1 December 2023

Principal’s Message – Kate Ferguson

We welcomed Bishop Michael to St John the Baptist last week. Throughout his visit, we shared with him all the things that we loved about St John the Baptist as well and showing him our amazing school. Bishop Michael spoke with all students at assembly about his role as Bishop and how he spends his day as a Bishop. We look forward to welcoming Bishop Michael back to SJB in 2024!

PLAYGROUND UPDATE

Thank you all families as you continue to support St John the Baptist as we await further information about our playground spaces.

Over the weekend, an Environmental Site Assessment occurred to our oval area  to further clarify the safety of this space. Analysis of the ground and air monitoring samples further identified that the oval is considered suitable and safe for all to use.

With the lack of rain and constant student and staff traffic on the oval, we are experiencing difficulties in maintaining grass cover of this space and are working with the diocese to look at possible avenues to rectify this. With the expected up coming drought, we are looking into sustainable ways to ensure the growth and use of grass throughout the year. Next week we will gather together for our Christmas Night on our oval and I encourage you to be prepared for this oval space by bringing picnic blankets or chairs to sit on.

Thank you for your patience as we await the commencement of our playground structure. I appreciate your understanding as we work with the CSO to ensure a safe play space for students at SJB. Students continue to enjoy accessing St Mary’s college during lunchtimes as well as the concrete courtyard at school to play on.

STAFFING 2024

Following the application and interview process, Gemma Baker, Kellie Abbiss, Val Hassett, Annika Rooke and Courtney Peters have accepted teaching positions at St John the Baptist for 2024.

It is with excitement that I am able to announce the teaching staff for 2024. I am looking forward to working with these teaching staff members as well as our support team to further enhance the teaching and learning of all students.

Kindergarten – Olivia D’Accione & Tania Kranias
Year 1 – Gemma Baker & Renee Collins
Year 2 – Michelle Fairhall / Annika Rooke & Rochelle Wilson
Year 3 – Vall Hassett & Nicole Murphy / Courtney Peters
Year 4 – Kellie Abbiss & Fiona Stretton / Cathryn Villari
Year 5 – Cath Pilley / Chris Sheridan & Ellen Morgan / Chris Sheridan
Year 6 – Sara Murdoch / Chris Sheridan & Michael Tobin
Learning Support Teachers – Jodie Sommerville, Kris Lindus & Julie Nepia
Aboriginal Education Teacher – Shelby McBlane
Librarian – Jenny McFadyen
Creative and Practical Arts – Nicole Murphy
English as an Additional Language or Dialect Teacher – Stacey Whiting

Over the next two weeks, we will look to announce our Support and Administration staff members.

Assistant Principal’s Message – Stacey Whiting

St John the Baptist is a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) School. We explicitly teach the values of being respectful, being responsible, being a learner, and being like Jesus. This year our Leadership and PBL team have worked with Thibaut Huens, (Education Officer, Behaviour Support from the Catholic Schools Office) to review our pastoral framework to ensure it focuses on rewarding and reinforcing positive behaviour, monitoring, and re-teaching appropriate behaviours. Consequences are based on remediation, support, and ensuring students understand clear, positive behaviour expectations. 

PBL is both preventative and proactive and provides practices to identify and teach critical social skills. Research shows that approximately 80% of students will respond positively to these structures. The next level of the PBL continuum focuses on students who need support, and provides targeted interventions, focusing on teaching social skills or self-regulation skills. 

When PBL is implemented, teachers and students have more time to focus on relationships and classroom instruction. Students and staff benefit from: 

1. Increased time focused on instruction 
2. Improved social-emotional wellbeing 
3. Positive and respectful relationships among students and staff 
4. Reduced inappropriate behaviour 
5. Better support for teachers to teach, model and respond effectively to student needs 
6. A predictable learning environment where staff and students know what is expected. 

We will continue to implement our PBL framework in 2024 and look forward to rewarding students for their positive choices and behaviour.  

Semester 2 Reports 

A reminder that our Semester 2 Reports will go live on Compass on Friday 8^th December.  Parents may contact their child's class teacher in Week 10 if they wish to discuss their child's Semester 2 report. 

Religious Education – Chris Sheridan

The symbolism of the ADVENT WREATH 

This Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent. It marks the beginning of the Church Year. We now prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus over the next four weeks.  

