Term 2, Week 9 2024

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We are finally experiencing the chill of Winter, and it is great to see so many students wearing our new school beanies. Although the cold temperatures, this hasn't stopped us from igniting fires of new learning, friendships and fun at Dominican.

BACK TO DOMINICAN

On Tuesday we opened our doors to over 150 past students, families and staff members to celebrate 125 years of teaching and learning at Dominican.  The school was a buzz of excitement!

At our Back to Dominican Day, we were reminded of the vision and dedication of the Dominican Sisters who founded our school in 1899. Their commitment to providing quality education rooted in faith, wisdom, and compassion, laid the foundation for what we are today. It is their spirit of service and excellence that continues to inspire us as we move forward.

Dominican School has always been more than just a place of learning; it has been a community—a family. The friendships forged, the lessons learned, and the values embraced have shaped us into who we are today. It was heartwarming to see so many familiar and unfamiliar faces, to hear the stories of camaraderie, perseverance, and success, and to witness the enduring bond that ties us all to this special place.

Our mission to provide educational excellence that nurtures the mind, body, and heart continues. We are committed to evolving with the times while staying true to the core values that have defined us for 125 years.

I would especially like to thank our old scholars for returning to celebrate with us on Tuesday. Their presence at our school was a reminder of the lasting impact of a Dominican education.

Our Back to Dominican Day was an opportunity to celebrate the past, present, and future of our school. May our school community always continue to inspire and be inspired, to teach and to learn, and to uphold the legacy of excellence that has defined our school for 125 years.

GALA BALL

On Sat 6^th July, at the Lakes Resort, we will be hosting a Gala Ball to celebrate 125 years of excellence in education at Dominican.  It would be great to see all our families, friends and community members supporting this milestone event. 

I would also like to pass on my sincere thanks and gratitude to all the local businesses and families who so kindly donated a gift for our silent auction and raffle.

**Tickets still available - Ticket sales close Sunday 30th June 2024 at 8.00pm**

PIANO INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS- FAREWELL AND WELCOME

After many years of dedicated service, our beloved piano teacher, Helen, has decided to retire. Helen has been an integral part of our school community, inspiring countless students with her passion for music and teaching. We will miss her dearly and wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.

We are also pleased to introduce Melissa Agnello as our new piano teacher.

Melissa comes to us with extensive experience and a deep commitment to fostering a love of music in her students. We are confident that Melissa will continue Helen's legacy of excellence and bring fresh enthusiasm to our music program.

Helen’s last day at Dominican will be Friday 5 July.

SEMESTER 1 REPORTS

This term your student’s reports will be available online via SEQTA Engage.  SEQTA is a Learning Management Software, used by all diocesan Catholic schools in South Australia. Families are required to download the app to ensure your child’s reports can be accessed. If you require support to download and set up the app, please contact the Front Office to make a time for Nick Ryan (Leader of Learning) to support you with this.

Reports will be available for parents to access on Monday 1 July (Week 10).  These will be followed by Learning Conversations early in Term 3. 

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS - SPEDING TIME WITH FAMILY

As Term 2 comes to an end, it’s important to remember to spend the holidays relaxing, unwinding from the stresses of the school term and to enjoy time with family. Spending quality time with family is important, as it allows families…

• To build and develop a stronger bond
• To make time to talk and listen
• To teach your children important lessons of life
• To show affection, appreciation, and encouragement
• To instil family values in children
• To develop family rituals and traditions
• To accept the differences in each person
• To keep in touch with friends and relatives
• To help and connect better with your children

Children grow up and are gone before you realise it, so spend as much time as possible having fun, building relationships, and nurturing them to be the best they can be. Remember, that strong families are able to withstand setbacks and crisis with a positive attitude, shared values, and beliefs that help them cope with challenges.

Have a great week.

