College
Values, Spirituality & Charism
The values that will be espoused and lived throughout St Joseph’s
College were developed by the community through a steering committee in the
lead up to the opening of the college. Through the Steering Committee, the
local community expressed a desire for the college to develop strong connections
with the life and values of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and the Sisters of
St Joseph.
Our core values are expressed as:
These values will include links with the spirituality/charism of
the Sisters of St Joseph, and the college’s commitment to understanding and
honouring the Indigenous peoples associated with the land of the college site.
The traditional owners of the land on which the new college will be located are
the Bullongin people of the Yugambeh
language region.
Motto
The motto for St Joseph’s College expresses the our charism and is relevant to the spirituality and context of the College. The college motto is articulated as: “Courage to Love, Learn and Serve”
But what does it mean in our community . . .
At St Joseph's our motto will live in the hearts, minds and actions of all in the community. It is a way for our students family and staff to interpret and live our faith as a catholic school in the Josephite tradition.
Courage is the fundamental underpinning that establishes our motto. At St Joseph's courage is the notion and understanding that moves beyond strength or bravery toward a sense of knowing that a heavy challenge is ahead. AS memebrs of the St Joseph's College community we face that challenge with determination, hope and faith committed to success despite the challenges and difficulties. It is an attitude and mindset evident in St Mary of the Cross Mackillop; that no challenge is insurmountable.
This courage then transfers to the 'verbs' of our motto; to Love, to Learn, to Serve. Inherent in each is a challenge if we are to deeply engage and deliver action and outcome.
Loving is never easy; it is paired with respect, dignity and forgiveness. Our relationships with each other and the planet are difficult and to create and nurture right relationships takes courage
Learning is never easy; garnering knowledge, processing facts, interpreting situations, hypothesizing outcomes, thinking and responding critically to situations and information is a difficult pursuit. To persevere in the face of adversity is hard, to be persistent when confusion walks beside you as you learn takes courage.
Service is never easy; it requires selflessness, giving and thankless outlook. The challenge to give of ourselves for the benefit of others, without reward or recognition is difficult. We are accustomed to look for gratitude and reward when we give of ourselves. Our actions for some reason are always looked upon to be transactional, to ensure we get something for everything we give. At St Joseph's we ask our students, staff and community to challenge this, to change their mindset and look for something different. To give ourselves fully to others takes courage.
Emblem
The college emblem provides a visible articulation of St Joseph’s College’s Catholic identity, charism and connections with the community.
The St Joseph’s College emblem represents the following:
Cross – Our Catholic identity and connection with the Josephite charism
River – location of Coomera and the golden sands of the coast
Tilled soil and green hills – original farming land of the site and surrounding landscape
a design using dots as indigenous representation for community, interwoven with golden wattle, to signify a diverse, inclusive community and Bullongin people – the traditional owners of the land
Wattle flowers - acknowledging the language of the Bullongin where 'kumerra kumera' was the name for the local wattle so prevalent in the area.
The colours represent the following:
Teal blue – colour of the Sisters of St Joseph.
Gold – location in northern Gold Coast Region and the local native wattle.
Deep Red - An acknowledgement to the Kombumerri Aboriginal People of the Gold Coast where 'kumera' means blood or vein and refers to the flowing river as the life source of the surrounding lands.
Green – the acknowledgement of the vastness of school lands and the area's heritage and environmental significance.