Dear St John's families,

Thank you everyone for your kind words regarding my appointment as Principal at St Thomas Aquinas Charnwood from next year. I will definitely miss this lovely place and I am squarely focussed on giving everything I have to the last day!

Assistant Principal, Rebekah Brown and I have been teaching 5 Blue for 6 weeks and we have loved it. As you would all be aware, there is quite the teacher shortage at present and obtaining replacements is very, very difficult. We continue to speak to new candidates whenever we can find them. Having been teaching since 1990 (my first 5 years teaching Kindergarten) it's nice to know that teaching is like riding a bike; with enough experience under your belt, you never forget how to do it.

Rebekah and I offered to teach 5 Blue to ensure that the students continue to learn without interruption. It was also to make sure that our teachers receive release time to keep up with their programming, assessment and communication requirements. It has meant that Rebekah and I have been very, very stretched in both teaching a class and undertaking our other full time roles. Thank you everyone for your assistance.

What went well today?

There are five components to our Positive Behaviour for Learning Policy. They include:

• Developing a culture of positive behaviour
• Acknowledging positive behaviours
• Creating a positive environment
• Discouraging and responding to problem behaviours
• Responding to and supporting students with highly complex behaviours

One of the ways we develop a culture of positive behaviour is by naming, noticing and celebrating positive behaviours. We believe that 'you get more of what you focus on'.

So every day, directly after recess and lunch, the students gather in their lines, ready to go inside to learn. We take that moment to ask students, and teachers who were on duty, 'What great play did we experience today?' Students raise their hands to tell us how they played Oztag and sorted out any disagreements calmly or how a group playing basketball invited someone who was wandering past to join them. Teachers talk about imaginative or caring play they saw. We ask all those those students to stand and we all give them a clap.

At the end of the day we all come out to lines and ask 'What went well today?' Many children will raise their hands and five or six will be chosen to share about something they enjoyed learning or feel proud of. It is a fabulous way to focus on positive thoughts from the day before going home.

Our brag tag system is another way that we focus on the positive. Every student has a brag tag on which they collect small stickers that any staff member can hand out. Staff members give these to students when they see students following expectations in the school. Staff will say "I want to give you this brag tag sticker because you.....". They are never used to 'bribe' students (i.e. "If you......you will get a brag tag."). They are used incidentally, after the fact, to help highlight for a student something they were doing was excellent learning, behaving, caring, etc. The feedback always links back to examples when the students 'Respect others, respect themselves or respect the environment'.

Over the next few Newsletters I would like to share a little more about the ways we support positive behaviour for our students. I look forward to sharing this successful approach with you.

Kind regards,

Matthew Garton

Principal

NAIDOC Week

At St John's, we will be celebrating NAIDOC next week. Mrs Tabitha May has organised a number of activities for our students to participate in over the week. 

This years NAIDOC Week theme is "Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud."

"This year's theme celebrates the unyielding spirit of our communities and invites all to stand in solidarity, amplifying the voices that have long been silenced.

The fire represents the enduring strength and vitality of Indigenous cultures, passed down through generations despite the challenges faced. It is a symbol of connection to the land, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As we honour this flame, we kindle the sparks of pride and unity, igniting a renewed commitment to acknowledging, preserving, and sharing the cultural heritage that enriches our nation.

"Blak, Loud and Proud" encapsulates the unapologetic celebration of Indigenous identity, empowering us to stand tall in our heritage and assert our place in the modern world. This theme calls for a reclamation of narratives, an amplification of voices, and an unwavering commitment to justice and equality. It invites all Australians to listen, learn, and engage in meaningful dialogue, fostering a society where the wisdom and contributions of Indigenous peoples are fully valued and respected.

Through our collective efforts, we can forge a future where the stories, traditions, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are cherished and celebrated, enriching the fabric of the nation with the oldest living culture in the world." Retrieved from https://www.naidoc.org.au/about/naidoc-theme 

Special Canteen Day -  Friday 5 July

On the last day of school (Friday 5 July), we will be holding a Special Canteen Day that will take place during lunch time (1.25-2.00pm). On this day, we will have lolly bags and gelato for sale. We have pre-purchases available on Qkr. There may be options to purchase these with cash on the day, however pre-purchases on Qkr will be prioritised. This fundraising is on behalf of the Community Council and will go towards some new sports equipment for the children to play with a Recess and Lunch. 

