St John the Baptist Ferntree Gully Newsletter

Would you like to know more about how to help your child/ren with their reading and writing development? Are you interested in being a classroom helper?

We warmly welcome all parents to join one of the Literacy information/parent helper sessions.

Session 1: 9:00am

Session 2: 2:15pm

These sessions will be held in the area between PB and 1/2JM classrooms and led by Mrs Jo Stoica.  This is a terrific opportunity to gain an insight into how children learn and how as adults you can assist children in their learning.

If you are able to join one of the sessions please respond via Operoo.

Over the next two weeks the Year 1-6 students will participate in engaging live streamed sessions with Marty and Laura from Inform and Empower.  

The focus for each level for Term 2 is outlined below:

Year 1/2 - Balancing screen time, healthy digital habits, putting down the technology

Year 3/4 -  Balancing screen time, healthy digital habits, how different technology makes us feel

Year 5/6 - Balancing screen time, building a healthy relationship with tech, why it can be hard to put down devices

The digital safety sessions are aligned with Child Safe Standards, the Victorian Curriculum and are created within the eSafety Best Practice Framework.

This is a great opportunity for families to open discussions about digitally responsible and safe behaviours that are important for us all.

The new playground and naturescape is on track for completion in early May.  Our Year 5/6 and Prep students will have the wonderful opportunity to work with Richard Bellemo and the landscaping team to be part of the planting process.  The students will be planting with the team on the morning of Monday 8th May.  This is an exciting and educational experience for all students to gain an understanding of the plants selected for the naturescape, along with how they can care for their new playground.

Throughout the Lenten season the SJB community has been most active and generous in raising funds for Caritas’ Project Compassion. Through student and family donations, as well as, a wonderful cake stall organised by the Parents and Friends Committee on the weekend of the By-election, we have been able to make a wonderful donation of $926.85. This is a terrific collective effort by all and a true example of our faith in action.

The Principles of Caritas are informed by the Catholic Social Teaching Principles of human dignity and solidarity.  Today they serve in 20 countries, working through 61 partnerships to bring hope, support and compassion to the world’s most vulnerable people.

Congratulations on such a wonderful effort and thank you to all for all of the work involved to achieve such a great outcome. Together we can make a difference.

Term 2 is usually the time when students transition to their Winter Uniform. Over the first couple of weeks if the weather presents as being warm, families are able to make an informed decision in regard to uniform selection.  We request that students transition to their winter uniform for the commencement of Week 3, the week beginning 8th May. Students are to be dressed in the correct uniform at all times, this includes the correct socks and shoes, along with sports uniform only being worn on designated days.

We have a number of school uniform items particularly school jumpers of various sizes in the lost property area. Families who may be missing a school jumper are asked to check the lost property area. Please remember to clearly name items so they can be returned directly to the classroom.

Tokens for the Mother's Day stall will be on sale between 2:30 - 3:10pm outside the office on Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd May.  Tokens cost $5:00 each. One token purchases 1 gift from the Mother's Day stall. Tokens may be purchased using cash or EFT.

Tokens will be issued on the day of the stall.  If you are unable to attend in person please send an envelope with cash to the office by Wednesday 3rd May, clearly labelled with your family surname, children’s name/s and classes.

On the morning of the Mother’s Day Stall students will visit the stall in their family groups.  This will provide siblings with opportunity to purchase gifts together ensuring that each child purchases something different for their Mum/Special person. 

 As a school we know that it is important to continually enter into professional learning to provide our staff with learning opportunities to be the best educators they can be, as well as, staying abreast of best practices as education continues to develop and evolve.

We are excited to have been accepted into a professional learning partnership and opportunity with MACS and Melbourne University.   Over the course of the year the Year 1/2 team will be released to attend professional learning with Ursula De Corrado focused on Explicit Teaching in the Early Years - Building teacher literacy knowledge, capacity and agency.

This Wednesday 3rd May and Thursday 4th May the team will be offsite to enter the first 2 days of professional learning.  We look forward to seeing the learning from these transferred to our literacy planning and delivered in classrooms.

Wishing  everyone a fabulous week ahead.

Kelli Johnston

Friends and family are welcome to attend a social gathering to catch up and support the local RSL. Saturday May 6th at 6.00pm onwards.

Upwey Belgrave RSL Club

The Grade 3/4 students had a wonderful Chemical Science session on Thursday, focusing on change of states of materials.  They learnt about the concept of changing matter and experimented with changing liquids to solids. They learnt about the importance of lab safety and used their glasses and gloves when mixing the resin. They collected natural products from their local environment and mixed the resin and hardener to place in their molds. Their resin hardened overnight and created a lovely pendant for a necklace or brooch. 

As previously mentioned above, tokens for the Mother's Day stall will be available for sale on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons this week from 2.30pm in front of the office (cash and card accepted).

Thank you to all the lovely Dad's who have sent their volunteer forms in.  You will be contacted this week with details.

Our next P&F Meeting will be held on Monday May 22nd at 1.30pm - venue TBC.

May

4th     Parent Information & Helper session - 9.00am & 2.15pm

5th     First Friday Mass - Prep

8th     Inform and Empower Year 5/6 Online lesson

8th     Naturescape Planting

8th     Assembly 3/4D

8th     Lighthouse Program - St Joseph's College & Year 6 boys

9th    Mother's Day Stall

10th    First Eucharist Family Evening

12th     Mother's Day Afternoon Tea

14th     Mother's Day

15th    Lighthouse Program - St Joseph's College & Year 6 boys

17th     School Advisory Council Meeting

20th    Term 2 Working Bee

22nd    Lighthouse Program - St Joseph's College & Year 6 boys

24th     National Simultaneous Storytime

26th     District Cross Country

28th     Pentecost Sunday

29th     Lighthouse Program - St Joseph's College & Year 6 boys

June

2nd     First Friday Mass - Year 5/6

5th     First Eucharist Reflection Day

6th     Division Cross Country

8th     St Joseph's Lighthouse Program Presentation Evening

Canteen orders can be placed via www.flexischools.com.au

Orders must be placed no later than 7.30am on the Wednesday or Friday.