Week 5 Term 2 2025

Personal boundaries

Boundaries in healthy relationships are just like boundaries on a sports field or a court. It’s like setting a line that you don’t want someone to cross in the way they treat you, and boundaries work both ways. The saying “treat others how you would like to the treated” is an example of setting boundaries. In a relationship, a boundary might be telling someone it is not okay to be treated in a certain way and may sound comparable to “you are being rough” or “I don’t like it when you shout at me.”   

As parents/caregivers we can guide our children in setting their boundaries and be a good role model by showing them how we respect their boundaries. Helping our children to be firm about their boundaries and what is acceptable to them early on, will help them to do this in the future when the risk factors might be higher, and you may not be there with them.    

Some tips  

• Talk to your children about personal space and body boundaries. What is okay and what is not.    
• Teach your child how to say ‘no’ or ‘stop’ and other ways to communicate when they have had enough, don’t want to do something or want to stop something that makes them feel uncomfortable.   
• Teach your child to also respect the boundaries that others set.  
• Teach your children to trust their feelings. If it doesn’t feel right to them, they should say ‘no’ or ‘stop’ and tell you about it as soon as they can.    
• Try some ‘what if…’ scenarios. ‘What if someone gives you a big hug and you don’t like it?’ ‘What if someone is hurting you when you are playing?’   
• *Adapted from The Fathering Project platform

Staffing News

Mrs Josie Colangelo (Front Office) will be on long service leave from 10 June until 26 July 2025. I wish Josie the best for her leave. Replacing Josie in the Front Office whilst on leave will be Mrs Dora Cavuoto. As many of you will know, Dora was a staff member at St Joseph’s Payneham for a long period (including working in the Front Office for numerous years and only recently retired), so she is very familiar with our school. Welcome back Dora!

Ms Tania Melfi has been appointed and seconded to the Acting APRIM position at St Joseph’s Hectorville, from 10 June until 11 August 2025. I congratulate Tania on this selection. Replacing Tania in 2TM will be Mrs Emily Parrella.

Whilst Emily Parrella is in 2TM for the above period, Ms Adriana Bava will take Italian lessons for all R-6 students. Adriana is an experienced Italian teacher, most recently having taught the language at Nazareth Catholic College.

Mrs Sandra Rapuano (WHS Officer), will be concluding her time at St Joseph’s on 13 June. Sandra has been successful in winning a position in another Catholic school. Sandra has been a fine asset to the staff, and we wish her the best. We will be looking to fill the vacant role soon.

Multicultural Day Thanks

It was fine to see our community embracing Multicultural Day last Friday 23 May. We have 36 different cultures at St Joseph’s! A key message, to have respect and be inclusive of all cultural backgrounds.

Thank you to Mrs Emily Parrella and all those staff members and volunteers who assisted to make for a successful Multicultural Day. So much time, planning and energy went into the occasion, and I applaud Emily on having created a fruitful experience for the students and families.

It was also wonderful to see a number of families and staff at the P&F organised ‘Pizza and Pasta Night’, at the Altavilla Club last Friday evening, 23 May. Thank you for making the effort to attend and my gratitude to the P&F crew for bringing this event to our community.

Anti-Bullying Rapid Review

The Australian Government recently announced an Anti-Bullying Rapid Review. The Review will look at current approaches to addressing bullying in schools, what is working and what needs strengthening, with the aim of providing options for the development of a consistent national standard for responding to bullying and its underlying causes in schools.

To provide feedback through the submission process, please visit www.education.gov.au/antibullying-rapid-review This page contains instructions on how to participate, along with the Review’s Terms of Reference. Submissions can be made anonymously if preferred. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact  ABRRConsultations@education.gov.au 

Condolences

I extend my sympathies to:
- The Horne family (William, 3WM and Thomas, RJN), on the passing of their maternal grandmother.

Congratulations

I offer my best wishes to: 
- the Calabrese family (Michael, 4BR), on the recent birth of a baby girl, ‘Amelia’.
 

Wishing you well!

