Safe Environments for All

Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) is deeply committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children in their care. They have implemented a comprehensive child safeguarding framework that includes policies, procedures, and educational programs to protect children from abuse, bullying, harassment, and neglect. At St Therese school, we are committed to complying with this framework and encourage parents to be well-informed and engaged in their children's safety and wellbeing.

Some key components of CESA's child safeguarding efforts include:

• Child Protection Policies: These policies outline the responsibilities of staff and volunteers in maintaining a safe environment for children.
• Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum: This curriculum is mandated in all Catholic schools in South Australia and teaches children from age 3 to Year 12 how to recognise abuse, talk to trusted adults, and understand ways to keep themselves safe.
• Professional Learning for Teachers: Teachers participate in ongoing professional development to effectively implement the child protection curriculum.
• Family and Community Resources: CESA encourages parents and carers to be involved in child safety and wellbeing initiatives. They provide resources and support for families to help them stay informed and engaged.

CESA also collaborates with other church agencies, education sectors, and government agencies to ensure a coordinated approach to child safeguarding. For more detailed information, you can visit their Safe Environments for All page https://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/our-schools/safe-environments-for-all 

Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum (KS:CPC) - Here are some key points about the KS:CPC:

• Curriculum Overview: The KS:CPC focuses on teaching children about their right to be safe, recognising abuse, and seeking support.
• Age-Appropriate Learning: The KS:CPC is designed to be age and developmentally appropriate, ensuring that the information is suitable for children at different stages of their development.
• Professional Learning for Teachers: All teachers participate in ongoing professional learning to effectively implement the curriculum and support students in understanding and applying the concepts.
• Family and Community Resources are available to families. These include online safety programs, mental health support, and 24-hour helplines.
  https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents 
  https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/ 
  https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/
• Parent Involvement and Support: Parents are encouraged to be involved in our child safety and wellbeing initiatives and to utilise available resources to support their children's understanding of safety and protection. The 'Bullying No Way' national week of action takes place from 11-15 August 2025. Planning is underway for activities at school to promote this initiative. We are waiting on date confirmation from ThinkUKnow for parent and student sessions this year. Please keep your eye on SZapp for details as they become available. I encourage all parents to attend this information session to assist with keeping everyone safe online. The parent and student sessions are held separately due to age-appropriate content presented.

The Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum (KS:CPC) covers a range of topics designed to help children and young people understand their rights, recognise abuse, and develop strategies to keep themselves safe. The curriculum is organised around two main themes and four focus areas:

Main Themes

1. We all have the right to be safe
2. We can help ourselves to be safe by talking to people we trust

Focus Areas

1. The Right to Be Safe: Understanding personal safety and the right to feel safe.
2. Relationships: Building and maintaining respectful relationships, understanding consent, and recognising healthy and unhealthy relationships.
3. Recognising and Reporting Abuse: Identifying different types of abuse, understanding appropriate and inappropriate touching, and knowing how to report abuse to trusted adults.
4. Protective Strategies: Developing skills and strategies to protect oneself, including seeking help and support from trusted adults.

The curriculum also emphasises the importance of respectful relationships and consent education.

Strategies for parents to reinforce the lessons from the KS:CPC

Open Communication

• Create a Safe Space: Encourage open and honest conversations about safety, boundaries, and relationships. Let your child know they can talk to you about anything without fear of judgement.
• Use Everyday Opportunities: Incorporate discussions about safety and respect into daily activities, such as during mealtimes, car rides, or while watching TV together.

Model Positive Behaviour

• Show Respect: Demonstrate respectful behaviour in your interactions with others. Children learn a lot by observing their parents.
• Set Boundaries: Clearly define and respect personal boundaries within the family. Explain the importance of consent and personal space.

Reinforce Learning

• Ask Questions: Engage your child in discussions about what they’ve learned in school. Ask questions like, “How can we help each other feel safe?”
• Practice Scenarios: Role-play different scenarios with your child to help them practice recognising unsafe situations and responding appropriately.

