18 February 2022

Catholic Education South Australia
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Term 1 - 2022 - Week 3

 
 
 

Principal's Message

Principal's Prayer

"Let no obstacles deter you from proceeding with courage" (1907).

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us.

 

Dear parents, carers, teachers and students, 

Welcome to the 2022 school year. To those in our community who don't know much about me, my husband and I and our two boys have lived in four different rural communities in South Australia due to my husbands work in SAPOL and my teaching career in Josephite Catholic schools. I have held two principal roles in the past 15 years, lived in Loxton for the past nine years, and I'm very excited to return to the Murray Bridge area after 27 years to begin my first of many more years to come as your school principal. I feel very humbled and privileged to serve this beautiful community. For those who have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome over the past month, I am very grateful, and I look forward to getting to know those I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting. I hope that everybody in the St Joseph's community enjoyed a deserved break over Christmas and the New Year. I am aware that several families were affected and are still affected by COVID-19 in terms of illness, restricted travel and isolation. All that said, the school year has commenced with mindfulness around the pandemic but with a great sense of optimism and pleasure to be back.

Receptions, New families, Year 7's & 8's in 2022 

To the families of our newest students and our new Middle Year 7 and 8 students, what a fantastic start you've had! Added to the excitement, we are using the brand new facilities for secondary schooling and enjoying the fresh outdoor eating and play space. So many students have expressed absolute pleasure at the new friends they are making, the interest and quality of their teachers, and the easy routines they are quickly adopting. I warmly welcome all new families to our St Joseph's community and, in time, hope for us all to gather together face-to-face to meet and enjoy the learning experiences of the children.  

New Parish Priest - Murray Bridge Catholic Parish and St Joseph's School

I would like to warmly welcome our new Parish Priest, Father Philip Marshall. It has been a pleasure for me, Mrs Deb Holland - our school APRIM (Assistant Principal Religious Identity & Mission) and the staff to meet Father Philip. Late last year, Archbishop Patrick O'Regan announced that after 12 years of outstanding service as Vicar General, Fr Phillip Marshall would be relieved of that role. He now willingly joins our community, and we are truly blessed to have Fr Philip lead us into the new year and plan together with all the people in our community to build on the great work already achieved in past years, in both the Parish and the School.

New Beginnings 2022

It is with great pleasure that I introduce the newest members of the teaching and learning team of 2022. The school warmly welcomes new staff to the community and congratulates them for starting the year positively. Even under trying circumstances, they have been highly positive for the first three weeks, and there is incredible energy from all the teachers and staff as they meet their new classes.  

Year 3 - Margherita Pardoe & Nathaniel Brooke

Year 4 - Teresa Tsouvallas & Caitlin O'Brien

Year 5 Caitlin Angel & Caitlin O'Brien,                       

Year 6 - Cooper Skinner

Middle School - Naomi Pearce & Brianna Schenscher

Chinese - Chengsheng Sun

Education Support Officers - Julie Joachim & Kerry Lienert

As we begin this year, we pray that God will bless all St Joseph's School members and guide us as a Catholic community in our important work throughout 2022.

I wish every student and their respective families the best for 2022.

Mrs Ros Oates

Principal

 

 
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RECEPTION - Mrs Heinicke

 
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RECEPTION - Mrs Watkins

 
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RECEPTION - Miss Martin

 
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Learning new sounds in Reception is lots of fun.

 

Mobile Phones and Smart Watches

As we continue to grow in this IT and tech world, there are many things we continue to need to address, and two of these are smartwatches and mobile phones. All parents and carers must read the Communication Device Guidelines attached to this newsletter. If your child must bring a mobile phone to school, for instance, they walk home or catch the bus, a parent or carer will notify the principal via email. More information is in the attached document.

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PARKING AROUND SCHOOLS & COMMON TRAFFIC SIGNS

SCHOOL TRAFFIC FLOW 

The historical traffic flow for school drop-off and pick-ups on Florence Street and Mc Henry Street has changed at the start of this year to just being on Mc Henry Street to accommodate the development of a much safer and more versatile entrance on Florence Street. The timing of this delay was beyond anyone's control; COVID-19 working conditioning difficulties have also added to the delays, and I apologise for the inconvenience. The traffic flow conditions are being carefully monitored and are under review. We continue to remind and thank the community for being patient and understanding.  

 

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SCHOOL UNIFORM

We continue in a phase of introduction to our new school uniform. Again, COVID-19 difficulties with supply have hindered all the students from wearing new uniform items, and many families are utilising the 12 month change-over period with their children still wearing the old uniform correctly. Some new families to the school have been wonderful by having their children in appropriate school clothing in the colours of 'navy' while they wait for their orders. In time, we will see the fabulous new look right across all year levels in the school.  

 
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WELCOMING COMMUNITIES

No matter where you go during the day nothing can beat a welcoming face.  Research has shown that you are more likely to buy in a shop where you are made to feel welcome.  You will probably revisit someone or some place where you have felt welcome and maybe even choose a school by how welcoming it is.

In the Gospels there are many times when the words WELCOME and STRANGER are used to highlight the way God asks us to treat each other.  It is easy for us to welcome people we know and like but God asks us to also welcome the stranger.  The stranger being the immigrant, refugee, disabled, poor and lonely.

“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God”. - Romans 15:7

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,” Matthew 25:35

God has brought us all here to St Joseph’s School, Murray Bridge from many different places and our ancestors from even more places throughout the world.  We bring many different stories, gift and talents but God has brought us together at this time and in this place to welcome each other and support each other so that our students can reach their full potential; academically, socially, physically and spiritually.

As we begin this new school year I hope you have felt welcomed at St Joseph’s School, either a ‘welcome back’ or a beginning welcome if you are new to our school.  Our school reflects our community with a diversity of cultures that enrich our school.  We have families from our first nation’s peoples and we pay respect to the traditional owners of this land, the Ngarrindjeri people.  We welcome to our community families from China, Vietnam, Kenya, South Sudan, Cambodia, Rwanda, Russia, Lebanon, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and other parts of the world as well as new families from our own community.

It has been so inspiring to see our school motto: “In all things kindness” being enacted during the staggered beginning of the school year as we have learnt to live with covid over the past 2 years and the changes we have made to our lives. We empathise and try to do as Jesus would through our prayers and any other support we are able to give.

I pray that 2022 will be a year where we can work together to support each other as we educate your children to reach their full potential and that we can always be people of love and welcome through any challenges we may encounter this year.

With fondest love I pray God to bless you all and grant you a truly happy new year.”

Mary MacKillop, 1882

 

 
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PLEASE SELECT Read More for the full Term 1 Calendar

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