Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to our last newsletter for 2020. Next Wednesday will be the last day of term for our students as they finish at 3pm. Unfortunately, we will be unable to gather as a whole school community to celebrate at our traditional Mass of Thanksgiving in our Church this year. Students will instead be celebrating the end of the school year at a student-centered outdoor Liturgy on Wednesday morning. Organising our end of year celebrations has been extremely difficult due to being unable to gather as a whole school community. The one exception was last night at the COVID safe Year 6 Mass and Graduation. It was a wonderful night for the Year 6 students, their families and teachers. We gathered in the church to celebrate Mass with Fr Roy and we were able to present and congratulate Charlie Ayling on winning the Hartley Award, which was presented to him by the Honorable Minister of Police and Correction Services, Mr. Vincent Tarzia. The graduation continued at the Molinara Club for a special celebration and the presentation of certificates to the Graduates.
I would like to thank all our Year 6 students for their contributions to our school and wish them well in all their future endeavors. I would especially like to acknowledge families who are leaving our school as they come to the end of their journey in our school community. We thank you all for being a part of our school and the invaluable contributions you have made over the years. You will always have a special place in our hearts at St Joseph’s School, Tranmere.
Building and Grounds
We have exciting news about future school development of our school grounds. The School Board and I are pleased to inform our community that we are in the process of purchasing the property at 9 Birkinshaw Avenue - the property next to our bottom yard. This will allow the school to expand our playing field and provides the possibility to develop a new full-size netball and basketball play surface.
Our Steering Committee is also meeting with the Architects next week for the presentation of stage one for the design of the Adventure Playground, the refurbishing the Parish Hall, remodeling our OSHC space and introducing promenade entrances to the school. We look forward to displaying these plans in the New Year and hope to start the building in the middle of 2021.
Class Placements and Transition
Next Tuesday students will transition to their new classroom and meet their teacher(s) for 2021. They will spend time getting to know each other and sharing news about the exciting learning that will take place next year.
Any change can be exciting as well as an anxious time for students. We hope through this process they can be supported and feel happy about the New Year ahead. We see this annual transition event as a very positive opportunity for our students to mix and meet their fellow students, who they will journey with and create new friendships. The children will come home excited to share their news of what classroom they will be in and the teacher(s) they will be having, we see this as a celebration and a time for change. We encourage you to assist with your child in making this change a very positive and exciting new opportunity in their journey through school.
All our continuing students will receive a letter that afternoon, providing families with the details of their class placement for 2021. I thank you for your support.
Stationery 2021
Just to remind families that from next year all stationery for students will be included in your school fees and will not require you to purchase and pick up from Campion. The stationery for your child will be delivered to their classroom and the teachers will distribute for students to use when they return in 2021.
2020
It certainly has been a tricky year. A year like no other, one that has provided many challenges and many restrictions for us all.
I am very proud of how our school community has managed this year. I would like to thank you as parents and carers for your constant support and understanding. For your flexibility and patience as we have made many adjustments and changes throughout the year.
I am very proud of the staff and the way they have risen to the challenges each time knowing that it could change quickly and that they needed to be ready and prepared for whatever was required of them.
Our students have been amazing, they have supported each other and been very understanding when things have had to be changed or postponed.
Whenever we have been presented with the many challenges this year, we have been surprised at how well we have learned to manage and cope with change. It has provided us all with the opportunities to build resilience, develop self-confidence, improve our skills in collaboration and work on the positive thinking. We have been able to be agile and more open to change and what it may bring. We have relied on our character strengths, which is a very positive thing for us all. Our character strengths are the positive parts of our personality that impact how we think, feel and behave. Scientists have identified 24-character strengths that you have the capacity to express.
This year has been one that has help us build our character strengths and has allowed us to have more time to stop and be. More time to reflect on what is important in our life and what we can do to make a difference.
I hope you all can have a very happy and holy Christmas Holiday. One with lots of joy and celebration. A time for rest and special family time, making wonderful memories as we look to a brighter, safer and more caring world, filled with kindness and love.
Wishing you, a special Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
Kind regards
Adrian Grbin
