June 3rd, 2024: Newsletter #16

Acknowledgement of Country

St. John’s school community respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together, working together towards a reconciled Australia. 

150th Anniversary Celebrations

Week 8 Prayer

From the Principal

Welcome everyone to the new week.

3 Way Conversations: In term 2 we offer our formal conversation opportunities for staff to meet with parents and students, the 2nd of these sessions will take place today Monday June 3rd and then Tuesday for Gr 3/4AM. 

To make a booking, please log into your PAM account, select the appropriate teacher and the appointment time. If you have any issues making your booking, please contact the office.

These conversations are important in building the relationship between home and school and assisting your child with their learning. Where possible, we encourage both parents (where appropriate) to attend these interviews as well as the child who will spend the session talking through their celerbations and future focusses. 

To ensure that the 3 Way Conversation process runs smoothly, can I ask that parents take note of the following;

• If you have mutliple children, please do not schedule back to back appointments, if you arrive late at your appointment, the time does not start from when you arrive but when your appointed time started. 
• Each appointment is scheduled for a 15 minute window, and the teacher will start to wind it up at around the 12 minute mark.
• The 3 Way Conversations are an important opportunity for the student to share and celebrate their learning with their teacher and parents. If you feel there are items that you wish to dicsuss with just the teacher then I encourage you to make an alternate time tio meet with that child's teacher. 

I appreciate that the timing of these interviews do not suit every family but we are working within the limitations of the new 2022 CEMEA which our staff operate under and the Time in Lieu implications associated with working outside of normal working hours.

We look forward to the week ahead, Ben.

Sacrament of Eucharist

The Star of the Sea Parish is inviting all children in Grade 4 or above who wish to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist to register their interest by clicking the link below. 

Dates for children at St. John's:

Tuesday July 16th- Formation meeting for parents/guardians

Friday July 19th- Formation day for children

Sunday August 4th- Mass of commitment

Sunday August 11th- Sacrament of Eucharist

Link to register

Fire Carrier Walk-a Thon

As part of our FIRE carrier covenant, we are holding a walk-a thon after our Feast Day Mass on the last Monday of the term (24th June). You are invited to donate a gold coin and all proceeds go to the Opening the Doors Foundation. This activity is also part of NAIDOC week which falls in the school holidays. On this day, the children will wear their sports uniform. They will be walking back from St. Pius X Church after our school Mass to celebrate our Feast Day.

Before leaving the church the children will have a fruit break and water.

Parents/grandparents and carers are invited to walk with us, please complete the google form below so we can add you to our list to travel to St. Pius X on the bus so you don't need to leave your car there.

If you would prefer to come back to school to help cook a BBQ we would really appreciate that as well. We are seeking volunteers from 11.45am, please also complete the google form. The children should get back to school around 12.15pm and then they will have the BBQ and anything else from their lunch box. 

What is NAIDOC week? -  Click here

Opening the doors foundation - Click here

Please complete this Google Form to indicate if you are able to assist on the day.

Spotlight on Specialists

Phys Ed

Lately during P.E we have been focusing on:

Foundation and Grade One: PMP (perceptual motor program) activities involving balance, fitness, hand eye coordination and foot eye coordination.In Grade two, three and four we have been focusing on fundamental movement skills involved in footy (AFL), including kicking, hand balling, dodging, sprinting and changing direction.

In Grades 5 and 6 we have been working on refining the FMS above and putting these skills into game like scenarios.

Margie Smith.

Maths Extension

For a number of years St. John’s has been running a Mathematics Extension group once a week with a small group of students across grades 3-6. It teaches skills centred around computational thinking and problem solving. These are universal skills that enhance mathematical and scientific problem solving.

The school is affiliated with the Australian Mathematics Trust.  It provides support for educators encouraging high level thinking in mathematics and computational thinking. 

In some lessons we look at ways to approach and form suitable strategies to solve problems and mathematical puzzles. In other sessions, we actually compete in competitions with other students within Australia and internationally.

In Term One we competed in the Kangourou sans Frontières competition; one of the largest mathematics competitions in the world. This was extremely difficult, however all managed to get through admirably.

Several weeks ago we completed the Bebras Challenge which involves 2.9 million students from over 60 countries. In this competition, we proudly excelled with a High Distinction certificate to Ray Oakley, Two Merit certificates, three Credit certificates and two Participation certificates. 

I wish celebrate and congratulate these talented learners.

Well done to Daniel H, Riley S, Nate I, Archie S, Nash H, Alexander M, Ollie S, Harvey Brown and Ray Oakley.

To Check out the type of competitions we compete in, Click here to view the web page with an explanation and further information.

Damien Webster.

Grade 1 Excursion

Penguin Protection Project and Meeting a Maremma Dog!

We are thrilled to share the highlights of our recent fun and engaging educational excursion for our Grade 1 students! This outing was both enjoyable and enlightening as we explored the fascinating world of Little Penguins and learned about the incredible role of Maremma guardian dogs in protecting these wonderful seabirds.

