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Informer - Term 3 Week 5

From Our Principal...

Dear Families

Each year all schools across the nation are required to submit their school data to the government to reflect the identification and support for students with a Disability. Disability in this instance is a very broad term and can refer to learning barriers that impact cognitive areas (eg; ADHD, Dyslexia), social and emotional areas and physical, vision or hearing impairments. This data is collected in the form of Census submission every August and as part of our school’s Best Practice as we continually endeavour to improve processes, we are seeking parent feedback. As such, the following Survey link for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) process at St John’s is copied below and there for you to access if you would like to.

2022 NCCD Annual School Process Reflection for School Staff (Page 1 of 10) (office.com)

We welcome any feedback that will help us work towards improvements.

Have a good week and hug your kids.

Jamie Emerick
Principal

Uniform Reminder – Jewellery

Please be reminded of our jewellery expectations at St John’s.

Students can wear:

A Religious medallion on a discreet gold or silver chain - e.g. Cross or crucifix
One signet ring of significant sentimental value - must not have any raised stones
One set of earrings - plain studs or small sleepers only
Basic watch (smart watches are not permitted).

St John's Got Talent

The Semis are Here!

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (9-11 August) will see our Semi Finals on the stage at 11am daily.

The talents for 2022 have been outstanding with dance, singing, comedy, science, guitars, pianos, magic, gymnastics, drama and speech all making the stage.

Unfortunately, not all participants can progress to the Semi-Finals or Grand-Finals, but each and every performer should be so very proud of their talents, confidence and courage which they shared with our school community each day for the last 2 weeks.

We wish all of the Semi-Finalists next week, the very best of luck!

E-Safety

In HPE Theory Lessons for the next few weeks we will continue to focus on internet safety using the lessons and content from The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety). E-Safety is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety and the world’s first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online.

There is a wealth of information on this platform for young people, educators and families. Please check them out at https://www.esafety.gov.au/

The following week’s focuses will do on the modules of Be Safe, Ask for Help, Be Kind and Making Good Choices.

Below is some content for families, from the e-safety (families) page:

Online safety basics for Families

Your support and guidance can give your children the confidence to make sound decisions online ― and ask for help when they need it.

Three key strategies

Be engaged, open and supportive

Get involved. Share online time with your children as part of family life. Play games together. Talk about favourite apps, games or websites.
Keep lines of communication open. Ask about their online experiences, who they are talking to and whether they are having any issues.
Reassure your child they can always come to you, no matter what. Let them know you will not cut off internet access if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online ― this is a real concern that may stop your child from communicating with you openly.
If you notice a change in behaviour or mood, talk to your child about it. If you are concerned, consider seeking professional help ― from your GP, a psychologist or school counsellor.

Set some rules

Set age-appropriate rules for devices and online access, with consequences for breaking them.
Get your child’s input — this will help them understand risks. As they get older you can review your rules together.
Consider creating a family tech agreement (sometimes called a family media plan or family online safety agreement). This is a set of rules about how devices, like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming consoles are used in your home. It is written down and agreed to by all family members and kept in a place where everyone can see it, such as on the fridge.
Your family tech agreement could cover the type of websites that can be visited, time spent online and acceptable online behaviour.
eSafety has created our own version of a Family Tech Agreement, in collaboration with ABC KIDS, especially designed for families with children under 5. You can download this and fill it in with your family. Another example, from ThinkUKnow Australia, can also be a good starting point for families with older children.
The consequences for breaking the rules should be clear. Negotiate these with your child when you create your agreement so they mean something to them — Raising Children Network has some useful tips and advice.
Consider making some ‘rules for parents’ too and stick to them! Model behaviour that you would like to see.

Use technology and get information

Get to know the devices you and your children use and set them up for privacy and online safety. Take advantage of parental controls to monitor and control screen time and access to content, based on your child’s age and experience. See our guide to taming the technology.
Choose apps and games carefully and visit the App Store or Google Play for age ratings and consumer advice. Read the Australian Classification Board’s online database for information about movies and games.
NetAware (UK) has a comprehensive guide to popular social media apps and games. You can also visit The Australian Council on Children and the Media and Common Sense Media (US) for information about apps, games and websites searchable by age.

