Dear SJMS Community
This term we congratulate 13 students who have commenced as Mid-Year Reception students. We congratulate these students on turning 5 years of age and commencing school! Congratulations Charlie, Edward, Gaurang, Hailey, Hudson, Isaac A, Isaac S, Jacob, Jimmy, Joe, Nicholas, Santiago and Tarshan.
The mid-year intake has become a wonderful birthday present for many of our students who have been looking forward to commencing school.
Feast Day of St Ignatius
This Friday, 31 July, we will celebrate the Feast Day of St Ignatius with our students.
St Ignatius is the founder of the Society of Jesus, or more commonly known as the Jesuits. Ignatius was a man of dreams, dreaming of performing great deeds. His dreams shifted to the service of God following the example of great saints. Ignatius said that God treated him like a schoolmaster, teaching him the ways of God, and how God worked in his life. He was a man given to reflection on experience, and he was schooled by the Holy Spirit to discern the ways of God. St Ignatius was elected first General Superior of the Society of Jesus and spent the last decades of his life in a small room in Rome directing the new Order of priests and brothers until his death in 1556 at the age of 65. For those who are unaware, the 'Memorial’ in our school name is a memorial to the Jesuit Fathers who came from Austria to South Australia in 1848, hence a significant day for our school and Parish.
Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop
On Monday 10 August we will celebrate the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop (annually celebrated on 8 August).
St Mary has been described as a fighter, a feminist, an educator. She was undoubtedly a person who was so empowered by her self-belief and faith that she wasn’t afraid to respectfully tackle authority - even at a personal cost to her. Despite the hardship and resistance she faced, St Mary refused to be weighed down by them. Instead she recognised these as part of God’s plan in which she had to play her part with energy and trust. I hope that we continue to honour her vision, not just in education but as a nation to ‘never see a need without doing something about it’.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Lachlan who was selected in the State Hockey team.
Congratulations to Siena, Advay, Georgina, Mcgray, Amali, Amalia, Alvin, Felix, Avenash and Amelia who participated in their first Debating SA debate on Tuesday. They did a stellar job representing our school and dealing with first debate nerves. Each of the three teams constructed a good debate that was appreciated by the adjudicators. On the night our Year 6 team of Maxwell, Lachlan and Orlando had a terrific win presenting a quality debate. Congratulations to Lachlan and Felix for being acknowledged as ‘Debater of the Night’ in their respective debates.
Congratulations to all of our Year 5 and 6 students who represented our school at the SACPSSA Netball Carnival this week. Each student represented our school with pride. Our success was also attributed to Mr Siinmaa’s fine preparation during PE lessons.
Students with Disabilities Review
Catholic Education South Australia are conducting a Students with Disability Review. The purpose of the Review is to identify how Catholic schools in both regional and metropolitan South Australia, in partnership with families and the Catholic Education Office, can strengthen our longstanding commitment to the inclusion, learning and wellbeing of students with disability. It is time to reflect in an open and authentic way on what we are doing well, what we should do less of, and what we must do better in our service to students with disability. The Students with Disability Review is one way in how we assist all students to be thriving people, capable learners and leaders for the world God desires.
If you wish to participate in the review, more information about the review and also a questionnaire can be located at www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/SWDReview. This Review will remain open until Tuesday 4 August 2020.
COVID + Term 3 Historically Flu Season
Unfortunately, Term 3 has proved to be the time when the wider community is affected by colds and influenza. The viruses that cause colds and flu are spread in 2 main ways: by breathing in the fine droplets that are expelled from the nose and mouth of someone who is sick when sneezing or coughing; and by touching your mouth, nose or eyes with fingers that picked up the virus from a surface or object touched by someone who is sick.
We hope this 'Cold and Flu Season' is kind to us, however we can collectively reduce the spread of respiratory infections through encouraging our young people to wash their hands often and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth and to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. If they don’t have a tissue, we can encourage them to use their upper arm or sleeve.
In these uncertain times and with everything occurring in Victoria, now is the time that we must not be complacent in our own school and we ask with all due respect to keep children home if they are sick.
God Bless
Brady Stallard
Photo: Winter artwork on display outside the Year 2/3 classrooms
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