Newsletter - Wednesday 1 March

Principals Report

Dear Parents/Carers, 

The beginning of each school year is such an important time where teachers are working hard to form positive relationships with their students. A learning environment built on trust, where students feel safe to share their ideas and comfortable to make mistakes is vital for each child to have a successful year.

During these first weeks, our teachers have been building positive relationships by getting to know your child; finding out their strengths as learners, their interests, challenges and discussing goals they have for the year ahead. It has been a delight to watch the Foundation students begin their primary school journey.

Research suggests that students achieve more in school when their parents are actively involved in their education. Parental involvement not only enhances academic performance, but also has a positive influence on a child’s attitude and behaviour. A parent’s interest and encouragement in their child’s education can influence his/her attitude towards school, classroom behaviour, self-esteem and motivation in a positive manner.

Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd March, parents are encouraged to make an appointment to discuss their child’s start to the academic year and their goals for 2023. All bookings will be via your PAM account and will open at 8am Thursday 2 March.

Student Leadership roles for a variety of positions have recently been elected. Congratulations to our leaders for 2023:

School Captains: Charlea Wright and Jai Milner

Social Justice Leaders: Lacey Hester, Indiana McKinlay, Samuel Emanuelli and Maliyah Costa

W.A.L.K Ambassadors: Evie Smith, Charlotte Hughes and Xanthe Parker

House Captains:

• Cremin House: Lucy Banks and Bradley Thurling                   
• Mackillop House: Indiana Maloney and Alex Elliott                    
• Wood House: Lexie Cooper and Oliver Emanuelli
• Scott House: Indie Meyer and Oscar Wilson

Student Representative Council (SRC):

• 3/4D: Mason Husqin and Mackenna Barker
• 3/4M: Max Bell and Charlie Roseby
• 4/5M: Lucas Richardson and Evie Price
• 5/6M: Max Lewry and Summer Kenneth
• 5/6S: Tyler Gauci and Tianna Thornhill

Inform & Empower: Over the past few weeks, our Gr1 to Gr6 students have taken part in a live streamed webinar focusing on Digital Safety and Wellbeing . Parent Tip Sheets have been sent home via SeeSaw. The Foundation students classroom based activities and sessions focused on Caring for Devices & Sharing Devices. Further sessions and live streams will take place each term this year.

It was also wonderful to see a number of parents join the Parent live stream information session last week. In case you missed the live webinar, or in case you would like to watch it again, here is the link to the replay video: Please remember this is for Adults

https://event.webinarjam.com/t/click/053gxbyvb78iovfg5oc8q6t02fr

Uniform: A reminder that all students are required to wear the correct uniform at all times. We take pride in our school and wearing the uniform correctly is a way of displaying this to others. If your child needs to be out of uniform for any reason, a written note to their teacher is required.

• Hats - MUST be worn when playing or doing activities outdoors. 
• Hair Accessories - All hair accessories need to be of the school colours (yellow, navy or white). 
• Nail Polish -There is no reason for children to be wearing nail polish to school.
• Earrings - For safety reasons, only sleeper and small stud earrings are allowed. 
• Make up of any description is NOT to be worn. 
• Sport Uniform - Is only to be worn on sport days or for excursions as advised in the excursion information. Any runners can be worn in conjunction with sports uniform.
• Shoes - Black leather shoes or fully black leather runners (no platform soles & no mesh runners). 

Labelling of uniform - Please ensure uniform items have your childs name written clearly on the label (especially for hats & jumpers) - this allows them to be returned to your child when they are misplaced. 

Schoolzine App: We are now using the Schoolzine App for our newsletter and other general information. Please download the app - for instructions please follow the link below. 

Congratulations to Georgia (Miss W in Foundation/1) who recently got married. Georgia will now go by Mrs Tanner, her grade will remain as F/1W. We wish Georgia and Andy a lifetime of love and happiness.

Regards

Chris Dortmans, Principal

PAM (Parent Access Module)

All familes should now have signed up to their new PAM account and created a Medical Profile for their children.

