Dear Parents & Caregivers,

A very warm welcome to 2021! It has been a very smooth beginning to the school year, and I have been delighted with how well the children have settled in to school and class routines, and re engaged with their friends and new class mates. Our new receptions have settled in very well, as has our brand new Reception teacher Mrs Tania Montin-welcome Tania!

While many of the staff had a busier than usual start to the new year, getting the new facilities up and running, it has been a joy to watch the school community use the new facilities and to show their approval and gratitude. My sincere thanks to all of the staff for their hard work and dedication in creating the best possible environment for families to enjoy. I would also like to acknowledge and sincerely thank Emma George and Luke DeBoer as well as all of the team at Cook Building for delivering a high class end product. Thanks as well to Dan Galut and the team at Walter Brooke Architects for creating the vision and bringing it to reality.

Over the past couple of weeks, all classes have been working to set-up for a successful year by focussing on building positive relationships in the classroom, and by focussing on the learner qualities and competencies that are so important for successful learning. You can expect to see class work ramp up from here on. We were hoping to share some of this work with you last Friday with Open Classrooms – let’s hope the weather holds out and we have the chance to do that, this Friday!

During weeks 3, 4 and 5, learning teams will be hosting information evenings. Teachers will be discussing our consistent approach to the teaching of key curriculum areas as well as discussing our overall learning approach. Families are reminded that only one attendee per family can be accommodated. We hope to see you there! If you haven't already registered, please do so by clicking the link below:

Student leadership is a very important component of school life at St Joseph’s Kingswood. At our first assembly last Thursday, I had the pleasure of presenting our newly elected Student Representative Council (SRC) with badges and certificates, and our elected senior leaders with their badges.

We very much value the voice and input of our young people and look forward to working with them this semester. During our assembly, Eco Warriors Eva, Matthew, Josh and Allegra spoke to the children about why they were passionate about being an Eco Warrior, and they have already begun to show leadership by creating sustainable practices at school. Let’s get behind them and encourage our children to reduce, reuse and recycle while keeping our school environment pristine!

After the upheaval of 2020 as we were confronted by the COVID Pandemic, it has been a relatively smooth beginning to this school year. I remind all families, though, of the need for vigilance in adhering to all COVID protocols while interacting in the school community. This means following good hygiene practices, maintaining social distancing wherever possible, using the COVID check in mechanisms every time you enter the school, as well as sanitising. If families travel interstate at any point we ask you to please adhere to any enhanced restrictions in place.  If you have or do travel through any current hotspot areas, you won’t be able to return to school until you have been given clearance from SA Health.

School events will continue to be impacted for some time to come, with attendance at most school events restricted or in some instances not possible. We ask for your patience and vigilance in the coming weeks and months. Hopefully, the rollout of vaccines will mean a return to some of the normal rhythms of life, as the year goes on. 

During the holidays, Arch Bishop O’Regan announced that Fr John Shanahan would be the new Parish Priest in Emmaus. Fr John had previously been Parish Priest in the St Ann’s Parish at Seacombe Gardens. We warmly welcome Fr John and look forward to having him provide pastoral leadership to our school and parish community. As a school community, we also sincerely thanks Fr Michael Brennan and Fr Bob Wilkinson, who have retired. We are very grateful for their pastoral ministry and engagement with the school community over many years and we wish them every health and happiness in the years to come.

Have a great week everyone,

God bless,

Phil