbye to the frosty Stanthorpe morning and aloha to the tropical climate of the Titan’s territory. To say the group was eager to commence activities upon arrival would be putting it lightly and there was a proverbial buffet of them on offer. All students participated in surfing, the giant swing, rock climbing, high ropes, team activities and evasion games with varying degrees of success. However, it was clear that a confidence boost was injected in to all students for just having a go and stepping out of their comfort zone. The two nights were also jam-packed full of good, old-fashioned, sporting struggles with a bit of a hit and giggle on the greens of Mermaid Beach mini golf night one, and a trivia contest night two. Although all of these activities were well received and participation was constant, students also relished the opportunity to spend free time as a group, getting to know each other in a setting outside of the school yard. Students took any opportunity they could to kick the footy, have a yarn and share a joke. Three students celebrated birthdays in the 3 days the students were away so it was an extra treat to be able to share the festivities as a peer group and most importantly get amongst the full sized mud slab cake on Tuesday evening. Overall the camp was an exciting few days for all involved, with the students coming away with an increased sense of friendship, a swag full of confidence and just a few treasured memories to get them through the last couple of days of term. Students are to be commended on their fantastic attitude and willingness to participate; it is this spirit which makes the camp one of the most exciting dates on the calendar each and every year.

Mr Philp

Year 9 Camp – Mount Tamborine

It was a cold winter morning when 37 Grade 9 St Joseph’s students embarked on a journey to Tamborine Mountain. Expectations were high and excitement mounted on the 4 hour trip. This camp was one of the high points in the school year, it did not disappoint as we experienced death-defying and hair-raising adventures at the Queensland Conference and Camping Centre.

The activities ranged from a walk in the park to a leap out of your comfort zone. Team building exercises, survival skills, orienteering and archery were fun and simple however then came the challenging activities. The Flying Possum and The Leap of Faith. The Flying Possum catapulted the individual into the air in a variety of ways. But the most challenging activity for most people was “The Leap of Faith”. This was a high ropes activity that made many people’s stomachs churn. It involved climbing a ladder onto a peg ladder that reached a height of around 15 metres. Once you reach the platform, you have a choice: to either reach out and hit the orange ball, or slide off the platform. This activity allowed many students to defy and overcome their fears.

From chatting in the cabins, joking around, to watching the World Cup together, there was bonding everywhere during the camp. Even the teachers joined in the activities, one highlight was Miss Learmonth ,Mr Way and Miss Di Mauro yelling at the top of their lungs on The Flying Possum! All in all, camp was a great experience for everyone, it taught us life lessons of encouragement, respect and generosity. We will never forget the fun memories that were made.

Contributed by the Year 9 students

Year 11-12 Leadership intro at Girraween

On Tuesday 24th June, the Year 11 and 12 Students travelled to Girraween National Park for a celebratory hike and team bonding session signalling the end of a stressful week of exams. With a combined total of approximately 200 layers of winter clothing, the group exited the bus and experienced Mr Brown’s well-known leadership/safety discussion. They then made their way up the bush track to the base of the Pyramid, and just a little bit further, to experience Mr Armstrong’s Bird’s Eye tour and historical recount of Girraween’s stunning landscape.

The group enjoyed some time atop the rocky face of Girraween’s renowned Pyramid, taking in the beauty of Girraween’s swooping valleys and rolling hills. For safety reasons, the group could not travel all the way to the peak of the Pyramids, so they then made their way back down the track (via several different pathways – much to Mrs Parakas’ delight) and back to base camp.

Although cold, windblown and tired, the Year 11’s and 12’s retreated to the warmth of the school bus in good spirits. After a hectic week of handing in assignments and sitting exams, the group was very grateful to have a relaxing day to experience the beautiful scenery Girraween National Park has to offer.

By Kayla Mattiazzi.

Meet the new staff

St Joseph’s teaching ranks have swelled this term with the addition of three new teaching staff to the Primary and Secondary campuses.

On Secondary, Miss Gia Nicholson and Mr Dwain Macnamara have brought Accounting, Mathematics and Physics expertise with them to the campus, filling a role recently vacated by Mr Miguel Angeles. Hailing from the Sunshine Coast, Miss Nicholson is finding the move to Stanthorpe a new adventure. “I am looking forward to getting to know the area ... the students and their dedicated parents.” She said.

Mr Macnamara is also new to the region spending most of his life in the south east coastal regions. He has extensive experience in practical Science and Mathematics, having taught secondary students in both private and public schools for 7 years, as well as being active in research at University. “My reason for teaching is to give my experience and knowledge to young people; knowledge is useless unless you are prepared to give it away,” said Mr Macnamara.