Provide Resources

• Share Information: Provide age-appropriate books, videos, and other resources that reinforce the concepts of safety, respect, and consent.
• Connect with Support Services: Make your child aware of trusted adults, such as teachers, counsellors, and family friends, who they can talk to if they ever feel unsafe.

Encourage Critical Thinking

• Teach Decision-Making: Encourage your child to think critically about situations and make safe decisions. Discuss different scenarios and the potential consequences of different actions.
• Empower Independence: Foster your child’s independence and self-confidence by allowing them to make choices and learn from their experiences.

By actively engaging in these strategies, parents can support and reinforce the important lessons of the KS:CPC, helping their children develop the skills and knowledge they need to stay safe.

Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher if you have any questions about the KS:CPC content in your child’s class.

Go well
Dee-anne Peters
Principal

PEG - Community BBQ and Spit Roast

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event so wonderful. It was an incredible day, and as a community, we are so grateful for everyone efforts to make the day a success and run smoothly. To our spit masters - Simon, Daniel, Chris and Georgina, thank you for your time, humour, music and for sharing your passion for spit roasting with our community. To our PEG Community BBQ and Spit Planning group – thank you for all of your work and efforts since Term 3 2024, you all did an amazing job to run an event for the first time. Thank you also to everyone that donated, volunteered, attended and pitched in to help through the day – we are incredibly grateful for what you bring to our community through your ongoing support.

Sacramental Program

On Saturday 1 March our Sacramental Candidates were presented to the Emmaus Parish at their evening mass. Our candidates were blessed by Fr John and a commitment of support from our parish was given to our students for their sacramental program. Thank you to all who joined and celebrated with us.

Our first workshop for Reconciliation will be held at St Joseph’s Kingswood, on the 18 March at 6pm.

Emmaus Parish - Rite of Christian Initiation with Children

In Emmaus, as well as our annual progressing of the sacraments for those children who have been baptised, we have a program for children yet to be baptised (over 7 years) which leads to the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and first communion. These sacraments are all celebrated together on one occasion during mass. This celebration takes place at the conclusion of an 8-week course with each gathering lasting for one hour. The frequency of meetings and the timing are usually decided with the participating group. For more information please contact Carol Jarell at school or email cjarell@sts.catholic.edu.au or alternatively Emmaus Parish on 08 7070 0021 or email emmaus@eparish.org.au 

Burning of the Ashes

To prepare ashes for us to use at Lent members of the Emmaus Parish visited our school and shared their burning of the palms (from Palm Sunday 2024). This was a wonderful experience for our students to learn more about the seasons of the Liturgical Calendar and Church traditions in partnership with the Emmaus Parish Team.

Lent

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for our beautiful Ash Wednesday Liturgy to begin the season of Lent. Our students have been busy preparing for the season of Lent by making promises and planning actions they will take to unite against poverty by raising funds for Project Compassion.

Please talk to your children about their exploration and learnings through the Lenten Season and the ways in which they are working to make a difference for others and raise money for Caritas this year. If you would like more information please go to Project Compassion this Lenten Season https://www.caritas.org.au/ 

On Shrove Tuesday, four of our Student Leaders visited St Bernadette's School for the launch of Project Compassion. Archbishop Patrick O'Regan celebrated Mass for several schools who were invited to attend. Our students each had a role in the Mass and enjoyed having pancakes for Shrove Tuesday with the Archbishop afterwards. It was a very special day and has inspired our students to ignite this year’s fundraising for Project Compassion.

Carol Jarell
APRIM and Wellbeing Coordinator

As per our school calendar, there is a pupil-free day on Monday 28 April 2025. Camp Australia will provide a full-day care option, we anticipate their booking portal for this particular date to open shortly.

Please click the link below to read an important communication from Trish Jarvis, Executive Officer of Catholic School Parents SA regarding safe and respectful school environments:

Catholic School Parents SA advocating for safe respectful communities

Welcome to the 2025 school sport year.