Angela Scodella
PRINCIPAL

FAITH IN ACTION

Many thanks to you all for your support of the Justice Leaders’ initiative BE THE SUNSHINE ON SOMEONE’S CLOUDY DAY.  It was wonderful to see our school community give so generously with the many donations of winter warmers, toiletries and non-perishable food items to support Hutt St Centre and The Otherway Centre. In addition to this, we also raised $326 from the sales of the smiley face biscuits that our Justice Leaders made. This money was used to purchase additional items for the care packs and hospital packs.

On the Staff Retreat Day, these donations were bundled into care packs for Hutt St Centre and hospital packs for Aboriginal patients. We were thrilled to be able to deliver 35 hospital packs to Royal Adelaide Hospital and 40 care packs for those experiencing homelessness at Hutt St Centre. We are a community of faith in action living with love to make a positive difference to those less fortunate. Our Justice Leaders have been instrumental in raising awareness of the work of Hutt St Centre and Aboriginal Catholic Ministries, The Otherway Centre, and promoting this initiative to provide outreach to those doing it tough this winter. This gift of food donations, toiletries and winter clothing/accessories will go a long way to helping the needy this winter. Thank you!

CELEBRATING 125 YEARS OF DOMINICAN SCHOOL

As we mark the 125th anniversary of Dominican school, we are filled with gratitude for the Dominican Sisters who founded this school with a vision of excellence and service. Their dedication to education has shaped countless lives and continues to inspire us all. We extend our deepest appreciation to the Dominican Sisters, past and present staff, students, families and community members, who have contributed to making our school a beacon of learning, compassion, and community. Your commitment and support have woven a strong foundation into our school's history, guiding us towards a bright and exciting future.

As we celebrate this milestone, let us join in a prayer of blessing for the past, present, and future of education at our Dominican school:

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for the vision and courage of the Dominican sisters,

Who founded our school 125 years ago to educate minds and hearts.

We bless all who have walked these halls, past and present,

May their lives be a testament to the values of truth and compassion.

As we journey forward, guide us with your wisdom and grace,

To continue nurturing a community of learning and growth.

Bless our students with curiosity and perseverance,

Our teachers with wisdom and dedication,

And our families with support and encouragement.

May this school always be a place where minds are enlightened,

Spirits are lifted, and hearts are transformed.

In your name we pray, Amen.

Thank you for joining us in celebrating this milestone and for your ongoing support of our Dominican School community.

ST DOMINIC’S DAY CELEBRATION

Thursday August 3 is the Feast Day of St Dominic, our Patron Saint, and on FRIDAY AUGUST 2 we will celebrate ST DOMINIC’S DAY.  To mark the occasion, students are invited to come to school dressed in our Dominican colours of black and white, and to contribute a gold coin donation to support the work of the Sophia centre established by the Dominican Sisters. We will host a special morning for VIPs to gather in prayer with a Liturgy in the MFC, visit classrooms and share in a morning tea. Stir Coffee will also be onsite from 8.30am – 9.15am.

This day provides us with a special way to honour and give thanks for the life of St Dominic and the way we live his mission today through our Dominican Pillars of Prayer, Study, Community and Ministry.  We look forward to celebrating Dominican School as a place of great faith and learning where we live VERITAS to grow in God’s Truth & Love.

Wishing you many blessings and a safe and enjoyable holiday break.

Martina Kovacev
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COORDINATOR

ADELAIDE PLANETARIUM EXCURSION 5/6T

This term in Science, the 5/6 students have been looking at space and the effects of the sun on planet Earth. To compliment this, the 5/6 students attended the Adelaide Planetarium at the University of South Australia. 

The students participated in an activity that challenged them to build a 3D cube out of seven blocks. This represented how small and compact Astronauts have to pack when travelling to space. Students enjoyed this challenging activity, and many laughs were shared. 

The students also had the opportunity of watching a short film in the planetarium. The film was projected inside the dome and provided real life pictures and experiences of our solar system. Students walked away with a deeper understanding of how our solar system works and what life would be like without the sun. 

