August 4th 2025: Newsletter #24

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. 

Prayer Week 3

I pray for the needs of all those across this small planet
who are in great need this day.
I am mindful of all those who suffer because of the winter weather,
of all who suffer because they experience the winter of war,
of all those who suffer the cold winds of oppression and violence,
May all who suffer this day experience your compassion
through their brothers and sisters.
May this morning prayer awaken me
to turn to the needs of all who ask me for help this day
into my personal needs.
May this brief time of prayer make me aware
that the needs of those whom I assist are really your needs.
Grant me the grace to see you in all whom I meet and serve.
Blessed and beautiful are you my God.
May your light be my sun this winter day.

Amen

From the Principal

Hello everyone, welcome to a new week at St. John's. 

First Eucharist Formation Day: The preparation of this Sacrament includes a formation day at school. Candidates from all of the Network Catholic schools will participate in a Formation Day this Tuesday. 

Children are reminded to bring along a special item that sparks a memory for them and are also asked to wear their sports uniform on this day and bring their own lunch.  

Best wishes to the children and their families as they embark on this preparation.  

• Network Formation Day: Tuesday 5th August, St. Pius X (school supported)
• Presentation of Candidates at Mass: Sunday 10th August, 9.00am
• Sacrament of First Eucharist: Sunday 24th August, 9.00am

Term 3 Student Free Days: Please note the following date will be student free in Term 3 to enable staff to participate in professional development. Theircare will be available on this day for students that require care. 

• Monday August 25th

2025 Term 3 Assembly Roster: 

• Monday August 11th- Grade 3
• Monday August 18th- No assembly due to concert
• Monday August 25th- Student Free Day
• Monday September 1st- Grade 5/6
• Monday Sep 8th- Grade 1
• Monday Sep 15th- Grade 2

Enjoy the week ahead, Ben. 

P&F Social Group Raffle

As advised last week, we are excited to promote the 2025 Major Raffle to our school community. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to support the school and also win some fabulous prizes. 

Our prizes are as follows;

• 1st Prize: $4000 worth of goods and services at the Business of your choice.
• 2nd Prize: $750 Coles Myer Gift Card
• 3rd Prize: $250 Fuel Card donated by Matthews Petroleum

Families are asked to sell 5 x $25 tickets and we only have 1000 to sell. Please note there is no obligation for you to sell all tickets. We would really appreciate ALL TICKETS to be returned to the office by Wednesday 13th August or sooner. Returning any unsold tickets would be appreciated so they can be passed on to other families. 

You can pay via CDF pay under raffle ticket tab and return your tickets OR return cash with your raffle tickets to the office. 

Raffle will be drawn at the school concert on Monday 18th August.

National Principal's Day

Last Friday was National Primary Principal's Day. We celebrated our three incredible selfless leaders we are so fortunate to have at St. John's- our Principal Ben and two Assistant Principals Jan and Amy.

Their dedication, tireless support, and commitment to our students, staff, and families make a lasting difference to us all.

We appreciate everything they do for our school community each and every day- from the bottom of our hearts we sincerely say thank you.

Uniform Focus for the Week- Sports Shorts

As we continue the journey of better understanding our uniform requirements, we focus this week on our sports shorts. As shown in the image, our sports shorts are only worn on Specialist Days and other days when specified.

The blue shorts should feature the school emblem as also shown in the picture.

School Fees & Payment Plans

School Fee statements will be emailed to families this week. If you do not receive your statement please contact Sarah Burchell in the office-  sburchell@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au 

If at any time you would like to set up a direct debit payment plan for your school fees please also contact Sarah.

Student Attendance

Daily school attendance is important for young people to succeed in education and to ensure they don’t fall behind both socially and developmentally. Young people who regularly attend school have better health outcomes, better employment outcomes, and higher incomes across their lives.  

