St Raphael's School Newsletter 6, June 27

From the Principal

The Importance of Communication in Today's Society

In an era where information flows incessantly from multiple channels, the significance of effective communication has never been more critical.

As a school community, how we convey messages and how we listen to feedback profoundly impacts our collective success and cohesion.

Communication today is a multifaceted and complex endeavour. We are inundated with emails, social media updates, instant messages, and numerous other forms of digital correspondence. While these tools have revolutionised the way we share and receive information, they also pose a unique challenge: important messages often get lost in the noise.

Recognising this challenge, we have made concerted efforts to streamline our communication processes. Our aim has been to ensure that every message reaches you clearly and efficiently, and that you have ample opportunity to provide your valuable feedback. However, despite these efforts, it seems that our current methods are not entirely meeting your needs.

Your input is crucial in refining our communication strategy. We believe that by understanding your preferences for receiving information, we can create a more effective and less overwhelming communication environment. To this end, we are seeking your feedback on your preferred communication channels.

Do you prefer receiving updates via email, or do you find instant messaging platforms more convenient?

Are social media updates sufficient for your needs, or do you prefer detailed newsletters?

Perhaps you appreciate the immediacy of text messages for urgent announcements but prefer other channels for regular updates.

Your insights on these questions will help us tailor our communication methods to better suit your needs.

Our goal is not just to disseminate information but to ensure that every member of our school community feels informed, engaged, and heard. Effective communication fosters a sense of belonging and ensures that everyone is aligned with our collective objectives.

We invite you to share your thoughts and preferences with us. Your feedback is invaluable as we strive to enhance our communication strategy. By working together, we can create a more streamlined, efficient, and responsive communication system that truly meets the needs of our school community.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

We look forward to hearing from you and working together to improve our communication practices.

Link to come for the survey.

Warm regards, Emma Fowler Principal

From the APRIM

St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop

Last Thursday, our entire school and our Parish Priest Fr. Tom, headed to the hall for a performance highlighting the early years of St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop. It was a very engaging and interactive play, with a number of students volunteering to take on various acting roles throughout – which they did most convincingly and quite confidently too! We all got to know the person of Mary (Australia’s first Saint) and understand more about her character, perseverance, compassion and determination to make a difference.

Teachers sought feedback from students about the play, which I share with you below…

“It was really cool, we got to meet lots of characters.” Olivia

“Good, great actor and actress with lots of audience engagement.” Renee

“Fun and exciting. I liked the end when Mary and her brother were in the billy cart going down the big hill.” Keona

Some of our Yr.3/4 class who have recently being learning about St. Mary, critiqued the play…

“They didn’t include the part where Sr. Mary got kicked out of the church by the Pope.” Gabby

“The priest turned her into a Saint, but this doesn’t happen until the person has died.” Nathanael

“It wasn’t 100% accurate.” Julian

It is evident that their prior learning about Mary MacKillop was meaningful and that they had been highly engaged by the play, to notice these things. I think it was quite intriguing for our students, to have had the opportunity to ‘meet’ Mary MacKillop in this way. Suddenly, this famous, inspiring woman seemed like a real person, not just someone in a book from the past.

Vinnie’s Winter Appeal

We have two donation bins – one just outside the new office area and a second near the drop off and pick up area. Please, if you have any warm, good-quality items of clothing you no longer need or spare rugs and sleeping bags, drop them in the collection bins. Many thanks!

On the last Friday of this term, we are having a Wear Your Winter Woollies Day – when students and staff are invited to come to school rugged up in casual clothes and bring along a can of food to donate.

Our senior students will coordinate the creation of a can line or picture under the central covered area, just for fun and to see how many cans we have donated. To make this more meaningful to the students, families may consider taking their child/children to the supermarket to select a can of food.

Vinnies recommend items such as canned vegetables, tuna, soup and meals – items that are nutritious, warming and delicious.

I will leave you with some wisdom from our own St. Mary MacKillop of the Cross…

“Find happiness in making others happy.”

“Believe in the whisperings of God to your own heart.”

“Never see a need without doing something about it.”

Many blessings to you all,

Tanya Stott APRIM

Triarama's from Year 3 and 4

Recently, our Year 4 students have been engaged in an exciting project that combines aspects of the Geography and Biological Sciences Curriculum.

The task at hand was to design a triarama based on a habitat of their choice, including at least one animal that inhabits it.

Through this project, our students not only showcased their design and technology skills but also deepened their understanding of ecosystems and the importance of sustainable resource management.

As part of their research, the students explored various habitats such as rainforests, deserts, oceans, and grasslands. They identified the roles of different organisms within these habitats and developed an understanding of relevant food chains.

The triarama project has been a fantastic opportunity for our class to combine learning with their interests and creativity. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication.

Please check out the impressive triaramas. Each one is a testament to the students' curiosity, creativity, and commitment to learning about the world around them.

Mr Christopher Uzzell Year 3 and 4 Teacher

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P.E. Update

In Physical Education, over the course of this school term we've been hard at work developing our skills in the sports of Lacrosse and Netball.

At the commencement of the term, students in Years 3-6 engaged in learning the sport of Lacrosse. For many, this was a new and daunting prospect, however, all things led to the highly successful and fun filled day at the SACPSSA Catholic Schools Lacrosse Carnival.

As the term progressed the school has been fortunate to have Basketball experts, and high level players in Joe Jackson (Woodville Warriors) & Alex Starling (Adelaide 36ers) support our learners. With a focus on sportsmanship, resilience and skills, students have been challenged to develop their basketball abilities with the guidance of these experts. It has been an amazing opportunity which our students have thoroughly enjoyed. We thank Joe & Alex for all the hard work and care they have shown working with each of our aspiring athletes.

As this sporting semester comes to a conclusion, I'd like to thank not only the students, but also our St Raphael's School community of families for all the support I've been given over the course of my time so far at this school.

With my final weeks in Australia before making my move to the UK racing by, I truly can't put in to words the warmth and gratitude I've felt across the school. With all the positive growth and change around the school, I'm proud to have played a part in this. I'm also grateful for the opportunities I've been provided to grow at St Raphael's School in the various roles I've worked in, and the excellent educators that I've worked alongside. I'd like to thank the staff at the school who have supported me in every step along the way, and the leadership team who have guided me at every moment.

While I'm moving now, I cannot wait to see the journey this school continues to go on. After attending the Year 1 & 2 Soccer match on the weekend, it left me inspired, that we are on a positive journey with our supportive and amazing family community, as well as the cohort of staff and students we have at St Raphael's School.

St Raphael's School truly is a unique and rare school, which I couldn't have been more grateful to be apart of these last 3 years.

Announcements of who will be working within the PE/Sports Coordinator role & Year 1 classroom will be made in due course.

Thank you again and this is not a goodbye, its a see-you-soon.

Corey Tucker P.E. Teacher