May 12th, 2025: Newsletter #14

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 4: The Season of Easter

The Season of Easter: As we commence the 4th week of Easter, we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a day when we reflect upon the tender image of Jesus as the Shepherd of us all. It is also a day set aside to pray for more people within our world who will act like Jesus.

The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is an endearing image. Many artists have depicted the gentleness of Christ as He leads His sheep or carries a straying lamb on His shoulders. We are given this image today as we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday.

Though God shepherds us today through his words, we are all called to participate in these way of being in our own unique way. We are called to lead those within our families, at work, at school, within our neighborhoods, social circles and in every other societal context. 

From the Principal

Hello everyone, welcome to a new week at St. John's, a busy one at that. 

Papal Announcement: We are thrilled with the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as the leader of the Catholic Church worldwide, we wish him well as he commences this new role. 

Gratitude: Last week I was filled with so much appreciation of the many people that helped our school community in so many ways- be it through the mother's day stall or breakfast, with the preparation of meals or the commencement of Wednesday Treats. It is truly gratifying to see so many people who care for their school and the children inside it. 

School Sores: We have had a few confirmed cases of school sores (impetigo) within the school. School sores are a contagious skin infection commonly affecting young children. To help prevent the spread, we ask that families be vigilant and have children checked by a doctor if they have any symptoms. Children should stay home from school until 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment or until the sores have completely dried up and are no longer contagious. 

Seaside Community Kitchen: Each Monday evening from 5.00pm – 6.30pm, individual and family meals are being served from St Joseph’s Hall, Raglan Parade, Warrnambool. Please enter via Raglan Parade and continue to the church car park. (between the hall and the church) 
Presently, the meals are ‘take away’ and are being offered to single people as well as families. Last Monday’ s night included chicken soup, individual homemade pies, mashed potatoes and peas. Meal are packed in ‘take away’ containers for easy transport.
In challenging economic times, you are invited to come along and collect a meal. The Seaside Community Kitchen Group has been supported financially by the Diocese of Ballarat and local trusts along as Rotary. Star of the Sea Parish provided the facilities - St. Joseph’s Hall and kitchen free of costs and the parish covers costs of power, cleaning and provide storage for pantry items.
For further details, please phone Alan 0417 222 221 or Anne 0418 529 990

Term 2 Assembly Roster:

• Monday May 19th- Gr 5/6
• Monday May 26th- Gr 1
• Monday June 2nd- Foundation
• Monday June 16th- Leadership
• Monday June 23rd- Leadership

Enjoy the week ahead, Ben. 

2026 Foundation Enrolments- Now Open!

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

A reminder to all existing school families that if have you siblings who are entering primary school at St. John’s in 2026 please enrol as soon as convenient. As enrolments are now open to the general public, we want to ensure that siblings of existing students are given first priority.

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 can be booked via the Event Registration page on our school website.

• 10.00am, Wednesday May 14th - FULLY BOOKED
• 6.00pm, Tuesday May 20th - SPACES AVAILABLE
• 10.00am, Wednesday May 21st - FULLY BOOKED
• 7.30pm, Wednesday May 21st - FULLY BOOKED

A Mother's Day Prayer

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our Mother’s Day/Special Friend Breakfast last Friday. It was a pleasure to see so many of you at the school, and we hope you enjoyed the morning as much as we did.

We hope all of our wonderful mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures had a very Happy Mother’s Day. Your love, support, and dedication mean the world to your children and to our school community.

Junior Literacy Session

If you missed the meeting in Term 1 or you just want to come along again, Jan Madden is running the Literacy session again this Wednesday 14th May at 2.30pm in the Gathering Space.

At the session you will discover helpful hints about how to support your child at home and the how and why we do Literacy the way we do at St John's.

This is a valuable opportunity to ask any questions you may have in relation to home reading and we highly recommend you attend. 

National Walk Safely to School Day

National Walk to School Day is coming up this Friday 16th May and we want YOU to be part of it! 

Meet us at the former Dennington Store in Drummond street from 8.10am for a 8.20am departure and walk with us to school!  It’s a great way to start the day, get active, enjoy the fresh air, and connect with friends. 

We hope to see you there!

Congratulations!

Some of our amazing students were prize winners in the Coast FM Easter Colouring Competition! Well done to Isabelle C, Bronte T, Morgan B and Harvey T.

Japanese

Last week in Japanese class, students learnt about the Children's Day celebrations that take place across Japan on May 5th. The day is called "Kodomo no hi."During this celebration, families display carp flags or "koinobori" to represent each member of the family. Koi are seen as a symbol of strength and vitality. By displaying koinobori, families make a wish for their children to grow up strong and healthy. Students have worked hard to make their own koinobori, so we have displayed them in our quiet area in a similar way to how they would be presented during street festival celebrations in Japan.

Save the date!

