Term 2, Week 10 2022

Dear Families

NAIDOC Week 
This week we celebrate NAIDOC Week where we recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Classes across the school will take this opportunity to participate in activities and learn about First Nations cultures and histories. 

Term 3 New Students 
We look forward to welcoming 15 new students to the school as part of the mid year Reception intake. Many of these children have been involved in the Little JB’s Transition program throughout this term and have become increasingly familiar with the school and its associated routines. We will ensure an official welcome and introduction to our school community occurs for the children at our first assembly in Term 3. 

Staffing News
Sylvia Roussos will commence her maternity leave at the beginning of Term 3. Melissa Gatto, a teacher familiar to the Year 6 cohort and the school has been employed to replace Sylvia for Terms 3 and 4 of this year.  

Grantley Crawford, the Work Health and Safety Coordinator has retired from his role at the school. Michael (Mick) Grandey has been employed in the Work Health and Safety Coordinator role and will commence at the beginning of Term 3. Mick is also employed at Our Lady of Grace School, Glengowrie in the same role.  

We look forward to Melissa and Mick’s contribution to the school community from the beginning of next term. 

Class Assemblies
During this term we commenced school assemblies once more, but they have been led largely by a member of the Leadership Team. From the beginning of Term 3, classes will again lead assemblies and parents are most welcome to attend. Assemblies run on Tuesday afternoons from 2:20-3:00pm. Your child’s classroom teacher will communicate with families when it is their turn to lead an assembly. 

P and F Disco
Thank you to the Parents and Friends for their coordination and organisation of the discos for the students last Friday evening. The children (and some staff) were very excited and enjoyed the opportunity to show off their dancing skills. A great community event! 

Principal’s Tour
Our next Principal’s Tour will be held on Saturday 30th July from 2:00-3:00pm. We warmly encourage prospective families to come along and experience the opportunities that St John the Baptist Catholic School has to offer. Please register your interest via the school website www.stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au. 

School Fees 2023
We are pleased to inform you that there will be no increase in school fees for the 2023 school year.  The Term 3 Reception intake shall continue to be offered to families free of charge.  This is great news as we continue to support families at a time when they are being impacted by cost of living rises.

2021 Annual School Performance Report
Each year schools are required to prepare a report for their parents and community, as a requirement of the School Assistance Act. We wish to advise that the Annual School Performance Report is now available on the school website.  Hard copies are also available from the office on request. 

As this is the final newsletter for Term 2, we would like to thank everyone for their support during this term. Students will conclude the term on Friday 8th July at 3:00pm and we look forward to welcoming all students back to school for Term 3 on Monday 25th July. 

Enjoy a restful term break! 

Best Wishes

The Leadership Team - Todd LaForgia, Jo Livingstone, Amanda Razon & Michael Cimarosti 

NAIDOC Week 3-10 July
This week we recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’s historical and cultural significance in our country. During this week, we take time to intentionally grow and learn more about different communities within their culture and to appreciate the richness of their tradition, knowledge and heritage.

Vinnies Winter Appeal
A big thank you to everyone for all their contributions to the Vinnies Winter Appeal this year. The drive was a huge success as we collected and packed many boxes full of canned goods, cereals and other long-life food. The money from the bake sale was also gratefully received by the team at St. Vincent de Paul. All the donations and proceeds will be a great support to the vulnerable in our society and our contributions make a big difference.

St. John the Baptist Feast Day
Another note of thanks to those who joined us in celebrating the feast day Mass of St. John the Baptist. We were blessed to have a great turn out weather-wise but also to celebrate our patron Saint and our school-parish community. It was our first whole-school Mass for the year and at special one at that, as we acknowledged the significant number of years of service that staff had given to our school. The children also enjoyed a buddy activity after lunch as they created locust/ grasshopper pegs and a party bag with St. John the Baptist-style themed treats!

Faith Facts
Have you ever wondered… what is a Parish Priest? Click here to learn more!

A last note to say thank you for the continued support you provide this community, we’ve made it through another packed term. I hope you and your families have a restful break and come back refreshed and ready for Term 3.

Amanda Razon
APRIM

                    Our prayers are with those who have recently lost loved ones.

                                               May God keep them close.

                 To the family of Katie DeLeo (Staff) for her Father in Law Guiseppe.

                                      "Eternal Rest grant unto him O'Lord,

                                     and let perpetual light shine upon him,

                                                  May he rest in peace."

Statement of Accounts
Could you please ensure that your current method of payment is sufficient so that your account will be in a zero balance by the final payment date of the 25^th November 2022.

Online payments
When making payments online could you please ensure you list your reference number from your Statement of Accounts eg 9063…….. followed by your child’s surname.

Fee Remission 
Families who have previously received fee remission will be required to complete a new fee remission form with the following documentation attached: 

• Your most recent tax return(s) – private and/or business as applicable 
• Your most recent pay advice(s) and /or other form of income if applicable 
• Your Centrelink statement receiving Centrelink or other special benefits 
• School Card approval (if applicable) 

Please contact Pam Marks, Finance Officer, for the above form or arrange a time to meet. 

