St John the Baptist Koo Wee Rup Newsletter

24 August 2022

We respectfully acknowledge, and pay our respects to the Elders of the Kulin Nation, both past and present, as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School is situated.

From the Principal

Principals Report

Dear Parents/Carers,

2023 Enrolments: If you or anyone you know is planning on enrolling for 2023 please contact the office to arrange an enrolment pack and interview. Available positions are filling quickly.  Please contact the office for an enrolment pack or email: enrolments@stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au 

St John’s Catholic Identity Survey:  How are we different from public and other private and religiously-affiliated schools? Our Catholic Identity signifies our essence, our distinctive character and our values. As we think about Catholic school identity, we must be mindful of the 21st century context in which our schools exist and in which our children are growing up.

This survey is a way for us to examine our practices and shared understandings as a way of identifying whose practices to be maintained and strengthened, and the possibilities moving forward.

As a parent, you have an important perspective to share. I therefore ask that you please take 10 mins to complete this short survey.

The link for your survey is:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Nnsicz1QXuEhlgr7a9SGhCm6cJcwDbXxY1xGZdwT9WY/edit

New Child Safe Standards began on 1st July 2022. We have built on existing child safety strategies, policies and practices to strengthen our culture of child safety and protect children from abuse and harm.

The St John’s Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy, demonstrates our school’s commitment to creating and maintaining a child safe and child-friendly organisation, where children are safe and feel safe. This policy provides an overview of our school’s approach to implementing Ministerial Order 1359 which sets out how the Victorian Child Safe Standards apply in school environments. It informs our school community of everyone’s obligations to act safely and appropriately towards children and guides our processes and practices for the safety and wellbeing of students across all areas of our work.

The new Child Safe Standards are:

  1. Culturally safe environments
  2. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in leadership, governance and culture
  3. Child and student empowerment
  4. Family engagement
  5. Diversity and Equity
  6. Suitable staff and volunteers
  7. Complaints processes
  8. Child safety knowledge, skills, and awareness
  9. Child safety in physical and online environments
  10. Review of child safety practices
  11. Implementation of child safe practices

To view our School Policy related to the Child Safe Standards, please visit our website.

Absences & Holiday Submissions:

  • A reminder that applications for holidays should be submitted prior to your holiday, not as an absence once on holiday.
  • General student absences -  once you have signed up to PAM we request that all student absence notifications be submitted via PAM as this flows automatically through to our attendance roll. Please keep the notes in relation to absences submitted brief, if you need to explain further please follow up with a phone call or email to the office.
  • Absence notes must be submitted each day your child is absent, preferably before 9am on the day of absence.


Fathers Day Stall & Fathers Day Breakfast: Our Fathers Day Stall will be held on Thursday 25 August, all students will be given the opportunity to purchase, gifts will be priced between $1 and $5.

Father’s Day Breakfast will be held on Friday 2 September, see flyer below. An Operoo form will be provided shortly with full details, we ask families to make their booking via the Operoo form to assist with catering. 

Friends of St John’s (P&F): With the lifting of COVID restrictions, we are keen to re-establish our Friends of St Johns group. We invite you to our first meeting on 14th September 9:30am in the staffroom. If you are interested in being part of the Friends of St Johns and cannot attend, please send through your apology and contact details to; pandf@stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au

Parent Access Module (PAM): A reminder that a number of families are yet to sign up to PAM and complete their students' medical profiles. Please complete this at your earliest convenience, if you are unable to locate your email requesting you to sign up please try the following: 

  • Use the following link: https://pam.stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au

  • Select Forgot Password, enter your email address - this triggers an email with a link to reset your password (check your spam/junk if not received)

  • Once you have reset your password you will receive another email requesting you to verify your email address

  • Once you've done this you can access your child/childrens profile and complete their medical profile

If you are still having trouble please contact the office to check the email address you are using and we will assist you with completing the sign up. 

Uniforms: Correct school uniform is required to be worn at all times - many children are wearing items that are not part of our uniform particularly on sports days. Any instance of a child being out of uniform requires a written note/email to their teacher and should not be an ongoing thing.

Regards 

Chris Dortmans, Principal

Junior News

As we are getting towards the end of the Term there are many upcoming activities for Junior students to get very excited about! This week students are preparing for Book Week (August 29th-September 2nd) by engaging in an Author study, where they will read a variety of Fiction stories written by Adam Wallace. During Book Week there will be a variety of activities each day starting with our Author visit on Monday, a Foundation-Grade 3 Reading Line on Tuesday, The Junior Teddy Bear Picnic on Wednesday and our Book Week Dress up Day Parade on Thursday. Check your child’s See-Saw for more details about these events and what you might need to prepare.

Later in the Term we will be taking an excursion to Twisted Science on September 7th, please check your Operoo accounts for the details. Grades F-2 will also be hosting a Mass in the church at 9.15am on Thursday the 15th of September, parents are welcome to attend and share the mass with classes.

