Term 2, Week 6 2023

Dear Families

During 2022, St John the Baptist Catholic School were involved in a pilot project with Catholic Education South Australia (CESA), using the Learning Management System of SEQTA to generate reports.  Our feedback has supported the implementation of SEQTA reports across all systemic Catholic schools in South Australia. 

The End of Semester Progress Report that will be sent home in Week 10 of this term is a snapshot of your child’s learning achievement to date against the Australian Curriculum achievement standard.  Reading the report in conjunction with assessment rubrics, work samples and feedback that has been provided by their teacher up to now via Seesaw, is vitally important to understanding the grade that will be assigned on the report.  Students in Reception do not receive an A-E report in their first year of school.

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing quality education, we want to highlight the importance of continuous assessment and reporting in supporting both parents and students in their educational journey at St John the Baptist Catholic School. The Australian curriculum emphasises the value of effective assessment practices to ensure a comprehensive understanding of student progress and achievement, how assessment and reporting against the Australian curriculum play a crucial role in supporting you and your child:

1. Clear Learning Goals: The Australian curriculum sets clear learning goals and standards for each subject and grade level. Through ongoing assessment, teachers at St John the Baptist Catholic School track your child's progress and identify areas of strength and areas that may require further attention. This provides a roadmap for your child's learning journey and enables targeted support to help them reach their full potential.
2. Individualised Feedback: Assessment and reporting provide valuable feedback on your child's performance. Our teachers use a variety of assessment methods to gather evidence of learning. This enables them to provide specific feedback on your child's strengths, areas for improvement, and strategies for further growth. Such personalised feedback enhances learning outcomes and empowers students to take ownership of their progress.
3. Tailored Support: Assessment outcomes help identify students who may need additional support or extension opportunities. By monitoring student performance, teachers can provide targeted interventions, individualised learning plans, or enrichment activities to ensure every student receives the appropriate level of support. This tailored approach helps students to overcome challenges and achieve academic success.
4. Parent-Teacher Collaboration: Assessment and reporting facilitate open communication between teachers and parents. Regular evidence of learning on Seesaw provides opportunities to discuss your child's academic development, strengths, and areas for improvement. This collaboration fosters a shared understanding of your child's progress, enabling you to actively participate in their learning journey and provide additional support at home.
5. Celebrating Achievements: Assessment and reporting also serve to recognise and celebrate your child's achievements. By acknowledging their progress and accomplishments, we motivate and inspire students to strive for excellence. Celebrating achievements boosts self-confidence, encourages a growth mindset, and reinforces the importance of hard work and perseverance.
6. Promoting a Growth Mindset: By understanding ongoing assessments, parents can help cultivate a growth mindset in their child. They can emphasize the idea that assessments are not merely grades or judgments but opportunities for learning and growth. Parents can reinforce the idea that mistakes and challenges are part of the learning process and encourage their child to view assessments as valuable feedback for improvement.

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

Trinity Sunday in the Church
Last week, the Church celebrated Trinity Sunday. Following the great feast of Pentecost, we revere the glory of God in the Holy Trinity. This makes part of the marvellous mystery of God who is three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We know that God, who is love, loved the world so much that he sent his only son Jesus into the world. Jesus came into the world through his love for the Father and all of humanity, so that all who believe in him will have eternal life. It is also through the outpouring of the love shared between the Father and the Son, that our world has received the Holy Spirit. The Spirit emboldens us with the virtue to live a life of courage and love. This is the same Spirit given to the disciples at Pentecost and what we receive in the Sacrament of Baptism.

Sacramental Session for Confirmation & Holy Communion
Our candidates and their families had their information session last Wednesday evening 31^st May. It was an engaging night as Fr Denis discussed the different elements that they will expect to see when they receive their Sacraments including oil, water, bread, wine and the vessels used at Mass. This session marks the next step as the children journey towards receiving Confirmation and Holy Communion in August. Please keep these children and their families in your prayers as they continue to prepare for their Sacraments.

Vinnies Winter Appeal
We have officially hit the Winter season and as part of our focus for this term we will be donating long life foods for those people in our community who are doing it tough. We will hold Beanies for Vinnies Day on Tuesday 27^th June, Week 9. Children are to wear a beanie to school and bring in their item that they will donate to the Winter Appeal. Families would have received an email this week specifying the items required for donation according to year levels.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support towards this initiative.

Amanda Razon
APRIM

Each year our school participates in various initiatives to give back to the community. This term we will be supporting the Vinnies Winter Appeal and focus on donating long life foods by holding a Beanies for Vinnies Day.

On Tuesday 27^th June, Week 9 students are invited to wear a beanie and bring in their item of donation. Our Social Justice Leaders will be visiting each class this week to inform classes of this event.

Each year level has a specific item to donate:

• Reception: Cans of fruit 
• Year 1: Cans of long-life food  
• Year 2: Breakfast cereals 
• Year 3: Long life milk 
• Year 4: Rice 
• Year 5: Pasta  
• Year 6: Cooking oil 

Thank you for supporting a worthy cause!

