St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Wandal Newsletter

Making Lemonade with Spirit

In last week’s reflection, I mentioned my sister who had lost her business due to this pandemic.  But she is plucky, she has spirit.  She also has no dependents and no mortgage which makes it somewhat easier to make the changes she has dreamed about for the past ten years.  Most of us don’t have her chirpy spirit and many of you have real concerns about the future.  We don’t know how this present situation is going to pan out and personally I think it is going to take longer than we would like.

At this time in the Church’s year, we are between the Feast of Ascension and Pentecost.  Last Sunday we celebrated the departure of Jesus from his disciples, next Sunday we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit who radically transformed that group of frightened, confused people.  They had put all their hope in Jesus and he left them, just up and left. So, there they were, huddled in Jerusalem, with Mary the mother of Jesus, and they prayed.  Their life had changed, they felt threatened, they were confused, they had lost control.  And in that weakness, they prayed. 

The important thing about prayer is that just by doing it we open ourselves to positive change.  We shake off our reluctance to change and crack open our shell of self-sufficiency.  We admit we need help.  We also start to dream of the change we would like to make in our lives.  And that is even before we start addressing God with those fears and hopes.  God’s Spirit wants to come into our lives and make as just a radical change as he did to those huddled disciples.  We, most likely, will not be called to preach in the public square but we can live with hope: hope that change can come in this frightened, difficult situation, hope that makes us a force for good in our family and amongst our friends and neighbours, hope that teaches our children to look and work for the positive when things feel very negative.  Yes, we can be people of Spirit that are the change we want to see.

Loving God, we join with Mary, the mother of Jesus, in our prayers for our families, and communities and our world.  In the midst of change, give us your Spirit that we may have hope and offer it to others.  We ask this in Jesus’ name confident that you will hear us.

It was truly wonderful to see all our students back on Monday and to see our classrooms and play areas full once more. It has been delightful to witness our students catching up with their friends and sharing news with the staff. 

The students are doing a great job adjusting to the ‘new normal’ of school. At this time there will be no school assemblies, Masses, interschool sports, excursions or incursions, working bees, parent meetings or school helpers until we are advised that it is once again safe to do so. We have staggered eating and play times, regular scheduled breaks for hand-washing, additional cleaning occurring throughout the day and are encouraging the use of individual water bottles rather than communal drink taps.

At Playtimes, we have introduced “Quiet Place.”  Quiet Place is located just outside the Be-Hive and it is a chance for children to participate in some quieter reading and drawing activities with their friends at playtime. Children are asked to bring the equipment they need along with them. Quiet Place is taking the place of Lunch Club for the remainder of this term.

We have also initiated a temporary, staggered pickup this week. This will remain in place, until restrictions ease and/or further notice is given.

·         If your youngest (or only) child is in Prep or Year One, ALL of the children in your family will be let out of class and be ready for collection at 2.50pm each afternoon. They will be supervised at either the Two-Minute Zone or the Church Carpark; please ensure your children know where they are being collected.

·         If your youngest (or only) child is in Years 2-6 ALL of your children will be let out of class, as normal, at 3.00pm. They will be supervised at either the Two-Minute Zone or the Church Carpark; please ensure your children know where they are being collected.

·         If you are parking in the Pick-up Zone for more than 2 minutes between 2.30-3.00pm, you will be asked to drive around the block. This zone, as the council signage indicates, is for TWO MINUTES ONLY.

·         If you are collecting your children from the carpark area, please walk over and identify yourself to the teacher on duty. We will not permit your children to walk through the carpark to you.

·         Children travelling on busses will report to their usual areas and will wait under teacher supervision.

·         Please maintain social distancing practices while waiting for your children. We love seeing you having a chat, but please be mindful that the safe distance to do so is at 1.5m.

·         If you are collecting your child/children from the Two Minute Pick-up Zone, please display your SURNAME sign. This helps us tremendously.

