Newsletter 4 2022

Dear Parents/Caregivers, Students, Staff, and Friends of St Raphael’s School,

Annual General Meeting

Thank you to parents/caregivers who attended last night’s AGM meeting via Microsoft Teams. The ‘2021 AGM’ booklet was sent to families this afternoon detailing information reporting on the 2021 school year. As you read through the booklet families will appreciate the events and learning that took place in abundance during 2021. I thank our staff for their commitment and diligence in their delivery of a thorough and engaging learning program. As part of the AGM proceedings, we welcomed Mathew Gill to our School Board and we also thanked outgoing member Lev Makaev, for his service to our school community over the last three years. All other Board Members are continuing this year and I thank them for their commitment in being part of this very important committee.

Samuel Chua
Kirstie Coultas
Marianne Farrugia
Mathew Gill
Mia Harms
Courtney Hood
Matt Pike
Luke Read
Gaia Ricci
Fr Denis Travers

Harmony Day

This week marks Harmony Day whose theme is ‘Everybody Belongs’. Today our students enjoyed a number of activities designed to highlight and celebrate Harmony Day. On this day we particularly appreciate all the wonderful cultures that makes our country so diverse and rich in its many nationalities and cultures. At St Raphael’s School we value diversity, and today we demonstrated our appreciation of all the diverse cultures here at our school. We ended our celebrations with a cake for students to enjoy. My personal circumstance is that I was born into an Italian immigrant family, my husband from both English and Germanic backgrounds, one of my sons has married into a Greek culture, and my second son has recently married into a Croatian culture. These cultures certainly add colour, flavour and great diversity to my family, as I am sure that your own families are made up of many wonderful cultures.

Commissioning Mass

On Saturday 19 March, the feast of St Joseph, our staff was commissioned by the St Raphael’s Parish.  A prayer of commitment was read by staff members pledging their continuing service to our school community in their ministry of teaching and working with our young people. Fr Denis led the congregation and during Mass all attending staff were invited to make their pledge in front of the congregation.

NAPLAN Practice Tests

This week our Year 3 and Year 5 students will sit a ‘NAPLAN Practice Test’ on Thursday 24 March in preparation for the NAPLAN assessments in early term 2. Please refer to Angela Keam’s article regarding dates for the 2022 NAPLAN Assessments.

Sport’s Day

Sports Day is nearly upon us, and parents/caregivers are invited to attend as the event is being held outdoors. It is a requirement that all attending parents/caregivers return a RSVP here as we need to account for all attendees. Due to current COVID restrictions, parents cannot attend inside activities and can only remain outside and participate in activities outdoors. I also ask that all parents/caregivers attending wear a mask to further ensure there is no transmission of COVID whilst around students.

At the conclusion of Sports Day, parents can choose to take their child/ren home. Students remaining will be supervised for the remainder of the day and the OHSC service will proceed as per usual beginning at 3:10 pm.  

Mrs Hannah Reid has provided more information detailing the day so please avail yourself to her Sports news.

COVID reminders:

Thank you to families for their diligence in keeping their child/ren home if displaying any COVID symptoms. We continue to keep vigilant in our approach to minimise risk to all students. If your child becomes a ‘Close Community Contact’ then they will need to remain at home for 7 days. All students that become a ‘Close Class Contact’ will receive a letter from me detailing the next steps. You will find more information from SA Health here.

With every best wish,
Mia Harms
Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This week is Harmony Week in Australia where we celebrate our cultural diversity. We want to acknowledge all people who call Australia home, from our First Nations peoples to those who have come from many countries around the world. We want to promote inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging. The theme for Harmony Day is “Everyone Belongs.” We are stronger when we understand the cultures, stories and traditions of those we live alongside.

As a school community we came together today to mark Harmony Day wearing a splash of orange, the colour representing social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and mutual respect.

Did you know there are over 300 different ancestries in Australia and each one contributes to make Australia’s culture rich and diverse. At St Raphael’s were have families with many heritages. These include: Sri Lankan, Russian, Korean, Italian, Chinese, Singaporean, Filipino, Lebanese, South American, Greek, Indian, Irish, English, Colombian, Danish and Scottish. We also learn Japanese here at school. Our message at our outdoor assembly this morning was that we are all welcome, we are all valued and we all belong!  We listened to prayers, stories and greetings in different languages. We even danced to the beat of drums alongside an energetic performer from African Soul. Our cultural diversity makes Australia such a special place to live. We continued our celebrations with lunchtime crafts and games and shared a piece of  ‘harmony cake’ at recess.

St Raphael’s Mercy Values

After consultation with our wonderful students, staff and parents, we are pleased to announce our school’s mercy values. At St Raphael’s we aspire to be COMPASSIONATE, RESPECTFUL AND JUST. We look forward to unpacking these values and embedding them into all our thoughts, words and deeds.

Commissioning Mass

Our staff gathered on Saturday night at St Raphael’s Church to pledge our commitment of service to our school and parish community. I share our final line in the prayer which stated, may we always be conscious of the dignity of those whom we serve and teach so we build a faith-filled community that encourages learning and belonging. It was wonderful to celebrate with Fr Denis and the St Paul of the Cross Parish community.

Father Denis and Sue Schulz visits

Our learners and staff were so happy to have Fr Denis and Sue (Pastoral Associate) back visiting us at school. Father Denis shared a presentation with our Year 4 students focussing on Jesus’ community and life. Our junior classes talked about God’s creation. The questions and comments were delightful to hear. One student knew all about pollination and other asked Fr Denis this though provoking question…. ‘How do we know God came here to meet us?’ What a gift to have Denis and Sue share our learning with us!

