Week 5 October 30th 2023: Newsletter #34
- Acknowledgement of Country
- Week 5 Prayer
- From the Principal
- Humanitarian Assistance in Gaza
- 2023 Poppy Appeal
- Walk to School
- Foundation - Gr 4 Swimming Program
- Grade 3/4 Camp
- Student News
- Around our School- Week 4
- Student Awards- Week 4
- Happy Birthday
- Parents and Friends Social Group News
- School Sponsorship
- Star of the Sea Bulletin
- Community Notices
- Important School reminders
- Upcoming Events
Acknowledgement of Country
St. John’s school community respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and future. 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.
Week 5 Prayer
From the Principal
Omegle Online Chat: At a recent Diocesan Principals Meeting, staff from DOBCEL spoke to us around CyberSafety and made us aware of a site that has been around for some time but is making a comeback, it is called Omegle. It is an online chat room where you can talk with strangers, it pairs two random users together in a text and/or video chat. You can add topics you wish to discuss to find users with common interests. There is an ‘unmoderated section’ for video chat, which may include prominent links to sexualised content on third-party websites.
There is no proof of identity required and there is currently no way to report a user within Omegle. Omegle's own guidelines currently state Omegle is ‘not responsible to you as a user for enforcing’ its community guidelines. There is also no functionality to block users.
This is not a website primary school children should be using and I ask parents to be vigilant when their children are accessing online content.
Enjoy your week, Ben
Humanitarian Assistance in Gaza
An estimated 1 million people have been displaced in Gaza with immediate food, shelter, health, and psychosocial needs. ‘This is a period of incredible turmoil and sadness. The escalation of violence has only exacerbated needs for the people in Gaza and West Bank, who already live in dire conditions. We are working with our partners on the ground to provide comprehensive and critical support to over 17,000 families affected by
this devastating conflict.’ Sally Thomas, Humanitarian Lead, Caritas Australia
With your support, we will be able to help our partners on the ground to assist people displaced and
affected by the current conflict.
You can donate online www.caritas.org.au/gaza or phone 1800 024 413
2023 Poppy Appeal
We have items available to purcahse at the front office ranging from $2 to $10.
We will remember them!
Walk to School
We are encouraging students to walk, ride, scoot or skate to school for the entire month of November.
Every Friday in November, we will have staff at the Dennington Store in Drummond street at 8.10am for a 8.20am departure to walk to school with the students.
We had a terrific turn out last Friday to kick things off- lets keep it going!!
Foundation - Gr 4 Swimming Program
Our Foundation-Gr 4 Swimming Program commenced today and will operate on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for 2 weeks. Please ensure your child brings their swimming clothes and towel on each of these days.
All lessons will be taught by staff at Jayson Lamb's Splash Factory and the lessons will take place at the Warrnambool College indoor pool.
Grade 3/4 Camp
In a memorable and adventurous two days, the Grade 3 and 4 students embarked on a thrilling camp to Warra Gnan Coastal Camp here in Warrnambool. Nestled along the pristine Australian coastline, this camp offered a fantastic blend of beach games, coastal walks, and an exhilarating Amazing Race at Lake Pertobe.
Although the weather was not on our side, the Grade 3 and 4 students still enjoyed the facilities at Warra Gnan Coastal Camp. There were games of musical chairs, a dance party, trivia and a movie to top it all off! After a long, but fun day the students hopped into bed ready for another fun day filled with excitement. The second day consisted of visiting the Warrnambool Library, HIIT Nation and then last but not least the movies for some popcorn!
The 3/4 Team would like to thank everyone involved in the organising of the camp and to all the parents and students for their support.
Student News
Lily travelled to Tailem Bend last weekend where she passed her ANDRA (Australian National Drag Racing Assocation) licence and then competed in the Spring Nationals! This was a huge achievement for Lily where she raced against some competitive racers over the 1/8th mile and over speeds of 86kmh!
This is super impressive Lily! All the best for your race coming up in Portland in December.
Around our School- Week 4
Student Awards- Week 4
Happy Birthday
A big Happy Birthday to Stella P, Savannah D, Audrey S and Kathryn C who celebrate their special day this week! We hope you have a truly wonderful day.
Parents and Friends Social Group News
Meeting
Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 21st November at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space. Everybody welcome!
