Catholic Identity

In the last newsletter I provided the school community with some background information on our school Josephite Tradition. Below is further information on what it means for us here at St Joseph’s to be a part of the Josephite Tradition.

Being part of a Josephite Tradition means that as a community everyone is treated with dignity. Mary Mackillop believed that God, in Jesus, called her and the sisters of St Joseph to show reverence for the dignity of all people. Mary MacKillop’s reverence for all people meant she was incapable of ’giving up’ on anyone.

Today in our school community, we support families by reducing fees if required, helping with uniforms and providing lunch for children whose families may be experiencing financial difficulties. School canteen coordinator Rebecca Allen makes pasta sauce each fortnight for St Vincent DePaul Fred’s Van. The sauce is delivered by APRIM Simon McCullough and used to provide meals to the homeless in the city centre. 

Being part of a Josephite Tradition means that as a community we most support the people who are poor and marginalized. For Mary MacKillop those who were the most ‘Needy’ in our world come first. Mary Mackillop and the sisters established “bush schools” and later as needs arose, orphanages, refuges, and other services for those most vulnerable in the society of their time. Mary MacKillop was an extraordinary woman of action and her response was a practical one. Small acts upon small acts make a big difference over time. 

Today in our school community, we teach children to reach out and support those in need. To grow into people who have a sense of the common good in our society. We teach them that we use our gifts and talents to support people who are poor, people who are less fortunate. We do this through Project Compassion, St Vincent De Paul and Walk a Mile in My Boots to name a few.

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

A basketballer scored 11 points in two games. What might her scores in each of the games be? Record as many possibilities as you can.

The difference between two numbers is 5. What might the two numbers be? Record as many possibilities as you can.

Years 4-6

6?5 - ??0 = 115.  Work out as many possible answers for this subtraction number sentence as you can.

A problem for 15 ÷ 3 is: There are 15 soccer players. How many teams of 3 are there? Make up two different types of word problems for 54 ÷ 6.

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 on Friday September 4 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.

Book Week

On Wednesday September 2 we will hold our annual Book Week parade. Children will have the opportunity to come to school dressed up as their favourite book character as part of our Book Week Parade. Leader of Learning Trish Pfeiffer and Librarian Kylie Zouroudis have been busy working behind the scenes preparing for the day. We are hoping to see as many of our parents and carers there as possible.

Multicultural Day

This week we have held several events as part of our annual multicultural week. The week provides the school with an opportunity to celebrate our Multiculturalism. Children have had the opportunity to come to school dressed in their traditional cultural dress as part of the celebration. A group of our senior students supported by staff have been involved in planning the week. It has been great to see the number of Parents and Carers join our celebration.

Father's Day Breakfast

On Friday September 4 we will hold our annual Father’s Day breakfast adjacent to the Parent Centre from 8:15am. APRIM Simon McCullough, and I will prepare breakfast for all dads and granddads to enjoy before heading off to work. Hoping to see as many of our fathers and grandfathers there as possible.

Teaching and Learning Update: Catholic School Music Festival Choir - J Meyer

Our fabulous Catholic Schools Music Festival Choir are progressing beautifully and demonstrating wonderful effort and focus in our rehearsals. They are producing a lovely sound and are enjoying the challenge of learning this year's repertoire. 

This year's selections have a distinctly quirky and upbeat note, which the students are really enjoying. Highlights of this year's Festival will include a song from Seussical (The Musical), a song about homework going missing, the well-known Somewhere Only We Know and a fabulous John Farnham medley. 

Choir rehearsals began in Week 4 of Term 1 and the group has now impressively worked their way through the entire repertoire! The group enjoyed their first excursion to Whitefriars in Week 10 of last term where they relished in the opportunity to sing with a larger group.

As reward for their hard work and lovely sound, the Choir has been awarded performing in the 2^nd row of the Festival on Wednesday, 23^rd September. This is a huge achievement, and the group should be immensely proud of themselves.

With the good news continuing, two of our Year 6 students have earned call-back auditions for Soloist positions on performance night. We wish them all the best as they prepare for this exciting opportunity.

Last week, the group travelled to St Francis of Assisi School, Newton to rehearse with the 400-strong choir who they will perform with on the night of the festival.

How are Nutrition and Mental Health linked?

Healthy eating helps children and young people cope more effectively with stress, better manage their emotions and get a good sleep - all of which assist learning. Most research about nutrition and mental health has focused on adults. We know that good nutrition is associated with better mental health outcomes, whereas a poor diet is associated with a greater risk of depression and anxiety. However, emerging research that focuses on children and young people has also found a relationship between unhealthy diets and poorer mental health outcomes. 

Poor nutrition has been associated with:

• externalising behaviour (such as hyperactivity, aggression, disobedience)
• symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 
• poor concentration and tiredness, which interfere with learning
• immune system function, which is also linked to mental health
• delayed brain development - high-fat, high-sugar diets can affect proteins in the body that are important for brain development
• iron deficiency, which has been linked to cognitive function impairments associated with learning and memory
• nutrient deficiencies, which have been associated with mental health conditions including depression and anxiety (we know that fruits and vegetables, grains, fish, lean red meats and olive oils are rich in important nutrients such as folate, magnesium, vitamins and zinc which all impact on body and brain functions, including mood regulation). 

