April 22nd, 2024: Newsletter #10

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 2 Prayer

From the Principal

Welcome, our community continues to be busy so please take the time to read through the entire newsletter. Also, each class will be sending out their "Ask me Abouts" Tuesday- these are always a great read.  

Congratulations to the Boyd Family: I am pleased to announce that our former PE Teacher Brodie Boyd gave birth last Wednesday to Tommy Michael, weighing in at 8lb 6oz, his 2 big brothers are all over him. Also, congrats to staff members Andrea Petitt and Coralie Hiscock who have welcomed Grandchildren into their lives in the past week. 

Mother's Day Stall & Breakfast: Our Mother's Day stall will be held on Wednesday May 8th and the Mother's Day Breakfast will be held on Friday May 10th starting at 7.30am.  

Breakfast Club: I ask that parents speak to children about their attendance at Breakfast Club as we've noticed a number of children will attend Breakfast Club when it starts, grab a piece of toast then head out to play where they are not supervised. The purpose of Breakfast Club is for children to sit, to socialise and to share a meal together, not to quickly guzzle down some toast and play. We thank you in advance for your support. 

ANZAC Day: Our school will join with the Dennington Community in commemorating those who served in all wars.

Our students are welcome to gather at the Dennington Kinder 8.45am in their Winter school uniform, we will then join in the parade before our captains lay a wreath at the memorial on behalf of our school community.

We have also been asked to lead the singing of the national anthem so all children in attendance will gather during the service to do this. 

Please also note that all community members are invited to join in the Dennington Community Association breakfast which will run from 7.30am at the Payne Reserve BBQ area. 

We look forward to the week ahead, Ben.

L0ne Pine Tree

In 2022, St. John's was fortunate to receive a juvenile Lone Pine tree, cultivated from the seeds of the Lone Pine in the Warrnambool Botanic Gardens. This tree is located near the flag poles. 

Featured here is an excerpt explaining the history of the Warrnambool Lone Pine. 

The Battle of Lone Pine was fought from 6-9 August 1915, on a heavily fortified plateau of the Gallipoli Peninsula, upon which stood a solitary pine tree. Intended to create a diversion for a British landing in Suvla Bay, the battle left between five and six thousand Turkish and 2,277 Australian soldiers dead.

In September, men of the Australian 23rd and 24th Battalions arrived fighting on alternate days. From the ruins of battle, Sergeant Keith McDowell picked up a pine cone from where the tree had once stood and carried it back home to Australia.

On his return, McDowell gave the pine cone to Mrs. Emma Gray, the aunt of McDowell’s wife Iris. Born in Tower Hill in 1870, Emma Gray ran a general store in Grasmere with her husband Robert. After about ten years Emma successfully grew four young pine trees from the pine cone.  The fourth was planted in Warrnambool’s Botanic Gardens, with a dedication service on 21st January 1934.

We received our Lone Pine through the ‘100 Lone Pines Project’, developed by the Friends of Gallipoli Inc and supported by the Victorian Branch of the RSL and the Victorian Government. Students have been caring for the Lone Pine at school since it was planted in 2022. 

Sign In Procedures

As part of our Child Safety measures, all parents/ guradians will need to bring with you your Working With Children Card or your VIT card the first time you sign in.  Once you have completed all sections of the sign in process you will create what is called a quickpin, which will be your mobile number as it is a unique number.  After that you will only need to enter your number to sign in & out and not everything else.

It does allow you to select the option that you just do not have your card on you, but a limit has been set for the number of times this is allowed.  If you have a VIT card, you can select that option at the start and use that number instead.  The sign in process does a live check with the Department of Justice and VIT to verify your cards are current and valid.  The most common reason for them to be rejected is because your card is in a different name to what you have signed in as e.g. shortened name (Jenny instead of Jennifer) or one is still in your maiden name.

We encourage all visitors to complete this process in full the first time you come in, if you need help, any of the admin team can assist you. I guarantee it will make it much quicker for you from then on.

Student Medical Information

A reminder that we require all families to login to PAM and update their child's Medical Information if their child's medical details have changed. This information assists with our electronic permission forms. 

Please follow the instructions below to update a medical profile for each of your children by:

1. Click on link to PAM (found on our webpage or SZapp)
2. Click on student (if more than 1 child, this will need to be done individually)
3. Click on Medical Profile (blue writing to the left of screen)
4. Check all questions and select Edit Details for updates to be made.
5. Once you get to the end of the questions please confirm by clicking on the Green “Update Details” Box found at the bottom right of screen.

