Newsletter - Wednesday 15 March

Principals Report

Dear Parents/Carers, 

It is lovely to see our Foundation students commence full time schooling this week, they have settled into school life very well and should be proud of themselves. 

Students in grades 3 and 5 have commenced NAPLAN testing today. Testing will continue to the end of this week, we thank you for ensuring students in these grades are at school each day in order to participate. 

Last year we introduced ‘Nude Food Tuesdays’ encouraging children to bring a rubbish free lunch to school. For the uninitiated, ‘nude food’ is food that comes to school without disposable packaging – extra plastic bags, paper bags, wrappings, plastic water bottles or cling wraps. Australia is the second highest producer of waste per person in the western world! Unfortunately, school lunches are contributing to this, with the average child generating around 30 kg of litter a year. Every family can do their bit to reduce this by packing a school lunch without including any extra packaging or wrapping.

This year, we will continue this initiative, where all students are encouraged to bring Nude Food lunches. Although Tuesdays are our ‘official’ Nude Food days, we encourage students to get in the habit of bringing in Nude Food every day to ensure we do what we can to protect our environment.

Parent Teacher Interviews: (Tue 21st & Wed 22nd March) give you a great opportunity to:

• learn more about your child’s academic, emotional and social development
  
• help your child’s teacher/s understand more about your child
• make plans with the teacher about how you can both support your child
• build a relationship with your child’s teacher/s
• show your child that you’re interested in their learning needs and what’s happening for them at school

Interviews are 15 minutes in length, please ensure you are on time as we are not able to run overtime on bookings. If you do require more time, a follow up meeting can be organised with your cild's teacher. Bookings are via your PAM account and will close on Friday 17 March. 

Cultural Diversity and Harmony Day: Cultural Diversity Week is a time to celebrate the influence and stories of our rich multicultural community. Our state is home to people who speak 290 languages and have 314 different ancestries. The theme this year is ‘Our past. Our Future:’ a call to reflect on multicultural Victoria’s long history and celebrate its bright future.

Over the next couple of weeks, classes will be reflecting on the many cultures and communities that have shaped our state in the past and look to the future as a multicultural state and community.

We will also celebrate both Harmony Day and Cultural Diversity Week in conjunction with our Easter Free Dress Day on Friday 24 March by inviting students to either wear an item of orange clothing for Harmony Week or to wear traditional or cultural clothing for Cultural Diversity Week. 

PAM (Parent Access Module), Student Medical Profiles: A reminder that there are a large number of student medical profiles in PAM which have not been completed or require further information. PAM is where we now look for student medical information, contact details, excursion permissions etc - it is important that all medical profiles are complete and accurate. We ask that all parents access their PAM account and action any Notification Alert Request Reminders at your earliest convenience.

If you have any queries in relation to PAM or setting up your child's medical profile please contact Di at the office or email office@stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au The office will also be available to assist parents with this on Parent Teacher Interview nights.

Don’t forget to sign up to our new Schoolzine App to ensure easy access to the newsletter, sign up details and link below.

Regards

Chris Dortmans, Principal

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

Easter Raffle, Free Dress Day, Harmony Week & Cultural Diversity Week

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. 

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. 

Community News

Koo Wee Rup Catholic Parishes in Partnership