Dear St John's families,

There is still a lot of Covid going around our school at the moment and we really appreciate families getting on to it quickly, keeping children home when they are sick. It helps to minimise any spread. Thank you.

Community Council 2024

Thank you to those who attended our Community Council AGM on Wednesday evening. We're excited to begin the work of enhancing our community relationships, supporting the learning of our students and positively contributing to our story in the wider community.

Our next meeting is Wednesday 3rd April (Week 10) at 6.00pm. If you are interested in being part of the Community Council or supporting the work of the Community Council then please feel free to contact me (Matthew.Garton@cg.catholic.edu.au) or email the Community Council (sjapscommunitycouncil@gmail.com) to let us know. We welcome the input of all community members.

School Uniform Update

A request was made to the Community Council last year to reintroduce skorts as

an option for the summer uniform. Our wonderful parent volunteers in the Community Council are pleased to tell you that these are now available.

Skorts are a combination skirt/short and are now available from the Uniform Shop to be worn as part of the 'everyday uniform' and not the 'sports uniform'.

So during Terms 1 and 4 students now have the option of:

• summer dress OR
• skorts and crested sky blue polo top OR
• shorts and crested sky blue polo top

All sizes are available at a price of $27.

Second Hand Uniforms

As a parent of four, I loved hand-me-downs from other families in the school or between siblings. Children can get very dirty playing at school and they can also quickly outgrow their uniforms. Second hand uniforms were well received in our house.

Many of our families have been accessing the second-hand uniforms in our Uniform Shop. The stock has become a little thin and we're looking for more second-hand uniforms items.

If you have any clean, intact second-hand uniforms in your cupboards that are no longer useful to you please consider giving them one last wash and dropping them off at the uniform shop or Front Office so that other families can benefit too. Not only is it a way to be kind to our planet, you can make a significant difference to other families in our community.

Parent-Teacher Interviews

Have you booked? Bookings close this Sunday at 8.00pm.

Please take the opportunity to meet with your child's teacher for a short, focused conversation and to receive their progress report.

While K-2 parents can meet alone with the teacher, we ask that Year 3-6 students come along with their parents so that the conversation between parent, child and teacher ensures a shared understanding of how the year has started and what can be achieved in the year ahead.

It's always a positive conversation and a great way to start the year well.

God Bless,

Matthew Garton

Principal

Child Protection and Safeguarding

One of my roles at St John's is the Child Safe Advocate. As a Child Safe Advocate, my role is to lead our school's safeguarding approach in alignment with the Child Safe Standards, support our school with any child safety concerns, oversight compliance with any legal requirements and provide leadership and support to school staff in child protection related matters.

Throughout the year, I will write in the newsletter about topics concerning child protection and safeguarding and how we can work together to ensure the protection and safety of all of the children in our community. You will see below Catholic Education's commitment to safeguarding our children.

Safeguarding our students...

The safeguarding of our students is the top priority of our schools and the Catholic Education Office.

Safeguarding is a term used to describe the protection of and human rights of vulnerable people. This may be due to their age, culture or trauma background, or they may be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation.

Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn is committed to complying with Child Safe Standards. 

Child Safeguarding Commitment

Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn is committed to keeping children safe in all schools. We have adopted the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Child Safeguarding Commitment, which states:

Our Safeguarding Approach

Our approach to child safeguarding is outlined in our Child Safety Policy. This policy includes the CECG Commitment Statement, the many aspects of child safety, how we ensure young people are safe, and our compliance with the Child Safe Standards.

Our approach to child safety may be visualised as a ‘web’ or curriculum, with many aspects linking together to contribute to its strength. As a child safe organisation, we strive to understand and follow our legal obligations, use contemporary safeguarding practices and involve all stakeholders – particularly children and families – in safeguarding functions.

Our Legal Obligations

As a child safe organisation we are required to comply with the Child Safe Standards, the Mandatory Reporting requirements for children in the ACT and NSW, the working with children/vulnerable person schemes and, in the ACT, the Senior Practitioner Scheme.

Parents and carers as partners

We see parents and carers as partners in their children’s educational journey, experience and safeguarding. It is important for us to work together collaboratively to respond to safeguarding concerns, subject to the involvement of other agencies, including child protection and police.

Useful Links

Office of the Children’s Guardian NSW

Australian Human Rights Commission

ACT Human Rights Commission

National Office for Child Safety

NSW Child Protection Services

ACT Child Protection Services

Marymead CatholicCare ACT

Kids Helpline

Beyond Blue

Lifeline

Headspace

The Daniel Morcombe Foundation

Rebekah Brown

What Students are Learning About

Year 4 have learnt the different ways that they can fast, pray and give during lent and have made personal commitments during this season.

