Term 4, Week 8 2024

Student Reports
As in Term 2, student reports will be released to all families tomorrow afternoon through the SEQTA Engage App. The report should always be read alongside and in the context of the ongoing assessments that have been sent home via Seesaw throughout the year. If for any reason you are unable to view the report, please contact the Front Office at the school. 

End of Year Celebrations
Over the next week, we will enjoy two important celebrations as we conclude the 2024 school year. Firstly, we will gather for our Thanksgiving End of Year Mass at 9:30am tomorrow. On this occasion we take the time to reflect on and give thanks for the blessings of the year. We warmly welcome all to attend this Mass and stay on to enjoy morning tea with the community. 

Additionally, we will honour our graduating students at the Year 6 Graduation Liturgy and Dinner on Monday 9th December, celebrating their achievements and wishing them well on their journey to secondary school. 

We look forward to sharing these meaningful occasions as a school community. 

Update Change of Details
At any time throughout the year, if personal details change, including phone number, email contact, home address or there is a change to visa status, please ensure that you notify the school. This will ensure you continue to receive up to date communications from the school. Thank you for your cooperation. 

2024/2025 Administration Office Hours
The school will be closed from Friday 13th December 2024 until Friday 17th January 2025. 

The Administration Office will reopen on Monday 20th January 2025. 

School will resume for all students on Tuesday 28th January 2025. 

As the year draws to a close, we would like to wish all our families a joyful and blessed Christmas filled with love and togetherness. May the new year bring peace, happiness and new opportunities for growth and success. Thank you for being part of our wonderful school community, and we look forward to seeing you in 2025! 

Best Wishes 

Please be reminded to complete the updated RRHAN-EC course in order to keep volunteering in 2025. 

The completion of the online update will need to be completed before 31 December 2024 when your current certificate expires. You need to complete the new RRHAN-EC online update unless you already have a current certificate with an expiry date of 31 December 2027.

To access the online update please use this link to login as ‘Non Department for Education staff login’ OR if you don’t already have a plink login, register here.

If your RRHAN-EC has already expired or you are new to education, please refer to the following guide which will help you to determine which course you need to do.

Which course is right for you?

My certificate expires on 31 December 2024 – do the online update only (takes about 2 hours).

My certificate is expired – start with the fundamentals.  If you also work directly with children and young people, do the masterclass after you’ve finished the fundamentals course.

End of Year Thanksgiving Mass
A reminder that families are welcome to join us for our End of Year Thanksgiving Mass. We will be celebrating another school year with many successes and achievements to be proud of. We will also acknowledge the students who are receiving a St John the Baptist Service Award and the Year 6 Mary MacKillop award. These students have been chosen for living out the following criteria:

St John the Baptist Awards

Students demonstrate aspects of the following: 

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  

St Mary MacKillop Award

The St Mary MacKillop award is given to students who have demonstrated the following: 

1. treats others with compassion and respect,  

2. Strong leadership in their service and care for others, the community and the environment 

3. believes in the equality of opportunity 

4. demonstrates trustworthiness and honesty in all situations 

5. academic excellence in learning 

Hasn’t the year just flown by and now we are in December already and thinking about Christmas!  Any outstanding school fees are now overdue unless you have already made arrangements with me. If you have a balance owing, please make your final payments now.  If you need help checking your balance or if you are unable to complete your payments by the end of the year, please contact me so we can discuss options.

Recently packs were sent home regarding your family information along with the 2025 fee information.  You will notice that the fees have been kept on hold for another year which I’m sure is a relief for many families.  If you are wishing to pay your fees by regular direct debit, please complete the direct debit form within the pack and return it to the office now so it can be set up.  If choosing a set amount and you are unsure of the end date you can write the start date and then x 42 weeks or x 22 fortnights. If you would like assistance calculating the amount required, please email me and I can check if you have a current balance and work it out for you.

Also please note for people with ongoing direct debits that the Office will be closed from 13th December until 20th January so if you need to change any details or amounts it will need to be completed before the 20^th December.  Emailing me directly is the preferred method of contact at this time as the phones may be diverted. 

As always 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.

Best wishes for the festive season and 2025.

Jodie Veldhoen
Finance Officer

Dear St John’s Community,

We’ve arrived at the final newsletter piece for the year and I honestly can’t believe how quickly this first year at SJBCS has gone. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time this year mentoring all of the students, getting to know all of the wonderful families and the wider community. I feel extremely lucky to be working in such a vibrant, energised and motivated community. Thank you to each and everyone of you who have helped support me throughout my initial year. I very much look forward to working harder again next year to deliver as many sporting opportunities as possible for the students.

Thank you to the parents who were able to attend our 2025 Sports Information night. It was great to spend time with you explaining the processes involved in Sport as well as our SACPSSA and SAPSASA opportunities for next year. For those of you that were unable to make it, we have made our updated Sports Handbook available to you all please find link here.

Well done to all of our After-School sport teams, I am very proud of each and every one of you for representing the school. We can’t run these teams without the generous support from our volunteer mentors and managers. Well done to all involved and I look forward to building on this profile next year.

I will leave you all with a quote from John Wooden:

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."

I wish all of the Year 6’s the very best as they transition into the next phase of their learning journey. May they show confidence in their own abilities and be willing to take on many opportunities in a new setting.

I wish you all a restful break and the chance to first ‘un-wind’ and then ‘charge up’ with family and friends who are close to you.

Yours in sport

Sam Putland
SPORTS COORDINATOR

Lions Christmas Cakes and Puddings are available in the front office until 11th December.

1.5kg Cake - $20.00

1kg Cake - $16.00

Pudding - $16.00

Wine Drive

The Parents & Friends are raising funds through a Wine Drive in conjuction with The Hwy.  Please see flyer and order form below.  Orders close on Sunday 15th December.

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to all of our volunteer mothers who have covered many, many new books for us to enjoy in the library.  Your help has been invaluable.

OVERDUE BOOKS are still finding their way home to the library.  If you have any outstanding, please keep looking and even if they are found over the holidays just return them at the beginning of school 2025.

IT'S A SECRET .....but at next Monday's assembly there will be some extra special Premier's Reading Challenge  Awards....  CONGRATULATIONS to the winners.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a safe New Year.

Happy reading 

Maria French

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 6th December - Jo & Stacey Arnold

Monday 9th - Wednesday 11th December - Canteen is closed 

Canteen Feedback
We would love your feedback regarding the canteen.

Is there anything that you would like to see on the menu that we may be able to consider adding on?

Please send your feedback to jfitzgerald@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au

Thank You
We would like to thank everyone who has volunteered their time to help us in the Canteen this year, it is much appreciated! 

A big thank you to the Year 6's who have been helping sell iceblocks this year.

Canteen Closed Week 9
Please note that the canteen will be closed in Week 9 (Monday 9th - Wednesday 11th December).

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 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 Julia Roy on jroy@stjohnpl.catholic.edu.au .

                                               

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.

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.