School Card
Please follow the link to apply for the 2022 School Card Scheme. 

The School Card Scheme provides low income families attending a non-government school with financial assistance for school fees (materials and services charges). 

Once School Card has been approved the discount will applied to your account, previously this has been at the end of Term 1.

Term 2 After School Sports 
Term 2 after school sports costs will be available to pay via Qkr! shortly - further information on when it will be available for payment will be emailed.

Qkr! Notifications
Please ensure that you have your notifications on for Qkr!  Notifications are sent out when items are closing to ensure you don't miss out.  See instructions below regarding turning on notifications.

We ask those families whose circumstances may have changed or are experiencing difficulties to please contact Todd LaForgia or myself at your earliest convenience via email: pmarks@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au

Pam Marks 
Bursar/Finance Officer 

St John the Baptist Catholic School Sports Teams Terms 2 & 3

We have 16 school sport teams in

• Basketball
• Netball
• Soccer
• Tee Ball

Sport Carnivals            Term 2 2022

Crows Cup Year 5/6 Girls held Friday 24^th June                 

St John the Baptist Catholic School had 24 Year 5 & 6 girls compete in the Crows Cup Carnival at Richmond Oval on Friday 24^th June.

The girls were split into 2 teams –

• St John the Baptist A                  Year 5
• St John the Baptist B                  Year 6

The day started under dark and threatening skies – fortunately the forecast rain stayed away. The girls played matches against teams from:

• St Francis Lockleys
• Lockley North PS x2
• Colonel Light Gardens PS
• St Bernadettes School
• St John’s Grammar
• Plympton PS

After the preliminary matches the St John the Baptist B team played off in the finals and managed to obtain 4^th position. The St John the Baptist A team played off in the finals and managed to obtain 6^th position.

Well done to all the girls on their competitiveness and good sports (wo)manship.

Westies Cup Year 5/6 Boys held Tuesday 28^th June

St John the Baptist Catholic School had 26 Year 5 & 6 boys compete in the Westies Cup Carnival at Richmond Oval on Tuesday 28th June.

The boys were split into 2 teams –

• St John the Baptist Brown      Year 5
• St John the Baptist Gold          Year 6

The 2 teams played matches against teams from:

• St Francis Lockleys
• Lockley North PS x2
• Colonel Light Gardens PS
• St Bernadettes School
• St John’s Grammar
• Plympton PS

After the preliminary matches the St John the Baptist Gold team played off in the finals and managed to obtain 3^rd position. The St John the Baptist Brown team played off in the finals and managed to obtain 5^th position.

SACPSSA Netball All Years 4 – 6 held Tuesday 5^th July
St John’s fielded 12 teams that competed in the SACPSSA Netball Carnival on Tuesday. In total approximately 120 students participated – a big thank you to the parent helpers / volunteers. All teams are to be commended on their skill, participation and behaviour.

Upcoming Carnivals

SACPSSA Cross Country Carnival  

• School trials - Friday 29^th September (Week 1)
• Year 3 - 6 - Thursday 11th August (Week 3)

Baseball Carnival (Adelaide Baseball Club)

• Year 5 & 6 - Wednesday 24th August (Week 5) TBC

SACPSSA Touch Carnival 

• Year 4 - 6 - Friday 9th September (Week 7)

SAPSASA Tennis Carnival

• Years 3 & 4 - Wednesday 21st September (Week 9)

SACPSSA

“The South Australian Catholic Primary School Sports Association aims to promote the philosophy of good sportsmanship, teach students how to win well and lose graciously, and foster companionship between competitors while promoting a healthy active lifestyle.”

Please note.

Hard copy permission / information notes will no longer go home for Sports Carnivals.

ALL notes will be online via the Qkr! App

In the Qkr! App you will be asked to –

• Give permission for your child to attend
• Volunteer to help at the carnivals (without your help the children would not be able to participate)
• Pay the costs for registration and transport and sign
• This is the only option available 

Kind regards,

Paul O'Dea
PE & Co-curricular Sport Co-ordinator

podea@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations to Reid W (5F) for qualifying for the Under 13 State Ice Hockey Team "The Destroyers" and competiting in Newcastle this week.  Good luck Reid!

The Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC)
Please encourage your children to continuing reading, aiming to complete their PRC by Friday 2nd September. 

Bookweek Request
If the students have any Australian toy animals e.g. kangaroo, koala, cockatoo etc... could they please lend them to us for Bookweek in Week 5.

Please make sure they are clearly labelled.

New Library System
The new library system AccessIt has now been installed in the library and has replaced Bookmark.  The library is now open to students for borrowing. 

Introducing the Catholic Schools Music Festival Choir for 2022 - Rowan A, Alice B, Kenny B, Amaya C, Samaira D, Evie H, Rosie H, Raizel J, Tatum N, Inara N, Isabelle P, Sophia R, Linda S, Michael S, Logan T, Violet W and Willow Y.

