Learning & Teaching

Community Project 7 - Mother Nature Produces Zero Waste

Our third Community Project for 2024 is called, “Mother Nature Produces Zero Waste” and we are focusing on the concept of sustainability. This project has a Design Technology and Ethical focus from the Victorian Curriculum. Children will continue to lean into the Design Process introduced during the last project, as well as use the Problem Solving Process of Inquiry to find and solve problems (sustainably!)

Our last project, “Nourishing Our Land” has provided the perfect segway into this project for some Hubs. These Hubs will seamlessly continue their investigations from work they engaged with during Term 2. Other Hubs will be immersed in some kind of new encounter to uncover what knowledge, understanding or interests children have about this concept. Last week, children from the One Hub visited the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Five/Six Hub visited Werribee Zoo to initiate this project. Educators will use children’s conversations, insights and perspectives to design an engaging project pathway unique to each group of children. 

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

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 St John’s will be visited by the Watoto Children’s Choir on Tuesday 27th August. We invite our families to join us to watch the performance. The choir is composed of children from Uganda who sing, dance, and share stories of hope and transformation from difficult circumstances. More information will be shared over the coming weeks.

Upcoming Sacraments:

Term 3 - First Communion

• Family Faith Formation Night Tuesday 6th August at 6pm @ Our Lady’s Church Maidstone 
• 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

Community project

Dear St John’s Community,          

For community project, the 3/4 hub are nourishing the land and are fixing up the old courtyard in the 3/4 hub. 

To help us with this project we would appreciate the following support.

Do you or someone you know: 

• Have experience painting mural art?
• Could you help plan our design? It is nature themed
• Can come into our hub and help spark our ideas?
• Have construction and landscaping experience? 
• Are there any parents willing to help us lend a hand when we are working on the mural and planning?

We are also looking for donations or supplies for the following items. We would really appreciate any help of donations:

• Paint brushes 
• Acrylic paints  
• Old Rags and Fabric
• Plants
• Old shirts
• Terracotta pots
• Old cutlery   

Please contact us via threefourhub@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au if you are able to help out or donate.

To the right is a  picture of the space for our mural, hopefully the next time you see it will be a beautiful finished mural and landscaped common space.

From the 3/4 hub children  

State Cross Country

Congratulations to Pearl (Year 6) on reaching the Victorian State Cross Country Competition held last Thursday in very trying conditions. With so much recent rain, the course was not only hilly but also very, very muddy making it a hard slog up the hills and slippery on the way down. To her credit Pearl ran a very good race and persisted in the conditions to finish 52nd out of nearly 100 girls from across Victoria. A fantastic achievement Pearl.  I believe Pearl is the 1st child from St Johns in many years to reach the State event. Well done!

Congratulations Pearl from all of us at St John’s.

Whole School Athletics day

St Johns is running a School Athletics Day on Monday 12th August at the Essendon Athletics Track in Aberfeldie.  If there is inclement weather on this day we have Back Up Day planned for Thursday 15th August.

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.