Informer - Term 4 Week 7

From Our Acting Principal...

Building Important Characteristics

I am a meticulous planner and love nothing better than a timetable, a roster, or a running sheet. I am an advocate for sticking to time schedules and ensuring things run as smoothly as possible.  A little rigid some may say!

So, what better way to ensure other key characteristics are developed and honed by allowing me to work very closely on a very large build to show me that flexibility, resilience, patience, self-control, optimism and probably the most important - not verbilising what I am thinking are just as important!

Just like my experience with our build, our students too have to navigate a whole host of emotions throughout their journey. Disappointment, frustration, excitement, fear and surprise are just some of the emotions they feel. And as always, we all need resilience, children, and adults alike, to deal with emotions, to sit-in our emotions to regulate and navigate out the other end with growth and a new skill-set for future reference.

Maggie Dent reminds us that resilience refers to the ability to successfully manage life, and adapt to change and stressful events in healthy and constructive ways. It is about the capacity to bounce back from positive and negative life experiences. To develop emotional and psychological buoyancy in childhood to ensure our kids have a better prospect of being able to thrive as adults.

“Building resilience is a vital ingredient in both parenting and in the school setting. It is a process that directs our interactions with our children as we strengthen their ability to meet life’s challenges and pressures with confidence and perseverance” (Maggie Dent).

Building Update – The Great Character Builder!

My most used phrase this year is, ‘this build project is giving me whiplash!’ Every week the goal posts move, but with all my newly acquired characters, I am learning to go with the flow (kind of!).

So as of today’s site meeting, this is the movement schedule:

• Monday 29 November - Year 5 and 6 furniture moved into their new classrooms
• Tuesday 30 November – Prep Owls and Inclusive Curriculum rooms are set up
• Tuesday 30 November - Year 4’s move and settle into their new block (formerly the Year 1 classrooms)
• Tuesday 30 November - Year 1’s move and settle into their new block (formerly the Year 6 classrooms)

At this stage, all predictions suggest that the new Administration block will not be ready for operation at the start of the 2022 school year. If this is the case, we will begin the school year operating out of the current Administration block, with a hopeful move early to mid, Term 1 2022.

The next build phase will begin in February 2022 for approximately 6-7 months where you will see the new Prep – Year 2 Precinct evolve. Pictures below are indicative of the works we will begin in 2022.

NOTICE | MATTHEW FLINDERS (MARINA) BRIDGE – SAFETY UPGRADE WORKS

APRE News

It’s on again!  The St John the Baptist School Spirit Night - our final school concert.  We invite everyone to come listen to a great night of Christmas songs.  Bring your own foldup chair or picnic rug.

When:  Wednesday 24 November 2021

Where: Marina Stage area at the Marina Parklands, which is just over the bridge on the right hand side.

Concert time:  5.30pm (not 5pm as in last week’s newsletter) but children are asked to go to their teacher by 5.15pm

• It is preferable that children have eaten by 5.15pm.  Otherwise, parents will need to bring the food to their child in the class seating area, as children are not allowed to return to the family until leaving for home.
• Children to bring a named water bottle.
• Glowlight products to be purchased prior to 5.15pm preferably.  Otherwise, parents will need to bring the thing purchased to the class seating area.
• No younger siblings are to sit in the class seating area.

Checkin:  In keeping with COVID requirements, we ask everyone to please use our school QR codes, attached to the rubbish bins positioned around the seating area, to check-in on arrival.  Your assistance in ensuring you do this is much appreciated.

Eating:  A barbeque will run from 5.00pm onwards (run by the Men’s Shed) Steak burgers, sausage sizzles, softdrinks, juice and water.  Prices are very reasonable.

While a barbecue is provided, families can bring their own tea to eat on the grass, prior to the start of the evening.  Remember, no glass! Bring a picnic rug.

