Semester One has been full of so many highlights and developments for our school community. On Monday, families would have received their child’s end-of-semester report that was sent out via SEQTA Engage, and families will have the opportunity to book in learning conversations with the class teachers for the that will occur during week 3 of term 3.

Sports Day 2024

The annual school Sports Day was a huge success, and it was delightful that all the students enjoyed participating positively throughout the event. I would like to thank Mr. Dacombe-Bird for his leadership and organisation of the event, as well as all the staff and parents who ensured the day was perfect. Thank you also to the Mary Mackillop College students who volunteered to help on the day. Well done to team Mackillop, who won the Spirit Cup and demonstrated the school values of kindness, love, and care to encourage and cheer their team on, and to team Tappeiner, who were the overall point winners on the day.

PRESCHOOL GRADUATION

The Preschool graduation was an excellent way to celebrate each child's development and achievements throughout their time in the Preschool. It was incredible to hear the children share their many highlights of their time in Preschool and Ready For Reception. Thank you to Preschool leader Tania and all the outstanding Preschool and Ready for Reception staff for organising the event and for all the wonderful work you do to lead the children to thrive and learn. It was great to see so many family members in attendance.

SCHOOL CO-CURRICULAR

As the term ends, some of our school sporting teams have been continuing their matches. I know I share my gratitude for parent coaches a lot, but I would like to thank the many parents who give up their time to lead the teams in games and training sessions. Our community deeply appreciates the commitment and dedication of the parent volunteer coaches and the positive impact they have on supporting the teams and students. It was incredible to see the Year 5/6 basketball team win their playoff final on Monday in a thrilling contest that ended in a 1-point victory. The wonderful positivity for every player to share in the collective success was brilliant to witness.

This week, almost 80 of our students from years 3 to 6 participated in the SACPASA netball carnival, where they had the opportunity to play against a range of Catholic schools.

PUPIL-FREE DAYS

This is a reminder for families that tomorrow, Friday, July 6 (Week 10 Term 2), the school has a pupil-free day, and Monday, July 22 (Week 1) will be a pupil-free day for R-6 students due to Staff Professional Development Days. Preschool students ONLY will commence Monday, July 22 (Week 1), Term 3. OSHC bookings are available if needed on these days.

ASSEMBLIES

Our Year 4 students hosted the whole school assembly last week and shared their magnificent learning with their peers. It was also amazing that the Year 4 students collaborated with Mary Mackillop students to sing a song about Saint Mary Mackillop.

EXCURSIONS

Last week, our Bridge Street students enjoyed attending an excursion to the National Motor Museum in Birdwood. The children learned about the history of motor and automotive vehicles and how cars have changed over the years.

SOCIAL WORK UNIVERSITY STUDENT INITIATIVES

This week we farewell the two social work students, Grace and Olivia, who have introduced a range of new opportunities and experiences for our students. They have introduced a lunchtime garden club at Bridge St. and William St. to grow and sell seedlings to give to the charity Backpack 4 Kids and also create opportunities to use the ingredients for cooking activities. It was also amazing that the social work students introduced a 'knitting' club to help students develop their fine motor skills and complete a range of projects. We would like to thank Grace and Olivia for their positive work and impact in our community this semester, and we are looking forward to welcoming a larger group of social work students next term.

100 DAYS OF SCHOOL

This week, the Reception students celebrated completing 100 days of schooling for the year. They enjoyed the activities, and the teachers got into the full spirit of the celebration.

THANKYOU

As we approach the halfway point of the year, I wanted to express my sincere thanks to the entire St. Joseph’s Memorial community for their trust, care, and support in my work as Principal so far this year. I am looking forward to continuing the work to provide the best opportunities for each child to do their best and to be proud of their school. I hope all the staff, parents and students have a wonderful break over the next two weeks.

Thanks,

Adam Slater

Principal

NAIDOC Week

Next week, we celebrate National NAIDOC Week which runs from Sunday 7 July to Sunday 14 July. During NAIDOC Week we recognise the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It provides an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories.  

The theme this year is, ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud’ which honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture.

