All students are encouraged to participate in some of the co-curricular programs on offer at St Joseph's. These programs develop students’ confidence, talents and sense of responsibility.

They include:

• Mini Vinnies
• STEM Activities
• Maker Space Activities
• Chess
• Choirs
• Sacramental Retreat Days
• Art Competitions – including the Christmas Story Art Competition
• Lions Club Peace Poster Competition
• Veggie Gardens
• 'Green Thumbs' Student Environment Group – read more here
• University of Wollongong Science Competition (Stage 3)
• Year 6 Visit to IRT
• Digital Citizenship 
• University of NSW Competitions
• Public Speaking
• Spelling Bee
• Keeping Children Safe Around Dogs – NSW Government Initiative
  
  
• LEADERSHIP
  • Year 6 Leadership Camp
  • Year 5 Leadership Day
  • Student Leadership Team
  • Year 6 Leadership Groups... read more here
    
    
• SPORT
  
  • Diocesan Gala Days in soccer, cricket, tennis, netball, basketball, rugby, rugby league, and more
  • Opportunities to represent the school, Diocese of Wollongong, MacKillop Regionals and at a State level in swimming, athletics, cross country
  • Rod Wishart League
  • Cricket- Mark Taylor Shield Cricket
  • Surf Safe Program
  • Read more about other sporting opportunities available for our students below.

SPORT AT ST JOSEPH'S

In addition to the PDHPE Syllabus requirements, other sporting opportunities are available for students.

All students are encouraged to participate in sports. At the more competitive level of sport, it is our aim to encourage participation, team spirit and enjoyment rather than winning.
 

Houses

On enrolment at St Joseph's, children are placed in a house. Houses are not primarily about sport but about working for a team in many ways. Often the team spirit is related to sport:

• POLDING – Red
• McCABE – Green
• O'REILLY – Yellow
• MACKILLOP – Blue 

These teams enjoy friendly rivalry in school sporting events such as our swimming, cross country and athletics carnivals held each year.
 

Levels of Participation and Competition

Classroom
Most classes participate in additional sports activities most weeks although this is not mandatory. This provides opportunity for students to practice knowledge, skills and values learning in PE lessons.

Annual School Carnivals
Each year the school runs carnivals for swimming, cross country, and athletics. These carnivals have the primary purpose of selecting students for Diocesan trials for representative teams.

Diocesan Gala Days
All students in Years 3-6 have the opportunity to participate in Diocesan Gala Days in AFL, soccer, netball, basketball and cricket.  

Diocesan Sports and Carnivals
Students have opportunity to be selected to compete in tennis, futsal, rugby union, touch football and rugby league competitions to name a few. These students are generally those who play the sport regularly at a competitive level. These students can then be selected for higher levels of competition.

Students selected from the school’s three major carnivals – swimming, cross country and athletics – represent the school at Diocesan carnivals. 

MacKillop (NSW Catholic Schools) teams, State (PSSA), and ultimately, National teams
The Diocesan team sports and carnivals also act as trials for selection into the Diocesan team. These students then trial for selection in MacKillop (NSW Catholic schools) teams, which can then lead to State (PSSA), and ultimately, National teams.