House System
HOUSE STRUCTURE AT ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE
St Joseph’s College runs a vertical system of Homeroom groups. Each homeroom has students from Years 7 to 12 who stay together as a group for the six years that a student is at the College.
The aims of this system are to:
- Allow students the opportunity to develop a significant partnership with their pastoral leader/homeroom teacher.
- Develop leadership opportunities for all students through mentoring in homerooms.
- Allow interaction across all year levels and throughout the College.
- Provide small homeroom sizes and involve more teachers in pastoral care responsibilities.
- Strengthen the House system so students have a real pride in the College community. Students participate in a range of activities in their house including masses, assemblies, feast days and sporting events.
- Allow the progress of the student to be mentored throughout their whole College life so that effective career, subject and personal counselling can be given.
- Allow teachers to develop a close relationship with the families of the students in the homeroom
CHISHOLM
Motto: “Standing Together in Strength”
Caroline Chisholm’s (1808–1877) pioneering humanitarian work saw her touch lives across the world. Caroline established schools for soldiers’ wives and daughters in India before the family relocated to the New South Wales colony in 1838. After witnessing the hardship endured by immigrants arriving in Sydney, Caroline independently set up homes for young female immigrants and expanded her efforts to create an employment office which helped to place more than 11,000 people in homes and jobs in Sydney. Caroline also organised a government-approved system of shelter sheds to assist prospectors and their families in the Victorian goldfields. Many educational institutions have been named in Caroline Chisholm’s honour, and she appears on the Australian five-dollar note.
MacKILLOP
Motto: “Dare To Dream”
St Mary MacKillop (1842–1909), also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, is Australia’s first saint. A remarkable woman of great courage, compassion and resourcefulness, St Mary inspired great dedication to the less fortunate in the new colonies of Australia. Devoted to educating the children of the poor, she opened the first St Joseph’s College in a disused stable at Penola in 1866. After many young women came to join her, she founded her own order, the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Mary’s institutions were some of the first of their kind founded by an Australian. She opened orphanages, shelters for the homeless and refuges for ex-prisoners. St Mary MacKillop’s legacy has extended far beyond its humble beginnings in Penola. Today, members of her order continue her work in Australia, New Zealand, East Timor, Ireland, Peru and Brazil.
McAULEY
Motto: “Respect All, Fear None”
Catherine McAuley (1778–1841) was an enlightened Christian ahead of her time whose work embodied the ideals of modern social justice. She founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831 and used her own inheritance to build a house on Baggot Street in Dublin which acted as both a school and a refuge for those in need. The Sisters of Mercy came to Victoria in 1857 and founded our college in 1905. Today, the Sisters of Mercy preserve Catherine’s vision and ideals in more than forty countries, including Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Canada, India and South Africa.
PADUA
Motto: “Passion and Power”
St Anthony of Padua (1195–1231) was born in Portugal to a wealthy family and asked to join the priesthood at age 15. He became a Franciscan friar and travelled to Morocco for a short time to preach the Gospel. After he returned to Europe, Anthony became a celebrated preacher, using his rich, commanding voice and his ability to clearly explain any topic and skilfully instruct all types of learners. St Anthony’s intelligence and charisma allowed him to achieve great feats in a remarkably short time. He is particularly renowned for performing miracles involving the finding of lost people and objects. Less than a year after his death in Padua at age 35, he was canonised and became known as the patron saint of lost things.
XAVIER
Motto: “Courage Under Fire
St Francis Xavier (1506–1552) was born in the Kingdom of Navarre in modern-day Spain. At university in Paris, where he succeeded as both a student and an athlete, he met Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. Francis became one of the first seven Jesuit priests and travelled to Goa in 1541. After successful work in India, his travels took him to Japan in 1549 to spread Christianity. In 1552, Francis died of a fever in Macau en route to minister to Chinese Christians. Wherever Francis Xavier went, he left behind flourishing congregations and is recognised as the patron saint of all the Church’s missions.
COLLEGE NEWS
Principal’s Blog – Term One, Week Eight
As autumn marches on, the eighth week of Term held plenty of newsworthy moments at St Joseph’s College. We hosted 109 Grade 5 students from Sacred Heart, St Joseph’s Red Cliffs, and St Paul’s Catholic primary schools on Tuesday. In four fun-filled hours at the Mercy...
Community – Edition 2, 2023
The second edition for 2023 of our College newsletter - Community is now available. IN THIS EDITION OF THE COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE | DEPUTY PRINCIPAL LEARNING AND TEACHING | DEPUTY PRINCIPAL STUDENTS | UNIFORM SHOP | MERCY CAMPUS NEWS | COLLEGE NEWS |...
Mother’s Day Breakfast 2023 – FULLY BOOKED
Students and staff are warmly invited to bring their Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunties and Caregivers to our Mother’s Day Breakfast.
Friday 12 May 2023. 7am start.
Location: Holland Room, Mercy Campus.
Careers Newsletter – Edition 4, 2023
IN THIS ISSUE OF THE CAREERS NEWSLETTER SENIOR NEWS | UPCOMING EVENTS | UNIVERSITY NEWS | ACCOMMODATION | AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE | ADMISSION CENTRE INFORMATION | UCAT | AUSTRALIAN JOBS REPORT 2022 | SCHOLARSHIPS | STRUCTURED WORKPLACE LEARNING/WORK...
Bright Sparks 2023
Exciting free afterschool activities
for all students in Grades 5 & 6!
Bright Sparks gives kids in Sunraysia a chance to discover Science
and spend a fun-filled hour within a safe, supervised environment.
Community – Edition 1, 2023
The first edition for 2023 of our College newsletter - Community is now available. IN THIS EDITION OF THE COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE | 2023 AWARDS ASSEMBLY | 2023 STUDENT LEADERSHIP | COLLEGE ADVISORY COUNCIL | SKOOLBAG APP | DEPUTY PRINCIPAL LEARNING...
ENRIGHT CAMPUS
154 Twelfth Street
Mildura VIC 3500
MERCY CAMPUS
Cnr Riverside Ave
& Eleventh Street
Mildura VIC 3500
LANGTREE CAMPUS
8 - 10 Langtree Parade
Mildura VIC 3500