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- Acknowledgement of Country
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- Well-Being
- Important Notices
- Business Manager
- Diary Dates
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- Reminder for All Volunteers - RRHAN Update Training
- Parents and Friends Committee
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- Gleeson College News
- SA Dental Service
- Contact Information
Dear Parents/Caregivers, Students, Staff, and Friends of Saint David’s Parish School,
Harmony Day Celebrations
On Friday our school community gathered for Community Prayer to celebrate Harmony Day, Everyone Belongs! Our Liturgy, led by our senior School Captains, Jackson, Iyla, Vincent and Connor, demonstrated their leadership with confidence. Uncle Ivan, Senior Aboriginal Elder and grandfather to Isabella, led us through a Welcome to County, followed later by a traditional Smoking Ceremony when the newly presented Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Australian flags were handed to the student leaders by Mr Tony Zappia, MP for Makin, South Australia. Fr James Jeyachandran OMI, spoke with our community about his experiences of living in different countries, and reminded those gathered to be kind, to smile more and to include one another in our games and play. It was wonderful to gather, acknowledge the solemnity of the ceremony and celebrate our diverse and culturally blended school community. I wish to acknowledge our dedicated Parents and Friends Committee, who provided our delicious and multiculturally inspired morning tea for our visiting guests and parents and caregivers.
Staffing News
Mrs. Jenny Everuss, Assistant to the Principal, Religious Identity and Misson (APRIM) will be taking leave for the next two weeks, and Mrs. Amanda Paleologos, Italian Teacher, will be on leave next term from Tuesday 29 April until Tuesday 3 June. Mrs. Kim Chenoweth will be taking Italian lessons until Senora Paleologos’ returns. We wish them both safe travels.
Real Schools Presentation
Thank you to the parents/caregivers who joined us for Jemma Rust’s presentation, ‘How do we ensure Saint David’s Parish School teachers and parents are on the same page?’ During Jemma’s presentation, she spoke about some quick tips to help families navigate the ever increasing demands of positive parenting. Luke Ferguson has written a summary of the evening with some helpful hints, please see below.
On Thursday, 20 March, our school had the pleasure of hosting Jemma Rust, our Real Schools consultant. She was in classrooms for the day working with staff and students. We have partnered with Real Schools for the next three years to support us in using restorative practices to create a positive school culture that allows students staff and our community to thrive. Jemma ran a session that evening and spoke about important topics that face families and schools alike. She had a number of strategies to support us all in assisting our students to build empathy and solve problems effectively. Over the coming newsletters, we will be attaching a flyer about one of the topics that we are working through as a school. We encourage families to engage with the articles and speak to your children about them. It takes a village, and we are very fortunate to have Jemma and the Real Schools team as part of ours.
Year 6 Camp
Our Year 6 students returned today from a three day Aquatics Camp to Aldinga. Their camp activities included beach and surfing activities, orienteering and team building games. We send a grateful thank you to the parents/caregivers who were able to support us by attending, as well as the teachers who also attended. We are only able to offer so many experiences because of the generosity of our volunteers. I am sure that attending students, teachers and parent volunteers will sleep soundly tonight!
School Board Committee Members
On Tuesday 18 March, we held our Annual General Meeting followed by our first newly formed School Board meeting. I am happy to announce that Stephanie Henderson is our new School Board Chair. New to our School Board are Mr Adam Calnan and Mr Raymond Vozzo. For your information I have provided the names of our 2025 School Board:
Fr James Jeyachandran (President), Emily Cai (Minutes Secretary), Adam Calnan, Jenny Everuss (Staff Rep), Luke Ferguson (Deputy Principal), Mia Harms (Principal), Stacey Hampton, Stephanie Henderson, Carolyn Reed, Kristy Tohl and Raymond Vozzo.
With every best wish,
It was wonderful seeing so many families at our Family Mass on Saturday 15 March at 5:30pm. Thank you to everyone involved including our readers, musicians, singers 
and people assisting with the processions.
Our Term 2 Family Mass will be on Saturday 28 June at 5:30pm. Everyone is welcome. If your family is coming to this Mass and would like to be involved, please let me know jeveruss@stdavid.catholic.edu.au
Harmony Day
Thank you to our families who joined our community for prayer in the courtyard on Friday for Harmony Day. As Father James reminded us all on this morning, respecting everything in our world is very important and if we can all do that, we will live harmoniously wherever we are in the world.
