Week 9, Term 1 2024

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Mark 11:9-10

The crowds greeted Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with joyful enthusiasm. A few days later some of those people were undoubtedly part of the hate-filled crowd screaming “CRUCIFY HIM!” Peter, who promised Jesus that he would never betray him, does so just hours later. How can something so wonderful take such an ugly turn? How does that happen in our world, lives, and hearts? How can it get so bad so quickly?

It isn’t easy to be a hero, or to stand alone. It isn’t easy to do what’s right when doing what’s right isn’t popular. It’s easier to go along with the crowd. When they shout, “Hosanna”, we shout “Hosanna!” When they scream, “Crucify him”, we scream “Crucify him!” The history of the Church, from Jesus to the present moment, is filled with the witness of saints and martyrs who didn’t accept the social and personal sins of their times as just “the ways things are” but instead followed the way of Jesus, even knowing it was the way of the cross. Sadly, many of us are too easily swept into the fear and hatred of the crowd, and willing to unleash our rage on the most convenient innocent victim.

Jesus, the Suffering Servant, who came to speak a word to the weary, who did not shield his face from spitting, who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, who was obedient unto death—this is our Lord, who we are to follow no matter where he leads, no matter how difficult the path.

Perhaps we began this Lent with a firm commitment to pray more deeply, fast more faithfully, give alms more generously. But as the weeks went by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving became less appealing than arguing with one another about who among us is the greatest. Whose country is the greatest, whose politics, whose candidate, whose policies, whose ideologies.

There is still war. There are still refugees. There is still racism. The poor we still have with us. But because Jesus’ name is above every other name, because we bend our knee before him and confess him as our Lord, we will carry the cross that has been given to us. We must never go along with the violent angry crowd. We are not abandoned or afraid.

“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

As the temperatures start to cool, the grape harvest almost completed, we move further into autumn, it's a perfect time to reflect on the brilliant term we've had so far. Despite the challenges our farming families faced during this year’s harvest, our school community has shown incredible resilience, dedication, and spirit. From engaging classroom activities to exciting extracurricular events, each day has been filled with learning, and growth. Let's celebrate our achievements and continue to support each other as we embark on the final weeks of this term.

This week we celebrated Holy Week, a time of profound significance in the Catholic faith. It marks the final week of Lent, leading us to the joyous celebration of Easter. This week students re-enacted the Stations of the Cross as a powerful way to engage in the story of Jesus' last days on earth.

St Joseph's Day was a vibrant celebration at our school, honouring our Patron Saint. It was a joy to see students, staff, and families come together to commemorate St Joseph's legacy of kindness, courage, humility, and hard work. The day was also an opportunity to embrace our cultural differences and promote harmony within our school. As someone who cherishes their Dutch heritage, I am always delighted to share a bit of my culture with everyone, including bringing out my clogs! It's moments like these that remind us of the strength in unity and the beauty in embracing our individual traditions.

On March 18 we held the School Board’s AGM. At this year's AGM, we bid farewell to our Board Chair, Tracey Ivanovic, who has served with dedication and commitment. We are incredibly grateful for Tracey's contributions to our school community and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

We also thanked Tahnee Bannister and Kylie White for their commitment to School Board as they came to the end of their tenure.

It is with delight that we welcome Narelle Sarakinis and Matt Hodgson to our School Board. There is room for one more Board member. Please contact the front office if you are interested in joining the School Board.

Our diocesan theme this year is ‘Let your Light Shine’. To enliven the theme in our school we are introducing an end of term assembly award to acknowledge the people in our community who let their light shine.

Eligible recipients of this award can come from the school community, but also the wider Barmera community. Parents, students, staff, and community members are eligible to nominate and be nominated for this award.

Voting opens the last two weeks of each term. Votes will be tallied and the person with the most votes will receive the award, during the end of term assembly.

Voting slips will be available next to the voting box in the front office.

