Dear St John's families,

Today our Year 2 students led us all through a Remembrance Day Service. Congratulations to our Year 2 students who modelled great respect and dignity during this liturgy. Thank you to the visiting family members for joining us, particularly those who have served in the armed forces. Thank you, so very much, to the Year 2 teachers who have both prepared the Year 2 students for this role while also experiencing their own sickness over the last two weeks. They have been a reminder of how hard our teachers work to give such opportunities to their students and to not let anyone down. Thank you.

Class Allocations for 2024 and Transitions

Thank you to the parents who have sent me an email asking to keep particular educational considerations in mind when allocating classes for 2024. I have collated these and will refer to them during the process of creating our class lists.

During the last week of school, students will be told their class and teacher for 2024. They will then have an afternoon together in something we call 'One Up Day'. After lunch on that day students gather in their new class groups, in the classroom they will be located and with the teacher they will have.

Those students who need additional transition support will be provided with opportunities to get to know their teacher more in the lead up to this time. Teachers will also participate in transition handover meetings where they can learn about the needs of each student and how best to support them in their learning next year.

School Fees 

Thank you for your patience regarding the new system for distributing school fee invoices. This has become a centralised process throughout Catholic Education and each month there appears to be a small teething issue regarding what appears on invoices. We do appreciate parents making contact with us when they notice an unusual or unexpected charge. Where there appears to be an issue with more than one family we do pass that feedback on to Catholic Education to rectify as soon as possible. I always appreciate the timely action our Finance Officer, Debbie Milne, to help families make the payment of school fees as easy as possible.

As part of the introduction to new finance processes across our system Catholic Education have reviewed the school fee structures for every school with a view to developing a consistent structure between schools. As a result there will be some changes to the way our fees are structured in 2024 and how this will appear on invoices. We expect to distribute more information, including the 2024 school fees themselves, from Catholic Education in the coming weeks.

We're halfway through the final term of 2023. So much has already happened and there is still a lot to go. We're currently conducting many of our end of year assessments and seeing a lot of growth in students since the beginning of the year. We're working hard to finish strong for every student and teacher! Thank you for working with us.

Matthew Garton

Principal

Colour Run

WHAT SHOULD THE KIDS WEAR AT OUR SCHOOL’S COLOUR FUN RUN?

Students should wear an old white t-shirt. The powder is coloured with vegetable food dye so it can stain clothes. It normally washes out, but that is not guaranteed, so it’s best to use clothing that you are not overly attached too!

PRO TIP: Students should also bring a towel to sit on when they go home from school in the family car or school bus.

HOW TO SAVE STAINS IN YOUR SHIRT AS A SOUVENIR?

1. Don't shake off the excess colour powder
2. Lay your shirt flat and soak it in white vinegar
3. Keep your shirt flat to dry
4. Iron the shirt to set the colour
5. Toss the shirt in the dryer

HOW TO REMOVE COLOUR RUN STAINS FROM CLOTHES WITH HOME REMEDIES?

Most of the time our Colour Powder will simply wash out without any effort. If you are concerned however dust off or blow off as much powder as possible before washing. Wash your coloured clothes separately in cold water. If it doesn't wash out the first time, don't put it in the dryer. Try some stain remover or bleach (white clothes only) and wash for a second time.

HOW DO I REMOVE COLOUR POWDER FROM MY HAIR?

For students with very light-coloured hair, it is possible that the colour powder will stain their hair for a few days following our Colour Fun Run.

Rubbing coconut oil through their hair before they run will help to wash the colour powder out later under cold water. Of course, wearing something to cover all their hair is another tool if students do not want to walk around with rainbow hair post-event.

We are looking forward to our Colour Run event next Friday. Thank you to the students and families who have already brought their fundraising money into the front office. 

Our goal is to fundraise $5000!

Rebekah Brown

At Staff Mass this week Father Chung asked me to read the Gospel. I felt very honored. Over the past year I have read this gospel many times. As I read it I was quite emotional. Not sad, just overcome. 

Words of such power and grace…”were our hearts not burning within us” and “had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (Luke 24 13:45)

The breaking is the part that gets me. In our brokenness we come to be healed by Christ. In his brokenness on the cross, He saved us. In the liturgy the breaking of the bread is a reminder of this profound and simple truth.

As the year starts to speed up and weather warms, go gently.

What Students are Learning About

This week Year 2 led our Remembrance Day liturgy.

This is an important day for all Australians especially those with a connection to the military. They were reverent, respectful, and led us with a deep understanding of the importance of the commemoration.

God bless,

Stephanie Stewart
Religious Education Coordinator

Happy birthday to Henry G, Daniel Q, Mina H, Aisling S, Jessica G, Matthew H, Kennie H, Bianca P, Ava S, Eduardo F, Jack B, Zara T, Sophie J, Ajay B, who all celebrated a birthday over the last week.

