Week 4 Term 4 2024

It’s hard to believe we are already in Week 4 of Term 4! Term 4 is already proving to be a busy term with many events in the calendar. I would like to congratulate Mace van Weenen for being the West Adelaide Football Club metro zone recipient of the Diversity Ambassador of the Year. Mace received his award at the 2024 Hostplus SANFL Volunteer awards night at Adelaide Oval for his work leading AFL Auskick in our community. We are thrilled to have Mace ensuring that all children have opportunities to be involved, feel part of a community while enhancing their sporting skills.

Class Placements

We are beginning to plan for next year, working on 2025 class placements in the coming weeks. If you have any special considerations, you would like us to be aware of please speak to me or email me personally kate.turner@sjb.catholic.edu.au by Friday 15th November. Please be mindful that this is not an opportunity to list all the children you would like to be in your child’s class. Our teachers work tirelessly on placing each child in a learning environment that will provide the best opportunities for every learner to thrive and flourish.

Fundraising Performance

The opportunity to attend a performance of our very Slava and Sharon Grigoryan, parents of Sebastian in Reception is a wonderful opportunity not to be missed. Slava and Sharon Grigoryan’s debut album ‘Our Place’ (ABC) has been nominated for Best Classical Album at the 2020 ARIA Awards. Slava is an acknowledged guitar master on the world stage. Sharon has forged a formidable career throughout Australia performing with all major symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles, including her recent 7-year tenure with the Australian String Quartet. We thank Slava and Sharon for volunteering their time to offer a performance for the school and wider community. Please note 100% of all funds raised go towards our new school playground. Please mark Thursday 7th November 2024 in your diaries for an adults only event. Tickets are $40.00 per adult which includes the performance, cheese and wine and a creche for children.

School Fee Statements

Final School Fee Statements for 2024 are going today. The total outstanding amount of your school fees are required to be settled by November 30th 2024. Thank you to all the families that have already settled their accounts.

2025 School Fees

We are pleased to inform our school families that there will not be an increase in school fees for the 2025 school year.

Unfortunately, some costs are beyond our control and are billed separately to recover service costs. Our camps (bi-annually), swimming (R-5), aquatics (Year 6), Catholic Schools Music Festival and SACPPSA Sporting Carnivals will be an additional cost to the $2300.00 school fees. More information will be circulated very soon when our 2025 School Fee Policy is circulated to the community.

Christmas Concert

We invite families to our annual Christmas Concert on Friday 29th November on our school oval. Gates will open at 5:00pm with a BBQ available. The concert will begin at 5:30pm with all classes currently working hard to polish their performance.

Pupil Free Days

Our last school day for 2024 is Wednesday 11th December. If you require care for children on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December, please contact Mirella by email mirella.tsimikilis@sjb.catholic.edu.au to book your child.

Kate Turner

ReLAT Test 

During Week 8 of Term 3, the Year 4 children undertook the Religious Literacy Assessment Tool (ReLAT) assessment. The results of this test were set to be available to schools by Monday 28th October however, due to unexpected illness at Creative Ministry (the people behind the ReLAT data and website), the ReLAT reports have unfortunately been delayed a few days. Results have been sent home with the children today. 

All Saints Day  

On Friday 1st November, we gathered as a school community to celebrate All Saints Day. The children in RG and Fr long Hai led the mass. Saints are not just people from long ago; they are heroes of our faith. All Saints Day is a day where we remember these holy men and women who lived their lives with love and faith. They remind us that we can all be holy, no matter how young or old we are. During the month of November, a memorial book will be placed in the Front Office and taken around to classes. Children, staff and families are invited to write the names of loved ones who have passed, that they would like to be remembered in prayer.  

Here is what the children in RR have to say about saints: 

St John Bosco is my favourite because he’s our school saint. St John Bosco taught us to be kind. - Leon 

Saints are important because they love church. - Victoria 

Saints are important because they come down and help people. - Marina 

Saints help teach people to be nice. - Anne

Saints care for people and they spread love. - Holly 

Saints are important because they make your hearts bigger by spreading kindness. - Rosario 

St Francis helped the animals so they can live. We need animals like cows because they make milk so we can live. - Adeline 

Mission Day 

The Year 5/6 children are busy preparing for Mission Day which will be held on Friday 15th November (Week 5), between 11:30am and 1:00pm. There will be 10 stalls for the children to purchase from, consisting of handmade products, savoury and sweet treats. Some of the stalls include crochet plush animals and flowers, Hama beads, scented candles, Chuck & Duck, Haunted House, pastries and cakes. Prices range from 50c-$3:00 and the money raised will go to St Vincent de Paul.  

