PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to the end of Week 5

Below I have placed a small message from Pope Francis -

In our Lenten journey towards Easter, let us remember the One who “humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). During this season of conversion, let us renew our faith, draw from the “living water” of hope, and receive with open hearts the love of God, who makes us brothers and sisters in Christ.

I especially like the advice to draw from the ‘living water’ and renewing our love for God, a very inspiring message!

Classroom Contacts

I have either been contacted by interested parents or teachers who were aware of parents that were interested to take on this role.  I am happy to announce our contacts for 2021. 

It is possible that names of some interested parents have been missed from last year, this role is better if shared so if you would also like to be a Classroom Contact, please let your child’s teacher know or use the email addresses below to offer to be part of the class contact role.

Kindergarten – Bec Battaglini (Lily) danbec@grapevine.be.au

Year 1 – Susie Black (Connor)susielb6@live.com.au

Year 2 – Candice Van Duren (Farrah)candice7@netspace.net.au

Year 3/4CA – Emma Topp (Marley) mimmy@live.com.au 

Year 3/4P – Ina Mills (Awa) ina.mills@live.com 

Year 5/6J – Sonia Taflaga (Lucia)taflaga@gmail.com 

Year 5/6P – Heidi Walshe (Estelle) walshcats@gmail.com

 office.sjv@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Camp Australia

I would like to share some important news regarding our staffing arrangements at St John Vianney's Primary School.

Message from Camp Australia 

"Tyler our current Coordinator has announced that she would like to step down from the position. However, she will remain at St John Vianney After School Care program as an Educator. Replacing Tyler will be Raj, who has worked with Camp Australia since November 2017. Most recently, Raj has been coordinating another Camp Australia service whilst another one of our Coordinators was on parental leave. Raj holds a Bachelor of Education, a valid Working With Vulnerable People Check, as well as certificates in First Aid & Child Protection.  
Raj’s first day at St John Vianney will be Friday 5^th March and will have a thorough handover with Tyler.
I would like to thank Tyler for her hard work and dedication and we are pleased that she can continue as an educator at St John Vianney.
Thank you for your understanding during this transition. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to an educator or call the customer care team at Camp Australia."

Principal’s Conference and Retreat

As of yesterday, I have been at Bowral attending the Archdiocesan Principal’s Retreat and PD.  This is a wonderful opportunity for Principal’s to discuss their school improvement agendas with each other as well as take part in important spiritual; and professional development.  The school has been left in the very capable hands of our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Jo Reed. 

Entertainment Book – Let’s Celebrate 2021

The entertainment book has gone digital.  This is a great fundraiser for the school. 

It saves our parents money, supports local Canberra businesses and raises money for our school, all at the same time.

If you like going out and hopefully in 2021 we will still be able to, then this is something to get behind.  Please buy a book if you dine local and support our school.  You can sign up for a great discount using the hyperlink below. – www.entbook.com.au/2323g4

School Banking – Fortnightly Banking

A big thank you to Georgina Doyle who has stepped into the role as coordinator.  Our next banking session is the 12^th March and will continue every fortnight after this date.   

Can you please contact the Front Office if you would like to assist with this to make it weekly or the task easier.  Thank you.  

Community Council Representatives

We are currently seeking new members to join our School Community Council. The Council meets on Monday evenings of school Weeks Three and Eight at 6.00pm at school. 

We have been pleased to receive a nomination from Dan Spackman, but are still looking for one more parent.  If you think you can help the school in a strategic and practical way, please put your name forward. 

After School Playground Play Rules

It is great to see everyone enjoying our playground after school, however, we would like to remind all parents and carers of some of our rules based around the playground to keep everyone safe. Parents and carers must actively supervise the children in their care at all times. When playing on the coloured play equipment, children are to walk, hold on to the railings, use their hands when climbing and slide down the slide. When on the grass play areas, as is the case for everywhere else around the school, students are expected to keep their hands to themselves.

We hope that these rule reminders will ensure happy and safe play.

God bless you and your families

Peter Rodda

Principal

Weekend Gospel Reflection

Jn 2:13-2

Scriptural context

This episode of outrage in the Temple is recorded in all four of the Gospels. Interestingly, the three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke place the event in the final days leading to Passion events while the Gospel of John places the event in the very early days of Jesus’ public ministry. While the three synoptics are likely to be more chronologically correct, the Gospel of John uses the event very deliberately to make the point that Jesus is the new Temple – the new focus of God’s presence in the world; the Word made flesh.

