October 20th 2025: Newsletter #33

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. 

Prayer Week 3- Missions Month

A prayer for peace in the Middle East

Christ, Prince of Peace, 
hear our prayer and lament, 
for our suffering sisters and brothers. 
Our hearts are heavy as we witness lives torn apart,  
as we see the faces of frightened children 
and hear the pleas of those without water or food. 

We pray for the dead and the grieving, 
for the injured and the afraid. 
We pray for courage and perseverance, 
for those working for healing and to bring aid. 
We pray for world leaders, 
that they may strive for a just and lasting peace. 

God of new beginnings, 
in your ways are compassion and hope. 
Open our hearts to dialogue and understanding. 
Lead us all to answer your call 
to become peacemakers 
today, and all the days of our life. 

Amen. 

The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development

From the Principal

Hello everyone, and welcome to a new week at St. John's!

DOBCEL Land Purchase: Fr John Fitzgerald has this weekend advised the parish community that the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL), which is the governing authority for all Catholic primary schools in the Diocese, has purchased land for
the purposes of a future Catholic primary school in Warrnambool.
The acquisition is part of a strategy to expand the provision of Catholic schooling in our parish given the ongoing commitment of our families to Catholic education.
The acquired site is on the corner of Wangoom and Aberline Roads and will support the growth in that area.
DOBCEL will commence further planning for the new school during 2026; however any new primary school is not expected to be open before 2030.

Parish Vision Statement: The Parish Pastoral Council members were most appreciative of the many responses received in our recent survey regarding our Parish Vision Statement. Your valued feed-back will be given every consideration as we work to provide a clear, concise picture of the future goals and purpose of our Star of the Sea Parish which will reflect our spiritual identity and the needs of our individual communities.
Key components include being future-oriented, Christ-centred, inspiring and accountable with the aim of motivating our communities and aligning our actions toward a common objective for our whole parish. 

Enjoy the week ahead, Ben.

Term 4 Assembly Roster: 

• Monday Oct 20th- Grade 5
• Monday Oct 27th- Grade 2
• Monday Nov 3rd- Grade 1 
• Monday Nov 10th- Leadership
• Monday Nov 17th- Foundation
• Monday Nov 24th- Advent
• Monday Dec 1st- Advent
• Monday Dec 8th- Advent
• Monday Dec 15th- Grade 6 

2026 Planning

At St. John's we are all committed to making our school a great place; full of energy, commitment and quality. As part of this commitment to everyone we share the following important information.

Teacher Appointment: We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Kaitlyn Lane to our teaching staff in 2026. Kaitlyn has previously been an LSO here and has worked this year at St. Patrick's Port Fairy whilst completing her studies at Deakin University. We look forward to welcoming her onto staff in 2026.

2026 Class Structure: Our class structure will be as follows

• 3 Foundation classes taught by Hayley Dwyer, Katie Buwalda and Kylie Archbold (this will then combine into 2 classes after 2nd lunch and on Fridays)
• 2 Gr 1 classes taught by Rick Hynes and Grace Lucas
• 2 Gr 2 classes taught by Natalie Ryan and Jordan Mugavin
• 2 Gr 3 classes taught by Megan Kelly and Alicia Moloney
• 2 Gr 4 classes taught by Ella Kissick and Daniel Harrington
• 3 Gr 5/6 classes taught by Nathan McInerney, Kristie Prendergast and Kaitlyn Lane. 
  

Class Placement: Class Placement refers to the placement by staff of each child into an appropriate classroom for 2026 based on learning levels and needs, social development, and classroom size.
The guidelines staff use for student placement at St. John’s include: academic levels, individual social/emotional/behavioural needs and peer relationships. Other practical factors to impact on the placement will include teacher recommendations, class size, groupings available, and a range of abilities in each class group. 

Families are able to contribute to this process by informing the school of any specific requests or thoughts regarding class placement for you child/children. These requests are to be emailed to principal@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au no later than today, Monday October 20th. Any considerations provided after this date will not be taken into consideration. 

Please note that parent requests for a particular teacher will not be entertained. 

In all these processes, professional, respectful co-operation and student welfare will be upmost in all our minds; we thank you in anticipation of your considered support. 

School Fees

School Fee statements have been emailed to families today. If you did not recieve yours please contact the office immediately. With only nine weeks of the school year remaining, it is important that you have a plan in place to have your fees paid in full by the end of the school year. Please contact Sarah in the office if you wish to discuss your fees - sburchell@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au

Grandparent's Day- This Wednesday!

2025 POPPY APPEAL

For more than 100 years, the Poppy Appeal has raised funds to provide important services for veterans and their families in their time of need.

We have a variety of items for sale at the office ranging from $2 to $5 for any students wishing to make a purchase. 

We remember those who volunteered, sacrificed, served, fought, and died, for our freedom. We thank you, and we salute you as we salute those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

We will never forget. We will remember you.

Healthy Eating in Grade 5/6

As part of our PD program last week, our Grade 5/6 students rolled up their sleeves and got hands-on in the kitchen, preparing a range of healthy and delicious snacks. On the menu were chicken and salad wraps, Vegemite and cheese scrolls, pizza scrolls, chia puddings, and a colourful fruit, vegetable, and dip platter to finish off. We were especially pleased to see students giving everything a go – even trying foods that were new or unfamiliar to them. Students not only enjoyed eating their creations, but also took responsibility for cleaning up – including doing the dishes! Each student received a copy of the recipes, and we hope they’ll be inspired to try them out again at home.  

