Multicultural Week Week 5 Term 2 2024

Master Planning update

With the completion of the Carlo Acutis Building (the new two-level build for Reception and Year 1 students), which is now in full operation, as well as the development of the new nature playground and the new parent/visitor carpark on the corner of Tarcoma Avenue and Portrush Road; attention turns to the next phase of Master Planning. I provide a recap of what has transpired in recent times.

Since 2022, our school, St Joseph’s Payneham; our co-sited parish – Our Lady Queen of Peace; Catholic Education South Australia (CESA); and the Catholic Church Office (Adelaide Archdiocese), have had extensive dialogue to plan for the needs of both the school and parish.

From the various communication and negotiations, an initial concept plan (which an architect firm devised) was put together – I shared this with the community in April 2022. Since this period, changes have been made, for the benefit of both school and parish.

The Master Plan also includes an agreement involving a land swap between the school and parish, which has been endorsed by Catholic Education South Australia (CESA), Catholic Church Office, St Joseph’s Payneham School Board, the Payneham Parish Finance Council and the Payneham Parish Pastoral Council.   

In practical terms, this means:

• The school will take ownership of the former Presbytery at No. 1 Tarcoma Avenue.
• The property at 11 Marian Road (the current vacant block next to the artificial oval – where initially a large portion was going to be used the Parish), will be retained by the school, as added playing space; likely to create one large oval.
• The current Parish Hall will go to the school.
• The existing asphalt space will receive a large makeover, so new courts will be established.
• The current grass oval, on the corner of Portrush Road and Marian Road, will become a shared carpark (for Parish and school), as well as a new Parish Centre.

The proposal is currently with CESA and the Archdiocese awaiting next steps. This includes determining assets and finances accordingly.

The site plan is reflective of the proposal, which can be viewed in the notice board, which sits between the Front Office and the Canteen. If you have any feedback, please contact me.

Catholic Education South Australia ‘2024 Volunteer of the Year Award’, Kayla Holding

On 16 May, at the 2024 Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) Awards evening, Kayla Holding (parent to Angus, 4PA and Ari, 2TM) was presented with ‘CESA Volunteer of the Year Award’. This is a fabulous achievement and fine recognition for the tremendous work Kayla does in our school community. Congratulations Kayla!

Congratulations Sister Josie

Sister Josie recently celebrated her ‘Silver Jubilee’ (25 years being a nun). On behalf of the community, I congratulate Sr Josie on this significant milestone.

Feast of St Anthony, Sunday 16 June

Sunday 16 June is the annual feast of St Anthony. Masses and festivities are occurring across the day. The Mass times are: 8:00am (English); 9:00am (English); 11:00am (Italian); 2:00pm (Indian/English); 4:00pm (Tagalog). Food and refreshments will be available after every Mass. You are very welcome to come along.

Carlo Acutis to be recognised as first millennial saint
As you are no doubt aware, the new building which houses our Reception and Year 1 students is called the Carlo Acutis Building. Late last week, an article was published by the Vatican citing Pope Francis’ indication that Carlo Acutis will be recognised as the first millennial saint. You can view the article by visiting the following link:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/amp/news/257780/carlo-acutis-to-be-first-millennial-saint-pope-francis-recognizes-miracle-for-canonization

Multicultural Day

Tomorrow, Friday 31 May, is Multicultural Day, celebrating the different cultures that exist at Payneham. As Italian is the Language Other Than English taught at our school, added attention is placed on ‘all things Italy’. However, we recognise and acknowledge all cultural backgrounds which make-up our community. Students are invited to dress-up in a costume or attire that depicts the traditions of their cultural background. I am sure the occasion will be marked with plenty of colour, culture and fun. Thank you to Italian teacher, Emily Parrella for all the hard work in organising this fantastic day for our community. Lastly, I express my gratitude to Dino’s Meat Store, 27 Hectorville Road, Hectorville as they supplied all the meat for our pasta sauce (made by the Year 5 and 6 students and helpers – thank you mums and nonnas).

