Term 2 - 2021 - Week 5

It is wonderful to be back reconnecting with everyone again.  It has been 4 years and 4 weeks since I left and it was an absolute delight to see the many students who were at St Joseph’s back in 2017.  It has also been wonderful to meet many students and parents who have started in the interim. 

On Monday and Tuesday, it was an absolute pleasure to see the many familiar faces as I stood at the front gate and wandered around the yard; parents and students alike. It was great to visit all the classes and hear how each student has grown as a learner, and see how each student’s interests have evolved. I cannot believe how much each student has grown in height and maturity. One thing that hasn’t changed, which is observable in every St Joseph’s student, is their impeccable character and deep care for others. I was humbled and honoured to have so many students approach me and engage in a conversation about how I was and if I remembered them!!

COVID Update

As the ramifications of the Victorian COVID outbreak are felt in SA, it is important we remain prepared to respond to the fast-changing nature of the pandemic.

Personally, I have been caught up in this latest Victorian outbreak as I visited Melbourne last weekend. I write to share that after a fantastic two days with you on Monday and Tuesday, I will have to take the next two weeks off. Unfortunately, I was one of the 464 South Australians who attended the MCG to watch Collingwood vs Power. While it did seem worth it at the time, seeing Port win, I now have to quarantine for 14 days. I am well, and I have tested negative.

Collectively as a community we will continue to follow the advice from SA Health and directions set by SAPOL as they arise. This week while at home, our COVID Response Team have been revisiting our school’s response if we were to encounter a similar situation as we experienced in 2020. If you are new to the school, information will come out to you in the coming week.

Building update and Middle School in 2021

Thank you to all those who contributed towards the design and development of our new building. It looks amazing. I appreciate the community’s understanding of the restrictions in the yard while the build is occurring. It was wonderful to see major progress achieved yesterday with the commencement of the framework!

On Monday and Tuesday, I met with those who have led this project to its current point. I was very pleased with the progress and the commitment to ensure the school will be ready for this exciting offering. Representatives from CESA and builders from Horizons were present. I can confirm that the build is progressing well and is on schedule and due to be completed in mid-October.

This coming Monday I will again meet with this team and finalise curriculum offerings, uniform design and the choice of computer that will be provided to students. From this, I will be sending information to parents to explain these details. I can confirm that there will be no increase in fees in 2021 and 2022 for those enrolling. Please do not hesitate to meet with me regarding your child’s Middle School Enrolment at St Joseph’s.

If you wish to confirm your child’s Middle School Enrolment for 2022, please notify Mr Gates or Mrs O’Neil at the front office.

Pedal Prix

Congratulations to those students who competed in the Pedal Prix Event at The Bend Raceway at Tailem Bend on Sunday.  Well done to our teams who competed strongly.  A big thank you to our band of volunteers and Teachers Ms Sarah Barrett, Mrs Penny McClure, Ms Ciara Pappin, Ms Amy Martin and Mr John Osman for his non-stop work that allows our students to race at their ability. 

National Reconciliation Week

From 27 May to 3 June annually across Australia we celebrate National Reconciliation Week. The dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - the anniversaries of the successful 1967 Referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. Last week our Year 6s stood outside the significant building where this landmark decision was made. During National Reconciliation Week we take the opportunity to further our learning about the culture and history of Australia's Indigenous people, and in turn this challenges us to re-examine how we as a Nation can help turn around the continuing disadvantage experienced by so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. The week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us can join the national reconciliation effort. National Reconciliation Week this year has the theme ‘More than a word. Reconciliation takes action’. The focus urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action.  We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures and futures.

National Sorry Day

On Wednesday we celebrated National Sorry Day. National Sorry Day recognises the negative impact of Australian policies, practices and attitudes on Indigenous people.

The story of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples has a short, but important history in Australia. Many people feel that an integral step to reconcile these groups starts at the top – with the government recognising and apologising for policies, practices and attitudes that discriminated against, isolated and marginalised Indigenous people. At the school many classes have been engaged in activities including a visit by Lynette Graham, who shared the story of  “The Blue Wren”  with the children from Rec M and 2S.

World Environment Day

Next Friday we celebrate World Environment Day which is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. World Environment Day began in 1974 and has grown to become a global platform celebrated in over 100 countries.

Each World Environment Day a theme is developed that draws attention to a particularly pressing environmental concern at that period of time. This World Environment Day, it’s ‘Ecosystem Restoration’. Which calls us to take urgent action to revive our damaged ecosystems. From forests to peatlands to coasts, we all depend on healthy ecosystems for our survival.  The emergence of COVID-19 has also shown just how disastrous the consequences of ecosystem loss can be. 

World Environment Day is a day our students take action or do something to take care of the Earth. Increasingly students are realising that the 'something' can be local, national or global. It can be a solo action or involve a group.

SAPSASA

Congratulations to those students who represented St Joseph’s at Tuesday’s SAPSASA Regional Cross-Country Trials.  The times achieved by our students were fantastic and it was great to see so many runners pleased with their results on their return to school. Congratulations to Hamish, Indii, Brodie, Taj, Izaak, Ava and Jordan for making the Murraylands District Team which will compete at Oakbank on Thursday, 10 June.

