Dear Families and Friends,

Our collective strengths making St Joseph’s School Kingswood stronger as we continually strive for excellence!! 

You may have noticed the wonderful woven logo on the Seafield Street fence that has been erected as part of celebrating Catholic Education Week!! This logo represents our collective strengths that are interwoven to build our amazing Catholic school.

Strengths are things we do well, often and with energy!

As part of our Positive Psychology program, students and staff are recognising what sparks each of us – our strengths.

There are 3 elements that come together to form a strength.

1. Performance – being good at something.
2. Energy – feeling good doing it.
3. High use – choosing to do it.

When we use strengths we have success, feel good and thrive!!

Do you know your strengths? Do you know your child’s strengths? Most of our students have been working out their strengths – some call it their ‘superpower’! I wonder if you can spot your child’s strengths. 

What we are working towards, is helping our students use strengths to achieve, build relationships and develop as individuals.

Sometimes we spot strengths, and can see that with support, they could use them more effectively.

There are those born to lead! They love to organise their friends, decide what to play, and construct the rules – they are in their element!! How can we help this child learn to use their strength to build relationships, to help others feel important so they can connect with their friends and thrive.

Then there is the child who is always joking, finding fun in all things, making us laugh at the wrong times!! How can we help this child thrive through using humour in learning to be creative for the good of all.

Often, we focus on what we can’t do, and how a child can be supported to improve. At St Joseph’s we are challenging ourselves to help our children use strengths to perform well. Use high energy, high will and high results to find succes

Volunteers – Thank you for sharing your strengths!!!

I special thank you to all the amazing volunteers at St Joseph’s School, Kingswood. Each and every one of you demonstrate your strengths through the way you contribute, whether it be your zest, creativity, humour, perspective, teamwork, social intelligence, kindness, bravery, perseverance or leadership (to mention a few!) – it all counts! We see you shining as you contribute, and we are grateful.

Keeping them safe

As part of our commitment to child protection I remind all volunteers of your responsibility as mandated notifiers for reporting child abuse and neglect and that the following documents are available to support you as a parent and as volunteer. Through the Szapp app you can register as a volunteer and undertake the training to help you understand your responsibilities as a volunteer in protecting children.  As parents you may be interested in what is taught in the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum, which is required to be taught each year to every child.

• Reporting Harm of Children and Young People Procedure
• Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy (Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide)
• Responding to Online Safety incidents in South Australian schools: Guidelines for staff working in education settings
• Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum information for educators (Department for Education SA)

I thank all our volunteers for your support in keeping children safe at school, on excursions and in our community. Remember, if you are ever concerned, please speak to myself or a staff member as your information may help keep a child safe.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Bogan Bingo evening on the 1^st of June, or you may be interested in a relaxing evening meeting families in our parish, while the children play, at Friday Family Time on 31^st May at St Therese School, CLG .

Wishing everyone a wonderful week

In all things Charity,

Jodie Higgins

Principal