We come before You with hearts full of gratitude for the precious gift of the Eucharist.
Thank You for nourishing our souls and uniting us with Your divine presence.
May we always cherish this sacred sacrament, drawing strength and grace from it.
Help us to live in a way that reflects Your love and sacrifice.
Amen.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Some of the most precious moments in a child’s faith journey are those of their First Holy Communion. We will be blessed to be witnesses to this over the weekend as we have 30 students who will receive this Sacrament, please keep the candidates and their families in your prayers. You are invited to come along to Mass at St John the Apostle Church in Kippax. The Mass times are Saturday at 5 pm, Sunday at 8.30am and 10.00am.

Parent/Teacher Interviews:

The half yearly reports do not have a general comment. This is consistent with all schools across the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese. However, what is equally beneficial is the opportunity for you to meet with your child’s classroom teacher and it is an important part of the half yearly reporting process.

Parent/Teacher Interviews provide an important opportunity for teachers, students and parents to acknowledge student progress and achievement and discuss some clear steps forward for future growth.

Following are some tips offered by Michael Grose – Australia’s leading parenting educator - to help make the interview a successful experience for everyone involved:

1. Prepare well

Before the meeting, list any questions that you want to raise. Writing information down in advance ensures that your point of view is expressed and that critical information is covered. You may also like to take notes during the meeting so that vital information isn’t missed.

1. Stay solution-focused

When your child’s learning challenges are discussed, it can be difficult not to become defensive or sceptical however, it is important to stay open-minded. Try to view the information shared as an opportunity to discuss your child’s strengths and needs as well as any further support required.

1. Trust the teacher

Teachers view your child through a different lens than you and their conclusions and solutions can seem at odds with your own views. At these times you need to trust the professionalism of your child’s teacher who has more than likely experienced these same challenges before.

1. Ask what you can do

Show your commitment to supporting your child’s progress by asking about ways you can best support your child at home. 

Information on how to book your appointment online has been posted on Compass.

Please do not forget to make an appointment. If you are unable to make any times next week, please email or phone your child’s teacher to touch base.

Personal Plan Reporting Update

 As we prepare to send out Semester 1 Reports, we would like to inform families that only students who are identified as requiring NCCD Extensive or Substantial adjustments will receive an additional written summary report alongside their CE Semester Academic report. This will be emailed to families the day the reports are available on compass.

These summary reports are designed to provide additional insight into the individual learning adjustments in place to support your child’s progress at school and how they are moving towards or achieving their Personal Plan goals.

If your child is not currently receiving extensive or substantial adjustments, they will not receive a Personalised Plan Written Report, however, the current NCCD Personal Plan Report for Supplementary and QDPB goals and adjustments are on them to view and discuss with your child's Teacher. If you would like to discuss any further adjustments or progress of Personalised Plan goals, please make time to discuss these with your child’s teacher at your earliest convenience.

 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Bethany Fear our Inclusive Educational Teacher.

I popped into Year 3 and was very impressed with their positive attitude towards their learning.

Regards

Jo Reed

Semester One Reports

This term, semester one reports will be shared with you via your Compass portal on Thursday 3^rd July. Noting that there are no report comments this semester.

Teachers of students in Kindergarten to Year 6 report on how a student is progressing against achievement standards for each learning area or subject in the Australian Curriculum. The Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards describe the knowledge, skills and understandings a student is expected to learn in each subject for their year level.

The end-of-semester reports for students in Years 1 to 6 provide parents with an assessment of their children’s achievement against the Achievement Standards in the Australian Curriculum for each subject studied. Grades from A to E are used to report on student progress against the standards.

The following is an outline on how the teachers have allocated grades for semester reports. Noting that the A-E grade scale is used for Year 1-6.

Kindergarten Grade Scale 

 Year 1 – Year 6 Grade Scale 

Pupil Free Days

Friday 4 July and Monday 21 July are Pupil Free Days. OSH Club will have their School holiday program running on these days. Even if you don’t attend OSH Club for before or after school care you are still able to book into the service on Pupil Free Days. For more information click on the link below.

