March 31st, 2025: Newsletter #10

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 10 Prayer: The Season of Easter & Holy Week

What do we Celebrate at Easter

A key feature of this week is the Easter Triduum. The Easter Triduum refers to three days in Holy Week which together express the central mystery of our Christian Faith; the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It begins on Holy Thursday as we focus on Jesus’ farewell words and deeds at the Last Supper. It moves to Good Friday when we ponder the events of his suffering and death. It climaxes with the Easter Vigil when we celebrate the liberation of humankind through Christ’s resurrection. This 3 stage sequence of worship allows us to take in an enormous mystery in small, digestible chunks and to relate it to the various facets of our own lives- the sorrows, joys, success and failures. 

What is Holy Week?

Holy Week is the week before Easter Sunday, beginning seven days before with Palm Sunday. It ends with Holy Saturday. Easter Sunday is not part of Holy Week, but rather the beginning of the Easter season of the Liturgical year.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. On this day, we celebrate the triumphant entry of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, into Jerusalem, riding a donkey. On that day, the people laid palms before Him, a gesture reserved for triumphant leaders, we celebrate this at Palm Sunday Mass by distributing palms to those in attendance. The palms are blessed at Mass and people craft them into crosses. Eventually, these palms are returned to the Church where they are burned. Traditionally, their ashes are saved and distributed at next year's Ash Wednesday services.

The next major event in Holy Week is Holy Thursday. On this day, Jesus celebrated the Passover feast with the disciples. We know this feast as the Last Supper. This is the night He was betrayed by Judas and arrested. The Last Supper is celebrated at every Mass, and especially on Holy Thursday. After supper, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and prayed. Jesus was arrested on the night of Holy Thursday.

The next day is Good Friday, and on this day, we commemorate the trial, punishment, and crucifixion of Our Lord. On that morning, Jesus was brought before Annas, a powerful Jewish cleric who condemned Jesus for blasphemy. From there, Jesus was presented to Pilate for trial. Although Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, he agreed to have him crucified to appease the crowd of people and prevent a riot.

Christ was stripped, flogged, and crowned with thorns. He was then forced to carry His Cross to the place of His execution. There, He was nailed to the Cross between two thieves who were likewise crucified. Late that afternoon, seeking to ensure Christ's death, a Roman guard stabbed him in his side with a spear. When Jesus died, an earthquake is said to have occurred as well as a great darkness which covered the land. Suddenly, many people knew Jesus was the Son of God.

Jesus was taken and laid quickly in a borrowed tomb, in accord with Jewish law, which required the dead be buried by sundown before the Sabbath.

On Holy Saturday, there is no Mass. Parishes may hold services, but there is no distribution of Communion. 

This concludes Holy Week. The following day is Easter Sunday, the day on which it was discovered the Tomb was empty, and our Lord was resurrected, triumphing over death once and for all time.

From the Principal

Hello everyone, welcome to the final week of term 1 at St. John's, 

Wellbeing at St John's:  As part of our Wellbeing Program at St John's, we are running a family Wellbeing evening this Wednesday at 6.00pm. We are so fortunate to have such an experienced and motivated Wellbeing team lead by Jasmine Koch and Mel Willis. The evening is designed to support all families with ways to utilise many of the strategies we use here at school with the children and how that can integrate into your family life. Wellbeing is for everyone and every age. We hope that we get many families along to this interactive and fun evening. 

As part of our Wellbeing at school we are offering some weekly wellbeing workshops/activities at first break. The reasons behind this initiative are that they are firstly great fun and also to engage children in group activities at break time.

• Monday - movement (dancing, yoga etc)
• Tuesday - Quiet activities such as chess, puzzles
• Wednesday  - Singing
• Thursday - Running/walking club
• Friday - Craft

Traffic Management: I would like to make people aware of a few expectations around our pick up processes.

1.  If your child needs assistance to hop in and out of the car, we ask that you do not use the loop but park your car and collect them. This ensures that the loop movement is not held up and moves smoothly and allows traffic flow.
2.  Many parents utilise Dennington Rec Reserve as a collection point but please note that this is not a supervised area, it is not monitored by staff. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation: This Thursday, some of our Grade 6 students will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation gathered at St. Pius X Church where they will join with other stduents from the Star of the Sea Parish. 

I ask the community to pray for these children as they receive this sacrament and may God always help them to be people willing to listen, willing to talk and willing to open to their hearts at all times to the love of God and all humans. 

