March 3rd, 2025: Newsletter #6

Acknowledgement of Country

St. John’s school community respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders as the traditional custodians of the land on which we learn, pray and grow. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together, working together towards a reconciled Australia. 

Week 6 Prayer - The Season of Lent

The Season of Lent: This Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, Catholics and Christians across the world will celebrate the commencement of the Season of Lent. The week is marked by two significant days, Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, both of which are explained in more detail below. 

Shrove Tuesday: This Tuesday the world church celebrates the feast of Shrove Tuesday. This day is celebrated traditionally as a day where English settled countries would traditionally eat pancakes. The English tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday came about as a way to use as much milk, fats, and eggs as possible before the fasting associated with Ash Wednesday and Lent began. In France, the consumption of all fats and fatty foods on this day coined the name "Fat Tuesday" or Mardi Gras. 

Ash Wednesday & Lent: Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. It falls 40 weekdays before Easter (Sundays are not counted in the 40 days of Lent). Ash Wednesday takes its name from ashes, a traditional Jewish sign of penitence. In some liturgical traditions, palm fronds or palm crosses from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned, and then the ashes are applied to the worshiper’s forehead on Ash Wednesday as a token of their commitment to observe a “Holy Lent.”

Ancient Christian tradition was to observe Lent with fasting (a discipline of going without food at certain times), alms giving (the practice of giving money or goods to the poor), and prayer.

The traditional colour for altar hangings and clergy vestments during Lent is purple. Traditionally, altars are decorated in a plainer style, perhaps with the omission of flowers.

As we approach Lent in 2025, Michael Leunig offers a very appropriate prayer for us to all consider, 

On this day (at this time), your gift to us O God, help us to move simply:
To look softly: To allow emptiness; To let the heart create for us.

Lent is not just a time for penance, or self denial, it also offers us the gift of time to reassess, to think again, so that we can become more sensitive and aware of the invitation of God to friendship. As Boris Pasternak put it: When God knocks on the door of your life, it is often no louder than the beating of your heart and so it is very easy to miss it. Lent is offered to help us not to miss it.

Allowing some emptiness into our busy lives, stopping for a while to let the heart create is a gift to ourselves. Our lives are so crowded and full, and our world is so noisy that we cannot always hear the voice of God calling to us and speaking to us of God’s love for us. When that wise man Solomon was made king in his late teens, he did not pray for all knowledge or great power or riches but for the gift of a listening heart.

We cannot grow as humans and as Christians, and we cannot even find lasting happiness unless we gain freedom from the things that bind us and those actions that diminish us. Each of us in our own way is imprisoned by attitudes, habits, compulsions so at times we tend to love less, we resent more, we do less for others. Repentance, being sorry gives us the capacity to receive the love God wants to give us, what God wants for us. Lent helps people to discover the reality of God in their lives, God’s invitation to a deeper friendship, a new way. 

In many ways we only have to open our eyes but perhaps more importantly, our hearts. We find God first with our hearts, then with our minds. God is not an intellectual problem to be solved. God is a rather, as some theologians suggest, a beckoning word and we are asked to listen, to make ourselves more attentive to whatever beckons, however small or tentative.

As we approach lent this year, let us all try that little bit harder to open our eyes, our hearts to find the emptiness that allows us to be closer to God.

From the Principal

Hello everyone, welcome to another week at St. John's.

Project Compassion: This week the Season of Lent begins. A key focus during this time is the act of giving. A program that we support at St. John’s is the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allows Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to alleviate poverty, hunger, oppression and injustice.

We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. We have been given an amount of Project Compassion boxes to distribute to families for their donations, these will be sent home tomorrow. If you don't receive one please feel free to drop some coins off at the office or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: lent.caritas.org.au    

At the end of this term, we will invite all families to return their project compassion boxes to school as part of our Easter Liturgy. Saint Oscar Romero is our inspiration for Project Compassion, so in his words let’s “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”

School Closure Days: Our first School Closure day for the year will take place on Thursday April 24th, DOBCEL have determined that we must take this day to particpate in a PD day for all staff relating to the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy which is outlined later in this newsletter.

