Week 8, Term 3 2024

Upcoming Sports Day Thursday 26 September

Our much-anticipated Sports Day is fast approaching and students have been busily practicing their events, chants and marching. Please be reminded that students will need to be dropped off and picked up from the venue (Henley and Grange Memorial Oval) and all are warmly invited to stay and enjoy the day with them.

Bus Service

There will be a bus service available for students who attend OSHC or who otherwise cannot be dropped off at the venue.  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. Please ensure you have returned your bus booking form as a matter of priority as the bus will be booked later this week based upon number provided.

Volunteers Needed

As we will be at a public oval, we need to ensure the toilet area is always supervised during the day.  As staff are engaged in facilitation of the sports activities for the day, we rely upon parent volunteers to be rostered on for safety supervision. For those who are registered school volunteers, please see your child’s class teacher ASAP to volunteer for a short stint.  If you have not yet registered to be a volunteer at our school, please consider doing so – many hands make light work!

Many thanks to our P and F who are organising the sausage sizzle (pre-orders via QKR) as well as tea, coffee and drinks. Volunteers are always needed – let’s make sure it is not the same few people who do all the work so others in our community can enjoy.  Please contact the front office, Andrea Boseley- theparidons@gmail.com or Seva Maitianos - seva.maitianos@sjsh.catholic.edu.au  if you can help out for a short time on the day.

Week 10 is proving to be an exciting one with our Year 5/6 choir performing at the Festival Centre for the Catholic Schools Music Festival on the Wednesday evening.  This is always a fabulous night with approximately 400 students performing as a mass choir along with some amazing musical acts from Catholic Schools across South Australia. Public tickets are available – find out more at the website - https://www.musicfestival.cesa.catholic.edu.au/ .

As previously communicated, it has proven very difficult for our school to engage a booking for our Reception to Year 3 Water Safety Program for 2024 due to closures and refurbishments of nearby centres. Programs were finally opened for bookings a few weeks ago however, unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in securing a booking for this year. We are currently working to reinstate this program for 2025.

Yesterday, our school celebrated our Visible Wellbeing Day, inspired by both our Visible Wellbeing Project and the national R U OK? Day which official takes place today, Thursday 12 September. Through the Visible Wellbeing Project, our staff and students have been using the SEARCH framework to better understand their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others and to learn skills and strategies to help improve wellbeing.  So far we have explored Strengths and Emotional Management and are now beginning to explore Attention and Awareness.  Our Visible Wellbeing Day is just one way we recognise and promote that being well helps us to learn well. Many thanks to Stephanie Iannotti, Visible Wellbeing Leader, and her team for organising and facilitating our day.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of our substantive Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission (APRIM), Mr Joshua Rouse. Joshua, who will begin with us next year, is currently Acting APRIM at All Saints School, Seaford and his substantive position is at St Martin de Porres School, Sheidow Park.  Joshua brings a wealth of experience as a teacher and leader and we look forward to welcoming him into our community next year.

Ms Seva Maitianos, whom we have been blessed to have as our Religious Education leader this year, has been borrowed from Rosary School at Prospect and will return to her substantive position there in 2025.

Wishing you a wonderful week, 

Marianne Farrugia 

Principal 

Catholic Charities Casual Day - Week 9, Wednesday September 18

During September, we celebrate Catholic Charities Month, and our Mini Vinnies will lead our fundraising efforts. Students are invited to wear casual clothes for a gold coin donation.

Our day will begin with a whole school Mass, led by our Reception Team, focusing on social justice and the theme "A Heart that Sees." After recess, we are excited to welcome Christine Francis, the manager of Catholic Charities, as a guest speaker. She will speak to the children about how their fundraising helps those in need.

We greatly appreciate your continued support.

Last Friday, our teachers took part in a professional formation day with James McEvoy, a respected theologian and educator from the Archdiocese of Adelaide. James is known for his deep understanding of Catholic theology and social justice, helping us explore how these values can be brought into our teaching.

Throughout the day, our teachers focused on Catholic Social Teaching and how its principles can be applied in the classroom and everyday school life. This professional development ensures our Religious Education reflects our Catholic values, fostering a caring and inclusive environment for all.

We are excited to see how these insights will enrich the experiences of our students and school community.

A friendly reminder that Andrew Chinn will be visiting our school on Monday 23 September for a special event including filming our school song “In All Things Love” and a concert for our students. If you haven’t already, please remember to return your child’s permission note to their class teacher as soon as possible.

