NEWSLETTER

Catholic Identity

On Thursday August 8 the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of St Mary of The Cross Mackillop. This is the date she died in 1909 in Sydney at the age of 67. Mary’s influence on education and bringing God to the people, especially the poor, is one of the most remarkable stories in our Australian story. She remains our only Australian Saint. Yet she was an ordinary person who held a deep love for God, a deep love for people, a deep love for the poor. Mary believed that education sets a person free and she believed that Catholic children should learn about their Catholic faith through their parents and at school. Although Mary favoured the poor and the marginalised, she welcomed all and she befriended people at different levels of society.

As a Josephite School we carry on this Tradition. The word ‘Tradition’ is often misunderstood as something from the past. Tradition is actually the lived expression of the values that inspired St Mary MacKillop and the sisters of St Joseph, in the past and now expressed in today’s world.

Where do these values come from? The values come from the Gospel. They are Gospel values as Mary MacKillop interpreted the stories of Jesus in the Gospel and applied them in her life through her words and actions. Our school community is fortunate to be part of this story and, therefore we are part of the Mary MacKillop’s legacy and the Josephite Tradition is alive in us.

Being part of the Josephite Tradition means to be a welcoming, inclusive, compassionate community. Mary MacKillop believed that the compassionate love of God was available to all she met. Mary Mackillop had a compassionate heart, big enough to enclose all humanity. No one was excluded. Today in our school community we do the same. We include and welcome people of all cultures and all religious backgrounds, of all socio-economic backgrounds and, support children with special needs who are considered to have special rights. We promote compassion and empathy amongst our children.

Last week as a school community we celebrated the Feast of St Mary of The Cross Mackillop by celebrating a whole school liturgy lead by the MacKillop House Team. The week also provided children and staff the opportunity to get involved in fundraising to support the homeless living in our society. The fundraising slogan was Walk a Mile in My Boots. As a sign of support, as a whole school we walked a mile within the local school area.

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

? + ? + ? = 18. What might the missing numbers be? How many different combinations can you find?

Port Power are leading the Adelaide Crows by 4 points. What might the scoreboard look like?

Years 4-6

The answer to a division question is 8. What might the question be? List as many sums as you can.

1?7 + ?5 = ?4?.  Work out all the possible answers for this addition number sentence.

Happy inquiry.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

This year many of our children have once again taken up the opportunity to participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge. The challenge closes later this term with children needing to have their Premier’s Reading Challenge Student Reading Record forms handed into the front office by then. I encourage all our children to continue to read regularly at home whether they are involved in the challenge or simply reading for fun.

Happy reading.

School Climate Surveys

During Term 3 each year we survey our school community to gauge how things are going for families, children and staff in terms of their current experience of school life at St Joseph’s. This year through Catholic Education South Australia we are continuing our partnership with Professor Jill Aldridge from Curtin University who is supporting Catholic schools in Developing Leadership Capacity in School Improvement through surveying the school community using the Living Learning Leading surveys. The Living Learning Leading parent online survey provides families with an opportunity to inform the school of how things are going for them at the moment. Staff and children have been involved in a similar survey. An information flier was sent home to all families on Monday July 22 with details of how to access this online survey. The Living Learning Leading parent online survey opened on Monday July 22 and closes on Friday August 23.

STEM Open Day

As part of Catholic Schools Open Week (Term 3 Week 5) and as a follow up to National Science Week (Term 3 Week 4), you are invited to join our school STEM Open Day on Tuesday August 20, 11:30am-1:30pm in the school grounds. Parents and family members will have the opportunity to join our children as they work in class groups engaging in STEM learning activities planned by our teaching staff. It is hoped that as many of our parents and carers as possible will be able to join us as it provides teaching staff with an opportunity to showcase the learning which takes place as part of our ongoing STEM learning focus. 

Staffing News

I would like to welcome Trinity Tilley who has joined our school staff as a Curriculum Education Support Officers (ESOs) in recent weeks.

Pupil Free Day Monday August 26

Monday August 26 will be a Pupil Free Day. All staff will be involved in our annual Staff Reflection Day. This year we will focus on developing strategies to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and staff. 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 Monday August 26.

How does Exercise affect Mental Health and Wellbeing?

Physical activity promotes many aspects of child and adolescent development, including social and emotional skills, as well as physical development of motor skills. It also supports mental wellbeing. We know that high levels of inactivity can lead to a greater risk of both physical and mental health problems. Some children and young people dislike competitive sport and anxiety about competition may worsen existing mental health issues. You could consider involving your child in non-competitive physical activities such as Yoga and Pilates as an alternative. Or explore activities where the focus is on participation, not competition.  It’s more important for children and young people to learn that being active is fun rather than focusing on winning.

