Term 4 - Week 8, 2022

Principal's Message

Dear Parents,

Our staffing is almost finalised for 2023. We are lucky to only have minor changes to the staffing for 2023. This allows us to continue to support the students' learning in small class groups. 

This year we are saying farewell to Donna McKenzie, who has worked at Mt St John's for 25 years. She is currently our secretary on Mondays. Donna has accepted a full time role at St John Paul College in Coffs Harbour. We will have a special presentation for Donna at our upcoming Awards Assembly on Monday 12th December and we keep her in our prayers as she makes this transition.   

We have carefully considered the needs of the students in each stage in determining our classes for next year. Our class groups and staffing for 2023 are as follows:

Kindergarten & Year 1 - Zoe Griffiths

Year 2 - Nancye Spiteri *

Stage 2 - Louise Sprowles

Stage 3 - Carmel Beaumont

Instructional Leader K - 2: Sue Darby

Teacher assistants:

Eleanor Kerr

Kim Brady

Salena Bryce

Sue Wesche

School Secretaries:

Monday - Wendy White

Tuesday to Friday - Cathy Marsden

Support Staff:

Groundsperson - Chris Meehan

Canteen Manager - Kerry Miller

Cleaner - Stephen White

* Please note, Nancye Spiteri will be taking Long Service Leave during the first part of the year; she will return to work on 21st August 2023. 

We look forward to supporting each student's learning in 2023 and are confident that we have the structures in place to provide quality education to all.

Regards,

Nathan Trezise,

Principal

Christmas Prayer Assembly

There will be a Christmas Prayer Assembly on Monday at 2:30pm. All welcome!

Canteen on THURSDAY this week

Canteen will be on Thursday again next week, as the whole school is attending the Bellingen Youth Orchestra concert in Bellingen on Friday. You will need to have your orders in the day before by 8:30am.

Get Moving Raffle

Mt St John’s School is raising funds to enable us to install a basketball court at our school. As part of the fundraising activities we have a “Get Moving” Raffle. A raffle ticket booklet was sent home last week for each family to sell if you are able to. If you need more ticket booklets, please contact the school on ph 6657 2552 or pop in to school to pick one up.

Please return all tickets and money by Friday 9^th December to Mt St John’s School front office.

The raffle will be drawn on Monday 12^th December at the Awards Ceremony.

Christmas Giving Tree

Mt St Johns are doing their Giving Tree again this year. There is a Christmas tree in the foyer with some gift tags on it. 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 returned to school 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.

Weekly Awards

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

Abby T - For being a kind and caring friend to your peers. Keep it up!

Charlotte B - For showing wonderful manners in class and being respectful when talking to others.

Keira T - For asking questions to deepen understanding in Mathematics and in classroom problem solving.

Abby M - For perseverance in writing and taking on feedback to improve your work.

Mia G - For showing good leadership while practicing for our Christmas prayer assembly.

Hayley M - For her good manners and her positive attitude to learning.

Jordan D - For setting out Mathematics tasks in a logical manner and being able to add numbers with decimals accurately.

Cormac O - For displaying responsible leadership skills during Kindergarten Orientation in Week 6.

Freya W - For a consistent effort in Maths tasks and building her understanding of measuring mass to 3 decimal places.

All of Stage 2 - for your good sportsmanship and fair play at the Soccer Gala Day on Thursday.

Community Carols on the Hill

This year's Community Carols will be held at St Stephen's Anglican Church on Sunday 11th December. Our students will be singing a couple of carols on the night. There will be a BBQ at 6pm, followed by carols at 7pm.  All welcome!

Today We Noticed.... RESPECT

This week we've been focusing on the school expectation of being respectful, and we've been on the look-out for students showing respect so we can recognise and highlight their positive contributions to our classrooms and yard. Each of these students has their affirmation written on a slip of paper to bring home - ask them about it!

Congratulations to the following students: Hayley, Ryan & Abbi.

Bellingen Youth Orchestra 2022 Schools Concert

We have been invited to attend a concert by Bellingen Youth Orchestra on Friday 9th December at Bellingen High School. Bellingen Youth Orchestra have organised an entertaining concert for students which will provide students with the opportunity to meet all the sections of the orchestra and the talented teenagers who play these instruments. This is a wonderful opportunity for young students to be introduced to all instruments found in a full orchestra. Repertoire will include well-known musical soundtracks such as ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and there will also be opportunities for movement and an orchestra walk through, allowing each student to ‘land’ at their favourite instrument!

