NEWSLETTER

This term, the Reception and Year 1 students have been busy exploring special places in Geography. The students explored the meaning of home by identifying their own addresses and drawing their house. They have looked at what houses from around the world look like and discussed how homes can be different depending on where people live. As part of their local area study, they went on a walk around the school to observe and record key places like the playground, library, and office, learning how each area serves a different purpose. Using bird’s-eye view perspectives, they created detailed maps of the school with labelled features. Through these activities, the Reception and Year 1 students have developed a stronger sense of place and belonging for the world around them.

The two R/1 classrooms were excited to start term 2 with brand new furniture. This was a great refresh for the rooms. Providing a workspace perfect for all our little learners. The new play kitchen getting plenty of use also. 

Catholic Identity

On Sunday June 8 the Catholic Church will celebrate Pentecost. Pentecost is a time when we celebrate and acknowledge the gift of the Holy Spirit given to us by God. One way to think of the Holy Spirit is of the words and actions of Jesus being lived out through others today. During Pentecost, classroom Religious Education programs will centre on the Holy Spirit at work in our lives today. Our weekly communal prayer will also reflect upon the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

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 family has 6 children. We know at least two of the children are boys. Draw as many possibilities as you can as to what the family might look like.

Someone asked the teacher a question and she replied “Maybe.” What might the question be?

Years 4-6

My brother was complaining that it was always extremely cold on his birthday which spoilt the activities that had been planned. When might the date of his birthday be? Explain your answer.

Design a spinner for which the chance of spinning green is 3/8.

Happy inquiry.

Children develop their reading skills, knowledge and understanding by reading regularly. Below are some strategies you might like to try at home to support your children’s learning:

•          Encourage and model reading in the home
•          Listen to your child read their reading material and ask specific questions related to what they have read
•          Read with your child
•          Share what you are reading with your child
•          Read your child a bedtime story
•          Read to your child in your family’s first language
•          Talk to your child about the different situations you find yourself in  whereby you are required to read texts.

Happy reading.

Teaching and Learning Update

Year 3/4H - Ben Higgins

We had perfect weather for Sports Day, and the students participated with great enthusiasm. A highlight was seeing the children’s parents join in the fun during the activities at the end of the day. The class also gave Mr Nguyen helpful and honest feedback.

Kaurna/English Narratives
This term, students read several First Nations stories and looked closely at the language used. They were given access to a website with a list of Kaurna words and were challenged to write their own stories, including as many Kaurna words as they could. It was a great way for them to learn about the language and culture.

Fractions
In Maths we have been learning that fractions are parts of a whole and must be equal in size. We used fraction walls to help us see what different fractions look like and then made our own fraction strips to practise what we learned.

Religious Education
In Week 1, we spent time learning about Pope Francis. The students worked in groups to answer quiz questions about his life. We also talked about the new Pope, Leo XIV, who was recently chosen in a conclave. We look forward to learning more about him and how he will continue Pope Francis’ work to care for the Earth and support people in need.

Public Holiday Monday June 9

A reminder that Monday June 9 is a public holiday.

Pupil Free Day Monday June 16

Monday June 16 will be a Pupil Free Day. The focus of the day will be on Indigenous Education, particularly the connections between Aboriginal Culture and Christian Values. The day will be facilitated by Australians Together. As part of the day, the school will receive Curriculum Resources and 12 months of ongoing support from the Australians Together team.

OSHC will be available on the day. Bookings are essential and can be made by contacting Mieke or the Front Office.

School Master Plan Update

We have gone out to tender for Stage Three of our School Masterplan (refurbishment of downstairs classrooms, relocation of canteen and student toilets). Building works are scheduled to commence in July beginning with the new canteen space. This will allow the two downstairs classrooms to remain where they are until Term 3. Once the new canteen space has been developed, Rebecca will move into the space and building works will then be focused on developing the two new downstairs classrooms and new toilet block.

How do Children Play?

