25 August 2023

Principal’s Message – Kate Ferguson

Grandparents Day

Yesterday we welcomed Grandparents and those that hold the role of Grandparent to school. It was a wonderful opportunity to welcome these special visitors and see our students share their school experiences with them and show their appreciation for the wisdom and joy you bring into their lives.

School Community Code of Conduct

It is our shared commitment to provide a safe, nurturing, and respectful environment for our students, staff, and families. As many of you would be aware, the Catholic School Office with the Maitland Newcastle Diocese have developed a School Community Code of Conduct which outlines the expectations and standards of behaviour we uphold as partners in your child's education.

I believe that a strong collaboration between home and school is essential for the development of our students. I recognise the vital role parents and guardians play in fostering an atmosphere of positivity, support, and cooperation. This Code of Conduct serves as a guide to ensure that our school remains a place where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard.

We kindly ask you to familiarise yourself with these expectations, as they reflect the values that underpin our school community.

Thank you for your commitment to upholding these standards and for being an integral part of the St John the Baptist Primary School Community. Together, we can continue to build a community that reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ and prepares our students to become responsible and compassionate individuals.

Father’s Day

On Friday the 1st of September we will welcome our Father’s and those who take on the Father role for our students to breakfast at 7:45, followed by a small celebration at 9:00am. Muffins and poppers will be provided for students at this time.

Mum, Aunts and Grandmothers – are you available to help coordinate this breakfast? If so please contact the front office through admin@maitlandsj.catholic.edu.au

Uniforms

From Monday the 4^th September, students will be able to transition from our winter uniform to our summer uniform, with the expectation that all students will be wearing their summer uniform in Term 4.

Girls Uniform

Girls have a choice of wearing a blue/grey check tunic or blue peter pan collared blue shirt and dark blue shorts (2 styles available). White ankle socks, black leather school shoes and navy or white hair ribbons. 

Boys Uniform

Blue short sleeve shirt, grey shorts, grey ankle socks and  black leather school shoes. 

A reminder that students are expected to wear the school hat for all play breaks.

Assistant Principal’s Message – Stacey Whiting

Last week to acknowledge National Science Week we had a ‘Science Fun Day.” Students rotated through different activities and teachers were able to demonstrate experiments. The students and staff had a fabulous afternoon of learning and fun. Thank you, Miss Dean, Mrs Lindus, Mr Sheridan, Mrs Ferguson, Mrs Reading, Miss Morgan and Mrs Wilson, for conducting our science experiments! The experiments included making elephant toothpaste, bubbles, tea bag rockets, water rockets, and watching the reaction when a packet of Mentos lollies are added to a bottle of Coke Zero!  

Student Attendance 

Regular attendance at school is essential to assist students to maximise their potential. Schools, in partnership with parents, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students. At St John the Baptist, we follow the Catholic School Office ‘Attendance Management Procedures.’ 

Parents and Carers are responsible for: 

• Enrolling their children of compulsory school age in a government or registered non-government school or registering them with NESA for home schooling 
• Ensuring that their children attend school regularly 
• Explaining to the school the absences of their children promptly and with seven days. In diocesan schools, parents/carers have the option to explain absences through the Compass platform 
• Taking measures to resolve attendance issues involving children 

A reminder to all parents and carers that if students are having more than 10 days of leave for the purpose of travel, an Application for Extended Leave needs to be completed and submitted to the school. 

Thank you to all parents and carers for reaching out and communicating with us regarding your child’s attendance.  

Religious Education – Chris Sheridan

Grandparents Day

How wonderful it was to have so many grandparents join us to celebrate Grandparents Day. The kids love to see you and show off their friends, their class work, where they play, and to have your interest in what they do. Each of our rotational liturgies concluded with the following special blessing – from the children to their grandparents.

Dear God, please bless our grandparents.
Thank you for the life they gave our own parents
and for the life, they give to each of us.
Let them grow in wisdom and joy in life.
Let them find peace and rest from their work.
Let them be healed of every sickness and pain.
May they see with their own eyes, your glory
and the love of their children and grandchildren.

Bless them always until they come to rest in you.

Amen.

Staff Formation Day Friday 8^th September

A fortnight from now, all our staff will spend a day in Formation. This means, we take time away from the business of a normal school day and give our attention to developing a deeper understanding of scripture.

