St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill

Our recent Winter Sports Rally celebrated the exceptional athletes and teams who gave their best in true Joeys’ spirit throughout our winter season. Here are some snapshots from the night!

Get ready to row! Following its successful launch last year, Joeys is hosting the 24-hour Row for Mental Fitness from 10.00am, Thursday 12 September through to 10.00am, Friday 13 September, with all funds raised going to Gotcha4Life. By participating or donating, you’ll be making a difference in the lives of Joeys boys, their families and communities across NSW. Show your support for mental wellbeing and row towards a healthier, happier community by signing up or donating via the links in our bio.

An exciting new faith in action initiative, Dignity For All, has commenced for Year 8. Throughout the term, two mentor groups each week spend a day building empathy by getting hands on and helping others. Their day begins with morning Mass, followed by a visit to KidsGivingBack, to learn about homelessness in Sydney and make a meal for those less fortunate in the Cook4Good program. They then engage in a faith-based reflection and make blankets for the same cause. This is a rich opportunity for boys to develop their moral compass, gain a deeper sense of gratitude and bond as a team for a good cause. Our heartfelt appreciation to Angela Menassa, Year 8 Leader of Wellbeing & Formation, and Daniel Moussa, Youth Ministry Coordinator, for their dedication to this new initiative.

Our public speakers are on fire this year, winning the prestigious Saint Marcellin Champagnat Oratory Award at the 32nd Marist Schools Australia Oratory Competition! We were thrilled to be a part of this incredible event, showcasing the talent and passion of students from our Marist community. According to Lara Le Febvre, Convenor of Debating & Public Speaking, our secret to success is “delivering speeches that are authentic and from the heart”. Congratulations to the entire team: William M (Y12), Justin W (Y11), Jordan E (Y10), Joseph S (Y9), George O (Y8) and Nicholas S (Y7).

Happy Father’s Day to all the incredible fathers, grandfathers and significant men in the lives of Joeys boys! Today, we celebrate your support, guidance and love, that help shape our boys into compassionate and confident young men. Thank you for being such an important part of our community!

Congratulations to Seamus S (Y12) on receiving the Archbishop’s Award for Student Excellence. At a recent ceremony held at St Mary’s Cathedral, Seamus was commended for his dedication and commitment to service. Throughout his years at St Joseph’s College, Seamus has served as a liturgical leader and a musician during weekly masses. As a recipient of the Marcellin Champagnat Award, he consistently offers his services to both the College and the community. Despite his numerous accomplishments, Seamus remains humble and genuine, truly exemplifying the essence of a Marist and a person of utmost integrity.

Today at our Headmaster’s Assembly, we were treated to a fantastic performance by Drama student Edward G (Y12) who showcased his HSC work, “Last Cab to Darwin” by Reg Cribb and Jeremy Sims. Congratulations to our deserving honour blazer recipients, as well as students from Years 7 to 10 who received certificates for their outstanding achievements in the Junior Science Olympiad Exam. Additionally, we acknowledged the dedication of our Year 10 Peer Support students, who mentor students in our younger years, with Jake F (Y10) encouraging Joeys boys to engage in the program.

Year 8 students participated in our Book Week celebrations by diving into the art of Blackout Poetry in the Resources Centre. Armed with pages of text and black markers, they uncovered hidden poems in a sea of words. It was a creative exploration of language, where less became more as students created a number of unique masterpieces – the stories between the lines were nothing short of inspiring!

Our junior Joebots and students from Villa Maria Catholic Primary School are gearing up for the launch of the FIRST Lego League (FLL) season. FLL is all about unleashing the power of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Joebots and Villa students are joining forces as a dynamic duo, ready to conquer the FLL competition in November.

We were blown away by the talented Joeys boys performing at the recent HSC Drama Showcase! Congratulations to all the teachers and students involved.

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our Year 12 students Samuel B, Matias M and Tomas M, together with Ambrose H and Henry B from Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview, have emerged victorious in the U19 men’s coxed four final at the World Rowing Championships held in St Catharines, Canada. These talented Joeys boys defeated the reigning champions, Italy, with the bronze medal going to the USA. We couldn’t be prouder of their outstanding performance! We are delighted to acknowledge their coach, William Raven, Head of Rowing at Joeys, for his exceptional guidance and support. Congratulations also to James Frederikson (2022) who won bronze for Australia in the U23 men’s eight at the championships!

With nearly 600 Old Boys, parents and friends of Joeys attending our Sport Lovers Lunch today, we farewell the winter sports season for Joeys boys. As warmer weather arrives, we wish the boys well in athletics this weekend and look forward to the start of summer sports training. We also extend our utmost support and best wishes to our Year 12 rowers, Samuel B, Matias M, Tomas M and coach William Raven, competing at the World Championships in St Catharines, Canada this week! Here are some snapshots from the final round of rugby last weekend.

