Week 6 Term 3 2023

Dear Parents and Friends,

Welcome to Week 6!  We are now over halfway in Term 3 with lots of wonderful events still ahead of us including our Father’s Day Breakfast and Liturgy, VIP Day, IHM Coin Challenge as well as some excursions and incursions. 

Thanks to all those families who journeyed through the streets of Brompton as part of our Book Week Parade.  The students always love doing this, it is such a highlight for our community and to celebrate our love of reading here at IHM. 

UPCOMING SPECIAL DAYS

Father’s Day Breakfast and Liturgy - This Friday 1st September 

On Friday our SRC’s will be hosting a special Breakfast for all the dads, uncles and special men in our students lives.  The Breakfast will be held from 8.30 - 9.00am with our Liturgy commencing at 9.00am.  Thank you to the IHM Staff who will be putting on the delicious breakfast.  Our IHM staff are always going above and beyond in supporting our school community. 

VIP Day - Friday 8th September

Next Friday (Week 7) we will be having our VIP Day at IHM.  This day is open to any special people in the children’s lives (it can be a mum, dad, grandparent, aunty/uncle etc).    We will be having a Coffee Van from 8.30 - 9.00am.  A special thank you to Rowland Hall who is kindly donating his time and delicious coffee to IHM for a gold coin donation from families.  All funds raised will go to our IHM Community and continue to fund important resources.

Our assembly will begin at 9.00am which is run by 1/2HW where all classes will share something on the day.  After the assembly our VIP guests are welcome back to the children’s classrooms.  The special VIP morning will conclude at 10.15am.  We look forward to seeing all our VIPs on this day. 

Student Centred Conferences 18^th to 22^nd September - Bookings Online

One of the ways we foster student agency is through our ‘Student Centred Conferences’ which we have had in place as an important part of our assessment and reporting practices since 2016. All best practice research in education refers to the importance of student agency and self-evaluation in maximising outcomes. As a staff we have been focusing on building student agency across the school. Professor John Hattie who has researched the world’s largest evidence base into what works best in schools to improve learning, identifies "student self-reporting as the most significant indicator linked to raised student achievement." (Visible learning, 2009).

PLEASE NOTE:  These differ from the traditional Parent Teacher Interviews because they directly involve the student and their learning. It is a time for the students to demonstrate their communication and reflection skills by sharing and demonstrating their individual growth and achievements. It is also a time for students to receive feedback from their parents and teachers and to set new goals.

Parent engagement and student responsibility for their learning are key factors proven to improve student success, and we are pleased to offer this opportunity to support your child’s learning, independence, growth and flourishing.

How to Book Student Centred Conferences:

Yesterday you would have received information on School Stream regarding booking Student Centred Conferences in Week 9.

To make a booking click on the link in Schoolstream or below.

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/hserm

1. Enter your details (which includes your children’s names)
2. Select the teacher you wish to see
3. Select the appointment times that suit your family best.

When you FINISH your selected bookings will be emailed to you immediately.  If you do not receive your email, please check your junk mail, or click on the link again and check your email and spelling.  Update your details if email address is incorrect.

DO NOT DELETE the email you receive.  Keep it somewhere safe.  You may need to refer back to it at a later date.

REMEMBER TO ADD YOUR APPOINTMENT TO YOUR CALENDAR - reminders WILL NOT be sent home.

Bookings must be finalised by 5.00pm Thursday 14th September. 

If you need to view, cancel, change or print your bookings:

• Click on the link in the confirmation email you received after you made the bookings
• OR return to https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/hserm and enter the email address you used when making your booking.

IHM Playgroup - Increasing Days In 2024

We are seeking feedback from our families who might be interested in accessing our Little Hearts Playgroup in 2024. We are wanting to add an additional Playgroup session (currently Friday 9.30 - 11.00am).

Please email Julie at info@ihm.catholic.edu.au or speak to Julie or Rachel Belperio regarding what other day of the work you might be interested in attending. Your feedback is valued as we want it to work for those in our community.

School Fees for 2024

I am pleased to inform our school families that there will be no increase in school fees for the 2024 school year. Catholic Education SA has announced it will freeze tuition fees at its 84 Diocesan schools for the 2024 school year.

“We recognise that cost-of-living increases are putting significant pressure on families,” says Dr Neil McGoran, Executive Director, Catholic Education SA.

“Growth in enrolments across the State in our 101 Catholic Schools, together with prudent financial management, puts us in a position where we are able to hold tuition fees at this year’s level.”

Dr McGoran said the fee-freeze will not impact the quality of education.

“We are committed to keeping school fees as low as possible and ensuring a Catholic education is affordable and accessible to all.”

Since 2019, Catholic Education SA has been implementing the Making Catholic Education More Affordable Initiative to ensure Catholic schools are accessible to any family who wants their child to have a Catholic education.
 

