Term 3, Week 10, 26 September, 2024

Principal Message

Dear St John's Community, 

As we close another busy and rewarding term, I would like to take a moment to celebrate the wonderful learning, growth, and community spirit that have filled Term 3. Our students have continued to show resilience, kindness, and curiosity in their learning, embracing the HIKE values of respect, inspiration, safety, and effort. It has been a privilege to witness their achievements, both big and small.

This term has been filled with rich learning opportunities across all grades. From engaging class projects to hands-on activities that spark creativity, it’s been fantastic to see how our students work together and inspire each other. Our HIKE learning progression framework has supported many in reflecting on their progress, allowing them to understand their strengths and areas for improvement. And of course, when the occasional slip or trip occurs, our students have shown great resilience in getting back on track.

I would also like to thank our wonderful teachers and staff for their ongoing commitment to fostering a positive and supportive learning environment. Their efforts are essential to creating the warm and welcoming school community that St John’s is known for.

As we head into the school holidays, I encourage families to take this time to rest, recharge, and enjoy some special moments together. I look forward to welcoming everyone back for the exciting events that Term 4 has in store, including preparations for the end-of-year celebrations and our special community gatherings.

Thank you again for your ongoing support of our school community. Have a safe and joyful holiday break!

Upcoming Dates

Please view the upcoming dates in this newsletter's left-hand column or via the calendar HERE on the school website, which is also synchronised with the Parent Compass Calendar. 

Staffing news

I am pleased to announce that Naomi O’Dwyer has been appointed as the Acting Assistant Principal at St Joseph’s Woodburn for Term 4, 2024. While we will certainly miss Naomi, this is a fantastic opportunity for her to share her extensive skills in leading learning within another school community. After discussing with Jeanette Wilkins, the principal at St Joseph’s, over the past few weeks, it became clear that Jeanette needed someone experienced who could quickly adapt to the role - as next term the school is transitioning back to their Woodburn site after being temporarily located in Evans Head since the flood. Naomi’s experience ensures that she fits seamlessly into the role, and I have no doubt she will have a significant impact during her time there.

In Naomi’s absence, I’m happy to announce that Chris Hosie will step into the role of Leader of Learning for Term 4 at St John’s. Chris has already taken on many of Naomi’s responsibilities during her leave this term, and his commitment to our learning community makes him an ideal choice for this position. Chris will also continue in his role as Leader of Mission and Engagement for Grades 3-6 next term, while some of his and Naomi’s classroom support responsibilities will be covered by full-time contracted support teacher Molly Phillips.

Please join me in congratulating both Naomi, Chris and Molly on their new roles.

Spring Fair Success

Despite the weather, our Spring Fair went ahead yesterday afternoon!

Thank you to everyone who came along for a fun afternoon to support the school.

A huge THANK YOU to the organising committee Liliana Bryant Theresa Godbee Barbara Underwood Anastasia Weber and Dorothee Schammelt for putting in the extra hours and bringing it all together!!

The Spring Fair Raffle will continue throughout the holidays. Don't forget to purchase tickets here - https://rafflelink.com.au/stjohnsspringfair

Wellbeing Through Art Program

Throughout Terms 1-3 we implemented a Well-Being Through Arts & Crafts Program through the amazing Mrs Seymour. This program addresses our changing school communities by placing particular emphasis on recognising emotional growth and the development of language and appropriate social behaviours which safely communicates our changing experiences. This enables us to acknowledge and address the continuing anxieties and stresses in the whole school communities (children, teachers, parents, parishioners and others). Most importantly the program encourages the students to develop a group of strategies and skills which will prepare them for our developing new world. This Well-Being Through Arts and Crafts Program allows small groups of children to share, create and enjoy a variety of new experiences. Each week’s creative craft focus has proven to be an amazing way to integrate social and emotional learning and well-being. 

See some of the amazing creations from our students below:

SHARPIE TILE ART

HACKY SACK

WEAVING A STICK

PHOTO CUSHION

TIC-TAC-GAME

POM POM FRIENDS

CUP WEAVING

KEY CHAIN

RAIN MAKER

TIE DYE CLOTH BAGS

Child Safety Curriculum

As part of our commitment to Child Safety and alignment with the NSW Child Safe Standards, term 4 each year we will teach the Daniel Morcombe Curriculum. This Curriculum aims to support schools and teachers in the promotion of safety for all students. It includes lessons about personal safety and awareness, cyber-safety and telephone safety. The Curriculum is structured sequentially and developmentally across two phases of primary school learning: Kindergarten - Year 2 and Years 3 - 6. The Curriculum aims to develop student knowledge and skills to recognise, react to and report unsafe situations.

Recognise

The first key safety message of the curriculum is recognise. Recognise is about being aware of your environment. Children, young people and adults can all learn to take notice of what is happening around them to help keep themselves safe. Everyone can use clues, such as the things we see, hear, smell or feel to help protect us from harm and keep ourselves safe. Clues can be simple things that warn us about a danger, e.g. hearing a fire alarm or seeing smoke, that prompt us to react. We can also use clues to prepare for potentially unsafe situations, e.g. if we are walking alone at night, then we try to use a well-lit route and avoid secluded lanes or parks.

