Term 4 - Week 6, 2023

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

It’s been great to see the children out playing on the field after our recent rain. It is getting quite hot, so please ensure your child brings their school hat every day, otherwise they will need to play in the shelter area.

In the time of expectation before Christmas - the season the Church calls Advent - we encourage children to be grateful for their families and homes as well as focusing on the giving aspect of Christmas. At 2.30pm on Wednesday 22nd November the school will celebrate a Liturgy in the Church, where the focus will be on gratitude. All are welcome.  

Our focus on positive student behaviour continues and it is wonderful to see children respond by being kind, well-mannered and thoughtful at school. Next week our focus will be on bus travel. School buses are a tricky time as student supervision is provided by someone driving a heavy vehicle on winding roads. Drivers need students to assist by doing the right thing every time. Your help would be appreciated in reinforcing the rules with your child: stay in your seat, seatbelt on, no shouting or distracting the driver. In this way we can make the trip a pleasant and safe experience for everyone.

Next week we will have an evacuation practice (weather permitting) scheduled at 12.30pm on Wednesday, to make sure our procedures are effective and efficient. We hope we never need to use this drill due to an emergency but it’s all about the preparation. 

Finally, good luck to all those competing in the Dorrigo Show starting next week. The children are all very excited and I’m looking forward to attending. 

Have a great weekend.

Peter Watts,

Principal

Events Permission in Compass

We have several events coming up for which parents need to give consent in Compass. Please navigate to the Compass app and provide consent for your child to attend the following events:

• Cascade Environment Centre excursions
• Bellingen Youth Orchestra excursion
• Beach Day at Morgo Street Reserve
• Zone Swimming Trials (optional - these trials only involve children who are turning 8yrs to 13yrs in 2024 and wish to be considered for competitive Zone selection)

Weekly Awards

Congratulations to the following students, who received learning awards this week:

Skylar W - For creating an awesome picture of your character Froggy and some great writing.

Archer D - For a  wonderful effort in swimming and trying really hard when facing a task that is tricky.

Larney F - For great work when writing with Miss G and hearing the sounds in unknown words.

Charlotte B - For creating detailed sentences and descriptions of characters in our writing sessions.

Lakota M-T - For your enthusiasm and participation in InitiaLit lessons.

Jules F - For exceptional effort, improvement and enthusiasm in InitiaLit and writing.  Well done.

Hayley M - For displaying responsible leadership in the Arts & Crafts Group.

Malachi F - For displaying diligence and giving 100% in all tasks.  Well done; you have settled in well.

Ivy M - For being focused in all learning tasks and being able to avoid distractions.

GEM (Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness) awards went to:

Sophie C - For always being a kind and caring friend.

Lawson E - For always greeting staff with a smile and a joke.

Darcy R - For the calm and gentle interactions that she has with other students.

Lucca L - For your kindness and caring interactions with others.

Jordan D - For your positive talk and gentle mannerisms when dealing with younger students.

Zone Swimming Trials

Mt St Johns will be holding swimming trials for those students hoping to qualify and compete at the Clarence Zone Swimming Carnival, which will be held at the Maclean Pool on Monday 26th February 2024. As this event is early in 2024, we are looking to hold our Zone swimming trials this year on Tuesday 5th December 2023. 

These trials only involve children who are turning 8yrs to 13yrs in 2024 and wish to be considered for competitive Zone selection. This is in keeping with Diocesan sporting age restrictions.  
 
Tuesday 5th December, 12pm (back up date T.B.C.)

Equipment needed: Swimmers, towel, goggles, swimming cap, sunscreen.

Cost: Pool entry is covered by Australian Sporting Schools funding.

Students attending Mt St John’s who wish to participate in school swimming trials and qualify for school representation must nominate a minimum of two events; e.g. freestyle 50m and backstroke 50m. 

Qualification for the Zone swimming carnival will not be an automatic process. Students need to demonstrate an ability to swim competitively. Students must meet qualifying times and display correct stroke technique. Selection for the Zone swimming is via school selection only.   

If you are unsure of your child’s capabilities, please nominate them and they can trial.

If you are able to volunteer and help at the trials with timing please confirm your availability on the form attached. 

Consent & nominations for the event can be given via the Compass parent portal and must be completed  by Friday 24 November 2023. Please click on VIEW EVENT RESOURCES to complete the nomination form.

Cascade Environmental Centre excursions

The students in all classes (except Year 6) will be participating in excursions to Cascade Environmental Centre on Tuesday 28th November (Years 4 & 5) and Wednesday 29th November (K-3).

• The Year 4/5 students will be participating in bike safety and leadership skills as part of their Term 4 PDHPE units.
• The K-3 students will be observing different environments and learning how to care for the Earth's resources as part of their RE unit on Creation. This excursion will also link to the K/1 Geography Unit - mapping natural local environments.

Departing: 9.00am 
Return to school: approximately 2.45pm

All students will need to supply their own recess, lunch, and water bottle. There is no cost for these events. Consent for all events can be given via the Compass parent portal.

Term 4 School Fees

Term 4 school fees have been billed to each family. These fees are payable by Friday 1st December, unless you are paying by regular direct debit amounts.
 
