Eco-Warriors Visit CAWRA

On Tuesday 4 August 2026, 20 of our Eco-Warriors students attended an exciting excursion to the Central Adelaide Waste and Recycling Authority (CAWRA) facility in Kilburn. Throughout the morning, students learned about the journey of our waste and recycling, discovered the importance of correctly sorting materials, and gained a deeper understanding of how proper recycling helps protect our environment.

The students were highly engaged as they explored the facility and learned practical tips for reducing waste and improving recycling habits both at school and at home. As sustainability leaders within our school, the Eco-Warriors will now share their new knowledge with their classmates and help educate the wider school community on how to recycle correctly and make environmentally responsible choices. They will be on the lookout for students correctly placing rubbish into the correct bins and rewarding them with Spirit Cup Keys. They will also be available for students to ask questions about which bin to put rubbish into. They will be easily identifiable by their green vests in the yard.

Catholic Identity

On Saturday August 8 the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of St Mary of The Cross Mackillop. This is the date she died in 1909 in Sydney at the age of 67. Mary’s influence on education and bringing God to the people, especially the poor, is one of the most remarkable stories in our Australian story. She remains our only Australian Saint. Yet she was an ordinary person who held a deep love for God, a deep love for people, a deep love for the poor. Mary believed that education sets a person free and she believed that Catholic children should learn about their Catholic faith through their parents and at school. Although Mary favoured the poor and the marginalised, she welcomed all and she befriended people at different levels of society.

As a Josephite School we carry on this Tradition. The word ‘Tradition’ is often misunderstood as something from the past. Tradition is actually the lived expression of the values that inspired St Mary MacKillop and the sisters of St Joseph, in the past and now expressed in today’s world.

Where do these values come from? The values come from the Gospel. They are Gospel values as Mary MacKillop interpreted the stories of Jesus in the Gospel and applied them in her life through her words and actions. Our school community is fortunate to be part of this story and, therefore we are part of Mary MacKillop’s legacy and the Josephite Tradition is alive in us.

Being part of the Josephite Tradition means to be a welcoming, inclusive, compassionate community. Mary MacKillop believed that the compassionate love of God was available to all she met. Mary Mackillop had a compassionate heart, big enough to enclose all humanity. No one was excluded. Today in our school community we do the same. We include and welcome people of all cultures and all religious backgrounds, of all socio-economic backgrounds and, support children with special needs who are considered to have special rights. We promote compassion and empathy amongst our children.

Last week as a school community we celebrated the Feast of St Mary of The Cross Mackillop by celebrating a whole school liturgy lead by the MacKillop House Team.

Curriculum News

I have included two mathematical tasks which you might like to have a go at with your child/children.

This week’s Mathematical tasks:

Reception to Year 3

? + ? + ? = 15. What might the missing numbers be? How many different combinations can you find?

Port Power are leading the Adelaide Crows by 9 points. What might the scoreboard look like?

Years 4-6

The answer to a division question is 9. What might the question be? List as many sums as you can.

1?5 + ?7 = ?2?.  Work out all the possible answers for this addition number sentence.

Happy inquiry.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

This year many of our children have once again taken up the opportunity to participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge. The challenge closes later this term with children needing to have their Premier’s Reading Challenge Student Reading Record forms handed into the front office by then. I encourage all our children to continue to read regularly at home whether they are involved in the challenge or simply reading for fun.

Happy reading.

STEM Open Day

As part of Catholic Schools Open Week (Term 3 Week 5) and to coincide with National Science Week (Term 3 Week 5), you are invited to join our school STEM Open Day on Tuesday August 18, 11:30am-1:30pm in the school grounds. Parents and family members will have the opportunity to join our children as they work in class groups engaging in STEM learning activities planned by our teaching staff. It is hoped that as many of our parents and carers as possible will be able to join us as it provides teaching staff with an opportunity to showcase the learning which takes place as part of our ongoing STEM learning focus. 

Inclusive Education Coordinator Louise Moody Update

At the start of this term, classroom teachers updated students’ PPLs. In particular there was a focus on whether students had achieved their learning goals. These PPLs will be sent to parents, and review meetings will be available on request.

The NCCD has been collected for the year 2025/2026. There were no significant differences in numbers of students with disabilities compared to the previous year.

The New Arrivals Program has one recent addition, Amy in Year 2. We welcome Amy to our school and she already has bilingual support in place in the classroom. Once the New Arrivals paperwork has been approved, Amy will begin intensive English lessons with me.

School Climate Surveys

During Term 3 each year we survey our school community to gauge how things are going for families, children and staff in terms of their current experience of school life at St Joseph’s. This year through Catholic Education South Australia we are continuing our partnership with Curtin University who is supporting Catholic schools in Developing Leadership Capacity in School Improvement through surveying the school community using the Living Learning Leading surveys. The Living Learning Leading parent online survey provides families with an opportunity to inform the school of how things are going for them at the moment. Staff and children will be involved in a similar survey. Surveys will be available later this term.

How does Exercise affect Mental Health and Wellbeing?