Ms Madonna Brosnan has also joined the teaching staff relieving Mrs Lesley Grant who has taken long service leave during the 10 week term. “Fortunately for me, Josie Gangemi is one of St Joseph’s longest serving employees, so I have a co-worker who can answer any conceivable query I have,” laughed Ms Brosnan. Madonna has dived into the role organizing the up and coming Book Week and always anticipated parade.

Welcome to all new St Joseph’s School Staff!

Ms Madonna Brosnan and Gia Nicholson

UQ Visit

On Monday 23rd of June, the Year 12’s travelled to Brisbane to tour the campus of the University of Queensland. We understood the campus was big when we got there and received a small tour from Mrs Parakas and Mr Brown which featured many moments reminiscing the good old days. However, when guided by Tim our tour guide it turns out that it was even bigger than we first thought. As an indication I would say as big as the main centre of Stanthorpe. This resulted with most people getting lost during our free time to roam the campus, but after some directions from the students we soon found our way back to the right place.

Overall the Year 12’s gained an insight into the university options they have open to them. Just seeing the sheer size of the campus, getting information about courses, seeing the amazing buildings and just experiencing the atmosphere made the trip worthwhile and for some students, has cemented or changed their decisions to go to the Brisbane University. Thank you to Mr Brown and Mrs Parakas for organising our trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learnt something new (even though I think you both enjoyed it a lot more).

By
Zoe Boccari

Catholic Education Week , 27 July - 2 August, 2014

This annual event is held to promote the special ethos of Catholic schools and to highlight the great things that take place in Catholic schools every day.

The theme for this year’s celebrations is: Come, live life in all its fullness.

This inspirational call is based on the Gospel of John (10:10), challenging those who answer it to “live fully”.

Reflecting this Gospel call, our school, like all Catholic schools, strives to provide a learning experience through which every young person has the opportunity to reach their full human potential - spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, socially, culturally and physically - and know what it means to engage in all that life has to offer.

During Catholic Education Week 2014, Catholic education communities across Queensland are invited to celebrate and share how their communities are encouraging and providing opportunities for their members to “Come, live life in all its fullness”.

There are 296 Catholic schools in Queensland that educate around 143,000 students and employ almost 17,000 teachers and staff, and most will celebrate Catholic Education Week in some way.

Our school is planning a number of activities during the week and we hope you are able to join in the celebrations with us.

Date	Event/Year level	Time/Location
27th July	Mass. All students invited in full school uniform.	8.30am St. Joseph’s Church
28th July	Preps and Year 11 students. Learning activities	9am in the Prep rooms
28th July	Year 1 and Year 11 students. Learning activities	9am in the vacant shop near Zest.
28th July	Year 1/2 and Year 12 students. Visiting business with thank you cards.	9am leaving from the primary campus and walking downtown.
28th July	Year 8. Learning activities.	9:45am in the vacant shop near Zest.
28th July	Year 9. Visiting Carramar (College Rd)	9am depart school on bus
28th July	Year 10. Prepare and take morning tea to SDVP. Package up socks for Winter Appeal.	9.30 depart school and walk to SDVP
29th July	Year 4 Skipping and recital.	Piazza at 9.45
29th July	Year 5 visit to Blue Care	10.30 departing school on Blue Care bus.
29th July	Year 7 Learning activity	9am vacant shop next to Zest.
30th July	Year 3 Learning activity.	9.00am vacant shop next to Zest.
30th July	Year 2. Host morning tea for parishioners	10am in Parish Centre
30th July	Year 6 Learning activity.	11.30 am in vacant shop next to Zest.

Sports News

DAVADI VS GREENLANDS

After an undefeated season it has really paid off with Davadi reaching the City vs Country Grand Final. Captain Jared Hitchener and the vice-captain Lachie Mahoney were getting the team ready for the game. It was an intense first half. Angus from Greenlands started the game off by scoring the first goal. At the end of the first half it was still 1-0. After a few minutes of half time and talking to Mr Fleming we were back on the field. Then a few minutes into the second half Danielle Musumeci scored the first goal tying up the score. Then once again Dani came and scored an amazing goal. Soon after, Angus from Greenlands came up against Davadi goal keeper Ben Armbruster and unfortunately put it in the back of the net. But then with a few minutes left Benjamin Manahan came in and scored the winning goal making the score 3-2 to Davadi. When the full time whistle was blown Davadi knew they had done it and they were cheering with joy and jumping up and down. Then all the players shook hands and walked off the field with the win to Davadi.

Boys Confraternity

“Boys from the country have an advantage when they come to play (Rugby League) at a higher level. They come from having played up in grades and playing against men their whole lives and from my experience, are ready made (For the contest).”

