NEWSLETTER

Welcome

The beginning of the school year is such a special time for children and families, especially those who are commencing school for the first time or have transitioned to St. Joseph’s from another school. In Pre-school I have the pleasure of welcoming the following students: Zain, Lyon, Layla, Manraj, Imelda, Ozlyn, Catherine, Lyla and Ahmad.

In Reception I have the pleasure of welcoming the following students: Anicha, Athena, Isla, Isobel, Justin, Kiara, Tobias and Zipporah.

I hope that their experiences at St Joseph’s encourages their love of learning and sense of curiosity. I hope, too, that their families feel connected with their children’s learning and development, and that our partnership with them is long and prosperous.   

New Beginnings

Of course, for every child and young person returning to school this year there is also a sense of a new beginning. Every new year level is a different experience for all children and an opportunity to make new friends and set new goals. Similarly, as educators, as this new school year commences, we have another opportunity to be the kind of leader or teacher that we dream of being. I hope that, individually and collectively, we can continue to grow and evolve as educators, nourished by our faith and our commitment to making education truly liberating for children and young people.

As we commence this new school year, there is much for us to be excited about. In Term 1, children will experience our whole school excursion to Tusmore Park, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, St Joseph’s Feast Day celebrations and Sports Day; just to name a few.

Importantly, though, 2025 offers us the opportunity to strengthen the quality of the education that we provide - a truly Catholic education - to equip children and young people to be more self-aware, skilled in critical thinking and willing and able to take their place in society as leaders for the world God desires.

In other news, I would also like to officially welcome Miss Izabella Callisto to our school community. Izabella will take on the role of permanent Junior Primary classroom teacher in 2025.

2025 Teaching Staff and Class Structures

Below is an outline of our 2025 teaching staff structure:

Shaun O’Leary: Principal, Leader of Teaching and Learning: Numeracy & STEM (1.0)

Simon McCullough: APRIM (0.6), Admin (0.2) & Specialist Music/Drama (0.2 Thursday)

Trish Pfeiffer: Leader of Teaching and Learning: Literacy & EALD Coordinator (0.8 Mon-Thurs)

Louise Moody: Inclusive Education Coordinator & Literacy Mentor for Early Career Teachers (0.4 Thursday, Friday)

Preschool Teacher: April McInerney (0.6 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

R/1 Classroom Teacher: Izabella Callisto

R/1 Classroom Teacher: Anna Huynh

1/2 Classroom Teacher: Natalie Doyle

2/3 Classroom Teacher: Jennifer Craig (0.4 Mon, Tues) & Cindy Chong (0.6 Wed, Thurs, Fri)

3/4 Classroom Teacher Ben Higgins

4/5 Classroom Teacher Matt Pick

5/6 Classroom Teacher Jane Smith

Janine Myer: Specialist French Teacher (0.2 Friday)

Daniel Nguyen: Specialist Physical Education Teacher (0.4 Monday & Friday).

Upcoming Events

I would like to draw your attention to the following upcoming events:

Whole School Excursion - Friday February 14.

To celebrate the beginning of the new school year, the whole school will spend the day at Tusmore Park on Friday February 14. The day promises to be full of fun.

Parent Information Evening & School Board AGM- Monday February 10.

This will involve class teachers outlining their classroom programs and procedures. This is an opportunity for parents to meet the teacher and hear about class routines and ways they can support their child at home. During the evening, I will present the AGM Report in the School Courtyard sharing our school’s achievements from 2024 and our future plans moving forward. All families are very welcome to attend. Please refer to the notice sent home to all families on Tuesday January 28 for further information.

In addition, Parent/Teacher interviews will also take place during Week 9 of this term. More information will be forwarded to you closer to the time.

Ash Wednesday - Wednesday March 5.

As a school we will join the parish community in celebrating Ash Wednesday mass in St Maximilian Kolbe Church. Parents are very welcome to join us during this mass. 

St. Joseph’s Feast Day - Wednesday March 19.

