Principal's Message
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers
To our Year 6 Graduates I say:
‘I hope your dreams take you....
To the corners of your smiles.
To the highest of your hopes,
To the windows of your opportunities
and the most special places,
your heart has ever known.
Graduation/ Graduation Mass Acknowledgements
There are always so many people to thank for Year 6 Graduation that it is hard to keep up with whom to acknowledge in the fear you may miss someone. However, I would like to single some people of note.
Firstly, Karen Wilder has been amazing, setting up the hall, organising the caterer, finalising the Covid Plan, ensuring an amazing graduation cake was made……… I could go on. Without Karen this year’s Graduation Dinner would not have occurred. When you see her, please acknowledge that she went above and beyond what we ask of any volunteer. Karen’s team of parents who helped with set up and the former students and parents who helped serve and pack away the venue, were all amazing.
Secondly, Penny and Matt Scholtens who was here on Wednesday night hanging the Year 6 Gift to the school throughout our courtyard. These outdoor lights will be here for years to come and I would like to thank Penny for coordinating this project and taking the time with Year 6 to create a memorable mosaic, which commemorates our graduating classes’ time at SJV.
I would also like to commend the Yr. 6 teachers Mrs Matchett, Mrs Dunley, Mrs Monagle and Ms Heath for the preparation work they completed with our students to make sure that everything ran smoothly. I would like to especially mention Mrs Thomas for her work on the Graduation Mass and Ms Heath for hours spent on a wonderful PowerPoint for our graduates.
Farewell Exiting Students/Thanksgiving Mass
Next Wednesday we will finish the year with our Thanksgiving Mass. At the conclusion of mass, we will be acknowledging all the students who will be leaving SJV. Some students are heading interstate, some moving to other parts of Canberra as families relocate. The children will be asked to stand at the end of mass where they will be acknowledged by our school community and given a blessing by Father Michael, in recognition of their time at SJV. It would be wonderful if the parents of these students could be there.
Separate to this, on Friday of next week, we will be acknowledging the Year Six children at the end of the day with a farewell run through the school as all the other children make an arch for the 2021 graduating students. We will have the Year 6 children finish their run into the hall where parents can be waiting for them, socially distanced.
Meet the Teacher Day and Classes for 2021
The school year is quickly drawing to a close. Currently, the teachers are involved in meetings to assist in the transitioning process for all children.
During the week, the teachers began a process to handover their current class to next year’s teachers. Teachers created an informed summary of their current class, this information will be invaluable in developing an understanding of how to prepare for the following year. The meeting included the current teacher’s assessment records, anecdotal notes and information concerning those children who are on a Personalised Plan.
Next Wednesday, all children from Kindergarten to Year Five will spend an hour with their 2021 teacher from 2.00pm. Any child who will be new to our school in 2021 will join the class groups.
I feel confident that these steps will enable a smooth transition from 2020 to 2021 at SJV.
I would also like to acknowledge the work that one of our CSA’s, Miss Erin Palisi, has given to the school. Erin is now a fully qualified teacher who has accepted her first teaching position at Forest Primary and we wish Erin all the very best for her career.
Farewell BBQ
Free food, free activities and fabulous company, what’s not to like. This is our chance to come together as a community at the end of the year in a controlled safe way.
Hygiene stations and social distancing advice will be set up for our event to ensure that the event is safe and it would be wonderful to see as many people there as possible. Please register on the Qkr! App that you are attending.
Uniform Shop – Open 28th January
The uniform Shop will be open Thursday January 28th 2021 from 9:30am to 2:30pm. Keep in mind that we have a fully stocked uniform shop, which has all your needs for summer and winter uniforms all year round. If you have placed your order on Qkr! first, your order will be ready for collection when you arrive.
Also a reminder that if you are purchasing new shoes next year at The Athletes Foot in Woden to mention our schools name. The Athletes Foot sponsors many of the local schools in the area, ours included, with a small rebate given back to every school for every item purchased at their store.
SJV Mega Raffle
This is your last week to sell raffle tickets. We have students ready to receive Rebel Vouchers next week and it would be great if we had more students to join them.
Leaving St John Vianney’s
Sometimes last minute changes occur to family plans and people find themselves relocating houses, states or even schools for a variety of reasons. If you will not be at St John Vianney’s next year and you have not notified the Front Office, please do so by Monday. This is a government legislated requirement that every student who leaves has their new nominated school placed on our administration system.
Working Bee 2021 – Please Come
As a tradition, we look to hold a working Bee on the last weekend before the children come back to school. This is generally devoted to weeding and sweeping to make sure that things are spick and span, ready for the students to enjoy their first week of school. Could you please email the school to let us know if you are available on the Saturday or Sunday to help.
Office.sjv@cg.catholic.edu.au - Subject line - January Working Bee
1st day of School
The first day of school will be Monday 1st February 2020. The children will wear full summer uniform
On a final note can I thank all our parents, carers and general community for your support during this very challenging year.
Stay safe and God bless.
Peter Rodda
Principal