Phone: 6882 - 2677

6882 - 2653

Fax: 6884 - 4500

VISION STATEMENT

St John’s Primary School strives to foster a community of faith that is centred on the teachings of Christ, where

love and concern develops the whole child, empowering each individual to realize his/her potential.

Term 3 Week 2. 20th July, 2015

ST JOHNS PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

www.stjohnsprimarydubbo.catholic.edu.au

138 Sheraton Road

P.O. Box 4914

S C H O O L M A N A G E R F a t h e r G r eg Ken n ed y

S C H O O L C H A P L A I N F a t h e r G r eg Ken n ed y

P R I N C I P A L - M r . A n t h on y O ’ L e a r y

A S S I S T A N T P R I N C I P A L M r . A d am F o l e y

R E C – M r . D a v i d S c h w ag e r

PRIMARY COORDINATOR

Mrs. Angela Benton TEACHING STAFF:

KINDERGARTEN Mrs. Carmen Gain Mrs. Karyn King / Mrs. Sarah Davis

Mrs. Maria Brice

YEAR 1

Mrs. Kim English/Mrs. Paula Clifford Miss Louise Lindsay

YEAR 2 Mrs. Gabrielle Jones/Mr. David Schwager

Mrs. Michelle Noonan

YEAR 3

Miss Anna Veech Mrs. Angela Benton/Mrs. Amanda Shields

YEAR 4 Mrs. Judith Gibson/Mrs. Aimee Rose

Ms. Carmel Reidy/Mrs. Paula Clifford

YEAR 5

Miss Emma Bolton Mrs. Katrina Isbester/Mrs. Teagan Hoper

YEAR 6 Miss Maddie Redden

Mrs. Mickaela Wright SPECIAL EDUCATION:

Mrs. Patricia Toohey, Mr. Adam Foley Mrs. Amanda Shields. Mrs. Deanna Swanson

TEACHER’S AIDES: Mrs. Harper, Mrs. Sissian, Mrs. Duncan

Mrs. Amoranto, Mrs. Montague, Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Mastalotto, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Scott and

Mrs. Mehta

LIBRARIAN:

Mrs. Maree Williams ABORIGINAL EDUCATION

WORKER: Mrs. Mylisa Smith

CREATIVE ARTS: Mrs. Maggie Dunn

SCHOOL SECRETARY: Mrs. Margo Green

CANTEEN MANAGER: Mrs. Cathy Dries

GENERAL HAND : Mr. Mark Bradford CLEANER:

Mrs. Kerry Iverach P&F MEETINGS: 3rd Tuesday every month PARENTS/GUARDIANS Please note that photographs of students may be used in this publication. Please advise the School if you do not approve of your child’s photo being used.

From the Principal’s desk…

Welcome to Week 2. This week will be a very exciting time for our school from K – 6. We

will be enjoying the world of literature with Book Week celebrations this week. I know

that Mrs. Williams has spent many hours preparing a range of exciting Library activities

and also the annual Book Week Parade. I am sure we will see many Princesses, wizards

and other exciting characters at school on Tuesday.

This week will also see the continuation of the athletics season with the Northern Region

carnival on Wednesday. Good luck to all of the competitors.

Sports News: This week we will be commencing a special program for our K – 3 Students

with a 5 week program with the AFL School Sports team. Our students will be having fun

learning kicking, catching and fair play games with the officers from the AFL. There is no

cost involved in the program. At the conclusion of this program our students will have the

opportunity to learn further skills as they complete the Rugby League program. This is in

addition to our other programs this term, Fundamental skills with Mrs. Hoper and the Year

6 mentors and the iKiFiT / Positive Behaviour program with our Year 5 mentors.

To clarify our Winter Uniform and Sports Uniform is as follows:

Monday – Full Winter Uniform for Year K – 5 with Yr. 6 having the option of Tracksuit

pants and the Year 6 shirt.

Tuesday – All students in Full Winter uniform.

Wednesday – All students K – 6 Sports Uniform.

Thursday – All students in Full Winter Uniform.

Friday – All students in K – 6 Sports uniform.

Mark 6: 30-34

The apostles re-joined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come

away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that

the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by

themselves. But the people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all

hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he

took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some

length.

Reflection - Jesus was very driven in terms of his mission. He must have worked long hours and faced the stress

of the unexpected and the overwhelming in terms of the people who wanted his attention and to listen to him.

If his disciples were run off their feet he must also have been in the same situation. But Jesus was very

observant in relation to the disciples’ needs, and to the needs of the crowd who wanted to be with him.

A shared commitment to the mission or task can be a powerful motivating force which causes people to work

to a point where they impair their own well-being, their effectiveness in the role, and family relationships. The

people concerned all share the same good motives but unconsciously an environment is created where to work

a little less or to drop back for a while is seen as not being fully committed to the mission – so people don’t do it

even when they desperately need to because health and family relationships are endangered. The leader’s role

in insisting on time-out and manageable workloads is vital.

Jesus and the disciples did not get the time in “a lonely place” at the time that they needed it. The compassion

which Jesus felt for the crowd probably meant it was many hours before they could take the time-out they

needed. We may have to delay our time-out due to the pressing needs of others, but it should only be post-

poned, not cancelled. Jesus has given us permission to rest, which we often find difficult to give ourselves.