Highlights of the Excursion:

• Learning About Little Penguins: Our students had the opportunity to discover the charming Little Penguins that inhabit Middle Island. They learned about their habits, habitats, and the challenges these adorable creatures face in the wild. They also learnt how the Little Penguins are cared for by people apart of the Conservation Project.

• Meeting a Maremma Dogs: A unique aspect of this excursion was learning about the Maremma guardian dogs, who play a crucial role in protecting the seabird population on Middle Island. These specially trained dogs are essential in safeguarding the penguins from predators and ensuring their survival.

• Photo Opportunity: As a memorable part of this experience, the grade 1s had the chance to take a photo with one of the Maremma dogs. This was a wonderful keepsake and a highlight of the day for our young explorers.

This excursion not only supported our Literacy curriculum but also fostered a sense of environmental stewardship and empathy for wildlife among our students. It was a perfect blend of education and hands-on experience, ensuring that our Grade 1s had an unforgettable adventure.

The kids also loved finishing the day watching the movie Oddball!

We are delighted to have provided a day filled with learning, discovery, and fun!

Wellbeing

In this edition of SchoolTV - MANAGING SCREEN TIME

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict on a daily basis. 

Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content.

In this edition of SchoolTV, caregivers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home.

School tv link

Student News

Sommer has excitedly added a new member to her family over the weekend! This is Vinny, their 8-week-old dachshund.

Thank you for sharing your news! What an adorable little puppy- that we are sure will be much loved and pampered by all. 

Around our School- Week 7

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Singing Lessons at St. John's

Student Awards

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Indy V, Jack Y and Jocelyn L who celebrate their birthday this week. We hope you have a terrifc day celebrating with family and friends.

Parents & Friend's Social Group

Our next general meeting will be held Wednesday 19th June at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. We welcome all current and new members.

Dennington's Day Out

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 26th June at 7:15pm. 

We are currently looking for expressions of interest for our Grade 3-6 students that might be interested in holding a mini entrepreneur stall at this year's Dennington’s Day Out. If this is something your child would like to participate in please send a EOI to ddo@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au or contact Sarah Howley or  Hayley Black 

There is still time to sponsor, If you or know someone that might be interested please email ddo@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au to enquire about the packages or check out the DDO facebook page.

Disco

Our student disco will be held on Friday 14th June. Please see below to register. We are also looking for some volunteers to help on the night. 

Wednesday Treats

Roster for this week:

• Tuesday 4th June 9.00am - Taliah, Kate C, Melissa C, Jo C & Jess S 
• Wednesday 5th June 11:45am - Olivia G, Jacinta B & Rachel M

Potato Cake order forms for next week will be going home tomorrow. All cash orders need to be in by 9am Tuesday morning due to the public holiday Monday. No late orders will be accepted. If you are paying via EFT please make sure that’s processed by 3pm on Monday with your child's name and class as reference. If you are paying via EFT please make sure you're making the payment before sending the form back in. We have had a few people forget and it's always awkward to have to chase up the payments so we appreciate your payment on time.

Should you have any questions please feel free to contact Taliah Gleeson or Emily McGennan.

Cake Raffle

Each week on a Monday, families are rostered on to bring in a cake which will then be raffled and drawn out at assembly. All funds raised throughout the year will be donated to the Good Friday Appeal the following year.

All students will have the opportunity to buy a raffle ticket for 20c each Monday with a limit of five tickets per student. The Johnnies will make a P.A announcement at first lunch, calling all students who wish to purchase a ticket, to the Library.

The following families are rostered on next week, Tuesday 11th June.

Harden, Harris, Hazeldine, Hinkley-Raitt and Hose.

Please drop your (store purchased) cake into the front office with your child's name written on top.

School Sponsorship

A big thank you to O'Brien's Electrical, Joinery by Jarrod, Fry Painting and Carry on Travel who sponsor our school!

Would you like to advertise your business in our school newsletter? Businesses can advertise for only $100 a year and will have a business card sized listing in every school newsletter.

Please contact parents@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au for more information.

Star of the Sea Bulletin

Sunday Mass is held at 10.00am at St. Pius X Church. School families are always welcome. 

The Parish office can be contacted on 5562 2231 and this weekends bulletin is featured below. Other information and contact details can be found on the Star of the Sea South West Coast website: https://www.ballarat.catholic.org.au/parish/southwestcoast/ 

Community Notices

Upcoming Events

Monday 10th June: Kings Birthday Public Holiday (Assembly will be held on Tuesday 12th June)

Friday 14th June: School Disco

Wednesday 19th June: Parents and Friends Social Group Meeting at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space

Monday 24th June: Mass at 10.00am and Fire Carrier Walk-A Thon

Wednesday 26th June: Dennington’s Day Out meeting 7:15 pm in the Gathering Space

Friday 28th June: End of Term 2, school concludes at 2.20pm

Monday 15th July: Term 3 Commences