Our Athletic Sports was a great day despite a little bit of drizzle in the morning. We appreciate the support of so many parents and grandparents and family members who came along to support the children.  Also a huge thank you to the staff who put in a big day to ensure all children had fun while competing.  

Tell Me Abouts: We are still hunting for feedback from parents regarding these sessions which we hope will help in making these sessions even more succesfulk than what they were.  Please take the time to complete the Google form linked here 

Enjoy the week ahead,  Ben.

Emmanuel College Principal Announcement

Mercy Education Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel McGennisken as the next Principal of Emmanuel College Warrnambool, commencing in Term 2, 2025.

With over 25 years of experience in Catholic education, Rachel brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of success across Victorian Catholic Schools to Emmanuel College. Currently the Deputy Principal at Trinity College Colac, Rachel has led improvement and innovative initiatives to enhance student engagement and drive academic success since 2022.

Prior to joining Trinity College, Rachel served as Assistant Principal: Teaching and Learning at St Bridgid’s College Horsham, and as a Senior Education Officer at the Catholic Education Office Ballarat, where she led the development, implementation, and research for the Improving Literacy in the Secondary Years (ILSY) program.

With a clear mission to see all members of the school community succeed, Rachel is committed to ensuring Emmanuel College is a place where innovation drives excellence, learning is transformative, and the Mercy spirit of compassion, justice, courage, respect, hospitality, and service continues to thrive.

We look forward to the positive impact Rachel will have on the Emmanuel College community as the seventh principal in its proud history.

We extend our gratitude to Peter Morgan for his outstanding leadership and service to the Emmanuel College community. His vision and dedication during his 12-year tenure has strengthened the school’s position in the community and beyond.

School Photos- Tomorrow!

Students are to wear their sports uniform.

Our annual school photos including sibling photos will be taken by Arthur Reed Photos tomorrow- Tuesday 4th March.

There is no need to return any forms or money to school.  Unique image codes will be issued to all students on the day  day so families can register online to view images when they become available in the webshop.

Registration is simple, just follow the 3 simple steps on your child’s personalised flyer once you receive it and remember to add the codes for all your children attending this school.

Even if you registered last year, it’s important that you do again this year using your child’s 2025 image code to link their images for the current year with your contact details.

When images are ready to view and in the webshop, all parents who have registered will be notified by SMS and email.

Once registered, please wait for notification that 2025 images are online to view before making your purchase.

All questions regarding photos are to be made directly to Arthur Reed on 5243 4390.

DOBCEL Strategy 2025

Last week I was in Horsham with fellow principals and DOBCEL leadership continuing to unpack the DOBCEL Strategy 2035. The DOBCEL Board and community have now co-designed a new strategy - Pursuing fullness of life for all - presenting a bold approach to driving high performance across our system of schools over the next decade and beyond. 

Linked below is a video which will outline what DOBCEL 2035 is about. 

Breakfast Club- Change of time TOMORROW

Due to our school photos being taken tomorrow, Breakfast club times will change to the slighlty earlier time of 8.00am - 8.30am. It will revert back to 8.15am - 8.45am next week.

Little Learners Information Session- Tomorrow!

This session is being held tomorrow- Tuesday 4th March at 2.30pm in the Gathering Space. It will explain how we teach reading and writing to our junior students and how you can support your child at home. It is highly recommended that you attend this session.

Ash Wednesday

School Athletics Carnival

Thank you to everyone that came along last week to support our students as they participated in our School Athletics Carnival. We are very proud of their enthusiasm, determination and sportsmanship throughout they day.

Whilst comepeting individually, students also earn points for their House Groups. This year Russell Red took out the honours, their first win at this event since 2017!!!!!

We also give a special shout out to our age group champs!

