NEWSLETTER

Catholic Identity

In the last newsletter I provided the school community with some background information on our school Josephite Tradition. Below is further information on what it means for us here at St Joseph’s to be a part of the Josephite Tradition.

Being part of a Josephite Tradition means that as a community everyone is treated with dignity. Mary Mackillop believed that God, in Jesus, called her and the sisters of St Joseph to show reverence for the dignity of all people. Mary MacKillop’s reverence for all people meant she was incapable of ’giving up’ on anyone.

Today in our school community, we support families by reducing fees if required, helping with uniforms and providing lunch for children whose families may be experiencing financial difficulties. School canteen coordinator Rebecca Allen makes pasta sauce each fortnight for St Vincent DePaul Fred’s Van. The sauce is delivered by APRIM Simon McCullough and used to provide meals to the homeless in the city centre. 

Being part of a Josephite Tradition means that as a community we most support the people who are poor and marginalized. For Mary MacKillop those who were the most ‘Needy’ in our world come first. Mary Mackillop and the sisters established “bush schools” and later as needs arose, orphanages, refuges, and other services for those most vulnerable in the society of their time. Mary MacKillop was an extraordinary woman of action and her response was a practical one. Small acts upon small acts make a big difference over time. 

Today in our school community, we teach children to reach out and support those in need. To grow into people who have a sense of the common good in our society. We teach them that we use our gifts and talents to support people who are poor, people who are less fortunate. We do this through Project Compassion, St Vincent De Paul and Walk a Mile in My Boots to name a few.

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

A basketballer scored 11 points in two games. What might her scores in each of the games be? Record as many possibilities as you can.

The difference between two numbers is 5. What might the two numbers be? Record as many possibilities as you can.

Years 4-6

7?0 - ??5 = 75.  Work out as many possible answers for this subtraction number sentence as you can.

A problem for 12 ÷ 2 is: There are 12 tennis players. How many teams of 2 are there? Make up two different types of word problems for 54 ÷ 6.

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 on Friday September 6 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.

Father’s Day Breakfast

On Friday August 30 we will hold our annual Father’s Day breakfast adjacent to the Parent Centre from 8:15am. APRIM Simon McCullough, and I will prepare a bacon and eggs breakfast for all dads and granddads to enjoy before heading off to work. Hoping to see as many of our fathers and grandfathers there as possible.

STEM Open Day

As part of Catholic Schools Open Week (Term 3 Week 5) and National Science Week (Term 3 Week 4), a number of parents and carers joined our school STEM Open Day on Tuesday August 20. Parents and family members had the opportunity to join our children as they worked in class groups engaging in STEM learning activities planned by our teaching staff. The day provided an opportunity to showcase both Catholic Education in South Australia and the learning which takes place as part of our STEM learning focus within the school. 

How are Nutrition and Mental Health linked?

Healthy eating helps children and young people cope more effectively with stress, better manage their emotions and get a good sleep - all of which assist learning. Most research about nutrition and mental health has focused on adults. We know that good nutrition is associated with better mental health outcomes, whereas a poor diet is associated with a greater risk of depression and anxiety. However, emerging research that focuses on children and young people has also found a relationship between unhealthy diets and poorer mental health outcomes. 

Poor nutrition has been associated with:

• externalising behaviour (such as hyperactivity, aggression, disobedience)
• symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 
• poor concentration and tiredness, which interfere with learning
• immune system function, which is also linked to mental health
• delayed brain development - high-fat, high-sugar diets can affect proteins in the body that are important for brain development
• iron deficiency, which has been linked to cognitive function impairments associated with learning and memory
• nutrient deficiencies, which have been associated with mental health conditions including depression and anxiety (we know that fruits and vegetables, grains, fish, lean red meats and olive oils are rich in important nutrients such as folate, magnesium, vitamins and zinc which all impact on body and brain functions, including mood regulation). 

Dietary habits aren't always a choice. ‘Food insecurity’ - where people don’t have enough food as a result of homelessness, unemployment, poverty - is also a problem for many families in Australia. Food insecurity can result in poorer academic performance, time off from school, stress, depression, anxiety, aggression, and difficulty getting along with others. Food insecurity can result in: 

• psychological stress - high levels of ongoing stress have been related to depression and delayed brain development
• poorer academic performance
• time off from school
• anxiety
• aggression
• difficulty getting along with others. 

The good news is that improving what you eat can lead to improvements in your mental health, so it’s never too late to encourage healthier eating patterns. 

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 continue to 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

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 www.advancedlife.com.au/contact 

Dear Parents and Caregivers.

Welcome to Week 6, 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

30^th- Father's Day Breakfast