Dear Parents and Carers,

CONGRATULATIONS TO MR PAUL MORONEY – PRINCIPAL AT ST JOHN”S FROM 2020.

Last Friday 25^th November, an important announcement was shared with the staff, parent and student community from the Director of Schools, Mr Peter Turner, in relation to the substantive position of Principal at St John’s from 2020. Mr Paul Moroney will be the Principal at St John’s from the beginning of the new school year. We congratulate Paul on this significant appointment and offer him our prayers and support as he takes up this role. Paul is currently the Principal at Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Ingleburn. An opportunity will exist later in the term for parents to meet and introduce themselves to Paul over morning tea. This will be a wonderful way to warmly welcome him to the St John’s community.

A copy of the announcement is included with this bulletin for your information.

CLASS FORMATION GROUPINGS 2020

This lengthy process of class formation for 2020 has now commenced in earnest this term.

This process involves the current class teachers preparing draft lists for next year’s classes. This process takes into consideration the academic, social, emotional and physical needs of each individual student. Decisions are made to establish balanced, equitable class groups with the potential to work well together. As the teachers know the students within the school environment exceptionally well, the best interests of each individual student is always considered during the discernment process.

Parents are invited annually to contribute to the process of class formation by informing us in writing of any needs that may impact on class placement. Written requests could be submitted either through the class teacher or via an email to info@sjctdow.catholic.edu.au marked in the subject line – 2020 Class Formation. Parents are able to provide input during Weeks 1 - 4 in Term 4. This means that these requests need to be made by next  Friday 8^th November 2020.

It is important to note that whilst parental requests are considered, there is never a guarantee that these requests will be granted. If parents make a request, particularly about their child being placed within a friendship group, please be aware that there may be circumstances surrounding such requests that may prevent it from being granted.

ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORT PARENT SURVEY

Each year we seek parent, staff and student input in order to prepare aspects of the Annual School Report. All parents have the opportunity, via an anonymous online survey, to provide input into areas affecting the education of their children and the general functioning of the school. All feedback is greatly valued and will assist in contributing not only to the preparation of the Annual School Report but also to the future directions in planning for school improvement.

This survey will be available for completion from next week. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

CANTEEN NOW OPEN FIVE DAYS PER WEEK

Commencing from next week the canteen will be operating five days per week. Students will be able to purchase over the counter sales at both Lunch One and Two Monday - Friday.

Flexischools will be open to pre-order lunch orders for both breaks each day.

The canteen will be open for five days per week until the end of the school year. This will be to determine whether this is a viable option for the school canteen moving forward into 2020.

If you are interested in volunteering to support the running of the school canteen please do not hesitate to see either Mrs Stolzenhein or Mrs Tate about ways that you could assist.

UNIFORM POLICY

Parents are reminded of the following expectations according to the uniform policy in relation to haircuts.

HAIRCUTS

• The emphasis is on ‘neat and tidy’
• Shoulder length or longer hair for girls is to be tied back with school coloured ribbons
• No bleached / dyed hair
• Extremes of haircuts are not permitted, e.g., undercuts, long fringes with short on top, tracks, shaved, words, lines etc., are unsuitable
• The emphasis is on evenly cut hair. Hair must be neatly groomed (combed or brushed) away from the student’s face. To reduce the transfer of head lice, hair that is collar length or longer is to be plaited, braided or tied back with hair accessories.

Long hair not tied up could be ‘unsafe for the student and likely to result in a risk to health and safety of students and others’. Hair should not be dyed un-natural colours during the school term.

Inappropriate hairstyles (e.g. inappropriate words, shapes, stripes cut into the hair could ‘negatively influence the normal school operations’ and are therefore not permitted.

Parents are encouraged to follow these expectations when presenting your child for school each day.

Applications are open! The University of Wollongong invites students to participate in  LITTLE and EARLY LEARNING LABS, an academic enrichment holiday program.It targets students from Year 1 to 6 during 2019, who are passionate, self-motivated and curious learners.

Dates: Little Learning Labs (Years 1 and 2): 6th – 8th January 2020
Early Learning Labs (Years 3 to 6): 14th – 16th January 2020

Venue:    University of Wollongong (Wollongong campus only)

Applications close:  12th November 2019

APPLICATION PROCESS

·         Parents/Guardian fill out the online application form.

First-time applicants are required to demonstrate their suitability for the program. One piece of supporting documentation is required. Please note that the Teacher Nomination Letter can be used as a supporting document. If students have participated before they can self- nominate. 

Workshops fill very quickly. - Below are some options for the workshops in 2020. 

InPIring Mathematics In this exciting hands-on workshop, you will discover extraordinary mathematics and put your problem-solving skills to the test. It will promote your deeper understanding of mathematics, test your abstract thinking and reasoning skills, make you question the world around you, and give you a new appreciation for this universal language. 

The Joys of Writing Writing - gives you a chance to find your point of view and to explore ways of composing the stories that you want to share. You will experiment with different ways of writing to discover what suits your storytelling as you will have the opportunity to create interesting characters facing challenges and tensions in worlds that you imagine. Be prepared to challenge yourself to find ways to express your ideas and to construct engaging stories. 

EV3 Robotics - Bring the fascinating world of robotics alive with Lego Mindstorms EV2. We’ll go through the process of assembling sturdy robots that you can modify or customise and then work with your partner to problem solve your way through a number of challenges before we prepare our robots for the grand finale – a Sumo battle! 

Clay Cafe - Come join us at Clay Cafe where you get to develop your clay sculpting skills whilst creating any food (made completely out of air-dry clay!) your tastebuds desire. Warning: You may leave this workshop with an increased appetite!

Please contact Mr Astill if you have any questions about the workshops or suitability. 

For more detailed workshop descriptions, how to apply, FAQ’s, and the online application form, please go to: www.uow.info/learninglabs