At St John the Apostle we teach a number of programs that focus on mastering particular knowledge and skills in literacy and numeracy. Students are taught based on their individual, current level of mastery. Two of the programs we teach are Spelling Mastery and Rocket Maths. We regularly collect data from students in both of these programs so we can track that they are having continous progress. Students work hard to achieve mastery in these programs, so we have decided to celebrate the students who show mastery in these programs by giving them awards.

Students will receive Spelling Mastery Awards once they reach mastery three times at their Spelling Mastery level. For some students this is 10/10 and for others it is 25/25. For Kindergarten students will receive Spelling Mastery Awards when they receive 10/10 for each unit they complete in Sounds~Write.

Students will receive Maths Mastery Awards each time they beat their Rocket Math Two Minute Goal.

Week 8 Spelling Mastery Awards

During Friday morning assembly in Week 8 (1 December), the following students will receive Spelling Mastery Awards:

Week 8 Maths Mastery Awards

During Friday morning assembly in Week 8 (1 December), the following students will receive Maths Mastery Awards:

Year 6 Families

As the end of the year approaches and your days at St John the Apostle are coming to a close, would you please ensure your school fees are all up to date by the end of the school year.

Year 6 Chromebook payments are invoiced on your fee statement for this term as QKR is longer available.

 Building Fund on Statement

For the families who responded to the email from Catholic Education Office re payment of the Building Fund, the new fee statement, sent out in the last week or so, may have had two amounts for Building Fund on it. If you paid your fees in full at the end of term 3 and this included the Building Fund, please just pay the one amount of Building Fund on your statement. The office will reverse the second amount in due course.

The Uniform Shop Opening Hours

Wednesday 15 November - 8:30-11:30am
Friday 17 November - 8.30-9.30am

NOTE: All donations can start to be dropped off in the Front Office from now until the Fete.

Our school Fete will be on Friday 15 March 2024 from 4-8pm (Term 1, Week 7). We are already well on our way with preparations. Please see information below about requesting volunteers in the lead up to the Fete and requests for donations. We really rely on our school community working together to ensure the success of our school Fete. 

Store Conveners 

Thank you to all of the parents who have contacted me to help out as store conveners. Please contact Rebekah Brown rebekah.brown@cg.catholic.edu.au if you would like to take on one of these roles or if you have any questions. 

At times, we may need to ask the store convenor to purchase some of the items required for the store. However, this money will be reimbursed as quickly as possible. 

Donations 

The Fete Committee has decided to send out all of the requests for donations for the 2024 Fete at one time so that families don't feel like there are requests every week or two. We rely on our community to donate a couple of items per child. Please see below a list of the items we are requesting. All of these items can be sent to school with your child or delivered to the front office. Thank you in advance for your donations and support. 

Tombola

For the 2024 Fete, we are doing Tombola a little differently. We are asking that a full jar is donated. In the past, we have asked for empty jars and the Store Convenor has filled the jars. The items also don’t need to be in a jar. They could be in a zip lock bag, a plastic container or anything that is enclosed and we can stick a raffle ticket on. 

Items that can be put in the tombolar jars/containers:

• Lollies and chocolates 
• Jar of trinkets - small toys, erasers, stickers, hair accessories, craft supplies, stationary etc.

Hampers

We are asking that each child in each year group, donates one or more items for the below hampers. Each year level has been allocated a theme. Year 6 has not been allocated a theme, as they will no longer be at St John’s in 2024. If Year 6 students would like to donate an item, they can choose any theme. Please see below images of past hampers. 

Kindergarten - Baby hamper (e.g. wraps, clothes, nappies, rattles, baby toys, wipes etc.)

Year 1 - Pet Hamper (eg. pet toys, treats, feeders, bowls etc.)

Year 2 - Kids Toy hamper (e.g. puzzles, fidget toys, board games, balls etc.)

Year 3 - Pamper hamper (eg. bath salts, candles, body products etc.)

Year 4 - Parents hamper (eg. wine, beer, chocolates, nuts etc.)

Year 5 - Home hamper (eg. tools, cleaning products, Bunnings gift card etc.)

Books

We will be having a book stall. We would love donations of books to sell at the Fete. These can be picture books, children and adult novels, recipe books etc.

Lucky Lock

We will be having a Lucky Lock competition again for the 2024 Fete. An esky is filled with wine and beer and locked with a padlock. We sell keys and one key opens the lock. This lucky person wins the esky and its contents. To run this competition, we would love donations of the following:

• Wine, beer etc.
• Old keys that are no longer useful 

Pre-loved Soft Toys

We are asking for clean and in good condition pre-loved soft toys to be donated. 

Thank you so much for all of your support in making out 2024 Fete a success.

Kind regards,

Fete Committee

We have run out of boys and girls spare underwear. We would appreciate donations of small size underwear to provide to students when accidents occur. Thank you.