NEWSLETTER

Catholic Identity

On Wednesday March 5 we celebrated Ash Wednesday as a school community. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Church season of Lent. To begin Lent we are marked using ash from the burning of palm branches used on Palm Sunday last year. This ceremony reminds us of Jesus’ love for us. The season of Lent lasts for forty days and is a reflective time of fasting, prayer, and penance in the lead up to Easter. The official liturgical colour for the season of Lent is violet.

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

Mandy from Mars has a friend from Saturn. Her friend has 3 eyes, 5 arms, 6 legs, 12 fingers and lots of spots. What does he or she look like? What is its name? Try to create number sentences about Mandy’s friend.

Years 4-6

Clara has a puzzle to solve. Help her list all numbers that fit these clues:

I have two digits. I am less than 88. I am more than 16. The sum of my digits is not even. My ones digit is one more than my tens digit. Please show working out. Example: 34. (Working Out: 3+4=7. 34= 3 Tens and 4 Ones).

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.

Children develop their reading skills, knowledge and understanding by reading regularly. At St Joseph’s School regular reading at home forms a major part of homework set each evening. Why not create regular timeslots throughout the week whereby all electronic devices in the home are turned off and members of the family spend 15 minutes reading together. 

Happy reading.

Year R/1C & R/1H - I Callisto & A Huynh

The Reception/Year 1 classes have had a wonderful start to our new school year. We really enjoyed our first excursion to Tusmore Park on the 14th of February.

Throughout the first weeks of school our students have been building new friendships along with learning to share and take care of our learning space. We have been busy establishing clear routines, procedures and expectations to best prepare our students for Literacy and Numeracy groups which commenced in Week 4. Our new Reception students have begun to develop more confidence, organisation and friendship/social skills as they settle into the new school year. Students have also been taking more ownership of their classroom routines and readers.

We are excited to begin our new learning journey together this year and look forward to meeting with parents/caregivers for Parent Teacher Interviews in Week 9.

2025 NAPLAN Testing

This year our Year 3 and Year 5 children will once again complete their NAPLAN testing online although the Year 3 Writing Test will continue to be a paper test. NAPLAN is a nationally developed program that provides schools, states, and territories with information about how education programs are working and what areas need to be prioritised for improvement. NAPLAN tests are administered simultaneously in all schools across Australia and the content of the tests are aligned to the Australian Curriculum; English and Mathematics. The 2025 NAPLAN Testing window opens on March 12 and closes on March 24. NAPLAN Tests are just one of many assessments conducted at our school.

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. We will begin the day by celebrating Mass as a whole school in the parish Church. This will be followed by a range of fun activities held throughout the day. Parents are very welcome to join our celebration. In addition, the St Joseph House Team will lead a whole school liturgy as part of our communal prayer on Friday March 28.

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.

Student Safety and Wellbeing

The Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide Safeguarding Children and Young People policy can be found on our school website under Community, Welfare, Your Child’s Welfare. The policy outlines the key principles and responsibilities of Catholic schools to ensure a total community approach towards the protection of children and young people in their care. I encourage you to visit our website to view the full policy.

The Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum, in a sense is the curriculum component of the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide Safeguarding Children and Young People policy links directly to the Religious Education Curriculum, the Made in the Image of God Curriculum and our professional learning around the Kids Matter program. The Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum forms a large part of our classroom focus during the first 3 weeks of the school year. 

Why we teach children about keeping safe.

School systems have a legal responsibility to protect children and young people from abuse in their settings and in the wider community. All children and young people have a right to:

• be treated with respect and to be protected from harm
• be asked for their opinions about things that affect their lives and to be listened to
• feel and be safe in their interactions with adults and other children and young people
• understand as early as possible what is meant by 'feeling and being safe'.

Curriculum Themes

The curriculum follows 2 main themes:

• the right to be safe
• relationships
• recognising and reporting abuse
• protective strategies.

The focus areas are targeted to the age of the learners.

