St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School Clinton eNewsletter

From our Principal ....

Dear Families

One of the great tragedies of the COVID era has been the impact on schools and our ability to host events. These vary from a simple cuppa after an assembly to a Moonlight Fair. The glue that holds school communities together is the ability to gather and share a common interest, our kids. I read this article on LinkedIn over the weekend; it really sums up the why of the importance of gathering as a community.

Community gatherings have existed for as long as organized societies. As if it is in our DNA to convene with those in our proximity, humans have found a place and a reason to regularly gather for centuries. The importance of these gatherings cannot be exaggerated: Community meetings have long bolstered relationships, empathy, sharing, learning, and brotherhood. The value of such social capital – comparable to how business networking can enhance profit – is essential to the continued function of the community.

Today, there are a few things that make a successful community event: A purpose to gather, a place to hold everyone, and a sense of comfort for all that partake. A purpose can be as simple as to tell a story, or as complex as solving a societal problem. Whatever the purpose, it must not only bring people to gather, but also keep them there. The place should be safe and comfortable for the community members to relax and remain for a while. The nicer the table you set, the more that will come to dinner. The place also must be accessible to everyone, and this could be the most important to note: A community gathering should never be exclusive, or have a prohibitive cost or entry to anyone, as it should be inviting and welcoming to all.

So if we are disposed to gather around a fire, the comfort and safety of the space allowing for storytelling to wash over and consume the group, then not much has changed. Imagine now that the fire is a stage, the storytellers are world-renowned professionals and experts of their field, the space you fill can be a large auditorium with stellar acoustics, and the people that surround you may number in the thousands. Community gatherings come in all forms today, and they continue to serve the essential service of sustaining communication among society’s members.

Simply stated: There can never be too many of them.

After many setbacks and postponements, we are able to have a Welcome Back BBQ this Friday night. It is a simple low key events that has one focus, it allows us to gather within the bound of a common interest and to make connections with other families at our school.

Looking forward to catching up with families on Friday night, don’t forget the RSVP that came out last week, it just helps us with catering.

Have a great week and hug your kids.

Jamie Emerick
Principal

Welcome BBQ - Friday 10 February

The P&F Welcome BBQ Food Order Form is on Parent Lounge and is due no later than tomorrow -Tuesday 7 February.

Student Free Day - Friday 17 February

Friday, 17 February is our staff Bishop's In-Service Day.
No students attend school on this day.

Gut Health is Important for Kids

The importance of gut health is nothing new and is especially important for our children to ensure their optimal growth, development and health.

If good gut health starts from an early age, then gut health related issues moving into adulthood could well be minimised.

There are four main reasons why gut health is so important with the first being “Absorption”.

The gut is where our nutrients are absorbed; both good and bad. If the gut is healthy and balanced, children will absorb more nutrients from the food they eat. The last 5 words are very important – “from the food they eat”. If we are providing our children with nutritious food (healthy fats, fruit, vegetables, proteins and whole foods etc), they will absorb this food for their optimal health. On the flip side, if our children are filled with low nutrient foods (high in sugar, trans fats, preservative and additives), then that too is what they will absorb via their gut often leading to negative health and behavioural outcomes.

What our kids are eating and therefore absorbing is key to their optimal development.

Stay tuned next week for other key reasons for ensuring our kid’s gut health is optimal and how we as adults can ensure their best health.

Below is a easy and nutritious recipe you might want to try:

2 Ingredient Pancakes

Ingredients
3 bananas (ripe)
3 eggs (lightly beaten)

Get Going

Mash bananas well into a bowl.
Whisk in eggs to the mashed bananas until well combined.
In medium-heat, non-stick frypan, pour in the batter to the size of pancake you would like.
Cook until bubbles form and flip. Cook a further 1-2 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Shrove Tuesday - Tuesday 21 February

In preparation for Lent, on Shrove Tuesday, 21 February, St John’s will provide pancakes to students. We need your help to make this happen! You can help by:

VOLUNTEERING to cook pancakes from 7:15am Tuesday, 21 February. Please email our Tuckshop Coordinator if you can assist Jessica_pailthorpe@rok.catholic.edu.au

LOAN your electric frypan to the school tuckshop for the morning. Please label with your name so it can be easily returned to you.

Shrove Tuesday offers our St John's community a wonderful opportunity to engage in the daily school life of our students.

Prep Enrolments 2024

If you have a child who is eligible for Prep in 2024 could you please go to our website and complete an online enrolment application as soon as possible. We have an increasing amount of interest for 2024 and places are limited.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Code of Practice

Each year, age-appropriate ICT Codes of Practice are distributed to all students. Teachers will provide students with relevant and appropriate information and training about the ICT Codes of Practice during class this week.