Simon Mechis
 

SRC Update

World Environment Day is a global event that encourages everyone to take care of the environment. It's a day to raise awareness about environmental issues and inspire action to protect our planet. This year, World Environment Day is celebrated on Thursday June 5th (Week 6) and our SRC are eager to create awareness about the day at school.

The importance of World Environment Day is to:

• Promote environmental responsibility
• Build awareness and knowledge
• Encourage positive action
• Support global movements
• Foster leadership and student voice, and
• Strengthen school community values.

The SRC have decided that one way we can celebrate World Environment Day is with a ‘Wrapper Free Day’. On Thursday 5th June, we are encouraging all students to simply bring food to school that is not wrapped in foil, plastic or commercial packaging. The best type of Wrapper Free Food consists mainly of fresh food, so that it is healthy and nutritious, and of course environmentally friendly. Please see attached a poster with some Healthy Lunch Box Ideas to assist with the ‘Wrapper Free Day’.

The SRC Members have also been working together to source resources and activities for classes to engage with on Thursday 5th June. We look forward to celebrating our environment next Thursday!

Classroom Pulse Check In

Over the next two weeks, all students from Reception to Year 6 will take part in the ‘Classroom Pulse Check-In’ at school. This check-in is designed to gain insight into how students are feeling about their school experience. They will be asked a few simple questions related to:

• Identity
• Learning
• Relationships
• Belonging.

The purpose of this check-in is to better understand how our students are feeling. Your child’s responses will help us identify any social, emotional, or learning needs that may require support.

‘Joyful June’ calendar

Please find attached the ‘Joyful June’ calendar from the Action for Happiness website. We encourage you to share it with your family to help promote kindness at home. One suggestion is to place a copy on the fridge and use it as a conversation starter with your child or children to explore the daily activities together.

Keep well!

Michael Musolino
(Deputy Principal)

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

What an exciting few weeks as our new pope is elected, Robert Francus Cardinal Prevost – Pope Leo XIV. We look forward with anticipation Pope Leo’s leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit. As Fr. Michael Romeo and Sr. Josie make their way home from their pilgrimage, they were lucky enough to be in St. Peter’s Square for the Inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV. We cannot wait to hear about their incredible experiences!

Pentecost

We celebrated Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter Sunday and we are now still celebrating and feasting for fifty days until Pentecost Sunday on 8th June. In the bible, we read that Jesus’ followers were gathered together for Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit “filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). Pentecost is a celebration of people from different cultures uniting to share and understand God’s gospel, a commissioning, calling all members of community to the Church.

Laudato Si Week

Last week we celebrated Laudato Si Week. This significant week marks the 10th Anniversary of Pope Francis’ Encyclical on caring for creation. At our school, we decided to show our care for creation by collecting chip packets for ‘Life FM’s Buddy Blanket Mission’. These chip packets will be made into blankets to bring warmth, love and hope to the homeless. Thank you for your donations!

Reconciliation Week

This week, we recognise National Reconciliation Week with the theme ‘Bridging now to next.’ This theme invites us into deep reflection on the past, present and future so all Australians can work together to build a united and respectful nation. The children participated in activities such as the ‘Great Book Swap’ to raise money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and enjoyed doughnuts decorated with the Aboriginal Flag or the Torres Strait Islander Flag with donations going towards The Tjindu Foundation to create positive long-term change for Aboriginal children in communities across South Australia. As a school, the children also participated in an inspiring art initiative that allowed them to express their thoughts, feelings and hopes for a united future. These activities contributed to building a culture of understanding and respect, reminding us that reconciliation is not only a process of healing but also a journey of creative expression and shared hope for tomorrow. Thank you for your support of these initiatives and for your generous donations.

Sacraments

A reminder for those children preparing for their Sacrament of Confirmation – there is a workshop on Wednesday 4th June from 6:30 – 8pm in our school gym.

As we enter the season of winter, we pause to thank God for the much-needed rain that nourishes the earth and replenishes our waters. This rain is a reminder of God’s care, and we pray that it continues to bring life and refreshment to our land. May it soften our hearts as it softens the ground, drawing us closer to Him in gratitude and hope for the seasons ahead.

Adriana Graziani
Acting APRIM