Informer Term 2 - Week 3

From Our Principal ...

Dear Families,

I was exceptionally proud of our students during Thursday's ANZAC parades. Their participation and focus was a credit to them. The ANZAC story continues to change over the years, and while the Gallipoli story is at the centre, more and more veterans are marching and being part of the day.

I remember very clearly reading the history of the battle of The Nek which took place during the Gallipoli campaign. It was just another tragedy in a list of tragedies that was known as the Great War.

I have often wondered what the thinking was that motivated those young men to willingly ‘go over the top’ when there was certain death waiting in a charge of 30 metres into machine gun fire.

Whilst I have never been in this situation and pray that I, or my children, never are, I have come to the thinking that these men got to the point where they were past life or death as a consequence, what you did as an individual was a greater motivator. When I read stories of men who insisted on returning to the front after being wounded when they could easily have been rested, I was amazed at the commitment and dedication these young men displayed.

I firmly believe that if there is one ANZAC ideal that we can hang on to, it is that notion of our own personal honour. That, in the end, it is our own conduct in the face of adversity, whatever life throws at us that is important. Personal bravery is being able to stand up to whatever is happening in our lives and still continue, whether that adversity be illness, unfair situations or things that just didn’t go our way. Unfortunately, the lesson from Gallipoli and all other conflicts,  is that sometimes we don’t always triumph over adversity, but the important thing that shapes us is how we fight the battle. The lessons that we learn often go on to shape our lives and define who we are as individuals.

Lest we forget.

Have a great week and hug your kids.

Regards,
Jamie Emerick
Principal.

ANZAC Day

There was strong support from our St John’s community at both services. With gratitude, we say thank you to our students, staff and parent community for the respect and reverence demonstrated on the day.

Proverbs 17:17: ‘A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity’. 

Helping My Child On Their Reading Journey Workshops

Are you interested in learning more about how children learn to read and how to help your child on this learning journey?

If so, we are running our final parent workshop from 8.00am to 8.40am  in the Library this Friday 17 May.

Please register by emailing your name and contact details to: sjg_office@rok.catholic.edu.au or phoning the School Office on 49781799. Numbers will be strictly limited. Looking forward to seeing you.

Australian Early Development Census (AEDC)

Building a national picture of child health

From May 2024, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).

The AEDC is a teacher-completed census (similar to a questionnaire) which provides a comprehensive picture of how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.

The AEDC is an Australian Government Initiative and is completed nationally every three years. Children don’t miss any class time while the AEDC is completed, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information.

The data collected through the AEDC is used by schools, communities and governments to better understand children and families’ needs, and identify the services, resources and support they need.

AEDC data is reported at a school, community, state/territory and national level. AEDC results for individual children are not reported and the AEDC is not used as an individual diagnostic tool.

Some teachers have found that completing the AEDC made them more aware of the needs of individual children and their class, and that the data was useful for planning for transitions to Year 1 and developing programs.

Participation in the AEDC is voluntary, however the AEDC relies on all schools with children in their first year of full-time school participating in the collection. Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.

To find out more about the AEDC and how it is being used to help children and families visit: www.aedc.gov.au.

Book Club: Orders Close Wednesday 8 May

Volunteer Inductions

If you wish to volunteer in any capacity at St John's and you have not yet completed one of our 2024 Volunteer Induction sessions, it is essential that you attend one of the session times listed below. You do not need to pre-register; just arrive at the school library 5 minutes prior to the start time.

Learn to Pray

Sacrament of Confirmation

Families with children eligible to complete their formation for the Sacrament of Confirmation, please take note.

Enrolments are now open for this preparation. Families are asked to read and complete the enrolment form and complete payment. Copies of the letter AND enrolment form will be provided to students who completed the Sacrament of Reconciliation in 2023.

Please contact the front office if your child does not receive enrolment information by 19 April. Spare copies will be available there.

Confirmation folders can be collected from the parish or school front office from Monday 6 May.

Athletics News

Full Discus Results

Girls 2016
1^st - Kyla Shelford-Finau
2^nd - Addison Lindeberg
3^rd - Bronte Cross

Girls 2015
1^st - Lennon Bowman
2^nd - Gracie Robertson
3^rd - Kathryn Warner

Girls 2014
1^st - Kaliyah Shelford-Finau
2^nd - Evie Woodward
3^rd - Mackenzie Long

Girls 2013
1^st - Penny Hale
2^nd - Daisy Bryce
3^rd - Zoe Carruthers

Girls 2012 
1^st - Scarlett Breslin
2^nd - Georgie Ashe
3^rd - Lilly -Rose Whitehouse

Boys 2016
1^st - Campbell Nagy
2^nd - Campbell Robb
3^rd - Logan Newton

Boys 2015

1^st - Abel Peachey

2^nd - Blake Trevor

3^rd - Kingsley Mariner

Boys 2014
1^st - Mack Daly
2^nd - Braxton McGrath
3^rd - Oliver Hill

Boys 2013
1^st - Diaz Polo
2^nd - Jaxon Boyle
3^rd - Hudson Brown

Boys 2012
1^st - Xander Wynne
2^nd - Charlie Beresford
3^rd - Harrison Kerr

Port Curtis Cross Country - Wed 8 May

Some important information to remember:

1. Students are to organise their own transport to and from Benaraby State School and wear their St John's Sport uniform. All runners must wear shoes. No spikes or boots will be allowed.
2. Course familiarisation walks are between 8:30am - 8:50am and then again between 11:35am - 11:55am.
3. Arrive a minimum of 30 minutes prior to your race.
4. Please ensure your child brings their competative booklet that has been signed by Mr Emerick, Mrs McVean or Mrs McAndrew.
5. Please ensure your child signs in with Mrs McVean when they arrive and sign out when they leave. When they sign in with Mrs McVean upon arrival she will write their competitor number on their arm and leg.
6. Bring a hat, water and small snack if required. Benaraby State School will have a canteen operating. 
7. Please park outside the school grounds, ensuring your vehicle is not parked on the footpath or bike path outside the school. Please do not park across the gateways of local residents and bottom driveway of the school for the Ambulance access.