Statement of Accounts
A Statement of Accounts has been sent home.  Please let me know if you did not receive your statement via post.  Can you please ensure your current method of payment will see your account paid in full by 24th November, unless previously arranged.  If you have changed your address, please advise the office as soon as possible on info@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au

School Card
Please follow the link below to apply for the 2023 School Card Scheme. Once we have received the eligibility report from School Card the remission will be applied to your account.

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

Eligibility 

School Card is available to: 

• families with children aged four years and over who attend a school full-time 
• independent full-time students studying year 10, 11 or 12 
• adult re-entry students undertaking subjects to complete their SAC 

https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/education-and-learning/financial-help-scholarships-and-grants/school-card-scheme 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries regarding the above.

Change of Circumstance
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 

Please be reminded this Friday 9th June is a Pupil Free Day for Staff Development.

SACPSSA Lacrosse Carnival
Our Lacrosse Carnival on Tuesday 30^th May saw approximately 130 St John the Baptist children, years 4-6 participating in a well-organized and high energy carnival. Between 5-9 children were in a team with 5 players on the field at a time.  The children subbed in and out regularly allowing for maximum participation, a quick rest and ready to go again.   The umpires who volunteered their time were representative of several Lacrosse clubs across Adelaide.  If you are interested in following up with Lacrosse our local club is Glenelg Lacrosse Club www.glenelglacrosseclub.com.au,  and if you go to www.lacrossesa.com.au you will find  the home of Lacrosse SA. 

A big thank you to the parents who were able to support us on the day by managing a team and showing great encouragement to the children.  We couldn’t attend these carnivals without your help.

Netball carnival – Monday 3^rd July Week 10
All Years 4-6 children will be participating in the South Australian Catholic Primary Schools Sports Association (SACPSSA) netball carnival on Monday 3^rd July, Week 10 at Netball SA Stadium.  We are looking for volunteers to manage a team, who have completed the appropriate Catholic Police Clearance and Volunteer paperwork.  Come and enjoy the day with a group of children who will be very excited to participate in a fun day of playing netball.  You do not need to know all the rules, we would love you to come along and support a keen group of children. 

Term 2 Sport Carnivals

SACPSSA Netball Carnival – Monday 3^rd July (Week 10)

**Please note change of date**

Mary Murray
Co-curricular Sport Co-ordinator
sport@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations to those students who have already finished reading their 12 or 20 books for the Premier's Reading Challenge

Just a reminder to keep encouraging your children to keep on reading for the challenge.  There is plenty of time to complete it with all of our support.  It finishes officially on the 8^th September.

If students need help with choosing books that interest them we will gladly assist.

The Library Team

Our School Concert will be held on Thursday 17th August at 7.00pm - don't forget to put it in your calendar.  Further details will be available at a later date.

School Disco

We are holding a School Disco on Friday 16th June - please see flyer for further details.

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 2

Friday 9th June - Pupil Free Day

Monday 12th June - King's Birthday Public Holiday

Tuesday 13th June - Jo

Wednesday 14th June - Julie

Thursday 15th June - Jo

Friday 16th June - Jo & Kate Piasente

Monday 19th June - Julie

Tuesday 20th June - Jo

Wednesday 21st June - Julie

Thursday 22nd June - Jo

Friday 23rd June - Jo & Belinda Steindorf

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 or email Francis Schulz on fschulz@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au .

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

Public School, Non-Government School, and Early Career Categories

Educators SA is pleased to announce that applications for the Minister for Education, Training and Skills Arts Education Awards are now open.

These prestigious awards are presented annually and reflect the ongoing commitment of the SA Government to recognise, celebrate and reward the work of outstanding teachers of the arts in South Australian schools.

Once again the awards have been extended to include Arts educators in their first 5 years of teaching. 

There are now four awards available for outstanding teachers of the Arts in public and non-Government schools and one award for an early career Arts educator. Each recipient of an award will receive $8,000 to support their professional learning in their chosen Arts field.

Awards are presented in three categories:

1. Public School Category (two awards)

• One award for a primary teacher of The Arts
• One award for a secondary teacher of The Arts

2. Non-Government School Category (two awards)

• One award for a primary teacher of The Arts
• One award for a secondary teacher of The Arts

3. Early Career Educator Category

• One award for a teacher of The Arts in their first 5 years of teaching.

Previous award winners have used these funds to experience professional learning that would otherwise be unavailable to them. 

Any Arts educator can nominate themselves for these awards or encourage others to apply.

Applications must be complete and submitted online no later than 5.00pm Friday 25^th August 2023.

To apply click on this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/artsaward2023

The awards are presented at the Educators SA World Teachers Day Ceremonies at Adelaide Oval on the 27^th of October 2022. The winners are expected to attend this gala dinner to receive their award from the Minister.

For additional information read the attached documents or contact us at Educators SA on 83565875 or office@edsa.sa.edu.au

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.