As a whole school we will celebrate the feast day of St Joseph on Wednesday March 19. The St Joseph House Team will lead our whole school liturgy which will be followed by several fun activities. Parents are very welcome to join our celebration. Further details about the day will be forwarded to you closer to the time.

Pupil Free Day - Friday March 21.

Our staff will be involved in professional learning facilitated by Autism SA, focusing on working with children on the autism spectrum. As this is a whole staff day, Mieke Vandenbos and the OSHC staff will join us and as a result OSHC will not be available on Friday March 21.

Sports Day - Thursday May 1

Sport Day this year will once again be held at the Port Adelaide Athletics Club.

Whole School Assemblies

Another of our community activities at St Joseph’s are our school assemblies. Whole School assemblies will take place in Weeks 5 and 10 this term on Friday at 8:45am. Parents are warmly invited to attend assemblies where we celebrate learning and working together.

Catholic Identity

The following are past twitter feeds from Pope Francis:

• God needs people who bring His forgiveness and His mercy into the world
• God loves us in a way that crushes all loneliness and isolation
• Holy Spirit, you who sustain the Church, come down upon us again, teach us unity, renew our hearts, and help us to love as Jesus taught us
• Never forget this golden rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Mt 7,12)

These messages from our current Pope remind us of the importance of valuing all those we meet throughout our lives.

Curriculum News

I have included two mathematical tasks which you might like to have a go at with your child/children.

This week’s Mathematical tasks:

Reception to Year 3

You see a sign in a shop window     

Record what this means to you in as many different ways as possible.

Years 4-6

Two fractions add to give 4/8. List as many possibilities as you can as to what those two fractions might be.

Happy inquiry.

Reading is another core learning area here at St Joseph’s School. Our staff use an agreed set of practices around children’s development of reading skills, knowledge and understanding. These practices shape our reading programs across the school.

Below are some strategies you might like to try at home to support your children’s learning:

• Encourage and model reading in the home
• Listen to your child read their reading material and ask specific questions related to what they have read                                      
• Read with your child
• Share what you are reading with your child
• Read your child a bedtime story
• Talk to your child about the different situations you find yourself in whereby you are required to read texts.

Happy reading.

Eating well is good for our mental and physical health. The brain requires nutrients just like our heart, lungs and muscles do. At St Joseph’s School children are encouraged to bring healthy foods to school to eat daily, with many classes stopping throughout the day for Brain Food snack time. Wholegrain breads, fresh fruit and vegetables are easy to manage Brain Foods children should be eating on a regular basis.

Enjoy.

Teaching and Learning

During the week prior to our children returning to school, I facilitated professional conversations with our teaching staff to unpack our 2025 Annual School Strategic Improvement Plan, to discuss what we stand for as a school and outline our focus areas in 2025. My leadership experiences along with my professional development have taught me the importance of staff having a clear shared vision, working in collaboration, and basing their teaching practices on contemporary data and research. Most importantly as educators we need to have a human connection and develop a positive trusting relationship with each child. When these key areas are evident, we see the greatest impact on the improvement of student learning outcomes and wellbeing.

One of our focus areas in 2025 will be to continue our journey with Lee Crockett which commenced in September 2023. The focus of our journey with Lee is to develop the skills and understanding to empower our children to have further agency over their learning.

Lee Crockett is an optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together through compassion and humour. He works with governments, education systems, international agencies and corporations to help people and organisations connect to their highest purpose and realise their wishes for the future. Living in Kamakura, Japan, he practices Zen and studies the Shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese bamboo flute. Mindfulness and joyful curiosity are the foundations of his approach to creating vital learning environments for groups worldwide. His several best-selling books, including Future-focused Learning and Mindful Assessment, have garnered many awards and are used in schools and universities around the world. His highly anticipated new book Agents to Agency: A measurable process for cultivating self-directed learner agency explores how to adopt learning practices that develop and enhance learner agency and has received accolades from some of today’s top education leaders.

