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Term 1
- Kindergarten rest days - Wednesday 2, 9, 16 and 23 February (Week 1, 2, 3 & 4)
- Online Parent Information Session - 14 Feb (Week 3)
- Year 4 Chrome Book Program Parent Information Session - 15 Feb (Week 3)
- Ash Wednesday - 2 March (Week 5)
- Year 6 Journey with Jesus - 10 March (Week 6)
Please go to our school calendar on the website or COMPASS for more details.
The school positive behaviour focus this week was:
Respect Others
Respect Self
Respect the environment
Dear St John the Apostle families,
What a great start to the school year we've had. After such tumultuous holidays, with hail storms and every changing COVID messages, we've all settled in well and been very, very happy. It has been absolutely lovely to walk through the school and see students engaged and excited about their new teacher, class and year levels.
Welcome to all of our new staff, students and families. Welcome to
your chapter in the story of St John the Apostle Primary School. Thank you for choosing our community to be part of your family and child's story. I hope that it is positive, nourishing and a time of real growth and celebration.
Staying safe and healthy
Our staff and students have been careful and conscientious about
following our COVID safe practices, especially around cohorting. The playground is divided up and rostered, classes are keeping to their part of the school, many staff are taking lunch and recess in their areas of the school as well. We're working hard to reduce any accidental transmission between people should a case occur. Staying separate is challenging for a school who loves to be together.
Each day we'll send out a Compass message letting you know of any exposure between staff and students from the previous day. It's just a way of helping you know when to use the RATs.
Distribution of RATs
Thank you to all of the families who picked up the Rapid Antigen Tests provided for their family and thank you to all of the staff for assisting in packaging them up and distributing them.
The RATs are delivered to us a week at a time. Now that parents have seen the type of RAT that is being sent home we will distribute them each Monday in the bags of the eldest student in the family at St John's. If you would rather pick them up from the Front Office yourself, please let our Office Manager know and we will put your family's RATs aside for you.
Early and Late Arrivals
Teachers are on duty each morning from 8.20am and school begins at 8.50am. There's a big 30 minute window of time in which students can be dropped off. Many of them love to get to school with enough time to have a short play with friends. It often helps them settle in for the day.
If you need care for your child before 8.20am then please take advantage of
OSHClub. OSHClub is open from 7.00am and provides a quiet, warm and caring environment for students. Those who attend early in the morning also have the opportunity for breakfast. Visit their website for more information.
The gates are closed at 8.50am and any students who arrive after the gates are closed must be signed in by a parent/carer at the Front Office.
Congratulations everyone on a very successful first week of school. It takes us all working together to experience such a positive start. Let's keep creating a great story for 2022!
Welcome Back
Welcome back to all of our wonderful students at St John's. We have had a smooth and successful return back to school. Our new Kindergartens have had a fantastic start to the year and are a very welcome addition to our St John's Community.
Spelling Mastery
As many of you would know, we have implemented and embedded Sounds~Write (Systematic Synthetic Phonics Program) across our school for the past 5 years in K-2. Sounds~Write is a phonics program and its purpose is to provide classroom professionals with a comprehensive system with which to teach reading, spelling and writing.
To complement Sounds~Write and to continue a consistent approach to teaching Spelling, we will be implementing a spelling program across Years 3-6 called Spelling Mastery. Spelling Mastery is a differentiated spelling program and it uses an explicit, teacher directed method of teaching called Direct Instruction. Spelling Mastery helps students to understand the relationship between sounds, word parts and spelling patterns and encourages them to become proficient writers.
Through Spelling Mastery, students learn to spell in three ways:
- Phonemic approach - helps beginning spellers learn the relationships between spoken sounds and written letters and then apply them to spelling
- Morphemic approach - exposes advanced spellers to prefixes, bases, and suffixes
- Whole-word approach - gives spellers at all levels the meaning and root of a word and shows how the word's spelling is influenced.
Rocket Maths
Last year, we started to implement Rocket Maths in a number of year groups. This week Year 2 and Year 5 have already started implementing Rocket Maths in their classrooms.
Rocket Maths is a 10 minute a day learning program that supplements Maths Daily 3. Students learn using printable worksheets and verbal partner practice and it teaches students addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. Specifically, the program teaches maths facts–the basic building blocks of all maths.