A big thank you to Mel and Tim Gilford for cutting up the oranges so every student could enjoy nice fresh oranges on Harmony Day and thank you to Luke Ferguson for purchasing the juiciest oranges!
Thank you also to the Mini Vinnies volunteers (pictured below) who kindly assisted with the counting and delivering of the orange pins that were made for all students and staff to wear on Harmony Day.
Lord,
May peace blanket our world and heal all nations.
May love fill every heart,
and may unity bring us together in kindness and harmony.
Amen
First Reconciliation
Holy Week and EasterWe will be gathering at 9am with a Whole School Liturgy each morning in Week 11. Year level teams will work together to lead these. Parents and caregivers are most welcome to gather with our students for these liturgies.
Monday 7/4 - Palm Sunday led by Reception and Year 1
Tuesday 8/4 – The Last Supper led Year 2 and Year 3
Wednesday 9/4 – The Garden of Gethsemane led Year 4 and Year 5
Thursday 10/4 – Stations of the Cross led Year 6
Third Sunday of Lent
22nd and 23rd of March 2025
Lam is 27 years old from a small village in rural Vietnam who faced significant challenges due to his short stature. Growing up, Lam often felt isolated due to limited job opportunities and difficulty moving around his community. While his friends started jobs after high school, Lam stayed home with his parents, unsure if he could ever achieve his dream of becoming a graphic designer.
Everything changed when Lam joined the I-SHINE program, supported by Caritas Australia. Through this initiative Lam completed a six-month course developing his graphic design skills. Along the way, he built confidence, made friends and gained a sense of connection.
Today, Lam runs a successful freelance graphic design business from home, serving clients worldwide and earning a steady income. Lam hopes his story will encourage other young people with disabilities to overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams.
Lam’s journey shows how your support of Project Compassion empowers individuals to break barriers and transform their lives.
Will you walk alongside people like Lam this Lent?
Photo credit: Caritas Australia
Please donate today.
You can support Project Compassion 2025 through the donation boxes, envelopes or by scanning the QR code above.
Or online at: caritas.org.au/project-compassion
Or by calling: 1800 024 413
Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent.
Parish Secretary
St Davids Parish, Tea Tree Gully
Part-time, Monday - Friday (30 hrs per week)
St. David's Parish is seeking a Parish Secretary to oversee administrative duties and support the smooth operation of the parish office. You will be the first point of contact for the parish, assisting with sacramental bookings, managing office systems, and supporting financial and organisational tasks.
The successful applicant will be experienced in providing excellent office administrative support and be competent in using the Microsoft Office suite.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are essential together with the ability to work in a team environment.
The successful applicant will be strongly committed to the Catholic ethos.
A copy of the Position Description can be obtained by emailing Michelle Cini, HR Advisor
at recruitment@adelaide.catholic.org.au
Applications should be addressed to the Parish Priest, Fr James Jeyachandran (OMI) at recruitment@adelaide.catholic.org.au
by 5pm on Monday 07 April 2025
Employment with the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide is conditional upon a successful Working with Children Clearance and successful reference checks.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Child Safe Organization.
A huge congratulations to the Year 3 and 5 students who completed the NAPLAN assessment recently. We look forward to seeing your results.
Makers Empire
This week, staff are participating in a training session on how to integrate the 3D technology of Makers Empire. This educational technology company provides a leading 3D design software and professional learning programs for teachers to improve students' spatial reasoning skills and interest in STEM. The program helps students in grades K-10 to become confident creators, innovators, and problem solvers.
The Learning Pit & Resilience
The Learning Pit, created by James Nottingham, is a powerful tool for teaching students the value of struggle. It’s important for students to understand that challenges are a natural part of learning and that struggling builds grit and perseverance. When students enter the Learning Pit, they may feel frustrated, but it’s crucial to encourage a growth mindset and remind them that this is where deep learning happens.
Pushing through the Learning Pit leads to the rewarding eureka moment—when students gain understanding and a sense of accomplishment. Celebrating these moments reinforces that overcoming challenges is valuable. The Learning Challenge, which emphasises challenge, dialogue, and growth mindset, helps students reflect on their learning and see that persistence pays off.
By embracing the Learning Pit, students learn that success comes through resilience, effort, and perseverance.
