Filter Content
- Recent School Calendar Updates
- School Focus & Positive Behaviour
- Principal's Corner
- Teaching, Learning and Inclusion
- Catholic Life & Reflection
- Happy Birthday
- Cross Country Carnival
- The Uniform Shop
- Code Camp
- Young Engineers
- Learn a Musical Instrument at School - Copy
- Book Club
- Parenting Ideas
- Community Notices
Please go to our school calendar on the website or COMPASS for more details.
Term 2
2023 Enrolment Information Night and Tours
- Information Night and Tours - Tuesday 3 May
- Tours available from 5.00pm
- Information Night at 6.00pm
- School Tours
- Wednesday 4 May - 9.30am to 11.00am
- Friday 6 May - 9.30am to 11.00am
- Wednesday 11 May - 9.30am to 11.00am
- Whole School - ANZAC Day Liturgy (week 2)
- Year 6 e-Safety Presentation (week 2)
- Years 5/6 - Maths Games (selected students) (week 2)
- Year 6 Rostrum Presentations - (week 5)
- Feast of the Sacred Heart Mass (week 9)
Please note that the first day of Term 3 (18 July) is a pupil free day for professional learning for staff. Students do not attend school on this day. OSHClub will be available.
Dear St John the Apostle families,
Welcome back to school for Term 2. Welcome to our new families who have joined us. It's a great privilege to have the opportunity to support your child in their educational journey. Thank you.
This week has been my turn with dreaded COVID. Having escaped it since it all began, it hit my family with force over the last weekend of the holidays as each of us have come down with it like dominoes, a new family member every 24 hours until there is no one left. The one bonus is that no one has to be banished to isolate in bedrooms and we can all live together as usual, albeit sore, tired and achy.
I have been disappointed to not be at school for the beginning of term and yet so pleased that we have experienced such a positive start. Thank you to our staff who have worked during the holidays to ensure a smooth beginning to the term. I look forward to returning to school on Wednesday.
Thank you to the K-2 teachers and Mr Seaman for organising the Cross Country today. Our students were practising over the last few weeks of Term 1 and we're very fortunate to be be able to use the local and school grounds to complete it.
Thank you also to Mrs Stewart and Ms Macdonald for organising today's Easter Liturgy for the school. In our church tradition the Easter Season runs through until Pentecost Sunday, June 5 for 2022. It's the most important time of the year in our liturgical calendar and so today our Easter Liturgy was a reminder to students to continue to celebrate and share that Easter spirit each day.
After School Clubs
We welcome back some of our after school club partners this term who begin next week. These clubs are run by independent providers on the school grounds and supervised by their own staff. We assist students to transition to these clubs and parents pick them up directly from the clubs themselves.
The two providers returning are:
- Code Camp - Tuesdays 3.15pm to 4.30pm - Details can be found at our school booking page on the Code Camp website. Please also see the flyer attached.
- Young Engineers - Thursdays 3.15pm to 4.30pm - Details can be found at the school booking page on the Young Engineers website. Please also see the flyer attached.
Well done everyone on a successful first week back for school.
Matthew Garton
Year One and Year Two Intervention and MiniLit
Next week, we will be starting Sounds~Write and reading intervention, and MiniLit intervention with a number of Year One and Year Two students.
The Sounds~Write and reading intervention has been redesigned by Rebecca Neiberding (Inclusion Teacher). This intervention takes research, evidence and strategies from both the Sounds~Write program and MiniLit program. This intervention is designed to support students to master the skills of letter/sound knowledge and skills for decoding CVC (consonant/vowel/consonant) words. A number of our Inclusion Assistants will work with students in small groups for 4 days a week.
MiniLit Intervention is an evidence-based, explicit and effective early literacy intervention program for teaching reading skills to children. Rebecca Neiberding (Inclusion Teacher) is trained in this program and will deliver to a group of students in Year One and Two.
