Dear parents and caregivers,

Week 5 is upon us - half way through the term already! Learning has begun in earnest in our classrooms, after our initial focus on wellbeing and competency development. It is a delight to visit classrooms and witness first-hand how hard your children are working, implementing some of the strategies they were exposed to in the first couple of weeks of term.

Thank you to all who came to our Welcome Gathering, by all accounts (myself included) it was a very enjoyable evening. I know that the children revel in the opportunity to share their classroom and school work with their family unit, as well as it being a great opportunity for some more in-depth chats between teachers and parents. The chance to socialise with friends old and new afterwards ‘on the green’ was also fantastic, and it was great so see so many members of the St Joseph's Kingswood community on what was a beautiful evening.

Earlier that day, the Parents & Friends met for the first time in 2019. We had a very good turnout for the meeting and I am delighted that the following parents took on designated roles as part of the P&F:

• Chairperson - Makella Holden
• Secretary - Jacqui McLeod
• School Board Representative - Amanda Hyams
• Finance Liaison - Susan Kim

I am encouraged by the conversation and enthusiasm at our P&F meeting and ask that the whole school consider how they can get involved- be it volunteering your time or simply supporting the school (and a local SA icon, Kytons Bakery), by eating a dozen hot cross buns over the term break! Please read through the P&F section of this newsletter to learn about fun and fundraising activities planned for term 1. The more funds raised, the quicker we can deliver an upgrades to the playground at the back of the Green on Seafield Avenue (designs and info to follow). 

Over the past couple of weeks, our 2 choirs have commenced for the year. Our CSMF senior choir is under the expert tutelage of Steph Insanally, while our 3/4 choir is being ably led by Michelle Page. In addition to these choirs, band has started again. There has been much excitement about the introduction of a percussion (drums) teacher to our school, and we already have 19 interested drummers! Additionally, our year 3 children have commenced their term’s tuition in violin and, for the first time, cello. In all, over 150 of our children are currently involved in learning an instrument, which is very exciting for our school community!

Coffee Connect is up and running again for 2019 - with a change of days to Friday! Fresh barista made coffee is available from 8.30-9.30am every Friday, so stop by, grab a cup and join in the conversation! If you are feeling more adventurous, you might like to consider becoming trained as a barista - it's free, and a great skill to have, as well as contributing to our community life.

Last week, we welcomed our new Maintenance Officer, Rod MacFarlane. Rod takes over from Bruce Ford, who has worked for us for over 6 years. Bruce’s business has expanded such that he needed to be able to manage his work schedule. We sincerely thank Bruce for his time with us. Rod has already taken over the reins with aplomb and the school is lucky to have been able to replace Bruce so capably.

Later this week, on Wednesday, our JOEYS (Joint Opportunities in Engaging our Young Students) transition to school program will commence. Our experience with JOEYS last year was so positive, and the children who went through the program have settled calmly and successfully into school life. If you know of any families who might be interested in joining our program, please ask them to contact us - we still have some spaces available!

Have a great week everyone.

God bless,

Phil