Moore Street Christmas Hampers 

This Christmas, St John Bosco will be supporting Moore Street Day Centre who will be delivering more than 2,500 Christmas hampers to needy people all over Adelaide. We are asking for any non-perishable items such as tinned fruits, Christmas puddings and cakes, pasta and rice, nuts and dried fruit, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap (no conditioners or body wash please). There will be a basket placed in each classroom for donations. Please give what you can.  

Remembrance Day  

1/2NA will be hosting a Remembrance Day Service on Monday 11th November at 10:45am, in the courtyard. All are welcome to attend.   

Leah Bellifemini

Our amazing 1/2 NA learners have been exploring the wonderful world of character strengths through the Grow Your Mind Program. Within this learning they have been understanding what each character strength is, how it looks in the classroom, playground and in their own lives. Our learners have been focussing on knowing and growing their strength and integrating this valuable learning.

I show leadership by helping people. – Ariana

I use creativity when I see a bunch of junk and I use it to create stuff with. – Shabib

I use humour when someone is feeling sad or not themselves. – Iyla

I use perseverance when I find something hard. I don’t sit there, I try and take a risk. – Jaitegh

I show love when I am playing with my friends. – Elijah

I use resilience when I hurt myself. I get up, I dust myself off and keep playing. – Jude

I show love of learning by thinking as hard as I can. – Markus

I show kindness by respecting the teacher. – Sophie

I am compassionate because I give my Mum water when she needs it. – Ganeev

I use teamwork for everything because I want everyone to have a turn at something. – Athul

I show respect when I sit and listen to my teacher. – Levi

I show patience when I am in a line. – Freya

I show flexibility when I have a relief teacher in my classroom. – Sofia

I show love when my friend does not have anyone to play with. – Avraaj

I show leadership when I help people and it helps my friends’ day sparkle. – Amelia

I show respect when the teacher is talking, I do not talk. – Thomas

I use curiosity because every time when I have dinner I ask a question. Sometimes my Mum has to Google the answer. For example, I asked “How many dogs are there in the world?”. – Minka-Lee

I show bravery by sticking up for my friends. – Luca

I show forgiveness by saying “It’s ok”. – Milly

I show love by hugs. – Lia

I show bravery if people are not being kind to my friends, I stick up for them. – Aaliyah

I show respect by listening to the teacher. - Jennifer

I show bravery by going on a high waterslide and still sliding down. – Jugaadveer

I show resilience by asking the teacher, or a friend when I don’t know what to do. - Salome

Year 5- 6 students have been exploring the unit The Ten Commandments: Guiding Us to Live Good Lives as God Desires. While The Ten Commandments were written between the 16th and 13th centuries BCE, they remain a valuable source of guidance today. Through engaging lessons, students are discovering that these commandments are more than just rules; they are a blueprint for making moral decisions, fostering right relationships, and living with purpose.

Each commandment offers wisdom that speaks to our lives in today’s world. For instance, the call to “honor your father and mother” encourages respect within families, while “do not bear false witness” reminds us of the importance of honesty in all our relationships. In their discussions, students are recognizing how these principles help us navigate challenges and make thoughtful choices, whether it’s about how we treat others, care for our environment, or prioritize our relationship with God.

By reflecting on how each commandment applies to modern life, our Year 5-6 students are learning to see God’s guidance in a new light, finding ways to live with integrity, kindness, and faith, as part of a community centered on love and respect.

The commandments can be written in different ways. - Joanna Thatchapilly 

They can be followed and used how to lead good lives even today. - Alexa Ida

People have different ways of interpreting rules. - Luca Sganzerla

The Ten Commandments guide us to live good lives how God desires. - Imelda Bak

It is the start of rules and laws and how we have become civilised. - Zak Ryntjes

It helps us in our daily lives. Without them the world would be different. - Sebastian Kiss

The children and staff are delighted to welcome you all to the St John Bosco End of Year Christmas Concert. Please save the date for the evening of Friday the 29th of November. We will have a BBQ available to purchase hot food, the Parents & Friends Raffle will also be drawn that evening and of course our lovely children will be performing a mixture of Christmas themed songs.

Matthew Scott

I am pleased to say that 27 students from SJB will graduate with various Children’s University awards this year! This year’s graduates are:

R-2: Holly, Zoe, Ellie, Avraaj, Minka-Lee, Freya, Levi, Allison, Athul, Lily, Aria and Jasmehraj.

3-6: Alex M, Harry, Aedan, Elkin, Vardhan, Hooraem, Elliana, Sebastian M, Camilo, Amber, Achira, Chloe, Odelinda, Mikaela and Alayna.

I extend warm congratulations to all 27 students on their dedication to the program and look forward to watching them receive their awards at the official Graduation Ceremony on Wednesday 13th November.

Louise Marshall