February 19th, 2024: Newsletter #3

Acknowledgment 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. 

Week 4 Prayer

From the Principal

Welcome to the 4th week of term.

Sympathies: On behalf of our school community we offer our sympathies and prayers to Miss Lucas following the death of her Grandmother Margaret, to Mrs Jol following the passing of her mother Marie and to the Mitchell family following the passing of Aaron's father and Lara & Jude's Grandfather George. May they all be comforted by our thoughts and words and may Margaret, Marie and George all rest in eternal peace. 

Literacy Approaches: Following the report from the Grattan Institute into the teaching of literacy in Australia, there has been many comments regarding best practice and effectiveness. At St John's we are consistently examining our practices to ensure we stay up to date with the most effective methods of teaching all subject areas. In 2024 we have commenced implementing a Structured Literacy approach through the implementation of the Little Learners Love Literacy program, this is a phonics based program designed to support the explicit teaching of phonics in our junior classes.  This program, and particularly the home readers will be very different. They support the letter sounds that have been taught in the classrooms.  Yes, they appear very simple; yes, they are repetitive and yes, the students will have the same reader for more than one night.  This all aligns with the principle of thoroughly teaching the reading code to enable students to read words that have those sounds.  This will be a learning journey for both teachers and parents, and in order to support this journey, I encourage you to attend our Information sessions this Tuesday. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation- Grade 6: Senior Reconciliation is a Sacramental Program for Year 6 students who have completed their Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist Sacraments. The Student and Parent Information meeting is being held at St. Pius X Church on 22nd February at 7.00pm with the actual Sacrament of Reconciliation to take place on Monday 18th March at 6.00pm at St Pius X Church.

To register to attend, please complete the linked form; https://forms.gle/cwD4dFe3fHk4aNie8  

Contact Tom Beks at tbeks@sjdennigton.catholic.edu.au with any queries.

Student Mobile Phone & Smart Watch Use: In accordance with the DOBCEL Digital Technology Policy and the St. John's Acceptable Use and Cyber Safety Agreement, it is it is a requirement that mobile phones and personal electronic devices must be signed into the school office.

We understand that from time to time students may bring a device for use before or after school. If your child brings a phone or device they are required to sign them into the school office prior to school and collected at the end of the day. These items are stored securely in the office area. Please speak with your child regarding this process. This agreement sits in CONNECT in PAM and requires all families to read and acknowledge the terms and conditions each year.

PAM - CONNECT requests: There are a number of families still to complete these, an email has been sent to those who have requests outstanding. There are seven requests you need to complete. When you log into PAM these requests will display immediately on the screen. Please read through each request and sign off on each one. If you are having trouble with PAM or need any assistance or clarification please contact the office.

We look forward to the week ahead, Ben.

School Fees / CSEF

School Fee statements will be emailed out to families by the end of this week. Please look out for this email, if you do not receive this, it is important you contact Gayle McPherson at the office asap. 

If you hold a valid pensioner concession card/health care card you are eligible for the Family Fee Assistance scheme. Families who qualify for the scheme will receive a discount off their school fees. The discounted fee covers tuition and capital fees only. It does not cover additional charges such as camps, student fees, and excursions.

Please complete the attached form and return to the office as soon as possible. Applications close at the end of Term 1.

Parent Information Session Feedback

We would like to thank all parents who were able to attend our Parent Information Sessions in week 2, they are always a good way to build relationships between home and school.

We are always looking for ways to enchnace these sessions and have developed a short survey which we ask all families, even those who didn't attend, to complete. The information gathered will help to shape future sessions, their content, their time and their purpose.

The form is linked here. 

FIRE Carrier School

As a school community, we recognise the special place and culture of Aboriginal peoples within Australia. We acknowledge that Aboriginal people have been the caretakers of this Land for more than 60,000 years. We respect their spiritual connection to Mother Earth through the Dreaming.

At St John’s our vision for reconciliation is to be a place of learning and teaching that respects Aboriginal protocols, history and culture. We will have strong and mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal communities. These relationships will provide for the sharing of knowledge and ideas, and the opportunity to listen and learn from Aboriginal Australians about the past, their current circumstances, and their vision for the future. We will be a place where Aboriginal culture is respected and celebrated.

St John’s have become a FIRE (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) Carrier school. FIRE Carrier Project is to promote respect, fairness and inclusion for Aboriginal people. To be a FIRE Carrier is to exercise an important leadership role in the school community. FIRE carriers are students and teachers that share a passion for learning about Aboriginal culture and history and are committed to sharing this knowledge and promoting reconciliation within and beyond the school community. As part of this program, at our beginning of the year Mass, we had our new Message Stick blessed and presented to the school community. This Message Stick has already become part of all our assemblies and liturgies.

The Message Stick is carried during the procession at the beginning of Mass, along with the Lectionary. It is a powerful symbolic gesture that showed the willingness of both cultures to accept the Word. The Message Stick is also held up while the Gospels are being read. The Message Stick will be a focal point in our foyer and then taken to all assemblies, liturgies and Masses.

