“IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD”
I am a firm believer in the anonymous African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” and feel it is also very true when it comes to educating our children. For our children to be truly successful whereby they achieve their full potential we cannot work in isolation from the rest of the community. This is becoming increasingly more evident in today’s global world with its complex issues and the demands and changing face and pressures placed on families.
I believe at St Joseph’s we endeavour to work with others in our village through building relationships with our families and members of the wider community. We are all made in the image of God and we should respect and treat with dignity all those in our community through the welcome they receive and the support we are able to offer when it is required. We all love and want the best for our children, whether they are academically high achievers, gifted in other areas or have special needs or disabilities.
Living and working in the “village” of Murray Bridge we have many organisations that are able to offer assistance and support and work with us. Centacare, Communities for Children, CAMHS and Murray Mallee Community Health Service are just a few who work with us. These and other organisations have allowed us to offer a number of programs over the years to our children. We also work with Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and psychologists.
Our Parish is another example of the village working together through our Masses, Community Prayer and the work Deacon Arturo, our Parish Moderator does to support us in our faith journey. Pope Francis has declared July 24th a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to honour the experience and wisdom of the elderly and the important role of passing on and preserving the Catholic faith through generations. Grandparents and the elderly are an important part of our village as they support so many families through childcare, advice and support in so many ways.
Christianity began as a community of faith, a community of believers in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. For St Paul, Christian faith is lived in community with love: the proper caring for another, as the foundation. This love meant building up others in the community by encouraging them or consoling them. It requires give and take between individuals and the community and contributing through putting whatever gifts one has in service to the common good. Every person is welcomed and important as necessary to the body of Christ.
The Bible teaches us to live in community with others through fellowship, hospitality, love, kindness, compassion, and the willingness to help one another. The Catholic school should be a visible example of a modern Christian community and in doing so will be the embodiment of the “village” that raises the child.
Mrs Deb Holland
APRIM
Dear parents, carers, teachers and students,
This week’s newsletter marks the occasion of Saint Mary MacKillop of the Cross Feast Day, Australia's first saint. This is a significant day for our school, as Mary MacKillop's order founded our school in 1925.
The Josephite sisters have contributed to our school in many immeasurable ways over many years. They have taught our children, cared for our sick and elderly, and supported our families. They have done all of this with faith-filled service and a mission to provide a Catholic education to children in our regional town.
We are deeply grateful for the Josephite sisters' dedication and commitment to our school. They have made a lasting impact on our community, and we will never forget their legacy. Mary MacKillop was a woman of courage, compassion, and faith. She challenged the status quo and fought for justice for the poor and marginalised. She was a true inspiration, and her example continues to guide us today.
Tuesday, this week we had a wonderful celebration that took place on our site to acknowledge the life and work of Mary MacKillop. This was the first time that we have held such an event, and it was a great success.
We had so many family visitors attend and join in the activities and fun. The children enjoyed making a Mary MacKillop banner, playing games, and listening to stories about her life. The adults and students enjoyed hearing from our special ‘Mary’ guest speaker and participating in a pass-the-parcel activity.
We were so grateful for the hard work of the organising committee and everyone who made the day possible. We hope that you will enjoy the snapshot of photographs in this newsletter taken on the day.
Thank you again for joining us in celebrating the life and work of Mary MacKillop. She was a remarkable woman who dedicated her life to helping others. Her legacy continues to inspire us today.
School Board Information
The current School Board for St Joseph’s School is in need of interested members of our community who would like to have a role in ensuring the sound and responsible financial management of our school’s resources. Each Catholic School has a finance committee.
The role of the finance committee is to ensure proper financial management systems are in place in accordance with the Finance Manual for South Australian Catholic Schools, including the school’s five-year financial plan and with policies and guidelines within the diocese. Please email the Principal, Ros Oates, ros.oates@stjomb.catholic.edu.au if you have financial skills and are interested in this role on our current School Board.
Three Remaining School Closure Days for 2023
This week the School Board members met for our August meeting and confirmed the final school closure days for 2023 are:
- Friday 8th Sept (Week 7) – Term 3 – Staff Retreat Day
- Thursday 14th December and Friday 15th December – Term 4 (Last two school days of the year) – Curriculum, Data and Handover Day
PARENT SURVEY – LIVING, LEARNING, LEADING
Catholic Education SA has introduced a survey across all of our Catholic Schools to gather community perceptions of their School’s performance. Similar surveys will be administered to staff and students to enable us to capture a community snapshot. All responses are confidential and will be used for school improvement purposes. Completion of the survey is on a voluntary basis.
To complete the survey for St Joseph’s School Murray Bridge
Parents go to www.NSIPartnerships.com.au and enter the code SJMBLLLP in the ‘Start Questionnaire’ field. A flyer is attached at the end of this newsletter.
Catholic Schools Open Week
August 21-27, 2023 (Term 3, Week 5)
Open Week in Catholic schools is held annually each August. It is an excellent opportunity for public members to visit our school and discover the wonderful learning opportunities we offer at St Joseph's School.