If you have any queries, feel free to reach out to Seva Maitianos, (seva.maitianos@sjsh.catholic.edu.au). We are looking forward to a wonderful day of music and fun with Andrew Chinn

This week our Year 4 students participated in the RELAT (Religious Education Literacy Assessment Tool) test for all students in South Australian Catholic Schools. This assessment helps evaluate the understanding of knowledge concepts in Religious Education. Religious Education is a core Learning Area in all Catholic schools. It is a foundation for all learning and is integrated into the life of the school through prayer, liturgy and social justice programs. ReLAT will focus on knowledge content which is core to the Year 3/ 4 Crossways Religious Education curriculum.

The students participated with enthusiasm, and their results from this assessment will provide valuable insights into their religious learning journey and to inform whole-of-school professional learning needs and the continuous improvement of teaching in Religious Education.

A small question can make a big difference. 'Are you OK?'

R U OK? Day is coming up on Thursday, September 12, reminding us all to check in with the people around us. But life’s challenges don’t wait for just one day of the year. Whether it’s a friend, family member, colleague, or teammate, the people we care about experience ups and downs every day.

Having regular, meaningful conversations can prevent small problems from turning into big ones. By checking in often, we build trust and encourage open communication, so when someone is struggling, they’ll know they can talk to you.

So, while R U OK? Day is an important reminder, remember to ask, “Are you OK?” any day of the year. A simple conversation could change a life.

Each year in September we celebrate the season of creation, Christians around the world come together to pray and take action to care for our common home, the Earth. During this special season, we celebrate God as Creator and recognise our responsibility to love and care for all of creation. As followers of Christ, we are part of everything God has made, and our well-being is connected to the Earth’s well-being. This year’s theme is “To hope and act with Creation,” encouraging us to protect and care for our planet and all living things.

God Bless, 
Seva Maitianos  

Leader of Religious Education

On Wednesday, 4th September, the students of 5/6DG embarked on an exciting day in the city. We began by walking to the tram stop at the Entertainment Centre and travelled to the Space Discovery Centre on North Terrace. Upon arrival, we listened to our guide explain some of the things that happen at the Centre. We even had the chance to observe scientists in action as they monitored a satellite in space. 

Following this, we explored each of the planets, learning about their unique conditions. Our task was to design and build a vehicle capable of travelling to a planet of our choice, taking into account factors like temperature, atmosphere, and conditions necessary for human survival. Afterwards, we had time to explore the gallery, making this experience an excellent introduction to our upcoming lessons on the relationship between the sun and the planets. 

After a short recess, we headed to our next destination – The Art Gallery. This term, we've been studying the elements of art and their meanings, along with comparing the geographical features of Asia and Australia. The current exhibition, "Misty Mountain, Shining Moon: Japanese Landscapes Envisioned," was the perfect experience to bring this learning together. 

The students engaged in analysing a chosen piece from the exhibition, taking notes on contrast, colour, form, and line as they interpreted the artworks and their meaning. We then visited the Australian artist section, which provided a striking contrast to the Japanese landscapes. The works of Albert Namatjira and his relatives were of particular significance, as we had studied his pieces in class. Here, students began drafting an art analysis of a chosen artwork, which they will continue to develop in the coming weeks. 

This week, we celebrated Visible Wellbeing and R U OK? Day. The day began with a school-wide assembly where we highlighted our approach to teaching wellbeing strategies across the school. Following the assembly, students participated in various wellbeing activities designed to foster mindfulness and creativity, helping them develop strategies to support their mental and emotional wellbeing. As well as engaging in some yoga with our resident yoga instructor, Ms Dedic, students also elected to engage in such activities as gardening, creating a dreamcatcher, cloud dough or a keyring.  Students also partnered up with their buddies for in some mindfulness activities. 

Please find attached The Children's University Term 3 Newsletter and Spring School Holiday Challenge, in readiness for the holidays.

At St Joseph’s Hindmarsh, learning is co-constructed and dynamic.  Learners are encouraged to IMAGINE, DISCOVER and CREATE and to make meaningful connections with their world.  

As capable learners they are given opportunities to develop capabilities that build their confidence and skills to engage with the curriculum and ACHIEVE excellence.

56 Albemarle Street, West Hindmarsh SA, Australia
8424 6400
info@sjsh.catholic.edu.au