School Newsletter

As communicated in our last newsletter, significant road works will be undertaken on Albermarle Street beginning late September and continuing though until late January 2024.

We have been advised that traffic flow will be restricted to one-way only, from Port Road through to Grange Road for the duration of construction. Glanton Street will also be closed to through traffic for the duration of construction.

Works will occur in four stages beginning with the north eastern side of Albermarle Street from Port Road. The area adjacent the school will be completed as a priority within the October school holidays (Monday 02/10 – Friday 13/10).

It is imperative during this time that our families exercise compliance with the traffic management plan in place and that they exercise patience and caution at all times for the safety of all.

Much planning, practice and building of team spirit has been occurring at school as we approach our Sport Day which will take place next week:

📅 Thursday 21st September (Week 9)
🕘 9.00 am - 1.15 pm
⏰ Students to arrive by 8.45 am
📍 Henley & Grange Memorial Oval - White St, Henley Beach SA 5022

Please note that students will need to be dropped off and picked up from the venue and hopefully you can stay and enjoy the day with them.  There will be a bus service available for students who attend OSHC.  Students returning to school on the bus after the end of our Sports Day will need to be booked into OSHC for the half-day session.

Many thanks to our P and F who are organising the sausage sizzle (pre-orders via QKR) as well as tea, coffee and toasted sandwiches for spectators. Volunteers are always needed – lets make sure it is not the same few people who do all the work so others in our community can enjoy.  Please contact Rebekah Walton rebekahwalton28@gmail.com or Graziella Panazzolo  gpanazzolo@sjsh.catholic.edu.au.

We have had quite a few students who have been unwell lately including some diagnosed with COVID, influenza and hand foot and mouth.  Whilst at time inconvenient, it is important that students who are sick are kept at home both to protect themselves while their immunity is low and to protect others from falling ill.  We have had a significant amount of staff illness this term which impacts on both the learning program and on the budget!  Replacing staff who are away is an ongoing challenge due to a shortage of temporary relief teachers.

Our school uniform forms an important part of our school identity, helping students to connect with St Joseph’s School and know that they belong. It should be worn correctly and with pride.

School staff and the School Board often receive questions regarding the St Joseph’s School uniform and our uniform policy.  From time to time, it is important to ensure the uniform is meeting the needs of the community and our students and the School Board has approved the undertaking of a uniform review.  We ask that all families take the opportunity to voice their opinions of our current uniform and this information will indicate whether some changes are needed. Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

👉 Complete our Community Survey here

The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration to pray and respond together to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family around the world unites to listen and care for our common home, the Oikos of God. The Season “Celebration” begins 1 September, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron Saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.

This year we will unite around the theme, ‘Let Justice and Peace Flow’.

Below is information about Season of Creation and some resources you can start using with your family.

📣 Invitation to join the Season of Creation 2023

🗣 Message of Pope Francis for Creation Day 2023

🙏 Laudato Si Movement Prayer Book

Last week, our teachers participated in a professional development session focussing on prayer. With so many new staff it was good to come together and remember why we pray and why it is important to teach our students how to pray.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines prayer as: the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God (CCC 2559). The Catechism goes on to identify three expressions of prayer, namely: vocal prayer, meditative prayer and contemplative prayer.

Prayer varies according to purpose. When moved by God’s power, goodness, or love, we express praise and adoration in our prayers. Sometimes we damage our relationship with God and experience guilt and regret. Seeking forgiveness and reconciliation, we pray prayer of contrition. When we are filled with gratitude for gifts, graces, and favours, we respond with prayers of thanksgiving. And when we, or others, are in need of something, we turn trustingly to our good God with prayers of supplication. Sometimes we are so taken with God and God’s love and mercy that we pray prayers of sheer love.

Staff explored many different ways that prayer can be promoted in the classroom, such as, praying for each other, having silent time to pray to God, praying traditional prays and using meditation as a form of pray. They also discussed how to set up the sacred space in their classrooms and how it is important to make this space owned by the students and a special place that needs to be visual and prominent in the classroom.