As children grow, the way they play will change. Below are examples of play for children of different ages:

Babies (birth to around 18 months)

With babies you might try:

• music, songs, gentle tapping on your baby’s tummy while you sing, bells or containers filled with different objects - these activities can help develop hearing and movement
• objects of different sizes, colours and shapes to encourage a child to reach and grasp
• sturdy furniture, balls, toys or boxes to get a child crawling, standing and walking
• play with movement (for example, holding a baby while singing, swaying or gently dancing)
• play with words, such as in simple rhymes, animal noises, books, blowing raspberries and playing peek-a-boo.

Toddlers (around 18 months to three years)

A toddler might enjoy: 

• big and light things like cardboard boxes, buckets or blow-up balls to encourage them to run, build, push or drag
• chalk, rope, music or containers can encourage jumping, kicking, stomping, stepping and running
• hills, tunnels or nooks that encourage physical activities like crawling and exploring
•  experimenting with different sounds and rhythms (try singing, dancing and clapping along to music with your child).

Preschool children (around three to five years)

Ideas to get your pre-schooler’s mind and body going: 

• Old milk containers, wooden spoons, empty pot plant containers, sticks, scrunched-up paper, plastic buckets, saucepans and old clothes are great for imaginative, unstructured play.
• Simple jigsaw puzzles and matching games like animal dominoes help improve your child’s memory and concentration.
• Playdough and clay help your child develop fine motor skills.
• Favourite music or pots and pans are great for a dance concert or to make up music.
• Balls and frisbees can encourage kicking, throwing or rolling. When encouraging your child to kick or throw, try to get them to use one side of their body, then the other.

School-age children

School-age children can have fun with the following objects and activities:

• Furniture, linen, washing baskets, tents and boxes are great for building.
• Home-made obstacle courses can get your child moving in different ways, directions and speeds.
• Rhymes or games like “I spy with my little eye, something that begins with...” are great for word play and help develop literacy skills.
• Simple cooking or food preparation like measuring, stirring and serving food is great for developing numeracy and everyday skills.
• Your child’s own imagination - with imagination, your child can turn themselves into a favourite superhero or story character. If your child is interested, you could think about getting them into some sports or team activities for school-age children. Other possibilities include after-school or holiday art and craft activities.

To learn more about how you can support the wellbeing of your child, visit Be You(formerly Beyond Blue). 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.

School Start Time 8:45am

I encourage you, if possible, to ensure your child/children are at school by 8:45am each day. This will ensure that your child is present during key explicit teaching moments at the beginning of Literacy and Numeracy Blocks. This will ensure your child is well informed and ready to be a successful learner.

Term 3 Preschool and Reception Intake

St. Joseph’s School will once again have a Pre-school and Reception intake at the start of Term 3 this year. Our Term 3 new Pre-school children will replace those moving into Reception as part of our Term 3 Reception intake. The criteria for starting Pre-school or Reception on the first day of school in Term 3 is that a child will have turned 4 (Pre-school) or 5 (Reception) between 1 May and 31 October in that year. Later this term we will hold three transition visit mornings for our new Pre-school and Reception children with the aim of supporting their new start.

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

Kiss and Drop Zone Speed Limit 10km per Hour.

A reminder that the school Kiss and Drop Zone along Rosewater Terrace has a speed limit of 10km per hour. Please ensure you observe the speed limit when using the Kiss and Drop Zone as this is an area where children are entering and exiting the school in large numbers.

A reminder also that the school Kiss and Drop Zone is not a place to park your car if you need to enter the school grounds as this holds up all incoming and outgoing traffic. It also leads to children exiting their cars on Rosewater Terrace and having to manoeuvre between traffic, raising further safety concerns. If you need to come into the school grounds, parking is available along Rosewater Terrace and on Ina Avenue.

Thank you in anticipation of your support with these important safety matter.

Audiri App

To keep up to date with what is happening within our school along with upcoming school events why not download the AudiriApp from the App Store on your mobile phone. Once downloaded simply search St Joseph’s School, Ottoway and add to your Audiri page. Many of our families currently use the Audiri App to keep up to date with what is happening across our school.

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

Working in partnership with you.

Shaun O’Leary.

Parent Centre - near the office entrance

Please make yourself comfortable and help yourself to tea, coffee and biscuits.

