July 28th 2025: Newsletter #23

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 2

We begin our week honouring this life, with all its potentials and possibilities. 

We begin our week with trust, knowing we are created for loving encounter. 

We begin our week with hope, knowing the it can hold love, kindness, forgiveness and justice. 

We recall last term, may we learn, may we love, may we live on.

We make room for the unexpected, may we find wisdom and life in the unexpected. 

Help us to embrace possibility, respond graciously to disappointment and hold tenderly those we encounter. 
Help us to be fully present. 

We pray for all who will experience difficulty, may we support, may we listen, may we change.

We resolve to live life in its fullness: we will welcome the people who’ll be part of our term. 
We will greet God in ordinary and hidden moments. We will live the life we are living. 

This week and always may we find the wisdom we need, may we hear the needs of those we meet, may we love the life that we are given!

Amen

Adapted from O Tuama P, (2017) Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community Canterbury Press: Norwich.

From the Principal

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

Camp Appreciation: My appreciation to all staff who late last term and early this term have given up time and sacraifed their personal and family life to ensure our Gr 3/4 and Gr 5/6 camps are hugely successful. Camps are difficult and complex events to run, there are many layers that staff have to consider and plan for. 

At a time when many schools are cancelling camps due to the complexities and risks associated with them, our school is still committed to them becasue of the experiences it provides our students, and the growth they make in these settings. 

Staffing: Margie Smith has officially commenced Maternity Leave so we formally welcome Emily Rooke onto staff as our PE Teacher. Emily (pictured here) brings a wealth of experience to this role and will add greatly to our school community. 

New arrival: Our heartfelt congratulations to the Lyles family on the arrival of Emery who was born during the school holidays. Lysander and Cyrus are absolutely smitten with their gorgeous new baby brother.

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

• Monday August 4th
• Monday August 25th

2025 Term 3 Assembly Roster: 

• Monday July 28th- Foundation
• Monday August 4th- Student Free Day
• 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. 

Uniform Focus for the Week

We are in the final stages and finalising uniform items with Lowes and appreciate that there are issues with stock at the moment. Over the next few weeks we will focus on aspects of the uniform to ensure families and students are wearing correct uniform.

Our focus for this week is shoes; our expectation is that shoes worn on non sports days are all black, shoes worn on sports days can be any colour. Hopefully the image below assists. 

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.

Term 3 Wellbeing Day- Wednesday!

Healthy relationships are crucial for wellbeing. This Wednesday, it is International Day of Friendship. At school that day we will be celebrating with our whole school Wellbeing Day. The focus this year is on strengthening connections and building resilience. Students will also work on developing regulation plans and engaging in activities that enhance their Wellbeing. All students are able to wear casual, comfy clothes on this day. 

If any parents/Carers are interested in seeing our Wellbeing Day in action, please meet Jasmine at the front office at 12:15pm for an overview and a walk through the classrooms

Sporting Events

Last Friday, two talented basketball teams proudly represented St. John's at the SSV Basketball Competition. With great sportsmanship and determination our students gave it their all on the court. Winning all their games, the girls will now move on to Regionals to be held in Colac in October. Well done!!

First Eucharist- Grade 4

First Eucharist is a Sacramental Program for Year 4 students and older who have been both Baptised and Confirmed.

This year we will be continuing the new format of a combined Parish Parent Information session and a combined Parish schools Eucharist Formation Day, these will be both be held on the dates outlined below. 

A kit containing the materials and information to prepare your child for the Celebration of First Eucharist will be provided to your child. Parents work through this booklet at home with their child (rather that the previous Family Groups after school).

Parents who wish to register their child for participation in the Sacrament, should complete the form below. Anyone who has already done so, does not need to do it again. 

Key Dates

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

Lowes- SALE

Dental Van

This is a friendly reminder that Teeth On Wheels will be visiting our school for dental check-ups starting on August 11th 2025.

