2022: Week 8, Term 3

Principal's Message

Dear JB Parents & Carers

REFLECTION - GOSPEL

The Classic parable of The Prodigal Son - or is it the story of an angry elder brother - or maybe, especially, the story of a totally loving and forgiving father? It is the story of all of them. And it is our story too. No matter what we do in our lives, we can never stop our God from loving us, searching for us, waiting for us, forgiving us. When we fail one another, so often, we want some form of punishment. Our God is far more gentle and loving - when we fail Him, all he seeks to do is embrace us, forgive us.

Any day of our lives, and especially this day, is a good day to return to the home of Our Father. God is waiting to welcome us back and restore us our place in His Kingdom and give us the joy we lack. So wander no longer in darkness, let not your return be delay, for the door to God is wide open to welcome “the sheep that have strayed”.

FATHER'S DAY BREAKFAST

What a wonderful celebration for our fathers and father-like figures here at JB on Friday. It was a great opportunity to catch up and embrace our community. 

Special thanks to Mr Poljak and all the members of the JB Men's Group who prepared and cooked all of our delicious breakfasts throughout the morning. Your assistance was greatly appreciated. 

Thanks to all of our mums who came so early to help cut rolls and serve the large numbers of guests! We couldn't have done it without you.

Well done to the Year 6 Fundraising Committee mums who helped throughout the morning and organised the raffle on the morning. An incredible amount of money was raised which will contribute towards our facilities. Thanks to all who donated prizes for the raffles, and congratulations to the winners!

Thanks to the Liverpool Catholic Club for their generous donation of sausages that contributed so greatly to the celebration. It was greatly appreciated. 

Thanks to all of the JB Staff, and in particular, Mrs Dunn, for their tireless efforts in organising, preparing and running a very special morning. 

Photos of the day can be found on our school's Facebook page. 

SCHOOL SITE (CAPITAL WORKS) UPDATE

You will be aware that there are areas of our site that require upgrades. The school has been consulting with Sydney Catholic Schools for a number of months to prepare a plan for these urgent upgrades to begin. 

I would like to facilitate a small parent group to oversee and provide advice on a range of new designs for our Top Playground, Netball Court and Grandstand. Stay tuned for further details in the coming weeks if you would like to participate in the committee. 

WELCOME FR BEN SALIBA

The John the Baptist Parish and school communities warmly welcome our new Assistant Priest, Fr Ben Saliba, to our community. Fr Ben is familiar to the community as he was appointed to a pastoral placement here as a Seminarian in 2018. We look forward to Fr Ben's involvement in our school - I am very confident he will be very warmly received by our children. 

CAR PARK UPDATE

Thank you for your continued support and patience as we operate under our revised afternoon pick up procedures. It has been a big change over the course of the year and I am grateful for your support. 

We all are aware that at 2.45pm (pick up time) there are more parents than car park spots, and many parents park along the side path which leads down to Gloucester St (formerly the valet pick up spot). 

Up until now there was no need to enforce the 'No Standing' signs in place along the path. However, an issue emerged last week where a car could not turn right out of the parking bays as they were restricted by a car parked along the path. 

I will continue (at this stage) to allow cars to park along the path, however I am strongly suggesting that you park at your own risk. The turning circle is extremely tight and there are no guarantees of your's and your child's safety. 

Thank you for your support with this matter. 

With my best wishes for the week ahead. 

Mr Brendan O'Connor  Principal

Assistant Principal News

Dear Parents, 

It has been wonderful to welcome in parents into our Science lessons this week. We look forward to continuing to welcome you on your child's SMILe Day next week also. 

If your child is in Year 1, 3, 4 or 5, we invite you to come and see their class on SMILe Day in Week 9. During this week, you can come along to either their Science, Health or Music lesson. Times to visit are as follows.