• Lolly Bags - $1
• Gelato - $3

Please note you can only purchase one of each for one child. The pre-purchase is available now on Qkr under the Community Council tab.

Rebekah Brown

Year Six Service Outreach

Our focus for Year Six is 'acts of service'. There's an enthusiastic group of Year 6 girls that love to do crochet and craft, and are keen to volunteer in the community. You may have seen them at the fete where they sold their creations and donated to Save the Children Gaza appeal.  

They are hoping to work with elderly people or people who live with disabilities. 

If you have any suggestions of where they should go, please contact stephanie.stewart@cg.catholic.edu.au

WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES FOR TERM 3!

Also if anyone has an old wooden hall table that they would like to donate I am looking for one to use as a display.  Please let me know via email on stephanie.stewart@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Year Two

Students in Year 2 have been learning about the word 'covenant' and how it is a sacred agreement between God and His people. They have been exploring God’s covenantal relationship with the Jewish people described in the Old Testament stories such as Noah's Ark, the Tower of Babel and Abraham and Sarah.  

Year 2 have then been learning about God's relationship with the Jewish people of today. They have explored the foods that some Jewish people choose to eat, in particular the Seven Sacred Species, TuBishvat and the seder meal. Students have learnt about the 'Birthday of the Trees' in a song and dance.

They have looked at some of these scriptures. 

The first creation story in Genesis – Genesis 1: 1-2:4a

The second creation story in Genesis - Genesis 2:4b-25

The Covenant between God and Noah - Genesis 9:8-17

God’s Promise to Abraham and Sarah (introduction to Isaac) - Genesis 17:1-8, 15-19, 21-22

Wonderful work Year 2!

Saint of the Week by Liliana Givens

St Catherine of Bologna

By Liliana Givens 

St Catherine of Bologna was born 8th of September 1413, in Bologna, Italy. Catherine died on the 9th March 1463 at the age of 49 years, in Bologna, Italy. She was beatified in 1524 and canonised in 1712 by Pope Clement XI. 

Catherine grew up in Bologna and loved to paint and write about the dreams she had about Jesus and Mary. St Catherine had great love for Mary and Jesus. 

She is credited with creating the first known depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a darker coloured woman, which is now housed in the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna. In addition to her artistic pursuits, Catherine was also known for her charitable work and her efforts to reform the convent. Despite the opportunity to live a noble life at court, St. Catherine eagerly responded to her call to lead the religious life. Her piety, charity, and kindness attracted many to follow her along the road to perfection. 

Because St Catherine of Bologna had so much love for Jesus and Mary and liked to paint them she became the patron saint of art and artists. Catherine's three miracles consisted of:

• The sick and suffering were healed
• Catherine's curious fellow nuns exhumed her body 18 days after her initial burial
• Freeing her from the consecrated ground (her body was incorruptible)

In the imagery of the St Catherine, she is portrayed in the Franciscan habit, made up of a grey tunic and cloak. A black veil covers her head, a sign of her role as abbess. 

I chose St Catherine of Bologna to be my saint because she loves art and was in a order of nuns called the Poor Clare's. St Catherine was loving and caring. I admire her very much, so this is why I chose her to be my saint. 

Catholic Life and Reflection

The parable of the mustard seed was the scripture I chose for staff mass this week.  Little did I know how good it would be to listen to a homily about growth and change.

Father Chung talked about how the seed must be broken to grow.  A tiny, tiny seed cracks and sprouts and grows into a mighty tree. It must push and force its way to growth and to the ultimate height. Like the breaking of the bread in the Eucharist, we too sometimes must be split and broken to grow. Jesus was broken on the cross, only to rise again fully renewed and fully divine.

It was timely advice, as it often is when you open yourself to scripture and engage in the Eucharist.

Matthew 13:31-32

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; ³² it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’

God bless,

Stephanie Stewart, Religious Education Coordinator

Happy Birthday to Ileana Rozario, Alex Sandrai, Mateo Vallecilla Carbonell, James Thurbon, Magdalena Johnson, Chloe Larkings, Amalie Hanna, Henry Jopling, Austin Patrzalek and Henry Green 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 Friday 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. 