Annual School Survey

The Annual School Survey has a focus on the different aspects of our school. It asks parents/caregivers, students and staff to spend a few minutes to complete the questions, to provide relevant feedback from its key stakeholders, so the school is made aware of what it is doing well and where there is room for improvement. Thank you for your anticipated time in completing the survey. The link will be distributed via Audiri in during Week 6.

School Uniform

If you are waiting for an ordered uniform item/s to be delivered to the school, the respective apparel can be sent home with your child.

I also provide another reminder about school winter uniform requirements:

• For the formal school uniform, either the navy formal trousers, or the navy formal shorts can be worn.
• The wool ‘v’ neck jumper or new formal jacket can be worn with the school uniform (no other parkas, jackets, etc. are to be worn).
• For the sports uniform, either the navy sport track pants, or the navy sport shorts can be worn.
• The school tie no longer needs to be worn with the uniform.

Australian Early Development Census (AEDC): Building a national picture of child health

This Term, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). The AEDC is a national census that is conducted every three years by the Australian Government, in partnership with state and territory governments. It measures how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school (Reception) The AEDC is voluntary, and it does not measure how well children are doing at school, nor how their school compares to other schools. Instead, it shows how children are growing and progressing. Teachers will answer questions about the five key areas of early childhood development, which are: physical health and wellbeing, emotional maturity, social competence, language and cognitive skills (school-based), and communication skills and general knowledge. In the next couple of days, a parent/caregiver letter will be circulated via Audiri. 

Car parking

Please ensure you are following the road parking regulations around the school, including not parking over yellow lines or across driveways. Additionally, only parking for staff is allowed in the Staff Carpark. The carpark on the corner of Portrush Road and Tarcoma Avenue, is for families and visitors.

Before School supervision reminder

For children who arrive at school before 8:30am, they will need to go to Before School Care, as there is no supervision in the yard until this time.

Student Free Day, Friday 7 June 

As per the Term Two School Calendar, there is a Student Free Day scheduled for Friday 7 June. Staff will be involved in professional learning on this day. OSHC will be available – please use the usual processes for booking if your child requires care.

Condolences

I extend my sympathies to:

• The Jonas family (Alice, 1DC and Jack, Preschool) and the Tigani family (Sebastian, 4B and Alex, 1WM), on the passing of their maternal great grandmother.

Congratulations

I offer my best wishes to:

• Jen Mastrangelo (Reception teacher) and husband, Michael, on the birth of their first child, a girl, Mattia.
• The Sanghavi family (Aanay, Preschool) on the arrival of a baby girl, Aadhya.

Wishing you well!

Simon Mechis

Celebrating culture

Tomorrow we celebrate all the wonderful and diverse cultures at our school with our Cultural Day. Our News Leaders (Luisa, Julian, Charlie and Aiden) interviewed some of our students and teachers to ask them about their cultural background.

Name: Leonardo A in 1TC
What is your cultural background?
My cultural background is Australian and Italian.
Do you have any traditions or customs from your culture that you can share?
We like to eat pizza and listen to Italian music.

Name: Mrs Garimella (Preschool Teacher)
What is your cultural background?
My cultural background is Indian and my family is Hindu.
Do you have any traditions or customs from your culture that you can share?
We like to eat rice and vegetables. We also have lots of dance forms, including folk. 
What do you think makes your culture unique or special?
I like how my culture is diverse and longstanding.

Name: Maya G-S in 1WM
What is your cultural background?
My cultural background is Polish and Cambodian.
Do you have any traditions or customs from your culture that you can share?
We like to paint eggs at Easter time (Polish culture) and we march for one week (Cambodian culture).

Name: Mr Mechis (Principal)
What is your cultural background?
My cultural background is Italian and Croatian.
Do you have any traditions or customs from your culture that you can share?
On Shrove Tuesday every year, my mother makes frittelle (a fried doughnut, popular in the Veneto region where my mum was born).
What do you think makes your culture unique or special?
Like many cultures, I like the family gatherings, and how these occasions are centred around traditional foods.