The room will be open most days 8:25am and 2:30pm

Mass this term:

• Tuesday 24th June St John the Baptist 10am
• Friday 27th June Most Sacred Heart of Jesus 10am

A Community Prayer theme for Our Lady Help of Christians (Saturday 24th May) and for Sts Peter and Paul (Sunday 29th June) as these celebrations fall on weekends.

SPORTS VOUCHERS 
The Sports Vouchers program provides a discount of up to $200 on sport, dance, music or learn to swim fees for children living in South Australia in Reception to Year 9, each calendar year. The aim is to increase the number of children participating in physical activity by helping to reduce cost as a barrier.

Applications may be made at any time.
More Information: https://www.sportsvouchers.sa.gov.au/

TENNIS AUSTRALIA - OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS SUBSIDY PROGRAM  
This program aims to offer young people aged 5 - 17 facing disadvantage or adversity the opportunity to continue their tennis journey with subsidized coaching by a qualified tennis coach. 
The objectives of the program are to:

• Reduce financial barriers to participation in sport outside of school for children and young people.
• Use tennis as a vehicle to strengthen resilience, promote self-worth and build a sense of belonging in children and young people.
• Provide continued access to opportunities to experience success and social connection.

Funding of up to $400 per person per year for coaching fees and an additional $100 per person per year for club membership and/or competition fees is available.

This program is available on an ongoing basis.
More Information: Opportunity Knocks | What We Do | Australian Tennis Foundation | About Tennis Australia | Tennis Australia

Earlier in the year we upgraded our Thermomix to keep the fresh pizza coming.

We are all looking forward to the construction starting on a brand-new Canteen space later in the year!

Defibrillator on site

We now have a defibrillator on site at St Joseph's. This can be located in the Photocopier Room in the new front office building. Please don't hesitate to ask a staff member if you would like to see exactly where it is located, as well as any questions you may have.

Stobie Pole Art

Over the past 5 weeks the 3/4H class have been creating street art to beautify Ina Avenue. Miss Summer, a UniSA student, has supported us through the entire process. We were given five environments as a theme and began by brainstorming what we might see in each biome. Miss Summer helped us sketch out our Stobie pole before we added the colour to bring the art piece alive. They will soon be attached to the poles close to the school so our families can stop and appreciate our magnificent work. Thank you to Miss Summer and Mr. McCullough for coordinating this project for us.

Instrumental Program

In term 3 our violin tutor Danika Hecht will be running an introduction to violin workshop for a group of up to 3 students.  We have a ½ size violin (suitable for reception/year 1 students), and 3 ¾ size violins available for students for term 3 on loan basis.  For more details please contact Duncan or Danika.  Availability is on a first come basis with payment in advance to secure a place.

School Band

Battle of the Rock Bands will be on 18^th June at Nazareth college and we have a Year 4/5 and Year 6 band in the competition.  Tickets and details are available here:

Years 5-7 | Battle of the Rock Bands 2025

... and tickets are selling out fast.

Each year we need volunteers to work in our Canteen to prepare hot and cold lunches for our hungry growing children (and staff as requested) and to serve over the counter at recess and lunch. As a canteen volunteer you can help out either for a full day, 9.30am to 2.00pm or part day to cover either the morning collation of lunch orders and recess, 9.30am-11.20am, or the lunch period, 12.00pm - 2.00pm.

Canteen Volunteer Duties 

• assisting with preparation of foods -

• serving children over the counter at recess and lunch

• general canteen tidy up after lunch

Please see Alissa in the front office to express your interest. 

Goodstart Angle Park currently have vacancies in the Nursery (0-2), Toddler 1 (2-2.5) and Toddler 2 (2.5-3 years) rooms.

A Retreat: Nothing Can Separate Us From The Love of God Saturday 21st June 9:15am - 3:30pm At Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church 420 Seaview Road Henley Beach.

Speaker: Fr Mark Sexton

The day will include:

Mass 9:15am

Talks given by Fr Mark

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Reflection, Reconciliation

Prayer Ministry

Benediction

Please bring your own lunch tea/coffee provided. Enquiries and bookings phone Pauline 0403002240 by 19th June Cost by Cash Donation All Welcome

16^th Pupil Free Day