The Cyber Safety: Keeping Children Safe in a Connected World document can also be found on our school website under Community, Welfare, Your Child’s Welfare. The document aims to ensure a safe learning environment for all children when using ICTs and working online.

Our Student Wellbeing & Personal Responsibility school policy can also be found on our school website under Community, Welfare, Your Child’s Welfare.

Collectively these documents outline the processes and protocols in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children in our care.

If you have any questions around any of these documents or would like further clarification, feel free to speak to your child’s classroom teacher, our APRIM Simon McCullough or myself.

 What is Resilience?

Resilience refers to the ability to manage everyday stressors and challenges. Resilience enables people to shift back along the mental health continuum towards good mental health. A child or young person’s ability to be resilient can depend upon many things and can change depending upon their situation. Importantly, specific situations or events that one child or young person may find challenging, another may not.

A child or young person who is resilient might: 

• be optimistic
• use positive self-talk for encouragement
• have a positive sense of self
• identify and express their feelings and thoughts
• not hide away from strong feelings
• have helpful, age-appropriate strategies to manage their emotions when upset
• rearrange their plans to work around an unexpected situation
• have a sense of agency or responsibility
• keep on trying if something doesn’t work out and use their judgment about when to stop
• hold a sense of purpose or hope for the future
• actively ask for help if they need it
• feel a sense of attachment to family, their learning community and to learning.

To learn more about how you can help build resilience in your children visit Be You (formerly Beyond Blue). The website also provides a range of resources and ideas to support the mental health and wellbeing of our young people. I encourage you to visit the website at https://beyou.edu.au/and have a look for yourself.

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’s love continue to be with us during the season of Lent.

Working in partnership with you.

Shaun O’Leary.

This week, the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning Caritas Australia’s annual Project Compassion Appeal.

The theme of Project Compassion 2025 is ‘Unite Against Poverty’, because together we can take action to make a lasting difference!

By donating to Project Compassion, Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, can work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

Each family will receive a Project Compassion box for their donations, or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion

#projectcompassion

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. This program is facilitated each Monday from 2pm in the Church.

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

Upcoming dates -

• Ash Wednesday Mass 10am 5/3
• St Patrick’s Mass 10am Monday 17/3
• St Joseph’s Mass 10am Wednesday 19/3 - St Joseph’s House celebration day
• Pupil free day Friday 21 March - Autism SA Facilitating Working with Children on the ASD Spectrum
• Friday April 11: School Directed Non-Teaching Day
• Annunciation Mass Tuesday 10am 25/3
• Holy Week liturgies throughout Week 11

National Playgroup Week will be celebrated this year from 17^th - 23^rd March.

This year Playgroup SA is hosting an event, ‘Playgroup on the Green’ at Alberton as part of the playgroup week celebrations.

Come along and join us for a fun morning of activities! 

After School Tuesday Jiu Jitsu club

Tuesdays after school Jiu Jitsu class 3:30pm-4:30pm starting from week four 18^th February 2025 in the school gymnasium and children can be left unattended. Any sports clothing is fine (without metal zippers etc. preferred).

Jiu Jitsu is a self-defence and grappling based martial art that is amongst the most proven effective styles and perfect for neutralising a physical attack with minimal violence. It promotes values such as discipline, integrity and respect. Jiu Jitsu enhances fitness, athleticism and confidence, lowering the risk of being bullied while teaching children life skills they can benefit from not only now, but well into the future as adults.

Sensei/coach Mike has 20+ years’ experience with international level teams, degrees in youth studies and works with children under DCP guardianship. Fully police checked & insured.

First term is $80 (only 8 weeks) and $120 thereafter per term. Siblings/same house remain at $100 per child per term, or $80 each for first term. Late addition deals also available.

Adult sessions are also available at Redstar training centre, Old Port Road, Royal Pk

Please contact Mike directly with any enquires and for consent form.

Phone: 0481380784

Instagram: bkr_Jiujitsu_sa

 BKR JIU JITSU SA

21^st Pupil Free Day - OSHC CLOSED

24^th, 25^th, 26^th Parent Teacher Conversations