Historical Context

In Jewish tradition, the Temple marked the point of physical connection between God and humankind and between the past and the present. It was where God’s story and humanity’s story met. However, in the year 70 C.E. – some 40 years after Jesus – the Temple was destroyed by the Romans. The Gospel of John is written another 20+ years later and so the reality of the Temple’s destruction is still trying to be absorbed by the people. It was a very powerful image for the Gospel writer to suggest that Jesus was the new Temple – the new point of connection.

Different View – Just like Jesus

This gospel passage must be one of the most commonly misused passages in the Bible. So often it is used as justification for someone losing their temper, or worse, an outrageous temper tantrum, or ‘dummy spit’. People will declare in their defence, ‘Well, Jesus lost his temper and got angry in the Temple!’ They fail to appreciate the difference between their own hot-headedness and the outrage against injustice that was being expressed by Jesus. They also seem to miss the significance of the fact that this was a ‘one off’ for Jesus!

From Greg Sunter

SACRAMENTS

A reminder that our first Faith Formation Evening is NEXT THURSDAY from 6-7pm in the SJV Church. ALL children who wish to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Eucharist and an adult or family member must attend the evening that will be run by Fr Michael and form part of the children's preparation for the Sacrament. QkR! registration will open at the conclusion of this first evening for both Sacraments and needs to be completed and paid by the 18th April. 

Commitment Masses also start next weekend. You can attend any Mass over the weekend where your child will pledge their commitment and hand in their commitment form before asking parishioners to pray for them during this time by sharing out their prayer cards.    

Have a great week!

Our Year 5 and 6 student and teachers were privileged to have a guest speaker today. Mrs Thomas, our very own Contact Teacher for Aboriginal Education at St John Vianney’s, shared her insights into culture, connectedness and kinship. Mrs Thomas is a Gundungurrah and Durrawal woman who only found out she had Aboriginal heritage when she was 8 years old. This was due to the shame of the Stolen Generation and the conversations surrounding this. Her shared story wove beautifully into their current inquiry unit on Identity. Mrs Thomas shared her special artworks and Aboriginal Totem that are significant her Aboriginal Culture. In the Aboriginal Culture, you are given a totem, Mrs Thomas’ totem is a magpie. She shared a story, that she has never been swooped by a Magpie and in fact she warbles away to them and they in fact gather, sing and warble back. They discussed that identity is not just about your skin, hair or eye colour. The students left with many provocations and thinking more deeply about who they are and what they represent. We thank Mrs Thomas for her open and honest presentation and they are very much looking forward to creating their own identity artworks.

Dear Parents,

I am looking for a fishing net for our Prayer Wall to add to a display.

It would be on loan until early next term. If you have a spare one in your shed, can you please send it in.

Thanks

Joanne Reed

Assistant Principal/ head of Learning Support

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

Happy birthday Heidi B and Angus W

Over the past five weeks, the ELC children, staff and families have been forming relationships and establishing a sense of belonging within their new ELC environment.  As stated in the Early Years Learning Framework, “Children’s lives are characterised by belonging, being and becoming. From before birth children are connected to family, community, culture and place. Their earliest development and learning takes place through these relationships, particularly within families, who are children’s first and most influential educators. (p.7)” Children have been proudly introducing their families to their class through family photos, stories and drawings.  This week the children have explored a special family, Jesus’ family. If you are not familiar with the Early Years Learning Framework, head to BELONGING, BEING & BECOMING (acecqa.gov.au)

Happy birthday Dr Seuss! On Tuesday, the Turtle class along with their 5L buddies celebrated Dr Seuss birthday by dressing in colours or as characters from his books. 

ELC April holiday program

St Jude’s ELC April holiday program will run from Tuesday 6 April to Friday 16 April. The Holiday Program will be open from 8:30am and 5:30pm each day. To enrol your child into the holiday program, please email your bookings to the ELC office: elc.stjudes@cg.catholic.edu.au by 3.00pm on Wednesday 17 March.  Holiday program bookings cannot be accepted if fees are in arrears.

Household recyclables

If you have boxes, containers or other items that can be used by the children to create, we would love to add them to our collection.