THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2019

Dear Parents and Caregivers, 

What a positive start we have had to our school year! Despite the heat, our students have settled in beautifully, and I hope the school year has started well for you and your family.  

I would like to express a warm welcome to our thirty five new families and wish these children and their families a long and happy association with our community. 

We welcome

RR Jeremiah, Hudson, Jackson, Kenzi, Riley, Fletcher, Elizabeth, Avah, Zachary, Ethan, Freya, Alexander, Archer, Grace, & Pauly. RV Summer, Zoe, Cooper, Riley,Mason, Rosa, Hugo, Francesco,Winifred, Chloe, Bridget, Oliver, Elliot, Ada, Mason & Joshua.1GE Thomas, Cayden & Lucas. 1S Willow. 3C Sofia. 4C Louis. 4K Will & Flynn.

To our returning families, thank you for entrusting us with the education of your child once again and we look forward to continuing our positive partnership. 

For the first time in South Australia, our Catholic primary schools will be from Reception to Year Six (with Year Seven now moving to middle school). This is a special time in our school’s history, and creates an opportunity for change as we move our focus to be on education and growth for children aged six to eleven.  

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome the 2019 school year! The energy and enthusiasm is so evident at this time of the year and it is a delight to see all parents, students and staff alike relish the opportunities the new school year brings. We hope this year will be a wonderful one: of connectivity to the school; to build lifelong friends; and develop exceptional learning skills.

Welcome back for 2019. I hope you had a blessed Christmas and you were able to spend time together in the holidays doing things that you love to do together. I am delighted to be working with the Saint David’s Parish School Community in the role of APRIM and am looking forward to the year ahead. I will be in the APRIM role on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and I will be in Year 1GE teaching on Thursdays. I look forward to working with staff, students, families and the Parish.

Each class will have a Liturgy and Mass scheduled this year which we warmly welcome you to come and celebrate with us as a faith community. Details will be included in the School Newsletter.

On Assembly scheduled days we welcome parents/caregivers to come together in the gym before the Assembly for a tea or coffee. This is a chance to reconnect with each other and to get to know our new families.

If you are able to assist with the occasional meal for ‘Families in Need’, please let me know and I will add your name to the list of ‘Food Train’ volunteers. Advance notice is given.

On Sunday 10 February (this Sunday) it is Saint David’s Parish General Assembly. It will be held in the Music room at Saint David’s Parish School.

The Aims of the Assembly:

Discover what is happening around the Parish.
Express how you see the parish progressing.

To provide the Parish Pastoral Council a clear direction to advance the Parish’s ‘Spiritual’, ‘Missionary’ and ‘Community’ development.

How the Assembly will run: - From 11:30 (after the 10:30am Mass) we will have a ‘Bring a Plate’ shared lunch for parishioners. 12:30pm – 3:30pm Short address by the Parish Priest who will outline the state of the Parish, followed by some groups sharing and opportunity for personal comments to the Assembly. Everyone is welcome.

Jenny Everuss

APRIM

jeveruss@stdavids.catholic.edu.au

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This program assists students to process change, loss and grief using the imagery of the four seasons. The four seasons are each linked to one of Worden’s four tasks of grief:

• accept the reality of the loss
• process the pain of grief
• adjust to a changed world after the loss
• find an enduring connection with what has been lost while embarking on a new life

It is recommended for students after approximately 12 months since the change, loss or grief. If you believe this program may benefit your child, depending on numbers, it is hoped that there will be a program available first and second semester. Please let your class teacher or the Front Office know if you would like your child to be part of this program.

Michelle Dinning

mdinning@stdavids.catholic.edu.au

2019 Fees and Charges Information

Welcome back to a wonderful year of reading during 2019.  Many students have been excited to see that the Library is in full operation again and have already taken advantage of opportunities to borrow and get back into their favourite books.  I can’t thank them enough for their patience and understanding last year.  If you drop in to the Library you will see that all the books are nearly back in their correct places thanks to a number of wonderful students who have stepped up during lunch times to help re-sort the books. I have really appreciated their support.

Through the Library we have some exciting activities focusing on books and reading throughout this year.  All students have now received their Premier’s Reading Challenge form, so now is the time for them to start recording their independent reading.  During Terms 3 and 4 we have a wonderful author, Phil Cummings, and illustrator, Sally Heinrich, coming to Saint David’s to work with our students. Both highly regarded South Australian artists have a number of children’s books published.

