Dear Parents and Caregivers
This has been a very busy and productive term. I have been continually impressed by the levels of student commitment, learning and sheer joy that your children bring to our school community. We are a strong community and there are many bonds that allow us to offer the educational experience that we do. Through the dedication of our teachers and staff, the support of our parent body, St Joseph’s Memorial School continues to provide many and varied opportunities for children to develop their potential and show what they are successful at.
Learning Journey
Yesterday was a student free day to accommodate our Learning Journey. The Learning Journey put your child and their learning at the centre of our shared discussion. The core of the meeting was for your child to talk about their learning, celebrating their successes and sharing their individual short term learning goals. As a staff we recognise that if our children are to be successful in the future they must be given the skills to learn how to learn. We want them to understand that learning is something they do, it is not something done to them. During the Learning Journey your child was responsible for leading the discussion and providing some evidence of progress and achievement. Their task was to provide a range of work to illustrate the progress they have made, thus ensuring that the focus remains on the student and the critical role they have in determining their own next steps for learning.
Catholic Schools Music Festival
Tonight, the choir will perform at the Adelaide Festival Theatre as part of the ensemble choir for the Catholic Schools Music Festival. Since the start of the year, our choir, under the guidance and leadership of Ms Radman have been preparing for this performance. I hope the choir have a fantastic night and enjoy their time on stage.
Tournament of Minds
Last Sunday I had the absolute pleasure of joining a very talented group of Year 5 and 7 students and their families as they competed in the Tournament of Minds. The group who had been practicing regularly in recent weeks, competed in the Social Sciences Category and performed their solution to the 'long term challenge', while also competing in the ‘spontaneous challenge’ at Flinders University. I can only sum up the whole experience with one word - pride. The team were proud to represent our school and this shone through in their performance. Mrs Vassallo-Wakefield, Mrs Cruickshank and Mrs Lewis were immensely proud of all their work, enthusiasm and commitment. I know that all the parents and relatives who came to support the team were so proud at how they performed and the confidence they displayed throughout. Well done to; Xander, Luca, Santiago, Paula, Laila, Samuel and Alicia - our 2018 T.O.M. team. The school will enjoy seeing this team perform their 'Solution to the long term challenge' at this Thursday’s William St assembly.
R U Ok Day
This Thursday is R U Ok day. This is a national day of action dedicated to encouraging all people to regularly and meaningfully ask “are u OK?” to support those struggling with life. This year the day falls in the same week as World Suicide Prevention Day, which occurred yesterday. Through connectivity and awareness, the R U Ok campaign aims to remove the stigmas associated with mental health and suicide. On average, more than 3,027 Australians suicide each year (2015), this equates to eight deaths by suicide each day, while an estimated 65,300 people attempt suicide each year. Suicide is the biggest killer of Australians aged 15 to 34 years. Take time today to inspire conversations and ask each other "are you OK?" - This one sentence can make a world of difference.
Allergies
To ensure St Joseph’s Memorial School continues to be a safe place for every student we regularly write in the newsletter how collectively we, as a community, can do this best. Allergies impact our students in many ways and there are a range of different allergens that impact on students at our school. Sometimes reactions can be so severe from allergens that they can trigger a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. It is estimated that 4.1 million Australians (19.6% of the population) have at least one allergic disease. I write to request the support of our community and to raise awareness of the health impacts of allergic disorders on the quality of life on those who suffer allergic disease. This way we can ensure our students don’t suffer unwanted allergic reactions that can impact on their quality of life and school attendance.
God bless
Brady Stallard