Catholic Life and Reflection

As I left work the other night one leaf was on the ground that showed the beautiful colours of autumn.  These hot days don’t really feel like autumn weather yet, but I know it is coming.

The older you get the more you realise that life is change. Sometimes change creeps up on you (ie wrinkles in the mirror, where did they come from??) and sometimes it is so slow that it is hard to notice.

I embrace the change now. As much as possible, I go with the flow, rather than try to fight it. I breath, I accept and do what I can.  I have found the solace of prayer so helpful in the past few weeks. I have prayed when the urge has struck me. Even in the middle of a spelling mastery lesson a few days ago ?

As we move through this season of Lent notice the change around you. Notice the change in you and celebrate it for the learning, passion and growth it brings.

God bless.

Stephanie Stewart

Religious Education Coordinator

Notices from the Parish

Happy birthday to Alexa C, Julia T, Sarah O and Samuel H who all celebrated a birthday over the last week.

This year we will be presenting a number of awards to students. Please see below the scedule for this term. Most awards will be handed out on a Thursday morning.

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 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.

This year we will also be presenting Brag Tag Awards. These will be handed out each time a student receives 20 brag tags. 

Award Schedule

Spelling Mastery Awards - presented on Thursday 7 March, 8.50am (Week 6)

Congratulations to Logan (3B) who won First Place and Under 8 Student Champion at the Royal Canberra Show for his machine sewn dinosaur. Congratulations also to Ethan (6B) who received an achievement award for his entry in the Under 12 Pencil Drawing. 

School Fees
Fee statements were sent to families yesterday via email. If you have not received your fee statement please contact the Office or email office.sjaps@cg.catholic.edu.au

Students in Years 4 to 6 have been interested to hear about our ebook and audiobook collection, and may ask for assistance accessing titles at home. ACEN (Australian Catholic Education Network) Sora eBook and audiobook service is available, at no charge, for access by students, staff and parents 24/7 from school, home or any location.  The CE pays the annual subscription to Sora for all schools. 

Sora includes a large collection of eBooks and audio-books for students of all year levels, as well as adults.  The collection includes fiction, as well as non-fiction titles related to Australian curriculum topics. The current collection includes over 10,000 eBooks and audiobooks, including ‘Read-a-long’ books.

Sora may be accessed from any tablet, laptop, mobile phone, desktop computer, or loaded onto eReaders for offline reading.   

Sora APP for iPads  - ACEN library Login Procedures

1. Search and install the Sora APP from the Apple Store or Google Play.
2. You are directed to a screen that will read “Find my School.”
3. Choose “ACEN Member Collection.”
4. Sign into the ACEN Member Collection using the student Network Login details and Password (the Diocese from the dropdown menu will be “Canberra-Goulburn”).
5. The Sora home screen appears with the borrower logged in.  A borrower's Account button is at the top of the screen to see current loans and open books that have been borrowed.

Sora ACEN Website

The ACEN Sora website is located at
https://soraapp.com/welcome/login/202541. You will login using the above steps. 

Site Features

• Favorite titles will be displayed.  Click on a title to borrow it, or use the Search window to find a particular title or author’s books.
• Borrower’s title checkout limits and holds are displayed in your account. Titles are borrowed for 14 days and may be renewed.  Titles disappear following the borrowing period.
• Holds may be put on titles that are currently on loan to other borrowers.
• Titles may be read in the browser, or returned by clicking the Return button.
• After the title is opened on the screen, click at the bottom of the screen near the
• Other Advanced features are available for searching titles/groups of titles.  

Title Access Year Levels

Titles in the Sora collection have been given access year level ratings, so students will only be able to borrow titles rated for their level or below.  Students will see all available titles in Overdrive, but titles not able to be borrowed will be greyed out. Eg.  Year 3 students will not be able to borrow Adult level titles. Title are Juvenile (K-4), Young Adult (years 5-8) and Adult (Year 9 – Adult).

Parental Access to Sora

Parents may access Sora using their child’s computer network login details.  The child’s borrowing limit of 3 titles still applies.

Unfortunately, parents will not be able to borrow titles that are above their child’s access level. e.g. If the child is a Year 6 student, parents will not be able to borrow Adult level books, only Young Adult or Juvenile level books.

Swimming Awards - Thursday 7 March - Week 6 

Congratulations to the following students who will be receiving ribbons for events at the swimming carnival. Please remember these ribbons are based on overall times and not the position they came in a race (some races have more than one heat and some age groups were combined into one race).