Monday 12/9 - Year 5

Tuesday 13/9 - Year 3

Wednesday 14/9 - Year 4

Thursday 15/9 - Year 1

11:20am: Emerald & Gold - Science     /       Ruby & Gold - Health or Music

12:20pm - 2:00pm: Emerald & Gold - Health or Music     /          Ruby & Gold - Science

Year 6 Science Incursion

Reminder: 8am Drop Off 

A reminder that the school offers an extra supervision for students from 8am -8:20am. We do this as a support to families who may need to get off to work a little earlier. We ask that any parents who require to drop off their child/children between 8am -8:20am do so via the Gloucester Street Carpark. 

There are a number of students who are being dropped off at Mount St - this is an unsupervised area and is not safe for students. 

Any child who arrives from 8am must ensure that they are seated and waiting quietly for the school day to commence. There should not be any students playing ball games or running around during this time. 

Reminder: Family Support Worker

Lisa (Our Family Support Worker) is able to offer free confidential support for families going through challenging times. She can help you and your family with issues you may be facing, including some of the following:

• Child behaviour concerns
• Domestic and family violence
• Advocacy and referrals
• Financial hardship
• NDIS
• Traumatic events
• Housing stress

Lisa is available every Friday and can be contacted directly on - 0419 223 677 or via email - lisa.harris@catholiccare.org 

Please feel free to contact Lisa directly for further information or to make an appointment. 

Once again, thank you for your continued support and partnership. 

Natali Tomic  Assistant Principal

Facebook

Be sure to like our school Facebook Page - we will be regularly posting some of the exciting things taking place at JB. 

https://www.facebook.com/jbbonnyrigg

Religion News

FATHERS DAY BREAKFAST

Thank you to all the Fathers and Grandfathers who were able to come and enjoy some time with their children and grandchildren at the Fathers Day sausage sizzle held by the school  on Friday 2nd September. Thank you to     The JB Men's Group, Mrs Dunn, our fantastic Dads and Mums and Jim Jankiewicz  from Maximus Men's Ministry of the Sydney Archdiocese who cooked and served the BBQ breakfast. Thanks also to Liverpool Catholic Club for their generous donation of sausages! It was lovely to see the children spending time on the playing field enjoying games with their Dads and Grandfathers and later taking them around to their classrooms for a visit. Father Dominic led a blessing prayer for all the Dads and Granddads and drew the raffle as well. Congratulations to all the winners! 

CONFIRMATION DATES

Please pray for our Year 6 students who are making their final preparations for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The candidates will be involved in a Confirmation Retreat experience on Sunday 18th September.  They will be receiving the Sacrament on:

Tuesday 20th September

Wednesday 21st September

Thursday 22nd September

IGNITE CONFERENCE 2022

Sydney Catholic Schools is supporting this initiative and students of Primary schools are encouraged to attend. Further details and how to register for this event will be sent out as a Compass link this week. Once registered, parents are requested to fill in their registration details and return the slip to Mrs Jansen by Wednesday 21st September.

Thank you.

God Bless,                                                                                                                                                                                     Mrs Jansen  Religious Education Coordinator

Family Educator News

JB Juniors- FUN FOR PRESCHOOLERS!

Now also on WEDNESDAYS in odd weeks.

Last Dates Term 3

Wednesday- Week 9  SEPTEMBER 14

Tuesday- Week 10 SEPTEMBER  20

This Playtime group begins at 8.50am in the Morning in the demountable classroom on the top playground. We share a prayer, a story/craft and playtime.

It is open to children aged 0-5 years. Parents are responsible for the supervision of their children at all times. We finish approximately 10am and you are welcome to come to either or BOTH days!

Please let gate staff know you are attending this event when entering the grounds.

Firstly- a BIG thank you from me to all those mums and dads and the JB Men’s Group who assisted with the Father’s Day BBQ Breakfast- it was a great gathering and would not have been possible without your support! See Mrs Jansen’s note also in this newsletter!

Parent SPaR-

Catch up and Cuppa in the demountable Week 9 and Garden Centre in Week 10

Come along for a parent reflection- some conversation and a cuppa. All are welcome and it is a great way to start the week- MONDAYS at 8.50am

Our last SPaR for the term will be a catch up coffee at the local garden centre on Monday 19th September. 

CONFIRMATION SACRAMENTAL CRAFT- Open invite!

