Newsletter 8 2023

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

This week is an exciting week as we welcome 5 new little people to our Little Raph’s New Reception Orientation and Transition Program. We welcome Maggie B, Fryderyk G, Zayn K, Laurence M and Willow W as they begin their transition visits.

School Reports

Our school reports will look a little different this year. One of the changes will be the inclusion of IE, Insufficient Evidence. The A to E grades will remain as part of the report. Teachers have been preparing your child/ren’s report throughout the semester. School reports will be sent home on Thursday 6 July. As always, parents/caregivers are invited to make a time to speak with their child/ren’s teacher/s for a further discussion about the report. Please refer to Corey-Lee Lewis’ AP Leader of Learning article on the new look semester report.

Extra Curricular Opportunities

Last night our 3 debating teams once again had the opportunity to showcase their talents in the debating competitions. We thank our dedicated group of Year 5 and Year 6 students who meet regularly with Mrs Lewis, Debating Coach, and to their parents who have supported their children in this initiative.  All participating students were outstanding in their efforts.

Thank You to our Volunteers

We have a small band of parent/grandparent volunteers who help us in so many ways. Thank you for taking an interest in our school and more importantly, helping us with student learning and initiatives.

Student Camping Opportunity

The Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 classes will be going on an outdoor adventure camp to Mylor Baptist Centre. Activities include Giant Swing, Scavenger Hunt, Low Ropes, Frisbee Golf, Excalibur, Flying Fox, Nature Village and night games and activities. We provide a camping opportunity for our students each year because we believe in the benefits of the camping experience. Thank you to our dedicated teachers who give up time with their own families to take students on camp.  We look forward to the stories your child/children will share with us on their return to school.

With every best wish,
Mia Harms
Principal

Welcome to Week 6. It has been so lovely to see many parents attend our Community Prayer mornings every Thursday.  It is a wonderful way for parents, students and staff to join in the act of praying and being with God.  Last week we celebrated National Reconciliation Week.  We can learn much from our ancestors and their beliefs and customs and work towards restoring our unity and our future.

Aboriginal Spirituality

Aboriginal Spirituality is derived from the concept of the Dreaming, where its origins lie in stories, ceremonies, values, and structures.  The Dreaming is a complex network of knowledge, faith and practices that come from stories of Creation, and it dominates all spiritual and physical aspects of Aboriginal life.

The Dreaming tells the journeys of the Spirit Ancestors who made the world, and whose Spirits inhabit the features of the natural world today; it influences every aspect of daily life and infuses song, dance, storytelling, painting, artefacts making, hunting, food gathering and a social system.  Most importantly, it also determines the relationship with every living creature and the features of the land.

Aboriginal people believe that they do not own the land but are part of it.  Therefore, they own and have the duty to respect and maintain the land for it is alive within the Spirit of their Ancestors.  The land is their Ancestors and the source of their Dreaming; it contains sacred sites for which they are responsible.  Land is central to their cultural life.

National Reconciliation Week 

Last week from National Reconciliation Week and across Australia, we celebrated National Reconciliation Week between 27 May and 3 June.  The dates commemorate two important milestones in the reconciliation journey: the anniversaries of the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision.  The week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can join in the National Reconciliation effort.  This year’s theme is “Be a Voice for Generations; Act Today for a Reconciled Tomorrow.”  

At our gatherings at school, we acknowledge the ancestral people of this land and recognise that we meet on their land.  Last week our Year 4 students attended a function at the Unley Town Hall.  They were invited to attend an annual event for Reconciliation Week featuring a performance by Of Desert and Sea, a contemporary dance collective.

Of Desert and Sea is made up of young Aboriginal women hailing from language groups across South Australia. Their dancers use contemporary cultural dance to connect with culture, kinship, traditional stories and language. They used elements of traditional cultural practice to inform contemporary movement to share their stories today. Of Desert and Sea performed, followed by an invitation to participate in one of their dances. The students learnt about the origin of some of their movements, and how they tie into traditional knowledges.

Lord, we pray that we can stand together.  We pray that we can walk and talk together.  Help us to share our gifts with each other.  Help us to listen to each other.  Give us courage to walk and talk with each other.  Help us to act and leave footprints of respect, love, kindness and compassion.  Amen

Peace and Blessings,
Helena Card
Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission

Changes to the end of Semester Report

This year, all Catholic school in the Diocese of Adelaide, including St Raphael’s School will be converting their formal reports from Accelerus (an assessment and reporting software) to SEQTA (a Learning Management System). There are no changes to the way teachers grade your child, using the A-E grades for Years 1-6 and Working Towards, Working At and Working Beyond for Reception students. The information contained in the end of Semester report is a summary of your child’s achievement to date for this year. Formal reports are distributed twice a year at the end of each Semester.