Using resources, such as CESA’s ‘Being with God – A Prayer and Liturgy Resource’, staff then spent time reviewing their current prayer practices within their classroom and ways that they can reinvigorate these practices within the class.

In Reception, the students have been thinking about body responses and feelings. They have been learning to identify different feelings such as, happy feelings, sad feelings etc. The students have talked about how they may recognise these feeling in others and how they know if someone isn’t ok. The students connected these feeling with the Zones of Regulation and how these feeling can help them understand what zone they are in. The students discussed what they should do if they feel someone is sad and how they can help that person.

The 1/2s have also been working on their wellbeing by discussing bullying. They listened to the story 'One’ by Kathryn Otoshi, learning about accepting each other’s differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to speak up. The students discussed the difference between being a bystander and standing up to bullies. Each students drew what they though a bully looked like and what a good friend looked like.

It has come to our attention the USB cable supplied with the LED Strobe Torch at the recent Father’s Day stall is defective. Please see product safety recall notice attached.

⏎ Exchange/Replacement
Student who bought a torch at the Father's Day Stall will be able to exchange their faulty product for a new one. The replacement products will arrive within 21 days. An Audiri post will be sent out when they've arrived.

👉 Follow the steps below to register:

1. Complete this form to register your interest in replacing the faulty product.

2. Bring your faulty product to the Front Office (on or after the 21st September) and exchange it with a new one.

Booking now open. Simply follow the link below to complete two simple steps:

1. Consent Form: Fill out the digital consent form online. 👈
2. Online Booking: Reserve your child's spot with just a few clicks via Spike.

Additionally, you can download the program details directly from the website. It's all digital, hassle-free, and at your fingertips! 🌐💻

🤩 These holidays we have lots of FUN activities planned:

🚫 Mon 2nd Oct - PUBLIC HOLIDAY (No Vacation Care)
🍿 Tues 3rd Oct - Hoyts Cinema Arndale
🦸 Wed 4th Oct - Disney Fun & Superhero Day
👩🏻‍🔬 Thurs 5th Oct - Nitro Nat!
🚲 Fri 6th Oct - Wheels Fun Day

🏉 Mon 9th Oct - AFL Max
🎲 Tues 10th Oct - Board Game Fun Day
🕹 Wed 11th Oct - Interactive Play Systems
🖌 Thurs 12th Oct - Plaster Fun Day
🛼 Fri 13th Oct - Roller Skating at St Clair's

🆕 Using Vac Care for the first time?
Families using our service for the first time will need to complete an OSHC Enrolment process before care can be provided or bookings accepted. Come and speak to someone on the OSHC Team to learn more.

😊 Thank you for embracing our new form library
Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Call 0408 809 107 or email oshc@sjsh.catholic.edu.au 

📅 Thursday 21st September (Week 9)
🕘 9.00 am - 1.15 pm
⏰ Students to arrive by 8.45 am
📍 Henley & Grange Memorial Oval - White St, Henley Beach SA 5022

🕛 Preschool Time: from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm (early finish)

🔴 🟡   Sports Day Checklist   🟢 🔵

✅ Complete Sports Day Family Consent Form
🌭 Preorder your sausage sizzle via Qkr! - $2.50 each
🚌 Fill our the consent form and head to Qkr! to confirm your booking for bus travel to/from venue - $5 per student

🎵 Get ready to be spellbound! Join us for "The Magic of Musicals," our school concert, where the enchanting world of musicals comes alive on stage. From Disney classics to the rocking energy of "Grease," our students will take you on a musical journey you won't forget. Don't miss this magical night of song and dance! 🌟🎭✨

📅 Wednesday 8th November
🕖 Evening Performance 
📍 School Oval

More information coming soon!

Come along to celebrate and support South Australia’s talented youth on one of four evenings presented by the Catholic Schools Music Festival. 

Featured soloists, big bands, a cappella vocal groups and more exhibit an astonishing calibre of musicianship and you will be in awe of the 370-voice choir!

In September 2023, the annual Catholic Schools Music Festival will showcase 2000 extraordinary students from the ages of 10-18 years on the stage of the Festival Theatre. 

👉 Our school choir will be performing on Friday 29 September at the Festival Theatre. Book online through Ticketek here