Welcome back everyone to 2021

Firstly, I would like to begin by thanking all the teachers who have been in school two and three weeks before the official school year started, setting up classrooms and getting things prepared for our students.  Secondly, in the same manner, I would like to thank all parents for helping at our working bee on the weekend in preparation for the start of the school year. 

Recently I read a wonderful prayer for children that I believe applies to our entire community –

“Lord Jesus, I ask for Your help as I begin this new school year. Allow me to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before me. Open my eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new school year brings. Open my heart and mind to new friends and new teachers. Give me a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with my studies and courage to accept new opportunities. Help me to be attentive to my teachers and let me experience Your presence in my new friends. Jesus, inspire me to do my best this year!” 

Welcome to the beginning of another chapter of your child’s life.  Have fun.

Welcome BBQ and School Launch

The 2021 School Launch and social BBQ will be held next week on Friday 12^th Feb run by our School Community Council members.  Parents and children are invited to join staff in the hall at 6pm for a 5-10 minute talk on our 2021 goals and introduction of new staff.

The free BBQ will commence just at 6:15pm with an opportunity for the children to play on the school equipment afterwards. I am looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Could you please RSVP using the QKR! App that is being sent out to all families tomorrow. 

Opening School and Staff Commissioning Mass – All families welcome

Our Opening School and Staff Commissioning Mass is on Sunday 14^th February at the SJV church at 9.00 am.  It will be a Parish Mass, so both the staff groups from St Jude’s and St John Vianney’s will be there.  Father Michael is looking forward to commission both staff groups to prepare them for this year’s mission of educating your child.  It would be wonderful to have our families well-represented at this Mass to support the staff from both schools.

Covid 19

In essence, many of the protocols during the school day will remain unchanged. Children will be required to maintain the handwashing regime after play periods and additional cleaning of indoor and outside surfaces will be maintained. 

I ask though that all adult visitors maintain social distancing when on the school site.

Like last year, it is mandatory to keep your child home if they are unwell.  We can have students and parents visit the school who are immunocompromised and they cannot run the risk of contracting any illness, let alone COVID 19.

Prayers for Ariana Year 1

Last year, one of our wonderful children was diagnosed with a type of bone marrow failure called Aplastic Anaemia.  This condition is serious and has progressed to the point where Ariana needs regular blood and platelet transfusions and will undergo a bone marrow transplant. Ariana will require a week of chemotherapy leading into the transplant and will have a long absence from school.  This has been explained to her class that Ariana is sick and they have a ‘Monkey in the Chair’ to represent her absence (http://www.monkeyinmychair.org.au).  I have spoken with the family regarding help from our wonderful community and they are just processing everything before they talk further with me.  Please keep Ariana in your prayers.    

Welcome New Families and Kinder

I would like to welcome everyone back from the holidays but especially our 17 new families.

Of course, greetings would not be complete with a special welcome to Kinder! I was in the Kinder classroom this week and they seem to have adapted very well to the rigors of bells, uniforms and ‘jobs’ that their teacher asks them to do.  It has been wonderful that parents have already organised a time for their child to complete vital assessments during their Wednesday ‘break’.

Tuck-shop – Important Notice

Could parents please log onto Qkr! To change their child’s class for 2021, otherwise, your child who is now in Year 3 will receive their lunch in the Year 2 basket.

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop will be open once per week on Wednesday Mornings between 9:05am-9:45am.  Jess Dong, one of our Year 1 mums, has kindly volunteered to run the Uniform Shop.  The school would appreciate anyone else who has mentioned an interest to put their name forward as an extra support person. 

Welcome New Staff

Welcome to Mrs. Joanne Reed (Assistant Principal (acting) and Learning Support, Mrs. Janice Spackman (3/4CA – 1 day per week), Miss Sarah Winnel (Yr. 3/4P - Fulltime), Miss Keeley O’Neil and Mrs. Jenny Isbel (Learning Support) If you see any of these staff members or of course our existing staff members, say hello to make them feel welcome.

Meet and Greets

‘Meet and Greets’ will occur on Monday to Thursday mornings and afternoons next week depending on teacher’s availability.  These sessions only go for 10 minutes and are an ideal time for you to touch base with the teachers and raise any concerns and share some goals that you have for your children.   Booking information has been sent out via hard copy and email.  This information contains everything needed to register your appointment. 

Staff Professional Development

Staff returned to work last week to complete three days of professional learning and preparation. Of course, I saw many members of staff working at school throughout the holiday period, ensuring that all was in readiness for the students’ first day on Monday.

The major focus for our Professional Learning this year is the new Catalyst Program that forms the CE’s educational vision for our system.   More information regarding this program will follow in the ensuing weeks. 

School Drop Off/ Pick up and

A reminder to all families that the students are not to arrive at school before the morning 8:30am (unless waiting with their own parent/carer) duty.  Pick-up for students should be between 3:10-3:30pm.  If students are dropped off or picked up between these times, they need to come through the front office and be signed in by their parent/carer.

Medical Plans

If your child is on a medical plan, could you please make sure that you have updated their plan and sent it into the front office.  You should receive a reminder email regarding this tomorrow. 

Contact list

You will receive your contact details generated by our school database.  This list needs to be updated and sent back to the school.  If you have no amendments to make could you please write on the front sheet ‘No Changes’ as this will make the Front Office administration much smoother.  If there are changes could you please write ‘Changes’ and circle what needs to be amended, especially phone numbers and email addresses.  

