Informer Term 1 Week 4 - 2025

From Our Principal ...

Dear Families,

As I drove home Friday evening after a long hot week, I was reflecting on everything that had occurred during the past five days and the many challenges and human relationship issues that we navigate on a daily basis. I was reminded of this reflection shared with principals a few years ago by a member of the Marist community. For those of us new to St John’s, our school was founded by the Marist sisters in 1977 and their charism, which is the special characteristic that guides them, is heavily focused on loving as Mary did.  It is a difficult task and one that we often fail to live up to.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s one of those questions we love to ask young children. I remember my primary school class being asked this question and I was intrigued by the answers ranging from fire-fighters, doctors, vets, actors to marine biologists (none of us really knew what that was, but it sounded great).

In Charlie Mackesy’s book ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ the question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is asked of a young boy who responds simply with “Kind”. It’s a profound understanding of what we are all called to be. Questions about ‘who’ we aspire to ‘be’ are often answered in favour of an emphasis on careers, training or skill.

After a long and challenging week with heat affecting everyone’s tempers, thinking of others is not always at the forefront of our thoughts. On reflection, perhaps the question we should be asking of ourselves and others, is not ‘what’ do you want to be but rather ‘who’? It’s a decision we make in every task and interaction we have during our day but one we often fail to consider.

Presence and care for each other, seeking relationships founded on love, being attentive and welcoming with a sense of openness are hallmarks of not just what it means to ‘be’ a Marist, but also someone who people admire and want to be around.

I taught with a young teacher who had a poster on her wall. “Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?”

Have a great week and hug your kids.

Regards,
Jamie Emerick
Principal.

NAPLAN (Yr 3 & Yr 5) Parent Webinar: 19 Feb

For some parents, NAPLAN can be a mystery and even a cause for concern. The Queensland Joint Parent Committee is offering a free online webinar for parents 7:00-8:00 pm on Wednesday 19 February. During this webinar experts will explain NAPLAN and help to address potential parent concerns and provide tips for parents when discussing NAPLAN with their child.

The registration link for the webinar is: Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

Year 1 -6 Parent Teacher Interview Bookings Close Thurs 20 Feb @ 3pm

In Week 5 (Monday 24 February – Friday 28 February) we will host our Semester One, Parent Teacher Interviews for our Year 1 - Year 6 families. 

Parent Teacher Interviews are imperative to ensure strong home and school relationships as well as providing a wonderful opportunity to discuss the progress of your child, celebrate successes and set goals for the coming year.

Interview times OPEN for parents to book on Monday 17 February (Week 4) at 8.00am and will close on Thursday 20 February (Week 4) at 3.00pm. 

All Parent Teacher Interviews MUST be booked via Parent Lounge within this timeframe.  No bookings will be made from the office or via your child’s teacher.

Interview times can be reserved by accessing your Parent Lounge account via https://402sjg.rok.catholic.edu.au/parentlounge.

Upload Parent Orbit App NOW!

Instructions regarding how to upload our new Parent Orbit App were emailed to all families on Wednesday, 29 January.  Please upload now.

From Friday, 21 February no new information will be uploaded to our old Schoolzine SZapp.

Student Free Day: Friday 21 February

Students DO NOT attend school on Friday 21 February.

All staff will be participating in Bishop's Inservice Day professional development training on this day.

Beep Test Results: Week 3

Girls:
Maddie Butler            Year 4          9.4
Harper Halliwell       Year 6          9.1

Boys:
Koby Halliwell           Year 4        10.6
Lane Hillhouse          Year 6        10.5

Port Curtis AFL

Capricornia School Sports News

Last weekend, Brody S travelled to Hervey Bay to represent Capricornia School Sport in Aquathon. His time for the trails was 2.03 min, which was personal best. Well done Brody! 

Port Curtis (PC) Sport Trials

The process for Port Curtis trials can be somewhat confusing and in-depth, so we have simplified the process to share with families.  Please see Mr Langdon or Mrs Graham if you require any further clarification.

All PC trials are a pathway for selection in Capricornia and Queensland School sport teams and events.

