Learning & Teaching

5/6 Hub - YMCA Angelsea Camp Reflection

Last week, the 5/6 Hub spent three exciting days at school camp in Anglesea.  There were six activities such as Canoeing, Initiatives, Mountain Biking, Giant Swing, Games Galore and Hut Building and we also participated in a team Treasure Hunt called the Inverlochy Challenge. We had an incredible time and it was definitely an experience we will remember. 

We learned about writing descriptive snapshots of one of our camp experiences when we returned to school, with some of them shared here:

The terror of the giant swing 

I shuffle up to the 18 metre giant swing and my legs are shaking. It is a tower as tall as the buildings in the city. I gulp my spit as I climb onto the ladder. He whispers “the clips can hold 4000 kilos” and he attaches me to the giant swing. He is taking me up, pulling the rope. I can feel myself moving higher and higher. In 3 seconds I will be swinging. It is hard to breathe. My stomach is clenching. Shhhh I fly so high I stop breathing. I can hear the wind in my ears. 

By Jackson

I was firmly strapped in. This was the moment I had been dreading. Up, up, up I went, determined to make it to the top. The wind whooshed around me as I looked out at the beautiful view with the trees fading into different shades of green, creating the ombre look of a watercolour painting. The sky was just as majestic, with cotton candy like clouds and the low song of birds chirping in the distance. It was surreal. Too bad I was too nervous to properly take it all in. I was brought sharply back to reality by the piercing yell of the tiny ants below. “Brace!” They yelled, “3, 2, 1!”

My heart clapped like thunder. Everything seemed to have frozen in time. Hesitantly, I pulled the cherry like a trigger. My stomach dropped like I had just swallowed a weight, as I went soaring, slicing through the air with ease, like a razor-sharp blade cutting through butter. I suppressed my screams as I swung, again and again, getting more carefree each time. As the swing relaxed and brought me back down to the ground, luckily in one piece, my body was still shaking. 

Audrey

Book Week 

From19th-23rd August, St John’s will be celebrating Book Week. This year's theme is “Reading is Magic”. We have some exciting activities planned like the Book Week dress up, two author visits - Anna Zobel and Valanga Khoza, daily Book Week reading, a book exchange and a writing session organised by the 10 children who attended the Melbourne Writers Festival. 

Please find the flyer attached for more information and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. 

Jenna

jgladman@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au

Faith

Eucharist

On Tuesday 6th August, our First Communion candidates and their families attended our Family Faith Night at the Holy Family Parish in preparation for the sacrament on Saturday 17th August. We keep them in our prayers as they prepare for this special event.

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre food drive

Springboarding from our Term 2 focus on ‘preferential option for the poor’ as well being inspired by the advocacy of Saint Mary MacKillop, St John’s Primary School and our social justice leaders are proud to be running a food drive for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Footscray. Please see the list below to know what food can be donated in your child’s class. We will be collecting donations until the end of Term 3.

Watoto Children’s Choir

We are very excited to announce that the Watoto Children’s Choir will perform for the St John’s Community on Tuesday 27th August.

We invite our families to join us to watch the performance at 2pm in Joan’s Yard. Please note that this event will be weather permitting.

Upcoming Sacraments:

Term 3 - First Communion

• Presentation of candidates of First Communion - Saturday 10th Aug 5pm @ Our Lady’s Church Maidstone
• Sacrament of Eucharist - Saturday 17th Aug 5pm @ Our Lady’s Church Maidstone

Baptism school aged children Prep - Grade 3

The Holy Family Parish have asked for expressions of interest in children wishing to be baptised to gauge whether to run their Baptism program later in the year. 

Please send your expressions of interest by Friday 30th August via PAM.

If you have any questions about the sacraments, please feel free to contact Jordan at jfry@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au 

Whole School Athletics day

St Johns is running a School Athletics Day on Monday 12th August at the Essendon Athletics Track in Aberfeldie.

This event will enable all our children from Foundation to Year 6 to participate in Athletics events that they have been practicing in PE classes and work as part of the team to score points for their House. 

It will also be used as a selection process for our Year 4 - Year 6 children for our St John's School athletics team to compete at the District event on Thursday 22nd August. 

Please note children are to wear their full sports uniform and bring a snack, lunch and a drink bottle for the days events.

Parents are asked to complete the Consent Form via PAM.

We believe this will be an exciting day for our children and we look forward to your support on the day.

Parent Volunteers for Athletics Day :

Thanks for offering to help out at the St Johns’ Athletics day on Monday 12th August.

When you arrive at the athletics track can you please meet Karen in the pavilion and show her your WWCC and recieve your lanyard that you need to wear during the day.

Thanks in advance

Michelle