Physical activity promotes many aspects of child and adolescent development, including social and emotional skills, as well as physical development of motor skills. It also supports mental wellbeing. We know that high levels of inactivity can lead to a greater risk of both physical and mental health problems. Some children and young people dislike competitive sport and anxiety about competition may worsen existing mental health issues. You could consider involving your child in non-competitive physical activities such as Yoga and Pilates as an alternative. Or explore activities where the focus is on participation, not competition.  It’s more important for children and young people to learn that being active is fun rather than focusing on winning.

To learn more about how you can support the wellbeing of your child, visit Be You. The website also provides a range of resources and ideas to support the mental health and wellbeing of our young people. I encourage you to visit the website at https://beyou.edu.au/and have a look for yourself.  

EdSmart

We have moved away from using the Audiri App to using EdSmart which is an email-based product. Information regarding what is happening within our school along with upcoming school events is now communicated to families using EdSmart. Be sure to monitor your email inbox for school updates.

May the love of the Risen Lord continue to be with us.

Working in partnership with you.

Shaun O’Leary.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

we have two counsellor interns from Adelaide University started with us on August 3. They will work on Mondays until the University year ends in November. Their names are Jasmine and Dhwani. I am very happy to answer any questions you have, introduce you to them for a conversation about your child and to provide you with a referral form. Referral forms are also available through the office or let me know via email and I will send one to you.  My email is smccullough@stjotto.catholic.edu.au

Ideally all requests would be met but if a student is already accessing counselling, they will not need this. It is worth keeping in mind that if a student needs ongoing counselling or therapy, it may be best for the family to be accessing something more long term for them. Dhwani has a separate, additional qualification in understanding and working with children who have experienced trauma.

St Joseph’s Multicultural Celebration Week 

Monday 24^th August

11:30am - Vietnamese Dance, Philippines Games Demonstration and Lion Dance along with celebrating all the colours and costumes.

12:30pm Shared lunch - picnic style outside. Children need to bring their own lunch, all other food will be dependant on what comes on the day as in previous years. Please see attached information about food preparation. The canteen will be closed for lunch orders.

2pm - African Dance with Sun of Africa performer Marc. Whole school gathering in Tenison Woods.

Tuesday 25^th August

9:30am - Sean Choolburra performance for whole school in Tenison Woods. (see attached flyer)

Thursday 27^th August - Indian Dance workshop - Mudra is returning this year to run a dance workshop from 2pm in the Tenison Woods Hall. All children who would like to participate are welcome. We had about 50 last year.

Multicultural Celebration Shared Lunch - Monday 24^th August

Please Note - the canteen will be closed for lunch orders on 24^th August

Following the celebration at 11:30 am on Monday 24^th August, we will share a picnic in the school grounds and ask if you would like to prepare and cook some food to share for this.  Children should still bring their lunch. Please note, the canteen is closed for lunch orders.

The shared food will be available to all, but it is hard to predict how much we will have to share, so it’s a good idea if the children still bring some food to eat for the day.

The rules for preparation of food off the school site are listed below. It is essential that all food is prepared in the correct way and labelled clearly with all ingredients that have been used. This is important so that we can keep all our students who have food allergies safe.

Please read the following guidelines below if you are bringing food to share.

Kind regards

Simon McCullough

Safe food handling and labelling rules

Clean - Wash hands and surfaces often  

Separate - Don’t cross-contaminate 

Cook - Cook to proper temperatures. 

Chill - Refrigerate promptly 

Storage 

• Always refrigerate perishable food within two hours (one hour when the temperature is above 32*C

Preparation 

• Always wash hands before and after handling food 
• Don’t cross -contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish and their juices away from the food.  After cutting raw meats, wash hands, cutting board, knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy water. 

Cooking

• Cook ground meats to 71*C; ground poultry to 74*C
• Beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops may be cooked to 63*C; all cuts of fresh pork, 71*C. 
• Whole poultry should reach 82*c in the thigh; breasts, 77*C 

Cook Thoroughly 

Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria.  Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. 

Serving 

• Hot food should be held at 60*C or warmer. 
• Cold foods should be held at 4*C or colder. 
• When serving food at a buffet, keep food hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays.  Keep food cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving trays and replace them often. 
• Perishable food should not be left out more than two hours at room temperature (one hour when the temperature is above 32*C). 

Serving the Food 

When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter.  Don’t put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry.  Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food.  In hot weather (above 32*C), food should never sit out for more than one hour. 

St Joseph's Book Week Parade

Join us on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, as we celebrate Book Week with our annual dress-up parade. This year's theme, "Symphony of Stories," invites students to bring their favourite characters and books to life through creativity, imagination, and a love of reading. We look forward to a wonderful celebration of literature and storytelling.

Catholic Schools Cross Country Carnival

On Wednesday 5th August, 28 of our students proudly represented St Joseph Ottoway at the Catholic Schools Cross Country Carnival held in the Adelaide Parklands. 

All students demonstrated outstanding determination and resilience throughout the day, giving their best effort while representing our school with pride. It was fantastic to see everyone encouraging one another and displaying such a positive attitude.