Sophie Teakle
5/6 CLASSROOM TEACHER

As we reach the end of this term, we thank our Semester One SRC’s for their outstanding leadership and contributions over the last two terms. Some of the great work which the SRC’s have been involved in include:

• Led discussions with their peers and leadership around new playground designs and equipment.
• Collated information regarding which Lunch Clubs students would like to see occur and put these into practice.
• Promoted Sustainability initiatives such as the ‘Less to Landfill Challenge’.
• Supported with whole school events such as Catholic Education Week, Laudato Si Week and Fr Roderick’s Farewell.
• Rejuvenated the Wellbeing Garden.
• Contributed to Sustainability Grants submitted to Catholic Education South Australia and Green Adelaide.

As our current SRC’s are about to pass on the baton, we thank and congratulate them for taking on this important role and leading our school successfully. This week all students were given the opportunity to put forward their expression of interest in running for Semester Two SRC. Our new SRC’s for next semester will be presented at our Week 10 assembly on Friday 5^th July at 9am.

Martina Kovacev
SRC COORDINATOR

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS BASKETBALL CARNIVAL

The inaugural Catholic Schools Basketball Carnival was held on Friday 14 June at the State Basketball Centre, Wayville. With 23 students representing our school across two teams, one boys and one girls, the event was a showcase of sportsmanship and skill.

Our boys' team displayed great talent and teamwork, securing a commendable 5th place overall. The girls' team also put up a strong performance, finishing in 7th place. 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Jack Fawkner and Kim Stevens for their coaching of our teams. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to Denisa Cochran and Greer Tappert for their assistance with scoring duties throughout the day.

Matthew Annetta
PE TEACHER AND SPORTS COORDINATOR

GROW YOUR MIND

Grow Your Mind is a whole school wellbeing program promoting whole school flourishing. The program reminds us of the importance of looking after ourselves- filling our cups- so that we can face challenges with resilience and support others to flourish.  During the term is always a very busy time for families, often with other commitments including sport, swimming, music lessons and other after school activities that make scheduling the week quite the juggling act. Why not take an idea from the list below to take steps towards ‘filling your cup’ this week. For more information see https:// growyourmind.life/ 

PULSE CHECK IN SURVEY

During Weeks 5 and 6 each term, students from R-12 in all catholic schools participate in a wellbeing check in survey called the Pulse Check Survey. The survey was designed to provide information about how students are currently feeling about school, to help them become ‘thriving people, capable learners and leaders for the world God desires.’ The Pulse survey asks students 8 questions about their feelings of belonging, safety and their learning. Students are asked to respond with ‘most of the time’, ‘sometimes’ and ‘not very often’. In Year 4-6 students have the opportunity to add extra information about their responses. At Dominican School after each survey, classroom teachers have a 1:1 conversation with students if they have answered with a ‘not very often’ response to help them to gain a deeper understanding of why they were feeling this way during the survey. It is important to note that the Pulse Survey is just one way our school educators gain information on our student’s wellbeing.

Lisa Osborne
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR

Gather your friends and purchase your tickets now via QR code.

JUMP ROPE FOR HEART KICKS OFF THIS TERM AT DOMINICAN!

Jump Rope for Heart is the Heart Foundation’s primary school skipping challenge that helps kids move more, have fun, and raise funds for life-saving research and programs.

This year we’ve got an audacious goal to see our student Heart Heroes at Dominican to log 40 hours of skipping throughout the program!

Register your child online, so they can receive the full benefits of the program and participate in online fundraising, simply follow the link below to get started. www.jumprope.org.au/parents

Students will be skipping throughout the term in PE lessons, during fitness lessons and during recess and lunch breaks.  During this time you can share their online fundraising page with family and friends to help raise money for this great cause.

Thank you for supporting the Jump Rope for Heart program!