Informer - Term 2 Week 1

From Our Principal ...

Dear Families

Welcome back to a new term. It was a last minute thing, but we were able to remove the last lot of bollards and bunting at 8.10am this morning from our construction area. It has been a long three years of construction, but we are very pleased to no longer be a building site. The patience our community has shown has made the task of ongoing construction significantly less stressful.

Over the break we celebrated the most significant feast in the Christian calendar. In Western Christianity, Easter falls on the Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. This means the date changes each year and could occur anywhere between mid-March and mid-April.

This year, Good Friday fell on 7 April, while Easter Sunday and Easter Monday were on 9 and 10 April, respectively. The government decision that mandates four 10 week terms means that Easter is no longer the first week of the holidays. It can be difficult to celebrate Easter in the middle of Lent, but also just as difficult to remember the Easter celebrations in Term Two. Mrs. O’Brien coordinated a Holy Week liturgy today that gave our students an overview of the Holy Week and allowed them to be part of the ongoing commemoration of the special feast day.

Cardinal Basil Hume once said that the greatest gift of Easter is Hope.  To me that could be Hope for tomorrow, Hope for our kids, Hope for something better. The church puts such significance into the Easter period that we celebrate it for eight weeks. I hope and pray that the peace and joy of the Risen Christ is with you and your families at this time.

Have a great week and hug your kids.

Jamie Emerick
Principal

ANZAC Day Services

Gladstone Dawn Service - Tuesday 25 April

St John’s students are invited to attend the Dawn Service on ANZAC Day.

We will gather in the Valley Shopping Centre Precinct outside the Reject Shop at 5:00am with the aim to begin a silent walk to the cenotaph.

The school will be laying a wreath at this service.

Full school uniform is required.

Service begins at 5:45am.

Gladstone ANZAC Day Parade and Service - Tuesday 25 April. 

St John’s students are invited to march during this parade.

We will gather as a school at the Westpac Bank in Goondoon St at 10am. We will follow Chanel College for the march.

The school leaders will be laying a wreath at the cenotaph.

Full school uniform is required.  Water bottles, sunscreen and hat are essential.

Service begins at 10:30am.

Wednesday Fitness

Each Wednesday morning at 7.45am, Mrs. Graham will be running a 30 minute fitness session for any students who are keen. These sessions will help build on the fitness gains already made in HPE and help prepare students to do their best at the Athletics Carnival (Friday, 2 June) as well as improve their own personal health benefits.

All keen and committed students are most welcome!  Please meet Mrs. Graham on the oval.

2023 Cross Country Wrap-Up

On the last day of Term One, we hosted our annual St John’s Cross Country. A huge congratulations goes out to all of our students who put in their very best in this year’s Cross Country race.

For our Prep students it was their very first Cross Country race and for our Year 6 students, it was their last race in a primary school setting. We hope the race was enjoyed by all our students as we know they have worked very hard leading up to the event.

While not everyone received a ribbon, I am sure everyone achieved their personal best and should be very proud of their efforts.

As always, I thank our brilliant parent (and grandparents!) community for always supporting our students in all aspects of school life here at St John’s and to our amazing St John’s staff for always going beyond expectation to make it a smooth and enjoyable event for all.

The top five finishers in each age group were as follows:

Prep Girls

1. Evelyn Nietfeld
2. Havana Royston
3. Claudia Schumacher
4. Giorgi Raguse
5. Skyler Hammelswang

Prep Boys

1. Kobe Sparkman
2. Duke Lang
3. Mackenzie Robb
4. Lucas Althaus
5. Mason Lang

Year 1 Girls

1. Jacinta-Rose McKeough
2. Darcy Gough
3. Grace Polkinghorne
4. Kadie Butcher
5. Anahera Hireme

Year 1 Boys

1. George Paterson
2. Carter Reynolds
3. Albie Bonnici
4. Nash Myers
5. Tallon Riley-Stanley

Year 2 Girls

1. Izabella Kerr
2. Lucinda Schumacher
3. Leilani Murray
4. Charlotte Bennett
5. Bronte Cross

Year 2 Boys

1. Charlie Warrener
2. Campbell Robb
3. Abel Peachey
4. Leo Herman
5. Ryder Mathews and Hunter Hale

Year 3 Girls (born 2015)

1. Savannah Blake
2. Thea Mullins
3. Lennon Bowman
4. Hannah Polkinghorne
5. Quinn Murphy

Year 3 Boys (born 2015)

1. Baxter Briskey
2. Blake Trevor
3. Harry Roberts
4. Jude Elkins
5. Angus Groth

2014 Girls

1. Amie Parker
2. Aria Paterson
3. Zeanna Stokes
4. Edwina Slean
5. Nia Williams

2014 Boys

1. Haine Attard and Laine Hillhouse
2. Braxton Attard
3. Rylan Watson
4. Mitchell Stoneley
5. George Young

2013 Girls

1. Penny Hale
2. Amelia Mullins
3. Harper Halliwell
4. Charlotte Nagy
5. Savannah Samuels

2013 Boys

1. Hudson Brown
2. Ethan Maitland
3. Fabian Royston
4. Hudson Kerr
5. Jaxon Boyle

2012 Girls

1. Kaylee Simpson
2. Laylah Elkins
3. Elle-Jaye Attard
4. Matilda Young
5. Bridie Kirk

Boys 2012

1. Colby Smith
2. Liam Warrener
3. Nash Young
4. Lachlan Bosnjak
5. William Rich

Girls 2011

1. Taylah Stokes
2. Morgan Wilkinson
3. Leila Reinhard
4. Sophie Platten
5. Alexia Hodgson

Boys 2011

1. Lachlan Stoneley
2. Harry McAdam
3. Cody Peachey
4. Riley Hermann
5. Kane Blomfield

Library News ...

This week in our St John’s School library we are focusing on colouring activities for ANZAC Day, which we celebrate on Tuesday 25^th April.

We also have some wonderful books for you to read too!

Enjoy your first week back!

GPC Paint The Port Competition Winner

Congratulations to our very own Thiago Dominiques Servidoni for winning the Upper Primary School Category in the Gladstone Ports Corporation "Paint the Port Competition".  Thiago's winning artwork is titled "The Boy at Tannum".

Homework Club - Year 3, 4, 5

Uniform Shop Hours

Tuesday and Thursday mornings 7.45am to 9.15am in Block 1, near the Administration Building.

Year 7 for 2024 - Chanel College Tours & Information Evening - Thurs 27 April

College Tours: 4.00pm – 5.00pm
Information Session: 5.00pm – 5.30pm
College Tours: 5.30pm – 6.00pm

Have you ever wondered what it's like at Chanel College?

Attend their Information Evening and discover what they have to offer.

Take a tour, view their facilities, talk with current students and staff, meet their leadership team, and hear from their wonderful Principal, Dr Susan Bunkum.

We understand that choosing the right school for your child is an extremely important decision. At Chanel College they can make that transition a smooth process for your family.

Don't miss this great opportunity. All Welcome!

Volunteer Tuckshop Roster

Tuckshop Special

Tuckshop Menu

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.

Do It For Dolly Day '23

Useful parent resources regarding Bullying, Choosing Kindness, Gaming, Online Stranger Danger, Social Media and much more, can be accessed via the Dolly's Dream website:

https://dollysdream.org.au/parent-hub/

In And Around OSHC ...