Why should you sign up to PAM:

• Parent Teacher Interviews are in March - all bookings are via your PAM account
• From Term 2 ALL excursion permissions will be via PAM - Parents must have an active PAM account in order to provide permission for excursions, bus information and various other things we usually collect via Operoo
  
• All medical and contact information must be completed via PAM 
  
• Student reports & NAPLAN results are provided via PAM
• ALL Absence reporting and application for Holidays are via PAM - Skoolbag should no longer be used for this
• The school calendar of events can be viewed via PAM
• Message your childs teacher directly via PAM (no need to remember their email address)

How to sign up to PAM:

If you have missed the sign up email please follow the instructiions below:

• Follow this link: https://pam.stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au/
• Save the sign in screen to the Homepage on your phone
• Select Forgot Password and follow the prompts  (Note: your username is the email address the login email was sent to)
• Once you've signed in you will have a notification (little bell at the top right of the screen) asking you to complete your child's/children's medical profile

You will receive an account per parent unless our records indicate that your family have a shared email account - we ask that families action these requests at your earliest convenience. 

If you need assistance setting up or using PAM please email office@stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au or call Di or Nancy on 03 5997 1653.  

Once PAM accounts are active we ask that all absences be submitted via PAM as this information feeds directly to the roll. 

Religious Education News

This term our whole school theme for RE has been the overarching statement: ‘We are the choices we make’. As we continue the season of Lent, students in each class are learning about the choices that Jesus made in the lead up to his death and resurrection. We are also looking at our own choices and how our decisions can impact the lives of ourselves and others.

In the next few weeks students will explore the events of Holy Week. Our Grade 5/6 students are busy rehearsing the ‘Easter Play’, where they will reenact the Passion of Jesus Christ, the final period of Jesus’ life before he was crucified. The Easter Play is performed every second year by our Senior students and is a very special St John’s tradition. Thank you to Mrs McFarlane for organising, casting and directing. 

All are welcome to attend our Easter Play on Thursday 6th April (last day of Term 1).

Upcoming dates:

Sunday 19th March @ 9:30am: Reconciliation Learning Mass (for Reconciliation candidates and families)

Thursday 23rd March @ 9:15am: Whole school Mass - The Annunciation of the Lord

Alycia Matthews, Religious Education Leader

Pray Together

Parent Teacher Interviews - Tue 21 & Wed 22 March

Foundation Open Morning - 2024 Enrolments

Families wanting to enrol for 2024 are invited to attend our Foundation Open Morning.

Enrolment packs are now available from the office or can be accessed electronically via our website: https://www.stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au/enrolment-information/enrolments/

If you would like an enrolment pack sent home please call the office or email office@stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au to request this, interviews will be booked when completed enrolment forms are received. 

Schoolzine App - Download Instructions

A reminder that we are now using the Schoolzine App, please follow the link below for download instructions: 

Once you've downloaded the App please search for: St John the Baptist Primary School Koo Wee Rup, to subscribe to our school. 

Please delete your Skoolbag App as this is no longer being used. 

Canteen - Mondays & Thursdays

Our canteen operates on Mondays & Thursdays - lunch orders via CDFpay only (see link below). 

Ordering closes at 8:45am on lunch order days - late orders cannot be accepted. 

Icypoles are available over the counter at lunchtime only - 50c each.

Gluten Free options are available - please see Gluten free section in CDFpay. 

Uniform Shop

Uniform shop days are Monday & Thursday, orders must be placed by 2pm on these days via CDFpay (uniform shop is online only please follow the link below to access CDFpay). 

For exchanges or general enquiries in regard to sizing, second hand uniform etc please email Belinda:

uniform@stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au 

Exchanges: After emailing the details of your exchange requirements please drop the item at the office with your name attached, exchanges will be processed on the next uniform shop day.

Please note: All items being exchanged MUST be unwashed with tags still attached. 

As we are a ‘Sun Smart School’ we also require the children to wear a school hat from September to April with the ‘No Hat-No Play’ policy strictly enforced during 1st and 4th terms. 

School uniform guidelines are in the process of being updated and will be available shortly.

OSHC (Out of School Hours Care) & School Holiday Program

After School Hours Care operates out of the St Johns hall before and after school.

Please contact OSHC directly for all enquiries:

• 1300 946 337
• EnrolmentsOSHC@windermere.org.au

Alternatively you can visit them in the hall before or after school to enquire. 

Koo Wee Rup Catholic Parishes in Partnership