In 2018 the staff developed three important documents to support teaching and learning across the school. Our Principles of Pedagogy document clearly outlines how we teach at St Joseph’s School while our Literacy Agreed Practices and Numeracy Agreed Practices documents outline what is to be taught in the areas of English and Mathematics. These documents were reviewed in 2022.

In 2019 staff developed a school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Vision and Action Plan, an Action Plan around Ecological Conversion and Sustainability for the school along with a Vision for Learning Reflective of Catholic Education South Australia’s Living Learning Leading Framework. These 6 documents along with the Australian Curriculum will inform our teaching and learning programs both in 2025 and into the future. 

In 2025 we will continue to have separate English and Mathematics blocks across the school; non-interrupted times where teaching and learning is focused on developing children’s understanding, knowledge and skills in these vital areas of school life.

Religious Education is another important area of learning in our school. Children regularly have the opportunity to develop their personal relationship with God through participating in prayer and liturgy experiences, learning to live faith filled lives informed by scripture, reaching out to those in need within our community, creating a sense of community within classes and across the school, witnessing to God’s love for all of the creatures of the Earth and recognising each of us as unique gifts made in the image and likeness of God.

During the first three weeks of the school year, classroom teachers spend much of the time focusing on wellbeing and relationship building within their classes. This focus also incorporates components of the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum which since 2008 has provided the framework to teach children and young people from ages 3 to Year 12 to recognise abuse, talk to trusted adults and understand ways to keep themselves safe. In 2013 the curriculum was updated to reflect contemporary child safety issues and to align with both the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum.

Of course, there are many other areas that we focus on at St Joseph’s School however the above-mentioned areas are integral to us. If you would like further information, please see your child’s class teacher or a member of the leadership team.

2025 School Board Nominations

Nominations are now open to members of the school community who would like to serve on the school board in 2025. The school board plays a valuable role in school governance. The board also allows parents to have a voice in the strategic direction of the school. Being a part of the school board can be a very fulfilling and rewarding experience. The school board meets twice a term on Mondays at 5:30pm.

If you are interested in serving on the school board in 2025, please complete the nomination form below and return it to the front office by Monday February 10.

2025 School Finance Committee Nominations

Nominations are now open to members of the school community who would like to serve on the school finance committee in 2025. The school finance committee reports directly to the school board and plays a valuable role in school governance and transparency.  The school finance committee meets the week before school board meetings (twice per term).

If you are interested in serving on the school finance committee in 2025, please complete the nomination form below and return it to the front office by Monday February 10.  

School Newsletter Translation Button on our School Website

In 2023 our school website was upgraded giving users the ability to read the school newsletter in their first language. To access this feature, visit our school website and:

• Click: news and events (towards the top of the homepage).
• Click: newsletter.
• Click: online newsletter; Term 1 Issue 1
• Click: select language (bottom right-hand corner).
• Scroll down to select your desired language.

Audiri App

To keep up to date with what is happening within our school along with upcoming school events why not download the AudiriApp from the App Store on your mobile phone. Once downloaded simply search St Joseph’s School, Ottoway and add to your Audiri page. Many of our families currently use the Audiri App to keep up to date with what is happening across our school.

May God continue to bless all our families throughout 2025.

Working in partnership with you.

Shaun O’Leary.

2025 School Board Nomination

Please return to Shaun O’Leary

I wish to nominate_______________________________________________ to serve on the St Joseph’s School Board in 2025.

Nominee’s Signature __________________________________________

I wish to nominate myself _____________________________ to serve on the St Joseph’s School Board in 2025.

 Signature __________________________________________

2025 School Finance Committee Nomination

Please return to Shaun O’Leary

I wish to nominate myself _____________________________ to serve on the St Joseph’s School Finance Committee in 2025.

 Signature __________________________________________

Sacrament Program 2025

We keep our 2025 Sacrament Program group in our prayers this year as they get ready for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation.

