Term 4, Week 6 2023

Dear Families

Advent
Next Sunday, 3^rd December, marks the first week of the Advent season which lasts for four weeks (or four Sundays) before Christmas Day. This word ‘Advent’ has come from the Latin word ‘adventus’, meaning waiting, as we are waiting for the birth of Jesus Christ. This is why we have advent calendars, or light advent candles as we anticipate the coming of baby Jesus.

Vinnies Christmas Hamper Appeal
As we know, there are many families experiencing hardship and these gifts will provide them with much joy, especially this Christmas season. A big thank you to all for the generous contributions and donations towards this term’s appeal. We greatly appreciate all your support.

St John the Baptist Awards
In previous years, we have given the Mary MacKillop Service award to students. This year we will be presenting our St John the Baptist Awards. The award is named after St John the Baptist, the patron saint of our school. He was a model of humility, who led others to Jesus, out of his deep love for God.   Our Mary MacKillop awards for our Year 6 students will remain unchanged.

Our school is also bound by the Josephite Charism which has been inspired by the virtuous character and example of St Joseph who also led a life of service and care for others, out of love for God. Two students from each class will receive this award.
The candidates have had to demonstrate the following attributes throughout the year:

1. treats others with compassion and respect.
2. displays service in their care for others and the environment.
3. believes in the equality of opportunity.
4. possesses an ability to make good choices.
5. strives to do their best in all areas.

Thanksgiving/ End of Year Mass
With the year ending, we will come together as a community to celebrate this year. The whole school will have Mass at 11:45am on Friday 8th December in thanksgiving for 2023. It will also be an opportunity to congratulate the students who have been selected to receive the St John the Baptist Awards and the Year 6 students for the Mary MacKillop Award.

Graduation Liturgy
On Monday December 11^th we will celebrate our graduates for 2023. The Year 6s will have their Graduation Liturgy in St John the Baptist Church at 6:00pm.

Sacramental Program 2024
If your child has received their Sacrament of Baptism and is eight years or older, they can receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion. The Sacraments are sacred actions of the Church which bring about encounters with God in people’s lives. They are wonderful celebrations that bring individuals closer to God and to the community. If you would like to register your child to receive their Sacraments in 2024, enrolment forms are now available through this link. Please send completed forms to the Parish or School Office. You can contact the parish at plymptonparish@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au or 8293 6600 for more details.

Amanda Razon
APRIM

The Parish are now accepting enrolments for the 2024 Sacramental program. If your child or children are aged 8 years or over, or will be turning 8 before August next year, and you believe them to be ready to be involved in the program, please complete the registration form here and return to the Parish Office by 5th February 2024, for the attention of Pastoral Associates.

For further information, please see a letter from Fr Denis Ssemuju here.

Statement of Accounts
A statement of accounts has recently been posted to your billing address. 

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 Fees 2024
The School Fee Schedule for 2024 was sent home with forms for completion last week.  

If you have changed your bank account details for your direct debit you will need to complete a new direct debit request form.  Forms are due back by Friday 1st December.

If you are eligible for School Card you will need to complete online a new application form - details will be sent home in January 2024.

Should you require Fee Remission please contact the Finance Officer for an application form.

Qkr! After School Sport Payments
All after school sport payments are to be finalised by this Friday, 24th November 2023.  

Each term has a fee for every sport that your child is participating in.  Can you ensure that this fee is paid termly.  Thanks for your anticipated support.

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

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

Pam Marks 
Bursar/Finance Officer 

SACPSSA Come & Try Day                            

All the Year 2’s students attended the SACPSSA Come and Try Day that was held in the South Parklands on Tuesday 14^th November. The students had a great day in which they experienced various sporting activities. 

• Rugby League
• Cricket
• Rugby Union
• Golf
• Aussie Rules Football
• Activities run by Year 6’s from St Augustine’s Parish School, Galilee Catholic School and St Michael's College

Thank you to all the parents who volunteered on the day.