We understand that there are times when your child will need to miss school but to ensure minimal disruption to their education, please consider scheduling family holidays or medical/dental appointments outside of school time. If your child is well enough to attend but is worried about friendships, schoolwork or exams, please encourage them to come to school. Avoiding school can make these feelings worse and can create a negative pattern of behaviour.

If your child is having difficulty attending school, talk to their teacher or School leadership about getting support.

We know that parents and carers can be juggling challenges daily to get your children to school. If your child must miss school, notify us as soon as possible via PAM so we can work together to support them.

Remember, Every Day Counts.

A reminder to all families that is a requirement of the Victorian State Government for parents to report reasons for school absence. 

Medication at School- Update Requirements

As per direction from our governing body DOBCEL and our first aid and student care and health policy, we are only able to administer non-prescription medication (such as antihistamines, eye drops) at school and also whilst on excursion/ camps/ sleepovers if the medicine has a chemist’s/pharmacy label with the child’s name and dosage instructions clearly visible on the original packaging. This is because analgesics and other non-prescribed medications can mask signs and symptoms of a serious illness or injury. 

Where possible, and if appropriate, please consider if the medication can be administered outside of the school day.

These policies are in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Book Week Dress Up Day- This Wednesday!

Families are warmly invited to join us in the Stadium at 9.00am this Wednesday to watch the highly anticipated Book Week Parade! 

Wellbeing

On Wednesday 30th July we held our whole school Wellbeing Day with the focus being strengthening connections and building resilience. A huge thank you to our amazing Wellbeing Team who worked tirelessly to plan and deliver such a wonderful and impactful day. Check out the video below for a small snippet of the day.

100 Days of School for Foundations!

Last Thursday, our littlest legends reached a special milestone- 100 days of school! To mark the occasion students participated in a fun-filled day of activities that celebrated all they’ve learned and achieved so far this year. To make it even more special, the students enjoyed an extended day at school. It was a wonderful way to recognise their growth and the strong start to their schooling journey. Well done, Foundations!

Library- Helpers Required!

We are looking for parental assistance in our Library which will be counted towards Parent Participation levy points. Tasks would include shelving books, returning books, organising shelves and general tidiness. A staff member will explain how the books are returned and shelved.

We hope to do a general audit of all the books over the second half of this year. Times are very flexible, perhaps an hour in the morning or before pick up. Thursdays and Fridays are not available as the Library is used for Japanese at these times.

If you are interested please email Jan Madden jmadden@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au

Dental Van

Teeth On Wheels will be visiting our School for dental check-ups starting on August 11th 2025. 
We understand that dental visits can feel intimidating for children, which is why Teeth On Wheels makes oral health education both fun and engaging. When children enjoy their experience with the dentist, it sets a foundation for positive oral health habits that last a lifetime. Fun, hands-on activities help children develop good habits like regular brushing, flossing, and understanding the importance of healthy teeth. This enjoyable approach not only reduces fear but empowers children to take ownership of their oral health. By creating a positive experience at an early age, we are setting the stage for healthier smiles and stronger habits throughout their life. 

To ensure your child is part of this visit, please complete the consent form by clicking the link below: Complete the consent form HERE!
The cut-off date for completing your child’s form is August 5th 2025.
For any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Teeth On Wheels team at (03) 9338 1191. 

Art

STEM

TheirCare

St. John's Dance Concert

Our Diocesan Community

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrate their birthday this week- Lawson C, Olivia G, Archie P and Ruby R. Best wishes, enjoy your special day!

Parents and Friend's Social Group

Dennington Day Out

Dennington Day Out 2025 is less than 100 days away. Behind the scenes the team is busy preparing for another awesome jam packed day. Its not too late to jump on board and help. 

The following meetings have been set

• Tuesday 2nd September 7.00pm
• Tuesday 7th October 7.00pm
• Tuesday 21st October 7.00pm 
• Tuesday 28th October 7.00pm
• Thursday 6th November 7.00pm

Do you have a child that might be interested in holding a mini entrepreneurs stall at this years DDO? Make sure you are following the Dennington Day Out Facebook page for the expressions of interest google form that will be posted in the coming weeks. 