Age students are turning this year (by 31 Dec 2024):

• 8 year olds - Henry L, Alex B, Sophie C, Allegra C
• 9 year olds - Oskar E, Victor L, Charlotte M, Kate R, Annika N
• 10 year olds - Logan M, Ethan Z, Riley S, Theo C, Sam O, Stephen P, Grace P, Elsie S, Lilijana T, Ivy S
• 11 year olds - Aiden M, Xavier G, Oz H, Henry T, William B, Rose H, Abbey R, Alyssa S, Evie M, Alexa C, 
• 12 year olds -  Ky M, Kelvin N, Jack R, Lorenzo S, Liam D, Rachel N, Sophie J, Maggie J, Sophia Y, Olive G, Lily V

We warmly welcome families to attend this presentation at our 8.50am morning assembly.

Volunteers

Please sign up to volunteer at the below link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/13572DC02A2C2ECC4A18-fete1#/ 

Pre-sale/QKR payements

Performance Schedule

Fete  Dances - New Generation Choir

(Friday 15th March 2024 5:00pm to 6:00 pm on the Year 2 Fake Grass)

The FETE is around the corner and students have been rehearsing Hip Hop style dances through a Footsteps program and in Performing Arts. All students should keep themselves Sun Safe, including wearing sunscreen,caps, sunglasses. Clothing should be suitable to dance in, eg: shorts, leggings, t-shirts, baggy pants/jeans. Please see the Dance/ Choir program below.

SJAPS Dance/ Choir Program

Donations 

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.  If Kindergarten students would like to donate an item, they can choose any theme. Please see below images of past hampers. 

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

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

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

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

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

Year Six- 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 

Kind regards,

Fete Committee

Please see below a letter we are sending out to local businesses to support our upcoming 2024 Fete. If you have a business that would like to sponsor the Fete or you know of someone who would be interested in sponsoring our Fete, please see the below information. If you would like this letter to supply businesses with our letterhead, please email Rebekah Brown (rebekah.brown@cg.catholic.edu.au).

Supporting our school – Supporting our students

We hope this letter finds you well. We are writing to you to seek your support for our schools upcoming Fete.

We are hosting our highly anticipated Annual Fete on Friday, 15 March 2024 and we are extremely excited about creating a memorable experience for our students, families and the wider community. For over 40 years St John the Apostle Primary School has served a community that includes families from over 30 different locations in the ACT and NSW.

This event is not only a great opportunity to celebrate our school’s achievements, but also a chance to raise funds for various academic and extracurricular activities, including the continued upgrading our playground and kitchen garden space.

In order to make this event a resounding success, we are reaching out to businesses like yours, which have demonstrated a commitment to community and education. We would be grateful for any donation you can provide, whether it is in the form of monetary support or an in-kind contribution. Your contribution will go towards purchasing items for our stalls, including our BBQ, drinks, gelato, popcorn and fairy floss, chocolate toss, and many more!

As a sponsor, your business will receive significant exposure and recognition at our Fete. We plan to acknowledge our generous sponsors in our signage, social media platforms, school website and our school newsletter with a heartfelt thank you for your support.

We understand that businesses receive numerous sponsorship requests, and we truly appreciate your consideration of our request. Your support will have a direct impact on the educational opportunities we can provide to our students.

Please find enclosed a sponsorship form that outlines the various donation levels. We kindly request that you review the form and select a sponsorship level that aligns with your business’s objectives and budget. If you are able to support us, or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Rebekah Brown our Assistant Principal on (02 6258 3592).

On behalf of the entire St John the Apostle Primary School community, we thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Garton             Katie Matthews

Principal                        Community Council Chair

St John the Apostle Primary School Fete Sponsorship Form

Thank you for considering sponsoring our Annual School Fete, we truly value your support. Please review the sponsorship levels below and select the one that aligns with your business' goals and budget.

Gold Sponsorship - $1,000 or more:

• Prominent recognition as a Gold Sponsor on event signage
• Company logo featured on our school website and social media platforms with a link to your website
• Acknowledgment and thank you at the event
• Opportunity to place promotional materials at our event booths or information stands

Silver Sponsorship - $500:

• Recognition as a Silver Sponsor on event signage
• Company logo featured on our school website and social media platforms
• Acknowledgment and thank you at the event
• Opportunity to place promotional materials at our event booths or information stands

Bronze Sponsorship - $250:

• Recognition as a Bronze Sponsor on event banners, flyers, and signage
• Company name showcased on our school website and social media platforms
• Acknowledgment and thank you at the event

Please contact us using the details provided below to arrange payment of your sponsorship contribution. We will then reach out to discuss further promotion and recognition opportunities. We sincerely appreciate your generosity and support.

