Term 2, Week 9 2025

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

We're finally feeling the chill of winter, and it's fantastic to see so many students proudly sporting our school beanies! Despite the cold temperatures, it hasn't dampened our spirits. We're igniting fires of new learning, forging strong friendships, and having a blast at Dominican!

WELLBEING ART SHOW

What a wonderful night we had at the art show on Tuesday night! It was an evening filled with fantastic art skills, community engagement and had a focus on student wellbeing. A heartfelt thank you to Lisa Osborne for her amazing foresight and creative flair in bringing this idea to life. We also extend our gratitude to the teachers for their organisation and preparation, the students for their artistic skills and talents, and all the parents, caregivers, family, and friends who attended. The pride the students felt in their artwork was truly heartwarming to see.

Thank you all for making this event a memorable success!

SEMESTER 1 REPORTS AND LEARNING CONVERSATIONS

Our dedicated teachers are currently finalising the children’s mid-year academic reports. These reports provide valuable insights into your child's progress according to the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards for each subject area.

This term your student’s reports will once again 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 support you with this.

Reports will be available for parents to access on Monday 30 June (Week 10).  These will be followed by Learning Conversations in Week 3, Term 3.

ANTI-BULLYING RAPID REVIEW

The Australian Government recently announced an Anti-Bullying Rapid Review. The Review will look at current approaches to addressing bullying in schools, what is working and what needs strengthening, with the aim of providing options for the development of a consistent national standard for responding to bullying and its underlying causes in schools.

The Review is now accepting submissions. The Review co-chairs, Dr Charlotte Keating and Dr Jo Robinson AM, are seeking views from students, parents, teachers, and those involved in school education across the country. Submissions can be made anonymously if preferred.

To provide feedback through the submission process, please visit www.education.gov.au/antibullying-rapid-review

This page contains instructions on how to participate, along with the Review’s Terms of Reference.

HOLIDAYS- QUALITY FAMILY TIME

Spending quality time as a family during school holidays is incredibly important for several reasons. Firstly, it strengthens family bonds and creates lasting memories that everyone can cherish. These moments of togetherness foster a sense of belonging and security, which is essential for emotional well-being.

Secondly, it provides an opportunity for parents and children to reconnect and communicate more effectively, away from the distractions of daily routines and technology. This can lead to better understanding and stronger relationships.

Lastly, engaging in fun and educational activities together can stimulate learning and personal growth for both children and adults. Overall, quality family time during school holidays is a valuable investment in the happiness and development of each family member.

 Have an amazing week and enjoy the holidays!

Kind regards,

Angela Scodella
PRINCIPAL

CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENTS

We congratulate Frankie, Lennie, and Lillian, who were Baptised at Sacred Heart Church over the weekend. Through this special Sacrament, they have become members of God’s family and our wider Catholic community. May their faith continue to grow as they walk with Christ. We are so proud of each of you!

We also keep Thomas, Jason, and Joseph in our prayers as they continue to prepare for their First Holy Communion and Confirmation. These students, along with their families, took part in a meaningful workshop over the weekend as part of their preparation. We look forward to celebrating their Sacraments at the end of August.

If you're interested in being part of our Family Faith Formation Program, please reach out to Martina Kovacev for more information. Together, let’s continue to grow in faith, hope, and love.

VINNIES WINTER APPEAL

Many thanks to you all for your support of our Vinnies Winter Appeal. It was wonderful to see our school community give so generously with the many donations of non-perishable food items.  We have collected an incredible 409 food items and raised $253 for The St Vincent de Paul Society, through our Footy Colours Casual Day earlier in the term. Dennis Kennedy, our local Vinnies representative, has expressed his gratitude to our school community for our generous support. These donations will be bundled into food hampers for local families in need. 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 St Vincent de Paul and promoting this initiative to provide outreach to those doing it tough this winter. 

ST DOMINIC'S DAY CELEBRATION

Sunday 3^rd August is the Feast Day of St Dominic de Guzman, our Patron Saint, and on Thursday 31^st July 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 visit classrooms, gather in prayer, share in morning tea and celebrate a Liturgy together at Sacred Heart Church.

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.

Martina Kovacev
ACTING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL RELIGIOUS IDENTITY AND MISSION

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN RL

This term, Reception Lennard has been exploring the concept of prayer. The children reflected on important questions like: Who can we pray to? Where can we pray? and How do we pray? Through thoughtful discussions, they discovered that prayer is a way to connect with God, share hopes, and show kindness to others.

As part of their learning, each child designed and created a personal prayer bracelet. They chose different coloured beads to represent special people, animals, or causes they wanted to pray for. Some children selected beads for family members, friends, or pets, while others chose beads as symbols of peace or kindness. Each bracelet became a meaningful reflection of their individual prayers and intentions.

After completing their bracelets, the students shared their creations with the class, explaining what each bead represented and why it was important to them. This gave them an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings in a creative way.

Once their bracelets were finished, the children proudly took them home to share with their families, inviting them to learn about their prayer journey. The activity not only helped them connect to their faith but also allowed families to engage in conversations about the significance of prayer.

Below are beautiful photographs of the children as they planned, created, and proudly displayed their prayer bracelets.

It has been a joy to watch Reception Lennard grow in their understanding of prayer this term.