Glowsticks:  Year 6 students will NOT be selling these this year but will be collecting donations.  Funds raised will help the Marist Missionary sisters and their work with the Badjao children in the Philippines.  Please read the article in this week’s newsletter about these children

Parking:  Please see the Marina map below, with parking areas marked with slanting lines.  The parking area directly at the back of the Marina stage is for STAFF PARKING only.  Please do not turn into this area to park. Parking around any of the Uni buildings is permitted along with Areas B and E.  Vehicles are NOT PERMITTED to park on any grassy areas (including footpaths).  We have a good track record with the council for following their guidelines and trust this will continue.

Rubbish:  Plenty of general and recycling bins will be positioned around the seating areas.  We ask everyone to please clean their own areas prior to leaving the venue, and deposit waste in the correct bins.  Please, NO TINSEL is to be worn by children as this makes it very difficult to clean as every bit has to be picked up.

Seating:  All St John’s students will be seated with their class and teacher for the entire duration of the evening. These areas will be marked out in front of the stage area with witches hats.  Please don’t sit inside this area.  The class seating will mirror our seating in the shed at school for parades.

We are looking forward to another great night of entertainment and to seeing you there as well.

Story of the Badjaos in Davao, Philippines

For a few years now, the Year 6 students have sold glow light products at our Spirit Night with all monies raised going to the Marist Mission Centre in the Philippines to help the Badjao children.  The sisters do wonderful work with these families and are the only ones who are trusted by the parents.  Usually, the children would be on the streets begging for money, but the sisters have worked hard to help the parents see the value in education to make a difference to their future lives.  So, the Marist Centre, while providing basic education for the children, also feeds them during the day so they can concentrate on their work.  This group of people are not even recognized by the local Philippino Government and are considered outcasts.  It is hard for us to believe that such a situation could be possible. As such they receive no help whatsoever and live in makeshift stilt houses along the water’s edge, having no land themselves.  They rely solely on begging, mainly in high tourist areas to survive.

This year we will not be selling glow light products but instead, our Year Six students will be walking around to collect donations for this cause.  We ask you to please support this collection, so we can help make a difference to the lives of these little children, who don’t have a chance to be better without outside help. 

WE CAN EACH MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Socktober  https://www.socktober.org.au

The Great 10c Challenge – Friday 19 November

The day is nearly here!  Can we line our 10c coins up all around the red court line in Nazarene Place?

You can help us reach our goal.  Set a jar in the kitchen and throw in any 10c coins you have in your purse and pocket and give to your child(ren) on Friday to bring in for the challenge.

All donations will go to a very worthy cause; the kindergarten in Bangkok run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd.  These sisters provide a venue that brings little ones off the streets and gives them safety and security.

Catholic Social Teaching principals, two of which talk about the dignity of each person and the preferential option for the poor, guide our work in how to we can be Christlike.  We are all brothers and sisters; all equal and all deserving of the same rights.  Let’s all do our bit to help those in need.

Names

Part of Fr Ashwin’s sermon on Sunday just gone, was about names. He suggested that we investigate how we came to have the name we have, if we don’t know that story already.  Often, the name matches the owner…we seem to have grown into the name and what it means.  What does your name mean? 

Our name is something personal to us and we should be proud of it.  Parents usually take a long time to deliberate over a list of names to choose the ones they might use, depending on the sex of the baby.  The story might be interesting. Was your name chosen because it is a family name that is passed on or was it chosen because of the meaning of that name? 

God knows our names …I have called you by name and you are mine.  (Isaiah 43: 1)  Others know us by name (namely as Christians) because of how we behave…with love for others; being Christ-like.  What a great thing to be known for!

The Japanese always add ‘san’ onto the end of another person’s name to show respect for that person and their name.  What a great tradition!

Take the time to find out the story behind your name, and share this with your children, as well as the story for the choosing of their names.  They are all love stories…love of the individual; love of the family.  When we say someone’s name, we should say it with the respect and dignity it deserves. We should always remember that we are each known by God.  We were known by God before we were even born. How special are we then!!!

When Kids Need a Parental Push

by Michael Grose

Watching your child or young person manage their nervous moments can be challenging for parents, but it comes with the territory. How you react to an anxiety-inducing moment can influence the way kids approach uncomfortable situations in the future.

