News & Events

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Message from the Principal

13.08.19

Dear Parents and Caregivers

This Thursday marks the Assumption of Mary, which is a Holy Day of Obligation within the Catholic Church. Mary has always been upheld by the Church as the first model of discipleship. The assumption marks the end of her earthly days, before being assumed by God into heaven. Mary was physically taken up into heaven. Our students will celebrate a liturgy marking this Holy Day of Obligation in their class on Thursday.

New Phone Number

Mid Term 2 our tie phone line that links Bridge St to William St failed, which prevented internal phone lines to work. Over the holidays we had a new phone system installed. This has resulted in a new phone number for our school. In our endeavours to represent St Joseph’s Memorial as one school, which we are, we have one number. So not to confuse people, please be aware that the phone rings simultaneously at both William St and Bridge St and either Mary Fantasia or Jess Nelson will answer your call and attend to your matter.

Our new phone number is 08 8130 7777

NAPLAN

I have heard that I will receive the Year 3, 5 & 7 NAPLAN results in the coming weeks. Upon receiving these individual test results, teachers will send both reports home in an envelope.

As with any form of summative assessment (testing), we must remember that the results demonstrate how children performed on a given day, with a given circumstance in a structured environment. The results should always be considered as being indicative of their performance rather than a definitive account. However, we do hold high expectations for student’s individual growth.  

We must remember that these results do not define who they are or what they are capable of becoming.  Like you, we are proud of your child and how they continue to grow as a unique and special person with a good sense of self and a commitment to always doing their best.

2020 Planning

I am starting to make plans for 2020. This planning will continue throughout the term and well into Term 4. There are many operational aspects that need to be considered at this time. Primarily in the coming month I need to ensure that we are sufficiently staffed for next year and are appointing the highest quality teachers.

On Thursday, I will send home a letter asking you to express your intentions for 2020 to enable me to explore various class structures. Knowing the number of students we are likely to have in school next year is vital information - this is where I need your help. This information will assist me not only with staffing but with determining the number of classes that we will have in each year group.

ReLAT

This morning our Year 4 students successfully undertook a trial-assessment, known as ReLAT (Religious Literacy Assessment Tool), in preparation for completing the official assessment on Tuesday 27 August. This assessment is an online multiple-choice test with 35 questions and is designed for students in Year 4 who are nearing the completion of Standard 2 of Crossways, the Religious Education Framework for Catholic schools in South Australia, and is based on the learning outcomes identified in Crossways. ReLAT assesses some of the basic knowledge taught in Religious Education lessons. The assessment is not a measure of a child’s faith or their participation in the broader life of the Catholic community. The data from the ReLAT assessment will be collated and solely used by the school to inform whole-of-school professional learning needs and the continuous improvement of teaching in Religious Education.

Book Week

It’s that time of year again! Book Week will be celebrated across Australia in most schools and libraries from Saturday 17 August concluding Friday 23 August. The 2019 Book Week theme is ‘My Secret Power’.  Next Friday we celebrate 2019 Book Week with our St Joseph’s Memorial Book Week Parade which will be held at William Street from 9:30am.

Parents and Caregiver’s dressing their child/ren up for book week should never be an onerous task, please keep it simple. This can be a great week to simply model the enjoyment that reading brings! 

Pupil Free Days

Remember to put the Pupil Free Days, Friday 30 August and Monday 2 September, into your family calendars (Reception to Year 7).

On Monday 2 September will also be our Learning Journey for Preschool to Year 7, where we will open the school between 2pm and 6pm for you to come in with your child to view and discuss what they have been learning this year. This event is a wonderful way to generate conversations about the process of learning.

Yours sincerely

Brady Stallard