Project Compassion Story

Rosalie had a tough childhood. Her father passed away when she was just two-years-old and her mother struggled to look after the family on her own.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, women are traditionally responsible for household tasks, with limited employment opportunities outside the home. Rosalie's mother found it difficult to afford food and clothing, let alone school fees, and Rosalie had to drop out school. Then, when she was just 15 years old, Rosalie was forced to join the army. In recent decades, the DRC has experienced ongoing political instability, violence and conflict, and the recruitment of child soldiers is all too common.

When Rosalie finally left the army after six years, she was eager to start a new life, free from violence. But like many ex-combatants, Rosalie found the challenge to adjust to civilian life overwhelming. With her childhood and education cut short by the war, she had missed out on developing skills that would help her to find secure employment.

With your generous help, Rosalie was able to participate in business and social skills training, supported by Caritas Australia’s partners, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Caritas Bukavu. Rosalie also joined a Saving and Internal Lending Community group (SILC), which helped her with a loan to start her own small business, selling second-hand shoes and natural remedies. She learnt savings and group management skills and became the SILC group’s president.

Through the program, she gained essential skills in generating an income while gaining a sense of belonging and community spirit.

Rosalie is now a business owner, a community leader and a role model for other ex-combatants who are seeking to readjust to civilian life. She is inspiring women and other members of her community to overcome the violence of the past, to work towards a more peaceful and harmonious world for all future generations. Your generous support today can help people like Rosalie to create a better tomorrow for their families and communities. 

As we continue to celebrate Harmony Week, I encourage you to share your family story with your child(ren) about your heritage and culture. It is in the stories we share that connects us to one another.

I leave you with the adapted prayer below from the Sisters of Mercy.

Good and gracious God,
Who loves and delights in all people,
We stand in awe of You, knowing the spark of life within each person on earth is the spark of your divine life.
Differences among cultures and races are manifestations of Your light.
May our hearts and minds be open to celebrate similarities and differences among our sisters and brothers.
We place our hopes for harmony in our committed actions.
May all peoples live in PEACE. 

Amen 

Have a wonderful week ahead!
Kelly Manera
Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Our students in Years 3 and 5 will sit NAPLAN in Week 2, Term 2.

Students will complete all tests online with the exception of Year 3 Writing which will continue to be in a paper form.

NAPLAN tests skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time through the school curriculum.

NAPLAN is made up of tests in the four areas (or ‘domains’) of:
Writing
Reading
Language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
Numeracy

The Naplan Privacy Collection Notice is available here for your information.

More information about NAPLAN Online is available here.

Tickets are now on sale for our St Raphael’s School TRIVIA NIGHT.

The Parents and Friends Committee is hosting an amazing trivia quiz night on MAY 14 so wipe the dust off your Trivial Pursuit and brush up on your general knowledge.

With support from Glenside Estate the night will include lots of prizes, games, and a silent auction. 

Tickets are $10 each or $60 for a table of 6. All tables seat 6 people. 

This event is BYO food and drinks and is for adults only.

Tickets are being sold through Humanatix here  https://events.humanitix.com/st-raphael-s-school-trivia-night for further information please email Katrina at ktucker@raph.catholic.edu.au

Katrina Tucker
Marketing and Communications Manager

Congratulations to the following students who will be representing our school for the Catholic Primary Schools Swimming Carnival this Thursday March 24. We wish them all the best and know they will do us proud!

Year 4
Manny, Isla, Caroline, Ebony, Anna

Year 5
Braxton, Mia, Nathan, Luella

Year 6
Georgia, Mia, Savannah, Gracie, Milla, Natalia, Holly

Term 2 Sport Year 3- 6

Thank you to those families who have registered their child’s interest for Term 2 Sport. I am currently working with Football SA to see if we can come to an agreement and amalgamate with another school’s soccer team, as we do not have enough numbers to form a team. I will be in contact with you over the next week.

It is not too late to register interest for Netball, if your child is in years 3-6 and interested in playing for the school please email me ASAP at hreid@raph.catholic.edu.au, games will be played on Thursdays afterschool at Priceline Stadium.

Term 2 Sport Reception – Year 2

Kelly Sports is coming to St Raphael’s School! The Amazing Autumn Sports program for Years Reception – Year 2 allows your child to experience energetic and highly active multi-sport sessions which will challenge and improve your child’s motor and co-ordination skills. In Term 2, the Amazing Autumn Sports program includes: football, soccer, basketball and netball. The Kelly Sport coaches will aim to develop and enhance the wide range of sporting skills of your child including kicking, catching & throwing while also improving strength, flexibility, hand-eye co-ordination, spatial awareness, co-operative skills and teamwork. Please see the pamphlet on how to register your child.

Sports Day Raffle

Sports Day is fast approaching. We kindly ask every family in the school to donate one or more items in their child’s team colour. All items will be collected and placed into themed Sports Day colour gift baskets, which will be raffled on the day. A few basic suggestions could be a red drink bottle, a blue cap, a yellow beach ball or some green tennis balls. Be creative, thinking of items that will excite and surprise! If donating food items, non-perishable is the way to go. We would appreciate if all items can be brought in by Wednesday 30 March. They can be deposited in your child’s classroom or the Office. Sports day will take place on Thursday April 7.

Hannah Reid
PE and Sport Coordinator

Here is a snap shot of some of our learning this term in Year 1B.