Sadly, avoidance is a well-entrenched pattern of behaviour that holds many kids back from experiencing life as they would like. The comfort zone that many crave to stay in can be like maximum security prison where there’s no escape. It’s incumbent upon parents to make sure participation rather than avoidance becomes the most likely response even when kids feel nervous and tense.

Holding firm in the face of resistance

Recently, Melanie, a mother of four, told me how she approached her teenage daughter’s nervousness about taking a part-time job. Fifteen-year-old Chloe, a quiet, thoughtful, studious girl wanted a job but was too nervous to go for an interview. Melanie took a firm stance with her daughter and insisted that she go for the job interview, despite some incredibly strong resistance.

Melanie said, “I drove Chloe to the interview. She was so nervous that she was shaking. As we got closer Chloe begged me not to make her do it. I felt so sorry for her, but I wouldn’t let her off the hook. I knew that if she wouldn’t do this then she’d always avoid the things that make her nervous. I told her that there was no option. This is something she had to do.”

Chloe was successful with the job interview. The first thing she did when she got home was to thank Melanie for holding her ground and insisting that she go for the interview.

Making decisions in a child’s best interests

There’s a natural tendency for kids to avoid doing activities where they may fail, struggle or even risk being laughed at. At such times, parents who can see the bigger picture need to make decisions for their child to prevent the development of negative patterns of behaviour that are so difficult to break. It takes significant parental sensitivity and courage to avoid taking anxiety-inducing activities temporarily away from a child or teenager. But it’s the right thing to do if developing a child’s confidence, rather than their feelings of helplessness is your goal.

Melanie’s daughter still feels nervous before she goes to work, but the nerves are getting less each time. Importantly, her courage account is being filled along with her bank account each time she heads off to work.

You should never underestimate value of a little parenting push, particularly if anxiety tends to be your child’s constant companion.

Michael Grose, founder of Parenting Ideas, is one of Australia’s leading parenting educators.

St Vinnies Christmas Hamper and Giving Tree

We have started collecting for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hamper.  Please consider adding some extra non-perishable food items to your grocery shop and sending these along for our Christmas hamper donation box.  This box will be in the front Administration office.  All goods are sorted by the St Vincent de Paul volunteers and made up into small family Christmas hampers.  These are delivered locally to those in need to brighten up their Christmas day.

The Christmas Giving Tree   Our tree is up!  Please take a gift tag for a specific age level from the tree or send an envelope along with our child and the Admin ladies will put a tag inside.  Then purchase an appropriate gift for a child of this age.  Please don’t wrap gifts.  Just sticky tape the gift tag to your gift and place under the tree.  Just for your information, I am told there is always a shortage of donated gifts for teenage children, so please consider purchasing for this age level to help fill the gap.  Gifts or gift vouchers are accepted.

The St Vincent de Paul volunteers tell us each year, what a difference these gifts make to those who receive them.  It tells them that someone cares and that means so much to them.

Thank you in advance for your generous donations

Fun Run Wrap Up!

Fun Run Wrap-Up

Thank you to all of our families for supporting the Fun Run again this year.

All prizes have been distributed to students and last week was like an early Christmas!

In total our students raised $19 473!  An absolutely staggering result.

A huge congratulations to Prisha Tiwari of the Prep Turtles who was our runner’s up fundraiser with $810 and to Tavier Mastroianni in Prep Crocodiles who was our highest fundraiser with $860. Both the Prep Echidnas and the Prep Turtles were the joint winners of the class Pizza Party.

As always, all funds raised will be spent on items that benefit the children. Our students have been asked to put their suggestions on how to spend the funds into one of the letterboxes around the school and we will start the spending process from their suggestions. The power of Student Voice!

Spirit Night

Year P - 3 Swimming Program

P & F and Board Meetings

Our next P & F Meeting is on TODAY Monday 22 November at 5:30pm in the Library. All Welcome.

Our next Board Meeting is on TONIGHT Tuesday 23 November at 6:00pm.

OSHC Vacation Care Program

Booklists

You know the school year is concluding when the 2022 Booklists are prepared!