In an effort to be sustainable and conserve resources, the ICT Code of Practice will be placed on Parent Lounge today, so families can discuss the ICT Code of Practice with their children and then indicate their acceptance electronically by ticking the acceptance box on Parent Lounge by Friday 17 February.

Additionally:

The Student Letter of Agreement (last page of the Year 3-6 document) will be printed at school and signed by each student in Year 3-6 prior to Friday 17 February.

The signed Agreement is kept for the duration of the school year.

Due to Diocesan requirements, failure to accept the ICT Code of Practice Agreement on Parent Lounge by Friday 17 February 2023, will result in loss of access of ICT for your child at St John’s.

Chess Club Returns

Chess Club is starting back again this week as follows:

What: Chess Club
When: Wednesday 3:00pm – 3:50pm
Where: Year 6 Spare Classroom (closest to the construction area)
Who: Year 3-6
All are welcome.

There will be three interschool competitions during the year. More details will be provided closer to the event dates.

I will take students down to the garden area in front of Year 5/6 block at the end of Chess Club, or walk students to OHSC if they are booked in. Please be on time to collect your child at 3:50pm.

Any questions, please contact me: Julie_guinea@rok.catholic.edu.au

Mrs Guinea

Library News

Our library is dedicated to fostering a love or reading and learning. We strive to provide books and resources that support students to become effective and discriminating life-long users of information. As our focus is on reading bot for pleasure and information, we encourage all students to borrow from our St John’s Library every week.

Our library is open from 8:00am each weekday and closes at 3:30pm, so there is time both before and after school to come on in, browse and borrow……don’t forget your library bag!!
Mrs Skelhorn

HPE News

Week 2 saw the following highest Beep Test Results:

Girls: Penny Hale Year 5 9.10
Boys: Colby Smith Year 6 11.3

The majority of students improved their results from Week 1 to Week 2 which is amazing!
Even our Preppies did the Beep Test this week!

Parents, we challenge you to practice the 7 exercises with your children at home and improve your fitness too!
Our students complete the following weekly:

Beep Test (20m shuttle run)
1-minute sit-ups
1-minute burpees
1-minute dips
1-minute side jumps
1-minute skipping
Sit and reach

Morning Supervision (8:10am)

Please be reminded that Before School Supervision begins at 8.10am. Students are NOT to arrive to school prior to 8.10am. This is to ensure the safety of your child.

If your child needs to be at school any earlier than 8.10am, then they need to be booked into our Outside School Hours Care facility.

St John's Way Award

Port Curtis Sport

Port Curtis Trials

New Port Curtis Sport Trial Information.

Please note that there is a new procedure for all Port Curtis Sporting Trials.

1. After indicating to Mrs Graham or Mr Langdon, that a student wishes to attend a PC Sport Trial, they will receive a letter with information regarding the details of the trail (if they are eligible to trial).

2. On this information page there will be a link to a Student Permission Booklet

https://capsport.eq.edu.au/supportandresources/formsanddocuments/documents/representative%20school%20sport%20permission%20details%20booklet.pdf

https://capsport.eq.edu.au/supportandresources/formsanddocuments/documents/representative%20school%20sport%20change%20of%20details%20form.pdf

3. Students must fill out this Student Permission Booklet in full.

4. This booklet needs to be printed out and a copy given to Mrs Graham or Mr Landgon for Principal signing and to upload the permission information. This booklet will be returned to the student and needs to be taken by the student to the trial on the day.

5. A 2^nd copy of the Student Permission Booklet must be taken on the day of the trial by the trialing student.

6. Without this booklet at the trial or the school submitting the information from the Student’s Permission Booklet into a Port Curtis excel document (prior to the trial), students will not be able to participate and will be ineligible for selection.

These changes are under the directive of Port Curtis Sport and Capricornia Sport.

Please see Mrs Graham for any further details.

Dates are an indication and could change at the discretion of PC Sport.
A message will be made on School Parade regarding an upcoming PC Trial date. It is the responsibility of individual students to manage their time to pick up any nomination forms required from Mrs Graham at the office.
Port Curtis Trials, generally allow only 3-5 students (depending on sport) to be nominated to attend PC Trial. If more students show interest than the allocated number allows, a school-based trial will be held to determine which students are best placed to attend.
If students do not follow the correct trialing procedures (as above) paperwork to PC trial. they cannot trial.
PC trials are an individual trial (exceptions are Athletics & Cross Country) and parents responsible for transportation and supervision of their own child at the trial.
Please ‘like’ Port Curtis Sport on Facebook for all current updates and new trial information and links.

Reachout Group

The St John's Reachout Group is made up of volunteers in our St John's community who quietly and anonymously assist St John's families in times of need. Assistance is provided in various ways behind the scenes, such as providing a homecooked meal for another family enduring ill health. Reachout Group members are notified when and what type of assistance is required and can choose to provide assistance according to their own availability, with no expectations. If you would like to be part of this truly valuable group, please contact the school office.