Vacation Care is running throughout the April school holidays - excluding the Easter and Anzac Day Public Holidays. We have limited spaces available. In order to make a booking families will need to be first registered with our service. For information on how to register please look on the school website or call Mim or Peta on 08 8360 6330 regarding more information.
The Year 2 students in 2C and 2G had an exciting afternoon working alongside the Year 12 students from Kildare College, who are studying Child Studies.
As part of their major project on writing children's books, the Year 12 students asked 2C and 2G to create detailed illustrations of a character. These drawings will be transformed by the Year 12 students into beautiful picture books. The Year 2 students, who have also been learning about narrative writing, were thrilled to contribute their ideas and artwork to help inspire the stories. It was a wonderful collaboration between the two year levels, showcasing creativity and teamwork.
The partnership between Saint David’s Parish School and Kildare College has been a memorable experience for all involved. The Year 2 students enjoyed the hands-on activity and the chance to be a part of such an imaginative project. Later in the year, 2C and 2G will visit Kildare College to see the finished picture books and celebrate the incredible work they’ve helped bring to life. It’s an exciting example of how schools can come together to support each other’s learning in a fun and meaningful way.
Benefits of Expressive Arts Therapies
It is becoming well documented how expressive arts therapy can aid positive mental health, for children, adolescents and adults alike. When it can be difficult to express and communicate feelings in a traditional therapy setting, creating art through expressive therapy can allow individuals to explore thoughts, emotions and feelings in an imaginative and non-judgmental, unstructured way.
Expressive arts therapies can include one, or any combination, of the following:
- Painting – including finger painting
- Play
- Music
- Dance
- Drama
- Drawing
- Sculpture
- Writing/journaling
- Storytelling
- Poetry
- Songwriting
- Other visual arts – including sculpting, collage, self-portraits and photography
Using any of these modalities can help in the development of coping skills to manage stress and difficult emotions, especially when associated with trauma. Engaging in a creative process often allows individuals to focus on the present moment, reducing anxiety and improving overall mental health.
If you are keen to tap into some expressive arts therapies available here in Adelaide, Google: ‘Expressive Arts Therapy Providers Adelaide’ to read more about services available and the reviews associated with each provider.
Holiday Fun
Looking for some holiday fun? Look no further! The website below has lots of great ideas for the up-coming school holidays with lots of competitions on offer also. Definitely worth having a look prior to the holidays!
If you have some balls of wool at home that you wouldn't mind parting with, or if you would like to purchase and donate some, the students attending the well-being room during breaks would love to put them to use! Students are loving finger knitting at the moment, and we quickly run out each week. The fatter the ply of wool the better!
Many thanks,
Gill - Curriculum ESO
Concussion Officer
Saint David’s Parish School will be introducing a ‘Concussion Officer’. Our Concussion Officer will be Tracy Roberts. The role of the concussion officer will be to liaise between parents and school staff regarding known concussions of students (whether they occur during or outside of school time). The concussion officer will be responsible for communicating with school staff regarding exclusion time for sport, PE and overly active play as recommended by the student’s health care professional. They will also ensure that our school is managing any concussions as per the First Aid Procedure and the Australian Concussion Guidelines for Youth and Community Sport.
Please note that the Concussion Officer is not a concussion expert and is not expected to diagnose concussions. Their role will be similar to that of a Fire Warden in that they ensure the school is following agreed concussion procedures and communicating to school staff as necessary.
If your child suffers a concussion, whether that be during school time or out of school time, and they seek medical treatment from a health care professional, we ask that you provide a clearance from the health care professional to Tracy and also liaise with her regarding any specific needs for your child.
Uniforms
The school uniform 'try-on' service held in the uniform shop opposite the Office is open each week at the below times:
Monday & Thursday - 8:15-9:15am and 2:30-3:30pm
Tuesday Morning- Second hand uniform shop open (run by P&F).
Please see link below for the online ordering site.
Parking – Reminder
Please adhere to signage around the school in relation to parking and traffic flow. It is important that local residents have access to their property at all times. Cars are not to queue across Vizard Road and block the entrance to our surrounding neighbours and Church. Please be aware that the Church’s driveway and slip lane (Elizabeth Street and Vizard Road) are reserved for parishioners and the parking bays are designated for disabled parking only.
