March 17th, 2025: Newsletter #8

Acknowledgement of Country

St. John’s school community respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders as the traditional custodians of the land on which we learn, pray and grow. 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. 

Week 8 Prayer

There are only two feelings.
Love and fear.
There are only two languages.
Love and fear.
There are only two activities.
Love and fear.
There are only two motives,
two procedures, two frameworks,
two results.
Love and fear.
Love and fear.

From the Principal

Hello everyone, welcome to Week 8 at St. John's.

As always, last week was another busy week with Surf education beginning, the foundations having their first Wednesday at school, our new portable arriving, NAPLAN and many PSG meetings.

This week we continue surf education, NAPLAN and the final PSG meetings. On Friday we have "Walk to school" Day where children can meet staff members at the former Dennington Post office at 8.10 - 8.20am and walk as a group to school.

Also this week Krisitie Painter will finish on Friday and go on maturnity leave. During this week there will be an extensive handover with our new staff member Kylie Archbold. We would like to thank Krisite for her work this term and wish her the very best for the arrival of her baby. We would like to welcome Kylie who is joining our staff. She comes with a wealth of experience and we know that the St John's community will welcome her.

Lent and Easter Further in the newsletter are two flyers about two events happening this term and then on the first day back. This year Easter comes at the end of our school holidays. Usually we have had a liturgy for Holy Thursday/Good Friday and Easter Sunday at the end of our term. Due to the timing we will be having "St John's Purple Day" where our Johnny's leaders have a Lenten challenge for project Compassion. This year we are raising funds and awareness to help those in developing countries to get access to clean water. The children are invited to wear something Purple on Tuesday April 1st.

The second event is on our first day back in Term 2 to celebrate Easter. We will be having a Liturgy at 9.00am and children are invited to wear bright, colourful clothing for "Alleluia Day". We would like to thank Alicia Moloney and Grace Lucas who are leading these occasions as part of their roles as Liturgy leader (Grace) and Religious Education Leader (Alicia).

Wellbeing at St John's  As part of our Wellbeing Program at St John's, we are running a family Wellbeing evening on April the 2nd at 6.00pm. We are so fortunate to have such an experienced and motivated Wellbeing team lead by Jasmine Koch and Mel Willis. The evening is designed to support all families with ways to utilise many of the strategies we use here at school with the children and how that can integrate into your family life. Wellbeing is for everyone and every age. We hope that we get many families along to this interactive and fun evening. There will be more about this next week.

As part of our Wellbeing at school we are offering some weekly wellbeing workshops/activities at first break. The reasons behind this initiative are that they are firstly great fun and also to engage children in group activities at break time.

Monday - movement (dancing, yoga etc)

Tuesday - Quiet activities such as chess, puzzles

Wednesday  - Singing

Thursday - Running/walking club

Friday - Craft

School Closure Days: Our first School Closure day for the year will take place on Thursday April 24th, DOBCEL have determined that we must take this day to particpate in a PD day for all staff relating to the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy.

Enjoy the week ahead,  Jan and Amy.

Learning and Teaching with Jan and Amy

We have had a great response after our Structured Literacy session two weeks ago. I have had several requests to run the session again. I am very happy to do this early term 2. I will notify parents via Facebook and the Newsletter when I have a set date.  Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who attended our last session. 

Jan Madden

Parent Participation Levy

Please remember to log your volunteer hours that you have accumulated this term. There is a tile on the schoolzine app where you can record the activity and the number of hours you volunteered for. There is also a paper sign in sheet at the office if you prefer.

PPL hours will be updated at the start of term 2 and reflected in your next fee statement. 4 hours of volunteering will trigger a $100 refund and 8 hours will trigger a further $100 with the maximum being $200 refunded.  If you need clarification or have any questions please contact the office.

Emmanuel College Opening Evening

National Ride2School Day

This Friday 21st March is National Ride2School Day!

We will have staff at the former Dennington Post Office in Drummond street on this day from 8.10am for a 8.20am departure to walk to school.  Please consider joining in- it is a wonderful way to start the day.

Foodbank

The St. John's community has a wonderful tradition of supporting families in need. The "Food Bank" is one where families come together to provide a meal for families within our school who are in need of support (for example, a new arrival, family illness or bereavement).  If you are aware of a family requiring support, please contact the office.

If you are willing to help out during the year, please contact Ben van de Camp and we will reach out when the need arises.  Thanks in advance. 