What students are learning about

First Eucharist

This weekend students in Year 3 are receiving their First Holy Communion. Father Chung came to visit on Wednesday and he asked the students “Do you want to receive the Eucharist this weekend?”

“Why do you want to receive the body and blood?”

Beau responded ‘because we want to be more like Jesus and do what he does.”  Aarzah “because we want to be one with Jesus.”

Please continue to pray for all our students receiving the sacrament.

Saint Display

Year Six students are still working on their displays and Isabella in 6M put hers up in the front office.  Her saint was Mary MacKillop.

Catholic Life and Reflection

The first words of Pope Leo when he was introduced to the world were “Peace be with you”.  Also the words of Jesus to his disciples at his first appearance after His resurrection.  A simple yet powerful phrase but what does it really mean.  With the current situations world wide with aggression towards other countries we immediately go to these events.  Of course we should be praying for world peace but peace is not just the absence of war. Peace in our daily lives and local communities is the starting point.  

Let not our own hearts be troubled and spread peace as much as we can.

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Happy Birthday to Liam Pham, Harvey Irvine, Kelly Hwang, Brody Loricchiella, Harper Ollevou, Jackson Moulds, Allira Richardson, Alyssa Sammons, James Maddox, Rosie Tran, Rubi Shean, Evagelia Butler-Tomkins, Ryan Dixon, Xavier Bonny, William Miles, Sawyer Del Villar, Emmanuel Amrado, Kelden Tshering, Oskar El-Geddes, Sian Kim, Solomon Azzam, Ileana Rozario, Alex Sandrai, James Thurbon, Mateo Vallecilla Carbonell, Chloe Larkings, Amalie Hanna, Henry Jopling, Austin Patrzalek, Henry Larkin, Zara Fearne, Amara Byrne, Imogen Clark, Heidi Pearson and Katie Wedd who all celebrate a Birthday in June.

Congraultations to the following students who will receive a Brag Tag Award - presented on Friday 27th June.

We are very excited to announce the safe arrival of baby Levi Biilmann. Levi arrived safely on 23 May to proud parents Jack and Jodi Biilmann. Jack is one of our amazing classroom support assistants.

We are also glad to share the news of the safe arrival of Evelyn Saw on 6 June. Evelyn is the daughter of Ming Sun and Eugene Saw. Ming is our lovely Finance Officer.

Today we welcomed visitors from the St Vincent de Paul refugee group who spoke to our Year 6 students and Jo Reed.

Students are welcome to wear something red on the day.

We will also offer a special lunch to celebrate the day. Orders will be available on Monday afternoon through QKR and will include the choice of a hot dog or sausage sizzle, a juice and a bag of chips for $5. We will cater for dietary requirements. More details will be shared via Compass on Monday.

Our school counsellor Emma Hyland spoke to our Year 5 students about relationships and social conflict today. Welcome Emma.

Your cookie dough will arrive FROZEN and can be kept out for up to 8 hours. It can be stored in the fridge for four weeks and in the freezer until the best before date.

Thank you so much for supporting our school, especially through fundraising. This term, we are running a Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough fundraiser.

Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough is an exciting fundraiser, made by an Australian, family owned and operated business. There are ten (10) dough-licious flavours to choose from, including the most popular Choc Chunk and the new Cinnamon Donut Cookie Dough!  You can also create your own cookie magic at home with our Golden Classic flavour by adding your own mix ins to your cookies when you bake them! There is even something for your special furry friends, with a cheese flavoured Doggie Dough!  Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough is exclusive to fundraising – so stock up!

Get started! Cookie dough orders must be placed online using the online platform. Create your child’s profile by clicking on the link below. Go to the Register Button and follow the Prompts. Orders are open from 6 June 2025 until the last day of term 2, Thursday 3 July 2025, so make sure you get rolling and create your online fundraising page today! Tubs will be available for pickup form the school on the 25 July 2025.

