2023: Week 2, Term 4

Principal's Message

Reflection - This Week's Gospel Reading

One of the advances of Israel’s thinking which occurs in this part of the Book of Isiah, is the realisation that the sovereignty of God extends over all the nations. In His reply to his questioners Jesus gives a general principle with which no one could disagree, and add a second principle which is a direct rebuke to them. All authority and power have to be evaluated in the light of God’s plan. Jesus’ answer is apolitical, for his mission was to proclaim the kingdom of God, not to become embroiled in the subtleties of politics.

We are proud of our home, Australia, and proud of our heritage (in many cases, our countries of birth) - proud of their emblems, proud of their symbols, proud of their traditions, proud to be “Aussies” - whether new or old. But we are also God’s children. And we need to be proud of our Christian emblems, symbols, traditions proud to call Him “Our Father”. And to give our God our complete allegiance.  DO WE? 

WHEN ALL APPEARS TO BE GETTING NOWHERE KEEP TRYING - KEEP SMILING- KEEP HOPING YOU NEVER KNOW HOW CLOSE YOU MAY BE.

JB Spring Fair

We look forward to welcoming all JB families to the John the Baptist Parish Spring Fair this Sunday! The Fair will take place on the JB school grounds, specifically the Undercover, Ampitheatre and Playing Field. More details are included in today's newsletter. The fun begins from 11am!

Class Placements 2024

Placing students in classes for a year is a lengthy and well thought out process. The needs of all students and the teachers they are placed with is carefully considered by all staff, then scanned and examined by the Leadership Team, before a final approval by the Principal. 

Parent requests for 2024 class placements for a child must be received in writing, addressed to myself, and bought to the JB Office no later than Friday Week 6. 

Class placement requests for students are available in the following circumstances:

• particular learning needs
• considerations of other students within the grade, e.g. siblings, cousins, friends

Not all requests may be approved. If you have written a previous request you will need to do so again. 

Turning Right Into Gloucester St

It is of the utmost importance that cars do not turn right when exiting the Gloucester St gate. This street is very busy during morning and afternoon drop off and dismissal times, and the 'No Right Turn' sign is placed in the interests of safety for all people, specifically students. I am in the process of organising for Council Rangers and local Police to begin patrols of this area again. Sadly I believe this is the only response I can offer at this stage. Please don't be that parent who receives  a fine!

Mr O'Connor  Principal

Assistant Principal News

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 4 Week 2

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

CATCH UP CUPPA!

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

SpaR resumes in Week 3 Term 4- 23rd October

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!

Come along and bring a friend.

Keep up our Prayers FOR FREEMAN Year 12

Last term we were able to deliver some joyful encouragement to those Year 12 students who were completing their secondary education. Each student received a postcard of good wishes beautifully written by our families along with a small gift and some other incentives to get them through the next phase of their adventure- whether it is formal exams,teritary education, new jobs or apprenticeships, we wish them all the best- with God and prayer, everything is possible!

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. 

RESUMES  Wednesday 25th October!! We will have a Teddy Bear Picnic- so bring along a picnic rug, your favourite FURRY friend and something to drink and eat.

We pray, sing and play and usually have fun making something crafty- great for all ages!

In My Travels…

After a couple of false starts, my husband and I finally headed off to Italy at the end of last term to begin a much anticipated holiday. We have visited Europe several times prior but there is still SO MUCH we continue to discover or experience- and often those places we had not given much thought to, turn out to be the highlights of our trip.

One such place this time (although Rome and the Vatican was our first stop yet again), was the Montserrat Monastery near Barcelona in Spain, where a statue called the Black Madonna is visited by thousands each day. Some believe it had its origins in Jerusalem where the apostle St Luke was given credit as the original artist- and another legend has it being discovered in a grotto by shepherds hearing angel voices and seeing lights in the 12th Century. Either way it is an icon believed to have healing powers and it undeniably draws a million faith filled people a year who wish to catch a glimpse or just a touch of it, and offer their prayer intentions to Mary. Our Catholic Church is full of these amazing stories of faith and devotion. I lit a candle for our family, friends and faith community at this shrine.

Tina Dunn  Family Educator

Parish Matters- because it does! 

KEEP THE DATE- JB Spring Fair - IT’s THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DON’T MISS OUT on THIS EXCITING DAY OF FUN AND LAUGHTER!!

 Jumping Castles, Popcorn, Fairy floss, Face Painting, for a gold coin donation only. There will be Snow Cones, a Barista for coffee lovers and for food lovers an array of cultural food from Italy, Croatia, Australia, Holland, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Philippines, and Tonga!! To entertain you on the day, we have,

 Studio 5 School of Dance, West Dance Co, Philippines and Tongan Choir, a Singer, and a Pianist.

Church Bulletins can be found here

Literacy News

Literacy Corner Week 2 Term 4

Spring Reading Challenge

Spring is definitely in the air here at JB with all the wonderful spring reading challenge entries that have come through in the last two weeks! The many colourful entries made it a large task for a whole team of judges to determine winners! All class winners were presented with book prizes to celebrate their wonderful work. Many of the winning entries are on display in the library now. Keep up the amazing work in reading everybody! Congratulations to all the class winners outlined below!

Our overall Infants and overall Primary Winners will be announced at the next school assembly. The class with the most amount of entries will also be announced.

Lexile Champion Winners

Congratulations to all our primary students on their hard work in Lexiles last term. Teachers have rewarded many students in each class who have shown outstanding efforts towards their Lexile reading in Term 3.  Each term we also celebrate the students with the highest Lexile word count in each class.

The class champions for Term 3 are:

A further congratulations to the winning classes:

6 Emerald, 5 Silver, 4 Silver, 3 Gold.

Lexile Champion Winners

Book Fair

This week we have been very busy with our JB Annual Book Fair.  This is an exciting time as it enables students to improve their reading skills while also supporting our library at the same time.  Many students, parents, grandparents and older siblings came along to make some purchases from their ‘wish lists’.  A percentage of sales goes towards the purchases of new books for our school so we especially appreciate all the support.  A further thanks to all the parents who have purchased books from our Book Fair and donated these to the library.  

Any students still waiting on books or purchases, please be assured that these are on the way and will be delivered directly to classrooms.  Upon completion of the Book Fair we will publish our overall earnings.

READ! READ! READ!

Teresa Wojtowicz & Francine Bushby  Literacy Coordinators 

Numeracy News

Dear Parents and Carers, 

We are excited to share some wonderful news from our Year 2 students, who have been diligently working on boosting their confidence in adding and subtracting numbers through innovative strategies. These Mathematic Superstars are learning to use bridging by resting on the ten and applying their knowledge of doubles and near-doubles, making great strides in their mathematical journey under the guidance of Mrs Penna!

We are immensely proud of the progress our Year 2 students have made. Their dedication and hard work are truly inspiring.

Michael Hobson & Daniella Kokkinis  Mathematics Coordinators

Year 5 School Liaison Police Officer Visit

On Tuesday, the School Liaison Police Officer visited JB and provided Year 5 students with valuable insights on cyber safety and responsible online behaviour. Two students summarised their learnings and takeaways below:

During the visit by the School Liaison Police Officer, our Year 5 grade gathered to listen to Constable Toma's really interesting talk. He spoke about the importance of staying safe online and how to be responsible. Constable Toma used examples to show us how to spot and report unsafe online behaviours, highlighting the need to block and talk to a trusted adult when we encounter them.

One thing that stood out was his strong message about not giving away personal information like our names or addresses online. He made it clear that not everyone online is who they say they are. We thought the talk was engaging and informative, as it taught us how to make the online world a safer place.

The top three things we took away from his visit were:

1. Never share personal information on the internet.
2. Always ask for permission before posting photos of others.
3. Stay alert and report any hurtful or unsafe online behaviour by talking to an adult you trust. Never engage or react. 

Meeting a real police officer and being able to ask questions during the visit was a memorable experience that helped us better understand online safety and how to be responsible digital citizens.

By Frank Barilla and Joseph Prochilo 

Newman News

UNSW Australian Schools Competition - ICAS

Last term over 100 students from years 2 - 6 completed ICAS assessments in the areas of Writing, English, Spelling Bee, Mathematics, Science, and Digital Technologies. 

The ICAS Competition is an initiative of the University of New South Wales. It is an opportunity for high-achieving students to compete nationally. Students are awarded participation, merit, credit, distinction or high distinction. 

High distinctions place the awarded students in the top 1% of Australia, and distinctions place them in the top 10%.

An extra special mention goes to the following students who achieved a High Distinction in these areas: 

Congratulations to the following students who achieved a Distinction in the assessments they completed:

Many of our students also received credits. Those students achieved in the top 25% of Australia and these students should be very proud of their efforts.

Students who achieved  Distinctions or High Distinctions will receive their certificates at their next assembly. All other certificates will be given to students in their classrooms. 

Congratulations to every single student who participated in the ICAS tests. The content is very difficult, with most questions being beyond grade expectations. 

Francine Bushby  Newman Facilitator

Sports News

Free season passes to all A League W games

Sydney FC are offering free season passes to all A League W games for SCS students under 16 years old.

Here is the link to register for the Liberty A-League Pass -

https://keepup.com.au/liberty-a-league-pass/

In doing so, registered students get FREE unlimited access to all A-League Women matches for 2023/24. The registration process is simple, with all steps provided in the link above.

Swimming Carnival

Our JB Primary Swimming Carnival will take place on Tuesday 21st November.

Soccer Gala Day

We wish our Year 3 and Year 4 Soccer Gala Day team members the best of luck in the Sydney Catholic Schools Soccer Gala Day.  We thank our amazing coaches for the great work they have done in preparing our students for the competition.

Frances Oliverio  Sports Coordinator

Canteen News

Please contact the school office 9823 5042 for any communication with the Canteen. 

The canteen are NO LONGER using a mobile telephone number.  Please ONLY contact the school office for contact with the canteen.  Do not contact ANY mobile telephone number previously provided.

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. 

Thank you.

The Administration Team

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 co-operation with this process when making travel plans with your child/ren. 

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. 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!

School Student Travel

Please see below information from Transport NSW in relation to school student travel.

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