Student life

There is no divide between day boys and boarders at St Joseph’s. Like boarders, day boys too may have sport, music or debating, have a shower and eat breakfast in the dining room, all before classes start at 8.35am. If they do not have before school training or activities, they join the boarders in the dorms from 8.00am. This merging of ‘tribes’ typically kept separate in other boarding schools is both an embodiment of the egalitarian, inclusive values of the College and the continuation of a grand tradition, given the 115-year history of Joeys (1881–1996) as an all-boarding school.

Day boys begin their day in the boarding house, where they each have a locker. They must arrive by 8am to check in with their year’s boarding co-ordinator, who is responsible for the pastoral care of every boy in that year. Some boys will be arriving after morning sports practice; some will head to the library to finish work from the night before; many come that little bit earlier so they can eat breakfast with their boarding mates before the school day begins at 8.30am.

At that time, except for Tuesdays when year meetings are held at 8.15am, the boys gather for 15 minutes in their pastoral groups of about 15 boys, where a teacher or tutor checks in with everyone’s wellbeing before the first 55-minute period begins just before 9am. There are two periods before a 20-minute recess, when all the boys head to their year’s dining room for morning tea. Day boys at Joeys do not bring recess or lunch. They eat with the boarders in dining rooms allocated to their year group.

Two more periods and it’s back to the dining room for a hot lunch and after a 40-minute lunch break, classes begin again – there are two more before the final bell at 3.25pm most days (Wednesday is an early mark at 2.45pm). Although it’s not home-time yet. Day boys go home at 5pm, after sports practice and optional study time. They can also stay at the College until 8pm, after a 5.30pm dinner time and compulsory, supervised study sessions.

On a busy College events calendar, and with many advisory and support groups in which to participate, there is a great deal of opportunity for mums, dads and carers to play an active role in the life of Joeys.

The family inclusiveness is part of what makes Joeys a special type of community – parents, as much as students and staff, are vital players in achieving the College’s high aims. Mornings before school are when annual functions such as the Year 7 parents’ breakfast and the Year 12 father and son poolside barbecue breakfast are held.

After dark brings on the once-a-year Sundowner drinks to welcome new parents; P&F Association meetings (held on Mondays eight times a year); year group dinners attended by parents and boys; Drama performances and Music concerts; and much more besides. Weekends are when parents travel from all over NSW to watch their sons competing in sports; to attend the Family Masses held each term; and to take part in marquee events such as the Spring Fair.

It is also on weekends that mothers attend an annual spiritual retreat at the Marist Brothers’ Hermitage Retreat and Spirituality Centre in Mittagong, and fathers head to Dubbo for a Derby Day weekend. On any given weekday, parents bearing food descend upon the school for lunch leave, unfurling picnic rugs on the front lawn and catching up with their sons over lunch.

Day boys stay at the College until 5pm with the option to stay until 8pm, at which point they go home having eaten dinner and knuckled down during supervised evening study. Parents at either time welcome home sons who have taken part in a wide and diverse range of College activities due to their extended day on campus.

This time spent away from home has the effect of accentuating boys’ appreciation of their families, something parents of boarders have long experienced. The Marist focus on Mary as a perfect model of tenderness and strength also inculcates in Joeys boys a deep respect for mothers. 

The St Joseph’s College community extends far beyond Hunters Hill and its current cohort of families to encompass a sprawling network of Old Boys, past parents and carers, families and friends who support the College over a lifetime.

It is a strong and social community sharing a commitment to the mission and ethos of St Joseph’s College and to the support of boys currently at the school, with many events bringing its members back time and again into the heart of College life.

On winter Saturdays during home games at The Park, the Crow’s Feet BBQ is run by former parents who want to continue their involvement with the school while aiding it through fundraising. In the crowd on those Saturdays are Old Boys from across the decades who flock to Rugby matches in particular to cheer on their alma mater and catch up with teachers and fellow Old Boys. Jack’s Bar at The Park is run by the Old Boys' Union, whose members also take part in an annual careers night for Year 11 students, showcasing for the boys the pathways they might consider after Joeys.

Members of the past parents group 1881, formed out of the College’s commitment to making all past parents as well as Old Boys feel connected to Joeys, are kept up to date with College news and events, and run a high tea and raffle at the annual Spring Fair.

Craft@Joeys, held each Thursday, brings past and present mothers and grandmothers together to chat, drink tea and create items for the annual Mother’s Day stall and Spring Fair. At the Br Ligouri Resources Centre, through regular book club meetings and events such as the Books and Blokes breakfast, the community helps the College in its mission to nurture a love of reading in Joeys boys.

Among annual events are the Sports Lovers Lunch and the City Country Mothers Lunch, social highlights as well as key College fundraisers that bring together hundreds of members of the far-flung community. In Term 1, Grandparents Day sees Year 7 boys welcome their grandparents to Joeys to show them their work and the wonderful things they experience each day.

“We are defined by our motto, to strive for better things. To never give up. To give everything you’ve got. To be humble in your successes and gracious in defeat. To have no regrets”. 
John McDonald (1989)

“A Joe-Boy is willing to have a go at everything, and will look after their mates when they need it.”
Aidan Porter (2017)

“A Joe-Boy cares about others, their community and the world around him, he is respectful and appreciative of the opportunities he is afforded and tries to return the favour wherever possible.”
Nicki Grech, mother of Matthew (Y12, 2023)

“My wish for you guys is that you grow into men who are well balanced, men who are uncomplicated and have a great work ethic. I hope you grow into men who are confident in themselves but have a faith that is always developing; a deep spiritual sense. I hope that you are men who have respect for others, for your mates, for people you meet.

“I hope you become simple men, honest men, men who have a strong moral compass; I hope you are men who have a caring nature, have a deep respect for women; men who have the ability to lead and the ability to follow. I hope you become men who do something for others, who make a contribution to society, who are good husbands, who are good fathers.

“We all need to care and we all need to support, and Joeys boys are good at that.” 
Br Anthony Boyd, Old Boy (1968) and Deputy Headmaster 1996–2019

“A loveable larrikin, we’ve got a few of those. Joe-Boys are fun, they have great senses of humour and like to enjoy themselves. They are very protective, loyal and supportive, and when mates are in trouble, they do rally around.” 
Kerry Pacey, Year 12 Academic Coordinator