As a parent/guardian you are able to access your child/rens medical profile on PAM at any time to update as needed. If you have any queries or require your PAM login details, please do not hesitate to get in contact with the office. 

Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund

If you haven't put in a claim for the CSEF and you have a current health care card please complete the attached form and drop it into the office. 

AEDC Survey (Foundation Students)

Foundation families, today you will receive a letter providing information about the Australian Early Development Census. The AEDC is a national census conducted every three years by the Australian Government, in partnership with state and territory governments.  

The purpose of the AEDC is to measure how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school, and it is a voluntary and confidential process.  

At St. John's this process will take place in May. To provide consent for the collection of your child's information, you do not need to do anything.  However, if you do not consent, please contact Ben van de Camp before the 9th May.  

Sacrament of Confirmation

The South West Coast parish is now inviting all families of children to register to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation- this sacrament is available to all baptised children in Gr 3 and above.

The Formation evening for children and parents will be held tonight at 6pm at the Infant Jesus Church in Koroit, whilst the actual Sacrament will be held on Wednesday May 15th also in Koroit. 

We ask that families who wish for their child to receive this sacrament, please complete the linked form below.

Should you have any questions, please contact Tom Beks. 

https://forms.gle/rQwdTrBewAxkNxus6

Book Club

Scholastic Book Club catalouges were sent home last week. 

Book Club provides families with an affordable and convenient way to bring the best in children’s literature into their homes. Each issue contains curated, age-appropriate titles that have been carefully selected and levelled by a dedicated team of professional booklovers.

15% of every purchase on Book Club goes back to our school in Scholastic Rewards to buy valuable educational resources that benefit your child. Browse the pages with your child and help them choose books that suit their age and interests.

• Order online via Book Club LOOP
• The books are delivered back to your child's classroom where the teacher will hand them out to very excited students!
• Your school earns Scholastic Rewards
• Your school redeems Scholastic Rewards for additional school or classroom resources!
  

Mother's Day Breakfast

We invite Mothers or a special person to our annual Mother's Day Breakfast- which will be held on Friday 10th May starting at 7.30am in the Stadium.

Please complete the google form to let us know if you can make it. We hope to see you there!

Specialist Timetables & Public Holidays

Due to the fact that we have the next two Thursdays as Public Holidays, we have created an alternate Specialist Timetable to ensure all students particpate in all of their Specialist Subjects over a 2 week block. The timetable for the next 2 Fridays is shown below.

All students need to wear their Sports Uniform over the next 2 Fridays please. 

Food Bank for Needy Families

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. 

New Spaces!

Grade 2 Classrooms

Our Grade 2 cohort are thrilled to be working out of their new classrooms this term. We couldn't be happier with how this new space has come together. We commend the Grade 2 students and teaching staff for their flexibilty whilst waiting for their new classrooms.

At St. John’s we are now lucky enough to have 2 designated sensory rooms. These rooms aim to provide students with the sensory input they need to regulate, so they can feel good and be better prepared for learning and interacting with others. Each classroom also has a sensory tool box to help support students with their sensory needs. 

Our Quiet Area has also had a revamp.  Each week we will rotate the play stations available to students.  During our first week we had a bean bag corner, supermarket, car tracks, dolls house, wooden blocks and foam shapes.  

We feel it is important to provide students with opportunities for play as we know that play improves the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. Through play, children learn about the world and themselves. They also learn skills they need for study, work and relationships such as: confidence, self-esteem, resilience, interaction, social skills, independence and coping with challenging situations.

Jasmine Koch and Jan Madden have done a magnificent job coordinating the Quiet Area and Sensory Rooms for our students.

Sensory Rooms

Quiet Area

Wellbeing

As a result of the devastating events that recently unfolded at Westfield in Bondi Junction, and the Church in Wakeley, many families are still in a state of disbelief trying to comprehend how and why these incidents occurred. All of us have been affected in some way, with some being left more traumatised than others.

Although such incidents are rare, they can still be scarring. It's in these situations that it is vitally important for parents and carers to check in with their children. Being aware of what information they've been exposed to will hopefully minimise their emotional fallout in coming weeks.

The brain stores traumatic events as powerful emotional memories, influencing behaviour through mechanisms beyond a child's conscious awareness. By providing young people with support and equipping them with coping mechanisms to handle uncertainty, parents and carers can greatly enhance a child's capacity to recover and build long-term emotional resilience.

This Special Report will help you identify a child experiencing trauma and how you can support them to overcome it.

