eNews Term 3, Week 3, 2024

Dear parents, carers, teachers, and students,

Yesterday, Thursday, 8th August, we celebrated Saint Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first and only saint. Mary MacKillop, along with Fr. Julian Tenison Woods, played an essential role in establishing Catholic schools across Australia, including our own St. Joseph’s School, Murray Bridge. As we mark our 99th year of educating students, we are reminded of the profound impact of her vision and dedication, and we honour her legacy with our continued commitment to education.

Mary MacKillop's life was a testament to her unwavering belief in the right of all to be educated. She was a trailblazer advocating for equal access to education, regardless of financial status, race, gender, or religion. Her mission led her to establish a school system that would cater to all, especially the underprivileged. This lasting commitment to inclusivity and equality is a legacy that continues in our school.

One notable story that shows her values involves the son and daughter-in-law of the then Governor of South Australia, who asked Mary MacKillop to enrol their son as a day pupil. They requested that he be given a separate desk, away from the poorer children, and placed at the front near the teacher for special attention. Mary MacKillop welcomed the child but insisted that he receive no preferential treatment, underscoring her belief in equal education for all.
Mary MacKillop's dedication to education and her famous words, "Never see a need without doing something about it," continue to inspire me as your principal and all the staff. Her vision for educating all students, regardless of their educational ability or social and emotional state, remains a guiding principle for our school community. 

As we reflect on her legacy this week and lead into our 100th year, let us be reminded of the importance of compassion, equality, and action in our daily lives. These principles, which Mary MacKillop stood for, are as relevant today as they were in her time. We are committed to upholding these values in our school community, inspiring us all to make a difference.

Thank you to the staff, especially Mrs Deb Holland, for organising our feast day Mass and celebration activities for our students on the day.

Joey’s

This week, we welcome Joey’s students to our Mid-Year Reception class as they begin their journey, transitioning into school life for one day over several weeks for the remainder of the year. Mrs Rachel Wells will assist the children and families slowly transitioning into school life in readiness for beginning Reception at the start of the 2025 school year. 

I hope you are all enjoying the success of our Olympic athletes in Paris. It is particularly inspiring to watch individuals we know achieve their goals. I am especially looking forward to watching Jessica Stenson, a remarkable person whom I used to babysit in my teens, compete in the women's marathon this weekend.

This sense of inspiration is at the heart of why teachers love educating children. We are dedicated to nurturing their growth, striving to see them improve and achieve their goals. Go, Jess! Have a great weekend, everyone. 

Mrs Oates
Principal

Premiers Reading Challenge (PRC)

The PRC for 2024 is wrapping up soon. St Joseph’s School has a strong tradition of participating in the Challenge, with many students joining each year. We foster a love of reading in all our students. This year's PRC ends on September 6th. Students must complete and record 12 books to earn their participation prize. Take a moment to talk with your child about their reading progress. How many books have they read? What were the stories about? Did they have a favourite book or genre? Showing interest in their reading can encourage them to share their enthusiasm with you.

BOOK WEEK Updates

Thrive with 5 – Refer to the handout

Thrive with 5 – Article from the Australian Primary Principals Association 

Why Reading with Babies is Awesome!

SAINT MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP

August 8th is the feast day of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop the co-founder of St. Joseph’s Schools.

This year we celebrate the 14th anniversary of Mary becoming Australia’s first saint.  She was canonised on October 17th, 2010 after a long process and many prayers and hard work by her devoted following and the current Sisters of St Josephs.

In recognising a person as a saint, the Church looks at 2 main things.  It first looks at the life of a person.  It looks at what the person did, how they reacted to the events of life, what people wrote and said about them, what they wrote and said about themselves.  The second aspect is one of continuing devotion.  When the person died did the people keep the memory alive?  Are they still alive in the faith of the people?  Is their life continuing in the people?

Mary MacKillop saw the powerlessness of the poor people in her day because of their lack of educational opportunities.  She and Father Julian Tenison Woods shared the dream of meeting the needs of the people of that era by providing basic education for everyone.  They used an old stable in the town of Penola as their first school and from these humble beginnings we now have many St. Joseph’s Schools offering a Christian education for children in our state.  It is through her and Father Woods vision that we have our St. Joseph’s School in Murray Bridge.  Next year we will be celebrating the centenary of our wonderful school.

She also saw many other needs besides schools and soon, the Sisters of St. Joseph were looking after orphan children and homeless girls.  They also visited the sick, lonely, and elderly people.  Mary’s life was very hard.  Her family was poor and so were the Sisters of St. Joseph.  As a woman during this period of history, she encountered many challenges along the way from the hierarchy of the Church and many others before she could fulfil her dreams of education for all children.  But Mary didn’t worry about the future.  She always believed God would take care of her and she worked hard at what she felt God wanted her to do.

I have spent most of my life surrounded by the Josephite tradition.  I went to St Joseph’s School at Tailem Bend where I was educated by the nuns and later, after completing my teacher training, I have spent my teaching career in Josephite schools.  I was really pleased to see a study found that although Catholic Schools come under the Non-government Schools Banner, we in fact have not forgotten Mary MacKillop’s dream but continue to offer education to all, especially the poor and marginalised.

Yesterday we celebrated the feast day of this remarkable saint with a Mass led by our Year 4 students at 9:30am in the church.  We were very blessed to have Sr Elizabeth Morris, a Josephite nun join us to share her experiences and thank God for the example of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.  After Mass the students joined in a number of activities to celebrate and remember the co-founder of our school.

Mary MacKillop’s motto through life is one that we could try to live by:

“Never see a need without trying to do something about it”

In Year 1, we have been busy exploring Mass as a key focus in Mathematics. Through guidance of our partnership with AERO, students have embraced the structure of explicitly taught lessons, adapting to routines that support student engagement and learning. Year 1 students have applied their knowledge of heavy and light to compare the mass of various objects. Students have engaged in hands-on learning tasks through practicing hefting and the use of balancing scales. These skills will strengthen their grasp of measurement concepts and lay the groundwork for future mathematical learning such as capacity.

Please see The Southern Cross newsletter and the online edition of The Southern Cross September 2024.