In addition, congratulations are also in order for the following students as they were selected for District SAPSASA Teams in their chosen sports;

Yr 6 Football: Aiden and Hamish

Yr 6 Netball: Kira and Ava

Yr 7 Football: Noah, Jordan, Beau, Taj and Brodie

Sporting Schools Grant

In two weeks, Mr Law has organised the Reception, Yr 1 and Yr 2 classes to have Athletics Australia conduct a fundamental movement development program with an Australian Government Sporting Schools Grant. This program will be 4x 40 minute sessions per class with an Athletics Australia coach over a 2 week period from Monday 7th June (Week 7) to Friday 18th June (Week 8). Who knows there may be a future Olympian in the making.

Pupil Free Day

Please note that there is a Pupil Free Day scheduled for Monday 19 July. Staff will be completing their First Aid refresher course.

God Bless

Brady Stallard

On Monday 3 of our Year 7 students attended the 200 years of Catholic Education Mass held at St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide. This Mass was a wonderful celebration of Catholic Education and focused on the theme of "Faith in the Future"

On Sunday, the school Pedal Prix team competed in their first race at The Bend Motorsport Park. Under the guidance of Team Manager John Osmond, the students rode relentlessly for six hours around the almost 4km track. The two bikes, 'St Joseph' and 'The Spirit' performed admirable, finishing in the middle of the pack for their category. Thank you to all of the students and parents for supporting this wonderful event. A huge thank you also to our wonderful sponsors, without whom we would not be able to go racing. Our next race will be on the 18th of June in Victoria Park and our final event for the season will be in Murray Bridge in September. 

Aboriginal Spirituality is derived from the concept of the Dreaming where its roots lie in a variety of stories, ceremonies, values and structures.  The Dreaming is a complex network of knowledge, faith and practices that come from stories of Creation and it dominates all spiritual and physical aspects of Aboriginal life.

The Dreaming set out the structures of society, the rules for social behaviour and the ceremonies performed in order to maintain the life of the land.  It governed the way people lived and how they should behave.  Those who did not follow the rules were punished.  The Dreaming tells the journeys of the Spirit Ancestors who made the world and whose Spirits inhabit the features of the natural world today; it influences every aspect of daily life and permeates song, dance, storytelling, painting, artefacts making, hunting, food gathering and a social kinship system; it also determines relationship with every living creature and features of the land.

Aboriginal people believe that they do not own the land but are part of it.  Therefore, they have the duty to respect and maintain the land for it is alive within the Spirit of their Ancestors.  The land is their Ancestors and the source of their Dreaming; it contains sacred sites for which they are responsible.  Land is central to their cultural life and is the basis of their economic life.

In 1877, German Lutheran Missionaries established a Mission in Central Australia at Hermannsberg.  In 1926 Pastor Albrecht made this observation: “When we first came here, we thought we had found the only people in the world without religion.  Now, we have learnt that they are amongst the most religious people in the world.”  These missionaries, like the English Colonists before them, found no recognisable structures that provided a formal point for Aboriginal religious observance.  Mrs Wadjuelarbinna, Elder Doomadgee for North Queensland, has this wonderful insight into Aboriginal Spirituality and Christianity:

“My mother said they close their eyes in church, they go in there and talk to Spirit; this one they call God, must be the same one belong you and me; and they started to work out their Spirituality there; it’s a bit different and she couldn’t understand why they make a grand building especially to go to on Sunday to talk to this Spirit, and every other day of the week they could do what they wanted to.  And she said, poor silly buggers, they make a house to go in and talk; he’s not going to lock up there, he’s everywhere; he’s in the bush he’s where we’re fishing, he’s where we’re hunting; every second of the day we’re answerable to that Spirit.”  A.B.C. Radio 1999

There are so many things we can learn about our own spirituality from developing an understanding of other cultures and listening to their stories.  We can listen to the stories of our first peoples and their connection to the land they come from.  This connection gives meaning to their lives and helps them to identify who they are and where they come from and belong.  Through understanding this connection, we have an opportunity to reflect on our own identity; who we are and where we come from that gives us a sense of belonging.  Without this sense of belonging we can become like a log being carried along in the current of a river without any purpose or direction.

Across Australia we celebrate National Reconciliation Week between 27 May and 3 June.  The dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey: the anniversaries of the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision.  The week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us can join in the national reconciliation effort.  This year’s theme is “More than a Word. Reconciliation Takes Action.”  As Australians, we are all here, woven into this country.  As part of our reconciliation journey, there are truths to tell, stories to celebrate, and relationships to grow.

Lord, we pray that we can stand together.  We pray that we can walk and talk together.  Help us to share our gifts with each other.  Help us to listen to each other.  Give us courage to walk and talk with each other.  Help us to take action and leave footprints of respect, love, kindness and compassion.  Amen

As we are learning about the River in our Inquiry Unit in Reception, we went on a river excursion. We walked to the Wharf Precinct and while we were there enjoyed some Discovery Time in nature and explored the environment by the river. We used our senses to investigate our surroundings which we then shared in Prayer by saying what we were grateful for. We also enjoyed a picnic lunch in the beautiful weather before walking back to school. 

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Hello friends and families,

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