Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Staff,

Thank you for your wonderful support for our Year 6 students and their efforts to raise funds for Catholic Mission's current work in  Myanmar providing quality education for children. 

The Year 6 students ran an excellent morning of fun activities that students could participate in for a small donation. The crazy socks idea was also initiated by them. This cohort of Year 6 students have proven to be thoughtful and active in supporting those in need.

Thank you also to Mr Tim Gill (father of Yolanda and Natalia) who came to share his knowledge of Myanmar with the Year 6 students, giving them a greater understanding about the needs of the people and the positive impact their work can have.

Classes for 2019

As there are two streams of classes at St John the Apostle there are different combinations of children in classes each year. When forming the class lists the following factors are taken into consideration: gender, learning needs, work habits, friendships, behaviour, health considerations, social-emotional well-being, religion (to assist in achieving a balance between classes, especially in Sacramental years) and common names. Ideally, we aim for an equal spread of both positive and challenging characteristics.

Where practical, parental requests based on educational concerns will be considered. At St John the Apostle, the staff and parents will follow these principles and guidelines when considering placement of students each year:

• Every care will be taken to ensure that each child is placed in the best situation to enhance learning and social development;
• Parents who wish to discuss particular concerns regarding the placement of their children in particular classes should put the concern in writing (email is preferred) and addressed to the Principal only by Friday of Week 5 (Friday 16 November);
• Parent concerns will be seriously considered during the process. It must be clearly understood, however, that no definite guarantees can be given regarding parent’s requests;
• Please be aware that requests for particular teachers or for a particular gender of teacher will not be considered. Which year level each teacher will be teaching is still yet to be determined as staffing recruitment processes are still underway;
• Where appropriate, advice will be sought from the Classroom Support Teacher, School Counsellor, etc. during this process.

Taking into account all of the factors listed above, the current class teachers compile class lists during the first week of December and hand to the Principal for confirmation. Children will be informed of their class placement for the following school year in December (usually the last week of school) and the opportunity will be provided for them to spend some time with their new class teacher. No changes are made after this time; and throughout this process, the Principal, after appropriate consultation, reserves the right to make final professional decisions regarding the placement of children.

Playground Plans

Thank you, everyone, for returning the survey and/or attending the Open Forum to provide some important parent ideas to Phil and Jenni who are developing our Outdoor Learning Masterplan.

The SRC (Student Representative Council) have been working with each class to collect their ideas. All of our students have been so enthusiastic to provide them.

Phil and Jenni will begin preparing a concept plan to present to us in a few weeks time and seek our feedback. We're looking forward to it.

Disco Fever

Thank you so very much to those who assisted last night in providing the opportunity for our student to participate in a disco. A big thank you to Heather Rattenbury who organised so much of it and Anthony Ganley who organised the entertainment. He always makes a wonderful DJ!

Communication changes in 2019

How have you enjoyed the new e-newsletter? I'm hoping it is more accessible for you on many devices. Next year the final stage of streamlining our communication will occur and we will no longer be using Skoolbag and instead use the Schoolzine app. This will align our school website, newsletter and general communication tools all into one place on your phone. From 2019 you will also be able to use the app to send permission notes, absentee notes and book parent-teacher interviews.

If you would like to get a head start you can download the Schoolzine app by

searching for the 'SZapp' in the App Store on iphones or Google Play for other phones. Once installed you simply follow the instructions to locate our school and select it to connect.

At the moment it is used only for our website and newsletter distribution. Skoolbag remains our messaging app until the end of 2018. We will keep you up to date with more information on how to make the switch later in the term.

Have a lovely weekend.

Matthew Garton (Principal)

Sometimes it is hard to be still with God.  Sometimes it is just hard to be still, to stop your mind racing and worrying.  I’m trying hard to pray in these times. Pray for others in their grief and hardship and myself in my own concerns.  I am no expert but it does help.  I am not really praying for change or intervention but to be heard. To know that I have been heard in my moment of need is a great comfort.

Philippians 4:6-7 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 May god be near you as your open your heart to Him in prayer.

 God bless,

 Stephanie Stewart (Religious Education Coordinator)

Awards are presented at the school assembly each Monday at 2:10 pm.

Happy Birthday to Alicia O, Maddison O, Harri C, Mikayla S, Xavier T, Phoebe S, Jansen V, Anastasia M, Austin U, Thomas G, Declan K, Bryce C, Maxwell S, Leondardo B, David O, Izabel S and Brodie S who all celebrated a birthday during the last fortnight.

Congratulations to Sasha Rauraa in 5M who has been selected to join the 2018 State Primary School U12 Track and Field Team to be held in Melbourne 23 - 27th November 2018.  Well done and best of luck.