Advice for different age groups

Click on the tabs to find out how to help your child based on their age.

Under 5sKids 5-12Young people 13-17

Under 5s

Online activity can offer children under 5 opportunities to learn through exploration, play and social interaction. It can also help develop their digital literacy and learning.

But there may be risks if they use connected devices without supervision or for extended periods of time. Your child may accidentally come across inappropriate content, be exposed to potential contact with strangers and miss out on physical activity. You can find more information in the eSafety Early Years—Online safety for under 5s.

Advice for parents and carers

Closely supervise your child’s online activity. Explore content together. Play games together.
Find age-appropriate content. See are they old enough?
Limit the time your child spends online to ensure a good balance with physical activity. See time online.
Try to stick to the rules you set — not giving in to demands for more time will help in still good online habits for your child now and in the future. See Our Family Tech Agreement.
Start the conversation about safe and respectful behaviour online. It is never too early to do this and to help your child understand that what they say or do online is important. See good habits start young.

Technology tips for parents of preschoolers

Ensure your own devices are protected by a password or pin, so your child cannot accidentally go online without you.
Set parental controls on your computer, phone and any other devices your child will use so you can restrict content to apps and sites you have chosen. Choose a handful of sites you are comfortable with, and plug them into the device your child uses. You can add to the list as they get older and need greater access. See taming the technology.
Check out Raising Children Network’shealthy screen time and quality media choices: 2-5 years.

Grandparent's Day

Grandparents and families are invited to a morning tea this Friday 12th August from 8:40am to 10:00am. Please bring a folding chair so you can enjoy the St John's Got Talent Grand Finale after assembly.

The Kindness Campaign

As part of St John's learning enrichment program, Ignite, the Year 6 project team has successfully delivered their student-led project, "The Kindness Campaign". Throughout Term 2, the team have worked together to encourage students at St John's to celebrate and elevate our kindness culture through weekly focus values, such as forgiveness and courage. Teachers have been on the lookout for students demonstrating these values throughout the school and recognised students with Caught Being Kind Coupons. Coupons were entered into the Kindness Raffle, which was drawn last week in recognition of World Friendship Day. The project team not only lived the values of Making Jesus Real through the development of their project idea, but drew on critical and creative thinking skills and fostered their personal and social capabilities to successfully deliver their project in line with their project goals and team charter. What a fabulous demonstration of students enacting their Catholic Identity while demonstrating active and engaged citizenship. Congratulations to the Ignite-6 project team and to the Kindness Raffle winners!

Junior Choir

Unfortunately our Junior Choir will not be performing at this year’s Eisteddfod, but instead will perform at an Assembly at a date to be confirmed.

Port Curtis Athletics Selection

Congratulations to the following students who were recently selected in the Port Curtis Athletics Team to compete at the Capricornia Trials in Mackay.

Colby Smith, Harley Stokes, Kym Major, Elle-Jaye Attard, Kaylee Simpson, Cody Peachey, Harry McAdam, Logan Kerr, Mason Mansfield, Parker Bowman, Isabella Robertson, Layla Byers, Shana Paterson, Tofunmi Kaka and Levi Prossliner.

Library News...

This week in our Library we celebrate all Grandparents!!! Please visit, sit, and enjoy a book or two!

Last week we acknowledged Friendship Day, which was on Sunday, 30^th July. We were also busy with Commonwealth Games dot-to-dots and colouring sheets. Our representing athletes are certainly hardworking, dedicated and tireless people, aren’t they??

This term, our students are also enjoying guessing ’What Country am I’? So far, we have had Germany, Bolivia, and Estonia. I believe I am making the challenge far, far too easy …so be prepared for some harder to find counties on the face of our amazing Earth!!!