When: Friday 9th December
Where: Bellingen High School

Students should pack their recess, lunch and a drink.

The bus will leave MSJ School at around 11:30am and return by around 2:30pm. There is no cost for this event. Please ensure you have given permission for your child to attend the excursion in the Compass app.

Term 4 Swimming Lessons

Our final swimming lesson for the year will be held next Thursday.  Swimming is a compulsory part of the PDHPE curriculum for all students from K-6. 

Students will need to bring swimmers, a towel, goggles, caps (the school can provide swimming caps for those students who don't own one), 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. 

Swimming lessons will take place each Thursday in Term 4 (weather permitting) at the following times:

Stage 3 at 1pm

Stage 2 at 1.40pm

K - 2 at 2.20pm

Students will walk to and from the pool. Please note, K - 2 students are to be collected from the pool at the end of the day each Thursday as their lesson will finish at 3:05pm. K - 2 students catching buses will do so from Dorrigo Public School, supervised by our staff. 

EMBRACE KIDS Film Screening

Our Stage 2 & 3 students have been invited to attend a screening of the Embrace Kids film at the Dorrigo Gazette Theatre on Wednesday 7th December.  

Embrace Kids is an uplifting film by Taryn Brumfitt which aims to improve the body image of young people across Australia and the world. This film inspires, educates, and advocates for a world where we are not held back by the thoughts we have about the way we look. Instead, young people are encouraged to figure out what makes them unique and special, and use that to spark change.

Filled with fun and joy, this documentary is an energetic mix of animation, live action, interviews, music and more. The film helps children decode the ways that advertising, social media, celebrity culture, and the diet and fitness industries influence how we feel about our bodies.

This has been organised through the Dorrigo Youth Hub with a family screening of this film taking place in the evening of Wednesday 7th December at 6pm. Our School Counsellor, Darryl Harper will also attend the film, so that we can lead discussions about the concepts being explored. 

This film is aligned with the Australian Curriculum for Health and Physical Education. There is no cost for this event. Please ensure you have given permission for your child to attend the excursion in the Compass app.

Beach Day - Thursday 15th December

To round out the school year, we are taking MSJ students to Morgo Street Reserve in Urunga on Thursday 15th December. 

Students will travel by bus to Urunga. We will allow students to swim in the lido under the close supervision of staff. Students will also be able to play games on the beach and use the play equipment. Information for students is listed below:

Wear: free dress
Bring: swimmers, rash shirt, towel, hat, sunscreen, water bottle, recess and lunch
Bus departs school: 9.10am
Bus returns to school: 3.05pm

There is no cost for this excursion. 

There is no canteen at the Reserve, so no money is required. We usually have treats for the students such as iceblocks, cake and watermelon. 

Please complete the permission consent in the Compass app by Monday 12th December. If your child is NOT going to be at school on that day, please inform the school with a reason for the absence in the questions section. 

Enrolments Open for 2023

Enrolments are open for Kindergarten and all other grades for 2023. Please phone the school on 6657 2552 to request an enrolment pack. When you have returned your completed application form to the school, you and your child will be invited to attend an enrolment interview. 

Uniform Items

Uniform prices are as follows:

School hats - $15

Shirts - $25

Skorts - $20

Shorts - $20

Rain jackets - $50

Term 4 School Fees

Term 4 school fees are now due, unless you are paying by regular direct debit amounts. 
 
1 student - $281.50 
2 students - $492.62
3 or more students - $633.37
 
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 718 862. You will need to take your school fee statement with you to your appointment.

How to Cancel a Canteen Order

If you need to, you can cancel canteen orders before 8:30am on Friday mornings. If you know your child is going to be away you can go into Compass Canteen and select "cancel order". The 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. 

Leaving Students Access to Compass Portal

Parents of students who are leaving school at the end of year, and not continuing their education within the Diocese of Lismore, will lose access to their Compass portal on the 31st December 2022. Therefore parents should download their child’s reports in Compass prior to the 31st December.

Parents of students who are continuing their education within the Diocese of Lismore will still be
able to access their child’s reports through their Compass portal.

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

Applications for student travel can 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. 

GLUE

GLUE "God Loves Us Eternally" KidsClub is held each Wednesday during school terms 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.

Instrumental Music With Hazel

Hazel Buchanan is offering individual music lessons on Friday afternoons at school again this year, and currently has a couple of spaces. Hazel teaches woodwind, brass and piano. For more details, please call Hazel on 0458 572525.

Christmas Events 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.