Jack, Felicity, Tania, Romy, Mary-Kate, Aaleyah, Giulia, Stacey, An, Faith, Harmony, Camille, Glyzelle, Cailey, Juilianna, Ageil and Stacey

Parents and Friends and Volunteers

We would love to see you join us as a volunteer. There are a range of ways to be involved and we greatly appreciate opportunities to work with you and get to know your family. Volunteering requires that you complete a process of induction and also some online training in child protection called, ‘Responding to abuse and neglect.’ All people who work with children are required to do this training. If you would like to volunteer, you will need to complete the following:

• Speak with Tanya or Alissa about a Working with Children Check which the school will lodge on your behalf.  There is also a personal information form to complete which includes your contact details and those we would contact in any emergency.
• Complete the required Child Protection training - Responding to abuse and neglect for volunteers. This will take an hour or two and it is done online. Follow the instructions below to locate this training. You will need to register for a PLINK number to access the training on the Department for Education website.
• Provide the school with a copy of your child protection training certificate. This will be accessible at the end of the training module - Responding to abuse and neglect for volunteers.
• Follow this link to register and get your plink number. This will allow you access to the training.

https://www.plink.sa.edu.au/pages/signup.jsf

Then access the training through this website:

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

Thanks very much for considering becoming a volunteer, we respect and value your time very much. Please let me know if you have any questions. My email is smccullough@stjotto.catholic.edu.au

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Please return to Simon McCullough

I,_______________________________________ would like to support the 2024 Parents and Friends events or volunteer in another way.

My child / children are in:__________________________________________(class)

I am best contacted on: ___________________________________ (phone / email)

We received the following thank you letter from the Hutt St Centre. Thanks for all your support in 2024.

Dear Simon,

I hope you had a refreshing break over the school holidays.

Thank you for your incredible support in 2024. Whether through fundraising or, in-kind donations, St Joseph's School Ottoway has made a meaningful impact on people facing homelessness in South Australia.

Last year, we shared with you our anticipation for a busy festive season at Hutt St Centre. Your school’s kindness helped bring 147 people together on Christmas Day to share in a traditional festive meal and the joy of community.

As the new school year begins, we have an exciting year ahead with plenty of opportunities to make it easier for your school to get involved and continue making a meaningful difference.

Simon, on behalf of everyone at Hutt St Centre, thank you once again for your continued support. We look forward to another year of working together to make a real difference in the lives of people facing homelessness.

Warm regards,

Jacinta Munro
Communications & Engagement Coordinator

School Band

Our school bands, Peace and Harmony and Beyond Ottoway finished 2024 in fine style with fantastic performances at Semaphore Street Fair.  Many thanks to parents, volunteers, staff, and our wonderful road crew for their help and support on the day, and of course the band members themselves for their dedication, skills and performances.

Rehearsals will start later in term 1 for our senior band, Beyond Ottoway for the Battle of the Rock Bands event at Nazareth College in Term 2.

Instrumental Lesson Program 2025

Learning music can be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience, and is a wonderful adventure for students of all ages.  Here at St Joseph’s School we use Hallmark Music Studios who provide tutors for many instruments including violin, piano, guitar and drums.  Fees are payable to Hallmark directly and they run the program during school hours for any students interested in participating. 

A student must have access to a suitable instrument and the tutors can help with information on the purchase or lease of a suitable instrument.  We do have a small number of violins available for short term loan but do encourage parents provide an instrument if at all possible.

This year we are keen to add singing lessons to our repertoire and encourage any parents or caregivers to contact Duncan if they are interested in their child learning singing

Students must practise daily, if only for 15 minutes at a minimum.  Without this commitment, lessons can be frustrating for students and tutors and will not achieve the success they want.

“A woman is walking across Times Square carrying a cello.  She stops a cab and asks how to get to Carnegie Hall. ‘Madam,’ replies the cab driver, ‘you have to practise a lot.’

Contact Duncan Kilburn through the Front Office or directly if you want more information about Hallmark Music Studio and instrumental lessons for your child.

14^th Whole School Excursion to Tusmore Park

10^th Term 1 Concludes 3:00pm