Term 3 - Week 4, 2021

2021 Book Week & Book Fair

Our 2021 Book Fair will be held in Week 7 of this term, from Monday 23 August to Friday 27 August. This is always a fun week, with visits to our local library planned on Tuesday 24 August and a Book Character dress-up parade on Thursday 26 August (COVID restrictions permitting). 

Thank you to Ashlee Turner and Melinda MacDonell, who have volunteered to help out with the organisation of the Book Fair (again, COVID restrictions permitting). This entails helping set up the Book Fair in the library and assisting with promoting Book Fair & Book Week. 

2022 Enrolments Now Open

We are taking enrolments for Kindergarten for 2022. Children are eligible for Kindergarten if they turn 5 by July 31 of that year. All children must be enrolled in school by their sixth birthday. To enrol at Mt St John’s, follow these three steps:

1. Collect an enrolment form from the school office.
2. Return the completed enrolment form to school office.
3. Attend an enrolment interview with your child.

In Term 4, students who are enrolled for 2022 can attend our formal Kindergarten transition sessions. We look forward to meeting our new Kindergarten students soon!

Weekly Awards

This week's class awards went to:

Rory O - for trying hard to match one to one when counting big groups.

Aurora W - for always bringing a positive attitude to every learning experience. 

Mia M - for always applying yourself in Writing. You put much effort into everything you write. Keep it up! 

Jinky W - for always producing neat work and handwriting. 

Clay B - for great work in Maths using your knowledge on fractions!

Ivy M - for a great attitude and persistence in your class work!

Harry C - for an enthusiastic approach to all writing tasks and ensuring writing is well-planned and accurately paragraphed.

Harry W - for application in Maths. You have set out your addition and subtraction problems in a logical and accurate way. Well done!

Big School Experience session cancelled

During term 3, we were hoping to welcome our local pre-school children to join in experiencing 'big school'! We have had one session, but unfortunately due to COVID restrictions, next week's session has been cancelled. Hopefully we can hold the sessions booked for later in the term on 24th August & 14th September. Children will need to bring a hat and a water bottle. Call the school on 6657 2552 for more information.

Craft Request

Mrs Darby is asking for donations of clean, empty plastic 1-litre soft drink or cordial bottles for art and craft. Please drop the bottles off at the front office.

The Importance of SLEEP

Staff have noticed lately that some students are coming to school very tired. As we all know from our own experiences (remember when your own children were babies?), being tired makes it difficult to concentrate and be productive. It can also lead to irritability and an unwillingness to learn. Sufficient sleep is particularly important for children, as good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance of both children and adults.

So.... your homework for this week? Go to bed early and get plenty of sleep; 9 - 11 hours if you are between 6-12 years of age.

Below is a link to a great website with more information about the importance of sleep.

Lost School Jackets

Some navy school jackets have gone missing recently - please check the name tag in your child's jacket and make sure he or she hasn't taken home someone else's jacket by mistake.

Mini Vinnies Winter Appeal

We are gathering donations again this year for our Winter Appeal. Please help us if you can. We need toiletries (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, moisturizer, deodorant, toothbrushes), scarves, beanies, blankets, jumpers, socks etc. Whatever you have to spare would make a real difference to someone in need.

Thank you for your generous support.

The Mini Vinnies Group

New School Facebook!

We have launched our new school Facebook page! It has been wonderful to be able to share the good news of our school with our families and community. 

Mathematics Games Video Tutorials

Each week, students are encouraged to play some mathematics games at home to help support their learning at school. Our classroom teachers take students through the homework tasks and to assist families to play at home, we are including a video tutorial in the newsletter. 

Kindergarten - Mathematics Games (see video below)

Adding Bingo

To create the Bingo board children need to look at the dice and work out the possible answers they can put on their boards. They cause numbers more than once. They roll the dice, hold the number in their head and counting on two if the rule is add two. They then put their counter on the new number.

Stage 1 - Mathematics Games (see video below)

Unfix Towers

Place a unifix tower on the table that is 3 blocks high. In turn, each player rolls a 6-sided die and identifies the number rolled. Next they imagine, then make, a tower that is 3  times as high as the number rolled. First predict how many blocks will be needed to make a tower and then prove the solution to the other players. Any towers taller than 10 blocks in each round earn a point for the player. The winner is the player with the most points.

Easier: 2 blocks high

Challenging: 10 sided die.

Stage 2 - Mathematics Games (see video below)

Near Doubles Bingo

You will need:

• Whiteboard or Paper

• A marker 

• Counters (optional)

• Spinner - https://wordwall.net/resource/49009/maths/random-number-wheel-1-10

Create a 3x3 bingo card and fill the card with ODD numbers from 1-19, you can repeat numbers. Take a 1-10 spinner, spin and read the number. Place a round on a number if it is a near-double of the number on the spinner. As you play, think of the strategy you are using to work out your answer. First player to fill their card wins.