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Digital Technology

All classes this term have focussed on Online Safety. The following animated video is targeting Junior school parents. It can provide parents and carers with practical strategies for supporting your child’s ability to engage in online games safely.

How you can help your child play in a digital world:

- provide opportunities for children to engage in imaginative and/or investigative co-play activities 

- foster children’s imagination and curiosity.

- support development of children’s digital literacy skills.

You can utilise native mobile applications (apps) to spark children’s engagement in imaginative and investigative play. Native apps (e.g., camera, calculator, voice recorder, compass, magnifier) are pre-installed on most smartphones.

Wellbeing

A Special Report: The Wellbeing Barometer - 2025

The Wellbeing Barometer survey will be available for completion until Monday 24th March and is an invaluable tool for our school, providing critical insights into the mental health and wellbeing of young people. This annual survey identifies areas of concern, highlights resilience and adaptability in students, and emphasises the importance of preventative strategies to promote positive outcomes.

Participation in this survey is strongly encouraged, as it offers a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements. By capturing a detailed understanding of young people's experiences, the survey supports a tailored approach to enhancing their mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. It helps to identify strengths and areas for improvement, as well as pinpoint opportunities for early intervention.

We encourage you to take a few moments to complete the survey for each of your children. Responses remain anonymous and should be based on your observations over the last 12 months. By working together, we can reduce the long-term impact of mental illness and make a meaningful difference to the lives of our young people for a brighter future.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Lowes Sale

Foodbank

The St. John's community has a wonderful tradition of supporting families in need. The "Food Bank" is one where families come together to provide a meal for families within our school who are in need of support (for example, a new arrival, family illness or bereavement).  If you are aware of a family requiring support, please contact the office.

If you are willing to help out during the year, please contact Ben van de Camp and we will reach out when the need arises.  Thanks in advance. 

2025 Sacramental Program

In 2025 the Star of the Sea Parish are offering families, who have baptised Catholic children to have their children receive Sacraments as relevant to the child's grade level. The program is very child centred, and provides all families with the opportunity to support the child as they receive the sacrament.  

As an initial registration point, we ask all families who wish for their child/ children to participate in the Sacramental program to register their interest by completing the registration form linked here:https://forms.gle/3JXvKKsmtcKgfEs38

The key dates for these sacraments in 2025 are: 

Reconciliation (Grade 6)

• February 18th- Parent information meeting, 7pm at St Joseph's Church (students and their parents).
• March 24th- Reconciliation Education Day at Emmanuel College (students only).
• 3rd April- Reconciliation celebration, 6pm (students and their families)

Confirmation (Grade 3)

• April 29th- Parent information meeting, 7pm at St Joseph's Church. 
• May 11th- Presentation of candidates at Mass.
• May 12th- Confirmation Education day
• May 27th- Confirmation celebration 6pm

Eucharist (Grade 4)

• July 29th- Parent information meeting, 7pm at St Joseph's Church. 
• August 5th- Eucharist Formation Day (school supported)
• August 10th-Presentation of candidates at Mass
• August 24th- Celebration of First Eucharist 

If you have any questions or would like to chat about this further please contact Grace Lucas at school or send an email to glucas@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au

Theircare

All bookings and questions regarding our outside school provider TheirCare, are to  be made directly to them on 1300 072 410.  Bookings can also be made at https://theircare.com.au/  and selecting St John's Dennington as the booking location.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrate their birthday this week: Sienna C, Billy F, Eloise P, Isla R, Ryder H, Brax C, Caleb W and Harrison W. We hope you have a terrific day!

Week 4 & 5 Classroom Awards

Student News

Harry has qualified for the Little Athletics State Track and Field competition this coming long weekend being held at Cranbourne.  He will run in the Under 10 Boys 70m, 100m and 200m Sprints.  It will be a great experience for him to run against the top 23 kids in Victoria. Well done Harry and all the best!!

Around our School- Week 5

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Parents and Friend's Social Group

Our next meeting will be on Monday 24th March at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. Everyone is welcome, we always look forward to seeing some new faces. Hope you can make it.

