General Information
Information which you need to be aware of
PARENTS & FRIENDS
Our Parents & Friends are calling for more volunteers. If you’ve ever got a few hours free they would love to hear from you. This committee is the major way our parents contribute to St John’s. Throughout each term, the Parents & Friends oversee various fundraising initiatives. These include things such as our Mother’s and Father’s Day stalls and the special Treat Days we hold. Please see the flyer below for more information.
SHROVE TUESDAY
Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day is the day before Ash Wednesday. The word ‘Shrove’ comes from the old word 'shriving', which means to listen to someone's sins and forgive them. On this day traditionally Christians would go to confession in preparation for Easter. The tradition of eating Pancakes comes from people using their leftover eggs, milk and sugar in preparation for the fasting element of Lent. Warm Pancakes were delivered to everyone in the school today. Thanks especially to the Year 6 students who prepared and delivered this treat under the guidance of Ms Paula.
FIRE DRILL
On Wednesday 4th February we held our first Emergency Drill. These drills help us to simulate hazardous situations such as severe weather events, fires or a situation requiring us to remain indoors. The students are to be congratulated on the calm and orderly way they responded on the day.
HOMEWORK
Homework formally begins this week and can sometimes be a source of frustration for families. We recommend that parents set up a homework spot where your child can complete their homework in a distraction-free environment. Ensuring your child has a pencil, sharpener and ruler, will enable them to complete their homework. If homework is too challenging for your child to complete, please contact their teacher and let them know. Similarly if your family routine means your child is unable to complete homework, just let the teacher know via a note or a phone call to the office.
TAKE HOME READERS
Take Home Readers Year 1 & 2
Take home readers for students in Year 1 and some Year 2s, have commenced. Those students who are considered independent readers are able to choose their own reading material. We encourage families to become members of the local Julia Gillard Library in Tarneit located at 150 Sunset Views Blvd, Tarneit.
A reminder that students change their books twice a week. If they finish the book prior to the next reader change day, we suggest you have your child reread the text, to improve fluency and comprehension. A Reading Diary has been sent home with your child’s book and we encourage families to fill these in. They are a great way to track the progess your child is making.
Prep Take Home Readers
The transition to school is a major milestone and you will most likely find your child is very tired at the end of the school day and needs extra rest and sleep. Home reading books do not commence in Prep until Term 2. By this time your child will have been taught several letters and sounds in class and be able to ‘sound out’ words in the home reading books.
During Term 1 the expectation is that children in Prep are read to using a range of materials including books you may have at home or by visiting the local library to borrow books. Your child will receive a diary this week, where you can record what you have read with them.
PROJECT COMPASSION
Spanning across the six weeks of Lent each year, Project Compassion brings thousands of Australian schools, parishes and supporters together to raise funds for Caritas, our Catholic Aid Agency. These much-needed funds help alleviate poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity in the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in the world. Each class has their own Project Compassion Box, where students can put their donations. This is a terrific opportunity for children to use some of their pocket money to give to others in the world who are in need of some support.
TWILIGHT SPRINTS
After the enormous success of our 10 Year Anniversary Celebration last year, we have been investigating similar ways we can gather as a whole school community. On Friday 13th March from 6:00pm - 8:00pm we will be holding a Twilight Race Meeting, where students can participate in 50 metre Sprints with the chance of qualifying for a place in the finals. The race entry fee will be $1per student and this will be to help cover the cost of the evening. Mr Geisler will be giving out ‘Wild Card” entries to the finals. In a similar way to last year’s celebrations, families will be able to picnic on the school grounds, while watching all the race heats. Once again we will have some food items for sale such as icecreams, soft drinks and popcorn.
ONLINE SAFETY
This year students will take part once again in Inform & Empower’s Cyber Safety & Digital Wellbeing Program. Students participate in engaging and interactive live-streamed incursions each term. Developed by qualified teachers, these incursions are designed to help create safer and more positive online experiences for our students. These Sessions focus on healthy digital habits, critical thinking when faced with an online dilemma and cyberbullying. The program also looks at online safety issues around security and consent, in an age appropriate manner.
As part of our partnership with the Inform and Empower team, parents can access Tip Sheets. We strongly recommend families have a look at these as they can be a great springboard to important discussions you can have with your child. Below are links to the Parent Tip Sheets:
ASSEMBLY LIVE STREAMS
Each Friday the students gather for a whole school assembly in the Hall. This event is usually streamed to our Vimeo channel. Families can view the assembly by clicking on the link which is sent through via our nForma Parent App.
COMMUNICATION APP
When communicating with families we use the platform nForma For Parents. It is important that the email used to log in to your App is the email that is linked with the school. Parents receive all communication via this App and families can also use the App to update student medical information and emergency contacts and to directly communicate student absences with the school. A reminder to families that Student Medical Information Update is due by Friday 27th February, as per the notification families received today. Thanks to all the families who have already completed this update. Please see the downloading instructions below if you don’t have the App already:
CHILD SAFETY - WALKING & RIDING TO SCHOOL
It is fantastic to see students walking and riding to and from school in family and friendship groups. We recommend that parents chat with their child about the route they are going to take, so that you can ensure it is the safest option and you are aware of their travel movements. Please remind your child to use school crossings where they are available and to always proceed carefully when crossing any road. If your child is riding their bike to school, please ensure they are wearing a helmet.
