Dear St John's families,

We've had a lovely first week of Term 2. Staff worked hard over the school holidays to prepare for students' return.

During the Pupil Free Day on Monday we covered some very important areas of professional learning, including learning about:

• sexualised behaviours in pre- and primary age children and how to support them in maintaining positive, respectful relationships among family and friends. We learnt what is age appropriate, what might be a little concerning and what might indicate a child has likley experienced trauma. Most importantly we refreshed our knowledge in teaching Protective Behaviours, an abuse prevention program that has been taught in schools across Australia since the 1980s. Next week I will write in a little more detail about this and recommend resources for parents.
• the experiences of students who are learning English as an Additional Language/Dialect (EAL/D). These multilingual students often need support to assist them in learning many areas of the curriculum as they use their developing understanding of English to learn science, history, geography, mathematics, etc. We learnt about the cultural backgrounds of many of these multilingual students in our school and how to support their learning every day in the classroom.

Welcome to all of our new students across the school. It's a joy to see them all finding friends very quickly. Welcome also to our new staff members Mrs Sun and Mr Lawalata. It feels as though they have been here for a very long time! Welcome back Mrs Dess. Students are thoroughly enjoying seeing you again.

Thank you to our parents and carers who have helped with preparing the Mothers Day gifts. Thank you to Belinda Clifford, Wanda Klinicki, Stephanie Juskevics, Sharon Schluter and Kellie Bradbury. These will be sent home next week.

Remembering our ANZACs

We had a beautiful ANZAC liturgy on Wednesday morning. Thank you to Casey Guidolin (father of Zane and Grace), Gene Wills (father of Jordan) and Glen Gallagher (father of Angus) for assisting in the commemoration.

Staffing changes for Term 2

Congratulations to Mrs Alison Ewyk who was appointed to a teaching position in Years 7/8 Humanities at SFX. Alison will finish her time with 5 Blue and St John the Apostle at the end of Week 4. It will be an excellent opportunity to share her expertise in History and English with older students. We wish her the very best in the future. We have already begun the process for appointing a new teacher to 5 Blue from Week 5 and will inform the 5 Blue families when this has been finalised.

If you pop in on a Friday you will see a familiar face! Leanne Griffiths, our Office Manager, will be working Monday to Thursday only and Debbie Milne, former Finance Officer, will be running the Front Office each Friday. Welcome back Mrs Milne! 

Working Bee this Sunday

This Sunday from 9.30am to 11.30am we have our Working Bee. Thank you to the families that have volunteered to come and help. We'll get a lot done!

We'll be mostly doing some garden tidy up and preparation. Most of the heavy jobs were completed by external providers during the school holidays. The Kitchen Garden is already ready for planting.

At 11.30am we'll have a little sausage sizzle to reward us for our morning's work. Children are welcome to come along and play while we work.

If you can help on Sunday please just register on at the following link so we can plan the sausage sizzle.

Enrolment Period

The 2025 Enrolment Period has begun. If you have a child ready for Kindergarten next year now is the time to submit an enrolment form. If your child is heading to Year 7 next year then please submit your enrolment form for SFX within the enrolment window to ensure your child will have a place there.

Parents are a great support for maintaining enrolments in a schools. If you know of any families that are curious about enrolling in our school please do encourage them to visit during one of our tour times next term. They are also very welcome to talk to me about how we can assist their child in their schooling journey.

I'm looking forward to a wonderful Term 2 together.

Matthew Garton

Principal

The break provided me with an opportunity to go to Indonesia for the first time. My mother is Javanese with a good dash of Dutch and Chinese mixed in. It was a surreal and spiritual experience to go somewhere I have never been before and for it to feel so familiar. The food, the smells, even some of the language was like home. I spent a great deal of time in the pool, praying in different temples and wandering through markets. 

Sadly, on our return we found out that my father in law was gravely ill and he passed away last Sunday. 

When I think about the last 10 days, I am awestruck by the breadth of emotions I have felt. Joy, wonder, peace, sadness, and grief. Having been exposed to people whose lives are so vastly different from ours, in Bali and also in the hospital with patients with no one to visit, I am grateful. 

Grateful for my country, my family and for my father-in-law who showed me what it means to love. For his keen ability to find a good bakery in a small country town, his discernment of the best vanilla slice and his passion for Collingwood and most of all the love for his grandchildren. For without all of these things my life would not be as rich and privileged as it is.

I hope you are able to cherish and spend time with the older generations in your families. Please keep mine in your prayers.

Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord and may perpetual light shine upon him.

God bless,

Stephanie Stewart

Religious Education Coordinator

Notices from the Parish

Happy Birthday to Lilah Johnson, Hugo Gabellone, Keijo Karhu, Vincent Nolan, Awur Ajang, Hannah White, Cameron Broadhurst, Grace Riley, Lewys Candy, Wells Lomax, Fortune Oyindamola, Bailey Da Silva, Arzoi Sehgal, Nizar Habeb, Oliver Wilson, Kudrat Kaur, Victor Lomax, Sophie Peisker, Amelia Swiderski, Thomas Anderson, Adaline and Aviana Jozwiak, Troy Khalu-Reindl, Caleb Quinn and Liliana Givens who all celebrated a birthday over the last three weeks.

This year we will be presenting a number of awards to students. Please see below the scedule for this term. Most awards will be handed out on a Friday morning.