How do prizes work? Every student who sells two or more tubs will receive an incentive prize for their efforts! But why not aim higher? The more tubs you sell the more prizes you will receive! There are 11 prizes up for grabs, so why not set your own fundraising goal and aim for them all? Prizes are automatically ordered at the end of our fundraiser based on the number of tubs you have sold.

Family and friends are your greatest supporters, so make sure you ask them for support. You will reach your fundraising goal in no time!

You can Win Big!  Our highest tub seller will go into a draw to win a PlayStation 5 Gaming Bundle. For every tub you sell or buy, you will also receive one entry into the draw to win $20,000 Cash. Plus, every student that achieves all online virtual badges will win an additional Gold Dig Out prize. 

Don’t forget to refer to your Order Form for all the information. Happy fundraising!

SJAPS Community Council

Opening Hours

Helping Our Kids Build a Healthy Body Image

Body image is a growing concern for many children—girls and boys alike—and it’s showing up earlier than ever. Research shows that a third of five-year-old girls already express concerns about their weight. Even before they can confidently cut their food with a knife and fork, many are worrying about keeping food out of their mouths.

And the pressure is growing. The pull of the perfect body starts young and builds thanks to social media (the super-peer). And fewer of our children – both boys and girls – grow up feeling comfortable in their own skin. 

Here’s what you need to know:

Why Body Image Matters

Body image isn’t just about looks. It can affect kids’ confidence, relationships, and even mental health. Girls especially are taught from a young age—often unintentionally—that how they look is tied to their worth. By adolescence, many girls link their self-esteem and social success to how attractive they are.

Boys aren’t immune. Increasingly, boys feel pressure to be lean, muscular, and “manly” in appearance. These pressures—reinforced by media, social media, advertising, and even well-meaning comments at home—can lead to body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, disordered eating, and anxiety.

What Can Parents Do?

Here are some practical strategies, grounded in psychology and parenting research, that you can start using today:

1. Make Your Home an Appearance-Commentary-Free Zone

Avoid commenting on weight, shape, or appearance—your own, your child’s, or others’. This includes compliments like “You look so skinny” or criticisms like “I look terrible in this.” Kids are listening, even when we’re not talking to them.

Instead, shift focus to what bodies can do and build capacity as much as you can. The more their body can do, the more delight they’ll find in life (and in their body). And if their body doesn’t work “normally”, it still hears or sees, laughs, or hugs. Find what they can do, celebrate it, and enlarge it.

2. Dress for Doing

If we want kids—especially girls—to feel powerful and free in their bodies, we need to make sure they can move, play, and explore without restriction. That might mean prioritising comfy shorts over frilly skirts, or letting go of clothing that’s more about appearances than activity.

3. Change the Conversation

Talk about books, ideas, creativity, friends, science, sport, kindness—anything other than how someone looks. Help your child discover passions and interests that have nothing to do with appearance. This is especially vital in the tween and teen years when social media ramps up the pressure to look a certain way. Usually how a person looks is the least interesting and important thing about them.

4. Talk About the World—Not Just Their World

For older kids, especially teens, don’t be afraid to introduce a little righteous anger. Ask them:

• “Who benefits when you hate your body?”
• “Why do so many companies make money from making people feel like they’re not enough?”

This awareness can help teens push back against unrealistic standards and take pride in who they are—not just how they look.

5. Do Your Own Work

If you’ve spent years struggling with your own body image, it’s never too late to change. Talk to your children about what you’re learning, and commit to modelling a healthier approach moving forward. That honesty and vulnerability will be far more powerful than pretending everything’s fine.

Our kids deserve better than a life spent fretting in front of the mirror. As parents, we have the power to change the conversation in our homes and help our children grow up feeling strong, capable, and enough—just as they are.

I want kids who use their bodies with confidence instead of constantly monitoring them. These ideas should help.

Written by Dr Justin Coulson

A friendly reminder that St Johns is a nut free school. Thank you.