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Dear Parents and Caregivers,
We are fast coming to the end of term 2 of what has been a crazy, mixed up year! I continue to be in awe of the wonderful work being done by our teachers in supporting the learning and wellbeing of our children. I’ve also been impressed with the resilience shown by our children in coping with everything. Our student reports for Semester One are being prepared, and will be distributed on the last day of term 2. Once we return to school for term 3, you are invited to discuss your child’s progress with their teacher and to clarify learning goals for Second Semester.
The Nature Playground development continues apace. It is exciting to see the works undertaken so far, and to begin to get some sense of what the finished product will look like! At this stage everything appears to be on track for a July 13 completion. This will mean that the play space will be ready to go, on our return to school in term 3!
While on the topic of school developments, significant work continues behind the scenes in bringing our major building program to commencement. We are awaiting the end of the tendering process before we work through each tender to appoint a builder. Once that appointment has been made, I will be able to share a start date with you. While this date is somewhat uncertain as yet, we are assuming it will be mid-August, and so to be properly prepared for this, a number of classes will need to move, starting on the last day of term 2. When school returns in mid-July, all of the 1/2 classes will be located upstairs, while the year 3 class will relocate to what is currently the OSHC room. OSHC will be working out of the hall during the building project, while Italian and STEM classes will happen in each home classroom. I’ll provide you with further updates as they become available. Whilst this will be a somewhat disruptive time for our school, once the new year comes I am sure there will be great excitement at our brand new facilities!
The SA Government and SA Health continue to ease restrictions around COVID-19 and I am excited to say that, from next term, many of the activities that are a feature of our school community will be able to return – assemblies, sports, excursions, camps, Masses, visitors and families onsite etc. I know the children are really looking forward to school retuning to a greater sense of normality! Please click here to read the communication sent home earlier this week, outlining the implementation of each of these.
With restrictions in mind, there are a couple of important activities occurring over the next 2 weeks. Our intrepid Reception classes will be presenting a “virtual assembly.” I know that it will be a great celebration of everything they have been doing this term, and there will be awards presented etc. A video link will be shared with families on Thursday. Our instrumental music students will be videoing a piece to share with you, in lieu of our normal Instrumental evening. These videos will be shared via Seesaw before the end of term. We are looking forward to being able to host our Semester 2 instrumental evening, later in the year.
I am looking forward to this Friday’s Winter Sleepout with the year 6 cohort. This will be a great opportunity for our children to develop a sense of the very challenging existence some members of our community experience, as well as to take positive action, through fund raising and awareness, to enable change. We hope the experience inspires some of them to do more! As per our communications, we ask all families to support this initiative through a gold coin donation and providing a non-perishable item, as part of a casual clothes day on the 26th June.
Tomorrow, you will receive an SZapp notification regarding confirmation of your children returning to St. Joseph’s School, Kingswood in 2021. We kindly ask that you complete the form by the 3rd July – end of term 2.
Lastly, a reminder of Vacation care being available during the term break, and on the first day of term three- 20th July – which is a pupil free day.
God bless,
Phil Schultz
Principal.
Hi all,
I hope you are well as prepare for the mid-year break. With many restrictions being lifted we are lucky to be returning to normality much quicker than expected. It’s been great to see team sport starting back up and restaurants and gyms returning to being fully open. Next term we will be allowed to return to having assemblies, church gatherings and the school gates will be open to parents. We’ve missed having you in the school and it’s been hard to see you at the school gates. One of the silver linings of this has been that teachers have reported that students have become much more independent. That have been capable of getting themselves sorted in the morning, unpacking their bags and getting prepared for the day. We hope this independence continues to grow in the second half of the year.
This Friday Phil, Emma and I will supervise the Year 6s sleeping at the school in an effort to support the St Vinnies Winter Appeal. Students will sleep in cardboard beds and gain an understanding of what it might like to be homeless and sleeping on the street. We will also look to raise some money and collect some non-perishables in the near future to support those less fortunate then ourselves.
Over the past 6 weeks I have been working with the Year 6 class on developing skills in being cyber safe. We’ve been watching a series of videos from the Australian Government shot in a school setting and then we’ve held discussions and answered questions about what we’ve seen. One message I always try and get across is that if something doesn’t look or feel right, we should talk to someone about it. Talking and having open and honest discussions is the best way to stop cyber bullying and incidence involving social media and the internet. I encourage you to talk to your child about what we’ve talk about as a class and review your child’s digital foot print and talk about how you can support your child moving forward in this digital age.
If you’re lucky enough to be going away in the break, safe travels, and we look forward to welcoming you back, inside the school gates, next term.