Name: Marco R in 3VM
What is your cultural background?
My cultural background is Swiss and Philippines.
Do you have any traditions or customs from your culture that you can share?
At Christmas time, we go to the Philippines and visit family. My mum and dad like to make special food.

Name:Ms Mavrofridis (Year 6AM Teacher)
What is your cultural background?
My cultural background is Greek and Italian.
Do you have any traditions or customs from your culture that you can share?
At Easter time we dye eggs a red colour. We also like to eat lamb on the spit. At New Years, we eat a special bread, and someone has to try and find a coin which has been placed in the bread.
What do you think makes your culture unique or special?
I love the Greek food in my culture.

Name: Veer B in 6AM
What is your cultural background?
My cultural background is Sikh.
Do you have any traditions or customs from your culture that you can share?
We have different types of dances. We also celebrate the Diwali festival each year in November.         

Name: Mrs Signoria Parrella (Italian teacher)
What is your cultural background?
My cultural background is Italian.
Do you have any traditions or customs from your culture that you can share?
As an Italian, my culture is rich in love and family. We share meals together, have festas, attend religious events in the name of culture and our history. Music plays a big part in our culture. You can’t have a party without musica!
What do you think makes your culture unique or special?
The Italian culture is as unique as every other. We are loud, vivacious, have amazing food, some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world and we love to share our culture with the entire world!

Classroom Pulse Check In

Over the next two weeks at school, all students in Reception to Year 6 will be participating in the ‘Classroom Pulse Check In’. The purpose of the ‘Classroom Pulse Check In’ is to find out how students are feeling about their experience of school. Students are asked some simple questions about:

• Identity
• Learning
• Relationships
• Belonging.

Our aim is simply to “check in” with our students and measure how they are feeling. Your child’s responses will help us to identify any potential social, emotional or learning needs they may have.

‘Joyful June’ calendar

Please find attached the ‘Joyful June’ calendar from the Action for Happiness website. We encourage you to share the calendar with your families at home to promote kindness. An idea might me to place a copy on the fridge and discuss the activities with your child/children.

Keep well!

Michael Musolino
(Deputy Principal)

Mother’s Day Morning

May is a spiritually enriching month for our entire school community, during which we have celebrated numerous significant occasions. May is the month where we honour our heavenly Mother Mary, as well as all earthly mothers, and all the significant women in our lives. On Friday, 10 May we gathered for a special Mother’s Day morning, welcoming South Australia’s world-class long-distance runner, Jessica Stenson (nee Trengove) as our special guest. Jessica shared her story on the pursuit of dreams and motherhood. In sharing a little about my own experience as a mother, I consider becoming a mum my most treasured identity, along with my identity as a wife. While my identity as a mother might seem to overshadow my identity as a wife at times, I’ve learned that it actually embraces and envelops it, expanding to encompass all my identities. My identity as a mother has made me more patient, kind, hope-filled, prayerful, self-giving, and generous. My identity as a mother fills my heart with grace and gratitude and gives a renewed sense of meaning and purpose to my life.

Mary, Help of Christians Solemnity Mass

On Friday, 24 May we celebrated the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians. This special day has ancient origins, dating back to the sixteenth century, which was not a peaceful time in Europe. In 1571, Catholics throughout the continent joined in praying the rosary hoping to stop the soldiers who wanted to take over Europe for a long time. These prayers were answered on 7 October 1571, which is now the feast for Our Lady of the Rosary. It was lovely to see so many parishioners attend this Solemnity Mass hosted by our school. Our students were active participants during the Mass, ministering as cross bearer, operating the Power Point, singing in the choir, and doing some of the readings, including the Prayer of the Faithful, where we prayed for peace and unity among nations.

Pope Francis Holds First World Children’s Day

Praying for peace was also at the heart of Pope Francis first World Children’s Day on Saturday, 25 and 26 May in Rome. The celebration brought together 50 000 children from 100 countries. Pope Francis loves engaging in dialogue with the children. Among the children present were those from Ukraine and Palestine. When Pope Francis asked everyone if they thought ‘war’ was ‘good’, they shouted ‘no!’ He then asked them what they wanted, and they shouted back “Peace!” Pope Francis then invited the children to shake hands with each other and told them, “That’s the way to make peace” (America - The Jesuit Review 26 May 2024). He also invited them to join him in praying for children suffering from war, children who cannot go to school, children who do not have enough to eat. Together, they recited the ‘Ave Maria’ with him.