Amen. 

Family Faith Formation Program (Sacrament of Reconciliation) 

The 2024/2025 Family Faith Formation Program for children in Years 3 to 6, who wish to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation will commence next term.  

The following dates below indicate face to face meetings which are to be attended by both the candidate and their parents/caregivers.  

1st Meeting: Tuesday 30th July 2024 @ 7pm in the Parish Hall

2nd Meeting: (rehearsal) Tuesday 10th September 2024 @ 7pm in the Parish Hall

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Thursday 12th September 2024 @ 7pm in the Church.

School / Class Masses and Liturgies of the Word (LOW) - Term 3

Please find below the dates and times of our Masses and Liturgies for Term 3. We look forward to seeing you at these Liturgical celebrations.

30 July Grandparents Day Mass (Whole School) 9:30am in St Ignatius Church led by Year 6

8 August St Mary MacKillop Feast Day Mass (Whole School) at 11am led by Year 3 & 4

13 August Preschool and Ready for Reception LOW in Bridge Street Library at 9:15am

28 August Father’s Day Mass (Whole School) at 9:30am in St Ignatius Church led by Year 5.

6 September Year 1 LOW in Bridge Street Library at 9:15am.

12 Septembr Year 2 Class Mass in PAS at 9:15am.

17 September Reception / MYR LOW in Bridge Street Library at 9:15am

Thank you

As the school captains, we wanted to take the opportunity to share the latest lessons and events that have occurred in Term 2. There have been many exciting learning opportunities and assignments taking place this term.

English: In English, we have been learning about the structures of an information report. It must include facts, no opinions, start with an introduction, have body paragraphs that start with a topic sentence, and have a conclusion summarising everything the reader has learned. We wrote an information report about solar panels in our books and made sure we included all our information and worded it differently. Then, we wrote a report discussing why Adelaide is a great city to live in, chose our topics, and looked at different websites. We had to make sure to use the link for our bibliography at the end.

Mathematics: In Mathematics, we have been learning about angles and the different degrees they all have. So, for our assignment, we had to create our own mini-golf course. We had to design and create different angles for different shapes, like right angle, isosceles, equilateral, scalene diamond, rectangle, square, and trapezium, with different degrees. We had to do this all in our mathematics book with four displays of parallel, and perpendicular lines. We also looked at area and perimeter and learned how to convert the different types of measurements like metres, kilometres, centimetres and millimetres. We also looked at how to work out the missing measurements on a shape.

Religion: In religion, we have been looking at different religions such as Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. We researched each of them and had to choose one to write a PowerPoint presentation on and present it to the class. We needed to include the customs, beliefs, holidays, and traditions, as well as the connections it has to Christianity.

HASS: In Hass, we have been learning about the rights of Indigenous people. We looked at how they have been treated since Colonisation, and how there have been many significant events of Indigenous reconciliation. We created a timeline starting from Federation, where Indigenous people have not been counted in the census, up until the voice to parliament. We included significant dates such as 'National Sorry Day.'

Science: In science, we have been learning about the Great Barrier Reef and its threats. The Great Barrier Reef is an amazing habitat for sea creatures. We researched its threats by watching a David Attenborough documentary about the Great Barrier Reef and what scientists are doing to protect it. It was very fun and interesting while reminding us that we can make a change and help save astonishing landmarks like this. We then had to choose an animal that lives on the Great Barrier Reef and write an information report about it. We included the diet, habitat, appearance, and threats while also including what we could do to help the animal.

P.E: In Physical Education, we have been preparing for Sports Day by coming up with our own health hustle to show to the school. We chose “Pump it Up” and had to think of 16 beat moves to add to it. It was very fun because it allowed us to express our creativity and use problem-solving tactics when a move didn’t turn out right. In the end, it looked really good, engaging, and easy to follow along for the other grade levels, and we really enjoyed performing it on Sports Day!

