Term 1, Week 6 2024

Dear Families

                                               

Insights may be discussed at future School Advisory Board meetings or you may be contacted personally for further follow up!

Please find link here for your suggestions.

Project Compassion
To fundraise for Caritas Project Compassion, we will be holding a “Walk for Water” drive this month. Students will walk laps within the school grounds with a bottle of water, to experience what it would be like to for children who do this regularly in other countries where access to clean water is not readily available.

Sacramental Program
The Sacramental Program will officially commence with the preparation session for Reconciliation in Week 7, Wednesday 13^th March in the school hall.

Ecological Sustainability
Having the Ecological Sustainability Framework is proving to have small and positive changes within our community. It has been a pleasant shift to see less wrappers floating around the school yard as children are putting them directly in the bins or taken home in their lunch boxes. We are grateful for your support in making this happen.

Our Year 4 community have also promoted the importance of considering what to do with items that have reached the end of their use such as paper, food and pens. Each of those items are to be disposed in different ways.

We look forward to witnessing how the Ecological Sustainability Framework will continue to become part of our culture here at St John the Baptist School, and impact beyond our school community.

Amanda Razon
APRIM

'Thrive' on Thursday
"Thrive" offers a safe and welcoming space for families. It is a space for children to enjoy some activities such as tic tac toe where children can play and parents are free to chat with our School Chaplain and connect with each other. 

Statement of Accounts – Instalments due now
School Fee statements were posted out last month, if you did not receive a copy, please email me and I can check the address we have on file and give you a copy. Thank you to all the families who have set up payment authorities or started making payments via Qkr, online or at the office.  This is just a friendly reminder that Term 1 instalments are now due and if you wish to obtain the Early Bird discount you will need to pay fees in full by this Friday 8th March (Week 6).  The Early Bird discount is calculated at 5% of $3280 which amounts to $164 discount, balance owing $3,116 for one child.  If you have more than one child at school, the discount is 5% of the balance owing after sibling discount (eg: for 2 children the discount will be $296 and the balance owing will be $5,624).

Other payment options should have already started and are: weekly x 42 payments, fortnightly x 22 payments, monthly x 10 payments so that fees are completed by early Term 4.  You can divide your balance by the option you wish to choose and pay by Qkr!, Bpay or via the office.  If you wish to set up a direct debit, forms were sent out last year, but it’s not too late so please email me for a new one as soon as possible. 

School Card
This is for families, single parents, or businesses on a low income of around $70,994 last financial year.  Please follow the links below to apply for the 2024 School Card Scheme. These must be completed each school year:

Form A (Income Assessment)

https://online.forms.sa.edu.au/content/forms/af/public/application-for-school-card.html

Form B (hardship, change of circumstances or self-employed)

https://online.forms.sa.edu.au/content/forms/af/public/form-b-hardship-or-circumstance-or-self-employed.html

If accepted, this will allow us to reduce your tuition fees to the lower-income fee, so please apply as soon as possible as it can take 4-6 weeks for approval.

If you have any queries or if you are having trouble making payments please email me on accounts@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au , phone me on 8218 3304 or come in and see me Monday to Friday 8.00am to 4.00pm.

Jodie Veldhoen
Finance Officer 

Do you have a child who is due to start school in 2026 and have not yet submitted an enrolment form?  

Enrolment Forms can be collected from our school office or downloaded via our website www.stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au

If you have any queries, please contact our office on 8218 3300.

We have certainly had Swimming on our minds this week. I would like to pass on a huge congratulations to all of the students who were brave and showed courage to try-out for the SACPSSA Swimming Carnival Team. We took 68 students to the Immanuel Swimming Pool in order for them to trial against the stopwatch. I must thank Megan Pratt (4P) and Sienna Huish (ESO) for their assistance on the day, as well as all of the parents who volunteered their time to organise students, time keep and record event times. It was certainly a very busy day with students having the opportunity to trial in Freestyle, Backstroke and Breaststoke. Our Year 6’s even got the opportunity to trial for Butterfly. We have been busy this week sorting through the times with the team to be announced very soon. Once the team is announced, we will get those students the appropriate consent forms and began preparation for the Carnival which is to be held on Tuesday April 2^nd.

On Wednesday 6^th March we had 17 students represent the school in the Airport District SAPSASA Swimming Trials. It was great to see so many students nominate for the event. After looking over some of the swimming times from earlier in the week, I am excited to hear how the students went. This is certainly a wonderful opportunity for these students and a new expeirence for some which is fantastic for them as individuals.

Soon our attention will turn to the next carnival, which will be the Glenelg Lacrosse Carnival where students from Years 4-6 will participate.

We have now received the Premiers Be Active Challenge Booklets. We look forward to getting active with this challenge very soon. Once organsied, a booklet will be sent home with your child/children.

Just a reminder, if your child competes in any sporting activities outside of the school and has success, we would love to celebrate this as a school. It might be a Grand Final win, State or National Championship or any other accolades. We have so many children doing amazing things, so please email me a photo and a small description if possible.

Keep up the great work everyone.

Yours in Sport,

Sam Putland
SPORT COORDINATOR

We are excited to be holding our annual Easter Raffle. We invite each family to donate an Easter item towards the Easter raffle.  These could include an Easter Egg, Easter items, children’s books, Easter craft items or a gold coin donation.  We would also appreciate Easter gift bags or baskets to display prizes.