School Closure Days: Our first School Closure day for the year will take place on Thursday April 24th, which will focus on the presentation of the DOBCEL Strategy 2035, titled "Pursuing Fullness of Life for All." This comprehensive plan aims to enhance the performance of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat over the next decade. The strategy will be presented to all staff members of DOBCEL schools by Executive Director, Tom Sexton. All schools in the Southern Zone will gather at St Joseph's Primary School, Warrnambool, on April 24th to ensure everyone in the Zone has a clear understanding of this strategy and its vision. This day will be a School Closure Day for all schools in the Southern Zone. The full Executive Summary of the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy is available on the DOBCEL website or hard copies can be obtained from the school office.

End of Term Arrangements: Term 1 will conclude for all students at 2.20pm on Friday 4th April. 

Commencement of Term 2: Classes for Term 2 will commence on Tuesday April 22nd at 8.55am. Please also note the following Public Holidays where students are not required to attend school.

• Friday April 25th- ANZAC Day Holiday
• Thursday May 1st- May Races Holiday

And whilst it is hard to believe, thanks for an amazing term 1 and enjoy a restful break over the next few weeks, Ben. 

Project Compassion Purple Day- Tomorrow!

Wellbeing Evening- This Wednesday

2026 Foundation Enrolments- Now Open!

Enrolments: Applications for our Foundation students for 2026 are now OPEN with the closing date being 4:00pm on Wednesday 11th June, 2025. 

All of our enrolments are completed online, via the Enrolment/Apply now page on our schools website.

You will need to make sure you have your child's documentation loaded onto your device, either by taking a photo or scanning and uploading.  

• Birth certificate
• Immunisation Statement
• Baptism certificates (if relevant)
• Any specialist reports

Enrolment Tours/Information Sessions: Our session dates have also been set and can be booked via the Event Registration page on our school website.

• 10.00am, Wednesday May 14th
• 10.00am, Wednesday May 21st
• 7.00pm, Wednesday May 21st

Fee Assistance- Applications close this Friday

Families who have a valid health care or concession card could be eligible to claim a number of financial support packages.

• The Camps, Sports & Excursion Fund 
• Schools Savings Bonus 
• Family Fee Assistance

It is a significant savings so we encourage you to apply if you haven't already done so.  Applications need to be submitted and a copy of your card needs to be provided to the office by the end of this week. 

If you have any questions please see Sarah Burchell in the office or email- sburchell@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au

ANZAC Day Parade

Our school will join with the Dennington Community in commemorating those who served in all wars.

Our students are welcome to gather at the Dennington Kinder 8.45am in their Winter school uniform, we will then join in the parade before our captains lay a wreath at the memorial on behalf of our school community.

We have also been asked to lead the singing of the national anthem so all children in attendance will gather during the service to do this. 

Please also note that all community members are invited to join in the Dennington Community Association breakfast which will run from 7.30am at the Payne Reserve BBQ area. 

Students are able to purchase ANZAC Day items (badges, pens etc) from the office this week and when we return from holidays, with prices ranging from $1.00 to $5.00.

The Lead Up to ANZAC Day- Our Lone Pine!

In 2022, St. John's was fortunate to receive a juvenile Lone Pine tree, cultivated from the seeds of the Lone Pine in the Warrnambool Botanic Gardens. This tree is located near the flag poles. 

Featured here is an excerpt explaining the history of the Warrnambool Lone Pine. 

The Battle of Lone Pine was fought from 6-9 August 1915, on a heavily fortified plateau of the Gallipoli Peninsula, upon which stood a solitary pine tree. Intended to create a diversion for a British landing in Suvla Bay, the battle left between five and six thousand Turkish and 2,277 Australian soldiers dead.

In September, men of the Australian 23rd and 24th Battalions arrived fighting on alternate days. From the ruins of battle, Sergeant Keith McDowell picked up a pine cone from where the tree had once stood and carried it back home to Australia.

On his return, McDowell gave the pine cone to Mrs. Emma Gray, the aunt of McDowell’s wife Iris. Born in Tower Hill in 1870, Emma Gray ran a general store in Grasmere with her husband Robert. After about ten years Emma successfully grew four young pine trees from the pine cone.  The fourth was planted in Warrnambool’s Botanic Gardens, with a dedication service on 21st January 1934.

We received our Lone Pine through the ‘100 Lone Pines Project’, developed by the Friends of Gallipoli Inc and supported by the Victorian Branch of the RSL and the Victorian Government. Students have been caring for the Lone Pine at school since it was planted in 2022. 