We were filled with pride as Headmaster Michael Blake presented Joeys boys with their well-deserved honour blazers for outstanding achievements in academics, performing arts, service, and both summer and winter sports, including basketball, water polo, swimming, cross country and rugby.

Our amazing librarians at the Resources Centre have been working their magic to captivate Joeys boys with thrilling Book Week activities centred around this year’s theme, Reading is Magic. Year 7 embarked on an enchanting Literary Treasure Hunt through the book shelves this week. From discovering hidden book characters to unravelling amazing facts and magical themes, the students dove deep into the world of stories and imagination.

Last week, we witnessed musical brilliance as 25 extraordinary musicians were honoured with the prestigious Cerise and Blue music pins. Among them, the incredibly talented Seamus S (Y12) stole the show with his breathtaking piano performance of “Medellin”.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our HSC students as they start their trial examinations today. Remember, you’re not alone. Do your best, learn from your experiences and see every challenge as an opportunity to grow. And remember to support each other!

Our latest Living Books Breakfast captivated a large audience, as we welcomed Australia’s iconic voice of rugby, Gordon Bray, discussing his latest masterpiece, “The Immortals of Australian Rugby Union”. Gordon unveiled his meticulously selected XV greatest Wallabies of the past 125 years. Two of his immortals, former Wallabies captain Nick Farr-Jones and Joeys Old Boy, sports presenter and Wallaby, Matt Burke (1990), joined him to discuss their careers. We were also privileged to have the General Manager of Hearts in Rugby Union and former Wallaby, Richard Tombs, share his personal story. In a generous gesture, Gordon donated all proceeds from the book sales to this charity, which provides assistance to players who have suffered life-changing injuries. Joeys boys were truly inspired by the incredible stories of these “immortals” in the sport they love.

At this week’s Headmaster’s Assembly, we celebrated the outstanding commitment of students in Years 10 to 12 to their academic pursuits. They were honoured with Academic Engagement Awards. Congratulations!

On this day each year, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We welcomed our community at Mass in the College Chapel to celebrate this significant feast day, joining with Marist communities around the world.

Our First XI footballers delivered an outstanding performance last Saturday in one of the most memorable matches of their season! Take a look at some captivating snapshots from the game.

Here's just a handful of the breathtaking artworks showcased at our Student Art Exhibition over the weekend!

On Friday night, Joeys annual TAS showcase evening unfolded, revealing the remarkable projects from different academic years. However, it was the Year 12 students who stole the show with their display of HSC Industrial Technology and Design and Technology Major Projects. The College extends its heartfelt gratitude to all our teachers and students for their incredible contributions!

At our Headmaster’s Assembly, Edward O (Y10) presented a captivating report on our immersion to Timor-Leste. Picture this: 11 adventurous students and three incredible staff members, Mr Daniel Fee, Mrs Donna Quinn and Sister Helen Peters, embarking on the first Joeys immersion to Timor-Leste in 16 years. Students volunteered with children with disabilities and poured their hearts into community projects. Edward expressed his immense gratitude towards the College and parents for making the trip possible and urged Joeys boys to contemplate how volunteering in countries like Timor-Leste can profoundly enrich their lives.

We proudly recognise our sports representatives on their outstanding achievements in rowing, rugby, swimming, rugby league, AFL and snow sports. We commend these exceptional Joeys boys, along with their dedicated parents, sports convenors and coaches, for their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to their sport!

At this week’s Headmaster’s Assembly we presented co-curricular awards to a number of students, recognising their contribution to College life. Among the recipients were the talented members of our First Debating team: William M (Y12), John T (Y11) and Jude T (Y11). William has just returned from the prestigious World Schools Debating Championship in Serbia, where he captained Australia’s team through to the Octofinals, finishing in 12th place out of 68 countries. A truly outstanding achievement!

A big round of applause for the 53 students in Years 7 to 9 who were presented with Academic Engagement Awards at our Headmaster’s Assembly. We were delighted by Lucas C’s (Y12) outstanding solo cello performance of Concerto No 1, Movement 1 in E Flat Major by Shostakovich. Lucas’s recent acceptance into the esteemed Sydney Conservatorium of Music is a testament to his remarkable talent. Additionally, we recognised Mr Matthew Bookallil’s invaluable contribution to teaching and learning at the College.

Our Senior Drama Production had an amazing opening night! Don’t miss out on the chance to witness our talented actors in action as the show continues tonight. You’re invited to join us from 6.30pm for refreshments in the Farrell Auditorium, with the performances commencing at 7.00pm in the Drama Studio. Admission is $5 with proceeds going towards our Kiribati immersion.