This term Year 6 has worked hard to put together an amazing Mini Mission. This was to raise money for the children and families in Myanmar. We learned much about how it is to live in Myanmar. We were fortunate enough to have Tim Gill (Natalia 4B and Yolanda 6B) to educate us on the living conditions and what it is like to be a person in Myanmar. The people there have limited access to the things that we have in Australia, such as:

• Refrigeration
• Transportation
• Hot and tropical climates
• Education (general, on nutrition and health)
• Good housing
• Medical services

This year we organised 8 stalls that included;

• Roll-a-hoop
• Lucky dip
• What’s in the box?
• How many balloons are in Mrs Stewart’s car?
• Soccer Goals
• Lucky cups
• Basketball hoops

These eight activities raised up to $750. This included some of the school’s crazy sock donations. We would like to thank our peers, because if it weren’t for our Year 6 students, we probably wouldn't have had successful activity stalls for our St John’s Mini Missions. We would also like to thank our wonderful Year 6 teachers, Mr Gibson and Miss Slocomb, as without them this day probably wouldn’t have happened.

 Thank you everyone for your support.

 From the events team:

 Keeon Dang, Gemma Beveridge and Yolanda Gill

I would like to say a big thank you to all the volunteers that gave their time to help at the disco last night.  The disco could not run without you. A MASSIVE thanks to Year 5 and 6 for cutting the hands out. A special thanks to Dave and Phil for doing the BBQ and Anthony for being the DJ. It was VERY hot in there! We hope that you all enjoyed the final disco of the year.

Heaether Rattenbury

Four reasons why your child or teen may be anxious

Increasingly, Australian children and teenagers are experiencing anxiety at levels that are affecting their mental health, school achievement and happiness. As a loving parent you naturally want to prevent your child or young person from being overwhelmed by anxiety.

There are four main reasons your child may be experiencing anxiety.

1. You are passing your anxiety and stress on to your child
Anxiety is a function of groups – it rarely happens in isolation. Many parents I meet in my work are stressed by their lives and fearful for their children. The contagious nature of anxiety means that parents often pass their stresses, worries and fears on to their children. Legendary psychologist Martin Seligman found through his research that children have a significant propensity to copy their primary parents’ explanatory style by eight years of age. If parents see events through the frame of stress, anxiety and fear then they are passing this same frame on to their children.

2. Your child is overloaded

Few would argue that an active child is a healthy child. However it seems that we now have too much of a good thing as Australian kids have a smorgasbord of organised pre-school and after-school activities to keep their minds and bodies active. Many of these activities have a high performance element attached (get that badge, win that game, attain that level) so that kids are always striving or attaining. The pressure to perform is always there. Activity overload is a particular problem for achievement-driven, anxious types of kids – classic first-born child characteristics.

3. Your child doesn’t play enough
Play is the release valve for the pressures of a high performance, serious life. It’s the way kids have always relaxed and let off steam. The best type of play for relaxing and letting off steam is generally physical play that takes place outside. Your child may play a great deal on a digital device, but this activity stimulates the brain rather than rejuvenates it.

Organised sport doesn’t fit the play category if it adds to their anxiety rather than releases it. Kids need to be involved in play that’s fun, rejuvenating and enjoyable. They need to look forward to it rather than fear it.

4. Your child focuses too much on the future
Some children are born to worry. They fret about seemingly simple activities such as

starting a new school term, going to a birthday party or who’s picking them up from school at the end of the day. Worriers are future oriented, anxious about things that haven’t happened yet. These type-A anxious types don’t know how to stay in the present. Their minds constantly wander ahead to what may happen. They benefit from learning relaxation techniques such as mindfulness and deep breathing that anchor them to the present, temporarily releasing them from their worries and anxieties. When kids learn these techniques from a young age or even during adolescence they are likely to become hard-wired for life. 

There is so much we can do to equip children with the tools they need to manage their anxiousness and worries, and to prevent these from accelerating into full blown, debilitating anxiety. We can start by looking at our own lifestyles and make changes that may alleviate the stresses that inevitably trickle down to our kids. We can also take a look at our kid's lifestyles and activities and make sure they contain a healthy balance between high performance and fun. Most importantly, we can provide kids with the tools and skills to recognise, manage and cope with anxiousness so that they have autonomy over their own mental health and wellbeing, both now and into the future.

Lions' Reading Action Program

The Lions' Reading Action Program is a worldwide program instigated by the International President of the Lions' organisation in 2012.  Siince then, each International President (a different person takes on that position each year) has endorsed this Reading Action Program to endorse a love of reading and improve literacy skills worldwide.  The Lions Club of Canberra Belconnen has supported the program since 2012 by donating books to many Belconnen school libraries each year.

New School Banking rewards now available!

Exciting new Term 4 rewards with a Super Savers theme are now available,
while stocks last!

For every deposit made at school students will receive a silver Dollarmites token. Once students have individually collected 10 tokens they can redeem them for exclusive School Banking reward items in recognition of their regular savings habits. There are two new items released each term so be sure to keep an eye out for them!

 Slushie Maker Cup

 

Zoom Flying Disk

Thank you for supporting the School Banking program and remember, School Banking day is every Tuesday.