Stage 3 - Mathematics Games (see video below)

Target 100. Target 1000

Shuffle a pack of playing cards. Create a 2 digit number. Use your mathematical thinking as to how many more do I need to get to 100. If your child is competent with this, use 3 cards to form a 3 digit number, then they will need to work out how many more do I need to get to 1000. Extra extension: Use 4 cards to create a 4 digit number then your child needs to work out how many more do I need to get to 10000. 

Connect and Reflect -Parent Gathering

Below is the flyer for the upcoming Parent Gatherings with registration details. All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend one of these informative and engaging gatherings. Due to social distancing, numbers will be restricted. We encourage parents to register early.

2021 Premier's Reading Challenge

The Premier's Reading Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely. The Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is open to all NSW students in Kindergarten to Year 9, in government, independent, Catholic and home schools. You must read a certain number of books to complete the Challenge. The Challenge closes for students on Friday August 20, 2021.

Congratulations to the following students, who have completed this year's Premier's Reading Challenge:

Xavier B, Rosie W, Reid G, Kyrin M, Cormac O, Freya W, Cooper C, Cash G, Lacey P.

Parent Assembly Recruitment

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. 

Canteen

If anyone is available to volunteer in our canteen one or more Fridays per term, please contact our canteen co-ordinator Alicia on 0488 280683. If we have no volunteers available we will have to cancel canteen for that week.

A reminder to place your canteen order before Thursday night each week.

Please note - if you top up your canteen account via bank transfer, the funds will take a week to clear so you will not be able to order canteen immediately. 

Please send your lunch wallets into school and we will keep them here.

Dorrigo Show 2021

Below are some exciting competitions that the Show Society will be holding this year.The Show organisers are encouraging students to participate and make a wonderful display. Please note that this year's Show will be held on Friday 26 November and Saturday 27 November. Check out the Dorrigo Show website for more information. 

Little Athletics Information Session

Vision Screening Clinics

School Bus Travel

Applications for student travel can now be made online. Apply here 

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. 

Instrumental Music With Hazel

We have music tutor available to teach instrumental music through private tuition. Hazel Buchanan is interested in working with our students. Hazel can teach flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, percussion and bass guitar.

The school owns a flute and a clarinet, which are available for families to borrow long-term at no cost. The payments for lessons are billed each term and paid directly to Hazel. An Essential Element Band Book will be supplied by the school too.

Students wishing to learn these instruments can do so in individual lessons or in small groups depending on the instrument chosen. It is hoped that one day, we can start a small ensemble or band for instrumental students to play together. 

If you are interested in taking up this opportunity, please contact Hazel directly on 0458 572 525.

Lessons will take place on Fridays. 

Term 3 School Fees

Term 3 school fees are payable by Friday 27th August, unless you are paying by regular direct debit.

Several payment methods are available; 

• Regular direct deposit payments (see suggested amounts below).
• Lump sum direct deposit
• Cash
• Cheque

1 student - Term 3 - $276.00

       $46.16 per fortnight (x 25 fortnights)

       $23.08 per week (x 50 weeks)

2 students - Term 3 - $483.00

       $81.28 per fortnight (x 25 fortnights)

       $40.64 per week (x 50 weeks)

3 or more students  - Term 3 – $621.00

       $105.36 per fortnight (x 25 fortnights)

       $52.68 per week (x 50 weeks)

If you would like to arrange a regular direct debit payment from your Bananacoast Credit Union account into the school’s account, the BCU Credit Union in Dorrigo will organize this for you.

When using Internet banking, please use your child’s surname as a reference.

Bananacoast Community Credit Union   BSB no. 533-000

Account no. 3282 0430                 Name: Mt St John’s Primary School

School Fee Relief for familes impacted by the March floods

Due to the financial strain the March 2021 flooding may have had on some families, the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Ltd has announced they will waive 2021 school fees for recipients of any Australian Government financial assistance in relation to the March 2021 floods, including either the:

• Disaster Recovery Payment (property damage)
• Disaster Recovery Allowance (loss of income)

If you would like to apply for a fee waiver for 2021, please contact the school, providing correspondence from Centrelink demonstrating receipt of disaster recovery payment or allowance.

GLUE

GLUE: "God Loves Us Eternally" (formerly GFS) is on each Wednesday from 3-5pm at the Anglican Hall. Afternoon tea, games, fun worship and craft. All primary kids welcome, as are newcomers. For more info, ring Gwenneth on 6657 2135. COVID-safe practices will apply.

Messy Church

After-School Lego @ Dorrigo Library

Nutrition Snippet