Term 4 - Week 9, 2021

Acting Principal's Message

Dear Parents,

In line with Diocesan recommendations, next year there will be two days of assessment interviews for all students prior to the commencement of classes. Next week, parents will be sent a booking form to book their child into one of the assessment interviews. All students in Years 1-6 will need to be brought to school for a 30-minute one-to-one Mathematics assessment with their 2022 teacher. Similarly, all new Kindergarten students will take part in a Best Start assessment of approximately 1 hour.

These assessments allow the teachers to gain a better insight into the students' capabilities and learning needs before full-time classes commence. It is not possible to complete these during class time. The assessments will be conducted in a conversational individual manner as they are more of an ‘interview’ style rather than a traditional sit-down test.

This model of testing will ensure a smooth start so that your child's teacher is with them from the start of the year setting up structures, routines and getting to know your child in the most settled way possible. If you have more than one child at the school, there will be an opportunity to book consecutive times to avoid lengthy waiting. We believe this model will prepare the children up for a fantastic start to the 2022 school year.

Booking notes will be sent out in Week 10.
Important Dates to Remember:
February 1 and 2 2022 - Kindergarten Best Start Assessments (approx 1 hour) and Years 1-6 MAI Testing (approx 30 minutes).
February 3 2022 - All students commence regular classes.
Please feel free to contact the school if you have any questions.

Warm regards,

Craig Warnes, Acting Principal

Weekly Awards

Ryan B - for giving compliments when others achieve high standards. 

Rory O - for careful, accurate calculations in subtraction problem solving.

Jules F - for the amazing effort you have put into all writing activities. You have had a go all on your own. Well done.

Ethan M - for writing a persuasive text on why Santa should have a break. You gave strong reasons. Well done.

Ruby F - for great effort in Maths, working out the area of shapes using a grid.

Ivy M - for hard work in writing and participating well in class discussions.

Shyla G - for showing persistence when solving challenging Maths problems involving Area and Perimeter.

Cash G - for being willing to share his mathematical thinking to solve measurement problems involving Area and Perimeter.

End of Year Fun Day

We have booked the Dorrigo Pool for an end-of-year fun day on Tuesday 14^th December. The senior students will walk down to the pool in the morning to enjoy some activities in the water, then they’ll walk back to school to have a sausage sizzle lunch with the rest of the students. In the afternoon, the junior students will walk down to have their turn at the pool. We have planned some VERY fun and exciting activities to be set up in the school playground for the alternate sessions at school. We can’t spoil the surprise by telling you what these will be, but don’t miss this day!

Christmas Giving Tree

Mt St Johns are doing their giving tree again this year. There are 20 gift tags on the Christmas tree in the school foyer. Each tag has the age and gender of a child written on it. If you are able to help a family in need, please ask your child to choose a tag from the tree and buy a gift for a child that age. Gifts must be in by Friday 10th December. Please sticky tape your tag to the gift. Thank you! We are also collecting toiletries for the homeless. All donations are gratefully accepted.

Leaders' Assembly - Monday 6 December

This Monday the school leaders are leading our school assembly. We will be streaming the assembly and sharing the link through Facebook with our school community.

Awards Presentation Assembly

Our end-of-year awards presentation assembly and liturgy will be held on Monday 13^th December. Unfortunately, we are not permitted to invite parents and community members to this event, but we will be streaming it and sharing the link through Facebook.

Road Safety in the Christmas Holidays

2022 Enrolments

We are taking enrolments for all classes in 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.

Term 4 School Fees

Term 4 school fees are now due, unless you are paying regular direct deposit payments. 
If you feel you will be unable to finalise your 2021 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.

Several payment methods are available; 

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

1 student - Term 4 - $276.00

       $46.16 per fortnight (x 25 fortnights)

       $23.08 per week (x 50 weeks)

2 students - Term 4 - $483.00

       $81.28 per fortnight (x 25 fortnights)

       $40.64 per week (x 50 weeks)

3 or more students  - Term 4 – $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

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)

Roll and Cover

This is a game best played with two or three. Children use 2  dice and add the dots to make a total. They then find that number on the game board and cover it with a counter, and then roll again. To make the game harder 3 dice can be used and children can add or subtract to make a total on the board, or use a combination of addition and subtraction.

Stage 1 - Mathematics Games (see video below)

Handfuls

Take a large handful of counters and then predict how many counters are in your hand. Organise the counters so you can count them quickly. Was your prediction (estimation) correct?

Stage 2 - Mathematics Games (see video below)

Roll and Divide 

What will you need?

• A six sided die
• Counters (optional)
• Markers 
• Something to write on 

Choose a number between 1-100. Roll a 6-sided die and divide your number by this amount. Estimate then work out the answer. Your partner checks the answer and when correct the person gets a point. The first to 10 wins! 
Hint: If 1-100 is too challenging or too easy, feel free to change the range to something more appropriate.

Stage 3 - Mathematics Games (see video below)

Beat the Pack Multiplication Game

Flip a card over and multiply it by the previous last card. For extension you might like to lay 3 cards down and multiply the 3 cards together; e.g. 6 x 4 x 8

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

Please return all library books and class readers before the Christmas holidays. Please check under beds, in bookcases and in the car for any library or school books you may have. Remember – the Dorrigo local library will be open during the holidays, so avail yourselves of their great selection of books!

Canteen

There will be a slightly limited canteen menu as we need to use up the stock before the end of the year. If you are available to help out in the canteen one or more Fridays, please call Alicia on 0488 280683. 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 Christmas Cupcake Competition

Bellingen Drive Thru Testing Clinic

The Bellingen ‘Drive Thru’ COVID testing clinic is now operated by Sullivan Nicolaides pathology. They will provide COVID testing from 12:30-1:30pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). No booking is required – just turn up with medicare card or photo equivalent.

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 a 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. 

GLUE

GLUE: "God Loves Us Eternally" (formerly GFS) is held 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.

Summer Reading Club at Dorrigo Library

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.

Nutrition Snippet