The first candle, which is purple, symbolises hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah. The people of the Old Testament, the Hebrew People, had long understood that the Messiah would bring them salvation and freedom from captivity. Many no doubt, expected the messiah would be a mighty King, much like an army general who would restore justice and peace to their troubled lands and free them from the all-powerful Romans. In truth, the Son of God, would be a very different Messiah.

Mini Vinnies Christmas Appeal

It is that time of the year when Mini Vinnies is asking for your assistance in helping others. Our Christmas Appeal will begin this week seeking donations of non-perishable food items that will be distributed by our local St Vincent de Paul Society to local families in need.

We are asking each class to bring in specific items:

Kinder: sweet biscuits
Year 1: lollies/ cordial
Year 2: breakfast cereal/ long life milk
Year 3: chips, nibbles
Year 4: tinned fruits or vegetables
Year 5: pasta, spreads
Year 6: savoury biscuits / long life custard

Please send items in to school no later than Friday 8th December (Week 9). We look forward to your support.

St John the Baptist Mini Vinnies.

SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION 2024

This is an extract from the recent parish letter, posted on Compass earlier this month. Do please read that letter if your child will be Year 3 or above next year. 

End of Year Liturgy

Parents are invited to join us as we celebrate the successes and blessings of our school year with our End of Year Liturgy. This will take place in our Hall on our last day – Friday 15^th December at 12:00pm.  We know it will be crowded, but we wanted the opportunity to all come together to recognise our many blessings, and to celebrate together. We hope you can come.

Primary Co-ordinator – Sara Murdoch

Swimming Carnival and Water Fun Morning

Our 2024 Swimming Carnival is fast approaching on the 8th December. We have given our students 3 options:

1. Attend and compete in the carnival.
2. Attend and cheer on your house colour.
3. Remain at school and participate in a water fun activity morning here at school. This applies to all children in Kindergarten to Year 6 remaining at school.

Swimming Carnival

Due to the extended forecast of 38 degrees, we are giving parents and students the option of meeting at the pool from 8:30am. Otherwise, students can meet at school at the usual time and walk over with staff to the pool.  Parents can also take their child home directly from the pool after the carnival concludes or students can walk back to school with staff. Students are to wear their swimmers underneath their sports uniform. Please remember to pack a towel, suncream, water, fruit break, recess, and lunch for your child. The canteen will be open during the carnival.

Starting time of carnival: 9:30am

Conclusion: 12:30pm

Water Fun Morning

Our current Year 6 students will be hosting a water fun morning. Children can wear their sports shirts/skorts with a shirt in the colour of their house. The activities will be involving lots of water…so a spare set of clothes is required. Infants and Primary will participate in separate activities during the morning. It is expected to be a very hot day! Please prepare your child with a lot of sunscreen and don’t forget their hat!

Polding Tennis

Congratulations to Genevieve Threlfo who has been selected to attend the Polding trials for Tennis in Sawtell on the 9th February, 2024. What an incredible accomplishment! Good luck Genevieve!

Creative Arts Update - Nicole Murphy

ASPIRE 2023

Congratulations again to Ava Whiting on her performance in this year's production 'The Pirate Code '.

Young Scriptwriters

Last Thursday, Griffin Wilkinson, Ava Whiting and Sabina Samson took part in the final session of the 2023 Young Scriptwriters program. Scripts written by our talented students were read and performed by senior Aspire drama students. Griffin, Ava and Sabina worked all day adding stage directions, including light and sound effects in preparation for an evening performance.

Aspire 2024

We are proud to announce Stella Lambert and Ava Whiting were successful in their auditions for Aspire 2024! Ava will be a vocal student for next year’s production and Stella is a now a member of the Young Actors Program.

St John The Baptist - GOING BLUE

On Tuesday 21^st November, St John's students and staff wore blue and raised money to support World Diabetes Day. The funds raised will help to spread awareness about type 1 diabetes and support life changing research. 

The St John's community raised $576.35 and an additional $238 online, to go towards helping people with Type 1 Diabetes. This was through generous donations and the jelly bean guessing competition. WELL DONE SJB!!

Class Merit Awards

Canteen

P & F News

Help Needed 

If you have any inflatable or cut out Christmas decorations that we can use or if you are available to help on Monday 11th December between 10am-2pm  please contact us via events@pandf-maitland.com

​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).

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.