Year 6 e-safety presentation
On Thursday 5th May, we organised for a Child Protection Officer from Catholic Education to come and talk to Year Six students about staying safe online. The Child Protection Officer will discuss some of the following areas with the Year Six students:
- How to stay safe online
- Cyberbullying
- Dealing with unwanted contact
- Sharing personal content
- Inappropriate and unsafe content
- Online footprint
- Safer online gaming
- Being safe on social media platforms
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns about this discussion or would prefer your child not to attend.
International Dance Day
Those families who have been at St John's over the past 8 years would probably know how important dance is to me and how much I love to share dancing with the students at St John's. Today is International Dance Day.
The International Dance Day was created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute ITI, the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO in 1982.
It was chosen on April 29th because it was the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, innovator, and scholar of this art, teacher, and creator of modern ballet.
This celebration strives to encourage the participation and education of dance through events and festivals held during this date around the world.
Enjoy a little bit of dancing today!
Rebekah Brown
Assistant Principal and Inclusion Coordinator
What Teachers Are Learning About
We began our pupil free day by participating in faith formation. It was time to reflect on and deepen our understanding of Psalm 1:3.
Firstly, we all spent time reading and engaging with Dadirri. A beautiful explanation of how Indigenous people feel about country and how it heals them in times of grief and shares their joy in times of happiness. Dadirri is described as “inner deep listening and quiet still awareness.”
Then we read a commentary on the Psalm by Fr Michael Fallon. He has a wonderful way of making connections to scripture that is very easy to read. I highly recommend him to all staff and often use his commentary with the upper grades.
The biggest take away that I wanted for our staff was that we are all connected, at our most basic level, physically, by water. Faith is what connects our spirits. Water is the communal thread that unites all life. Its current bonds mountain tops to riverbeds, connects cities upstream with communities along the coast, and transports the external world into our bodies. From our nails to our hair, water flows through us; protecting organs, delivering essential nutrients to cells, lubricating joints, and cultivating vital energy. Our health and well-being depend on this fundamental element of nature, just like our fellow humans and all pets, gardens, forests, insects, and other life forms do. Water is defined as an essential nutrient because it is required in amounts that exceed the body's ability to produce it. All biochemical reactions occur in water. It fills the minut spaces in and between cells.
Water literally sustains our body and mind. God sustains our spirit.
God is an essential nutrient too. We yearn to have full hearts. But our human hearts require support to produce it like our bodies need support to produce water.
Finally, we listened to this song. It is a stunning interpretation of stillness.
Please contact me on stephanie.stewart@cg.catholic.edu.au if you would more of the readings on Psalm 1:3
Catholic Life and Reflection
Being still is something I am working on. As suggested by Miram Unger (see above) we need to learn to wait and appreciate “tiny drops of stillness”. I love this phrase, it really struck a chord with me the first time I read it and continues to. When I walk the dog in the morning, the quietest time of my day, I try to notice what is around me. At the moment, of course, it is the leaves changing. I may even pause for a moment to draw in the beauty of the light in the trees or a leaf falling.
I am finding those moments to be of great comfort… a tiny drop of stillness to fill my cup. As the season changes and we continue the celebration of the Risen Christ may you find comfort in your tiny drops of stillness.
Matthew 28:6
6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7
God bless,
Stephanie Stewart
Religious Education Coordinator
Notices from the Parish
Happy birthday to Grace P, Olivia T, Sally W, Jeremiah F, Elspeth S, Mason W, Izabella H, Lillah J, Hugo G, Keijo K, Vincent N, Awur A, Cameron B, Deborah S, Ameila F, Lewys C, Jordan D, Grace H, Zain G, Erin V, Oliver W, Gabriela V and Dev R who all celebrated a birthday over the last three weeks.
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.
Our Cross Country Carnival was a huge success! It was wonderful having parent volunteers to help. We are very grateful to all the volunteers who helped make the event so special. You only have to look at the smiles on the students' faces to see how much they all enjoyed it. What a wonderful school community we have.
The Uniform Shop will be open on the following dates:
Friday 29 April 8:30am-9:30am
Parents are able to attend in person.
If you have any questions or concerns please email the uniform shop on stjohnsclothingpool@gmail.com.
