Week 6, Term 4 2023

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Welcome to Country

Religious Identity and Mission

“Your Kingdom come”.

This sentence comes straight from the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ or ‘The Our Father’ as it is also known. It is the prayer that Jesus teaches his disciples in the Gospel of Luke. He said to them, "When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.” Luke 11:2-4

The Our Father is a wonderful prayer for the dawn of a world in which all the dreams that God has for us come true. His dream, for a world without poverty, without prisons and without disease. His dream that all people care and respect each other for who they are and treat each other with kindness. His dream for people to live in peace, in a world without war. His dream for a good and safe life everywhere on this planet so people no longer have to flee their homes. This prayer for a new world is not only something God dreams for the future. Sometimes, that new world already exists. Just look around you at how people take care of each other.

Sometimes, however, that world that God wants for us is not quite there yet and at other times it seems that that world is not there at all.

The Lord’s Prayer for a new world is therefore also a prayer for being able to trust that there will come a day when God's new world is completely here. God’s ideal world is not just for people. In His dream God also envisions that the earth will be green again and the air will be clean, so that animals can also live well. I am glad that we can still expect a new world and that we can see glimpses of it already from time to time.

The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the cobra’s den,

and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:6-9

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

The halfway point of the term is well and truly here and there is still plenty of wonderful learning to take place as the students and their teachers work towards the end of the year. We encourage everyone, especially our Year 6 students and their families to make the most of the next few weeks and cherish the special moments that will occur during this time.

As we are nearing the end of the 2023 school year it is time to take stock, reflect and celebrate the learning that has been achieved throughout the year, both individually and collectively.

In leading staff, the focus is always on the ‘why’ of what we do in our school. We know the ‘who’ and we know the ‘what’, but that must be animated by a deep understanding of the ‘why’.

The importance of understanding our ‘why’ underpins and informs the ‘what’ of life at SJSB. The ‘who’ are all the students in our care; the ‘what’ is to teach all students and help them learn; but, most importantly, our ‘why’ is to help young people grow so that they can walk with purpose and contribute to the world. While a successful life is wonderful, a significant life is our highest calling.

Camps

In the past weeks I have attended the Year 6 camp, the Year 2/3 camp and the Year 4/5 camp. All camps were totally different but equally rewarding for both staff and students. School camps contribute to equipping our students with a variety of tools and skills that will help them to become engaged and independent members of community. They provide the perfect opportunity for students to engage in new activities and experience positive interactions with each other outside of the classroom.

For children, being away from home means being away from their parents or caretakers – the people who usually guide them with all their decisions and routines. For some, a school camp may be the first time they are responsible for getting themselves up in the morning, making healthy food decisions or packing their own bags. They are given the freedom and accountability to make conscious and positive decisions. I would like to thank all staff and parents that helped support students during camp and thank all families for placing your trust in us for the care of your children overnight.

Reports

Semester 2 reports will be emailed to families on Friday December 8. Like in Semester 1, there is an option to receive a hard copy. A seesaw message will be sent closer to the date to provide all families the opportunity to choose either option.

Carols Night

Join staff and students at SJSB on Monday December 4 to celebrate our annual Carol’s Night. The school will provide families with a BBQ dinner from 6pm and performances will start at 6:30pm.

School Board

I would like to thank the members of our School Board for their commitment and dedication to this role throughout 2023. During this time we have worked on reviewing a number of policies as well as formation sessions. Special thanks to Tracey Ivanovic, Kylie White, Tahnee Bannister, Paul Ivanovic, Amey Thomas, Kendra Carey, Jaylee Gropler and Fr Hau Le who have been SJSB Board Members this year. I thank you all for your experience and wisdom that you have shared during the year.

Keeping Children Safe on Socials

Experts and researchers believe it’s more important for parents to monitor the quality of children’s screen activities than counting minutes or hours. What’s more important is to consider the content children are accessing or watching, what device they are using and most critically, is it adding value to their life?

Social and emotional skills require empathy, respect, resilience, and kindness and these are not taught online, these are best practised in real life. Learning to socialise and communicate in person provides the foundation for being able to do the same online.

As a school we have a duty of care to minimise the risk of bullying and other dangers to students, but it is challenging for us to monitor when the platform where unkindness occurs is at home.

After school, when students are tired, they become more emotional and less resilient. Things can and may be taken out of context. Recently I have been made aware of unkind things happening in chat between students after school hours.

Parenting in this space is very difficult at times, we totally understand that. But please set boundaries and rules. These are required from a very early age. The earlier the better. As a school we also educate students on cyber safety.

As always, you have to decide what works for you and your family. If you’re allowing your children to use apps like Messenger Kids, or in-game chats, think of how it can be used positively as a learning tool.

New Baby

Congratulations to the Kaplatzis- Sard family on the safe arrival of their son and brother Ryan Jaxon.

Early Years Brown Visit to Kingham's Farm

On excursion to Red Dog Ridge farm, Reception students collected fresh eggs, picked and tasted homegrown vegetables, helped feed sheep and alpacas and learned about the different types of wool. They were able to taste home harvested honey, sit on a real tractor and roast marshmallows. A huge thankyou to Red Dog Ridge farm for their hospitality. #commUNITY

PY Petty Camp

The year 2/3 class started their zoo snooze by exploring the Adelaide Zoo and learning about the many animals who reside there. They played on the playground like monkeys, ate dinner like hungry lions and went on a night walk through the zoo like curious meerkats. On day 2 they enjoyed a guided tour of the zoo before it opened up to the public. The students had a fantastic time, what a great first camp experience!

EY Schwartzkopff Visit to the Loxton Historical Village

The year 1 class went back in time and visited the Loxton Historical Village as a part of their History unit. They made damper and butter, explored what life was like without electricity and experienced a histroical school lesson with a VERY strict teacher. A huge thankyou to the Loxton Historical Village and the volunteers there, the students had a fantastic time.

PY Westley Camp

The year 4/5 class visited Roonka for their over night stay. They were very busy orienteering, geocaching, building reafts and gliding on the flying fox. On day 2 they spent the morning fishing and creating some beautiful madala art. They had a great time and learnt many new skills. Thankyou Roonka for your hospitality.