Week 8, Term 2 2024

It is remarkable that we are already at the end of week 8 of the second term with the mid-year holidays approaching.

MID-YEAR RECEPTION

Our new Mid-Year Reception teacher, Ms Emily McGuffin, has enjoyed meeting her new students who are commencing next term and have been undertaking transition visits over the past few weeks.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM

This week, several students received the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion at the Norwood Catholic Parish. I would like to thank the Parish Sacramental leaders and team, as well as our APRIM, Mrs Vassallo-Wakefield for their leadership and guidance in helping every student receive these sacraments.

POSITIVE PULSE CHECK IN WELLBEING DATA

It is wonderful to report that our Term 2 student Pulse Check-In wellbeing results were extremely positive. The data has identified overall improvements with 84% of students in the green for feeling good 'most of the time’ and only 1.1% of students in the red. We feel that the new Thriving Minds project undertaken in all classes is having a positive impact on students and therefore is also having an effective impact on our wellbeing data:

Term 2, 2024 whole school data:

It is also important to identify the care of our teaching and support staff for all of our students to ensure they are happy at school.

CHILDREN'S UNIVERSITY

This week we had Becky from Children's University come to run a lunchtime club for our student members. The children had the opportunity to participate in a Japanese Calligraphy Handwriting session and really enjoyed the learning experience.

Recently, we congratulated and awarded a star badge to Sonny, for his outstanding commitment and dedication to undertaking and documenting his learning exploration hours this term. Well done!

SCHOOL REPORTS
This year we have moved to a learning management system called SEQTA ENGAGE and we are taking the next step in our school report process this term. School reports will be emailed via the SEQTA ENGAGE system on Monday, July 1.  All families will need to have activated their SEQTA account to access their child/ren’s reports. If you need any support with this, please contact our Leader of Learning, Mrs Aimee Caruso, via email at aimee@sjms.catholic.edu.au 

PUPIL FREE DAY
Just a reminder that the last day of term 2 is Thursday July 4, and that Friday July 5, will be Pupil Free Day for the whole school, including the Preschool. The first day of term 3 for Reception to Year 6 students is Tuesday July 23, as Monday will be a Pupil Free Day for students in Reception to Year 6. Preschool will return on Monday 22 July.

STAFF NEWS

This week, we informed the Year 4 families that Mr Merrigan will be taking Long Service Leave for the remainder of the school year. We have organised for Ms Lauren De Guglielmo to take the class in Mr Merrigan’s absence for the remainder of the school year. Lauren has experience working at Nazareth College, St Peter’s Girls School and a range of Catholic schools in South Australia. She has shared that, as an educator, she has a strong passion to support students along their schooling journey by aiming for all her students to become versatile, well-rounded learners. We look forward to welcoming Lauren into our SJMS community next term.

OSHC UPDATE
I wish to inform you that Shayla Cooper has resigned from the position of OSHC Director. We are very thankful that Isabella Vassallo-Wakefield has and will continue to be the Acting Director in the interim period. The position of OSHC Director has been advertised, and we hope to appoint a new Director in the new term.

PLAYGROUP

Marta has been enjoying the range of new and existing families that have been attending Playgroup each Friday morning. The families have been enjoying using the newly refurbished hall space to expand their activities.

YEAR 1 SCIENCE LEARNING

In Science the children have been learning about how changing the force can change how far an object moves. They watched a demonstration of how a car launcher can be made with materials from home and then tested these in small groups. The children are learning to answer questions scientifically and use technical language when responding.

SAPSASA FOOTBALL CARNIVAL

Well done to our School Captain, Jack McCabe who was selected and represented East Adelaide in the SAPSASA Boys State Carnival. Jack's team came second in the Division 1 section, which is an outstanding achievement.

PRESCHOOL LIBRARY FUN

Refugee Week

Over 200 years ago, a young couple and their newborn baby fled for their lives fearing the ethnic cleansing that was happening around them.  The flight of Mary, Joseph and Jesus into Egypt is re-enacted by millions of people worldwide every day.  Modern day refugees risk desert heat, brave stormy seas and endure the squalor of refugee camps hoping for a better future.

In the Bible, stranger was the biblical word for refugees.  We need to ask ourselves, do we love the stranger in Australia?  To live out our Christian Faith means to have concern for justice for all people, including ‘the stranger, widows and orphans’ which are the titles used in the Old Testament for the oppressed and nobodies of the time.

Jesus challenged people to go and learn the meaning of the word compassion.  Compassion is the modern word for mercy.  It means to walk in the shoes of someone, or to understand how a situation feels to them.

This week, in Australia we celebrate Refugee Week.  The Refugee Council of Australia (RFOC) have chosen the theme of “Finding Freedom”. The aim is to shed light on the transformative power of familial bonds as well as chosen bonds in the face of adversity and the crucial role families play in providing solace, support, and a sense of belonging to those forced to flee their homelands.

Refugee week:

• Aims to highlight the situation of refugees whose hopes have not been fulfilled – those who remain in seriously protracted situations, facing ongoing discrimination, violence and uncertainty, with little hope for a resolution in the near future. We are called on to consider how we can provide solutions for these refugees and restore their hopes for a brighter future.

• Promotes harmony and togetherness. The theme unites individuals, communities and organisations from many different backgrounds behind a common cause. The common theme is a reminder that, regardless of our differences, we all share a common humanity.

The challenge for us then is how can we make a difference to the life of a ‘stranger’ and help to restore their hope for a brighter future?

A Prayer for Refugees
Almighty and merciful God,
whose Son became a refugee
and had no place to call his own;
look with mercy on those who today
are fleeing from danger,
homeless and hungry.
Bless those who work to bring them relief;
inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts;
and guide the nations of the world towards that day
when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice and of peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

First Eucharist Celebrations

Initiation into the life of the Church is a gradual process that takes place within the community of the faithful. The whole community is responsible for passing on its faith, its story, values and traditions to the next generation.

In the process of initiation there are three sacramental ‘moments’: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.

Congratulations to the students who will celebrate 1^st Eucharist this Sunday completing the cycle for the Sacraments of Initiation.

Fundraising / Donations

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal

Thank you for your generosity on our Pyjama / Track suit day earlier this year. We raised just over $300 for the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal.

Backpack 4 Kids

I would like to extend my gratitude to all families for their generous donations so far for our Backpack 4 Kids project. The generosity of the SJMS community has been astounding.

On the last day of term, the staff will sort and pack these goods so that they can be used to provide resources that contribute to the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people during periods of dislocation from home and routine care.

This is our opportunity for us to help to give back to others in need within our community.

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-6 (Whole School Pupil Free Day)

Term 3

• Week 1 - Monday 22 July 2024  R-6

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.