A special congratulations to Leon, who finished an impressive 6th in his event, and Adam, who achieved a fantastic 7th place. These are outstanding results against strong competition.

Well done all! 

Daniel Nguyen 

Sports Coordinator 

Friendship Diaries

We are delighted to share photos from Friendship Diaries, a wonderful program developed by our ESO, Miss T. Through a range of engaging activities, children explore what friendship means and learn how to be confident, happy, safe, and true to themselves in all friendships.

The program promotes a positive mindset and celebrates all neurotypes, helping every child feel valued, understood, and included. Thank you to Miss T for creating and leading this inspiring project. 

Student Leadership Day

Several of our senior students recently attended Student Leadership Day at North Adelaide Football Club. The experience provided valuable opportunities to develop leadership skills, build confidence, and connect with students from other schools. We are proud of the way they represented our school.

School Photos

School Photo Day will take place on Monday, 15 September.

Dear Parents and Caregivers, welcome to OSHC!

Children in OSHC have been actively engaging in a variety of meaningful and educational experiences.

In the past week, the children in Preschool and OSHC celebrated Picnic Day with a special picnic experience, preparing for the picnic and eagerly participated in making sandwiches. Children worked together, once everything was ready, we took our picnic outside to the yard. The children enjoyed sitting together in the fresh air and shared the food they prepared. We began with fresh fruit, followed by a variety of sandwiches. The picnic provided opportunities for conversation, and enjoyment of the outdoor environment.

After eating, the children demonstrated responsibility and teamwork by helping to clean up. They assisted in packing away food items, collecting rubbish, and carrying materials back inside. Following the picnic, the children continued their day with outdoor play, engaging in active movement, exploration, and cooperative games with their peers.

Recently we planted the garden with potatoes and cauliflowers. These are growing well, though the bugs are eating the cauliflower leaves. This hands-on experience supports children’s learning about plant growth, life cycles, and caring for living things, while fostering curiosity and respect for nature.

To further enrich our learning, we celebrated our multicultural community by sharing our own cultures, traditions, and experiences with one another, fostering a sense of belonging and respect for diversity.

OSHC uses the Xplor Platform for enrolments, bookings and payments. Xplor can be downloaded onto your phone using the QR code, then complete the enrolment process.

Families will need to follow the prompts to complete online enrolments.

Families will be billed weekly through the app, direct debit from your account.  Receipts showing payments can be viewed on the app.

SCAN THE QR CODE TO START THE PROCESS

Childcare Subsidy is available for families to assist will the costs of care in OSHC. This can be completed through your personal myGov app and Centrelink.

All parents permanent or casual bookings for child/children will need to complete an enrolment online.

In OSHC children are in a safe supervised environment; learning happens while children play, have fun, and make new friends.

Please feel welcome to visit.

Parents/caregivers are welcome to read the OSHC Policies, feel welcome to ask and I will make copies available for your perusal.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Mieke   

OSHC Director   

Private Instrumental Tuition

St Joseph’s partners with Hallmark Music Studio to provide in-school private instrumental tuition on various musical instruments as one-on-one lessons for students of all ages.  There are currently limited vacancies for piano, guitar and violin.  Lessons are provided throughout the school day by visiting music tutors with one lesson a week - with a major benefit of in-school lessons being no after school run around taking children to after school music lessons.  Parents/caregivers are responsible for the payment of all lessons for the term and the costs are not included in your school fee’s.  If you are interested in enrolling your child, please see reception for a brochure and further information, or email: kylie@hallmarkmusicstudio.com.au

Why regular online safety conversations matter

As families settle into Term 3, it’s a good time to have a conversation with your child about their online experiences and digital habits.

Our new research shows parents and carers are doing an incredible job supporting their children online, with over 90% talking about online safety!  

But the online world is changing so quickly and some of the biggest emerging risks aren’t being discussed as often. We found: 

• 1 in 4 parents talk about how algorithms influence what children see online 
• 1 in 10 discuss how generative AI can be used and misused 
• Fewer than 1 in 10 have talked about sextortion. 

There isn’t one conversation that prepares children for every online experience. What matters most is creating an environment where they know they can come to a trusted adult if something doesn’t feel right and keeping those check-ins going as they grow. 

Whether it’s talking about social media, AI or how and why online content ends up in their feeds, even small, regular chats can make a real difference. 

If you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help 

Having regular conversations about online experiences can feel challenging, especially when technology and online trends are constantly evolving. Our parents hub offers practical advice, support and conversation starters to help you understand your child’s online world. 

Dive deeper and sign up for our free webinars. Covering the latest online safety issues, they’re designed to help parents and carers build the knowledge, skills and confidence to support children online. Current topics include: 

• Influencers, ideology and impact: how algorithms influence and reinforce harmful beliefs 
• AI-generated images and videos: navigating the deepfake threat 
• The trust trap: navigating friendships, pressure and manipulation online 

Find more webinar topics

Friday, 14 August - Kolbe Liturgy and Celebration

Monday, 24 August to Friday, 27 August - Multicultural Week