Middle/Senior News

The seniors continue to make up for lost time with many extra-curricular activities on the go in the near future. This Friday our grade 5/6 students will host St. Clares for Winter Sport while our 3/4 students will walk down to Koo Wee Rup Secondary college to see their school musical ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Of course, next week is finally BOOK WEEK!! There are activities on each day including our author's visit and reading line, but perhaps the most important one to remember is the book character dress up parade on Thursday the 1st of September.

Looking further ahead, we also have District Athletics in a week's time with plenty of qualified competitors from the middle and senior schools. 

We congratulate all students on writing and presenting speeches in class last week, a smaller number went through to present to the grade 3-6 students yesterday with … and … being selected to compete at the inter-school final on September 7th. We wish you luck and know that you will represent St. John’s extremely well. 

Dates

August
Thu 25 - Mass 9:15am - 5/6M & 5/6S
Thu 25 - Fathers' Day Stall 
Fri 26 - Gr 3 & 4 Excursion to "Beauty & the Beast at Koo Wee Rup Secondary College
Fri 26 - Winter Sport Gr 5 & 6 - Home Game vs St Clare's - Games commence at 1pm (Spectators welcome) 
Mon 29 Aug-Fri 2 Sept - Book Week - See details above
Mon 29 - Assembly 2:30pm (Assembly item - FD) 
Wed 31 - Junior Teddy Bear Picnic (Students only) 
Wed 31 - District Athletics (Qualified Competitors Only) (Spectators welcome) 
September
Thu 1 - Book Week Dress Up Day - see details above
Thu 1 - Mass 9:15am - FD, FW, 1/2B, 1/2H & 1/2O 
Fri 2 - Fathers' Day Breakfast (commencing 7.00am) - see details above and Operoo
Fri 2 - Winter Sport Gr 5 & 6 - ROUND CANCELLED
Tue 6 - TwistED Science Excursion - Seniors (Gr 3-6)
Wed 7 - TwistED Science Excursion - Juniors (F- 2) 
Thu 8 - Mass 9:15am - 3/4K, 3/4M & 4/5M 
Fri 9 - Winter Sports Gr 5&6 - Lightning Premiership round
Sun 11 - Confirmation Commitment Mass, 9:30am, St Johns Church

Mon 12 - Assembly 2:30pm (Assembly item - FW)

Wed 14 - Division Athletics (Qualified Competitors only) 
Wed 14 - Friends of St Johns Meeting, 9:30am in the Staffroom 
Thu 15 - Mass 9:15am - FD, FW, 12B, 12H & 12O
Thu 15 - Footy Day 
Fri 16 - Term 3 ends, 2:10pm finish

October 

Mon 3 - Term 4 commences
Fri 7 - District Interschool Summer Sports - Gr 5 & 6
Thu 27 Oct - Whole School Musical - Madagascar Jr. 

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop is open for online ordering only at present, if placing an order it will be sent home with your child on the afternoon of the next uniform shop day.  

Uniform shop days are Monday & Thursday , orders must be placed by 2pm on these days. 

If you need to exchange an item please e-mail Belinda at uniform@stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au with details and return the item via the office (please ensure it is unwashed with tags still attached) and your name is attached to the item returned. Exchanges will be processed on the next uniform shop day. 

For Uniform ordering through CDF pay—Visit https://stjohnskwr.cdfpay.org.au  or scan QR Code. (Guidelines for setting up your CDFpay account can also be found on Skoolbag).

As we are a ‘Sun Smart School’ we also require the children to wear a school hat from September to April with the ‘No Hat-No Play’ policy strictly enforced during 1st and 4th terms.

School uniform guidelines are available in the Parent Information section of Skoolbag, on our website or a hard copy can be obtained from the office. 

Birthdays - 24 Aug to 6 Sept - Lily Noble, Peyton Crowley, Christina Jopp, Piper Boland, Lexie Wilson, Alex Elliott, River Medforth, Jai Milner & Annika McGeachin

Cardinia Shire Parking Rules

Koo Wee Rup Catholic Parishes in Partnership

Including the communities of:  St Joseph’s Iona,  St James Nar Nar Goon,  Holy Family Maryknoll,  St John’s Koo Wee Rup and St Mary’s, Lang Lang

Administrator:  Fr. Avinash  Ph: 03 5997 1510   Fax: 03 5997 2220 Mob: 0451 997 904

Baptism Enquiries: Carmelina De Cesari   Mob: 0401 911 092   carmelinadecesari@gmail.com

WEEKEND MASS TIMES: Masses have resumed in line with current guidelines. Please contact the Parish office on 5997 1510 for further confirmation of guidelines if required. 

St Joseph's, Iona - Sunday 11am Holy Family, Maryknoll - 2nd Sunday, 8am 
St James, Nar Nar Goon - Saturday 6pmSt John's, Koo Wee Rup - Sunday 9:30am
St Mary's, Lang Lang - 3rd Sunday, 8am