Karen Mutton

Teacher Librarian

kmutton@stdavids.catholic.edu.au

Enrolment forms for students who wish to participate in 2019 Children’s University have been put onto Skoolbag App this week. Students in Years 2 to 6 are welcome to join the program.  Enrolment costs $33.00 which can be paid via QKR App or at the Front Office.  Enrolment forms and payment must be made by Friday 22 February to enable me to get passports to students in a timely manner.

If you would like more information about the program please feel free to email me or drop into the Library during next Tuesday’s Meet and Greet sessions.

Karen Mutton

Children’s University Coordinator

kmutton@stdavids.catholic.edu.au

At Saint David’s we offer instrumental lessons for: guitar, drums, voice, piano, ukulele, recorder, flute and violin. If you are interested in having instrumental lessons this year, please fill out the attached form.

If you are a continuing student you will be contacted by your tutor about your lesson time. Instrumental lessons will begin in Week 2.

Instrumental lessons enrolment form

Paul Anstey

panstey@stdavids.catholic.edu.au

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Literacy will start to look different at Saint David’s!

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This year at Saint David’s I am very happy to announce that we will be offering the ‘Nessy Reading and Spelling’ Program again in 2019 to support students who need additional support with reading and spelling. Letters have been sent home to families informing them if they have a child on Nessy this year.

At the ‘Meet and Greet’ Evening on Tuesday 12 February, I will be available to answer any questions you may have about the Nessy Program. I will be in the Library between 6:30pm – 7:30pm.

I look forward to seeing you then.

Elena Lanzilli

Key Literacy Teacher

elanzilli@stdavids.catholic.edu.au

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FRIDAY 8 FEBRUARY

9:00am Awards Assembly

MONDAY 11 FEBRUARY

Gleeson College Parent Information Evening (Senior School)

TUESDAY 12 FEBRUARY

6:30 - 7:30pm Meet and Greet Evening

THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY

P&F Meeting

FRIDAY 15 FEBRUARY

9:00am 4K Assembly

TUESDAY 19 FEBRUARY

Years 1 - 3 Swimming

7:00pm School Board Meeting

WEDNESDAY 20 FEBRUARY

Years 1 - 3 Swimming

THURSDAY 21 FEBRUARY

Years 1 - 3 Swimming

5:00pm School Tour

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ICAS Assessments are designed to recognise and reward academic excellence. 

The assessments are based on the curricula for the relevant year. Students are asked to demonstrate a deeper, integrated, and thorough level of learning. As the Assessments are quite challenging, participation is voluntary.

This year, the ICAS Assessments are all online assessments (with the exception of Year 3 & 4 Writing) and will all take place in September. The cost of each assessment is $14.50 with assessments available in the following areas: Digital Technologies, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, English and Mathematics. Award Certificates are presented to all students who enter.

More details regarding student participation will be provided later in the year.

Helping children grow safely in this world!

Where: Saint David's Parish School

When: Monday February 18

Time: 6pm

Tuesday, 5 February 2019 is Safer Internet Day! We will be promoting this theme
throughout weeks 2 & 3 of this term.

Safer Internet Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the safe and positive
use of digital technology, and to explore the role we can all play in creating a
better and safer internet in our community.

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Congratulations to Harmon and Keira for being selected for the final awards at the last Assembly in 2018. We look forward to working with the local Tea Tree Gully Kiwanis Club again this year in the promotion of this valuable program.

Two representatives from each class will again be selected as Student Voice Members in 2019. Classes have been involved in selecting their representatives this past week. Meetings will be held fortnightly, allowing students to voice their opinions or concerns in relation to matters of importance to the student body at Saint David's Parish School. Successful representatives will be presented with their badges at an upcoming Assembly.

Best wishes to all the successful candidates.

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How to install SkoolBag app

Top five strategies to improve your parenting this year

Price list

More information

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Uniform price list

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Helping Fierce teen girls become awesome women

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School Address:

40 Elizabeth Street

Tea Tree Gully SA 5091

Postal Address: PO Box 647, St Agnes, SA 5097

Telephone: 8360 6300 - FAX: 8360 6327

Absentee Line: 8360 6373

SMS Absentee: 0408  003 218

OSHC: 8360 6330

Web Address: www.stdavids.catholic.edu.au

Email Address: info@stdavids.catholic.edu.au

Facebook: @saintdavidsparishschool