The program will extend the staff’s knowledge of sacred Scripture and place importance on biblical scholarship. It will explore and examine how Scripture invites us to enter a personal relationship with God and how the bible is a means of God’s self-revelation to us.

“It follows that all preaching of the Church, as indeed the entire Christian religion, should be nourished and ruled by sacred Scripture.” (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, 21).

Just as we are required to keep ourselves informed about current curriculum topics to better prepare our students to learn well, we need to also keep informed about our core subject – Religion.

This formation day supports the goal of a systematic, intentional, and purposeful delivery of formation to build the spiritual capital of our staff. This formation day will equip and enable staff to take a more active approach in their own interpretation of Scripture, as well as provide further techniques/strategies to examine Scripture with our students.

Can I ask you, to please pray for each of us, as we undertake this critically important task.    

Primary Coordinator Report – Sara Murdoch

Bravehearts Day – 30th August, 2023

• Bravehearts Day (formally known as White Balloon Day) is next Wednesday the 30th August. Whilst the school is not participating in any fundraising events, we would like to mark the day with awareness around the issue of Child Protection. During our morning assembly, I will be speaking with the children about:
• Our Safety Network
• Early warning signs
• Themes : We all have the right to feel safe all the time. Nothing is so awful we can't tell someone.
• 'Our Underpants Rule' poem.

Throughout the day, each class will be taking part in activities and watching age appropriate padlets from the Office of Safeguarding. Please find below resources for Parents and Carers regarding keeping our kids safe from ‘The Office of Safeguarding’ and ‘Bravehearts’. Resources for Parents/Carers/Teacher (padlet.com) Resources For Parents & Carers | Bravehearts

My Underpants Rule!

All classes will listen to, 'My Underpants Rule!' on Bravehearts Day. This book is read to the children repeatedly throughout their infants and primary school years. The book is fun, engaging and colourful and it deals with a very serious subject in a child friendly way. It clearly defines appropriate and inappropriate behaviours when it comes to our private parts (we use the correct anatomical names), safe and unsafe touch and what to do if they ever find themselves in an unsafe situation.

If your child comes home and starts talking about the book, ask if they can remember the catchy rhyme. Protective behaviours allow our children to learn strategies and ways to be empowered and confident if they are ever in an unsafe or difficult situation.

Gala Days 

We have lots of Gala Days coming up over the next few weeks. Good luck and have fun to all the children participating in Soccer on the 28/8 and 29/8, Touch Football on the 7/9 and Rugby on the 14/9.  

Class Merit Awards

Canteen

P & F News

We have some great opportunities coming up for parents and carers to be involved in school community activities. Check the dates and events below and add them to your calendar. We look forward to welcoming as many people as possible. Our recent Thompson's pie drive raised $600. Well done to the St John the Baptist community and thankyou to our volunteers for giving their valuable time to assist with sorting and distribution. 

Expenditure of P&F Funds

We are very excited to announce that we have recently allocated $12000 to donations to St John the Baptist community. This is a fantastic effort by the community and we should all be proud. The funds have been allocated as follows:

$6000 Contributed to the redesigning and painting concrete in quad area.
$1500 Passive play resources
$1000 Portable goals for oval
$1500 Successful Foundations K-2 resources
$500 Pastoral Care and Student Wellbeing resources
$1500 End of year in school entertainment event K-6

Father's Day Stall

Uniform Shop

Open Monday 8:30-9am in school hall.

We are asking for donations of approved uniform items in good, clean quality condition (no rips, stains etc). We thank our dedicated uniform shop volunteers for their time and efforts in sorting and washing donations ready to sell.

Contacting the P & F Committee

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance via executive@pandf-maitlandsj.com

We welcome any suggestions, feedback, offers to volunteer with events or general enquiries about the P & F committee. 

Dates for the Diary

Term 3

Father’s Day stall - Wednesday 30^th August (Week 7)
Father’s Day raffle - Friday 1^st September (Week 7)

Term 4

Meeting & 2024 AGM - Wednesday 8^th November @ 9:30 am (Week 7)
Christmas Family Night - Tuesday 5^th December (Week 9)
Christmas Fun Day - Friday 8^th December (Week 9)

Aspire Young Actors Programme is presenting ‘Left Unattended” - please use link below for details