As always, we try to ensure the smoothest and most cost-effective way for purchasing booklist requirements.

We allow families two options for filling your child’s 2022 booklist requirements:

1. Using Office National Gladstone as a pre-priced online (and in-store) option.
2. Take your child’s 2022 booklist to a newsagency of your choice.

The 2022 Booklists have been uploaded onto Parent Lounge.

Casual Tuckshop Position Vacant

Closes 26th

St Vinnies Christmas Hamper and Giving Tree

We have started collecting for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hamper.  Please consider adding some extra non-perishable food items to your grocery shop and sending these along for our Christmas hamper donation box.  This box will be in the front Administration office.  All goods are sorted by the St Vincent de Paul volunteers and made up into small family Christmas hampers.  These are delivered locally to those in need to brighten up their Christmas day.

The Christmas Giving Tree   Our tree is up!  Please take a gift tag for a specific age level from the tree or send an envelope along with our child and the Admin ladies will put a tag inside.  Then purchase an appropriate gift for a child of this age.  Please don’t wrap gifts.  Just sticky tape the gift tag to your gift and place under the tree.  Just for your information, I am told there is always a shortage of donated gifts for teenage children, so please consider purchasing for this age level to help fill the gap.  Gifts or a gift vouchers are accepted.

The St Vincent de Paul volunteers tell us each year, what a difference these gifts make to those who receive them.  It tells them that someone cares and that means so much to them.

Thank you in advance for your generous donations

St John's Way Awards

2022 Instrumental Music Program

2022 Instrumental Music Testing Open

Testing for the 2022 Instrumental Music Program will be taking place in the next coming weeks,
starting Friday.
Lessons are offered during school hours on a Friday, on Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone (Alto or Tenor),
Trumpet, Trombone, Euphonium and Percussion. Group lessons are available.
If your child is in Grades 2-5 this year, and you would like them to be tested for the program, please
fill out the form here: ➡️ http://bit.ly/STJ2022EOI

For any questions relating to the program, please feel free to email greenroomlearning@gmail.com 

Kind Regards,

Chelsea Elvery

Instrumental Music Coordinator

Tuckshop Special

Volunteer Tuckshop Roster

Tuckshop Menu

Community Events...

Days of Summer Festival

Our St John’s App Is Live!

We are very excited to announce that the St John’s is live and ready for parents to download to their devices.

Please follow the instructions step-by-step for downloading the St John’s App. The one-off St John’s set-up passcode is 8892.

Additionally, to download the St John’s App to your iPad, laptop or PC, please follow the following link - https://stjohnclinton.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Once you have downloaded the App you will see we now have a one-stop-shop for all information you need to stay informed at St John’s.

In the top banner you will see Home, Feed and Manage.

Home will take you to the tiles and Feed will take you to alerts/messages (as Dojo did).

The latest ‘feed’ will be displayed on the home screen above the tiles.

The ‘’tiles’’ we have used are as follows:

• Parent Lounge – takes you straight to the Parent Lounge sign-in page
• Latest Newsletter – each week the newsletter will be uploaded to this tile
• Website – takes you straight to our website
• Forms and Documents – in this tile the following documents have been uploaded – simply tap on the link:
  

Parent Handbook
School Uniform
Behaviour Management
Fees and Levies Schedule
ICT Code of Practice
Tuckshop Menu

• School Calendar – all key dates for the upcoming term (continually updated)
• Tuckshop – takes you straight to the online tuckshop log-in page
• OSHC – links to required forms
• School Contact – takes you straight to our phone contact
• Facebook - takes you straight to our Facebook page
• Seesaw – Our new ‘Dojo’’ – please note that this is still a work in progress
• Newsletter Archive – each weekly newsletter will be archived to this tile for referral where required
• Subscribe to Newsletter – please note that all existing families will be automatically uploaded to this new platform. This tile is for new families in the future

While we feel we have covered all bases, things can be overlooked so we look forward to your feedback or suggestions on information that would be a benefit to be included. As always your feedback is valued; please email Jakki Graham at Jakki_graham@rok.catholic.edu.au