These donations will be gathered into prizes, which will be drawn on Thursday 28th March at 2.20pm Assembly time. To celebrate Easter, we are also inviting students to wear a touch of Easter.  This could be bunny ears, a bunny mask, easter socks, easter hat etc… 

We invite you to bring along a gold coin donation which will go towards Project Compassion.  

Ten tickets will be sent home with each family. If you are unable to sell them, please return to the front office ASAP. If you can sell more tickets, please see Bernadette in the front office.  

Please pay for your raffle tickets via Qkr! and return your completed books to school.

In summary:

• 10 Easter raffle tickets ($1.00/ ticket) will be sent home to each family in Week 6.

• Easter donations to be brought to school during Week 6 – a collection basket will be in each classroom.  (Monday 4^th March-Friday 8^th March).

• Easter raffle tickets need to be returned by Friday 22^rd March (Week 8).

• Wear Easter theme item – Thursday 28^th March (Week 9). Gold coin donation.

• Easter raffle drawn on Thursday 28^th March (Week 9).

Thank you, your generosity is very much appreciated.

SJBCS P&F Team                

If there are any parents able and willing to cover new library books this year, please email mfrench@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au

Scholastic Orders
A Scholastic Book Club flyer has gone home to families this week.

What is Book Club?

Book Club provides families with an affordable and convenient way to access the best in children's literature to encourage leisure reading. Book Club brings the magic of reading to families by curating the catalogue in age-appropriate sections with a huge variety of excellent quality, affordable books.

LOOK INSIDE  THIS ISSUE OF BOOK CLUB!

Thank you

Maria French
Library Coordinator

All orders for both recess and lunch are to be ordered via our Qkr! app.   

Canteen orders close each canteen day (Monday, Wednesday & Friday) at 9.00am.

Healthy Canteen (Tuesday & Thursday) orders close on Mondays at 12pm.

Canteen Roster

Term 1

Friday 8th Mar - Jo & Katrina Nagle

Monday 11th Mar - Julie

Tuesday 12th Mar - Jo

Wednesday 13th Mar - Julie

Thursday 14th Mar - Jo

Friday 15th Mar - Jo & Melissa Gorgone

Monday 18th Mar - Julie

Tuesday 19th Mar - Jo

Wednesday 20th Mar - Julie

Thursday 21st Mar - Jo

Friday 22nd Mar - Jo & Jo Rowett

Monday 25th Mar - Juliie

Tuesday 26th Mar - Jo

Wednesday 27th Mar - Julie

Thursday 28th Mar - Jo

Friday 29th Mar - Good Friday 

Julie Henschke & Jo Fitzgerald

Last chance to nominate!

Nominations close Friday 8th March.

St John the Baptist School provides a safe environment for all while valuing the partnership between school and home.

As a Catholic community, we welcome and value volunteers. To be able to volunteer, and/or attend at other times throughout the school year, we ask that you hold a current Catholic Police Check (parents/caregivers attending excursions, reading in class, helping in class, attending community events), a current Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect in Education and Care for Volunteers certificate and have completed the volunteers application package.

A Catholic Police Check for volunteers is free for our current parents and caregivers. Application Forms are available in our school office.

This process ensures we maintain a child safe environment. To avoid disappointment, we encourage you to apply for a Catholic Police Check through the school office as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the school office on 8218 3300 or email Francis Schulz on fschulz@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au .

Year 7, 2026 Intake

For any families that may be considering enrolment at Cabra Dominican College in Year 7, 2026, a reminder that enrolment applications will close on Friday 12 April 2024 (end of Term 1).  Please note that siblings of current students are required to complete an application form.  

The Adelaide University Hockey Club are running an after school hockey program over the next three Wednesdays (6th March, 13th March and 20th March) from 4 - 5pm at the West Beach Hockey Centre, Burbridge Road West Beach. 

Children are welcome to join in any week. It is free and all equipment is provided (excluding mouthguards).

For more information and registrations can be found on the following: Camps & Activity Days | YMCA SA

Hamra Library currently offer the following drop-in activities:

• A monthly writers' group (4:30-5:30pm every second Wednesday of the month)
• A monthly book club with no set text, just a place to come and talk about books! (4:30-5:30pm last Wednesday of every month)
• Homework club for all-ages study assistance every Monday during term, 4pm-6pm.
• 24/7 access to Studiosity for additional support if they have a West Torrens library card!
• The Australian Refugee Association offers homework support to students from refugee backgrounds who have been in Australia for 5 years or less every Thursday of term - 4pm-6pm
• Lego Club (every 2^nd Monday during term time, 3:30-5pm)
• "Sign Squad" for 12-25 year olds to learn Auslan from a Deaf tutor (Friday 5-6pm in weeks 1, 4, and 8 of each term)

None of these activities require bookings but further information is available via the Hamra Library website on the Activities and Events webpage:

https://www.westtorrens.sa.gov.au/Hamra-Centre-Library/Activities-and-event

The links and information that are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only.  They do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by St John the Baptist Catholic School of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organisation or individual.  St John the Baptist Catholic School bears no responsibility for the accuracy legality or contact of the external site or for that of subsequent links.  Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.