Early dental visits are crucial for your child’s long-term oral health. At this visit, Teeth On Wheels will help identify and address common dental concerns, such as: 

• Thumb-sucking– which can affect tooth development. 
• Teeth eruption– ensuring teeth are coming through correctly. 
• Bite issues– preventing misalignments that may cause future problems. 
• Hypoplasia– weakened tooth enamel that can lead to decay. 
• Decay and cavities – catching early signs before they develop into bigger issues. 
• Deep grooves and pits– which can trap food and bacteria, increasing the risk of decay. 
• Gum infections– preventing long-term damage to gums and surrounding tissue. 

To ensure your child is part of this visit, please complete the consent form by clicking the link below. Important: The cut-off date for completing your child’s form is August 5th 2025. 

Once completed, the Teeth On Wheels team will Check your child’s eligibility for FREE care under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). If your child is not eligible, Teeth On Wheels is offering a special deal of $125 for a full check-up, clean, fluoride treatment, and any required x-rays (which can be claimed through your private health insurance). 

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the Teeth On Wheels team at (03) 9338 1191. 

Book Week Dress Up Day

Art

St. John's Dance Concert

Our Diocesan Community

Student Awards- Term 3, Week 2, 28th July

Miss Buwalda - Freyja G for confidently showing independence and bringing a cheerful attitude to school each day. Well done on a wonderful start to Term 3, Freyja!

Miss Dwyer - Pippa C for being brave and showing confidence during dance rehearsal. Well done, Pippa!

Mrs Archbold - Dustin P for demonstrating great enthusiasm during dance practice this week.

Miss Kissick - Mia F for displaying respect and leadership on the Year One excursion to Flagstaff Hill. Well done!

Miss Lucas -  Mia R  for being a friendly and responsible member in GL, as well as, always striving to do her best.

Mr Hynes - Rosa D for trying to do her very best in every learning session and staying positive!

Miss Ryan - Portia D for her great listening and answering questions during learning time.

Mr Harrington - Maddison M for her amazing bravery and resilience shown on camp.

Miss Kelly - Harper H for her fantastic engagement and positivity on camp. Great work Harper!

Miss Moloney - Lawson C for being an unreal camper on our overnight stay at the 3/4 Grampians Retreat!

Mrs Mugavin -  Luke V for being such a positive, enthusiastic and happy camper whilst we were  on our Grade 3/4 Camp!

Miss P -  Jaxon C for creating a well written question about Rosalind Franklin during Inquiry.

Mr McInerney - Chet M for his fantastic research about the African country, Malawi.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrate their birthday this week, we hope you have a fabulous day! Paddy M, Ella R, Mia F, Eli K, Oliver H and Harvey T. 

Student News

Congratulations to Charlotte, who recently competed in the Mount Gambier Eisteddfod and received an Honourable Mention for her solo performance. A wonderful achievement that reflects her dedication and talent!

Around our School- Term 3 Week 1

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Parents and Friend's Social Group

Major Raffle

On Friday each family was given 5 raffle tickets to our major raffle for the year. 

1st Prize is $4,000 to spend at a business of your choice

2nd Prize is $750 Coles Myer Card

3rd Prize is $250 Fuel Card

Tickets are $25 each 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 

Any questions please don't hesitate to reach out. 

Dennington Day Out

The next Dennington Day Out next meeting is being held on Tuesday 29th July at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space.

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 Hot Dog's. Orders close tomorrow Tuesday 29th July at 8:30am.

Hot Dogs $2.50 each. Gluten Free Hot Dogs in bread $2.50 each  

Drinks - Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Chocolate Milk & Strawberry Milk $2.00 each.

Roster:  

Tuesday 29th July - Laura, Alisha R & Danili J

Wednesday 30th July - Theresa G, Tess & Jess W 

Next weeks treat is Pizza.   Orders will open this Wednesday 30th and will close on 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

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 Taliah Gleeson, Emily McGennan or the front office.

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. 

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 29th July: Eucharist parent meeting at 7.00pm at St. Joseph's Church

Wednesday 30th July: Wellbeing Day (wear comfortable casual clothes)

Monday 4th August: School Closure Day (Theircare open for bookings)

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

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

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