Take care,
Jamie
Dear Families,
It is hard to believe that we are almost at the end of Term 2 already. It has definitely been a term for learning and adjustment on all levels. This term we have celebrated our Catholic faith in new ways as a school community and it has been so pleasing to see our students embracing these opportunities. Monday mornings continue to begin with Prayer in the classrooms, which has enabled students at a classroom level to be involved each week. Liturgies have continued to be conducted in class also with a special focus topic relevant to the learning of the students incorporated into the theme of the Liturgy.
Last week, Phil, Jamie, Christine Farrugia and myself took part in a Cluster Professional Development day, preparing for the implementation of the new Religious Education Curriculum – Crossways in 2021. The new Religious Education Curriculum Framework will further be explored and unpacked as a staff on our pupil free day at the start of Term 3.
This week on Friday 26th June we will be holding a Vinnies Sleep Out with our Year 6 students at school. This experience will involve our Year 6 students sleeping over at school in support of the Vinnies Winter Appeal. The students, while sleeping inside will gain a valuable experience from the evening that will include Vinnies running sessions with the students in Year 5 and 6 on Wednesday, Fr Michael speaking with the students about poverty amongst children, Vinnies speaking with the children about the impact of homelessness on the night of the Sleep out and the students preparing and making soup and bread during the day for their meal in the evening.
In support of the Year 6 Sleep Out the whole school is invited to wear casual clothes on Friday June 26 and bring along a gold coin donation as well as a non-perishable item to donate to Vinnies SA.
On Wednesday July 1st we will be celebrating the graduation of our JOEYS students with a special Liturgy. Last week our JOEYS students spent some time in the Year 6 classroom meeting their Buddies and getting to know each other. We are really excited to have our JOEYS children joining us as Receptions in Term 3.
We would like to also acknowledge Sr Jasmine, who has recently celebrated 20 years of being a Sister. Our Year 5 and Year 6 Spirit Leaders conducted an interview with Sr Jasmine last Friday to mark this special celebration and the interview can be viewed below.
Next term we welcome Christine Farrugia back from Maternity Leave to the role of APRIM and look forward to her return to the St Joseph’s School, Kingswood Community.
Please click here if you would like to access our Parish weekly Sunday Masses.
Kind regards,
Emma Begg
The St. Joseph’s Senior Choir are super happy to be able to rehearse together again with social distancing and lots of sanitizing of course!! The photos show the children learning the choreography for ‘Let’s Twist Again’ , an old favourite that you will probably know!!
Catholic Schools (SACPSSA) Netball Carnival 2020
Great news with Netball Carnival being rescheduled to Term 3, Week 2 (Thursday 30th July) at Priceline Stadium, assuming no further changes to COVID-19 restrictions. This is a really fun day for the children, and they will be learning how to play netball as part of their class PE lessons/lunchtime practice. Students in years 3-6 are strongly encouraged to give it a go and register to participate in this Carnival (please complete the form via SZapp or click here). Parent helpers are needed for this Carnival to help with supervision on the day, so if you can assist please indicate on the registration form.
Regards,
Mr De Giovanniello (Physical Education Teacher/Sports Coordinator)
Vacation Care is still available to book so please get your bookings in as soon as possible through the SZapp to avoid missing out!
We have some great activities programmed, which is sure to be full of fun and excitement. Please ensure your children bring along a bucket hat to wear and not a baseball cap as these are not sunsmart hats. Also appropriate footwear, as thongs and sandals are not acceptable for the activities we are planning.
In week 10 OSHC will be moving to the hall for Terms 3 and 4 for Before School Care and After School Care. So if you have some free time in week 10 to help carry a few things to the hall see us and we would love the help!!!
Also another reminder that if your child is not going to attend an OSHC session it is important to cancel their bookings, even when your child is sick. You can SZapp, email or text the OSHC phone.
Thanks
Vicky Wilson – Director, OSHC
While we have been unable to host our anticipated Learning Walks this term, each student created their own virtual learning walk to send home via Seesaw to their family. Some of our SRCs filled us in on some of the things they have been learning so far this term. Continuing from our previous newsletter with the Early Years, below is a video from some of our upper primary SRC students.
The Entertainment Book fundraiser is back at St Joseph's School, Kingswood.
To purchase a digital membership, and ensure the percentage of fundraising goes to our school, please click this link.
With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, we are pleased to be able to once again offer Code Camp, commencing Wednesdays in Week 2, Term 3. For students in years 2-6, please book here - https://my.codecamp.com.au/course/559
Back by popular demand - we are pleased to be fundraising through SA owned and operated Kyton's Bakery. Orders for the Winter Warmer packs are available on Qkr! soon, or by completing the order form and paying in the Front Office.
Orders must be submitted and paid for by Wednesay 29th July, with delivery and collection on Friday 7th August.