• PC Sport emails all schools regarding any up-coming trials 3-4 weeks prior to a trial.
• Once this is received, Mrs Graham or Mr Langdon inform students at Parade that this trial is open. Students are instructed to go to the office (generally at 1^st break) to add their name to an ‘Interest in Trialing’ form.
• If there are more than 5 St John’s students wishing to attend a PC Trial, then an ‘In School’ trial needs to occur. PC sport guidelines limit number at trials. St John’s are only allowed to send 5 players to any trial.
• At an ‘In-School’ trial, students will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and playing abilities. A second ‘in-school’ trial may be held to allow students the best opportunity where interest numbers are very high.
• The 5 students who demonstrate the strongest skills and playing abilities at the ‘In-House’ trials are given paperwork to attend the PC Trial.
• These 5 players will receive a PC Trial Information form which outlines the date, time, venue, equipment, cost and link to the Student Permission Booklet.
• Parents of trialing students must download the link to the Student Permission Booklet and return the filled in booklet to the office by the due date for signing (by the Principal or his/her delegate) and uploading to the PC official nomination spreadsheet. Student Permission Booklets that are returned after the due date cannot be processed; therefore the student is unable to attend trial.
• This signed booklet (by the Principal or delegate) will then be returned to the student via their class pigeonhole for the student to collect and take to the trial.

Points to Consider

• A Port Curtis timetable of trials for the year is displayed outside the St John’s office and was in included in Weeks 1 and 2 Newsletter.
• Please ‘follow’ Port Curtis Sport on Facebook for all current updates.
• PC Sport will not allow students to trial if they are not on the PC Sport nomination excel sheet (this is generally due to students not returning their Student Permission Booklet by the due date).
• For insurance reasons, if a student does not take the completed and signed Student Permission Booklet to the trail, PC Sport will not allow the student to trial.
• Generally, PC Trials are open to students aged 10 - 12 years.

Library News ...

“Stories make you think and dream; books make you want to ask questions,” Sir Michael Murporgo.

Join the fun on the farm!  Two funny farmyard stories for younger readers.

Jigger’s Day Off
“Time has come for harvest, Jigger. So I shan’t be needing you all day. It’s your day off, my dear.”  Jigger the sheepdog has just one day off a year. Just one day to chase all those little animals hiding in the corn. But even the best plans go wrong…

And Pigs Might Fly!
“Flying was not nearly as easy as it looked. Pintsize stood up on his back trotters and flapped his front ones – trotters, he thought, would do just as well as wings.”  It’s a long hot summer, and Pintsize the piglet wonders if it might be cooler in the sky. But when he tries to fly, he annoys just about everyone. It’s time he learned his lesson…

A collection of six magical and heart-warming animal stories, by a favourite storyteller.

From the author who brought you Joey the War Horse, Shadow the dog and Kaspar the cat comes a pocket-sized collection of perfect animal stories – proving that it’s not just dogs that are man’s best friends.  From dogs to cats, and from horses to dolphins and whales, it’s all here in this timeless treasury.

Sam is a city boy through and through – and isn’t looking forward to his school trip to Nethercott Farm at all.  But busy days of farm work, animals and learning all about nature weave their magic – and when Sam finds a duck about to be dinner, he is determined to save him. But how?

This warm and magical story is gloriously brought to life by the incredible illustrative talent of Sam Usher and is set on the real-life Nethercott Farm – a member of Farms for City Children – the charity that offers urban children from all over the country the chance to live and work together on a real farm and experience the magic of the English countryside.

St John's Way Awardees ...

Students who have embodied faith, dignity and integrity within our school.

We view our school as one body, with many parts, each in its own way contributing to our common mission

(1 Corinthians 12: 12-26)

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 Ordering Information & Menu

Our tuckshop operates every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (first and second breaks).

The following information will ensure the efficient ordering of tuckshop for your child/ren:

• Tuckshop must be ordered online via QuickCliq www.quickcliq.com.au  Orders will not be accepted at the Tuckshop or Office.
• Orders must be placed by 8:10am. Tuckshop can be ordered weeks in advance. Simply click on the day/s that tuckshop is required.
• QuickCliq operates very slowly at very busy times i.e. close to 8:10am.  During these times the system may boot you off and require you to log back in. Late orders put a lot of pressure on our tuckshop staff and volunteer helpers.
• If you miss the ordering cut off time, your order will be transferred to the following day.  You will be notified of this on the screen.
• Parents MUST check confirmation email to ensure the order has been processed for the correct food on the correct day.

If you have any problems with the online ordering system please contact QuickCliq via 1300 11 66 37, or email: support@quickcliq.com.au

Uniform Shop Hours

Parish News ...

Sparks Hockey Come and Try