Performing Arts: In Performing Arts we have been lucky enough to have the amazing opportunity to learn the ukulele and all the different frets and notes to it. We learned A, G, F, and C, as well as the frets the notes were in. We played songs like “Shake it Off” but mainly focused on “Counting Stars.” After a lot of practice, we were able to smoothly transition between different notes and play Counting Stars fully without making any mistakes!

Health: In Health, we have been looking at relationships. We understood what makes a healthy relationship and an unhealthy relationship, and how to tell the difference between them. We also looked at the United Nations Charter for Children and the different rights we all have, as well as looking at different scenarios and how to handle them.

Art: In art, we have been looking at the style, life, and artwork of Vincent Van Gogh. We looked at different paintings by him, and once we were done, we had to choose one of his many artworks, submit a 300-word (minimum) reflection about the history of the artwork, as well as how we responded to it, and recreate it in our own way. This could’ve been changing the colour, smaller concepts, or maybe changing it to make it look more like a modern-day piece. We could change it however we wanted; we just had to make it look recognisable. The artworks all looked amazing when we had finished them, and it was great to see how everyone responded to the artwork in their own way.

Other activities and events: Aside from these subjects, we have done plenty of things in Term 2! We had Sports Day, with Tappeiner taking home the shield, closely followed by Woods, Joseph, and Mackillop. Mackillop won the Spirit Cup, with Tappeiner, Joseph, and Woods following close behind. It was great to see all the teams showing great sportsmanship and teamwork while also showing their skills and, best of all, having fun!

We also had the Netball Carnival on Thursday, with every student showing off their skills on the court, and students who don’t play netball gave it their all. Everyone made an amazing effort. In speaking of carnivals, the Lacrosse Carnival, taking place before the netball carnival, was such a fun day for us to have fun playing Lacrosse whilst developing skills like coordination and teamwork.

We also had other events such as school photo day, the Book Fair, earning a huge amount of money for new books in the library, the Mother’s Day morning tea, Quiz Night, a fun night for all the parents, and the First Eucharist for some students entering God’s family. Congratulations to them!

There have been plenty of events taking place in Term 2, and we can’t wait for the events and fun learning opportunities that Term 3 will bring forth!

We would like to inform you of the dates for Pupil Free Days (PFD) for this year. Please note that OSHC will be available for families that require this service on these days.

Term 2

• Week 10 - Friday 5 July 2024  Preschool - Year 6 

Term 3

• Week 1 - Monday 22 July 2024  RFR, R-6 (Preschool OPEN as per normal) 

Term 4

• Week 1 - Monday 14 October 2024 R-6
• Week 9 -

All Assemblies will be held in the Performing Arts Studio at William St on Friday afternoons at 2pm.

Students from Bridge Street will walk across to William Street to participate in Assemblies, face to face.

Please remember to check the school calendar regularly for any updates.

St Joseph's Memorial School provides a safe environment for all while valuing the partnership between school and home.

As a Catholic community, we welcome and value volunteers. To be able to volunteer, and/or attend at other times throughout the school year, we ask that you hold the following:

1. A current Catholic Police Check (parents/caregivers attending excursions, reading in class, helping in class, attending community events);
2. A current Responding to Abuse and Neglect in Education and Care for Volunteers certificate (please click here to view how to complete this requirement);
3. Completed the volunteers application.

A Catholic Police Check for volunteers at SJMS are free for our current parents and caregivers. Application Forms are available to download here or at either school office.

We ask that you present your completed form with verification ID to the front office, and we will submit the application on your behalf. You will then receive an email link to complete the process online. Once all cleared you will receive a Catholic Police Check ID card in the post, please bring this in to the front office and we will take a copy of your clearance.

This process ensures we maintain a child safe environment. To avoid disappointment, we encourage you to apply for a Catholic Police Check through either school office as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at either office.

Thanking you
The SJMS Admin Team
info@sjms.catholic.edu.au

For more information on how Catholic Education SA provides a safe environment for all, please click here.

Summary of what is needed to volunteer at SJMS:
Valid Catholic Police Check
Responding to Abuse and Neglect Education and Care Volunteer Certificate
Completed application form

Come see our Preschool in action, contact us for a tour or enrolment information.