Term 4 After School Sport Teams

Basketball     

Year 3/4 Boys STJB Bulls - Coach - Megan Spokes

Year 3/4 Boys STJB Wizards – Coach - Jeff Balkwill

Year 5/6 Boys STJB Warriors – Coach - Filomena Francis

Year 5/6 Girls STJB Clippers – Coach - Simon Croxton

        Year 2/3 Open STJB Lakers – Coach - Grant Evans

Year 2/3 Open STJB Magic – Coach - Michelle Politis

Year 2/3 Open Jazz – Coach - Hilary Sadler

Year 5/6 Volleyball   

            STJB Storm – Coaches - Jo Rowett & Beth Tamm         

Netball          

Year 3/4 STJB Allstars – Coach - Michelle Politis

Soccer Tops / Basketball Tops

Reminder: There are still school Soccer tops that need to be returned. Please return ASAP.

Reminder: Could all school Basketball tops that are not being used in Term 4 please be returned ASAP.

Kind regards,

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

sport@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au

In this the 20th Year of the Premier’s Reading Challenge the Hon. Peter Malinauskas issued
an extra challenge to students to read 20 or more books. Forty-three of our students took
up that challenge and received a special certificate. 291 students at St John’s completed the 12 book challenge. Overall there were 68 certificates, and 223 medals given out.

Reading regularly is an important step in developing good literacy skills. It is the key to
success at school and into the future. Books can take us to wonderful places. They help to
shape our imagination, to be in touch with our emotions and they introduce us to
characters who sometimes share our very own experiences. They gift us with many words, a
rich vocabulary which we can draw on when speaking to our friends, parents, teachers and
when we are asked to write our very own stories. They remind us how to live a good life and
how to look after the world in which we live. They sometimes take us into the future so that
we can imagine what things may be like in many years to come and they unite us with
people all around the world.

Congratulations on another wonderful year of reading and being part of the South Australian Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) in its 20th Year.

Special congratulations and awards were given to:

• Cash H (6GR) & Ava K (6C) who have completed 8 years of doing the Premier’s Reading Challenge and have been awarded the HALL OF FAME CERTIFICATE.
• Albie C (2T) and Madeleine T (5HB) for persistence in achieving their reading goals efficiently to complete the challenge.
• Elwood H (4PR) and Caela L (6GR) – for reading a wide range of books by different authors to complete the challenge.
• Callan T (1SM) for reading the highest number of books (52) in completing the PRC.
• Year 3WD for being the class with the highest percentage (85%) of students who completed the challenge. (They received a special treat from their teachers.)

A very special thank you to all those in school and beyond who have encouraged, read to,
listened to students reading, helped them decode and understand words and value the
fabulous worlds that reading can take us into.

It is the students who choose to take up the challenges and staff and families who support
them, who make the success of the challenge a reality.

The Parents & Friends are hosting a Thermomix raffle. 

Tickets cost $20 can be purchased via the QR Code on the flyer above. 

First prize is a Thermomix valued at $2579 and second prize is a Russell Hobbs 5.7 litre Brooklyn Air Fryer valued at $149.

Lions Cakes & Puddings are available from the Front Office.

• 1.5kg Cake - $20.00
• 1kg Cake - $16.00
• Pudding - $16.00

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 4

Friday 24th November - Melisa Gorgone & Jo

Monday 27th November - Julie

Tueday 28th November - Jo

Wednesday 29th November - Julie

Thursday 30th November - Jo

Friday 1st December - Zoe Seiffert

Monday 4th December - Julie

Tuesday 5th December - Jo

Wednesday 6th December - Julie & Toni Stevens

Thursday 7th December - Jo

Friday 8th December - Megan Spokes & Jo

Monday 11th December - Julie

Tuesday 12th December - Jo

Wednesday 13th December - Julie, Maria Esteban, Neeta Saldanha & Julian Thompson

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

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.