Week 9 Term 2 2021

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Can you believe it’s already Week 9? Learning at IHM, across all year levels this term has been rich, diverse and authentic! This can be said for all students, but also for our staff team. Learning has no finish line! God’s plan for us is that we continue to learn each and every day; about each other, about our various life experiences and about communicating and connecting. We are the sum of our lived experiences and our young people at IHM are privileged to engage in high quality learning activities daily, thanks to our learning environments and dedicated educators. 

This term as Acting Principal I have grown as an educator and educational leader, thanks to the beautiful, nurturing community of learners which includes students, families and staff. Thank you!

Reports

Next week you will receive your child’s formal report.  I have had the great pleasure in reading all of the children’s reports, so that I can see each child’s achievements, their unique character strengths and their progressive development.  I am so proud of their remarkable progress.

Please take the time to read through the report with your child, praise them for their efforts and be careful not to overact to grades you view as unsatisfactory.  Focus on the positives and help them set new goals for learning in the future.  Remember learning is an ongoing process involving risk taking, success and opportunities for growth.  If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to discuss these with your child’s teacher or myself. 

Reflection Day

The whole staff had a wonderful reflection day a couple of weeks ago.  These days are important to us as a whole staff, to be together as an adult faith and learning community.  The day was based around our Pillar of Love and our theme for the year – “Let Love Guide Your Life” Colossians 3:14.

The day allowed staff to deepen their understandings of theme and what it means for us in our everyday lives being with others, including our school context.  It was a great opportunity to share the ways we encounter God and the way we live a life of love for those around us, our world and importantly ourselves.  

Safety around the School

Thank you to all the families who have noticed the reduced speed limit to 25KPH on East Street and are supporting our school by being mindful of the building works and changes at pick ups and drop offs.  The safety of all our students and their families is paramount and with your help we will continue to ensure the safety of all. 

A reminder for families NOT TO PARK in the Staff carpark as this is creating a traffic hazard for our staff and also when reversing out of the carpark. Thank you.

Wishing you all a happy fortnight and safe school break.

Annette Diassinas
ACTING PRINCIPAL

Refugee Week

Sunday June 20 marked the beginning of Refugee Week, a week long celebration for ordinary people to welcome, thank and celebrate their neighbours who have come seeking safety.

Jesus and his family were also refugees, having to flee Bethlehem to Egypt to escape King Herod who was seeking to kill all children under the age of two. Mary and Joseph were forced to flee their home as they were in fear of being persecuted and losing their new born son.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that when we welcome a stranger we are also welcoming himself. It is imperative that we open our hearts and welcome migrants and refugees into our community and be compassionate towards their hope for a life of safety and new beginnings in a country that has so much to offer.

Pope Francis words from his book “Let us Dream” encourages us to keep our hearts and minds open and to welcome the stranger, the newcomer.

“The heart of Christianity is God’s love for all peoples and our love for our neighbours, especially those in need. To reject a struggling migrant, whatever his or her religious belief, out of fear of diluting a “Christian” culture is grotesquely to misrepresent both Christianity and culture. Migration is not a threat to Christianity except in the minds of those who benefit from claiming it is. To promote the Gospel and not welcome the strangers in need, nor affirm their humanity as children of God, is to seek to encourage a culture that is Christian in name only, emptied of all that makes it distinctive.”

Reconciliation Action Plan Group Members

IHM is a school community that is committed to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are looking for members of our school community who are interested in being a part of the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group. As a member of this group, you will work with staff and students to implement reconciliation initiatives.

If you would like to be part of the RAP Working Group or would like more information please email Julie at the Front Office:  info@ihm.catholic.edu.au

Family Mass

Please join us on Sunday 27th June 9:30am at the Sacred Heart Church, 252 Port Road, Hindmarsh to celebrate the IHM Family Mass.

This is an opportunity for us to come together as a whole school community, celebrate mass and meet other members of the Sacred Heart Parish.

We are hoping as many families as possible will be able to attend the Mass.

If you can attend and you or your child are able to read or be part of the Mass processions, please RSVP to the event to Julie at: info@ihm.catholic.edu.au

Reminder - Winter Warmers Appeal

Please bring in all your donations by this Friday 25th June. Thank you to all the families who have generously donated already.

To support those in our community who are less fortunate and experiencing homelessness, students from IHM are asked to donate Winter Warmers to the Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless Persons.  Items donated can be brand new or in excellent condition.

The SRC’s have placed baskets in the classrooms to collect the following items:

• Beanies
• Gloves
• Blankets
• Sleeping bags
• Scarves
• Socks
• Jumpers
• Jackets

May justice, peace and compassion guide you always.

Nadia Morris

ACTING APRIM

Today we have been informed of changes to traffic conditions at the Ovingham Level Crossing which may affect many families.

From this Friday 25th June there will be the following changes:

• NO RIGHT TURN from Churchill Road onto Torrens Road
• NO LEFT TURN onto Churchill Road from Torrens Road

Please see the information attached.

__files/d/12904/Ovingham_Level_Crossing.pdf

At IHM we are introducing “Loose Parts Play” to our recess and lunch time play in Term 3.

Loose parts play is about real-world learning for all children and young people. The process both of introducing loose parts and of playing with them involves collaboration, sharing, thinking, problem-solving and decision-making where the outcome is evident – better play experiences.

We are needing the support of our wonderful families with some items you might be able to donate from your sheds, garages and wardrobes. 

The things we are after include:

• Large Cardboard boxes (the bigger the better ... new dishwasher? fridge freezer?)
• Tarps
• Pieces of fabric such as old blankets, sheets or curtains
• Sticks from pruned trees
• Milk crates
• Plastic boxes
• Dressing up stuff like hats, scarves, dresses
• Old household items like pots and pans, wooden spoons, mixing bowls, telephones, computer keyboards, remote controls,
• Buckets
• Clothes pegs
• Bits of scrap wood
• Rope
• PVC Pipes
• Cable reels
• Cushions
• Any other items you think would be useful

We ask that you use a bit of common sense when donating items as we don’t want anything that is likely to cause injury such as items with sharp edges.

You items can be donated to the Front Office. Thank you for your support.

Families are reminded that students should be wearing full correct IHM school uniform. There are an increasing number of students coming to school wearing different colour windcheaters, jumpers, pants, sneaker and hair ribbons etc.

Please check the lost property boxes located in the admin building as there are numerous items of clothing, lunch boxes and bottles, many of which are unnamed. Thank you.

For your information please see the attached Uniform list.

__files/d/12936/IHM_Uniform.pdf