Dear Parents and Carers,

Winter has certainly arrived! However, despite the weather yesterday, school photos were successfully completed. Thank you once again for your effort in making sure that the children were presented in the correct uniform.

At St John's there is always many exciting events and happenings across the school and in recent weeks, students and teachers have enthusiastically participated in the following:

• National Simultaneous Storytime

• Reconciliation Week Liturgy

• Sorry Day event - Ribbonwood Centre

• AFL Clinic (Year 3)

• Confirmation Workshop Day (Year 6)

• SPLICED Gifted Education Day

• World Environment Day

It is that time of year when teachers are busy finalising Semester 1 Student Reports, which, in a change from previous years, will be emailed to parents and carers on Wednesday 19 June. Only students in Years 1 – 6 will receive a report for semester 1. 

As you will be aware, the school has moved to a new Student Information System, known as Compass. A feature of the new system is an updated report format that will be distributed electronically. Therefore, it is important that all parents and carers have accessed the parent portal by logging in and updating their details. An email reminder will be sent to those who have not yet accessed the portal for the first time and include important login information. A step by step guide can also be downloaded from the link below. Parents and carers requiring a hard copy can do so by contacting the school office.

I have been advised by the building contractors that the completion date for the new building is Wednesday 28 August. While from the outside it may look as though things are progressing slowly, the inside is really starting to take shape. Internal walls, electrical services, air conditioning are all progressing to the final stages and the joinery will be arriving in the coming weeks.

The occupation of the new building by students in Years 4 – 6 and the relocation of students in K – 3 will be a complex managerial process. There will be only a two week period in which to move classes and vacate the K–3 building before contractors take possession and commence refurbishment work. As we move closer to this time, I will advise parents and carers of how we will undertake this process.

Finally, I ask that you please keep the Year 6 students and their families preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation, on Wednesday 19 June, in your prayers. 

Yours sincerely
Andrew Heffernan (Principal) 

World Environment Day

Wednesday 5th June 2019

Thank you to our Year 4 teachers and students for our World Environment Day Liturgy that was held today. World Environment Day is a great reminder for us all to be stewards of God’s creation.

The theme of World Environment Day 2019 invites us all to consider how we can change our everyday lives to reduce the amount of air pollution we produce and thwart its contribution to global warming and its effects on our own health. Often you can’t even see it, but air pollution is everywhere. With every breath, you are probably sucking in tiny particles that attack your lungs, heart and brain. World Environment Day 2019 is issuing a call to action to combat this global crisis. We are faced with an urgent task. Nine out of ten people worldwide are exposed to levels of air pollutants that exceed World Health Organization safe levels. Around seven million people worldwide die prematurely each year from air pollution with about four million of these deaths occurring in Asia-Pacific. Air pollution causes a host of other problems, including illness and lower IQs. It doesn’t just impact human health and economic growth. Many of the pollutants also cause global warming.

Air pollution is preventable, but we need everyone on board – from individuals and organisations to private companies and governments

What you can do:

• Turn off lights and electronics not in use
• Check efficiency ratings for home heating systems and cookstoves to choose models that save money and protect health
• Never burn trash, as this contributes directly to air pollution
• Cycling or walk to work/school and back
• Recycle non-organic trash
• Pressure local authorities to improve green spaces in our cities

Pentecost

Sunday 9th June 2019

‘Come, Holy Spirit’ has become the basis of countless prayers and hymns over many hundreds of years. To this day, it remains a powerful invocation that can be used in prayer or meditation. Three simple words convey a wealth of meaning. The invitation for the Spirit to ‘Come’ indicates recognition of the need for the Spirit’s intervention and openness to accept the guidance that the Spirit brings. It is a powerful, simple prayer that can be used at the outset of any significant undertaking or whenever you find yourself in need of inspiration. (Greg Sunter)

The Most Holy Trinity

Sunday 16th June 2019 

Every time we make the sign of the cross we reaffirm our belief in a God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are baptised ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’ and we remind ourselves of this reality when we pray and when we bless ourselves or others. Saint Patrick is famous for making the shamrock a handy tool to illustrate the Blessed Trinity: one plant, three leaves that are all connected and united – symbolising the one God, three persons that are all connected and united.

Parish Sacramental Program

Please remember in your prayers the children who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on Wednesday 19th June at 7:30 pm. Due to a late number of enrolments and requests for large numbers of guests to attend, we have had to restrict numbers of guests that will be able to sit with candidates. For those families who have requested more than 8 guests, you may not have enough seating allocated with the candidate. Additional guests may need to sit in the Chapel or at the back of the Church. We apologise for this but it is just not possible to sit as many people as has been requested. 

Dates for your Diary

• Friday 7 June, 9:30 am - PARISH MASS - Year 2 attending
• Friday 7 June 11:15 am - RECONCILIATION - 6G and 6B attending
• Saturday/Sunday 8/9 June - Confirmation candidates to attend Mass (take booklets)
• Friday 14 June, 9:30 am - PARISH MASS - Year 3 attending
• Friday 14 June 11:15 am - RECONCILIATION - 6R attending
• Saturday/Sunday 15/16 June - Confirmation candidates to attend Mass (take booklets)

Stage Weekend Masses (with Andrew Chinn)

Please join us to celebrate the Eucharist

A reminder of our stage Mass with Andrew Chinn, a well-known singer and musician:

• Term 2 - Sunday June 16, 6 pm - STAGE 3 (but all families warmly invited)

Parish Celebration of the Eucharist 

A reminder of weekend Parish Mass times for St John the Evangelist, Dapto.

