Principal's Report

Dear St John's Community,

Another week with lots of information!

Start of year Commissioning Mass

Today Fr Chinua held the start of the school year Commissioning Mass for the St John's School Community. I am very grateful to those parents and grandparents who found the time to attend. I acknowledge that the changing times also made things difficult to factor into life schedules and work. We also realise this is a difficult time of the day for many of our parents, but we continue to reach out and encourage parents or grandparents or family friends to attend these services as well as the other ones the school provides over the year. We feel it is important for the children to feel they are supported not only academically and socially, but also spiritually in their time with us.

While we always see all our Grade 6s as leaders in the school there are a few who had additional duties they are called on to perform and I'd like to acknowledge them here today after they were commissioned by Father Chinua this morning.

School Captains: Denzel & Georgia

Stewardship Leaders: 

Parker, Sophie and Chloe

Wilson House: Olivia & Brodie

Nunan House: Connor & Meia

MacLellan House: Jonathon & Tia

Walsh House: Shaheem & Georgia

Film Night - 25th March

Some of our lovely parents are currently trying to organise a Film Night for our school community. Please pencil in Saturday evening 25th March for this event. More details will be available very soon.

NAPLAN

Please note that Year 3 and 5 NAPLAN tests will be conducted earlier than usual this year. The first test will commence on Wednesday, 15th March, and run until Friday, 24th March. Parents are requested, where possible, to ensure that no family holidays or other absences occur during this week. 

Parents are able to visit the NAPLAN Online Public Demonstration Site  to see the types of questions and related functionalities in the NAPLAN Online assessment.

Gardening help

If you haven't met our Maintenance Man, Jeremiah, he's a very busy man. There are several big projects we are trying to get done around the school at the moment that the kids are waiting on so I've asked him to focus on those. I thought I'd reach out and see if there are any parents, grandparents, friends or other acquaintances who like to potter in the garden and might be interested in volunteering an hour here or an hour there to help with the gardening around the school while Jeremiah focuses on the bigger projects.

If that's the case (and they have a Working with Children's check) can you please let us know in the office?

New website

In the next week or so we will be launching our new website. It will still be located at the same address but it will look a whole lot different. make sure you keep an eye out!

Student SMART Devices

This year we have seen a large increase in the number of students wearing SMART watches to school. I just want to clarify for all parents the protocols and expectations on technology brought by students from home.

It is school policy, (under Child Safe, privacy & technology usage agreements),  that personal SMART devices cannot be accessed while students are at school. 

A SMART device is any device able to access the internet. A fit bit, for example, would be acceptable, if it cannot connect to the internet.

These SMART devices must be left at the front office where they will be stored safely for the day and can be collected as the students leave.

Smart devices which are damaged, lost or stolen because students did not follow those protocols are not the school's responsibility.

Trading Cards - e.g. Pokemon

For a while now, trading cards have been very popular at school, especially Pokemon cards.

We do not encourage students to bring these cards to school but understand they like to show each other what they have.

Recently, we have had to stop all trading of these cards for a number of reasons. We have stipulated that the only time students can trade is if parents are aware of what's being traded and allow the trade to occur. This can be done before or after school.

We have had to specifically state that there is to be no "buying or selling" of these cards between students.

Please help your children to understand this.

We are currently investigating whether we have the capacity to provide opportunities for students to conduct 'Fair Trades" under adult supervision at school.

Assembly

School Leadership met recently to discuss how assemblies might work moving forward. Parent feedback has been that no matter what day and time we have them on it is very hard for parents to attend and the digital packages that were going out were preferred. But then we also have those few parents who like to be able to come to the 'assembly'.

Part of the discussion with Leadership revolved around the fact that teachers have even less time teaching the kids now and that assembly is an entire afternoon of lost teaching time.

We are working to find an appropriate solution and will keep you updated.

Lent and Reconciliation

Don't forget to remember our Reconciliation and Eucharist candidates in your prayers.

Loving God,

help us to teach our children that you love us totally and unconditionally. 

Help us to encourage our children to grow in love and to learn how to say sorry, knowing that you always forgive. 

Give us the courage to pray with our children and to share our faith with them as we journey together. 

We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

Amen

Jokes for the weekend!

I had dinner with a Chess Grandmaster the other night and our table had a checkered tablecloth. 

It took him two hours to pass me the salt!

Q. Why should you never trust stairs?

A. They are always up to something!

Q. What does a house wear?

A. A-ddress...

Take care out there,

Derek Bruitzman

Principal