St John the Evangelist Catholic High School Nowra
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31 John Purcell Way
Nowra NSW 2541
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Email: info@sjedow.catholic.edu.au
Phone: 02 4423 1666

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

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A MIXTURE OF EMOTIONS

For our young people the world may be a complicated place as they are inundated with images and opinions in a world where media is so dominant. The daily news will have them believe that fear is the norm. Social media depicts a world of perfect images and constantly happy people.

 

It is important to normalise all emotions, embrace them and return balance and harmony to their lives. We so often hear how important it is that we are happy and this would lead us to believe that we should be happy most of the time. Happiness is however one of many emotions.  

 

It is also OK to be sad, to feel anxious, to go through grief. Fear is a normal response to something that is scary. And we all get angry at some things that really push our buttons. These are just some of the emotions that we can and should feel as a part of our everyday. 

 

Just because undertaking an exam, or pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zone makes us feel anxious we are not suffering an inappropriate anxiety, we are feeling the very normal and expected response. Anxiety keeps us alert and ready. Grief helps us deal with loss and is also very normal. All emotions are normal, despite the fact that we are often led to believe that we should all be happy all the time.

 

So what brings about true happiness for us?

 

Many may name lying on the beach or enjoying an ice cream however these are things that bring pleasure. Constantly seeking pleasure will not make us happy in the long run.

 

True happiness comes from going outside our comfort zone, taking on a challenge and sticking with it.

 

This week’s newsletter is amazing, as was the previous one. So many young people taking themselves out of their comfort zone and ‘having a go’.

 

Lots of smiling, happy faces. 

 

They have felt all of the emotions that we talked about, they would have felt sad of the many failures along the way. Anger, fear, grief and anxiety would have all been a part of their journey.

 

However the true happiness they experience is because they gave it a go, stuck with and can celebrate their personal growth at the end. We encourage each of our young people to ‘get out of their comfort zone’ regularly.

 

WAKAKIRRI WINNERS

Under the expert guidance of teachers Ms. Savannah Lloyd and Mrs. Dianne Bryce, our team of 43 students from Years 7 to 12 commit to many months rehearsing and refining our entry into the 2019 Wakakirri Story Dance Festival. Wakakirri is Australia's Largest Performing Arts Event for Schools, involving over 20,000 students and hundreds of schools nationwide, with performances reflecting students' thoughts, ideas and aspirations.
 
St John's entry presented the heart-touching journey of a Syrian refugee having to flee her home in search of safety. The story reflects the struggle many Syrians have been through, noting it is not a choice to live in a refugee camp but the only means of survival. Since 2011, four million Syrians have been forced to flee their country in the face of the ongoing war in their country.
 
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Our team presented their strong emotional message with brilliant drama and dance performances, earning REGIONAL OVERALL WINNERS as well as an incredible NINE Performance & Production Awards, including;  

1. Excellent Lead Cast
2. Excellent Ensemble
3. Excellent Individual Acting
4. Amazing Visual Effects
5. Best Direction
6. Best Choreography
7. Excellent Group Dance
8. Excellent Solo Dance
9. Best Drama Story  
 
Our team are now in contention for selection to perform at the National finals in Sydney on 9 September, and await the announcement of teams chosen. We are immensely proud of our team's achievements and wish the group the best of luck!

 

Click here to access Wakakirri's DVD order form.

 

STUDENTS' BAND IN TRIPLE J'S TOP 5 IN AUSTRALIA 

We are absolutely thrilled to hear the wonderful news of Year 12 students Alex Robertson and Noah Egan's entry into Triple J's unearthed competition selected as a Top 5 finalist in Australia!
Alex and Noah combine as the band 'The Debbies' with their song 'What Do I Know?'  chosen as a finalist from a strong field of 1,500 entries. The boys have been balancing a busy week of HSC trials with media interviews including Triple J, the South Coast Register and our very own SJE Network News.

Mrs. Sandra Hogan

Principal