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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
Hi everyone and welcome to a new school year. I can’t believe it’s 2021! A big welcome to our new students in our Reception classes as well as our new students in other year levels coming from other schools, many from other states. It is great to see so many new faces eager and happy to start their learning process. We also have a new staff member this year, Tania Montin who will teach our third Reception class. Tania is well trained in Early Years, and she has fit into our community seamlessly. It’s been great to get to know her better and I am sure that you will value her contribution to our student’s education and our school.
This year we welcome back Matt Richards. Matt is back to help us make the most of our Apple products and continue our development and learning from the past three years. Matt works with staff and students, and has made a positive contribution to how we think about and use IT. Matt and I have some exciting experiences planned for our students so stay tuned.
Our school has now rolled out our planned hardware classroom integration. As it stands now, we are 1:2 iPad in Rec-Year 2, 1:1 iPad Year 3-5 and the Year 6s are using Macs. These iPads have added keyboards so that students can still learn important typing skills with the added flexibility of being portable. This year we will add typing skills to the curriculum to help the students become more confident and faster at typing.
This year I have joined the Ecology Committee at the Catholic Education Office. The committee is full of teachers and leaders from other schools as passionate as I am about caring for the environment and our common home. The Catholic Education team is looking for ways make our schools more sustainable and have the goal of developing moral, compassionate and ecologically aware students.
A warm welcome to our new families who have joined us this year. We hope you have a great time at St Joseph’s Kingswood and that yours and your child’s experience here is a positive one. As you would know from time-to-time things do occur that might be less than ideal. If there are any issues or concerns or you just want to chat, please feel free to see Phil or myself at any time. We are here to make sure you and your children have the most rewarding time possible and we love working with parents to make sure this happens.
Good luck everyone for the remainder of the year. I hope you have a fantastic 2021 with many lasting positive memories.
Take care,
Jamie
Start of the School Year: Blessing
Well, haven’t we started the new year with so many blessings! Our school is looking so beautiful and welcoming. I thought I’d share with you this prayer of blessing, that you might want to pray with your child:
Lord Jesus,
I ask for Your help as I begin this new school year.
Allow me to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before me.
Open my eyes to the new challenges and
exciting opportunities that this new school year brings.
Open my heart and mind to new friends and new teachers.
Give me a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with my studies
and courage to accept new opportunities.
Help me to be attentive to my teachers
and let me experience Your presence in my new friends.
Jesus, inspire me to do my best this year! Amen
Year of St Joseph
In a new Apostolic Letter entitled Patris corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.
The Letter marks the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To celebrate the anniversary, Pope Francis has proclaimed a special “Year of St Joseph,” beginning on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 2020 and extending to the same feast in 2021.
The Holy Father wrote Patris corde against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which, he says, has helped us see more clearly the importance of “ordinary” people who, though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”
At the conclusion of his Letter, Pope Francis adds a prayer to St Joseph, which he encourages all of us to pray together. This Prayer will feature in our Morning Prayer every Monday:
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen.
(referenced from vaticannews.va)
Welcome Fr John
We congratulate Fr Bob and Fr Michael on their retirement. Both have touched so many of us in so many beautiful ways. We will definitely miss their gentle nature and loving hearts! We wish them both well as they start a new chapter in their lives.
And we are so very lucky to welcome our new Parish Priest: Rev Father John Shanahan PP. Fr John is slowly but steadily settling into his new role. We look forward to introducing him to our community.
Beginning of the Year Mass
With COVID Restriction still being in place, this year’s Beginning of the Year Mass will be held for our students only. We await eagerly for the day we are able to welcome families at such special events! The mass will be held on Friday 12th February.
Easter Season
This year Easter is coming a little earlier than usual. Shrove Tuesday will be on 16th February, Ash Wednesday on the 17th February and Easter will be on the 4th April. More details on each of these events will be advertised shortly.
Launch of the New RE Curriculum
Over the past year, the staff at St Joseph’s have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare for the 2021 Launch of the New Religious Education Curriculum for South Australian Catholic School: Crossways. As of this year, all RE content will be referenced and informed by this document. More information can be found here: https://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/our-schools/curriculum/religious-education/the-re-curriculum
My contact
cfarrugia@stjk.catholic.edu.au
8827 3304.
Blessings!
Christine Farrugia | APRIM
SACPPSA - Catholic Schools Swimming Carnival – Years 3-6
A reminder that the Catholic Schools Swimming Carnival trials/training sessions begin this Thursday 11th February at Mitcham Girls Pool, 7.30-8.30am. The program for trials is:
Thursday 11th Feb – Year 3/4 students only
Thursday 18th Feb – Year 5/6 students only
Thursday 25th Feb – Year 3/4 students only
Thursday 4th March – Year 5/6 students only
Thursday 11th March – Selected students only
Wednesday 17th March – Swimming Carnival, 1-3pm Marion Pool
We are encouraging students in years 3-6 to register their interest for the carnival on SZapp or by clicking here in order to assemble to team. Students will be walked back to school by teachers and change facilities are available.
SAPSASA Swimming Carnival 2021
On Friday 26th February, students at St Joseph’s Kingswood will have the opportunity to compete in the 2021 Southern Heights/City South District Swimming Carnival at Marion Outdoor Pool (cnr of Oaklands Rd/Hendrie St, Park Holme).
We are inviting nominations from experienced swimmers in order to assemble a team.
Please note that SAPSASA competitions are set up for students who have experience or a special skill in a sporting endeavour and therefore students participate against highly skilled competitors. To ensure an even context we are asked to nominate athletes of high achievement in their chosen field. Successful participation in swimming training/clubs are a good measure of the student’s ability to participate in the carnival.
The pool is 50 metres long and swimmers will compete against other students in their classified age group (born in 2008, 2009, 2010 or 2011).
Parents are required to arrange their own transport to and from Marion Outdoor Swimming Pool and be responsible for their child at the Carnival.
Nominations for this competition will be available on the school SZapp.
Cricket Season – Term1 and 4
This year the school has nominated 3 Cricket teams (Kanga Year 2, C Grade Year 4 and B Grade Year 5/6) for the season with the first round of matches due to begin this Saturday 13th February. Please check the following website for season fixtures:
http://pscomp.sa.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/draw.aspx?entityid=27543&id=RVFIXTURE
Mr De Giovanniello (Physical Education Teacher/Sports Coordinator)
Welcome back to term 1, we hope you all had a relaxing and refreshing holiday.
Vacation Care was well received by the children and we had lots of fun on our excursions such as the Plaster Fun House, Hungry Jacks and the movies. Also our Disco and Science Day were a winner and kept us busy!!
Just reminding everyone it is compulsory to have a wide brimmed hat in after school care and Vacation Care. Baseball caps are not acceptable. If your child does not bring a hat or brings a baseball cap, we will issue them with one and the fee is $3.00. You are welcome to supply your child with a hat that we can keep in our hat bag with their name on it. We also have available 2nd hand hats to buy for $5.00 and then we will mark them with your child’s name it an keep them for their use only!
Please note that if your child/ren will not be attending a regular session, even if they are sick you need to notify us by SZapp, text or email. See policies regarding the times for late bookings and late cancellations.
This term we will still be operating from the hall for before school care and after school care. In after school care we will be using different locations around the school so if you cannot find us in Hall you can locate us by ringing 0418 443 956!
Vicky Wilson – Director – & OSHC Team