The following students have been rehearsing since Term 1, for the CSMF Showcase, to be held during Week 10 of next term.  These students have been attending rehearsals before school every week and recently attended a combined rehearsal with other schools in the area in the lead-up to the final performance.

I would like to thank these students for their dedication to the choir program.

Further details regarding the performance and ticket sales will be available in Term 3.

Antonietta Caruana
Choir Trainer

We have enjoyed another wonderful term of hosting playgroup. We have watched our little people grow, learn and play. We continue to welcome new families to our community. This term we have enjoyed having our year 5 students join us for playgroup each week. This has been a fantastic opportunity for the year 5s as well as the playgroup children who look forward to seeing them each week. The coffee van has been a success with our families coming in from the cold for a warm place to play and enjoy a hot drink. We will be hosting our end of term morning tea in week 10 and we look forward to another fun filled term 3.  

I read an important post on FaceBook (FB) about changes to SnapChat today and feel it's really important for parents to be aware, from both a safety perspective but also from a mental health perspective for children. 

There is a website called Safe On Social which is fantastic, and their FB page has a lot of great posts. Parents can sign up to a newsletter to keep abreast of the current cyber space issues that impact children (and adults alike). Today's post about SnapChat talks about changes to their policies which will allow ANYONE to see where you are currently located, to the point of showing your actual house via Google Earth. 

Social Media and other messaging platforms can cause serious mental distress amongst children, if they are allowed full access to the apps. By signing up to Safe On Social's newsletter, you will be able to make appropriate decisions for the safety of your children, in terms of people being able to find your child, but also for the mental health of your young ones. Imagine your child was not invited to a party and they found out through SnapChat that their friends are all staying over at another friends house. These situations are very common and cause lots of issues related to lack of self-confidence, feelings of not being 'good enough', self-blame or self-hatred among a myriad of other feelings. Depending on a child's resilience to these kinds of situations, their ability to cope with a situation like this could be very upsetting for them, causing mental health and wellbeing concerns over time.

Here is a link to their website which will bring up their newsletter sign-up box.

https://www.safeonsocial.com/?fbclid=IwAR2m0dOgr_sWqkILvGA_YlO2pXWS2goUd79TE8QyIg-NCIX4kTh85EJyp6U

Here is a copy of the post about SnapChat written by the founder of Safe On Social - Kirra Pendergast - in case you are not on Facebook, there are images attached so you can see exactly what can be seen on SnapChat regarding locations and how easy it is to find a person:

I opened Snapchat this morning to see a notification that they are updating their privacy policy....something I can 100% guarantee your kids won't look at. Except for a new feature that they may use as it gives them more access to their friends.

The changes that concern me greatly are:

How they have updated how they display data for certain products; for example, how recent locations may be shown to your friends on the Map. (literally showing where you sleep at night).

How they will share how close you are with your friends on Snapchat based on your interactions with them. (Remember being a teenager and the need to be liked by everyone? This may have implications on a young persons mental health)

They may communicate with users via SMS (actively using phone numbers for marketing)

Take a look at the images I have shared below to get an idea of what you are dealing with:

My location asking me to enable a precise location

My precise location when you zoom in high resolution

Oh, and those blue dots on the map are a heat map and yes I have just been shown by clicking on it and zooming in the precise location of a little boy, well under the age of 13yrs, dancing less than 5kms from my home and I can see his exact address. Clearly, it was filmed by a parent in their bedroom.

It is 2022 as far as I am concerned parents no longer have the excuse "I don't use Snapchat" you need to get your head around it right now. Not to stop your kids from using it, but to teach them how to use it better, so you know what to do if something goes wrong. You gave them their devices, you allowed the apps. You effectively gave them the keys to the car and let them drive off down the highway with no lessons. But don't panic! We are here to fast-track your education for you. I will virtually hold your hand.

I cannot stress how important it is to secure the Map function - I will be writing a how-to about that today and a whole stack of things parents need to know and I will mail it out to our mailing list by the end of the week as there is too much to write about here. You can sign up at www.safeonsocial.com

For further information and informative articles about cyberbullying and being safe online please go to the eSafety Commissioners website https://www.esafety.gov.au/ 

Sarah Byrnes
School Counsellor

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

Friday 8th July - Dove Lin & Lucianna Introna

Term 2

Monday 25th July - Julie

Wednesday 27th July - Julie

Friday 29th July - Dove Lin & Julie

Monday 1st August - Julie

Wednesday 3rd August - Julie

Friday 5th August - Stacey Arnold & Julie

A big thank you to everyone who volunteered in the Canteen this term!

Julie Henschke & Jo Fitzgerald

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, have completed the volunteers application package and your COVID vaccination certificate.

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.

If you would like to enrol your child/ren in Vacswim SA - please go to our website www.vacswimsa.com.au for more information.Enrolments will be opening on September 1, 2022!

Block 1:
19th to 23rd of December
Block 2:
2nd to 6th of January
Block 3:
9th to 13th of January
Block 4:
16th to 20th of January

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.