Dietary habits aren't always a choice. ‘Food insecurity’ - where people don’t have enough food as a result of homelessness, unemployment, poverty - is also a problem for many families in Australia. Food insecurity can result in poorer academic performance, time off from school, stress, depression, anxiety, aggression, and difficulty getting along with others. Food insecurity can result in: 

• psychological stress - high levels of ongoing stress have been related to depression and delayed brain development
• poorer academic performance
• time off from school
• anxiety
• aggression
• difficulty getting along with others. 

The good news is that improving what you eat can lead to improvements in your mental health, so it’s never too late to encourage healthier eating patterns. 

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.  

Important Safety Message

Students and families are reminded to be wary of approaches from strangers, especially when they are unaccompanied or travelling to and from school. If they are approached students should not respond and should not accept offers of rides or gifts.

Students should seek the assistance of other nearby adults if they feel unsafe and should report the event to a trusted adult (parent or school staff member) as soon as possible.

SAPOL advises that taking out a mobile phone and calling police can deter the offender and they recommend the student making a formal report to their closest police station.

For guidance on what to teach your child about strategies for staying safe, view this link:  SAPOL Personal Safety | Safety for Young People

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.

The two counsellor interns from Adelaide University have started and working well with students and families. They work on Mondays until the University year ends in November. Their names are Jasmine and Dhwani. Please speak with me or email smccullough@stjotto.catholic.edu.au or speak with Tanya and Alissa to get a referral form if you would like one for your child.

We enjoyed a wonderful Multicultural celebration with many families attending and the children enjoying a variety of experiences and some wonderful food.

Some other upcoming events include;

• Book Week Parade - Wednesday 2/9 from 9am
• Father's Day breakfast and liturgy - Friday 4/9
• St Joseph’s Got Talent - Wednesday 16th September from 1:30pm
• Community prayer each Friday 8:45am

Father’s Day Breakfast

Following this we will offer a special blessing prayer for you as part of our community prayer gathering.

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.

Breakfast Club - Kickstart for Kids

Breakfast Club is back! Kickstart for Kids will be at St Joseph's School Ottoway every Tuesday morning 8:25am - 8:45am for Breakfast Club.

St Joseph's Ottoway Netball Team 2026

Our netball team has shown great commitment and team spirit throughout the season so far. Well done to all players for representing our school so proudly!

Here are some wonderful photos from our Multicultural Day celebrations this week. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the diverse cultures that make up our school community.

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

Please note Sports Vouchers that are eligible can be used.

New family tech agreements are here! 

Parents are navigating the digital world alongside their children from an early age. Our ‘Growing up online: Parenting young children in the digital age’ report found 97% of parents of children aged 3 to 10 said their child had been online, with engagement increasing as children get older.  

While many parents see benefits such as learning, entertainment and connection, concerns about online safety remain common.  

A family tech agreement can help turn everyday conversations about technology into clear, shared expectations that grow with your child. 

Creating an agreement together is a practical way to stay connected, encourage open communication about online safety, and support your child to build the skills, judgement and confidence they need to navigate the online world. 

Whether your child is just starting their online journey or preparing for social media, our free agreements for 5 to 8 year olds, 9 to 12 year olds, and 13 to 15 year olds can help support safer, more positive online experiences. 

Start your agreement

We've put Roblox on notice ?

We’ve secured a court-enforceable undertaking from Roblox to do more to protect children from grooming, sexual exploitation and abuse online. ?

Following our investigation and testing of the gaming giant’s safety systems, we identified gaps we considered to put children at risk, including allowing contact between children and adults they do not know.  

?Roblox has committed to boosting safety on its platform and to an independent third-party audit to assess the effectiveness of its safety measures. ?If Roblox breaches the undertaking, we won’t hesitate to take further action if necessary.

??This development is part of our?broader?work to improve safety and accountability across the online gaming sector, so parents and carers can feel more confident that platforms are taking steps to better protect children and support safer online experiences.

Read more

Top tips to help your child navigate cyberbullying  

For many children and young people, being online is an important part of how they connect with friends, learn and express themselves. When online interactions become harmful, the impact can be significant, affecting their confidence, wellbeing and sense of safety.  

As we’re in the midst of Bullying No Way Week, now is a great time to talk with your child about their online experiences and how to respond to cyberbullying. Children are better able to cope with cyberbullying when they have the support of at least one trusted adult. 

If your child is experiencing cyberbullying, you can:  

1?? stay calm and listen without judgement 
2?? let them know they are not alone 
3?? help them collect evidence 
4?? work with them report harmful content using the eSafety Guide and the platform’s reporting tools  
5?? seek support when needed. 

It is also important not to remove access to devices straight away, as online spaces can be a valuable source of connection and support for young people. 

If serious cyberbullying involving a child under 18 is not addressed by the platform, we may be able to help remove the content reported to us. 

More advice

Friday, 14 August - Kolbe Liturgy and Celebration

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