Josephines ____________________________________Page

The Josephine’s have had another successful year of friend raising and fund raising for the St Joseph’s College Educational Support Program. Our Josephine’s dinner was held in March at Fisherman’s Pier with 90 attending. The space was a little bit squeezy, but the room was buzzing! All ladies were warmly greeted on arrival with a glass of bubbly and were welcomed by Kristen Gleeson, Development Office Manager and Paul Tobias, who introduced Michelle Brodrick, our new Deputy Principal, Years 7-9. Paul gave an overview of new buildings underway, in particular the Chapel at Westcourt Campus and the new Student and Staff Services area being built at the Edmund Rice campus. Staff member Nerrida Holland spoke on behalf of Mark Turner, the Educational Support Coordinator. Nerrida thanked all present for attending and being an important part of our Educational Support Program through the funds raised. She then introduced Simon McDonald - Kerr who was our guest speaker for the evening. Simon spoke really well and all present were engaged in his humourous and realistic explanation of how he came to work with the visually impaired and his work with one of our College students who is 100% vision impaired. He talked about the initial challenges faced coming to St Joseph’s in Year 7 and how he was successfully transitioning with the help of his aide. His determination and independence in all manner of situations has enabled him to cope well. Simon also gave us practical advice on how to assist visually impaired people with subtle moves and most importantly asking if they would like our help first. Paul Tobias volunteered to role play with a mask over his eyes. Simon spoke glowingly of our College and in particular our Educational Support Program. Following our yummy dessert, Kate Parke and Maureen Bryant roved the room with the microphone, searching for news and stories to share. New babies, trips abroad, bicycle rides, cricket finals for St Joseph’s, weddings and concerns about those unwell in our community were just a few of the topics discussed. The space was full of chatter. Maureen and Kate thanked Fisherman’s Pier, owner and staff for their friendly service and the amazing ambience overlooking the bay in Geelong. Our next Josephine’s function was held on Thursday 5 November, Oaks Day at the Telegraph Hotel. Due to unforeseen circumstances we needed to change our venue at the last minute. We were greeted with a glass of wine on arrival and the ladies were dressed to suit the occasion. There were some hats and fascinators which helped make this day fun. Maureen Bryant was unwell, so Kate Parke welcomed everyone, including some past staff members and a number of current Teacher Aides. Kate introduced Mark Turner who thanked our Josephine’s for supporting the College Educational Support Program. Mark gave an overview of the new Student Services Building and spoke of how excited he and the Student Support Officers are about this beautiful space. They are really looking forward to next year and settling into their warm and colourful surroundings. Michelle Brodrick made special mention of Kristen Gleeson, as unfortunately Kristen has been unwell and in hospital over the past few months; we are encouraged by his gradual progress and positive attitude. She also thanked Adel Mawson who stepped in to help cover for Kristen during his absence and has been in constant contact to help keep the Development Office running smoothly with help from Natasha Solczaniuk and Lauren Salcombe. Once again Kate gathered news from around the room. Whilst this was a ‘no fuss’ day, the ladies looked splendid in their frocks and hats and enjoyed their day together. Once again we thank Natasha and Kristen for their great work in organising these events and Lauren for her creative genius in designing our invitations and promotional material. The Josephine’s provides a great opportunity for past and current mothers and staff members, other family members and friends of the College to come together in a friendly atmosphere, enjoy a meal and stay connected to our great College. So thank you for taking the time to attend our gatherings and for your ongoing support. St Joseph’s is like one big family and we are all a part of this amazing journey. Thank you all. We take this time to reflect on those who have been unwell or have died throughout 2015 and we ask God’s blessings on each and every one of you, those you love and who are in your care. Thank you for being a part of our Josephine’s in 2015.

Kate Parke & Maureen Bryant – Coordinators