Why Joeys?

“My wife, Julie, and I had a continuous 15-year relationship with the College – our sons were weekly boarders and graduated in 2008, 2013 and 2017.

I chose Joeys because it was consistent to its original purpose and strived to remain consistent – and that purpose is basically to create men of substance within the Marist tradition which is inclusive, respectful and family oriented, built around Mary and the mother element.

As opposed to being something that you enter for education for a period of time during the day, Joeys is a much more holistic environment. It really is a replica of the home environment. And it is indifferent to your individual circumstances – whether you’re rich or poor, or whatever your heritage, those differences over time evaporate because they have to when you are living with someone.  

I think the lessons of economic and social inclusion learned at Joeys are transported into the way Joeys boys behave in their own family lives, work lives and communities. My own sons are massively emblematic of that – the oldest, Lachlan, is a mechanic and his three closest friends are a doctor in Wagga, a grazier in Tibooburra in western NSW and a builder in Maitland, and when the four of them get together there is absolutely no lording it over one other from an economic or social perspective … it wouldn’t even enter their consciousness that that was a differentiating factor.

If they are doing that with each other, they are going to be doing that with their families and in their communities, and that has got to be good for the place as a whole.”

Mr Jim Tate
Randwick, father of three Old Boys

“Initially when we were making our decision I was looking at education for my boys, and it wasn’t until I met with other families and friends from Joeys, that I realised that actually what you’re doing is you’re creating a village. In coming to Joeys I just realised it was potentially able to fill that gap of family and community that you want to help your child be a well-rounded human being.

There is something about the values and the collegiality and the way that Joeys encompasses all aspects of someone’s character that has made me realise it’s about the lessons your child is able to learn … the greatest lessons for both boys have been in understanding themselves, understanding the teacher, or the colleague or the peer, and finding the common ground.

The measurement at Joeys is, are you fundamentally a kind, caring, compassionate human being who is aware of their responsibility to find their gifts and share their gifts, and because that is the foundation upon which all the lessons and all of the environment is built, then inherently the boys are going to be encouraged to be themselves.

At Joeys there is such an underlying set of values that you know very clearly where the boundaries are, and those boundaries are very important while the boys get their heads straight.”

Mrs Pheobe Maroulis
Dubbo, mother of two Joeys boys

“There is incredible diversity at St Joseph’s, and amazing opportunities for growth in all sorts of areas and for boys to be able to shine in different ways. Being a Joeys boys is not just about sport; they are being formed into very balanced people, through a holistic approach that values spirituality, arts, academics and sport, and having a bigger picture outside of these walls, and being very much globally minded too.

There is a great sense of mateship and community, and boys often have the chance to work in teams, not just in sport, but in music, drama, and in the classroom as well. The sense of school spirit and togetherness is phenomenal, and very tangible; you see it in events like Family Mass and Headmaster’s Assembly, and in the whole school during rugby season watching matches together.

Our strong sense of being Marist also sets Joeys apart. We are very good at making those Marist values very explicit, in terms of how our faith guides us in everything that we do, and of the importance of having an awareness not just of yourself, but of others – of really understanding others, and of taking actions for others.

At Joeys, boys have a chance to mature and become more independent. And there is a reconceiving of what it is to be manly, to be a gentleman; an important part of our role here is to expose them to all sorts of opportunities and engagements that challenge traditional perceptions.”

Mr Paul Howe
Head of Music Department

“One of the things I have enjoyed about being at Joeys since I started doing casual work in 2004 was just how welcoming the boys are; how socially well adjusted, friendly, unpretentious and respectful they are. When I started teaching here full-time in 2007, and saw again the nature of the boys and the camaraderie among them, I thought, ‘I would love my son to be like that’. He was only little at the time and then, as he got older, I thought Joeys would be a really good place for him – and it turned out to be the right school for him, definitely. And my husband can’t talk highly enough of the College. For him, nothing holds a flame to Joeys.

Joeys is more than an educational institution. The whole Joeys community is so inclusive and inviting, it’s like an extended family. People feel a deep connection to it on a number of levels. You make connections with people who become lifelong friends and that’s certainly been the case with my son, and with my students – I have seen the bonds that they form; but as a parent we have also made lifelong friends through the parent body.

We are not a selective school, so we have students of all abilities. If parents get impatient about their son’s academic progress, I always talk to them about the long game, that over time the boys progress really well because they are in excellent hands. If you trust the program that we have and the dedicated staff and the assistance we provide, it does pay off.

I have seen boys in Year 7 who could barely write notes from the board, and by the time they left they were a music scholarship recipient and achieving, while maybe not the 99.90 ATAR, something very respectable – and in addition to that they are well adjusted young gentlemen. So, it is the whole package: it’s not just about academics, or social connection, or religion, or sport, it is the way in which all those things interact with each other to create the young man.”

Mrs Kerry Pacey
Academic Coordinator