Brag Tag Awards - presented on Friday 5th July, 8.50am (Week 10)

Spelling Mastery Awards - presented on Friday 5th July, 8.50am (Week 10)

Kindergarten

Jordan Brabec

Mila Dulgerov

Zara Fearne

Grace Garang

William Huskisson

Adaline Jozwiak

Liam Lester

Brody Loricchiella

Timothy Mastermann

Joseph McCabe

Frederick Miles

Lily Nguyen

Jayden Pradhananga

Diyana Weerarathna

Zachary Williams

Aria Wood

Arlen Cole

Bailey Da Silva

Ariella Grebowski

Zane Guidolin

Samuel Hedges

Joshua Ho

Amber Kaur

Wells Lomax

Ruby Muller

Clelia Nielfi

Harper Ollevou

Oscar Pardy

Grace Sartor

Pearce Takeda

Evelyn Wijnberg

Year 1

Edie Brennan

Daniel Quinn

Henry Bradbury

Tia McNamara

Year 2

Jacob O’Donnell

Beau Carr

Grace Guidolin

Bettina Morris

Rihaan Salhotra

Toby Blackford

Year 3

Mariam Hameed

Chloe Han

Victor Lomax

Nicolas Lester

Spencer Cantwell

Martin Howes

Erick Leiva Lainez

Zak Sutherland

Piper Abbot

Imogen Clark

Ebuka

Year 4

Dhodrul Dolma

Saba Khoram

Lilijana Tundulin

Jenson Chilley

Logan McNamara

April Malcolm

Fiesta Maka

Henry Jopling

Jackson Moulds

Theodore Cockburn

Riley Stokman

Viliami Maka

Jigme Dorji

Rudhra Nair

Katie Wedd

Aluel Ajang

Leo Bronar

Hunter Campbell

Year 5

Jonah Terron

Noah Dixon

Chelsea Badenhorst

Alexander Elston

Evie Matthews

Penelope Posantzis

Lincoln Abbott

Year 6

Pema Tenzin

Sophie Jopling

William Broadhurst

Emma Duke

Joseph Garang

Kelsey Nyinwah

Sarah OV

Maths Mastery Awards - presented on Friday 5th July, 8.50am (Week 10)

Year 1

AJANG, Ajak

MCNAMARA, Tia

QUINN, Daniel

SEHGAL, Zoi

Year 2

COCKBURN, Allegra

HILHORST, Bevan

LORICCHIELLA, Jackson

SINGH, Aarzah

WATMAN, Simon

WHEATLEY, Maxwell

WHITE, Abel

BROADHURST, Cameron

CARR, Beau

COLE, Tommy

DIXON, Ryan

HO, Sky

LARKIN, Henry

MCDONALD, Camille

PURCELL, Nate

SALHOTRA, Rihaan

TERRON, Rylee

WOODEN, Emma

ZARETZKY, Liam

Year 3

CANDY, Lewys

DROLMA, Sonam

FRANKCOM, Lachlan

GALLANA, Pia

GREENHAGH, Alexis

HAMEED, Mariam

HOWES, Martin

LESTER, Nicolas

RILEY, Kate

TILIJA, Anna

TIWARI, Tanish

WANGMO, Jigme

Year 6

BROADHURST, William

DUKE, Emma

GARANG, Joseph

HALL, Jacob

HOWES, Michael

LOWTHER, Alexandra

MCNAMARA, Ky

OV, Sarah

ONYEKAIKE, Vanessa

ROBERTSON, Jack

SAWYER, Nate

SCARANO, Lorenzo

TREVASKIS, Anabelle-Louise

VA, Lilly

WHIMPRESS, Denzil

BALTHAZAR, Ethan

GALLAGHER, Angus

HAURELIUK, Oz

JACKSON, Leo

NGUYEN, Kelvin

NYINWAH, Kelsey

PIETERSE, Charlotte

RICHARDSON, Abbey

STANTON, Charlotte

YOUSSEF, Sophia

ZAIRE, Ziva

Second Hand Uniform Donations

The Uniform Shop would love to receive second hand uniform donations. If you have school uniforms at home that you no longer need please send them into school. Thank you.

Opening Hours

A friendly reminder that St Johns is a nut free school. Thank you.