Inclusion
We were disappointed that we needed to cancel our transition afternoons. However, we have been astounded at how well each of the students at St John's have transitioned back to school. If you have any concerns about your child, their needs or their transition back to school, please contact myself or Rebecca Neiberding (Inclusion Teacher) at rebecca.neiberding@cg.catholic.edu.au
This year, our Inclusion team is made up of the following people:
- Rebekah Brown - Inclusion Coordinator
- Rebecca Neiberding - Inclusion Teacher
- Inclusion Assistants - Tiffeney Ronneberg, Jack Biilmann, Kelly Levi, Rheannan Vergano, Carlee Tonkin, Laura Monaghan, Kate Symonds, Elizabeth Millband, Tracey Gardner, Olivia Etzrodt and Hannah Ubrihien.
- Student Welfare Officer - Student McDonald
- School Counsellor - Nik-nur Shuhaimi
Rebekah Brown
Assistant Principal and Inclusion Coordinator
Welcome to 2022!
Another wonderful year has begun.
As always, for the last few months of last year, I spent a great deal of time reflecting on and planning our upcoming whole school theme.
This year we will be exploring diversity and inclusion and how we are all interconnected by reflecting on the following psalm.
Psalm 1:3: ‘That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers’.
Our role as a Catholic School is to be a source of safety, of nourishment and of connection. Along with their own families, we are to be the stream that students draw upon to grow and bear fruit in the world. We have great aspirations for our students to ‘be on earth the heart of God’.
What students are learning about
Year 6 spent some time this week reflecting on their leadership journey so far.
In the past, at the end of each year, we have had a “Passing of the Light” ceremony to show that Year 5 are being handed the reins of leadership from Year 6. Last year we changed the focus from light to stones. Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and all we do. The students used large smooth stones to represent the solid foundation Jesus gives us for our lives. They placed smaller stones on top to represent how we build on those who have gone before us.
This week, as an introduction to Year 6, the students reread this scripture from Isaiah.
Isaiah 28:16, "Therefore this says the Lord God: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.'
Then they answered questions about how they see themselves as leaders and how they can “be on earth the heart of God” as a leader in 2022. The Year 6 teachers are going to keep these and show them to the students at the end of year.
Leadership in all its forms is such an important aspect of life. Jesus led with compassion and as a servant, there is a great deal for all of us to learn from that.
So lovely to see you all,
God bless,
Stephanie Stewart
Religious Education Coordinator
Notices from the Parish
Happy birthday to Alexander N, Paul K, Camille M, Alessia M, Vanessa O, Piper A, Emilio C, Aravindya P, Celine M, Summer L Ebuka I, Hana N, Jacob N, Raksha N, Rudhra N, Nate P, Bernice K, Taylor M, Roman D, Klaudia S, Iylah B, Amaan G, Sophie K, Denzil W, Joshua W, Mehar S, Ivy S, Aliya S, Ethan Z, Vincent B, Felicity B, Ashley C, Jack H, Noah M, Angus G, Emilio V, and Amy S, who all celebrated a birthday during the holidays or during the week.
Please note that we ask students to not bring home made cupcakes to share with the class for their birthdays. This is a precautionary measure for health and hygiene. The Canteen offers a number of options to share with the class. Purchases can be made through the QKR app.
School fees were emailed out yesterday afternoon.
If you did not receive your statement please contact Debbie Milne via email finance.sjaps@cg.catholic.edu.au
Fees are due Friday 4th March unless paying by direct debit. If paying by direct debit it is expected that fees will be paid in full by the end of the school year.
If you need to discuss your fees please contact Debbie Milne.
Reminder to Yr 5 parents that payment for Chromebooks is due by Friday 4th March.
Payments are to be made via QKR. You can elect to pay for one term or more.
1 Term - $53.00
2 terms - $106.00
3 terms - $159.00
4 terms - $212.00
The Tuckshop is open Tuesdays to Fridays. Volunteers are welcomed and needed to help any time or day the Tuckshop is open. A Working with Vulnerable People card is essential. Please contact the office if you would like to volunteer.
Please see below the 2022 canteen menu.
Orders are available through the QKR app. Please see below instructions on how to install the QKR app.
The Uniform Shop will be open on the following dates:
Friday 12th February 9:00am-10:00am
Parents are able to attend in person. Please make sure you check-in using the CBR Check-in QR code, wear a face mask and abide by all social distancing requirements set by ACT Health.
If you have any questions or concerns please email the uniform shop on stjohnsclothingpool@gmail.com.