School Communication Channels

Newsletter:  Our newsletter is published weekly on Mondays and is distributed directly to all families via the Schoolzine App and email. The newsletter carries the bulk of our news and information about what is happening at St. John’s. It is the main way parents/guardians can be informed about coming events, student and teacher achievements. It is important for all families to read the newsletter each week. 

Schoolzine App: This App is the simplest way to receive short messages, reminders, or emergency information direct to your mobile phone. The Schoolzine App can be downloaded free from either Apple App Store or Google Play and then once installed, search for ‘St. John’s’ Primary School Dennington’.

Facebook: Facebook allows us to share many of the wonderful stories about what’s happening at our school including individual and team achievements.

As a parent/guardian, we encourage you to also join our closed Facebook community - St John's Dennington School Community.  This page is for reminders and notices. If you have a direct question that requires an answer from staff please email your child's teacher or call the office on 5562 5362 rather than posting in this group.

Email: Parents are welcome to email staff with questions or to request a time to meet. Please note that staff will only respond between the hours of 8.00am and 5.00pm. Staff emails consist of first initial and surname@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au eg Jan Madden - jmadden@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au

Our communication guidelines are available to view under the Useful Information Tab in the Schoolzine app. A summary is also pinned in our closed Facebook community page.

Bushfire at Risk Register (BARR)

In 2024 our school has been placed on the Bushfire at Risk Register. 

With the implementation of a new national Fire Danger Rating (FDR) system, all schools on the "Bushfire and Grassfire At Risk Registers" will be closed on days classified as Catastrophic FDR.

What does this mean?  On a Catastrophic FDR, our school will be closed, along with school bus services.  No one will be allowed on site. Such ratings will be declared ahead of the nominated day. In the event of a Catastophic FDR an email and a Schoolzine alert will go out to parents.

Please note: A Catastrophic FDR is different to a Day of Total Fire Ban.

Additional Information about the Australian Fire Danger Rating system is reproduced below for your information.

Catholic Diocese of Ballarat 150th Anniversary

The Diocese of Ballarat will turn 150 on 30th March, 2024.

It was on 30th March, 1874, that Pope Pius the Ninth issued a decree that marked the beginning of the Ballarat Diocese.  Bishop Paul, in his message about the anniversary, said, “Our 150th anniversary will be an opportunity for each community throughout our diocese to remember those who have gone before us, those who have laid the foundations of our parish and school communities and the social services and health care that are provided in our diocese today. The anniversary will be an opportunity to review our history, acknowledging both strengths and weaknesses, celebrating the achievements and recognising the failures to live our Christian faith to the full. It will be a chance to take stock of where we are now and look ahead to how we can live as a truly Christian community, sharing the good news of Christ, in the years to come.” (ODC July 2023)

The logo for the 150th Anniversary of the Diocese of Ballarat (shown below) was prepared by a committee convened by Bishop Paul. The design incorporates the diocesan logo and the bough of a tree drawn by Sr Anne McMillan rsm in 1985. The words Anne had used with this drawing were, “If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come”. It is an old Chinese proverb, which could be interpreted as a reminder to keep hope alive and a call to open our hearts to all. The bough of a tree symbolises growth, interconnectedness and life. The leaves could symbolise the communities, the parishes, the people of the diocese.

The text Communities: Remember, Revitalise, Hope reflects various aspects of the anniversary.  The word “Community” highlights the fact that a diocese is essentially a community drawn together by Christ, a large community made up of many local communities. The word “Remember” refers us to the history of the diocese. In this remembering, we acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of that history, celebrating the achievements and recognising the failures to live our Christian faith to the full. The word “Revitalise” calls us to invest ourselves in bringing new life to the community today. The word “Hope” encourages us to look forward to the future with confidence in God.

The Scripture verse chosen for our 150th anniversary year reflects various elements of our vocation as a Christian community. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12). The words are drawn from a passage in St Paul’s letter to the Romans in which the apostle lists qualities appropriate for a community inspired by Christ. As the years go by, the community experiences times of trial as well as times of gladness. Through it all, their trust in Christ makes them joyful in hope and patient in affliction. They recognise that they need God’s help in all they do and so they are faithful in prayer, seeking God’s help day by day.

May this anniversary year be a season of renewal for our diocese, our community of communities from the Murray to the sea.

Shrove Tuesday & Ash Wednesday Liturgy

Last week we celebrated Shrove Tuesday. It is a great day to gather together and prepare for the Feast of Lent. We enjoyed delicious pancakes for morning tea prepared by our wonderful parent helpers. 

Last Wednesday the children and staff participated in a liturgy for Ash Wednesday. The children set up the Sacred Space in the stadium as well as others who read and sang in the choir. Ash Wednesday is a time to refocus and realign ourselves in our relationship with God and one another.  It is the beginning of Lent which is a time of reflection and a time of preparation for the celebration of Christ's Death and Resurrection at Easter.

Breakfast Club- Back tomorrow!!