The A-E grade scale and word equivalents negotiated by South Australia government are as follows:

A              Your child is demonstrating excellent achievement of what is expected at this year level
B              Your child is demonstrating good achievement of what is expected at this year level
C              Your child is demonstrating satisfactory achievement of what is expected at this year level
D              Your child is demonstrating partial achievement of what is expected at this year level
E              Your child is demonstrating minimal achievement of what is expected at this year level
IE              Insufficient Evidence

One of the noticeable changes will be the approach to learning (previously effort) is now inclusive of the learning dispositions we focus on at St Raphael’s School of being curious, resilient, thoughtful, responsible, and collaborative. The approach to learning also includes our Mercy values of being just, compassionate, and respectful.

Excellent             Your child is demonstrating an Excellent approach to learning
Good                   Your child is demonstrating a Good approach to learning
Satisfactory        Your child is demonstrating a Satisfactory approach to learning
Partial                 Your child is demonstrating a Partial approach to learning
Minimal               Your child is demonstrating a Minimal approach to learning

Debating

Congratulations to our 3 teams who competed on Tuesday 6 June. Well done on a wonderful achievement, and a special mention to Sanuli, who won speaker of the night, and to her team who won their debate.

Corey-Lee Lewis
Assistant Principal - Leader of Learning

This year at St Raphael’s School will be participating in the world-renowned ICAS competitions .  

What is ICAS?  

ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills. This year, students in Years 3-6 will have the opportunity to enter in the English and Mathematics competition.   

Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.  

If your child is in Years 3-6, we encourage you to consider entering your child into ICAS this year.   

Learn more about ICAS here. 

How to participate in ICAS  

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please: 
- read about ICAS subjects and prices here
- go to Parent Portal here
- enter our school’s access code – QZQ705
- enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment by Monday 31 July 2023.  

Please note that the ICAS tests shown for selection are at the school’s discretion.   

After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records.  

ICAS Results and Certificates  

We will notify you of the date(s) that we run ICAS at the school and when your child’s ICAS results are ready. Once we have received your child’s ICAS certificate, we will send it home with your child. The back of the certificate shows ICAS results and the login details, “TAP ID and Pin”, that you and your child need to enter the Results Portal orti.icasassessments.com/ortiStudent   

Privacy Collection Statement   

Information about how your child’s data is kept private and secure is available here.    

We are proud to offer ICAS and look forward to some fantastic results later in the year.  Please do not hesitate to contact the school office and ask to speak to Julie Purdie or email jpurdie@raph.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions.   

Kind regards
Julie Purdie
Numeracy Specialist Teacher 

School Sports Results

Week 4:
Year 5/6 Netball: St Raphael’s 12 defeated St Spyridon College 6
Year 3/4 Soccer: St Raphael’s 1 defeated by Trinity Gardens PS 2

Week 5:
Year 5/6 Netball: St Raphael’s 6 defeated by Pulteney Grammar 36
Year 3/4 Soccer: St Raphael’s 1 defeated by Walkerville PS 4

SACPSSA Netball Carnival

Friday of Week 9 students from Years 5 and 6 will be participating in the SACPSSA Netball Carnival. This is held at Netball SA Stadium, where students can enjoy SA’s best outdoor netball facilities. SACPSSA Netball Carnivals traditionally encourage participation rather than competition. Aimed for both boys and girls, St Raphael’s School has registered a 5/6 boys team, Year 6 girls team and Year 5 girls team. Students are asked to return their permissions forms as soon possible.

SACPSSA Cross Country Carnival

The SACPSSA Cross Country Carnival is held each year in the East Parklands, starting on the Prince Alfred College Oval and making its way along a 2km course through Park 15. Annually, this event sees students in Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 challenge themselves over a 2km course. This is a participation event that hosts approximately 60 schools and around 2500 students each year. Keep an eye out as information about training sessions for our Year 3- 6 students will be made available in the next few weeks.

Save the Date: Cross Country Yr 3-6

When: Thursday Week 3 Term 3, August 10
Where: East Park Land, PAC Oval
Time: 10:00am - 2.00pm

Hannah Reid
PE Teacher and Sports Coordinator

Join us for a St Raphael's School indoor playdate

Please RSVP to Katrina on ktucker@raph.catholic.edu.au

Information on what Imagination Kidz has to offer, including their onsite cafe and entry fees [adults free] can be found here.

Students in Year 3 and Year 4 have been involved in a Makers Empire project. To start with, we created our avatar and engaged with a range of different challenge courses. This term, our Challenge Course investigated natural disasters. We learned what they are and the different types of natural disasters. We explored how they impact on the Earth and living things, as well as how people can prepare for and manage the impact of natural disasters.  

We were guided through a Design Thinking process, and then designed a solution to help prevent or minimise the impact caused by a natural disaster. First, we brainstormed a list of solutions, and then chose one to create in Makers Empire. We also made 3D models of our solutions to check they would work. We have gone back and edited our designs and in a few weeks we will use the 3D printers to print our designs. 

Tuesday July 4 in the school Hall from 6:30pm

Please RVSP via Qkr! App.

To view upcoming events please open our St Raphael's School Events page here.