eNews Term 4, Week 5, 2024

Dear parents, carers, teachers, and students,

Welcome to our week 5 newsletter.

As we near the end of the school year, I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter seeing the exciting range of activities our students have participated in over recent weeks. It’s amazing to realise that only two more newsletters remain for this year!

I want to extend my appreciation to all the parents and guardians who contributed to the 2024 class preparation survey. The survey is now closed, and we are carefully reviewing your responses to guide our decisions in the coming weeks. Our commitment remains focused on ensuring small class sizes, adding classroom support staff, and offering specialised small-group support in areas like literacy and numeracy and occupational therapy—all aimed at creating an environment where every student and teacher can thrive. Additionally, teacher class allocation will be matching their unique expertise and skills with the needs of their students. Recently, our students also submitted their friendship preferences for next year, and I anticipate sending out draft class lists with the confirmed staffing details in the next week. Parents and guardians will be invited to review this draft and reach out to me directly via email if there are considerations to discuss. This collaborative process is aimed at both your insights and the professional judgment of our dedicated staff.

Looking Ahead to 2025!

This year, our curriculum focus on numeracy has produced impressive growth in student achievement, and we plan to maintain this focus in 2025. Teachers will have increased access to experts in both numeracy and literacy as we work on advancing students’ foundational skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The MultiLit resources and reading interventions for Reception through Year 9 will also expand, providing further support for early literacy.

As your principal, I am committed to listening to the needs of our community, addressing areas of improvement, and continually enhancing our learning environment. I recognise that every year has a period of change that can bring uncertainty, but please know that our team at St. Joseph’s is dedicated to providing a supportive and enriching experience for you and your children. It is a privilege and a responsibility that we all hold in the highest regard.

To wrap up the year, we have planned several class presentations, providing wonderful opportunities for the school community to come together and celebrate our students' achievements. We invite you to bring friends along and join in these events, which promise something for everyone.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. It won’t be long before we are celebrating our 100th Birthday in Primary Education in February next year. Together, lets continue to aim building a nurturing and enriching environment for all our students and families here at St. Joseph’s.

New Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect Training for Volunteers 

Please be reminded to complete the updated RRHAN-EC course in order to keep volunteering. The completion of the online update will need to be completed before 31 December 2024 when our current certificate expires. You need to complete the new RRHAN-EC online update unless you already have a current certificate with an expiry date of 31 December 2027. 

To access the online update please use this link:  

https://www.plink.sa.edu.au/ilp/pages/external-dashboard.jsf?menuId=1104&locale=en-GB#/?dashboardId=6 

To login as ‘Non Department for Education staff login’ OR if you don’t already have a plink login, register via this link https://www.plink.sa.edu.au/ilp/pages/user-profile-signup.jsf 

If your RRHAN-EC has already expired or you are new to education, please refer to the following guide below which will help you to determine which course you need to do. 

Which course is right for you? 

My certificate expires on 31 December 2024 – do the online update only (takes about 2 hours). 

My certificate is expired – start with the fundamentals. If you also work directly with children and young people, do the masterclass after you’ve finished the fundamentals course. 

St Vinnies Christmas Appeal

As part of our Catholic Social Teachings our mission is to reach out and serve the most vulnerable. This year we will be supporting the St Vinnies Christmas Appeal. We will be asking for generous donations of children’s toys (keeping in mind children from 12-16 years of age). Please remember not to wrap any items. 

We will begin collecting your generous donations from Monday 4th November - Friday 6th December. Donations to be brought into the administration office. We thank you sincerely for your support and generosity

2025 Term Dates 

• Term 1 - 28 January to 11 April 
• Term 2 - 28 April to 4 July 
• Term 3 - 21 July to 26 September 
• Term 4 - 13 October to 12 December

THE SIGN OF THE CROSS 

In this Newsletter I would like to share an article written by Deacon Arturo Jimenea from our parish about the Sign of the Cross. 

It is very common and a very notable practice of Christians all over the world to make the Sign of the Cross on themselves.  By this very action are Christians recognised and become known as such. 

Roman Catholics usually make the Sign of the Cross with the right hand sequentially touching the forehead, then the centre of the chest (heart), then on to the left shoulder and ending with the right shoulder, while uttering with the words, “In the name of the Father” (hand on forehead), “and of the Son” (hand on the chest), “and of the Holy Spirit” (hand touching consecutively the left and right shoulders). 

To us, the act of signing ourselves with the Cross is not just a pious gesture but a prayer: an acknowledgment and proclamation of what we believe in – one God in the Holy Trinity; and at the same time, recognising that it is through his suffering and death on the cross that Christ’s mission for our salvation was accomplished. 

Many a time when we settle down to pray, we ordinarily begin and end with the Sign of he Cross and then on to our set prayers.  For instance, in the Mass, the priest begins and concludes the celebration with the Sign of the Cross. 

Now, it is also our custom that whenever we enter a church, we dip our fingers into the stoup (bowl) and wet our fingers with holy water and then sign ourselves with the Cross.  In the action of doing this, we ask the Lord to bless us, even as we get to be reminded of our baptism “in the name of the father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. 

The Sign of the Cross is a powerful statement of our faith, so powerful a prayer in fact, that we are able to confidently employ it to ask for God’s help and protection especially when we are beset by times of trial and temptation. 

We should not be afraid or embarrassed to publicly sign ourselves with the Cross anywhere and whenever the occasion arises.  This is our faith, and we should be proud to witness it and proclaim it. 

Remembrance Day

Monday, November 11 is Remembrance Day.  Each year on the 11th hour of this day we stop and join with other nations to pay respect and remember all those who were injured or lost their lives in wars around the world since World War 1.

To comemorate this day the Middle Years students led us in a Prayer of remembrance.  We came together as a whole school in the Auditorium at 10:45 which allowed for the Last Post and a minute’s silence at 11am. Our Middle Years students led us in prayer for these very brave people who gave their lives for us to be free and we also prayed that the leaders in the world now will work together to support peace in our world.  A number of students made and wore poppies or rosemary as a sign of remembrance.

Last week our Yr 8 & 9 students went on a city/beach experience camp to Glenelg. On the first day they explored Glenelg Beach including a fish and chip lunch by the sea. They then had a choice of the High Ropes Adventure course or Putt Putt at West Beach. The afternoon was spent relaxing in the West Beach Caravan Park swimming pool, followed by a wonderful Butter Chicken curry cooked by Ms Hundal. Day two started with learning about the settlement of Adelaide at the Glenelg Museum, a tram ride into the city centre for lunch and some shopping concluded the camp. A big thankyou to all the staff who attended the camp and ensured its success.

Whilst the older students were on the camp, the Year 7s enjoyed morning sessions at Ramblers Oval, making hot chocolate and a cooking session in the kitchen making fried rice, chicken wings and cookies for lunch. We then watched a movie together, enjoying the chance to spread out in the TW building.

Mrs Lamont (Middle Years Leader)

Every year a committee of Aboriginal SSO’s work hard to celebrate and congratulate all the Aboriginal students in our district who graduate from Year 6 and Year 12.  These awards are called the Just 2 Deadly awards.  Schools are invited to attend so that their Aboriginal students can be congratulated with a certificate, a shirt and a bag of goodies that will help them in their further studies.  Past students are invited back to share their journey and success post school.  This year’s event was held last night at the High School and we were so pleased to present awards to Esmee, Tatum, Harper, Cruz, and Braylen. We wish them every success as they move into Middle Years.

The piano concerts are both from 1:40-2:10 on:
- Friday 15 November (week 5)
- Friday 29 November (week 7)

Parents/ family of the performing children are welcome to attend.