The next P&F meeting is tomorrow evening. The P&F are always welcoming new parents to meetings and I do

value the input and dedication of the P&F. You will be made very welcome at tomorrow nights meeting.

Have a great week and God Bless.

Anthony O’Leary

Important Dates to Remember.

21st July - BOOK WEEK PARADE 10.00am

21st July - P & F Meeting 7.00pm.

22nd July - Northern Region Athletics Carnival.

27th July - Chess Competition at St Mary’s Primary School.

28th July - ICAS English Exam.

28th July - Kinder Red Teddy Bears Picnic Wambangalang.

29th July - Kinder Blue and Gold Teddy Bears Picnic Wambangalang.

29th July - Year 4 Mass at St Laurence’s –9.30am.

30th July - Vinnies Winter Appeal - Sporting Team Clothes Day.

Religious Education News Term 3 Week Two 2015

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal

‘Support Your Team’ Day!

Next week, Thursday 30th July, we invite

students to come to school dressed in their

favourite team colours, for example: The

Mighty Manly Sea Eagles!, for a Gold Coin

donation to the Vinnies Winter Appeal.

We also encourage families to send in any

unwanted clothing and blankets that we

will deliver to our local St Vincent de Paul

store.

Wishing you all a good week, David Schwager (REC)

This week's REC Award goes to:

Hayden Galea

“To Live, Love and Learn in the Light of Christ”

Conversations with Kindies!

(As told to Mr Schwager)

Names: Will Smith

Favourite Book: Wombat Stew

Favourite Food: Sausages with Mashed Potato

Favourite Movie: Toy Story 2

Favourite Game: Hide and Seek

Favourite Sport: Soccer

What makes you happy? When I go fishing and

catch a fish with Dad

What do you like about St John’s Primary

School? Mrs Brice is a good teacher and I learn

Maths

What do you like about Dubbo? The Old Dubbo

Gaol. Sometimes you can watch movies there

like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

How do you try and live like Jesus? Be nice and

always let others play

What message would you like to give to the

rest of the school? Be kind to each other and

learn things

COMBINED CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FEES & FAMILY SUPPORT OFFICE Thank you to all those families who have paid Term 2 by the due date. Remember if you are on an agreed payment plan you do not need to pay by the due date, you just need to keep paying your agreed amount by your chosen payment plan option that was set up at the commencement of the school year. If you have chosen the Direct Debit option you should ensure there are enough funds in your nominated account on the day the schools fees are drawn from this account. This is especially important so that you do not get invoiced any unnecessary rejection fees. Those families who have children in Yr. 12, the same applies. However, if you are not on an agreed payment plan, you must have the Yr. 12 fees cleared before Friday 30 October 2015. (Please be aware that the CDF draws school fees first thing each morning, that is as soon as the computers are turned on the funds will be withdrawn from your account.)

It has come to our attention that a handful of statements have been returned to us marked ‘not at this address’ even though the address is correct and the family have not moved. If you have not received your Term 2 statement as yet, and have not let us know, could you please contact us as soon as possible. This does not apply to any new families who commenced in Terms 2 or 3.

You now have the option to pay by BPay. If you currently pay by direct deposit from your end you might consider transferring to BPay. Your BPay reference for your individual account is shown at the bottom of your statement. The BPay Biller Code is 178103.

Please remember that if you ring and cannot get through to speak with a Fees Office staff member straight away, please leave your name and contact phone number and a clear message concerning your query (on your initial attempt) so that your call can be returned as soon as possible. We cannot call you back if we do not know you have been trying to make contact. As there is only one line into the office, if you ring continually without a leaving a message, the line is congested and makes it difficult for other families to be able to make contact.

We do not keep copies of statements. Therefore, it is very important that when you receive your invoice/statements each term that after you have checked all entries, whether invoicing or receipting that you then file away in a safe place so that you can refer to for future reference if necessary.

As it is that time of year again that we all need to do our Tax Return, please be reminded that the Capital Works Levy cannot be claimed on your tax as it is a Compulsory Levy.

If you are experiencing any sort of difficulty meeting your fees commitments it is very important that you let me know as soon as possible. All contact of this nature is confidential.

Regards Karen Meredith-Manager.

6882 6152 k.meredith@bth.catholic.edu.au

Debating News

On Tuesday 14th July our debating teams travelled to St Mary’s to compete against their teams.

We went into the debate with only an hour to prepare, this was exciting and new for us to experience.

Luckily the topic was a fun one, that Santa Claus works harder than the Easter Bunny.

Whilst our teams did a great job they were narrowly defeated in both debates on the day.

Due to the closeness of all the debates we now have to wait while all results are finalized to determine

who will debate in the final.

Congratulations to our teams on a great job.

Books Light Up Our World!

Books truly light up our world in so many different ways. They shed light into dark places by bringing education to those who want it. Books bring the world to life for us, enabling us to travel to distant lands without leaving our homes and even venture into space or fantasy worlds. They empower us, entertain us, educate us and bring us closer to others. Books help us to grow as human beings.