Jess Lennard
CLASSROOM TEACHER

VACATION CARE JULY HOLIDAYS 2025

Booked out Session -

Monday 7th July

Friday 11th July

Wednesday 16th July

All information regarding the Program can be found via the attachment.  Permission forms need to be returned to OSHC prior to the events.

If your child will be attending OSHC prior to the July Holidays, you will be given this information at the Service.

If you are not attending prior, please return the permission forms via email or in person to OSHC.

VACATION CARE JULY 2025 FAMILY INFORMATION

Thanking you,

Paula Northeast
OSHC DIRECTOR

SAPSASA NETBALL CARNIVAL

We were so proud to cheer on Emma and Imogen as they represented our school at the SAPSASA Netball Carnival, which took place from Wednesday 18 June to Friday 20 June. Both girls gave it their all on the court, showcasing their skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship across three exciting days of competition.

Well done, Emma and Imogen—you truly shone! 

SAPSASA REPRESENTATIVES – Congratulations Emilee and Tyler!

We are thrilled to congratulate Emilee G and Tyler B on their selection to represent the Port SAPSASA District in the upcoming Girls’ and Boys’ SAPSASA Soccer Carnivals. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to their hard work, commitment, and love for the game.

We are so proud of you both and wish you the very best of luck as you represent our district—go out there and give it your all! 

Matthew Annetta
PE TEACHER AND SPORTS COORDINATOR

NEW CHILDREN'S UNIVERSITY LEARNING DESTINATION

CU have recently onboarded Le Fevre Community Stadium as a Learning Destination and they are keen to get more Passports through their doors. Attached is their newsletter with information about the upcoming school holidays. There are plenty of free events for children to participate in.

WELLBEING ARTS NIGHT

On Tuesday, 24th June, we proudly held our Wellbeing Arts Showcase, celebrating the creativity and wellbeing of our students. Each class presented beautiful artwork created during Health lessons this term, with a special focus on positive emotions and wellbeing. 

Playgroup and OSHC also joined in, contributing their own vibrant and thoughtful pieces. The artworks reflected a range of uplifting themes, including love, happiness, joy, compassion, hope, admiration, awe, and leadership. 

A heartfelt thank you to all the families who joined us on such a wintery evening to support and appreciate the students’ incredible efforts. Your presence made the night even more special! 

CHARACTER STRENGTH  - EMPATHY

Our Character strength focus for this fortnight is empathy. At Dominican, we believe that learning to understand and care for others is just as important as learning to read and write. One of the most important social and emotional skills we help children develop is empathy—the ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, feel what they feel, and respond with kindness and understanding. 

Empathy helps children build strong friendships, resolve conflicts peacefully, and become thoughtful, caring members of the community. Children who practice empathy are better able to understand others' perspectives, show compassion and kindness, work cooperatively in a group and become responsible and respectful members of the community. 

Empathy is something that can be taught and nurtured every day. At our school, we encourage empathy in many ways, including in our Health and Wellbeing Lessons: We discuss feelings, relationships, and how our actions affect others. When we read stories and talk about characters’ emotions, it helps children understand different viewpoints. During class discussions we focus on providing safe spaces for children to share, listen, and support each other. We also use role-playing and Drama to act out scenarios to help children experience different emotions and responses. Most importantly, staff model empathy through daily interactions, showing kindness, active listening, and respect to everyone. 

How Families Can Help at Home? 

Parents and carers play a key role in developing empathy too. Here are a few simple ways to continue the learning at home: 

Talk about emotions—yours and your childs. 

Ask questions like “How do you think they felt?” after reading a book or watching a show. 

Praise kind and thoughtful behaviour when you see it. 

Encourage helping others, whether it’s a sibling, friend, or someone in the community. 

By working together, at school and at home, we can help our children grow into kind, thoughtful, and compassionate individuals who make the world a better place. 

Lisa Osborne
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION COORDINATOR/WELLBEING SUPPORT 

DIRECT COLLECT

At Dominican School we have been recycling 10cent cans bottles and fruit boxes through the Direct Collect program.  Money from the proceeds go back into our sustainability program. This service is available for you to use at your home also. Information can be found here hello@direct-collect.com.au

You can have the funds put into your bank account. If you would like to donate the funds from your recycling back to Dominican School’s sustainability program please enter the following bank details:

BSB: 066 782

Account number: 100000149

Your support for the environment is appreciated.

DIRECT COLLECT SIGN UP

LET'S TALK LUNCHBOXES

Our Student Sustainability Committee is looking into how we can make lunchtimes more environmentally friendly—and we’d love your help!

We are conducting a short survey to learn more about lunchbox habits at home and how we can better promote “nude food” choices at school. Nude food means packaging-free food, which helps reduce waste and care for our planet.

Your feedback will help us plan future activities, initiatives and support for families. Thank you for taking a moment to complete the survey!

NUDE FOOD SURVEY

Angelique, Emilee and Sophie (Student Sustainability Committee Members)

STUDENT ENROLMENTS - SIBLINGS

It is important to know that Dominican School holds enrolment meetings approximately 2 years ahead of the child's start date. 

In Term 3 this year we will be conducting enrolment meetings for children eligible to commence Term 3 2027 (Children born 1st May 2022 to 30th October 2022)

In Term 1 2026 we will be conducting enrolment meetings for children commencing in Term 1 2028. (Children born 1st November 2022 to 30th April 2023)

PLEASE ENSURE ALL SIBLINGS ARE ENROLLED FOR ALL FUTURE YEARS.