Preston Campbell, the mastermind behind the Indigenous all-stars game, NSW and Country Origin representative, Dally M Medallist and premiership winner, is no doubt a hero to underdogs everywhere especially those playing bush footy. It was these words of wisdom imparted to the self-proclaimed ‘Warriors’ from Assumption College Warwick and St. Joseph’s School Stanthorpe, upon a chance encounter, that will possibly be the lasting memory of the side’s 10th anniversary Confraternity Carnival at the Gold Coast.

Once again it was an early start to a big week of competition on the 29th of June but the bus trip to the 2014 QISSRL Confraternity Rugby League host School, Aquinas College Southport, was a leisurely Sunday drive compared to the Odyssey up North for the 2013 instalment in Townsville. The side set up camp for the week at the Nerang Scout Den and the players again got on board with the team management’s ideology of having the boys come together in camp in order to build on-field bonds. The facilities provided at Nerang were clean, comfortable and cherished by the boys with the camp transforming in to home by lunchtime of day one. The staff and students at Aquinas were just as warm as the team’s temporary lodging and even more welcoming, providing a BBQ dinner (to the tune of about 2000 burgers) for all players, coaches and managers attending the carnival after a thoroughly enjoyable opening ceremony.

For the second year running the St. Joey’s Assumption Alliance nominated to compete in the middle division for this carnival, and when games began on Monday it again became clear that there were to be no easy games throughout the week. The boys tenacity, determination and good old fashioned country ticker was tested in all 6 games for the carnival and shone through on Monday when the boys faced large first half deficits in their 2 opening games. Some Schoolboy rugby league teams may have rolled over like Brazil in a World Cup semi after giving up a first half lead, but the Warriors coalition dug deep and accounted well for themselves by winning the second halves in both of these games against Marist Brother’s Emerald and St. Michael’s Carrara to register their first championship points for the carnival. Tuesday was again a tough day for the lads from South West Queensland as injuries and fatigue began to catch up with the side. Several players were carrying knocks in games 3 and 4 against Columba Charter’s Towers and All Souls/St. Gabriel’s respectively and again the boys struggled to put forward that full game performance that is required in such fierce battles. One of the major disappointments to come out of these valiant defeats was a carnival ending injury to Co-Captain Tim Mahoney. This was Tim’s third carnival and although it was a disappointing end to his career as a confraternity player he elected to stay in camp with his team mates for the duration of the week and continue his leadership role off the field.

It was clear that St. Joey’s Assumption were crying out for the rest day to regroup, recuperate and recover from injury and Wednesday provided the opportunity to do just that with a day highlighted by visits to Gold Coast Titans training, a yarn with Preston Campbell at Cbus Super Stadium and a frolic on Burleigh Heads Beach. In this time away from the grind of rugby league it became more and more clear that this was a special group of young men who were an absolute pleasure to spend time with. Rarely would a more polite or hardworking group of blokes come together in one place and team management was sure that the importance the group placed on work ethic and mateship would soon translate to an on field victory.

With the inspirational words of “Presto” ringing in their ears the boys entered the arena for their most important game of the carnival on Thursday morning: a rematch against Columba College Charters Towers. The Warriors were seeking revenge on the “Ivory Towers” after a tough loss in their earlier encounter. For the first time all week St. Joseph’s-Assumption started quickly in a see-sawing affair, holding the lead on a couple of occasions in the first half before breaking for oranges on the cloudy side of a slim deficit. Any good country team requires staunch defence to take it up to a more fancied opposition and the call at half time was to tighten up the ruck and try to win the battle in the middle against a larger unit. The Warriors didn’t disappoint and began the second stanza breathing fire and reinforcing their defensive line with brimstone. The spirit of Confraternity was strong in this performance and the ability to continue getting up in the face of adversity and never giving up on your team mate meant St. Joseph’s Assumption were able to draw level at 22 all with not many grains of sand remaining in the hourglass. The final and sealing try of the game was possibly the simplest but was a true indication of the type of intestinal fortitude outlined by Preston Campbell just one day earlier. Liam Duncan, one of the smallest players on the field scooted in to dummy half with mere minutes left on the clock and gritted his teeth to carry a couple of Charter’s most towering forces over the line to grab that allusive brass ring that the Warriors had been working for. Final Score - St. Joseph’s Assumption 28, Columba 22.

This was to be the side’s sole win of the week and after running in to a tough outfit from Gilroy Santa Maria on Friday they washed up with an overall ranking of 30th out of 44 Schools. The coaching and management would like to extend their congratulations to all 20 boys who came away for one of the two school’s most enjoyable Confraternity campaigns ever. Special congratulations must be extended to “tourists of the carnival” Zac Hendry and Liam Duncan who received awards for their cheerful and gutsy contributions both on the field and around camp. Finally there must be a special mention for the team’s best and fairest player of the carnival, co-captain, Max Somes who played the game with the athleticism of an Olympian and a toughness that is normally reserved for $2 steaks.

