Informer Term 2 Week 6

From Our Principal...

Dear Families

One day a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The professor walked around the classroom and handed out the question papers with the text facing downwards.

Once he handed out all the papers, he asked his students to turn over the page and begin. To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions, but just a black dot in the center of the page. The professor thoroughly read through everyone’s bewildered expressions and said - “I want you to write what you see there.”

The perplexed students began to do what they had been asked to do.

At the end of the test, the professor took all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students. All of them with no exceptions described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, etc.  After all the papers had been read, the classroom silent, the professor began to explain:

“I am not going to grade you on this test; I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot – and the same happens in our lives. This is exactly what we tend to do with our lives. We have a white paper to hold onto and enjoy, but we are so busy contemplating about the dark spots. Life is a special gift and we will always have reasons to celebrate. It is changing and renewing everyday - our friends, jobs. And yet we insist on focusing only on the dark spots – the health issues that are bothering us, the money that we need to have, the luxuries we don’t have, complications in any relationship, problems with a family member, the disappointment with a friend and so on.

You need to realise that the dark spots are very small and only few. And yet we allow these to pollute our minds. Take your eyes away from the black spots in your life. Enjoy each one of your blessings, each moment that life gives you.

The saying that ‘there are over seven billion people in the world, don’t let one of them ruin your day’ continues to resonate with me. I still have the ability to choose how I respond and it is the one thing in life I have total control over.

Have a great day and hug your kids.

Regards
Jamie Emerick

School Results Survey

As part of our ongoing commitment to continuously improving the school, we believe it is critical to seek each family's opinion on a range of issues relating to St John's.

Your feedback is very important to us as we continue to build a successful school.

As such, we have engaged the professional services of MYP Corporation (MYPCorp) to undertake a strictly private and confidential School Results Survey on our behalf.  The survey should take approximately 10 - 15 minutes and will need to be completed online between 22 May and 9 June, 2023.

There are no right or wrong answers and we ask that you respond honestly to each statement.

Please note that this survey will be confidential.  No member of staff at St John's will have access to your individual responses.  We will be provided with a summary of collected results only.

MYPCorp will undertake the following process to ensure anonymity:

1. Families will be emailed individual survey logins.
2. Results will be collated externally.
3. A summary of collated results will be provided to the school leadership team.

On the survey start date, survey instructions and a personalised login link will be emailed to all parents.

You will continue to receive friendly reminders during the survey period until you have submitted the survey.

If you do not receive your survey instructions on the survey start date, please check your spam and junk email folders before contacting the school office.

While we strongly encourage you to participate, the survey is not compulsory.  If you decide that you do not want to complete the survey, simply click "Unsubscribe" in the instruction or reminder email.

Thank you for your assistance in helping to shape the future direction of St John's.

Regards
Jakki Graham

School Photos - 15 & 16 June

MSP School photo envelopes were given to all children during Week 5.  The eldest child in the family has received an extra envelope for sibling photos.

Please follow the online ordering and payment directions on the front of the envelope.  Please also ensure that your child/children bring their envelope with them on photo day.

School photo days are Thursday 15 and Friday 16 June.

Athletics Carnival Events Update

Library News...

At first break, in our library this week we will be joining the book's author Rebecca Young, and illustrator, Heath McKenzie, reading the story live from Sydney Zoo.

St John's Disco

Our school disco in on this Friday, 26 May. There will be no food on sale. Families are welcome to bring food if they would like.  Drinks will be on sale.

Combined Schools Musical (2024) Auditions

Community musicals have a strong and proud tradition in the Gladstone region. 2024 promises to be another big production and we are looking for talent!

St John’s students from Year 4 – Year 6 (Year 11 in high schools) are invited to audition on Monday 29 May at school. This will be in the spare Year 5 room at 10:45am. You are expected to prepare a 2 minute monologue and sing a short song, or part of a song, from a musical. Dancers, are also invited but they too must sing a short song and complete a monologue.

Successful applicants will be advised of a further audition in early June. Going to this next phase is NOT an indication of being in the final cast.

The musical director will hold auditions at the Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre (GECC) on 15-16 July, 2023. Performance dates will be March 9 – 17, 2024.

Applicants and their families must be aware, this is a huge commitment with long hours of rehearsals over many months but it is a valuable experience for those involved.

Interested students are to speak with Mrs. O’Brien directly this week.

School Attendance

It is very important for children to have good attendance at school for their social, emotional and academic growth.

Research shows very clearly that:

• Absenteeism or continued late arrival or early departure can predict poor attendance throughout the a child’s entire school years.
• Missing 10% of school (approx. 20 days a year), negatively affects a student’s academic performance.
• Absenteeism in the early years of schooling influences whether children can read proficiently by the end of Year Three.
• Being continuously late, leaving early or absent sets students behind socially from their peers as they miss opportunities to build relationships and forge friendships.

At St John’s it is an expectation that children arrive on time to school each day. This is a very important habit to create early on and sets them well in their education and social development.

When children arrive to school, they are to join their class at Nazarene Place each morning (no later than 8.40am) to join in important morning school routines.

Chronic absenteeism or habitual late arrivals/early departures will be followed-up by the Principal or his/her delegate. 

Blessing of Buildings Liturgy

All welcome!

Grandparents' Day

We celebrate Grandparent’s Day annually with a morning tea provided by the school. Grandparents are invited to come to school for our Friday assembly. This year it will be the Prep Owls on stage.

The morning will run as follows:

• Assembly at 8:39am
• Class visits 8:50am-9:20am.
• Students take their grandparents to visit their classrooms as well as to other classrooms to see loved ones.  At 9.20am students will return their grandparents to Nazarene Place for morning tea.  Morning tea is only for grandparents.  Students will return to class.
• Morning tea provided (sandwiches, scones, tea and coffee) 9:25am-10:15am

St John's Way Awards

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.

Homework Club - Year 3, 4, 5

Stop, Drop & Go

A reminder that all St John’s families using Stop, Drop and Go MUST abide by the following:

•     Laner Streeet Stop, Drop & Go:
      Students in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 (and their younger siblings in Prep, Year 1 and 2) only.
  
  
•     J Hickey Avenue Stop, Drop & Go:
      Prep, Year 1 and 2 only.

Thank you for ensuring the smooth and safe drop-off and collection of our wonderful students!

Volunteer Tuckshop Roster

Tuckshop Specials

Tuckshop Menu

Student Travel Rebates Close 31 May

Uniform Shop - New Location

Parish News

OSHC June/July Vacation Program

If you require St John’s OSHC Vacation Care during the June/July school holidays, please book NOW.  Places are filling up quickly.  PLEASE NOTE: For Vacation Care, preference is NOT given to regular term time bookings.

OSHC Easter Vacation Program