·         Remember, if your child cannot independently get themselves in or out of the vehicle without assistance, then the Pick-up Zone is not for you. Please use the carpark, where you can take your time.

Returning to school has been a joyful experience for most students, however we are aware some students have experienced some level of anxiety returning from the extended period of 'learning from home'. Each classroom teacher is focussing on their students' wellbeing through activities to help them reconnect with peers and settle into class routine once again. Please email the classroom teacher if you have any concerns.  Validate your child's feelings and help them understand that it is normal to feel a little anxious and that their teacher is there to help them. Don't forget the support of our School Counsellor, Charmian, is available to every child and family in the St Joseph's Wandal  community.

A message from our PE teacher, Miss Hinz:

Earlier this year we had to cancel our annual Cross Country event due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, we are determined to still award our Cross Country shield for 2020. This year Cross Country will look a little different than usual. Students will participate in a ‘Ninja Warrior’ style obstacle course in their Week 10 P.E. lessons. Points will be awarded to decide the Cross Country shield winners for 2020.

Prep - 2             Monday 22nd June (Week 10)

Years 3 -6         Tuesday 23rd June (Week 10)

Students are welcome to wear their coloured House Shirts on their PE day to show the support for their teams.  Unfortunately we cannot invite spectators along this year, but we will ensure we take lots of photos for you!

A reminder about our House Teams:

● MACKILLOP (Green) is named for Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, the co-founder of the Sisters of St Joseph.

● PENOLA (Blue) is named for the town in South Australia, which was the site of the first school opened by Mary MacKillop.

● TENISON (Red) is named for Fr Julian Tenison Woods, the co-founder of the Josephite order. 

Term 2 fees were emailed to all families on Monday, and are due Monday, 15 June.

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) is a yearly count of students by all Australian schools across the country. The aim of the NCCD is to provide the Australian Government with information about the number of students with disability in Australian schools and the type of adjustments they need in order to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students. From 2018, the NCCD has been used by the Australian Government to inform funding for schools, known as the ‘student with disability loading’.

If you are a parent, guardian or carer of a child with disability who requires ongoing adjustments at school, a teacher or another school staff member will consult with you to understand your child’s needs. This collaborative approach ensures the most appropriate adjustments are chosen to support your child’s learning and participation at school. In some cases, an individual education plan (IEP) or personal learning plan (PLP) may be developed to document specific educational goals and to review your child’s progress over time.

Your child will be included in the NCCD if they require ongoing adjustments at school due to a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. This is a very broad definition of disability, which includes physical and intellectual disabilities, learning disorders such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 set out the obligations of schools towards students with disability. Under the 2020 NCCD Guidelines every effort should be made to inform parents/guardians/carers that a student has been included in the NCCD. Where this is not possible, the reasons should be documented. 

If your child has a disability, your child’s school will provide information about them for the NCCD, including:

• your child’s year of schooling

• the category of disability that best describes your child’s difficulties (one of four categories is chosen by the school team to reflect your child’s greatest area of need: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional)

• the level of adjustment your child receives at school (one of four levels is chosen by the school team to reflect the type of support your child requires: quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary adjustment, substantial adjustment, or extensive adjustment).

The information collected by schools for the NCCD will ultimately be provided to the Australian Government Department of Education. 

While it is not possible for schools or families to ‘opt out’ of the NCCD, the privacy and confidentiality of all students and their families is treated with utmost importance. Data is collected within each school, and personal details, such as student names and other identifying information, are not provided to local or federal education authorities.

Related resources:

Fact sheets for parents, guardians and carers about the NCCD

NCCD Website - https://www.nccd.edu.au/for-parents-guardians-and-carers

Before we began our 'learning from home' period, we sent six books home with each student.  Many students have returned these, but we ask everyone to check in bags, under beds and in cupboards to ensure that all of the books come back.  Thanks!

Congratulations to our award weekly award winners.  Click on the  link for further details