Book Week - our very special week celebrating books and reading has arrived! The children are very excited and

look forward to a week full of fabulous activities!

Our Book Character Parade will be held at 10:00am on Tuesday 21st July. Children come to school dressed as

a book character. Parents, Grandparents and friends are invited to attend the Book Character Parade and to stay for morning tea with their child. Everyone is also invited to visit the library to view the Book Week Displays and decorations and to support the Book Fair. Come and join us for a great morning!!!

A big highlight of our Book Week Celebrations will be the Book Fair taking place in the library. Our library is transformed into a book shop and all children have the opportunity to view and buy books from our Scholastic Book Fair. Everyone in the family will find that special book from the great selection of quality books – exclusive editions, the newest titles and award-winning books. Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to encourage your child’s love of reading and support our library at the same time, as our school receives a percentage of all sales. Each purchase will receive a raffle ticket to go in the drawer for a book prize from the Book Fair. Books may be purchased before and after school on Tuesday and after the Book Parade on Tuesday!

The Premier’s Reading Challenge concludes at the end of this month. All participating children need to

have all books read and recorded online by Friday 21st August. Visit the PRC website for all details and updates. www.schools.nsw.edu.au/premiersreadingchallenge Congratulations to the following students who have completed the Premiers Reading Challenge: Brianna Shuttle, Xanthe Mara and Ramya Mahta. Well done!

Happy Reading!

Maree Williams.

We would greatly appreciated some volunteers to

cover some new books for us.

Books are able to be taken home to cover.

If you can spare some time please call into the

office and collect books.

Thank you Mrs. Angela Benton.

Polar Fleece Jumper size 8 with

the name HOWEY and phone

number written on the label.

Music Matters Week 2 Term 3

BAND AND STRING SHOWCASE - this Friday 24th JULY evening.

All primary school ensembles invited to perform for you!

St Johns Primary Concert band and String ensemble (beginners too) will be

performing!

WHERE - DUBBO CHRISTIAN SCHOOL HALL

TIME- 6.30PM ARRIVE AND SET UP & 7PM BEGIN-ENDING 8.30PM All

families welcome to attend!

THE IDEA OF NORTH WORKSHOP AND CONCERT.

The Internationally renowned vocal açapella group, The Idea of North, are

coming to Dubbo as part of the 150 Years Celebration of the Parish. This event is

sponsored by the Parish, Dubbo Christian School and St Johns College.

There will be community choirs formed from schools and the wider community

who will workshop with T.I.O.N. and be able to perform an item for the concert.

Keen young singers from our Primary school may also attend the workshops on

Thursday 13th from 1.30-3.30pm and 9.30-11.30am Friday 14th August, held at the

Dubbo Christian School Hall.

Save the Date Friday14th August and bring your friends!

Tickets available online as per the Flyer in this newsletter.

Happy Music Making!

Mrs. Maggie Dunn

CANTEEN NEWS WEEK 1 TERM 3

Foods that stay hot are definitely called for at the moment. The best sellers at lunch -via lunch order only are pies, lasagna, fried rice and macaroni cheese.

A reminder that if your child has a canteen related issue, please encourage them to come to us immediately so we can help them. Finding out we had an issue, but weren’t told is sad, as that means we had no chance to fix it!

Week 2 Friday helper is Deepshikha Mehta.

Thanks Cathy 0458550747

NORTHERN REGION ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

The Northern Region Athletics Carnival will take place at Barden Park on Wednesday 22nd of July.

In 2015 the Northern Region Carnival will be convened by St Laurence’s Primary School Dubbo.

Students from St John’s Primary School that placed 1st,2nd or 3rd in track events and 1st or 2nd in field

events will be representing St John’s at the Northern Region Athletics Carnival. They will compete against

the place-getters from St Laurence’s Dubbo, St Michael’s Dunedoo, All Hallows Gulgong and Sacred

Heart Coolah for a place in the Northern Region Athletics Team to compete at the Bathurst Diocesan

Carnival on August the 7th.

Student permission notes and information for parents and caregivers will be going home with competi-

tors later this week and will be due back at school by Tuesday 21st July. As was the case with our SJP

Athletics Carnival competitors on this day will need to be dropped off at Barden Park in the morning and

picked up at the conclusion of the Carnival.

Best of luck to all the St John’s Primary competitors. We know you will do our school and yourselves

proud.

Adam Foley Sport Co-ordinator.

Parent Helpers For Northern Region Athletics Carnival.

I am able to assist with timekeeping at the northern region athletics carnival 9.am-2.30pm.

Or the following times……………………………………

Childs name…………………………………………………………………...

Name……………………………...Phone…………………………………………if we need to contact you.

WOOLWORTHS EARN AND LEARN.

St John’s Primary P&F will be coordinating the

Woolworths earn and learn programme for 2015.

If you or anyone you know shops at Woolworths and has

stickers they would like to contribute to St John’s Primary

please send them into the school office for collaboration.

Thank you P&F

Community News

St Vincent DePaul

Winter Appeal

Thursday 30th July.

Gold Coin Donation.

Wear your Favourite Team Colours.