Congratulations to our new Sport Leaders! Representing St Dominic: Naya and Sri, representing St Catherine: Asher and Jadon, representing St Therese: Priyanka and Billy and representing St Thomas: Molly and Ashton.

Carnivals: During this term in Week 10, our Year 3-6 students have the opportunity to represent St Therese at the annual Catholic Schools Swimming Carnival. Tryouts for the swimming squad began this Tuesday at the Unley Swimming Centre. Thank you to all who are trying out.

All carnivals throughout the year are open to students in Years 3-6. We are looking forward to seeing our new Year 3s taking part this year!!!

PE lessons: As a result of receiving Sporting Schools funding this term, we were fortunate to work with Matin from Football SA. Matin worked with us delivering a very exciting Soccer programme. Our students experienced fun activities learning soccer skills, team and invasion game play.

We value our partnership with Sport College SA and are looking forward to working with the Year 11 and 12 students in Weeks 8, 9 and 10 delivering game skills, team and game play based around AFL.

WINTER SPORT REGISTRATION WEEK: Registration Week for this year’s Winter Sport season is WEEK 8! Please keep a lookout for this on SZapp. It is very important that registrations are done during this week as we do not want any children to miss out. The sports on offer this season are: Volleyball, Netball, Basketball and Futsal.

Finally, a reminder to students to remember their hat and drink bottles for PE lessons.

Barbara Mee
Physical Education Teacher

Looking to join us as a volunteer? Across the year we have a number of opportunities for parents/caregivers to assist at excursions, sports carnivals and special events.

If you are applying to be a school volunteer for the first time, or need to renew your volunteer clearances, please visit our school office to collect a volunteer information pack.

As a volunteer you will be required to:

• Complete the Volunteers Application Package and Volunteers Declaration Form
• Hold a valid and current Catholic Screening & Verification Authority clearance
• Complete the Fundamentals Course: Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Education and Care, and provide the completion certificate to the school
• Be properly inducted, including Work Health and Safety; Duty of Care; and
  Child Protection (RRHAN-EC; Mandatory Notification: Protective Practices)
• Observe confidentiality and privacy
• Observe school policies
• Comply with the Volunteer Code of Conduct

Alternatively, if you have previously volunteered for our school and want to check if your volunteer status remains up-to-date, please direct your query to info@sts.catholic.edu.au

We ask all families to be familiar with the procedures below, and to share this information with extended family members and/or friends that assist with student arrival to, or departure from school.

Drivers should observe the road rules at all times. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring school zone speed limits are adhered to and maintaining heightened awareness for students nearby to vehicles. Please do not perform U-turns where not permitted per road rules, or in situations that are unsafe.

When parking around the school please observe all council signage and be aware of parking restrictions. Particularly note parking areas that are reserved for holders of disabled permits. If you hold a current disabled permit, the permit must be displayed on the vehicle.

Drop-off and Pick-up Zone
The drop-off and pick-up zone is available on West Parkway near the school crossing and Oxford Circus (school side only). During the designated times of 8:30-9:00am and 3:00-4:00pm this zone is for drop off/pick up only and drivers should not leave their vehicle. If students require assistance to enter the school yard/classroom please park in regular street parking (not the drop-off zone) and walk the student/s into school.

Parking
Parking is available in the Church car park, in the Mortlock Oval car park and certain side streets with unrestricted parking (refer to council signage).

Please note that Mitcham Council regularly patrol the area and will issue traffic infringement notices for cars parked incorrectly.

Following the guidelines is for the safety of all children. Please be patient, and on high alert when travelling around the school area.

Congratulations to Asher in Year 6 on her selection to represent the City South District in the upcoming SAPSASA State Metro Championship next month to be held at SA Aquatic Centre. Asher will compete in the 50m Freestyle, Breaststroke and Backstroke. We wish Asher the all the best for this competition!

Congratulations to Cameron in Year 6 on making the Reserves for the upcoming SAPSASA Softball Competition. Well done Cameron!

If your child has a special achievement that they wish to share with our school community, please email details to info@sts.catholic.edu.au