Dennington Day Out Sponsorship Proposal for 2025 is now available if you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring this years event please contact ddo@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au

Wednesday Treats

This weeks treat is Pizza. Orders close tomorrow Tuesday 5th August at 8:30am.

Garlic Pizza $2.50 each,  Hawaiian Pizza $2.50 each, BBQ Meat Lovers $2.50 each, Gluten Free Garlic $2.50 each and Gluten Free / Dairy Free Hawaiian $2.50 each. Drinks $2.00 each

Roster:

Tuesday 5th August - Melissa C, Laura & Jacinta B

Wednesday 6th August - Elyse, Melanie K & Hayley M

Next weeks treats on Wednesday 13th August will be Dim Sims & Sausage Rolls. Orders will open on Wednesday 6th August and close on Tuesday 12th August at 8.30am. 

Dim Sims $1.00 each, Sausage Rolls $2.00 each. Drinks $2.00 each 

Roster:

Tuesday 12th August - Melissa C, Kiri McKane, Jennifer M

Wednesday 13th August - Melanie K, Tess & Hayley McKenzie

Please remember Orders are required to be placed online via the CDFpay app. Each Wednesday the order for the following week will be uploaded to the app. Orders will close at 8:30am each Tuesday so please make sure you get your orders in on time as we can not accept late orders or cash this year.

Should you have any questions please feel free to contact Emily McGennan or the front office.

Around our School- Term 3 Week 2

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Cake Raffle

Each week at Assembly we draw a cake raffle for students. The money raised goes to Our noimiated charity, Backpacks Beds. 

School families have been assigned a week to bring in a cake. There is no obligation or pressure for you to do so, it is only if you wish to. If you have been assigned a week that is unsuitable and you would like to bring a cake in another week, please contact the office and an alternate date will be arranged.

If you choose to, please drop your store purchased cake into the office with your family name written on top. 

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 on for Monday 11th August:

Matthews, McFadyen, McInerney, McKane, McKay, McKenzie, McNaughton, Miller, Mitchell and Mjeda.

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

Warrnambool Neighbourhood Community Centre is a not-for-profit community-based organisation located in East Warrnambool.  We provide social, educational, recreational and support activities aimed towards bringing people together to connect, learn and contribute to their local community. 
 We are funded through the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing and are members of Neighbourhood Houses Victoria. We are managed by a volunteer Board and paid staff.  But we could not do the work we do without the support of local community volunteers to help develop and deliver our programs and the generosity of our community partners and sponsors. To find out more click on the link below. 

Live Your Best Life in Love... A Marriage Encounter weekend is for you…

Every married couple deserves this very special weekend. Time-out to nurture your most precious relationship away from life's distractions.  The two of you will come away from your weekend feeling more deeply connected and with tools to help keep your renewed intimacy alive. No group sharing is required. The weekend is based around Catholic values. Couples of all faiths are very welcome. Please check our website for details and to book your special weekend:

We have 2 further weekends on offer this year

•     October 3-5 at Tooleybuc Sporting Club / Tooleybuc Motor Inn - a great weekend getaway
•     October 10-12 at St Paul's Retreat Centre, Wantirna South

Starts Friday evening at 7.00pm and finishes Sunday afternoon around 4:30pm

Information/Bookings: Phone Mercy & James 0409 183 676 or

Email: vicbookings@wwme.org.au    Website: wwme.org.au

Upcoming Events

Wednesday 6th August: Book Week Dress Up Day and Parade at 9.00am in the Stadium

Monday 11th - Wednesday 13th August: Teeth on Wheels Dental Van Visit

Wednesday 13th August: Major Raffle tickets due back

Monday 18th August: School Dance Concert at 6.30pm at Emmanuel College

Monday 25th August: School Closure Day (Theircare open for bookings)