Thank you to the following businesses for sponsoring our school Fete!

GOLD SPONSORS

Showtime Consulting

Pioneers of 'Shielded Cloud Solutions’— leaders in the integration of ultra-secure, intelligent technology in the most challenging environments.  

showtimeconsulting.au

SlLVER SPONSORS

Dice 4 Diversity

https://dice4diversity.com.au/

Dice 4 Diversity is a family-owned business based in Jamison, that utilises role-playing games to build  social and communication skills in a safe environment. Role-playing games provide opportunities where social skills can be learnt and practiced without real-world consequences.

We specialise in working with neurodiverse people – Autism Spectrum, ADD, ADHD, Trauma – but aren’t limited to people with diagnoses. We also work on social anxiety, self-confidence, resilience, teamwork, and much more. Ages 7 and up. We are NDIS friendly.

CBR CYBER

CBR Cyber is a Canberra-based business providing high calibre ICT Cyber Security services to Canberra-region government agencies and private enterprise. We are Australia’s 2^nd fastest growing ICT company (CRN Fast50 Awards for financial year 2022/23), demonstrating our team’s commitment to delivering exceptional ICT outcomes in the Canberra region.

BRONZE SPONSORS

The Sewing Shoppe

https://www.sewingshoppe.com.au/fabric 

The Sewing Shoppe aims to inspire people by offering diverse patchwork and bag making courses to create that something special for yourself or others.  We have created a warm and friendly vintage inspired space to relax and create.  Please check our huge range of classes from bag making to patchwork.  We can supply all of your sewing essentials including haberdashery, thread, patterns, fabric and kits.  Come in and see us, we can't wait to meet you! 

Entice Travel

Entice Travel is a boutique travel agency that is passionately committed to creating captivating experiences and adventures that allow you to explore your world, your way, in your own time. 

Whether you are after a custom-designed indulgent holiday, a package deal or additional curated experiences, every travel detail is considered.

Personalised Service | 24/7 Availability | Bespoke Holidays & Experiences

https://www.enticetravel.com.au/  Ph: 6123 0567

Manuka Zambrero's 

We are located in MANUKA – Shop 10, 18 Flinders Way. We can’t wait to see you!

Balthees Cakes 

Award winning local business providing customised cakes, cupcakes, cookies and desserts for all occasions within the Canberra region (located in Belconnen)

Can be contacted through Facebook page and Instagram “Baltheescakes“ 

Phone number 0452184750 

Baltheescakes@gmail.com

Trilogy Investment Property Funding

Trilogy is honoured to be a part of the vibrant community at St. John the Apostle Primary School. We take great pride in supporting the school and the incredible families that make it so special. As a company, we are committed to providing financial assistance whenever and wherever possible. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of this wonderful school.

www.trilogyfunding.com.au

School photography day is on Tuesday 26 March. Group and portrait photographs can be purchased by following the link below or by returning the order envelope with your payment to our photographer on school photo day.

2 easy ways to purchase:

1. Visa, MasterCard or PayPal
2. Cash – complete the envelope supplied and return it to our photographer on photo day

Or visit: www.advancedlife.com.au
And enter online order code: 21X CFH 6YT

School photography information:

• Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
• Sibling Photos - Don’t forget to pre-order your sibling photos online up to 24 hours before photo day. We provide your school with a list of sibling orders right up to the day of photography, so no one misses out. If you miss the online order deadline, you can submit a completed sibling order envelope first thing in the morning of the day of photography, so your school is aware you want the photo taken and can bring your children together in time for it. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at your school. Please note not all schools offer sibling photos
• Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately
• Package delivery - School photographs will be returned approximately 6 weeks after the day of photography. Please note this delivery timeframe is dependent on proofing and additional photography days at your school.
• Previous Years’ photos - Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available to order under the “previous years or group photo” tabs at your school’s advancedorder site when you click on the “Order School Photos Here” button above. You can also order past packages, portrait images and gifts from your child’s unique, individual and secure advancedyou image archive site using the unique 9 digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past

All students are required to wear their full summer school uniform on the day.

advancedlife would like to express our appreciation to St John The Apostle Primary School for placing your trust in us. Please remember we offer a 100% money back guarantee on our products to ensure your peace of mind. We would also love to receive your feedback or resolve any issues you may experience as fast as possible, to ensure your satisfaction. If you have any questions, comments or feedback relating to your advancedlife experience please contact us at: www.advancedlife.com.au/contact

The Uniform Shop Opening Hours

If you have any questions or concerns please email the uniform shop on stjohnsclothingpool@gmail.com