Parents of Confirmation candidates are invited to make a beaded Bookmark for their child. This will be a lovely keepsake you may wish to pair with a book on saints or perhaps a journal to record their thoughts. I open this craft to any parents who wish to join us.

Please contact me and we can arrange a time. Enquiries- call  0439 492920

It’s never TOO late!!!

HAVE YOU, or DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE, WHO WANTS TO BECOME CATHOLIC?

Many adults are welcomed into the Catholic Church each year through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA):

1. The non-baptised are suitably prepared are welcomed into the Catholic Church by the reception of the three Sacraments of Initiation, namely Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. 
2. Those from other Christian denominations are received into full communion with the Catholic Church. 
3. Any catholic adults (baptised) but not yet confirmed. RCIA will commence Thursday 1st September 7.30pm in the presbytery. 

We have several JB parents already in the program and you are more than welcome to begin. I am more than happy to assist you!

For inquiries contact either me on 0439492920 or the parish office, Fr Dominic. 98232572

Tina Dunn  Family Educator

Find the latest John the Baptist church bulletin  HERE

Literacy News

Literacy Corner Week 8 Term 3

Reading is such an important activity as it promotes brain development and imagination, develops language and emotions, and strengthens relationships.

First, we learn to read. We learn to read the sounds, letters and then the words.  Then, we read to learn.  We read different types of books and learn about the world around us or we learn about other important ideas.  Reading is the key to all learning.

There are many types of readers and every child learns at their own pace.  A child needs plenty of attention and support as they move through the stages of reading.  

Here are some tips to further support your child with reading at home:

• Set expectations for your children - let them know they are expected to achieve and help them develop reading skills.
• Make books available - make learning materials such as library books, newspapers, pencils and crayons available at home.
• Read to your children - read with them every day.  Listen to them read aloud.  Don’t stop reading to them one they have learned to read.
• Talk to your children about what you read - talking about this helps your child to develop vocabulary and critical thinking skills.
• Show that reading is important - read in front of your children and encourage them to read too.

Remember, when parents get involved in their children’ learning, they have a positive influence on their children’s success throughout the school years.

READ! READ! READ!

Teresa Wojtowicz  Literacy Coordinator

Newman News

UNSW Australian Schools Competition

Congratulations to all the students who completed the ICAS Competitions. The ICAS Competitions are now complete.

Results and certificates will be available in the coming weeks. These will be awarded to students at assembly once they have been sent to school.

Library News

Save the Date

We are looking forward to hosting a Scholastic Book Fair at JB in term 4. The fair will be held during week 2 (17th-21st October). The Book Fair provides a wonderful opportunity for families to purchase great books from a pop-up book store right at school!

With all purchases earning a commission for JB, you will also help to earn valuable resources for our school.

Note about Damaged Library Books

From time to time, your child may bring home a library book that is damaged or missing pages. Please don’t worry about this as our library books and home readers are well-loved and borrowed many times! 

When returning a damaged book, please add a note to the front cover about the damage. 

Natalie Fedrigo  Teacher/Librarian

Writing News

This term Year 4 has been learning to write a persuasive exposition. Some things that we have learned are the structure of a PEEL paragraph, modality, time sequence and much more. During the term, we wrote arguments about different topics which aimed to persuade the audience. 

A PEEL paragraph is a way to properly structure the arguments. First, you begin with a topic sentence that talks about your reason. After that, you give evidence about the topic to persuade the audience even more. Then we discuss the cause and effect of what would happen to you or others in that situation. To show this we use language like if and then or as a result. Finally, we link our last sentence back to the topic and reason. 

We enjoyed exploring different ideas and opinions that people have on topics. We feel more confident when writing an exposition and explaining our own opinions. Now we are able to convince our parents to agree with us! 

Written by Tara, Isabella and Clara Year 4 Students 

Daniella Kokkinis  Writing Coordinator

STEM News

STEM News: School Holiday Coding Workshops

As we approach the school holidays,  there are a number of STEM opportunities for your child to be involved in. Right now is the time to get your kids involved in coding! There is a school holiday program that is a great way for kids to start their coding journey at home. From the age of 7, the program can teach them to code and get them coding and exploring STEM concepts with coding in no time.

