NEWSLETTER

In 3/4H, we've been exploring how narratives can reveal real-life experiences and events. Our class has shared stories such as “Stolen Girl,” “Took the Children Away,” and “The Peasant Prince.” Through these narratives, students have not only engaged with the text but also developed their artistic skills. They have examined how illustrators use images to convey crucial details about characters, settings, and events. As part of this learning, the students undertook a creative project: designing a front cover for a narrative without having seen the original. This exercise challenged them to think deeply about the elements of the story and represent them visually.

Catholic Identity

Last week we celebrated Catholic Education Week.

Catholic schools give students opportunities to:

•              learn about prayer in the Catholic Tradition
•              listen and respond to God
•              embrace the beauty and richness of prayer in the Catholic Tradition
•              develop skills for personal and communal prayer and Liturgy.

In our Catholic school communities, everyone is encouraged to set aside time for personal prayer and to pray together with others. As part of Catholic Education Week this year we created a Pop-Up Prayer Space located in the courtyard. Community members (parents, caregivers, grandparents, children, and staff) have had the opportunity to write a prayer for someone or something they would like to prayer for and place it in our Pop-Up Prayer Space.  

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

Draw a clock and show on it the time you get out of bed on Sunday mornings. 

What things could you do that take about 30 minutes?

Years 4-6

Imagine that you are allowed to watch six hours of television on the weekend. What might be the television programs that you watch this weekend?

A football match takes 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete. What might be suitable starting and finishing times?

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.

Teaching and Learning Update:

In Literacy and Numeracy, teachers and co-educators are working with students in targeted learning groups. Literacy is an uninterrupted 2-hour block and Numeracy lessons are 1 hour.  The groups are devised using ongoing assessment data and ensure that teaching meets every student’s needs.  We schedule specialist support for Literacy and Numeracy during this time. School leadership are also involved with Trish Pfeiffer and Simon McCullough working in Literacy Blocks and myself working in Numeracy Blocks. 

School Start Time 8:45am

I encourage you, if possible, to ensure your child/children are at school by 8:45am each day. This will ensure that your child is present during key explicit teaching moments at the beginning of Literacy and Numeracy Blocks. This will ensure your child is well informed and ready to be a successful learner.

Mother’s Day Breakfast and Parent Centre Launch

Thankyou to all the mums and grandmothers who attended our Mother’s Day Breakfast on Friday May 10. The breakfast coincided with the launch of our new parent centre space. The space will be open to parents daily 8:30am-9:30am and 2:30pm-3:30pm to meet informally and get to know each other. Coffee and biscuits are available in the parent centre free of charge.

Pupil Free Day Monday June 3

Monday June 3 will be a Pupil Free Day. On this day staff we will be continuing our journey with Lee Crockett around students having agency over their learning. OSHC will be available on the day. Bookings are essential and can be made by contacting Mieke or the Front Office.

Term 3 Preschool and Reception Intake

St. Joseph’s School will once again have a Pre-school and Reception intake at the start of Term 3 this year. Our Term 3 new Pre-school children will replace those moving into Reception as part of our Term 3 Reception intake. A new class will be created for our Term 3 new Receptions which will be located next to the current Junior Primary unit. The criteria for starting Pre-school or Reception on the first day of school in Term 3 is that a child will have turned 4 (Pre-school) or 5 (Reception) between 1 May and 31 October in that year. During Term 2 we will hold three transition visit mornings for our new Pre-school and Reception children with the aim of supporting their new start.

Why is Play Important?

Play is important for learning the social skills (including language and communication) that develop over time and will be the foundation for future relationships. 

Through play, children learn about:

• the give and take of relationships with friends (negotiating)
• how their behaviour can affect others and to develop empathy
• how to lead and follow
• repairing relationships.

Play helps children develop emotional skills. Through play, children can express their feelings, even before they have the words to say how they feel. Play also fosters imagination and becomes the basis for creativity in art or music or other ways of self-expression. These ways of personal expression can help people cope with the range of feelings humans feel as they journey through life. Play can also help children learn impulse control. They learn to think about what they want to do, to plan and to be patient. If they’re building a castle and get frustrated and knock it down, they have lost their castle. In these ways, children gradually learn they need to control their impulses to achieve what they want. 

Play is a way that children can work through and resolve problems. For example, a child whose family has separated may feel very anxious about what’s going to happen to them. These feelings and possibilities can be explored through play. The child can practice having two homes set up with two houses and different dolls. There’s no need for you to take part, but being near while the child plays shows support and acceptance.

Play helps children develop physical skills. Children like games that test their physical abilities (motor skills) - running, climbing, jumping and exploring. These games bring children happiness and build their confidence.

To learn more about how you can support the Social and Emotional Learning and Wellbeing of your child visit Be You  https://beyou.edu.au/dashboard/resources/fact-sheets

Important Safety Message

Students and families are reminded to be wary of approaches from strangers, especially when they are unaccompanied or travelling to and from school. If they are approached students should not respond and should not accept offers of rides or gifts.

Students should seek the assistance of other nearby adults if they feel unsafe and should report the event to a trusted adult (parent or school staff member) as soon as possible.

SAPOL advises that taking out a mobile phone and calling police can deter the offender and they recommend the student making a formal report to their closest police station.

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 the love of the Risen Lord continue to be with us all.

Working in partnership with you.

Shaun O’Leary.

You are invited to join us when we attend the Parish masses. The dates are;

·         Our Lady Help of Christians Mass Friday 24th May at 10am

·         Sacred Heart of Jesus Mass Friday 7th June at 10am

·         Nativity of John the Baptist Monday 24 June at 10am

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)

Halal Hotdogs

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

Dear Parents and Caregivers.

Welcome to Week 4, Term 2, 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   

24th - Lacrosse Carnival

29th - School Board Meeting

3rd - Pupil Free Day

OSCH available contact Mieke

7th - Sacred Heart of Jesus Mass

19th - Battle of the Bands

24th - Nativity of John the Baptist