And Book Week is just around the corner - you can read more about Book Week later in this newsletter.
Enjoy your weekend.
Mrs Ros Oates
Principal
Reception learners embarked on a journey of discovery to learn about St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Through Godly Play, they explored her life as a pioneering educator and advocate for social justice. They expressed their understanding and admiration through songs, creative drawings and crafts that celebrate her legacy as Australia's first saint and her dedication to serving others. These multisensory experiences inspired empathy and fostered an appreciation for the values she embodied, encouraging young learners to reflect on the importance of compassion, kindness, and making a positive impact in their own lives.
In English, the students have started comparing informative texts to narratives. They are also learning about the practical application of Venn diagrams to compare various elements. As part of their phonics development, the students have been learning to blend and use digraphs, including the 'ar,' 'or,' and 'ay' sounds. Learning to blend and use digraphs is an essential part of phonics development and will enable the students to improve their reading and writing skills. With these tools and knowledge, they are well on their way to becoming successful readers and writers!
In Science, the students have begun learning about living and non-living things. The students have explored living things in our school garden and have started growing bean sprouts in the classroom. With enriched conversations through group work, guided conversations and hands on learning, students will work towards understanding features of living and non-living things.
Book Week celebrations are in Week 5. This year's theme is "Read, Grow, Inspire," and we are planning various activities to celebrate the joy of reading.
The annual Book Week dress-up parade will be held on Friday morning, August 25th, at 9:00 am. Students are encouraged to dress up as a book character or in a way that is related to the theme. We look forward to seeing the creativity of the costumes at the parade!
We will also hold a Grandparents Day on Wednesday morning, August 23rd, at 9:00 am, starting in the Performing Arts Centre. This is a great opportunity for grandparents to come and visit their family members and learn more about what they are learning in school. More information and registration details will be sent out via Seesaw soon.
Finally, the school library will display books and activities related to the Book Week theme, and we will have a visiting author speaking to the students that week. Students are encouraged to visit the library and check out some new books. We hope that you will join us in celebrating Book Week! It is a great opportunity to encourage our children to read and enjoy the power of books.
Vinnies Uniform Shops are all located within Vinnies Charity Stores and are serviced by appointment only, by making a booking ensures we have an appropriately trained uniform staff member onsite to assist with uniform fittings, selections, and purchases.
Parents can make a booking with Rochelle and the Murray Bridge Vinnies Uniform Shop Team by scanning the QR code or visiting Vinnies - Uniform Shop (simplybook.me)
We encourage parents to contact us by email (schooluniforms@svdpsa.org.au) for consideration of appointments outside available booking times.
For parents who prefer to personally make a selection, or complete fittings themselves, we welcome you at any time during normal Vinnies Shop trading hours (refer to vinnies.org.au for trading hours) – no bookings required. Vinnies Shop volunteers will only able to assist with finalising the purchase of school uniforms, it is recommended parents make a booking if assistance and advice in uniform fittings and selection is required.
To boost education opportunities and narrow the digital divide, the Australian Government is working with NBN Co to provide up to 30,000 families currently with no internet at home free NBN for 12 months.
To be eligible, families with school age children will be nominated by participating schools, education authorities and charities/community organisations. These organisations will identify and provide information directly to families within their respective systems about the initiative.
The first families were connected during Term One in 2023. The one-year of free service begins from the day the service is activated for each family.
The eligible families must:-
- Not have an active nbn network internet service at home. Having a mobile service does not affect eligibility.
- Live in a premises that can access the nbn network
- Have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school in 2023.
This program is only open for nomination until 30th September 2023.
You can get further information by visiting www.infrastructure.gov.au/ssbi
This year St Joseph’s is supporting St Vincent de Paul for their annual winter appeal. This year the focus is on the homelessness crisis devastating older women. Any donations to the Winter Appeal are directly supporting those most in need in our local community. Together we can provide basic essentials to resolve dignity in times of need. Your donation can help remove a major stress for families. Your support also helps dedicated volunteers to work with people living in poverty, and provide assistance when life is tough.
A big thank you for your support of our Pyjama Day last term for the Vinnies Winter Appeal. We are pleased to announce that through your generous donations we were able to raise $650.00. This money will go to support those in need in our community as we know there are many who are finding it very hard this winter. This term we will continue to collect any good warm clothing, blankets, sleeping bags etc that you are no longer using. These can be placed in the bins in the office area.
One-on-One tuition for drum and guitar is available at St Joseph's School on a weekly basis.
For more information on lessons and costs please contact Nathan Hill on 0448 426 946
Important Dates
Term Three Commences at 8.30am
Book Week - Grandparents Day - 9.00am
Book Week - Dress-up Parade - 9.00am
Term Three Concludes
Upcoming Events
Book Week 2023 - August 19-25
This year's theme is 'Read, Grow, Inspire'. Watch out for updates as we plan for lots of fun actvities and read lots of wonderful books!
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