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Informer - Term 3 Week 3

From Our Principal

Dear Families

It is great to be back at St John’s. The following reflection is not mine, but I really like it.

This life will go by fast…….

Don’t fight with people, don’t criticise your body so much, don’t complain so much.

Don’t lose sleep over your bills. Look for the person that makes you happy. If you make a mistake, let it go and keep seeking your happiness.

Never stop being a good parent. Don’t worry so much about buying luxuries and comforts for your home and don’t kill yourself trying to leave an inheritance for your family. Those benefits should be earned by each person, so don’t dedicate yourself to accumulating money.

Enjoy travel, enjoy your journeys, see new places, give yourself the pleasures you deserve. Allow dogs to get closer. Don’t put away the fine glassware. Utilize the new dinnerware; don’t save your favourite perfume, use it to go out with yourself; wear out your favourite sport shoes; repeat your favourite clothes.

So what? That’s not bad. Why not now? Why not pray now instead of waiting until before you sleep? Why not call now? Why not forgive now? We wait so long for Christmas; for Friday; for Reunions; for another year; for when I have money; for love to come; when everything is perfect… look…

Everything perfect doesn’t exist. Human beings can’t accomplish this because it simply was not intended to be completed here. Here is an opportunity to learn.

So take this challenge that is life and do it now… Love more, forgive more, embrace more, love more intensely and leave the rest in God’s hands.

Amen.

Have a great week and hug your kids.

Regards
Jamie Emerick

Queensland Child Oral Health Study (QCOHS) 2021-24

The University of Queensland and Queensland Health are pleased to partner with St John's to conduct the Queensland Child Oral Health Study (QCOHS) 2021-24. The study will provide important information about Queensland children’s oral health and dental care that will underpin future strategies to improve child dental health.

Children will be randomly selected from all the students at our school to participate in QCOHS. Participation will include completing a parental questionnaire and a dental check-up, which will be conducted at school.

If you receive an invitation via email, we encourage you to participate in this important research project. Participants will receive a toothbrush pack and parents will be notified by email of the outcomes of the dental check-up.

Free Prep Vision Screening

Good vision is important for a child’s educational, physical and social development. Vision screening checks for common eye conditions that may impact your child’s ability to see and therefore impact their learning and development.

A Registered Nurse will be visiting St John's on 29 and 30 August 2023 to conduct vision screening for children in their Prep year. Your child does not need a Medicare card in order to participate in screening. If you wish to have your Prep child participate in this free vision screening program, please complete a consent form by 24 August. Online or paper consent forms are available and will be distributed to you. Parents do not need to be present for screening., however if you would like to be, please contact the school to arrange this.

If your child’s vision is screened, you will be advised of the results in writing. If a vision concern is found, you will receive a phone call from the nurse to discuss referral to an eye health professional for further assessment. If a vision concern is identified and your child requires glasses, eligible health care card holders may be assisted with free basic glasses through the Spectacle Supply Scheme.

Participation in vision screening is not compulsory.

If you have any questions, please contact the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program on 1800 687 372.

Catholic Education Week

Lunch On The Lawn

Families are invited to eat lunch together at St John’s this Thursday 27 July. It is a great opportunity for us to come together as a community.

Please bring your own lunch or picnic to the school to share as a family. We will begin as the first bell goes at 10:45am and finish at 11:25am when students return to their classroom. You are welcome to come slightly earlier to set up your chairs or blankets. We are looking forward to seeing you.

To capture our annual Lunch on the Lawn, please use this QR code to upload photos of your family. The school can use these photos on their FaceBook page and really showcase our time together.

Music Tutor Update

Please be advised that we are doing all that we can to secure a Music Tutor for the Friday Private Lessons and our School Band.

We are actively advertising on a variety of platforms and have approached a number of private music teachers currently working in Gladstone. Unfortunately, we haven’t had any luck securing anyone for the position, but will continue actively searching.

Library News

Book of the Year: Young Readers

Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers from the middle to upper primary years. 7-12 years.

Note: Some of the titles in this category may only be suitable for readers who are in the upper primary years as they contain mature themes, including violence. Parental guidance is recommended.

World Science Festival

More information can be found at:

https://www.worldsciencefestival.com.au/event-program/gladstone/2023-wsfq-gladstone

https://www.worldsciencefestival.com.au/event-program/gladstone/battle-of-the-brains

St John's Way Awards

Homework Club - Year 3, 4, 5

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

GISMA Music Workshop

A large number of St John’s instrumental music students took part in the recent annual GISMA (Gladstone Independent Schools Music Association) instrumental workshop.

With a range of instruments and musical abilities ranging from beginners to students who have been playing for a number of years, the concert with all three bands playing was a real highlight of the week. It was amazing to see the students work hard, learn new notes and songs, improve their skills and techniques, push themselves, and feel great pride and satisfaction with their musical growth.

Overall, we celebrated a highly successful and collaborative week which was enjoyed by all of the instrumental music students and tutors.

Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs

Here at St. John’s, we pride ourselves on being sustainable and recycling what we can to help God’s creation. Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs is an Australian company that is collecting and sorting bread tags nation-wide. They are creating new products with recycled bread tags that include wheelchairs and reusable food bowls. As of May 2023, they have recycled over 10,000kg of Aussie bread tags (that’s over 10 tonnes of plastic waste)!

How can you help? Please collect any plastic bread clips from home and bring them into your classroom to put into your class’ collection container. There is also a collection container at the front office. Once a fortnight, Year 4 will collect the containers and empty them into our main bin. Once this is full, we will take it to the collection depot in town, where they will be sent away for recycling.

Thank you for helping us to be kinder to our world and for looking after God’s creation.