Bunnings BBQ
We are on the hunt for a Parent or Parents to organise this year's Bunnings BBQ which will be on Saturday 2nd December. With most supplies already sourced this is an easy way to tick off all of your participation points.
If you are interested please email parents@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au
Food Safety Supervisor
Do you hold a certificate in Food Safety Supervision?
We are on the lookout for a parent who is available 1st December to man our ‘Carols By The Merri’ stall. If you are available please email parents@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au
Dennington's Day Out!
The countdown is on! Only 13 days until our biggest fundraising event on the calendar!!
Packs went home with each family on Friday so check those backpacks. Inside you will find order forms for your pre-purchase unlimited ride passes and raffle tickets to sell prior to the day. These are all due back by Wednesday 8th November. More tickets will be available at the office if you run out.
We will be looking for volunteers to help fold raffle tickets and collate wristband orders once they have been returned. Keep your eye on the facebook page if you are able to help.
We will also require volunteers for Saturday 11th November to help move furniture around the school and a general tidy up. More details will be posted on facebook.
If you are unsure of how many volunteer hours you still need to complete please give Julie or Gayle a call in the office and they can assist you. Remember all your hours need to be recorded on the google form- this can be found on the Schoolzine App.
Please like and share our posts which are on the facebook page ‘Dennington’s Day Out’. This helps our event reach the public and ensure we get a big crowd on the day to raise funds for our school.
Our next meeting will be held THIS WEDNESDAY 1st November 7.00pm in the Gathering Space.
Cake Raffle
Each week on a Friday, families are rostered on to bring in a cake which will then be raffled and drawn out at Assembly. All funds raised throughout the year will be donated to the Good Friday Appeal the following year.
All students will have the opportunity to buy a raffle ticket for 20c each Friday. The Johnnies will come around to the classrooms during the day to write out tickets and collect money.
The following families are rostered on this week:
Chapman (Maleah), Chapman (Brax), Campbell and Dwyer.
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.
Please contact parents@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au for more information.
A big thank you to Fry Painting, O'Brien Electrical Warrnambool, Brownies Shed, Tubbie & Rayz Indoor Batting house and Carry On Travel who sponsor our school!
Star of the Sea Bulletin
Sunday Mass is held at 10.00am 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
Important School reminders
Russell Street Crossing: If parents and children are needing to cross Russell Street then it must be done at the supervised pedestrian crossing. This is the only safe place to do.
Parking: Please refrain from parking in the designated disability car spaces in the carparks if you do not have a sticker displayed on your vehicle. It is important these spaces are reserved for families that need them.
We also ask that if you have to hop out of the car to assist your child into the car that you park your car and collect them rather than hold up the loop.
Entering the School Buildings: All visitors during the school day must enter via the front office. This includes children late to school.
Student Messages: Please ensure change of pick up arrangement messages etc are received by the office ideally by 3.00pm and no later than 3.10pm to allow office staff adequate time to pass them on to students.
Student News: If you have some exciting news you would like to share with our school community we would love to hear about it. Please email admin@sjdennington.catholic.edu.au
Parent/School Communication: When contacting school staff please refer to our Communications Guidelines for the appropriate processes, this can be found under the forms and documents tab on our schoolzine app and in the Parent Information tab in PAM.
TheirCare: To make a booking with TheirCare, our outside school hours care provider please click on the following link and select St. John's Dennington as the booking location https://theircare.com.au/
Upcoming Events
Wednesday 1st November: DDO Meeting at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space
Wednesday 8th November: DDO Meeting at 7.00pm in the Gathering Space
Sunday 12th November: DDO
Monday 13th/Tuesday 14th/Wednesday 15th November: Gr 5/6 Camp
Thursday 30th November: Foundation Extended Stay program
Friday 1st December: Carols by the Merri
Saturday 2nd December: Bunnings BBQ
Monday 4th/Tuesday 5th/Wednesday 6th/Friday 8th December: Gr 5/6 Surf Awareness program
Thursday 7th December: Gr 1/2 Extended Stay program
Tuesday 12th December: Orientation Day
Wednesday 13th December: Mass of Thanksgiving at 10.00am
Thursday 14th December: Gr 6 Graduation Ceremony
Friday 15th December: Term 4 concludes at 3.20pm
Tuesday 30th January 2024: F-6 Classes Commence