Here is the link to your Special Report

Home Reading versus Homework

For many years now there has been an ongoing conversations about the value of Homework. At St. John's we do not utilise homework as a means of supporting the learning program. This decision has been based on research that suggests that for over 85% of families, homework is a major stress. Many experts have suggested that large amounts of home learning often cause children to dislike learning – it is done, but not well, and is usually a chore rather than something that is fun. In his research on how children learn best, Professor John Hattie, University of Auckland, found that home learning has little impact. In fact out of a list of 123 things, home learning comes in at number 88. We learn through experiences (doing) and reflecting on these experiences. 

Our approach to Home Reading however is different as Home Reading is fundamental to learning achievement, it is different to Homework. Research shows that when parents/ guardians are involved in reading with their children the following benefits flow;

• Parents’ perceptions, values, attitudes, and expectations play an important role in influencing their children’s attitudes toward reading, and subsequent literacy development. When children share a book with someone who makes them feel special, the attitude that reading is pleasurable is transferred to other reading encounters.
  
• At the core of reading is a relationship and it is the bond between children and parents that is enhanced through reading together. It only takes ten minutes a day to build this relationship.
• The research is conclusive: When parents successfully support their children’s literacy learning from an early age, everyone benefits. When teachers and parents work together to support children’s reading and academic success, learning outcomes for all children improve.
• Students who read with their parents are better prepared for school. They begin school with knowledge of book language and familiarity with concepts of print. They understand how books work and have many more exposures to text types and vocabulary.
• Knowing someone cares enough to take time out of a busy schedule to give you undivided attention around a book makes a significant difference to how students perceive themselves as learners and readers. When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, children respond positively.

At St. John's we ask that all families read nightly. For juniors, Home Reading is as per the Little Learners program and for all Gr 3-6 children there should be 20 minutes of reading on Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs. 

2025 Foundation Students

Foundation 2025 enrollments for siblings of current students are now welcome, please visit the following link to commence enrolling your Foundation 2025 child.

Enrolment Apply Now Link

If you require any assistance please contact the office.

2025 Enrolment Tours

We are taking bookings for Enrolment Tours in May. Please share with anyone that you know that may be interesting in attending and learning more about our wonderful school. Please head to our website or click here for the link to register.

Around our School- Week 1

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Student News

Zarah is the proud big sister of gorgeous little Charlotte who was born on 16th April.  Congratulations to you all, Charlotte is absolutely adorable and it was lovely meeting her at school this morning!

Student Awards

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrated thier special day this week: Niamh D, Portia D, Hazel M, Raph C, Macey W, Archie M, Maddison M, Rhy B and Bella P. We hope you have an amazing day!

Parents & Friends Social Group

Our next general meeting will be held this Tuesday 23rd April at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. We welcome all current and new members.

We are looking for some helpers to help organise our  “Movie Fundraiser” for this term. If you are interested and can make tomorrow night's meeting we would love to see you or if you can't make it but would be happy to help please reach out to Hayley Black or Emily McGennan.

Dennington's Day Out

Planning is well underway for this year’s Dennington’s Day Out. Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 29th May at 7:15pm in the Gathering Space.

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. 

Bunnings BBQ

This coming Sunday 28th April is our Bunnings BBQ.  

We are currently looking for a couple more volunteers to assist on the day with cooking & serving. All time volunteered will go towards your Parent Participation Levy. If you are able to help please click here to  fill out the google form.  

This is a significant fundraiser for our school and any assistance would be greatly appreciated. 

Wednesday Treats

Roster: 

Tuesday 23rd April 9.00am - Taliah, Emily M, Alisha R & Jo C 

Wednesday 24th 12.00pm - Melanie K, Jess S & Jayne L

Hot Dog order forms for next week will be going home tomorrow, please keep an eye out for it. All orders must be in by Monday 3.00pm. No late orders will be accepted. If you are paying via EFT please make sure that it is processed by 3.00pm on Monday with your child's name and class as reference. 

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

Mother's Day Stall

Our Mother’s Day Stall will be held on Wednesday 8th May. We are looking for volunteers to help on the day. If you are able to help please contact  Regina Laird on 0419 115 108. Any help would be much appreciated and will be taken off your participation points.

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 29th April:

Daffy, Dalton, Dance, Darmody and Dawson.

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/ 

Emmanuel College- Enrolments closing

Community Notices

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 23rd April: Parents and Friends meeting at 7.00pm Gathering Space

Thursday April 25th: ANZAC Day Holiday

Sunday 28th April: Bunnings BBQ

Thursday May 2nd: May Races Holiday

Tuesday May 7th: School Closure Day

Wednesday 8th May: Mother's Day Stall

Friday 10th May: Mother's Day Breakfast