The tour could not go ahead without the support of several contributors. Many parents, carers, families and staff members travelled to The Gold Coast to lend their support to the boys and to all of these welcome additions we extend our thanks. Gratitude is also given to those parents and guardians back in Stanthorpe and Warwick who aided with fundraising, meal preparation and the kind of support that only a country community can provide. Along with family and friends there was also a great amount of work involved from staff members, coaches and managers both in preparation and throughout the carnival, and the team was very appreciative of the efforts of Bob Bell (Coach), David Fleming (Assistant Coach), Mick Mahoney (Trainer) and Mary McLucas (Manager/Team Chef). All of the tourists were especially grateful to Aquinas College for a magnificent carnival, the Scouts of Nerang for the use of their facility for the week and Woolworths and Spano’s Supa IGA Stanthorpe for their support in fundraising. Finally, a very special thanks must be given to all of the team’s sponsors for the year including; KAT Concrete Pumping, Peter Sullivan Building, Austasia Animal Products, Zin Met, Wattles JRL, TOLL, Stanthorpe OZTAG, Stanthorpe JRL, Collegians JRL, Warwick embroidery and screen printing, Crisps coaches Stanthorpe and Fly Guy Brands.

Another extremely successful campaign has come and gone for the team from St. Joseph’s and Assumption and plans are beginning to take shape for another crack at some silverware in Ipswich 2015.

Mr Philp

St. Joseph’s Assumption 2014 Alex Stewart Riley Taylor Zachary Henry Harry Lloyd Connor Brown James Breen Joseph Morris Ben Ranger Tim Mahoney Darcy Williamson Joshua Sharman Max Somes Thomas Jensen Greg Hoffman Ryan Collins Greg Hardy Tom Ryan Kai Robertson Liam Duncan Brodie Matthews Ben LeSur

Results:

Round 1: MARIST COLLEGE EMERALD 26 (Jackson Reynolds, Viliami Paki, Nathan Steyger, Rogan Frawley, Sam Cronk tries; Jackson Reynolds 3 goals) defeated ST JOSEPH’S/ASSUMPTION 16 (Harry Lloyd, Joshua Sharman, Max Somes tries; Joshua Sharman 2 goals) at Aquinas College, Gold Coast.

Round 2: ST MICHAEL’S COLLEGE 24 (Samm Ceballos, Jack Linton, Tristan Evert, Jack Norton, Samuel Italiano tries; Jaydn Whakatope-Stewart 2 goals) defeated ST JOSEPH’S/ASSUMPTION 18 (Joseph Morris, Max Somes, Liam Duncan tries; James Breen 2, Joshua Sharman goals) at Parkwood Sharks JRL, Gold Coast.

Round 3: COLUMBA 28 (Jai Clarke 2, Reece Abbott 2, Hayden O’Neill tries; Martin Brennan 4 goals) defeated ST JOSEPH’S/ASSUMPTION 4 (Harry Lloyd try) at Aquinas College, Gold Coast.

Bowl QF: ALL SOULS/ST GABRIEL’S 22 (Samuel Read, Mitchell Rankine, Clayton Gough, Patrick Galvin tries; Max Allingham 2, Dylan Hastie goals) defeated ST JOSEPH’S/ASSUMPTION 4 (Max Somes try) at Aquinas College, Gold Coast.

ST JOSEPH’S/ASSUMPTION 28 (James Breen, Liam Duncun, Thomas Jensen, Joseph Morris, Max Somes tries; Joshua Sharman 3, Gregory Hoffman goals) defeated COLUMBA COLLEGE 22 (Hayden O’Neill 4 tries; Martin Brennan 3 goals) at Aquinas College, Gold Coast.

GILROY SANTA MARIA 28 (Lachlan Lorosa 5 tries; Joshua Bona 4 goals) defeated ST JOSEPH’S/ASSUMPTION 10 (Max Somes, Gregory Hoffman tries; James Breen goal) at Aquinas College, Gold Coast.

Reminders and Notices

DON’T FORGET YOUR SOCKS! There is still time to donate socks to our winter appeal for St Vincent De Paul. For every pair of socks donated the school will match it will a toiletry item.

LEONARDI FAMILY THANK YOU!

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to the great number of caring people who assisted us at a time of great sorrow in our lives.

We have been overwhelmed by the love and support of everybody, in the way of prayers, phone calls, visits and providing cooking. In particular we would like to acknowledge the amazing generosity of those who contributed to the appeal which was kindly initiated and administered by St Joseph's School, Stanthorpe.

Knowing that so many people cared was a tremendous source of strength, comfort and assistance to us!

While our struggle continues we are constantly encouraged in the thought that so many are there to support us.

May God Bless You abundantly for all your love and kindness to us.

John, Carmayla & Felicity Leonardi & extended families