Course map is included on the Port Curtis School Sport facebook page, as well as in today's newsletter.

Fitness Club

Counsellor's Corner

Tips for talking with and helping children cope after tragic events

Distressing events like tragic accidents in your local area, or that took place in familiar places like a popular holiday location, or even disasters that happen far away, but are covered by the media, can be powerful and upsetting incidents that intrude into daily life. News, social media and conversation can lead to overwhelm.  The Australian Psychological Society (APS) recommends the following strategies for adults and children:

The APS recommends the following strategies for people impacted by this tragic event:

• Seek support: Reach out to friends, family, or a mental health professional for emotional support and guidance.

• Practice self-care: Engage in activities that promote relaxation and well-being, such as exercise, mindfulness, and spending time in nature.

• Express emotions: Allow yourself to express and process your emotions and make space for and normalise all emotions including shock, grief, fear and sadness.

• Establish routines: Establishing daily routines can provide a sense of stability and control in the aftermath of trauma.

• Limit exposure to media: Avoid or limit exposure to media, including social media, that may exacerbate distressing symptoms.

• Practice grounding techniques: Grounding techniques, such as deep breathing or focusing on sensory experiences, can help manage distressing symptoms and promote a sense of safety.

• Seek professional help: If symptoms persist or interfere with your daily functioning, consider seeking professional, evidence-based help from a psychologist experienced in treating trauma.

The APS has the following advice for parents and carers speaking with, or caring for children, who witnessed the event or have heard about it from others or in the media:

• Talk about the event - Encourage (but don’t force) children to talk about their thoughts and feelings about the events. Let them know that talking about it can be a good thing.
• Provide children with opportunities to express their feelings - Help children and young people to put words to feelings.

• They may talk about it in their own time or after a few days rather than the first time you have a conversation, so try to be open to this.

• Sometimes children can better express their feelings through play than through words, so make time to play with them.

• Let them know that crying is fine when they need to.

• Monitor and limit media exposure - Children can become distressed and fearful after watching repeated images of frightening events on the TV or social media so restrict their exposure to traumatic material

• Engage in age-appropriate honest discussions - By their very nature, tragedies are especially difficult to explain, and it can be very challenging to understand ‘unthinkable’ events.
• It is normal for children (and adults) to seek an explanation of why a tragedy occurred.

• By understanding, we are often trying to reassure ourselves that a similar event could be prevented in the future, so be prepared for ‘why’ questions.

• Uncertainty is particularly distressing, so these questions can be hard, but children need our best answers

For more information on helping children affected by tragic events: helping-children-affected-tragic-events.pdf (psychology.org.au)

Library News

BOOK OF THE YEAR: EARLY CHILDHOOD

Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for children who are at pre-reading or early stages of reading. Ages 0-6 years.

St John's Way Awardees

Recycling Efforts Applauded

A huge congratulations to the students and staff at St John's for the collection of this bag of textas, pens and markers. These were collected over the Term 1 period and have now been taken to Officeworks for Planet Ark to recycle. What a fabulous collective effort! As a school we are proud that we are helping to reduce plastics in our landfill systems.  

Everything is connected. Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society." (Pope Francis (2015), On Care for Our Common Home [Laudato Si'],nos. 91)

Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs

Here at St. John’s, we pride ourselves on being sustainable and recycling what we can to help God’s creation. Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs is an Australian company that is collecting and sorting bread tags nation-wide. They are creating new products with recycled bread tags that include wheelchairs and reusable food bowls. As of May 2023, they have recycled over 10 000kg of Aussie bread tags (that’s over 10 tonnes of plastic waste)!

How can you help? Please collect any plastic bread clips from home and bring them into your classroom to put into your class’ collection container. Once a fortnight, Year 4 will be around to collect them to empty into our main bin. Once this is full, we will take it to the collection depot in town, where they will be sent away for recycling.

Thank you for helping us to be kinder to our world and for looking after God’s creation.

Tuckshop Volunteers Needed

Can you spare 30 minutes or 3 hours on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday morning to volunteer in our tuckshop - anytime from 8am to 2pm?

Our lovely tuckshop staff will provide training. Volunteers need to have completed our school Volunteer Induction Session.

Please call the office if you are able to help out. 

Volunteer Tuckshop Roster

Tuckshop Menu

GISMA Workshop

Parish News

Chanel College 2025 Enrolments

Chanel College Year 7 for 2025 Information Evening

Gladstone Seafarers Duck Derby

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Worldwide Marriage Encounter: Every relationship is a journey and the grind of everyday life can cause you to lose touch with your spouse.  A Marriage Encounter Weekend gives married couples the tools to keep passion alive in a gentle, nurturing environment, away from pressures and distractions of daily living.

Live-Out weekend at Good Shepherd Hub, Springfield, Friday 21 June to Sunday 23 June.

For bookings/details contact  Lisha and Joseph 0481 307 821 or  qldbookings@wwme.org.au

In-depth witness stories https://www.shalomworld.org/show/family-discovering-coupleness 

Auskick Information

St John's Walkerston