General Information

100 DAYS OF PREP

On Monday 29th July , we celebrated the Prep students completing 100 days of school. Students came dressed up as if they were 100 years old! Thanks to our parents for the time and effort you put into the costumes.  Below are some ‘Celebrity Snaps’ from the day!

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORLD'S INDIGENOUS

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed on 9th August each year. This event recognises the achievements and contributions that indigenous people have made throughout the world.  This day provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions made by indigenous Australians.  You may know some of the people listed below but others may be less familiar to you.  In this newsletter we feature five Indigenous Australians who have made remarkable contributions over the past century.   

Neville Bonner was the first Aboriginal person to sit in the Commonwealth parliament, and was a respected commentator on Indigenous issues. He was a senator for Queensland from 1971 to 1983.  

Tennis champion Evonne Goolagong was the first Indigenous Australian woman to achieve international sporting fame. A member of the Wiradjuri people, she grew up in the small town of Barellan, New South Wales.  Evonne was named Australian of the Year in 1971.  

Albert Namatjira is one of Australia’s great artists, and perhaps the best known Aboriginal painter. He is known for his landscapes, particularly of outback Australia.  Albert’s first exhibition, held in Melbourne in 1938, was a sell out.  

David Unaipon, was an Aboriginal Australian preacher, inventor and author. He is featured on the Australian $50 note in commemoration of his work.  Unaipon invented a shearing machine that was used in woolsheds across Australia in the early 1900s. 

Eddy Betts was a renowned Aboriginal AFL player, known for his speed, agility and goal scoring ability.  In 2023 he launched his new foundation, dedicated to helping First Nations children.The Eddie Betts Foundation provides financial assistance, mentorship and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.  

Scroll through the images below for a snapshot of these famous faces:

MACSIS SURVEYS

Each year all catholic school’s survey students, parents and staff. The data collected through the survey process provides us with valuable feedback and guides the school’s future direction.  Students from Year 4-6 will be completing an online survey in September. The surveys are conducted by an outside agency, which selects 80 families to complete a survey.  The selected families will have their survey log in details sent home at the end of August.  Surveys open on Monday 2nd September and close on Friday 20th September.

WHOOPING COUGH

MACS has forwarded to all Catholic Schools a memo from the Health Department regarding a current increase in the number of Whooping Cough cases, affecting particularly 10-12 year old's. For more information please see the attached flyer office. 

LUNCH ORDERS NOW AVAILABLE MONDAYS & FRIDAYS

After a very successful start to Term 3, TK Tuckshop has revised pricing on many of their menu items.  TK Tuckshop has a range of over 40 options priced from just $5.50. All meals come in packs with a selection of one or more snacks / drinks.  Download the app to view the full menu and place your order - available Mondays and Fridays.  

CHILD SAFETY  - PARENT INFO ON ROBLOX & MINECRAFT

The Linewize platform helps schools, students and families to develop better digital habits, while also monitoring and tracking digital usages.  With St John’s now working in partnership with Linewize, our parents have access to an Online Safety Parent Hub, via the school’s website. This Hub has a wealth of tips and information for families.

Below are links to two articles found in the ‘Reviews’ section of the Hub.  Written by Online Safety Expert, Teodora Pavkovic who explores the two popular games; Roblox and Minecraft.  Both these online games allow players to be highly creative in imaginary worlds and have a multiplayer function that allows users to chat with one another while they are playing the game. As with all online chat platforms, there can be some safety risks for kids when engaging with these games.

These two articles are very quick to read and provide succinct information about:

• Features of the each game
• Known risks
• What Parents need to know
• Tips and Tricks for safe responsible use
• How To’s