Fr Francis loves to see our families there.

• Saturday Vigil 5.00pm
• Sunday 7.30am
• Sunday 9.30am
• Sunday 6.00pm 

Prayer Intentions

We pray for all families in our school community who are in need of our prayers.          

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us.
St John the Evangelist, pray for us.

Kylie Crowe – Religious Education Coordinator

Student learning progress is formally reported to parents and carers on Wednesday 19 June. It is a requirement that Primary schools provide twice-yearly written reports for students in Years 1 - 6 to parents. Kindergarten only receive a Semester 2 Report. The Year 1 to 6 reports are standards-referenced, which in NSW means reporting based on the Common Grade Scale. Standards-referenced reporting requires teachers to consider the performance of each student according to the standard detailed at each level (A-E) of the Common Grade Scale for each Key Learning Area (KLA). Students are then awarded a grade based on the evidence teachers have of their learning in that particular KLA and the standard it reflects. According to the Common Grade Scale a ‘C’ grade is considered sound. That is, if awarded a C in a particular KLA the student has demonstrated that they have gained the knowledge, skills and understanding expected of them at that point in time.

The Common Grade Scale

The Common Grade Scale describes performance at each of the five grade levels.

OTHER REPORT FEATURES INCLUDE:

Overall grades

Each KLA has an overall grade that is determined by the teacher by considering the evidence of each student’s learning and the standard on the Common Grade Scale it reflects. Overall grades are not determined by averaging performance on strands within a KLA. In many cases more time has been dedicated to learning in one strand over others and this contributes significantly to the balanced judgement a teacher is required to make in order to award an overall grade. It is not unusual for a student’s overall grade to change from one reporting period to the next as the knowledge, skills and understanding they encounter in each KLA will vary from one reporting period to the next. The Common Grade Scale is included on thefront of the report.

Commitment to Learning

Commitment to Learning captures the student’s attitude to the particular KLA and their skills in managing their work, persisting when challenged and working to their potential. A scale explaining the three standards used in Commitment to Learning is included on the front of the report.

Strands

The term ‘strands’ refers to the breakdown of learning within each KLA that is presented in a grid with the options Extensive, Thorough, Sound, Limited and Basic for teachers to indicate the performance of the student within each strand. Over a reporting period some strands will have a greater focus than others, which will impact the overall grade for the KLA. In some KLAs not every strand will be covered in each reporting period; those that are not covered will not appear on the report.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Semester 1 Reports will be available on Compass to all students in Year 1 to Year 6 on Wednesday 19 June.
• Learning Conversations (Parent/Teacher Meetings) will take place between Monday 24 June and Friday 5 July.

Interviews will be made available for all parents Kindergarten to Year 6. Parents will be notified when interview bookings become available.

SPB4L is an evidence-based framework that emphasises school-wide systems of support for all students and staff. These include proactive strategies for defining, teaching and supporting appropriate student behaviours. Positive behaviour supports are implemented for all students, across all school settings, by all staff, at all times. This continuum of support ensures students’ academic and social outcomes.

All student behaviour expectations are founded on our three school rules that are:

The cooler weather brings with it increasing numbers of children presenting at school with symptoms of cold and flu. When children are in close proximity with others, the spread of common colds can be passed on through touching hands or objects (e.g. tissues and toys) or by breathing in droplets from sneezes or coughs.

To help prevent the spread of cold and flu, the children are encouraged to:

• cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing

• keep hands away from their eyes, nose and mouth
• throw tissues away after blowing their nose

• wash hands thoroughly with soap, particularly before eating food and after blowing their nose.


At school we are encouraging the children to lift their arm and cough into their elbow, therefore covering their mouth and reducing the spread of germs. This is something that most children are familiar with from their preschool days.

If your child is showing signs of cold and flu, please keep them at home. If you have an ongoing concern, I suggest that you contact your medical practitioner.

https://www.facebook.com/dapto.stjohns

http://www.instagram.com/stjohns.dapto

The CEDoW social media policy promotes positive interactions online, and the standards/expectations that the CEDoW and St John's will be upholding for all members of the school community, who access St John's social media.

The photo consent form that parent/carers signed this year includes online publications (such as the website and social media) and St John's will be following what each child's photo consent form stipulates in regards to posting on the official school Facebook/Instagram page unless parents/carers wish to contact the office to advise otherwise. 

Did you know air polution harms kids more than adults? Breathing dirty air can slow mental development and cause numerous other health problems in children.

With Sora, you can get free ebooks and audiobooks from your school.

To access these ebooks you will need to Download the Sora App from the App Store: (tip: if you search for the app, type Sora by OverDrive)
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/sora-by-overdrive/id1376592326?mt=8

This video tutorial will help you setup and use Sora.
http://overdrivedow.weebly.com/getting-started.html

To the following students who are celebrating their birthday in June — we wish you a very happy birthday and hope you have a great day.