Dear SJMS Community
It was a pleasure last Sunday to see the first group of students celebrate the Sacrament of the First Eucharist. Father Paul, Father Stan and Father Alan ministered the sacrament in what was a lovely afternoon. Congratulations to:
Grace, Harry B, Cormac, Orla, Harry H, Eloise, Lucy
We also congratulate those students celebrating their First Communion this Sunday:
Gabrielle, Andrew, Emily, Mia, Da-yun, Hyeon-Gu
As this celebration marks the “end and the beginning” may each of the students who celebrated their Sacrament of the First Eucharist be supported through every trial in their endeavours of creating a world that God desires.
This week is the Children’s Book Council Association (CBCA) Book Week, which was rescheduled to this week (17 October - 23 October 2020) and will be celebrated within our school. The 2020 theme is 'Curious Creatures, Wild Minds'.
In our endeavours to catch up on many events that had to be rescheduled, our Book Week celebration will look a little different. This Friday students are invited to wear their pyjamas and bring along their favourite bed-time story book. Students are asked to bring a gold coin donation on this day which collectively will be donated to Catholic Charities, who we would normally donate to for our Mission Day at this time of the year. During the week Mrs Moore has organised a Book Fair in the William Street Library where students can purchase books. In addition this Saturday and Sunday our parish, St Ignatius, will hold a second-hand book sale out the front of the church on Queen Street before and after mass, to raise money for their ‘Refugee Support Group’ and ‘Manresa Circle of Friends’.
Over the next few weeks we will undertake our bi-annual whole school testing, this is a combination of assessments which inform the reporting process and measure progress achieved in 2020. These assessments are selected from the myriad of educational tests available, to enable our staff to observe growth and areas of continuing development for our students. This also enables our staff in 2021 to have a continuity of learning from this year, ensuring that learning time is maximised at the beginning of the school year.
Over the next week the class placement process for 2020 will commence. This is a complex jig-saw as we work to develop the right mix of students and the best possible fit in terms of both class size and class structure. Our teachers aim to keep abreast of the needs of every child through the course of the year and in their discussions with parents. Please understand that we take into consideration a range of factors including learning styles, academic achievement, gender, previous class history, friendship groups, social and emotional issues, siblings / relatives and so on. However, there is no doubt that some families will feel the need to write to me regarding placement. If you feel you must write, please base your request on these educational issues that you feel we do not currently hold and that is crucial to a successful placement occurring. This is not about ‘selecting a teacher’ but is an opportunity for you to provide information that will help us with the process. I must stress that letters of requests for certain teachers will not be considered. Please ensure all requests are forwarded to me no later than this Friday.
Next Friday, 30 October 2020, there will be a sea of colour at our 2020 Sports Day. Mr Siinmaa has been busy preparing the students with trials and team chants. Please note that our entire day will begin and end at both Bridge Street and William Street, we will make our way to Coopers Stadium (Norwood Oval) immediately after taking the morning roll. All students will need a packed recess and lunch, plenty of water and I ask everybody to support their team through wearing their team colours, however students are asked not to colour their hair. Sports Day needs the support of our school community to be run successfully and as a staff we are very grateful for your offers of assistance and support. Sports Day will conclude around 1:45pm at Norwood Oval and we will return back to school. If you wish to take your child from Norwood Oval at 2pm, please ensure that you have informed your child’s class teacher. Please refer to Mr Siinmaa’s letter distributed earlier this week.
God Bless
Brady Stallard