We’re thrilled to announce this year’s school dance performance, and it’s going to be truly magical! The students and maybe some surprise performers are getting ready to light up the stage!

This is a whole-school event where everyone gets involved, and families are warmly invited to come enjoy the show.

More details will be shared soon, including costume information and location- but for now, mark your calendars and get ready for a night of wonder and fun with our school community!

Lowes Schoolwear

St. John's Helpdesk

Wellbeing

Respectful Relationships

Fostering a nurturing environment of respectful relationships within your family holds the key to not only harmonious living, but also improved academic outcomes for your children. As parents and caregivers, embracing the art of teaching children about respect at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy interactions and empathetic understanding. It will help cultivate a positive environment where communication flourishes, conflicts are resolved constructively, and bonds are fortified.

Teaching children to respect themselves and others will open up avenues for both personal growth and academic achievement. Fostering an environment where respect is not just a word, but a practiced behaviour, will empower young people with essential life skills. Effective communication, active listening, and the art of compromise, will provide your child with a solid foundation that will transcend family interactions and help them collaborate effectively with peers, teachers and the broader community.

Equipping children with an understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships is an important aspect of their development. It will guide them to make informed choices, foster positive connections, and set boundaries that contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy relationships provides children with the essential tools to navigate their social world, build self-esteem, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth.

Student Awards- Term 2, Week 4, 12th May 2025

Miss Buwalda:  Harrison W - for always showing 5Ls during  learning time. Thank you for being so respectful to all of your teachers, Harrison! 

Miss Dwyer:  Cooper S - For a happy start to the term and engaging in all learning activities with a positive attitude. Keep it up, Cooper!

Mrs Archbold:  Atlas B -  For demonstrating great enthusiasm and participation during Heggerty lessons. Well done Atlas!

Miss Kissick:  Jocelyn L - For her participation in our classroom discussions this week. Keep up the great work Jocelyn!

Miss Lucas:  Brooklyn H - For demonstrating an excellent attitude towards her learning and always applying herself in all areas. Great job!

Mr Hynes:  Rhiley S - For the brilliant effort he has placed into completing all work tasks to a standard he is really proud of. Fantastic!

Miss Ryan:  Bridget T - For her enthusiastic and positive approach to her learning. 

Mr Harrington:  Sophie C - For doing such an amazing job with her sentence expansion during writing last week!

Miss Kelly:  Oliver W - For his fantastic work in literacy this week when writing sentences. Great work Ollie!

Miss Moloney: Ava M - for being a welcoming and kind person to your classmates. You’re a star!

Mrs Mugavin:  Nala F - For always being a really inclusive and supportive person in Grade 4!

Miss P:  Heidi B - For the amazing effort you put into your Spelling lessons each day.

 Mr McInerney:  Emmillion O - For embracing all your maths lessons with a positive attitude.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrate their birthday this week: Skylar D, Mia R, Stella C, Tannah K, Logan V, Nikson S, Lennox S, Lexie M, Bridget T and Evelyn Z.

Around our School- Week 3

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Parents and Friend's Social Group

Our next Parents and Friends meeting will be on Wednesday 28th May at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. All welcome.

Dennington Day Out

Join us this Tuesday 13th May at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space for our next catch up. 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

Wednesday Treats

This weeks treat is “Steamed Dim Sims”  - Orders close tomorrow morning, Tuesday 13th May at 8.30am.

Roster: Tuesday 13th - Emily, Melissa C & Danili 

Wednesday 14th - Melanie K, Erin F & Rebecca Harry-Plater

Next weeks treat (Wednesday 21st May) is Potato Cakes $2.00 each, $2.00 each - Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Chocolate Milk & Strawberry Milk.

Orders for next week will be open on CDF Pay this Wednesday 14th and will close Tuesday 20th at 8:30am

Please remember:  This year there will be no paper order forms going home; orders are required to be placed online via the CDFpay app. Each Wednesday the order for the following week will be uploaded to the app.

Orders will close at 8:30am each Tuesday so please make sure you get your orders in on time as we can not accept late orders or cash this year.

Should you have any questions please feel free to contact Taliah Gleeson, Emily McGennan or the front 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 19th May:

Fish, Fletcher, Fry, Gleeson (Paisley), GLeeson (Frankie) and Greene.

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

Wednesday 14th May: Junior Literacy Session at 2.30pm in the Gathering Space

Friday 16th May: Division Cross Country (permsissions have been sent to students who are participating)

Friday 16th May: Walk Safely to School Day

Monday 26h May - Wednesday 28th May: Grade 5/6 Camp 

Tuesday 27th May: Sacrament of Confirmation

Wednesday 28th May: Parents and Friends meeting at 7.00pm Gathering Space

Friday 6th June: Winter Sports

Monday 9th June: Kings Birthday Public Holiday