A day in the life
From early morning to late evening, we keep boys active and engaged, with appropriate times for rest, recovery and relaxation.
The school day
School days are busy for a Joe-Boy, with sports, music ensemble and debating practice taking place before classes start at 8.35am.
By then, boarders will have showered, eaten breakfast, tidied up their press area and greeted the day boys.
Day boys also begin their day in the boarding house, where they each have a press, just like the boarders. They must check-in with their Head of Year, who is responsible for the pastoral care of every boy, by 8.00am. Some boys arrive after morning sports practice; some will head to the library to finish school work; but many day boys come a bit earlier so they can eat breakfast with their boarding mates before the school day begins at 8.30am.
Boys gather for 15 minutes in their Mentor Groups with their Mentor Teacher, who checks in with everyone鈥檚 wellbeing before the first 55-minute period begins just before 9.00am. There are two periods before a 20-minute recess, when boys head to their year鈥檚 dining room to pick up some morning tea. Two more periods and it鈥檚 back to the dining room for a hot lunch and, after a 40-minute lunch break, classes begin again 鈥� there are two more before the final bell at 3.25pm most days (Wednesday is an early mark at 2.45pm).
Day boys and boarders eat together in dining rooms allocated to their year group 鈥� day boys do not bring recess or lunch.
After school
After school, the boys return to their boarding areas to get changed for activities such as sports training and co-curricular lessons and rehearsals. Come 5.00pm, boarders 鈥� and those day boys staying until 8.00pm 鈥� head to the showers and get ready for dinner, which for Years 7 and 8 comes after a supervised 5.30pm鈥�6.30pm study session and before a second session from 7.00pm鈥�8.00pm. The rest of the year groups have dinner from 5.45pm鈥�6.30pm, before two study sessions with a 15- or 30-minute break in between.
End of day
The end of the second compulsory study session is also lights out for Years 11 and 12 at 10.00pm. Years 7 and 8 have 90 minutes of downtime in the dormitories before lights out at 9.30pm; Years 9 and 10 have one hour to wind down before a 10.00pm bedtime.
Overnight, help is at hand for any boy who may need it. There are boarding supervisors who sleep onsite, as well as Year 12 Dorm Seniors in the Years 7 to 10 dormitories. An after-lights-out supervisor monitors the dormitories and College grounds from 10.30pm until 6.30am. Should there be a health concern or emergency, our onsite Health Centre is staffed 24 hours a day by a qualified Registered Nurse.
Living and learning at 国产探花.
国产探花 is proud to be the largest boys鈥� boarding school in Australia.
There is no divide between day boys and boarders at St Joseph鈥檚. 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.
At 国产探花, this approach reflects the inclusive, egalitarian values of the College and carries forward a proud tradition that connects generations.
Day boys head home at 5.00pm, after their sports practice or their co-curricular activities such as Duke of Edinburgh, robotics or debating and optional study time. They also have the opportunity to stay at the College until 8.00pm, after dinner at 5.30pm and the compulsory, supervised study sessions.