Dennington Dash- Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who supported our first fundraiser for 2025, the Dennington Dash. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Thank you to our sponsors, volunteers and a huge thank you to Kate and Issy for all your hard work in the lead up to the night.

If you volunteered on the night please make sure you log your hours under the participation tile on the SZapp or on the paper copy at the front office. If you are unsure please don't hesitate to ask.

Dennington Day Out

Dennington Day out committee meeting will be held on the 18th March at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. Our committee is still looking for new volunteers to join. 

Parents and Friends Social bowls

Book the babysitter and join us for a fun night out on Saturday 29th March from 6:30pm til late at the Dennington Bowls club $10 per person includes bbq and game. Drinks at bar prices. Please RSVP by Wednesday 26th March.

Cake Raffle

Each week on a Monday, families are rostered on to bring in a cake which will then be raffled and drawn out at assembly. Please download the roster below.

All funds raised throughout the year will be donated to various charities. Please drop your store purchased cake into the office with your family name written on top.  If there is no assembly on your rostered day due to a school closure or event, please drop your cake in the week after.

All students will have the opportunity to buy a raffle ticket for 20c with a limit of five tickets per student. The Johnnies will make a P.A announcement at first lunch, calling all students who wish to purchase a ticket, to the Library.

The following families are rostered for:

Monday 10th March: No assembly this week due to the public holiday.

Monday 17th March: Boyle, Bridgman, Brooks, Byrne, Cahill, Cain, Dwyer, Cameron and Campbell.

Emmanuel College Opening Evening

School Sponsorship

Would you like to advertise your business in our school newsletter? Businesses can advertise for only $100 a year and will have a business card sized listing in every school newsletter.

A big thank you to O'Brien Electrical & Plumbing, Fry Painting, Carry on travel, King Cole Fruit Supply and Total Landscapes and Design that sponsor our school!

Please contact parents@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au for more information.

Star of the Sea Bulletin

Sunday Mass is held at 9.00am at St. Pius X Church. School families are always welcome. 

The Parish office can be contacted on 5562 2231 and this weekends bulletin is featured below. Other information and contact details can be found on the Star of the Sea South West Coast website: https://www.ballarat.catholic.org.au/parish/southwestcoast/ 

2025 Junior Football

The Old Collegians Football Netball Club is a fantastic family club and has playing spots available for young boys and girls and their families who wish to participate in a club that encourages personal growth, values participation and enjoyment. Great coaches will help your child develop their game whilst having fun and enjoying numerous game day opportunities. 

 If interested, please contact the numbers below for more information. 

Community Notices

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 4th March: Shrove Tuesday- students will be served pancakes at second lunch.

Tuesday 4th March: School Photo Day. 

Tuesday 4th March: Structured literacy parent information session at 2.30pm in the Gathering Space 

Wednesday 5th March: Ash Wednesday Liturgy at 2.00pm in the Stadium                                  

Monday, 10th March: Labour Day Public Holiday

Tuesday 18th March: Lions Eye Health Program (Gr. F, 3, 6)

Monday 24th March: Reconciliation Formation Day - Emmanuel College

Monday 24th March: Parents and Friends meeting at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space

Saturday 29th March:  Parents and Friends social lawn bowls at 6:30pm

Wednesday 2nd April: Family Wellbring Evening at 6.00pm - 7.30 in the Shared Learning Space

Thursday 3rd April: Reconciliation Sacrament

Friday 4th April: Last Day of Term 1

Monday 21st April: Easter Monday Public Holiday

Tuesday 22nd April: First Day of Term 2

Thursday 24th April: Closure Day - Southern Zone Collaboration Day (DOBCEL determined date)

Friday 25th April: ANZAC Day Public Holiday

Monday 28th April: Confirmation Parent Meeting (7.00pm St Joseph's Church)

Thursday 1st May: May Races Public Holiday