Children continue to need stable and supportive adults in their lives to teach them to cope with the ups and downs of everyday life and help them grow resilient. We build resilience in our children firstly by modelling it in our own lives instead of giving up or throwing our hands in the air when things get difficult. Secondly, we need to encourage some failure, the saying goes: ‘He who never makes a mistake, never makes anything.’ Making a mistake or not being the best is ok at times. Thirdly we need to make time and talk things through with our children. It is my experience as a mother that no matter how flat the pancake, it still has two sides. The story my child told me at home was very rarely accurate; she told me her version of events. If I was concerned about what she told me, I contacted her teacher or the school and asked for clarification, this way I wouldn’t make unnecessary or incorrect assumptions about the situation, or other children involved.

The brain is wired in a way that it holds on to negative experiences much longer than positive experiences. A child can have a wonderful day filled with many positive experiences, yet one unkind moment fills and occupies their mind. When having a conversation with your child about their day at school it helps to get them to first tell you what was fantastic about it. You can then ask them about any bumps in the road they have encountered and what they did to move through them. Instead of emphasising what other children did to them, bring the focus back to your own child and ask them what skills they used to make friends that day or how they treated others. It may take some practice at first but having these conversations with your children not only provides them with an extensive problem-solving toolbox, it will also become apparent that, at times, your own children’s actions can be on another child’s mind.

As a principal it is my job to look at all children through kind eyes and see individual potential, and provide everyone with nurturing support and advocacy to ensure all children in our care are given the opportunities to grow and thrive.

Throughout the six weeks of Lent, students learned about the work of Project Compassion and how it has provided help to individuals and communities over the past 60 years. A display in the Office building shows student learning as they found 70 ways that our school has supported Caritas over the years.

The efforts and dedication of the community and supporters of Caritas Australia are truly commendable. Their unwavering commitment to help communities in need around the world has made a significant impact on countless lives. I would like to thank our school and parish community for your generous contributions to support the Year 5/6 class Minni Vinnies in raising funds for Caritas Australia through the Lenten Breakfasts.

Last week I attended, together with Louise Stavrou, Fr Hau and Fr Emil, the Diocesan assembly. The Port Pirie Diocesan Assembly is a significant event within the Catholic Church in the diocese of Port Pirie (of which we are a part). It is a gathering of clergy, religious, and lay members of the Catholic community to discuss and address important issues facing the Church and the local community. It provides an opportunity for participants to come together, share ideas, and discern ways to strengthen and enrich the life of the Church in the region. The assembly is also a time for reflection on the mission of the Church and how it can best serve the needs of the faithful and the wider community. It is often seen as a time of renewal and recommitment to the teachings and values of the Catholic faith.

At the end of the assembly, the Chrism Mass is celebrated. The Port Pirie Diocesan Chrism Mass is a significant liturgical celebration within the Catholic Church. During the Chrism Mass, Bishop Karol, gathers with priests, deacons, and representatives of the faithful from across the diocese. The main symbols of the Chrism Mass are the oils that are blessed and consecrated for use in the sacraments throughout the year. Student leaders from our school joined other students in the diocese to attend this special mass.

Thank you to all the parents who attended the Learning Journey Interviews (formerly known as Parent-Teacher Interviews). Your presence and active participation in these meetings are important as they demonstrate your commitment to your child's education and success. At St Joseph's School Barmera, we firmly believe that effective communication and cooperation between home and school are vital to the holistic development of our students. Your insights, questions, and feedback play a crucial role in helping us provide the best possible support and learning environment for your child. If, for any reason, you were unable to attend the interviews, we encourage you to reach out to your child's teacher to schedule an alternative time.

Get ready to boogie down and groove to the beat at our 70's themed school disco, in honour of St Joseph's School Barmera's 70th birthday! All families and children are invited to an evening of funky fun as we turn back the clock and celebrate in retro style. DJ Sarez will be spinning everyone’s favourite disco hits, guaranteeing to light up the dance floor. It's going to be a night to remember, so dust off your bell-bottoms, dig out your disco gear, and join us to boogie the night away!

Thankyou to everyone who participated in our Easter Fundraiser, be it through ordering some hot cross buns, purchasing raffle tickets or participating in our guess the eggs in the jar game.

A big congratualtions to the following winners:

Easter Raffle: 1st- Bevan Rossack, 2nd- Nat Westley, 3rd-Angelique Sarakinis

Egg guess: Gold- Sasha Place and Kohbe White. Bronze- Sofia Ielasi and Stella Vallelonga.

Wishing everyone a very happy Easter break!

Nanda de Winter