Have a safe and wonderful fortnight.

Annette Diassinas
ACTING PRINCIPAL

Hat Wearing Time!

From this Friday1st September all students must wear an IHM School Hat during all outdoor activities. NO HAT = NO PLAY (as per our Uniform Policy). Students will be asked to sit under the verandah if they are not wearing an IHM School. Please remember to name your child's hat.

Hats are available from the Office or can be ordered via Qkr!

• Legionnaire - $7.00
• Brimmed - $12.00

Royal Adelaide Show

The Royal Adelaide Show commences this Saturday and we wish to inform families that we do not have a 'Show Day'. We ask that you please advise the Office if your child will not be attending school (via School Stream Absences).

Lost Property

Our lost property boxes in the Admin building are currently overflowing with unnamed uniform items as well as many lunch containers and drink bottles. Parents are welcome to check the lost property if their child is missing any uniform etc. Please remember to name all your child's belongings. Thank you.

School Photo Day - Tuesday 5th September

"Say Cheese" - MSP Photography are on their way!

Next Tuesday 5th September is school photo day and all students will have their school photo taken by MSP Photography.

Pre-paid envelopes printed with your child’s name were distributed to the students this week.

If you wish to order photographs please return all envelopes with either cash payment or paid for online before photo day. Pay online using the Shootkey on your envelope.

The photographers will return on Friday 8th September for a 'mop-up' day for any students absent on photo day.

Please take time to read the relevant information on the envelopes and remember these points:

• On photo day could families please ensure that children are wearing their clean CORRECT SCHOOL UNIFORM - they will be photographed wearing their short sleeve school polo top. Our Year 6 students should wear their senior tops.
• Family envelopes (for sibling photos) are available from the school office upon request and can also be paid for online.
• Spare photo envelopes are also available from the Office.
• If paying with cash please ensure that correct money is enclosed in envelopes – no change can be given at school.

Safeguarding Sunday

This weekend, the Catholic Church in Australia marks Safeguarding Sunday.

At this time, we are all encouraged to pray for those who have been abused, and also for their families and those who care for them.

The Hindmarsh/Findon Catholic Parish is committed to the care, wellbeing and protection of children, young people and people at risk in our community.  May we work to build and support safe communities for all people.

You can find out more about the Church’s work in this area at:

www.catholic.au/s/article/safeguardingsunday2023

Confirmation and First Holy Communion - Sunday 27^th August

Congratulations to Daniella who celebrated the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion on Sunday with students from St Joseph’s School Hindmarsh and from the Hindmarsh/Findon Parish.

Student Leaders Vinnies Food Appeal - Can You Help?

Our Vinnies Winter Food appeal organised by our School Leaders continues to run through until Friday 8 September (End Week 7).

Thank you to all families who have shown their support for this drive. If you haven’t had the opportunity to contribute but would still like to, we are looking for donations of the following items;

• Long life milk
• Rice
• Pasta
• Biscuits
• Tea
• Coffee

These donations can be added to the basket in your child’s classroom. Please ensure that all items donated are still within their use by date. Thank you!

Season of Creation Walk - Monday 4^th September

The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration to pray and respond together to the cry of Creation. People around the world unite to listen and care for our common home. 

The Season “Celebration” begins on the 1^st of September, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends on the 4^th of October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.   This year the theme is, “Let Justice and Peace Flow.”

As a part of the celebrations for the Season of Creation we will take part in a Creation Walk on Monday September 4^th at 9.00am to Parfitt Square, corner of Drayton and Fourteenth Street, Bowden.

On this walk we will invite the children to take time to contemplate the gift of God’s creation and to look around and enjoy all that that they can see in the park which has been created by God. We will hold a short prayer service in the park to celebrate this special season.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Family Mass - Sunday 24^th September

On Sunday September 24^th all families from Immaculate Heart of Mary are warmly invited to join with the Hindmarsh/Findon Parish to celebrate Mass at Sacred Heart Church Hindmarsh at 9.00am.

On this day we will celebrate the 109th World Day of the Migrant and Refugee, with the theme, ‘Free to choose whether to migrate or to stay’. World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) has been celebrated since 1914. It is a time where we recognise the courage and fortitude of these people and heighten our level of empathy and understanding for the plight and difficult decisions they have had to make.

Students and families from Immaculate Heart of Mary are encouraged to come along to this mass dressed in their national dress or wearing something that celebrates their culture. Children will also be encouraged to read a Prayer of the Faithful or to take part in the Children’s Liturgy.

We look forward to seeing many families at this mass to join in celebrating this very special day.

Southern Cross:

The current edition of the Catholic newspaper put out by the Archdiocese called, ‘The Southern Cross,’ is available at; www.thesoutherncross.org.au

Thought For The Week:

‘Take pride in who you are and what you can do”

Paula Clark
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL – RELIGIOUS IDENTITY AND MISSION