At St John the Apostle we teach a number of programs that focus on mastering particular knowledge and skills in literacy and numeracy. Students are taught based on their individual, current level of mastery. Two of the programs we teach are Spelling Mastery and Rocket Maths. We regularly collect data from students in both of these programs so we can track that they are having continous progress. Students work hard to achieve mastery in these programs, so we celebrate the students who show mastery in these programs by giving them awards.

Students will receive Spelling Mastery Awards once they reach mastery three times at their Spelling Mastery level. For some students this is 10/10 and for others it is 25/25. For Kindergarten students will receive Spelling Mastery Awards when they receive 10/10 for each unit they complete in Sounds~Write.

Students will receive Maths Mastery Awards each time they beat their Rocket Math Two Minute Goal.

This year we will also be presenting Brag Tag Awards. These will be handed out each time a student receives 20 brag tags. 

Brag Tag Awards - presented on Friday 12th May, 8.50am (Week 2)

On Friday 10th May from 7:45am-8:50am, we will be holding a Mother's Day Breakfast to celebrate all Mothers, Grandmothers, Carers or Mother figures in your child's life. All members of our community are welcome. Please RSVP at the link below by 3pm Wednesday 10 May if you would like to attend.

The Community Council have organised a Mother's Day gift for children to give to their Mother, Grandmother, Carer or Mum figure in their life for Mother's Day on Sunday, 12 May 2024. The Mother's Day gift must be pre-ordered via the Qkr! App. It can be found under the Community Council Events tab. The Mother's Day gift is $8 per gift and will be sent home with children on Friday, 10 May 2024. 

Orders must be made on the Qkr! App no later than 4pm Wednesday, 8 May 2024. 

Winter Uniform

We'd like to remind everyone that in Term 2 we change to our Winter Uniform. You can find a complete list of the Winter Uniform on our school website. Please see below The Uniform Shop opening times.

Opening Hours

The Power of Habit

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, writes that,

Goals are for people who care about winning once. Systems are for people who care about winning repeatedly.

We rise or fall according to the level of our systems. But family systems often don’t exist. Chaos, rush, and stress dominate. Spontaneity works on some days. Exhaustion wins on others.

If systems and habits are at the core of our successes, developing effective, usable systems becomes a skill that matters.

Can you write out your morning system? Your weekly meal system? Your exercise routine or system?

What’s the system for strengthening your relationship with your spouse or partner? Your kids?

Here are three practical systems I recommend:

Mornings

• Prep everything from uniforms, shoes, and schoolbags to breakfast choices and lunch decisions the night before.
• Get enough sleep (that’s children and parents).
• Wake up early enough to be ready before the kids need to get started.
• Wake your children up with at least a 15-minute margin in case of challenges.
• Reduce correction and direction and build connection by asking how you can help.

Develop your morning system along these guidelines and watch your family’s effectiveness and connection shift.

Getting on the Same Page

• Have a weekly couples meeting and a weekly family meeting (with treats if necessary).
• Ask, “What’s working this week?”, “What’s not?”, and “What will we work on next week?”
• Make a plan and ensure kids and partner buy-in.
• Integrate accountability processes each morning or evening.

Building a Better Relationship

• Touch each other when you pass in the corridor, sit in the car together, or anytime you can.
• Answer the phone with delight rather than “Yep?” or “What’s up?”.
• Schedule a regular date (that doesn’t include watching a screen).
• Share long kisses when you leave the house and when you return.
• Remember to say “Hi” and “Bye”.
• Say, “I love you”, and use their name.
• Have sex that focuses on female pleasure. (As the famous book is titled, She Comes First). Prioritise sexy time so it isn’t 10p.m. exhausted “get it over with” sex.
• Have a night away together once every quarter/term.

These are idea starters, not gospel. Creating positive habits together with small and consistent daily actions aligned with your system moves the needle.

It’s not just about what you do today, but about what you do every day. Your family’s happiness and your parenting effectiveness will reflect the habits you establish over time.

AUTHOR

Dr Justin Coulson

Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters and grandfather to 1 granddaughter. He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel 9’s Parental Guidance, and he and his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family: The Happy Families podcast. He has written 9 books about families and parenting. For further details visit www.happyfamilies.com.au.

Are you still looking for the perfect Mother’s Day Gay gift?

Give the gift of endless experiences with an Entertainment Membership, filled with thousands of exclusive offers perfect for spending quality time with loved ones.

Plus if you order between 6:00pm AEST, Wednesday 1st May to 11:59am AEST Friday 31st May 2024, you'll also receive a bonus $20 Everyday WISH eGift Card with a Single City Membership purchase, and a bonus $40 Everyday WISH eGift Card with a Multi City Membership purchase https://subscribe.entertainment.com.au/fundraiser/2323z3

It's not just a gift for Mum to enjoy year-round; it's also a little something extra for her to indulge in a special treat…or keep it for yourself, I won’t tell anyone ?

What's more, by purchasing a Membership, you're not just treating yourself to fantastic savings—you're also directly supporting our cause. With every Membership purchase, our charity receives 20% of the Membership price, ensuring that your contribution goes even further in making a difference.

With new offers added weekly, the Entertainment Membership promises unparalleled value on dining, experiences, shopping, travel, and more, ensuring every moment is brimming with joy and laughter.

ORDER HERE– https://subscribe.entertainment.com.au/fundraiser/2323z3

Thank you for your continued support,  SJAPS Community Council