In these workshops, students will learn the fundamentals of STEM and coding using a series of practical, hands-on lessons. All courses are delivered LIVE via video conference. This enables flexibility and responsiveness to learner needs. If you need to catch up, you can watch the videos again at a time that suits you. The workshops also provide access to students own learning portal as a way to help you to review, revise and consolidate your learning.

Create something great. Claim your $100 Creative Kids voucher today with Sammat Education.

As a registered provider for the Creative Kids program, you can redeem your voucher and let your child develop new skills. Enrol them in a new activity (linked below) so they can create something great.

These school holidays we have decided to share some of our favourite coding workshops for kids. We have also tried to make sure they include a range of skills that kids can go on to study further down the line.

See below for more information on the 2 workshops running these holidays.

Creative Kids LIVE Online - Gaming with Scratch - Level 1

Creative Kids LIVE Online - Sphero Edu - Level 1

Sport News

Athletics News

We congratulate Ethan Mitri who will represent John The Baptist in the 11 years Long Jump at the upcoming MacKillop Trials. 

We wish Ethan the very best!

Dance Fever Challenge

This Term, our Year 2, 4 and 6 students have participated in the Dance Fever Dance program.  This Wednesday, our Year 4 and 6 students have the opportunity to participate in the Dance Fever Challenge.  Our students will compete against other schools in both the Ballroom and Hip Hop Dance categories. 

Good luck JB! Make us proud!

Frances Oliverio  Sports Coordinator

Notes from The Office

CHANGE OF DETAILS 

As part of your child’s ongoing enrolment, it is important to update any changes to your family details as soon as they occur.  This is particularly vital for mobile phone numbers, emergency contact phone numbers, email addresses, residential addresses and occupation details.  If you or your emergency contact have updated any of these details throughout the year, please complete the necessary changes via the Change of Personal Details Form, link here: https://forms.gle/sPnhJpvib8Etg8qX8

A gentle reminder, should any of these details change throughout the year, for your convenience this form is available via your Compass portal under School Favourites.

Thank you for your assistance in ensuring the school has the most accurate information for your family.

LEAVING STUDENTS 

As we are approaching our final term, we request any family that may be leaving JB at the end of the school year, to kindly advise the office at the earliest.  A Cessation of Enrolment form will be required to be completed and returned to the office by Week 4 next term, if possible. Please call or email to inform the office on info@jbbonnyrigg.catholic.edu.au if your family is in this position.

SICK CHILDREN 

Wth the resurgence of COVID-19 and the cold & flu season upon us, we ask your assistance to please keep child/ren home if they are showing any signs of illness. It is also important to remind your child/ren to practice good hygiene habits, particularly while at school.

Thank you for your understanding & support in this matter.

2022 SCHOOL FEES

Dear Parents,

As you are aware, your 2022 School Fee Statements have been emailed to you. It would be appreciated if your payments are made by the scheduled dates as listed on your statement.

Payments can be made by BPAY, Compass Parent Portal, Cash, Eftpos or Centrepay.

Please contact the office if you did not receive your statement, or have any queries in relation to your fees.

Your co-operation is greatly appreciated.

2023 SIBLING RANK 

As part of your child/ren’s ongoing enrolment, it is important the school maintains accurate records of ALL children within a family who enrolled in a Sydney Archdiocese Catholic Primary or High School.

Please complete this form via this link Student Sibling Rank Form to determine the correct School Fees (Sibling Discount) and Building Levy for your child/ren in 2023.  We ask this to be submitted by 19th September 2022 to ensure accurate billing for your family in 2023. If you would prefer to complete this via a paper form, please contact the office and we will be happy to send it home with your eldest child.  

Should you have any queries in relation to any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact the office on 9823 5042 or email info@jbbonnyrigg.catholic.edu.au for assistance.

Awards

Congratulations to the following students on achieving their badges:

Dates to Remember