Wellbeing

Cybersafety

In today's digital world, young people are more connected than ever, using technology for education, social interaction, and entertainment. While the internet offers incredible opportunities, it also presents significant risks, including cyberbullying, online predators, exposure to inappropriate content, and excessive screen time. Cybersafety is about equipping children and adolescents with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital landscape responsibly. This includes fostering open communication between parents and children, implementing appropriate parental controls, educating young people about privacy and online etiquette, and encouraging a balanced approach to technology use. By promoting digital wellbeing and responsible online behaviour, we can help young people harness the benefits of technology while staying safe in an increasingly connected world.

Student Awards- Term 4 Week 3

Miss Buwalda - Zander M for being a kind and caring friend who always goes out of his way to help others in the classroom and the playground.

Miss Dwyer - Charlie S for consistently trying his best in all learning activities and displaying kindness to his peers and teachers. Well done Charlie! 

Mrs Archbold - Lenny R for the enthusiasm he displays in maths as well as his quick recall of number facts.

Miss Kissick - Lincoln D for his determination and persistence when completing challenging maths problems. Well done Lincoln!

Miss Lucas -  Xavier B for being a great helper in the Grade One science experiments this week. Well done!

Mr Hynes -  Dakota A for the excellent effort she placed into all EMU learning sessions in maths! Brilliant!

Miss Ryan - Turam C for working independently in maths and using fantastic strategies.

Mr Harrington - Lara M for her amazing resilience and determination during last week, and being so positive. Well done, Lara!

Miss Kelly - Beatrix F for her fantastic determination in literacy this week and success with writing expanded sentences. Great work, Bea!

Miss Moloney - Kathryn C for using some of the strategies Kylie from Flight Centre shared with us to plan an amazing holiday around Australia!

Mrs Mugavin -  Savana M for entering the classroom every morning with a huge smile on her face and always striving to bring positive vibes into the Grade 4 space.

Miss P -  Zach R for your fantastic work during Money Matters. Keep your enthusiastic efforts.

Mr McInerney - Maggie O for showing great enthusiasm towards your business in our ‘Money Matters’ unit.

Happy Birthday

Best wishes to the following students who celebtate their birthday this week, we hope you have a teriffic fun filled day! Oliver D, Nelson Y, Amber S, Laney O, Jyda D and Sage F. 

Around our School- Term 4 Week 2

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Parents and Friend's Social Group

Meeting

Our AGM & end of year break up has been booked for Wednesday 26th November 6:30pm at The Cally Hotel.  

Its been two years since our last AGM and all Parent and Friends roles will be available to nominate and vote. We will be looking for a new President, Vice President, Secretary and Wednesday Treats coordinator. If any of these roles might be of interest or you have any questions please feel free to reach out. 

A Colour run has been set for Tuesday 9th December at our end of year break up BBQ. More details to follow in coming weeks. If you would like to help organise the colour run please contact Emily McGennan.

Dennington's Day Out

Don't forget to pre purchase your unlimited rides passes and return raffle tickets before 9.00am Wednesday 5th November.

Raffle tickets are to be returned to the office by Wednesday 5th November they can be returned with cash or payment made on CDF and return the sold tickets to the office. 

We are looking for some volunteers for THIS Tuesday 21st October at 7.00pm to help put together the showbags for this year's showbag stall. If you're able to help please let Emily McGennan or Sarah Howley know. 

We also will be looking for volunteers to help on Saturday 8th November in the afternoon with some setting up and from 7.00am on Sunday 9th November. All volunteer time goes towards your participation levy. 

Make sure you're following the Dennington Day Out facebook page. If you're able to like and share posts to help spread the word on our fun filled day and to show support to our Wonderful sponsors because without them our day wouldn't be possible. 

The following meetings have been set 

• Tuesday 21st October 7pm 
• Tuesday 28th October 7pm
• Thursday 6th November 7pm  

Thanks, Sarah Howley.

Cake Raffle

Each Assembly we draw a cake raffle for students. The money raised goes to Our noimiated charity, Backpacks Beds. 

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 October 20th:

Sriphrai-Ngami, Staaks, Stapleton, Steel, Stennett and Stephen.

CDF Community Fund

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

Wednesday 22nd October: Grandparents Day from 9.00am - 11.00am

Wednesday 26th November: Parents & Friends AGM & end of year break up at The Cally Hotel at 6.30pm

 Friday 24th October:  Gr 5/6 Girls Regional Basketball Competition - Ballarat

Monday November 10th-14th: F-4 Swimming Program

Tuesday 11th November: Remembrance Day

Friday 14th November: Yr 5 Emmanuel College Visit

Monday November 17th-20th: F-4 Swimming Program

November 24th-28th: Gr 5/6 Surf Awareness

Friday 5th December: Carols by the Merri

Tuesday 9th December: Orientation Day

Wednesday 10th December: End of Year Mass at 10.00am

Wednesday 10th December: Grade 6 Graduation

Monday 15th December: Final Assembly

Thursday 18th December: Last day for students