Empowering Hope

This month also saw people worldwide unite to celebrate Laudato Si’ Week 19 - 26 May, inspiring "a personal and cultural transformation in the midst of our ecological and climate crises" (LS). This year’s theme is Seeds of Hope. Inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si', eight Year 4 girls have established a new group - Eco Squad. They are planting seeds of hope by leading a new initiative in our school. The eight girls are listening attentively to Pope Francis’ message on caring for our common home. They share a dream to make our school more sustainable through prayer, education, fun and games, and faith in action. May we all be inspired by the hope and vision of our children, and may we work together to create a brighter, more compassionate world.

Corpus Christi Invitation from our Parish Priest

On Sunday, 2 June, Fr Michael invites us to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi with a combined English and Italian Mass at 10:00am followed by a Eucharistic Procession outside around the church property. The Feast celebrates the presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. It is a time for us to come together as a parish, to reflect upon and celebrate this profound mystery of faith. A Eucharistic Procession is when the Blessed Sacrament is placed in Monstrance and carried by the priest in procession under a canopy and followed by the faithful who sing and pray along the way. We then return to the church for a blessing. It is a reminder that Christ walks ahead of us as our Good Shepherd, and we want him to be present in the places we live and work. This procession is a beautiful tradition where we openly proclaim our faith and devotion to the sacrament of the Eucharist. A beautiful element of a Eucharistic Procession is the carrying of lighted candles and the strewing of flower petals by young children to make a pathway for the Blessed Sacrament. We would like all the children making their First Holy Communion and Confirmation to participate at the Mass for the Eucharistic Procession and to act as flower strewers and candle bearers assisted by their parents. If your child would like to participate, please contact Monica, Parish Secretary via email office@paynehamcatholic.org.au so that the parish can prepare enough candles and basket of flowers for the children. We look forward to your presence and participation to this significant celebration.

Sacrament of Confirmation Workshop

Our next Parent-Child Sacrament of Confirmation Workshop will be on Wednesday, 19 June, from 6:30pm – 8:00pm in the School Gym. The children are reminded to bring their ‘Signs of Grace: You are sent’ (Confirmation) Student Guide Workbook, Parish Passport and a pen. The workbook should be completed by this date and will be collected at the end of the workshop. The children will be given the ‘Signs of Grace: You are loved’ (First Holy Communion) Student Guide Workbook at the end of this workshop. We look forward to continuing this meaningful preparation with you and your children as we approach this important sacramental milestone.

Reconciliation Week

Beginning in the last week of May, we celebrate Reconciliation Week. May we remember that May 27 and June 3 are important dates in Australia’s history. May 27 marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum when Australians voted to remove clauses in the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. June 3 marks the historic 1992 Mabo decision in which the High Court of Australia recognised native title—the recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights over their lands did survive British colonisation; and so we acknowledge that we gather today on the land of the Kaurna people owners for the land on which you pray and pay our respects to their elders both past and present, for they hold the memories, the culture, and the wisdom upon which our nation’s future will be built. By working towards reconciliation, we create a more just and equitable world for all children. Through these efforts towards reconciliation, we are reminded of the universal and enduring love that Pope Francis speaks of in his message for the first World Children’s Day, where he reminds us that 'God has loved us from all eternity (cf. Jer 1:5). He looks upon us with the eyes of a loving father and a gentle mother. He never forgets us (cf. Is 49:15) and every day he accompanies us and renews us with his Spirit.'"

Together with the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, let us pray in these words:

Come, Holy Spirit,
show us your beauty,
reflected in the faces
of children all over the world.
Come, Jesus,
you who make all things new,
who are the way that leads us to the Father,
come and remain with us always.
Amen.

With peace,

Patrizia Puglia
APRIM
St Jospeh’s Payneham