When we recognise that there might be a safety problem we can take steps to move away or reduce the risk or develop strategies that can help keep us safe. For instance, if you are in a busy environment such as a local event where there are big crowds, you might consider what you and your child could do if you became separated. Strategies could include: going to a highly visible pre-determined meeting spot; writing your phone number on a card and placing it in your child’s pocket; identifying who your child could approach if they become lost, e.g. police, staff at a booth.

React

Our students will be learning to recognise if they are safe or unsafe in the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum. When children recognise that they are in an unsafe situation, we will encourage them to think about what they could do to be safe again. They will have opportunities to think about ways to react using real-life scenarios. Our students will also learn that breaking the rules (e.g. saying no to an adult who is behaving inappropriately) is sometimes necessary so that they can become safe again.

Please take the time to talk with your children about what they are learning about safety and, in particular, the ways they could react if they are unsafe to make themselves safe again. Talking with your child about ways to stay safe will help them to develop life-long safety skills.

Report

The final key message of the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum is report. This means that when children or young people have been in a situation that is unsafe that they are taught to report what has happened to an adult. Even if a child has been able to make themselves safe, it is vital that they still report what has happened. Adults need to know about unsafe situations so that some action can be taken to help the child be safe again or ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Students involved in the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum will be encouraged to make a list of adult safety helpers. These are adults the children and young people nominate whom they can talk to when they are feeling unsafe or have experienced an unsafe situation or feel they are at risk of something that may cause them harm. This list will include a selection of adults who live in and outside the home.

Report also includes telling an adult about unsafe or inappropriate incidents which may occur when children or young people are online. This might occur when surfing the net or using social media sites and can include cyberbullying, viewing or receiving inappropriate images or messages or communicating with unknown contacts.

It is important that the key safety messages of the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum: Recognise, React and Report are reinforced, both at school and home; so parents are encouraged to, wherever possible, to talk with their children about safety to help them stay safe now and in the future.

Kind Regards, 

Dave Bermingham

Teaching & Learning @ St John's

Junior Johnnies Kindergarten Transition Program 

It is hard to believe we are preparing to transition to kindergarten students for the 2025 school year. Where has that time gone? Our kindergarten transition programme will commence in Week 3 of Term 4, and the first session will be on Friday, 1/11/24.

What is Junior Johnnies?

Junior Johnnies is a free program that assists children commencing school the following year in making the transition into school life less daunting.

What do Junior Johnnies do?

A qualified teacher supervises Junior Johnnie's children to participate in group and individual activities. These activities vary weekly and are designed to prepare children for school routines and learning. 

How often will Junior Johnnies be held? 

We offer the Junior Johnnies Program on Fridays from 8.50 am to 10.50 am. 

•  Session 1:  Friday 1/11/24
•  Session 2:  Friday 8/11/24
•  Session 3:  Friday 15/11/24

Spread the Word!

If you know of any families looking to enrol their child in Kindergarten in 2025 please urge them to contact the school office for further information about our school, the enrolment process and the opportunity to join in our Jonior Johnnies Transition Programme. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways to promote our school. 

WELLBEING @ St John's

As we wrap up the term, I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the staff at St John’s. Our students are truly blessed to have such a dedicated team of people who make a positive difference in their daily lives. 

A special thank you to our parents and carers for your constant support and involvement in so many aspects of school life. Your generosity and partnership are vital to the smooth and successful running of our school.

Lastly  on behalf of the St John's community we would like to acknowledge St John's Parish for supporting us in our spiritual growth and in particular the sacramental program.

Wishing all our staff, students, and families a restful and enjoyable break. 

God bless,

Ellie Bailey

Acting Leader of Pastoral Care 

The Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) has released a new resource, Supporting Diverse Learning in Catholic Schools, designed to help parents and carers of children with diverse learning needs. This guide offers practical advice, insights, and support strategies to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment. We encourage families to access this valuable resource to better understand how to collaborate with teachers and schools to meet the individual needs of their children. Please refer to the CCSP website or follow the link for more information. 

Many blessings,

Ellie Bailey                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Acting Leader of Pastoral Care 

Mission

Congratulations to Stage One for leading a beautiful Mass to celebrate the end of Term Three last week on Wednesday, 18th September.

Thank you to the Year Five students who applied to attend Exuro next term. Exuro is a Diocesan Student Discipleship Retreat Day for Year Five Students. After careful consideration of the applications, Samara and Alariah have been selected to represent St. John’s Catholic Primary School at the retreat. Congratulations Samara and Alariah.

First Holy Communion 

On Sunday, 15th September, we celebrated the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. Congratulations to Tiana Weber, Harper Butcher, Raffaella Bernard, and Maggie Hogan for receiving this special sacrament. It was a beautiful celebration of faith, marking an important milestone in their spiritual journey. May God continue to bless and guide them.

St Vincent De Paul  - Dress up in Team Colours Day

The students are excited about tomorrow’s Dress Up In Team Colours fundraiser. A reminder that students are asked to donate a gold coin in order to participate in this fundraiser. Thank you to the Student Mission Team which has been promoting the “Dress Up in Team Colours” fundraiser to support the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Winter Appeal. 

SCHOOL INFORMATION

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU"

Our Birthday people:-  

Henry, Noah, Tundra & Mr Flint

People who will celebrate during the Spring holidays

Ryder B

Monumental Spaghetti Circus

COMMUNITY NOTICES