St. John's Helpdesk

Parent Participation Levy

Please remember to log your volunteer hours that you have accumulated this term. There is a tile on the schoolzine app where you can record the activity and the number of hours you volunteered for. There is also a paper sign in sheet at the office if you prefer.

PPL hours will be updated at the start of term 2 and reflected in your next fee statement. 4 hours of volunteering will trigger a $100 refund and 8 hours will trigger a further $100 with the maximum being $200 refunded.  If you need clarification or have any questions please contact the office.

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. 

Food Handlers

Amendments to the food act 1984 means that volunteers that work with food are now required to have a form of food handler training. 

If you plan to volunteer for Wednesday Treats, assist at a future school BBQ, or at the Carols by the Merri stall you will need to complete this training.  The training can be completed online and will take around 10-15 minutes, please click on the link below.

Once you have completed the training please email a copy of your certificate to Julie Bartlett - jbartlett@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au or drop a a copy into in the office.

Wellbeing- Managing screen time

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.

In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home.

STEM

Museums Victoria offers a huge range and hands on and science based activities each school holidays to help keep young minds busy! 

Scienceworks is offering from April 5th 2025 until February 7th 2026: Tinkertown! 

Make cubbies, solve design puzzles, invent a contraption...Let’s build this town together.

Welcome to Tinkertown, a world of marvellous invention, daring builds and mindful tinkering. There is fun stuff to do and serious stuff to learn!

Explore the engineering design process by building cubby houses and other imaginative structures. Solve challenges, send secret messages and invent wacky contraptions.

Curious objects from the State Collection inspire visitors by demonstrating real-world examples of ambitious and innovative engineering design. 

In this fantastic, quirky village filled with hands-on activities there are endless possibilities for creative play:

• Build a soft cubby with masses of magnetic cushions
• Invent a moving contraption or a sculpture using loose parts
• Code a message on a giant fidget popper wall
• Create an elaborate roller coaster on a magnetic ball run
• Solve or design your own tricky tangram puzzles
• Send a secret message over the airwaves with whisper tubes

More information can be found by clicking the link below.

Alleluia Day

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrate their birthday this week: Jacob D, Sky S and Archie D. We hope you enjoy your special day!

Student Awards

Around our School- Week 9

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Parents and Friend's Social Group

Our next Parents and Friends meeting will be on Wednesday 23rd April at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. All welcome.

Dennington Day Out

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 13th May at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. Our committee is still looking for new volunteers to join. 

Dennington Day Out Sponsorship Proposal for 2025 is now available if you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring this years event please contact ddo@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au

Parents and Friends Social bowls

On Saturday night our Parents and Friends held their first social evening at the Dennington Bowls Club. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Barefoot Bowls event. 

A special shout out to the Dennington Bowls Club for hosting such a fantastic night. 

To all the parents and friends thank you for bringing your energy and enthusiasm, your participation made this event a memorable one and we look forward to more great events together. 

Wednesday Treats

If you are able to help on a Tuesday or Wednesday please fill out the form and return to the office by tomorrow- Tuesday 1st April. All time that you volunteer will go towards your participation levy. Any questions please reach out to Taliah Gleeson or Emily McGennan

As mentioned above, volunteers will be required to complete a short online food safety course. Please email your certificates to Julie Bartlett in the office.

Cake Raffle

Each week at Assembly we draw a cake raffle for students. The money raised goes to various charities like Royal Childrens Hospital in Melbourne.

School families have been assigned a week to bring in a cake. There is no obligation or pressure for you to do so, it is only if you wish to. If you have been assigned a week that is unsuitable and you would like to bring a cake in another week, please contact the office and an alternate date will be arranged.

If you choose to, please drop your store purchased cake into the office with your family name written on top. 

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 on for Monday 28th April:

Cuzens, Daffy, Dalton, Darmody, Davey and Dawson.

Emmanuel College

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, Total Landscapes and Design and Hiensch Haulage 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/ 

Community Notices

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 1st April: Project Compassion Purple Day

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

Thursday 3rd April: Reconciliation Sacrament

Thursday 3rd April: District Athletics Carnival

Friday 4th April: Last Day of Term 1. School concludes at 2.20pm.

Monday 21st April: Easter Monday Public Holiday

Tuesday 22nd April: First Day of Term 2

Wednesday 23rd April: Parents and Friends meeting at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space.

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)

Wednesday 30th April: St. John's School Cross Country- 1.00pm start (More details to come Week 1, Term 2)

Thursday 1st May: May Races Public Holiday

Wednesday 7th May: Mother's Day Stall

Tuesday 13th May: DDO Meeting at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space