Breakfast Club recommences tomorrow from 8.15am - 8.45am in the Library!!

Breakfast Club is a great opportunity for students to catch up whilst enjoying some delicious toast or cereal. 

Little Learners Information Session- Tomorrow!

Literacy is going to look very different at St. John's in 2024 and beyond. These sessions will provide you with information about the learning and how you can support your child at home. It is highly recommended that you attend one of the three sessions available.

School Photos

Our annual school photos including sibling photos will be taken by Arthur Reed Photos on Tuesday 5th March 2024. 

There is no need to return any forms or money to school. Unique image codes will be issued to all students on/after photo day so families can register online to view images when they become available in the webshop.

Registration is simple, just follow the 3 simple steps on your child’s personalised flyer once you receive it and remember to add the codes for all your children attending this school. Even if you registered last year, it’s important that you do again this year using your child’s 2024 image code to link their images for the current year with your contact details.

When images are ready to view and in the webshop, all parents who have registered will be notified by SMS and email. Once registered, please wait for notification that 2024 images are online to view before making your purchase.

Opening the Doors Foundation

The Opening the Doors Foundation provides grants to families to assist with the extra costs incurred in the schooling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary or secondary school students. The 2024 Grant Round is now open, with a closing date of 12th April 2024. For students to commence the 2024 school year with the necessary items, the ideal time to apply is now or before the start of Term 1. 

Full criteria and guidelines are included on the Opening the Doors Foundation website and the Opening the Doors Foundation Application, but the following points may prove helpful for families who are considering applying: 

• The Applicant (child) must be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. 
• The Applicant must be enrolled in a Catholic or Independent educational institution located within the State boundaries of Victoria. 
• The Applicant can only submit one regular grant per year. 
• First time applicants must provide a Confirmation of Aboriginality Certificate, which must be in the child’s name. If a Confirmation Certificate is not obtainable, please contact the Foundation as applicants may be able to submit a Statement of Recognition (Recognition of Aboriginality Form) instead. 
• The Foundation supports the extra costs of school. This does not include 'fees'. 
• Items already purchased cannot be reimbursed. 
• Maximum grant amounts are included in the app. 
• Applications will not be accepted after the closing date - 12th April 2024. 

Pertinent information: 

• Website: Opening the Doors Foundation; Foundation Application Criteria and Guidelines 
• App link: Opening the Doors Foundation Application 
• Phone: 0401 487 414 or 1300 236 356 
• Email: enquiries@openingthedoors.org.au 

Student News

If you have some exciting news you would like to share with our school community please email admin@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au

Around our School- Week 3

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Student Awards

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Sophie C, Isla A, Sullivan G, Nala F, Amelia H and Sam G who celebrate their birthday this week, we hope you have a terrific fun filled day!

Parents & Friends Social Group

Dennington Dash 

The Dennington Dash will be held on Friday March 15th. A great opportunity to get out and run/walk with friends while raising money for the school. Use the QR code below to register for the event.  There are some great prizes to be won on the night!

We will also be on the lookout for volunteers to help on the night with registrations, marshalling and helping on the BBQ. Keep an eye out in the facebook group.

Wine, Cheese and Chat night- Tomorrow

Tomorrow night we will be holding our annual Wine, Cheese & Chat night at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. This follows the Literacy information session at 6.30pm. This is the perfect opportunity to come along and talk with other parents who volunteer their time across the school’s committee’s. Keep your eye on the facebook group to rsvp for catering purposes. 

The Parent’s and Friends social group meet monthly to organise fundraising and social events for the school. They will be holding their AGM in March with all positions up for grabs. There are also a number of parents who attend meetings regularly and organise different events throughout the year. 

The Dennington Day Out committee also meets on a regular basis to help organise our schools Major Fundraiser which will be on Sunday 10th November.

Another group within our school is the School Advisory Council which meets each term with the Principal and Assistant Principals. This night is a great opportunity to come along and ask questions, or a simple excuse to get out of the house and get to know other parents without the kids around. All parents who volunteer across our committees say they began attending meetings for their own social outing.

Please rsvp via the post in the facebook group for catering purposes. Last minute attendance without rsvp is also fine. It is looking to be a great night.

Malynda De Bono - President

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- Monday 26th February.

Bell (Charlotte), Bermingham, Billings, Black and Blain.

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.

Emmanuel College

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

Tuesday 20th February: Wine Cheese and Chat night- P&F Social group function.

Tuesday 20th February: Little Learners Information Sessions- see flyer for times.

Thursday 22nd February: Reconciliation student and parent meeting, St Pius X Church at 7.00pm.

Wednesday 28th February: DDO first meeting in the Gathering Space at 7.15pm.

Tuesday 5th March: School Photos (students are to wear sports uniform).

Wednesday 6th March: School Athletics Carnival.

Friday 15th March: Dennington Dash.

Monday 18th March: Sacrament of Reconciliation, St Pius X Church at 6.00pm.

Tuesday 19th March: P&F Social Group AGM and first meeting.