Please adhere to signage around the school in relation to parking and traffic flow.
- It is important that parking restrictions are adhered to at all times.
- Cars must not queue across Vizard Road or block entrances to the church or local resident’s properties.
- The Church’s driveway and slip lane (Elizabeth Street and Vizard Road) are reserved for Parishioners and the parking bays are designated for disabled parking only.
- Under no circumstances should cars stop in the middle of the road to allow children to get into the car – please make sure you have parked appropriately to collect or drop off your child.
Please remember, safety of our children is everyone’s responsibility.
TERM 1 FINANCE NEW’S
TERM 1 FINANCE NEW’S
School Card
If you are holders of a Health Care Card, you may be eligible for School Card. Application forms are available via the State Government’s School Card Scheme on Saint David’s Parish School's Web site and attached. Any questions please contact Debbie.
Financial Hardship
Saint David’s Parish School continues its commitment to supporting every student and family through difficult times. Catholic Education acknowledges the unprecedented economic impact on many families.
If you are concerned about your ability to pay schools fees, we strongly encourage you to have a discussion with us. We believe a family’s financial circumstances should not be a barrier to a student accessing a Catholic education.
Thank you for your support.
Saint David’s Parish School – Changing Bank Details.
Important note Catholic Education South Australia have changed banks to CBA
You will notice that the BSB and Account Details have changed shown on the bottom of your statement.
If you currently pay accounts by EFT you will need to update the bank details to:
SAINT DAVID’S PARISH SCHOOL
BSB 066-782
ACCOUNT 100000171
| FRIDAY 28 MARCH |
9:00am 1B Assembly SAPSASA Athletics Carnival Year 6 Camp |
| MONDAY 31 MARCH |
Learning Conversations |
| TUESDAY 1 APRIL |
9:00am-10:30am Playgroup Learning Conversations |
| WEDNESDAY 2 APRIL |
Catholic Swimming Carnival Learning Conversations |
| TUESDAY 8 APRIL | 9:00am-10:30am Playgroup |
| FRIDAY 11 APRIL | 12:30pm Term 1 ends |
| SUNDAY 13 APRIL | Holy Week |
Thank you to all our wonderful Volunteers and the time you give to support Saint David’s Parish School.
RRHAN-EC refresher module is now available for registered volunteers to complete. Please login to your plink account to complete.
Please take a moment when you can to update your training, as there will be a backlog of issuing new Volunteer badges.
Once you have completed the training, please email your updated certificate to me and I will issue you with a new badge.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Entertainment Book
Link to purchase an Entertainment Membership Saint David's Parish School (entertainment.com.au)
As you are aware, the safety and wellbeing of every student at Saint David’s Parish School is our priority. Staff, volunteers and essential service providers are required to complete a Working with Children screening. The school induction program also ensures that all persons coming onto the school grounds have the required Child Protection documentation. It is important as a school community that we ensure all stakeholders have access to Catholic Education Child Protection and Policy Guidelines.
You will find these documents on our school website:
Just a reminder that the cut off time to order school lunches in the morning on the Qkr! app, is 8:30am. If your child has a lunch order, please make sure it is ordered prior to this time.
The following phone number is a dedicated ‘parent support line’. The number is 7084 1801. The number is manned from 9:30am, but parents can leave a message before then & they will get a return call from 9:30am. This number can be used for parents who have missed the 8:30am cut off, refund queries or help with navigating Qkr!
Keep your Kids Smiling!
Dental care is FREE for ALL babies, preschool and most children under 18 years at School Dental Service clinics.
Our specially trained staff provide comprehensive dental care to help prevent pain and tooth decay.
We will always talk to you about what your child needs before we provide any treatment. We have been a trusted government dental service for children since 1969 and bulk bill under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
Call us now for an appointment!
Your local clinic is: Modbury GP Plus Super Clinic Phone: 7425 8700 or use this link to our website to ask us to contact you.
School Address: 40 Elizabeth Street, Tea Tree Gully SA 5091
Postal Address: PO Box 647 St Agnes SA 5097
Telephone: 8360 6300
Absentee Line: 8360 6373
OSHC: 8360 6330 Mobile 0457 951 724
Web Address: www.stdavids.catholic.edu.au
Email Address: info@stdavids.catholic.edu.au
Facebook: @saintdavidsparishschool