1 student - $290
2 students - $507.50
3 or more students - $652.50
 
Payment options are:  

1. using the Compass app - You can check your school fee balance and pay fees through the Compass app. Select more - school fees - next - and enter your credit card details. You have the option to pay in full or pay a portion of your fees. 
2. cash or cheque at school 
3. direct deposit to the school's bank account (see instructions below)

When using internet banking, please use your child’s surname as a reference.
Banancoast Community Credit Union   
BSB no. 533-000
Account no. 3282 0430                 
Name: Mt St John’s Primary School
 
Remember, if you feel you will be unable to finalise your Term 4 school fees by this date, some financial assistance may be available from St Vincent de Paul - to make an appointment with them, call 0472 718862. You will need to take your school fee statement with you to your appointment.

RFW's Child and Family Unit

Royal Far West's Child and Family Unit currently has vacancies and is seeking expressions of interest for our NDIS services. There are positions available for eligible children to attend an immersive therapy week on-site in Manly and a small number of telecare spots.

For more information, see link to the brochure below.

ASD Camp Experience

The Autism Australia camp experience is for any families with children aged 7-14 with autism and NDIS funding. While it is located near Tweed Heads it could still be a nice holiday location for any families in our diocese.  It has come highly recommended by familes who have attended the camp - please click on the link below for more information.

Child Safeguarding Website

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited (DLCSL) has launched a Child Safeguarding website as part of our commitment to implementing the Child Safe Standards. It contains information on Child Safe Standards, our Commitment Statement, a contact form for concerns or inquiries, and other useful links and resources.

The website can also be accessed through the "Parent Information" tab on our school website. We encourage you to visit the website to understand our commitment to building a school where every child feels valued, heard, and protected.

Canteen on THURSDAYS for the Remainder of Term 4

We have decided to change our canteen day to THURSDAY each week until the end of Term 4, as it will clash less with some school events that are coming up. This will mean canteen orders will need to be in by Wednesday mornings at 9am (no late orders can be accepted in future). A reminder will be sent via the Compass app each Tuesday afternoon. If you need to cancel your order, please do so before 9am on Thursday.

Term 4 Swimming Lessons each Thursday

Our Term 1 swimming program has commenced for all students from Kindergarten to Year 6. Swimming is a compulsory part of the PDHPE curriculum. 

Students will need to bring swimmers, a towel, goggles, caps (the school can provide swimming caps for those students who don't own one, but if you do own one you are encouraged to bring it), and sun shirts to school each Thursday for their lesson. There is no extra cost for swimming lessons, as the school covers the pool entry fees and payments to the swim teachers. 

Students will walk to and from the pool. Please note, K - 1 students are to be collected from the pool at the end of the day each Thursday as their lesson will finish at 3:05pm. Kinder & Year 1 students catching buses will do so from Dorrigo Public School, supervised by our staff. 

Swimming lessons will take place each Thursday in Term 4 (weather permitting) at the following times:
Years 4/5/6 at 1pm
Years 2/3 at 1.40pm
K/1 at 2.20pm

Project Compassion

We are continuing to collect toiletries such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, brushes, combs, sanitary items, shampoo, deodorant, washing powder and warm items like socks and beanies, all of which will be donated to Pete's Place in Coffs Harbour to help homeless people in our local area.

St Vincent de Paul are also looking for any 2nd-hand drink bottles such as kids' drink bottles (not plastic PET water bottles). 

Please help if you can - there is a basket at the front office in which to place your donations.

Thank you!

Louise Sprowles - LOSEC

How to Cancel a Canteen Order

If you need to, you can cancel canteen orders before 9am on Friday mornings. If you know your child is going to be away you can go into Compass Canteen and select "cancel order".

The refunded money goes back into your Compass "wallet" so you can use it next time you order - when you get to the Confirm & pay screen, click on the down arrow and select Compass Credit. 

School Facebook Page

Check out our school Facebook page! It is wonderful to be able to share the good news of our school with our families and community. 

Library Day - Wednesday

Library day for all students is Wednesday - please make sure your child brings in his or her cloth library bag on this day. Each student may borrow four books per week. 

School Bus Travel

2024 school travel applications are now open                      

Students who need a School Opal card or travel pass for 2024 can apply here. A new application will need to be submitted if they are applying for the first time, or if they are requesting additional travel entitlement because of new shared parental arrangement (e.g. joint custody).

Students who change address, school, campus location, have repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should renew or update their details before the end of Term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications, and entitlements remain valid for the start of the 2024 school year. School Opal card holders will have the changes applied to their existing card.

If a student’s distance eligibility has changed based on their grade (i.e. grade two to grade three), the system will automatically update their entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, an expiry notification will be sent via email.

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply.

Students living in rural and regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. It may come via the school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

School Drive Subsidy

The School Drive Subsidy is available for eligible school students where there is no public transport available for all or part of the journey. If you have to drive your child more than 1.6km to a school bus stop, you may be eligible for this subsidy – go to the link below to apply. 

GLUE & Messy Church

GLUE God Loves Us Eternally KidsClub is held each Wednesday during school term time from 3-5pm at the Anglican Hall. Afternoon tea, games, fun worship and craft. All primary kids in Years 1-6 are welcome, as are newcomers. For more info, ring Gwenneth on 6657 2135.

The final Messy Church for 2023 will be held on Sunday 26th November 2023 - the theme is "Messy Forgiveness".

Messy church is a free community event for families and children on a Christian theme with free dinner provided. 

Student Art Dorrigo Show

Service NSW in Dorrigo

The Service NSW Mobile Service Centre is returning to Dorrigo. They will be set up at 51 Hickory Street on Tuesday, 21 November 2023 from 10am - 3pm.

Healthy Lunchbox Website

Cancer Council’s Healthy Lunch Box website is your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about packing a healthy lunch box.  For recipes, information and health tips please visit the website below.