To learn more about how you can support the Social and Emotional Learning and Wellbeing of your child visit Be You (formerly Beyond Blue)  https://beyou.edu.au 

Kiss and Drop Zone Speed Limit 10km per Hour.

A reminder that the school Kiss and Drop Zone along Rosewater Terrace has a speed limit of 10km per hour. Please ensure you observe the speed limit when using the Kiss and Drop Zone as this is an area where children are entering and exiting the school in large numbers.

A reminder also that the school Kiss and Drop Zone is not a place to park your car if you need to enter the school grounds as this holds up all incoming and outgoing traffic. It also leads to children exiting their cars on Rosewater Terrace and having to manoeuvre between traffic, raising further safety concerns. If you need to come into the school grounds, parking is available along Rosewater Terrace and on Ina Avenue.

Thank you in anticipation of your support with these important safety matter.

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 bless all our families throughout Term 3.

Working in partnership with you.

Shaun O’Leary.

Father’s Day Breakfast

We invite Father’s, Grandfathers or Carers to our Father’s Day Breakfast on Friday 30^th August from 8:15am. Shaun and I will be cooking bacon and eggs and would love to see you. Following this we will offer a special blessing prayer for you as part of our community prayer gathering.

Multicultural Celebration

A group of our students, staff and parents have organised a multicultural celebration which will be held on Wednesday 18^th of September at 11:30am. There will be more information shortly about the week including the day and time of our students dance and drumming with African Dance and Drum Ensemble and a guest performance of Philippines Dance on Wednesday afternoon.

There will be a special assembly lead by the students, and this will be followed by a shared school community lunch. We are inviting students to wear national costumes or colours from their family’s country of origin. You are most welcome to do the same. 

We hope you might be able to join us for this whole school family event.  

We would like to share in a picnic in the school grounds and ask that you consider if you would like to prepare and cook some food to share for this.  Children should still bring or order their lunch. The shared food will be available to all, but it is hard to predict how much we will have to share.

The rules for preparation of food off the school site are listed below. It is essential that all food is prepared in the correct way and labelled clearly with all ingredients that have been used. This is important so that we can keep all our students who have food allergies safe.

Please read the following guidelines below if you are bringing food to share.

Kind regards

Simon McCullough

Cross Country Carnival

This year’s annual Catholic Schools Cross Country Carnival proved to be a day of determination, camaraderie, and exceptional achievements! Selected students from grades 3 to 6 laced up their running shoes and took to a 2km course around the Adelaide Parklands competing against various schools.

The entire school community congratulates all our runners on their outstanding achievements and applauds the efforts of every student who participated. We are immensely proud to highlight the remarkable accomplishments of two of our very own runners, Khoi and Amay. In a highly competitive Division C race, Khoi and Amay respectfully dashed across the finish line in an impressive 7^th and 9^th place, a testament to their dedication and hard work.

A big thank you to Mr Higgens and Ms Michelle for joining us on this memorable excursion. We look forward seeing a new group of runners at next year’s carnival!

Daniel Nguyen

Sports Coordinator

Halal Hotdogs

We would like to inform you that Halal hotdogs are now available on Tuesdays.

Monday September 2 is school photo day. Children are to be in full school uniform with hair neatly styled. Blue colour hair ties only.

Please see below advertisement to place your order now.

St Joseph's School Ottoway
School Photography Date: 2/09/2024

Dear Parents,

School photography day is coming up soon. Group and portrait photographs can be purchased by following the link below or by returning the order envelope with your payment to our photographer on school photo day.

Two easy ways to purchase:

1. Visa, MasterCard or PayPal
2. Cash - complete the envelope supplied and return it to our photographer on photo day

Or visit: www.advancedlife.com.au
And enter online order code: 4BT WW1 V2Q

School photography information:

• Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
• Sibling Photos - Don’t forget to pre-order your sibling photos online up to 24 hours before photo day. We provide your school with a list of sibling orders right up to the day of photography, so no one misses out. If you miss the online order deadline, you can submit a completed sibling order envelope first thing in the morning of the day of photography, so your school is aware you want the photo taken and can bring your children together in time for it. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at your school. Please note not all schools offer sibling photos
• Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately
• Package delivery - School photographs will be returned approximately 6 weeks after the day of photography. Please note this delivery timeframe is dependent on proofing and additional photography days at your school.
• Previous Years’ photos - Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available to order under the “previous years or group photo” tabs at your school’s advancedorder site when you click on the “Order School Photos Here” button above. You can also order past packages, portrait images and gifts from your child’s unique, individual and secure advancedyou image archive site using the unique 9 digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past

advancedlife would like to express our appreciation to St Joseph's School Ottoway for placing your trust in us. Please remember we offer a 100% money back guarantee on our products to ensure your peace of mind. We would also love to receive your feedback or resolve any issues you may experience as fast as possible, to ensure your satisfaction. If you have any questions, comments or feedback relating to your advancedlife experience please contact us at 

School photography information:

• Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
• Sibling Photos - Don’t forget to pre-order your sibling photos online up to 24 hours before photo day. We provide your school with a list of sibling orders right up to the day of photography, so no one misses out. If you miss the online order deadline, you can submit a completed sibling order envelope first thing in the morning of the day of photography, so your school is aware you want the photo taken and can bring your children together in time for it. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at your school. Please note not all schools offer sibling photos
• Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately
• Package delivery - School photographs will be returned approximately 6 weeks after the day of photography. Please note this delivery timeframe is dependent on proofing and additional photography days at your school.
• Previous Years’ photos - Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available to order under the “previous years or group photo” tabs at your school’s advancedorder site when you click on the “Order School Photos Here” button above. You can also order past packages, portrait images and gifts from your child’s unique, individual and secure advancedyou image archive site using the unique 9 digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past

advancedlife would like to express our appreciation to St Joseph's School Ottoway for placing your trust in us. Please remember we offer a 100% money back guarantee on our products to ensure your peace of mind. We would also love to receive your feedback or resolve any issues you may experience as fast as possible, to ensure your satisfaction. If you have any questions, comments or feedback relating to your advancedlife experience please contact us at 

School photography information:

• Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
• Sibling Photos - Don’t forget to pre-order your sibling photos online up to 24 hours before photo day. We provide your school with a list of sibling orders right up to the day of photography, so no one misses out. If you miss the online order deadline, you can submit a completed sibling order envelope first thing in the morning of the day of photography, so your school is aware you want the photo taken and can bring your children together in time for it. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at your school. Please note not all schools offer sibling photos
• Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately
• Package delivery - School photographs will be returned approximately 6 weeks after the day of photography. Please note this delivery timeframe is dependent on proofing and additional photography days at your school.
• Previous Years’ photos - Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available to order under the “previous years or group photo” tabs at your school’s advancedorder site when you click on the “Order School Photos Here” button above. You can also order past packages, portrait images and gifts from your child’s unique, individual and secure advancedyou image archive site using the unique 9 digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past

advancedlife would like to express our appreciation to St Joseph's School Ottoway for placing your trust in us. Please remember we offer a 100% money back guarantee on our products to ensure your peace of mind. We would also love to receive your feedback or resolve any issues you may experience as fast as possible, to ensure your satisfaction. If you have any questions, comments or feedback relating to your advancedlife experience please contact us at www.advancedlife.com.au/contact 

Dear Parents and Caregivers.

Welcome to Week 4, Term 3, 2024 in OSHC.

Children are in a safe supervised environment; learning happens while children play, have fun, and make new friends.

Please feel welcome to visit.

Morning care in OSHC is available, 6.30-8.30am.                                          

Afterschool care in OSHC is available 3.00-6.00pm, 2.45-6.00pm Tuesday.

Please remember to make a booking when you need OSHC.

All bookings can be made by ringing or messaging the OSHC mobile on 0437 863 067.                                               

If there is no answer leave a message on the service. I will call or message you back.                            

Making a booking helps us keep the child/educator ratio in line with legislation.                                                                                          

24 hours’ notice is necessary when cancelling a booking or charges will occur.

All parents using OSHC will need to check their myGov app to check for messages.              

When you attend OSHC casually.     

Please remember check your myGov app and Centrelink for messages.                                                                                                                                      

When parents use OSHC casually you won’t automatically receive CCS (Childcare Subsidy).

Follow the prompts-confirming that you used the OSHC service.

Centrelink is just confirming that you are using the service.

Parents/caregivers are welcome to read the OSHC Policies, feel welcome to ask and I will make copies available for your perusal.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Mieke   

OSHC Director   

21^st - Bookweek Parade

26^th - PUPIL FREE DAY

OSHC not available