School Counsellor

I would like to welcome our new counselor Mrs. Kate Worthington.  Below I have included a letter of introduction from Kate herself.

Dear school community,

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Kate Worthington; I am the Student and Family Counsellor.

I have a background in Psychology and Social Work and have been working with children, young people and their parent/carers for over 20 years. I have predominantly worked in the field of child protection, early intervention as well as the homelessness sectors.

I am passionate about working with children and young people and feel privileged to assist them and their family in experiencing positive life outcomes.

Please contact the school if you would like to access the Student and Family Counselling Program. I look forward to working with students, families and staff in 2021.

Working Bee – Thank you

A massive thank you to all the parents and staff who helped at the Working Bee prior to the first day of school.  Much was achieved so I have placed some of the highlights below.

• New soccer goals built and installed on the bottom playfield
• All weeds whipper snipped
• Clearing of carpark garden ready for new work this term
• Pruning of all trees of branches in and around the school
• Blowing and removal of all rubbish
• Trimming of hedges in and around school

God bless you and your families

Peter Rodda

Principal

There are many different strategies involved in teaching a student to read. As with most things, a holistic approach (where everyone participates) works best. Research shows that from a very early age (1 or 2 years) a child who is regularly read to (5 times a week) by someone who enjoys the task, is given the best possible start to learning to read. From the very dawn of time, we were storytellers. We told stories to entertain, inform and persuade and in listening to these stories, we were able to interpret, identify and relate to our world. Not surprisingly, these are the three focus areas of the Australian Curriculum, English.

If you have read to your child 5 nights a week since they were very young then you have given them a great start, but your job isn’t finished. If you haven’t then it is never too late. I know of a father who sat at the end of the bed of his teenagers, just before lights out and he read Harry Potter or JRR Tolkien. This is the next step to teaching students how to be successful readers, role model it. If your children don’t see that you think reading is important then they are less likely to believe it.

 As a parent, you are the first teacher of your child, however, that does not mean that you have to teach them everything. Just like most professions, there are specific strategies that have been modified and adapted and are best used by experts. I once had someone say to me, I can teach my child that, I went to school. To which I gently responded, I have travelled many times on an airplane but taking on the role of the pilot is a different matter.

 Another strategy to support your child is to listen to them read. Be flexible, if they are tired or irritable then you might alternate a page, or they may read silently and then tell you about what they read. Every student’s needs are different. If you are unsure then ask the expert, their teacher. At St John Vianney’s we teach students that letters make sounds and when we combine letters, they make different sounds. The letter A’s in AUSTRALIA both sound differently. Our Soundwaves and Reading programs give students strategies to decode and interpret, helping them to build their knowledge of the English language and how it works.

There are some strategies that we use at school, which can be transferable to home; however, overuse can lead to boredom and ineffective results. In most NAPLAN results for Year 5 student’s over the years, the level of comprehension has been good. There will be times where your child attaches themselves to a particular series and this is great. However, it is just as important for them to read widely. Books, magazines, comics, newspapers, reading material from the internet, and even things from the world around us, such as street signs, timetables, and road maps. Balancing fiction and non-fiction also broadens their understanding and they can make connections and meaning with the world around them. Being a good reader often enables a student to develop fluency when writing and speaking; opportunities keep growing for them.

If your child is struggling with their reading selections at home, please contact your child’s teacher or our experienced Librarian, Ms. Sam Heath. St John Vianney’s library is full of exceptional literature for the students to borrow. Moving forward, we will begin our morning Reading Club and in addition to this Parents and Carers will have the opportunity in the future for family borrowing.

Joanne Reed

Assistant Principal

Welcome back to another year! It is wonderful to be back with all the smiling children, eager to begin a new year. 

Watching our Kinder parents over the past few days, sending their little people off to school and ’letting them go do what they needs to do’ reminded me of how Mary must of felt when it was time for Jesus to leave the family home and begin his ministry.  She trusted that God would look after him, protect him and give him the strength to face an challenges that came his way. We, as parents, need to do the same thing, and while it is hard sometimes, knowing that God is holding our precious little people in the palm of his hand can help ease the anxiety in our heart.

Below we offer a prayer for all the children heading back to school this week, that God’s love will cover them so they know just how precious they are.

Dear God...

Bless all children  this day, O God.

Give them inquiring minds and discerning hearts

Give them courage to persevere in all they undertake

Give them the gift of joy and wonder in all things

Give them love and laughter to share with all

Give them protection and safety as they move out from our embrace

And give them sure and certain knowledge in your unfailing love.

Amen

SACRAMENTS 2021

Please find below the dates for the Sacramental program for 2021

Thursday 18th February: 6:00 - 7:00pm

• Information Evening for ALL SACRAMENTS
• Any parent or child who is thinking about receiving a Sacrament in 2021 needs to attend this information evening

 EUCHARIST AND RECONCILIATION

CONFIRMATION

If you have an questions, please do not hesitate to contact me here at school or via email sharee.thomas@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Have a great week!

SJV Tuckshop is open Wednesday & Friday.  Orders can be made online via Qkr!  A copy of the Menu and Qkr! instructions can be found on the Tuckshop Webpage.

Please remember to bring your WWVP card with you.

Tuckshop Volunteers Needed

If anyone is interested to play Floorball - take  a look  at  the  flyer  below

For Music Lessons:

contact - Daniel Sims - Mojo Guitar Teachers www.mojoguitarteachers.com 

What's coming up and when: