2023: Week 4, Term 3

Principal's Message

Dear JB Parents & Carers

Jesus dismissed the crowd and sent the Apostles across the lake, while he himself went up to the hills to pray. Jesus wanted and needed to spend time in the presence of his Father. To him prayer was not just asking, but was his way of being in the presence of his Father. We all need to spend time in the presence of our Father, but how do we find that presence?  Where do we find God’s presence? Do I believe that God could perform a miracle such as this one in my own life? Do I really believe in miracles for me? Peter not only wanted to be like Jesus but he tried. He took the first steps towards him literally. Peter failed when he took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the waves and turbulence around him. Doubting and worry about a situation, rather than looking the answer, often causes us to fail. Jesus miracles were an invitation for us to also be miracle workers. But in order to be a miracle worker for Christ, we must always keep our eyes on him. What steps must I take to make this possible?

A HUGE STORM. FEAR. POWERLESS. JESUS COMES. JESUS ALWAYS COMES TO US WHEN WE ARE IN NEED. ALWAYS. THE CHALLENGE TO US IS TO RECOGNISE HIM. AND IF WE DO, HE ALWAYS 'CALMS THE STORM' OF OUR CHAOS. CALL TO HIM. TRUST HIM. TO WALK ON WATER WITH HIM.

JB READ-A-THON

Our Read-A-Thon is fast appraoching! Special thanks to those businesses who have supported the school by donating prizes. This is our major fundraising initiative for the school year and so your support is very much appreciated. We look forward to seeing everyone in their wonderful costumes on Tuesday!

ARRIVING ON TIME TO SCHOOL

Regular attendance at school is vital in ensuring students are learning consistently. This also includes arriving at school on time to be familiar with the upcoming day's routines. School begins at 8.45 each day and we thank you for ensuring your child is here at school on time. In this week's newsletter, there is also a reminder of how absences are completed on Compass. This is a mandatory parent requirement if your child is absent from school. 

With thanks,

Mr O'Connor  Principal

Assistant Principal News

Dear Parents, 

Student Attendance

We have again sent home letters to explain absences in Compass. This is a requirement by law and also forms part of the Sydney Catholic Schools Attendance Policy. 

For some students, this is the third time a letter has been sent home asking parents to explain absences dating back to February.

Can you please ensure you check your child's bags for this letter. Moving forward, we ask all parents to promptly explain absences in Compass as they occur.

We appreciate your support and cooperation in maintaining accurate records for your child. 

PRIME Hydration Drinks @ School

We appreciate that Prime drinks are a popular choice amongst young children, however, they are not an appropriate beverage for school. If your child brings Prime to school, this will be kept by their teacher and returned at the end of the school day. 

We encourage all parents to send water to school with their children. 

Student use of Social Media 

We encourage all parents to monitor their child’s devices and ensure they are aware of the social media accounts being used by their children. We have had a number of issues arise outside of school involving social media use. Often, parents were not aware that their children even had accounts or access to platforms such as TikTok, SnapChat, Discord or Instagram. 

We remind parents to be mindful of age restrictions on social media platforms due to the content children gain access to with an account. 

We will endeavour to have the Youth Liaison Officer from Fairfield Police Station out to run a parent session on online safety. When a date is confirmed, we will communicate this with you. 

Facebook & Instagram 

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

https://www.facebook.com/jbbonnyrigg

https://www.instagram.com/johnthebaptistbonnyrigg/ 

Mrs Natali Tomic  Assistant Principal 

Family Educator News

Family Educator  Term 3  Week 4

Remember to keep checking the COMPASS Calendar for Masses and events so you don’t miss out on anything! 

Keep the Date-     August 27- Year 6 invited to Parish Sunday 10am Mass

Tuesday 15th August

FEAST of the ASSUMPTION of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a holy day of OBLIGATION- 

We must all try to attend MASS on this day!

The day commemorates our core belief that Mary was assumed into heaven body and soul at the natural end of her earthly life. She was taken into heaven- this means she was passive in this event. It is different to ascending into heaven which is an action undertaken by Jesus.

Our whole school Mass will be at 9am on Tuesday 15th August- you are most welcome to attend- there will be overflow seating outside if needed.

CATCH UP CUPPA!

Mondays- from 8.45 am Coffee, Tea and SPaR (Stop, Pray and Reflect) 

SPaR is a great way to start the week- Monday mornings in the demountable classroom on the top playground. We have a VERY short reflection (under ten minutes) followed by coffee and conversation- we have the coffee machine on and ready to go early!

Mon 14th August- No SPaR due to Family Educator meeting

Mon 21st August- SUNFLOWERS, ROSES and everyone else - Which flower are you?

 Coffee and conversation! Come along and bring a friend.

Wednesdays- 9am-10am JB Juniors Playgroup for 0-5 years

Playgroup is on each Wednesday, first thing in the morning after the bell goes! I look forward to seeing you all!. Open to those children aged 0-6 years. We pray, sing and play and usually have fun making something crafty- great for all ages! 

HSC Prayer Partner Postcards-  THANK YOU!!

Thank you to the MANY families who have volunteered to write a postcard to a Year 12 student. I will send these cards home in the coming weeks. Remember- just a few lines of encouragement, an affirmation, a poem or a prayer- these will be gratefully received.

 These postcards will need to be returned by Friday 1st September.

Sacraments CONFIRMATION UPDATE:

Confirmation Preparation Classes will begin next week. Classes will be held in either the church, the meeting room or the children’s liturgy demountable classroom. Don’t forget to complete your homework and bring it along to Mass each week- there is also the DOVE to decorate for week 1, so we can hang these in the church and pray for all our candidates.

God Bless

Tina Dunn  Family Educator

Parish Matters- because it does!

KEEP THE DATE- JB Spring Fair - October 22nd

 CALLING anyone with a business to promote or product to sell!

12 WEEKS TO GO!! Jumping Castles, Popcorn, Fairy floss, Face painting and many more for a gold coin only.

Have you thought about volunteering yet? Or promoting your own service or business?

We have Gloria Lorlina Floral & Gifts, Maria handbags and Wattle Lane Designs. We need more! Hurry secure your spot! 

International Food stalls are run by our parishioners - Holland, Italy, Indian, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia. 

WHERE ARE YOU? Croatia, Assyria, Middle Eastern, Mauritius, Fiji, Tongan – Come share your cultural food. 

Can you help out on the day? One or two hours of your time to volunteer would be greatly appreciated.

 Can you sing and/or dance? Have you entertained family and/or friends as a magician? Are you a DJ? Are you a Choir looking to showcase your group’s talents? Why not perform at our Spring Fair!

 We still have places for external businesses at $25 per spot to market your products or services. Payment can be made at our Parish Office to secure a spot. Please contact: Susan 0419606683 (after 3:30pm) or Sharon 0410494700 (after 5:30pm)

Church Bulletins can be found here

Maths News

Communicating with Children Using Math Language

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Talking About Math:

We want to encourage you to engage in mathematical discussions with your child as it greatly benefits their mathematical reasoning and understanding. Here are some friendly and helpful ways to keep the conversation focused and fun while supporting your child's learning:

• Revoice: Repeat what your child says and ask for clarification. For example, "So you are saying it's an odd number?"
  
  
• Repeat/Restate: Ask your child to restate your reasoning. For instance, "Can you repeat what I said in your own words?"
  
  
• Reason: Encourage your child to apply their own reasoning to someone else's ideas. You can ask, "Do you agree or disagree? Tell me why."
  
  
• Adding On: Prompt your child to participate further in the discussion. You might say, "What more would you add to that?"
  
  
• Think Time: Give your child a few seconds to think before responding. Try saying, "Take some time to think." You might find it surprisingly effective!
  

Next time you have a moment to chat with your child, why not try one of these strategies? We believe it will make math more enjoyable and rewarding for both of you!

Michael Hobson/Daniella Kokkinis  Mathematics Coordinators 

Writing News

Winter Reading Challenge

Thank you to all the boys and girls who completed the Winter Reading Challenge in the July School Holidays. It is great to see so many children reading for enjoyment outside of school! 

Congratulations to the major prize winners, 

Stephanos Hermis from 1S and Isabel Tantiyasawatdikun from 4G

Congratulations and well done to the class winners!

Sports News

Athletics

Congratulations to our JB Athletics team who represented JB at the Conference 4 Athletics Championships on Thursday. 

Well done, Alexia Asonitis, Lucas Giorgis, Oleen Abouna, Cove Trajcevski, Chloe Davino, Patrick Brcic,  Martina Brcic, Antony Rakvin, Merel Alhadaya, Daine Trajcevski, Veronica Markhani, Savior Yaco, Emilia Bruzzese, Luca Corvelo, Siana Tatian, Massimo Marando, Talia Cavicchia, Alessandro Rafoo, Allegra Lentini, Ethan Mitri, Eliana Bayoudh, Antonio Macnamara, Evelia Abdal, Giuseppe Brunetta,  Andre Lalic, Gianluigi Vaccari, Santana Rodi, Giselle Blanda, Jessey Pashley, Jazel Esho, Josh Pashley, Severio Rofael, Adrian Al-Giorgees, Alana Tripodina, Mia Kewilahuo and Alvin Yousif.

Zing

This term our Year 2, 4 and 6 students have participated in the Zing Dance Program. Our Year 4 and 6 students have the opportunity to participate in the Zing Interschool Challenge on Wednesday 20th September.  If your child is participating in this fun-filled evening, please complete the note and return it to school. 

Reading Race-A-Thon

When will it be held?

It will be held at school on Tuesday 22nd August, 2023.

How will we raise money for the school?

Each student has received a “Reading Race-A-Thon” Sponsorship Card. Students are encouraged to use this card to record their sponsors’ names and amounts paid.

When are sponsorship cards due back at school?

Sponsorship cards are due back at school by Monday 21st August, 2023. Outdoor Fitness Sessions

Students will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of outdoor activities using our new multipurpose playground.

What do the students wear?

Students are encouraged to dress up as a character from their favourite book.  The students may carry the book with them at the parade. Students may also dress up using the Read, Grow Inspire theme.  However, as the students will participate in fitness activities throughout the day, all students must wear comfortable clothes and sports shoes on the day.

Prize Donations

In order to add some additional excitement to this event, we are looking for your generous support.   We would greatly appreciate the donation of vouchers or gifts to serve as incentive prizes for our students. In return, we will acknowledge your business’ generosity in our school newsletter which will circulate to 580 families in the local area.   Please send any donations to the school office.

Frances Oliverio  Sports Coordinator

Amadeus Reminder

Please remind your children to bring their instruments on their specified day. 

Many children are leaving their instruments at home.

Unfortunately, moving forward we will no longer be able to accept forgotten instruments for students on their Amadeus Day. 

Reminder Amadeus Classes

Mondays: Year 3 & Year 4 
Friday: Year 5 & Year 6

Thank you for your understanding.

Lost Property and School Uniforms

Dear Parents,

We have numerous items of clothing collected everyday, they are placed in our lost property basket in the office.  Each day, all labelled items are returned to the child's classroom.  Items which  which are unlabelled go to the clothing pool.  

Please ensure you re-label any clothing your child is able to remove at school as markings can fade over time.  

Parents, should you wish to make a purchase of good quality second-hand clothing at any time, a reminder you may do so via your Compass Favourites link via the Clothing Pool Order Form.

Alternatively, you can call the office and place an order via telephone, email info@jbbonnyrigg.catholic.edu.au or complete the form below and return it to the office with your child. 

Please ensure ALL of your children's items are labelled including drink bottles, lunch boxes and containers as we have numerous lost property items collected everyday which remain unclaimed and ultimately have to be thrown away. 

Notes from the Office

APPLICATIONS FOR EXTENDED LEAVE – TRAVEL

Parents, kindly note Sydney Catholic Schools has updated the Application for Extended Leave requirement to now 5 days or more, which supersedes the previous 10 days or more policy. Any families planning or considering family travel for 5 school days or more must apply with an Application for Extended Leave – Travel, 4 weeks in advance of your child/ren’s intended leave wherever possible. This application must also be accompanied by copies of travel documentation, if applicable. 

Application forms are available from the office. For your convenience, please feel free to call or email us on info@jbbonnyrigg.catholic.edu.au and we will be happy to send this home with your eldest child.

We thank you for your prompt co-operation.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Parents, a gentle reminder regarding the importance of informing our school of any changes that may occur to your family’s personal details such as an address, mobile numbers, emails, emergency contacts, etc. For your convenience, these details may be updated via the Personal Details Form available on your Compass Favourites links.

Of equal importance and in the best interests of your child/ren, we ask if there has been a new event or update in relation to your child’s health, once again, we ask this information be provided at the earliest. A Student Health Information Form is also available on your Compass Favourites link, to assist you in this process.

SCHOOL FEES

Your 2023 school fee statements have now been emailed to you. Please contact the office if you have not received your statement as yet. It would be appreciated if your payments are made by the scheduled dates as listed on your statement.

Payments can be made by CompassPay, BPay, Cash, Eftpos or Centrepay.

Your co-operation is greatly appreciated!

Students Commencing Freeman Catholic College Year 7 2024

TO ALL PARENTS/CARERS WHO HAVE A CHILD THAT WILL BE COMMENCING AT FREEMAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE FOR YEAR 7 2024.

There will be an Acceptance Information Evening on Tuesday 14th November, 2023 commencing at 6.30pm in the Michael Addicoat Centre at Freeman Catholic College.  Parents and students are required to attend.

Year 7 2024 Orientation Day (for students only) will be Wednesday 22nd November, 2023. Students will be required to be at Freeman Catholic College all day.

Awards

Congratulations to the following students on achieving their badges:

Dates to Remember