Project Compassion

Wellbeing

March 17th-23rd is Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Neurodiversity in children and adolescents is a concept celebrating the natural variation in how young minds work. It acknowledges that neurological differences, such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and giftedness, are not disabilities but unique aspects of human cognition. Embracing neurodiversity fosters acceptance, empathy, and inclusivity in society. Parents play a pivotal role in supporting their neurodiverse child by understanding their specific needs, advocating for appropriate educational accommodations, and seeking professional guidance when necessary. By appreciating and nurturing their child's strengths, parents can help them thrive and unlock their full potential, leading to a more compassionate and understanding future for all.

Join us for an exclusive session with two of Australia's leading experts in youth wellbeing and cybersafety, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and Susan McLean. Gain invaluable insights on how to empower young people to navigate the online world safely and responsibly. 

A Special Report: The Wellbeing Barometer - 2025

The Wellbeing Barometer survey will be available for completion until Monday 24th March and is an invaluable tool for our school, providing critical insights into the mental health and wellbeing of young people. This annual survey identifies areas of concern, highlights resilience and adaptability in students, and emphasises the importance of preventative strategies to promote positive outcomes.

Participation in this survey is strongly encouraged, as it offers a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements. By capturing a detailed understanding of young people's experiences, the survey supports a tailored approach to enhancing their mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. It helps to identify strengths and areas for improvement, as well as pinpoint opportunities for early intervention.

We encourage you to take a few moments to complete the survey for each of your children. Responses remain anonymous and should be based on your observations over the last 12 months. By working together, we can reduce the long-term impact of mental illness and make a meaningful difference to the lives of our young people for a brighter future.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Alleluia Day

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrate their birthday this week: Rosa D, Finnley C, Mitchell P, Luis V and Benhail S.  We hope you have an awesome day!

Student Awards

Around our School- Week 7

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Parents and Friend's Social Group

Our next meeting will be on Monday 24th March at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. Everyone is welcome, we always look forward to seeing some new faces. Hope you can make it.

Dennington Day Out

Please join us tomorrow, Tuesday 18th at 7.00pm for our Dennington Day out committee meeting in the Gathering Space. Our committee is still looking for new volunteers to join. 

Parents and Friends Social bowls

Book the babysitter and join us for a fun night out on Saturday 29th March from 6:30pm til late at the Dennington Bowls club $10 per person includes bbq and game. Drinks at bar prices. Please RSVP by Wednesday 26th March.

Easter Raffle

A book of ten raffle tickets have been sent home today with the eldest child in the family. Raffle tickets are $2 each.

All raffle ticket payments are to be made via CDF pay. Please return you sold tickets to the office in an envelope with your eldest child's name written on the front so we can match payments via CDFpay. The cut off time for raffle ticket payments is 10.00am the day of the raffle - Monday 31st March.

If you require additional tickets they can be collected from the office.

We are kindly asking for Easter themed donations for the raffle, these can be dropped into the office now.

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. Please download the roster below.

All funds raised throughout the year will be donated to various charities. Please drop your store purchased cake into the office with your family name written on top.  If there is no assembly on your rostered day due to a school closure or event, please drop your cake in the week after.

All students will have the opportunity to buy a raffle ticket for 20c 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 for:

Monday 24th March: Chapman, Chisnall, Clark (Raph), Clark (Finnley), Clarke and Clifford-Belleville.

School Sponsorship

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.

A big thank you to O'Brien Electrical & Plumbing, Fry Painting, Carry on travel, King Cole Fruit Supply, Total Landscapes and Design and Hiensch Haulage that sponsor our school!

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

Star of the Sea Bulletin

Sunday Mass is held at 9.00am 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

Tuesday 18th March: Lions Eye Health Program (Gr. F, 3, 6)

Monday 24th March: Reconciliation Formation Day - Emmanuel College

Monday 24th March: Parents and Friends meeting at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space

Saturday 29th March:  Parents and Friends social lawn bowls at 6:30pm

Wednesday 2nd April: Family Wellbring Evening at 6.00pm - 7.30 in the Shared Learning Space

Thursday 3rd April: Reconciliation Sacrament

Friday 4th April: Last Day of Term 1

Monday 21st April: Easter Monday Public Holiday

Tuesday 22nd April: First Day of Term 2

Thursday 24th April: Closure Day - Southern Zone Collaboration Day (DOBCEL determined date)

Friday 25th April: ANZAC Day Public Holiday

Monday 28th April: Confirmation Parent Meeting (7.00pm St Joseph's Church)

Thursday 1st May: May Races Public Holiday