2024: Week 2, Term 1

Principal's Message

Dear JB Parents & Carers

Welcome to the 2024 school year. A special welcome to our new families to the school, both in Kinder and across other grades who have now made JB their home. We pray that as a school community we will embrace the oncoming year with joy and hope. Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers over the past weeks, which as you know, have been very difficult for the school. Our memories of Mrs Jansen will always be of a woman deeply faith filled, with a great love for children and her profession. She was truly a wonderful educator, and is be missed by all in our community. 

REFLECTION - ASH WEDNESDAY - SEASON OF LENT

Jesus is filled with the Spirit of God, after His desert experience. And then, He calls on us to Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand. Are we serious about our Repentance? Do we really try to overcome our failings? Do we allow the Spirit of God to fill us, guide us, lead us?

LENTEN EXERCISES: Are we making a special effort in some form of sacrifice each day of the Lenten season? As Parents, are we giving our children an example of sacrifice. Do we pray as a Family? Do we ever discuss as a Family, our Sunday Eucharist?

LENT IS HERE AGAIN: Lent is hear again knocking at our door calling us to prepare to receive the Lord. May our minds and hearts, turn to things above, as we celebrate Jesus’ life of love. Lent is here again knocking at our door, are we all prepared to receive the Lord?

LENTEN  CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY         Attend Mass or Eucharist Service - Say Grace before and after meals. Pray for Peace in our    families, our country and the world.

TUESDAY       Be thankful to three people- Do three acts of kindness without telling anyone.

WEDNESDAY Go without something today and give the money to Project Compassion.

THURSDAY     Pray for the Teachers in our Schools - Do a kind act for your sister, brother, or relatives.

FRIDAY           Pray for the poor and lonely people. Do something special for your family or friend.              Attend the Stations of the Cross, and let us follow Jesus and remember His Sacrifice and Suffering                  for us.

MORNING DROP OFF PROCEDURES - BEGINNING WEEK 4

You will be aware that our Gloucester St gate has been open to parents each morning to walk children up to their classroom. This is a temporary procedure to support students settle into their morning routine. By next week, we will be implementing our regular morning drop off arrangements. The following points outline our expectations in moving forward:

• Supervision begins at 8.20am. The Mount St gate does not open until then, and no supervision is provided in front of the church. This is not safe for young children and we discourage children to be dropped off on Mount St before this time. 
• Our Gloucester St gate is open at 8.00am and limited supervision is available between 8.00-8.20am. 
• All parents are encouraged to drop their child(ren) off at the Gloucester St gate. Year 6 students will be available to escort Kinder and Year 1 students to their classroom (to drop off their bag) and then to the playground (to play before school)
• Our school day begins at 8.45am. If in the event that parents need to enter the school, the gate will be locked 2 minutes after the morning bell. Please be mindful that the school day begins at this time, and teachers are required to begin teaching. 
• The canteen will shortly open its rear (church-side) window for morning trading. Here, parents can arrange daily lunch orders, etc, rather than inside the playground. 
  
• The Gloucester St gates remain open on days where there are Grade Masses. 

Whilst we love to have our families on site during the morning, it is very important that routines are established for learning. We thank you for your support in the coming weeks. There naturally will be teething issues, and your young children may find the transition challenging. However this is a great step in establishing independent practices in your children. 

Next week, Meet the Teacher appointments will begin, and of course parents will be onsite. We do request, however that you start the drop off process for your child as soon as possible, in preparation for Week 4. As mentioned, Year 6 students will be available to escort children from Monday. 

UNIFORM (AND OTHER RELATED ITEMS)

Thank you to everyone for the way in which your children's uniforms are presented each day. We appreciate the effort that it takes to make this happen. Just a couple of reminders based on some observations:

• Sport socks must be white and above the ankle
• Hats are to be brought to school every day
• Umbrellas are not to be used - please pack a raincoat in your child's bag

IMPORTANT SAFETY CONCERNS RE CARPARK

Recently concerns have been raised regarding the traffic and safety surrounding the school in the morning and afternoons. Parents are asked to pick their sons and daughters up from Gloucester Street in the afternoon to minimise congestion with the number of buses on Mount Street. Parents are not permitted to drive into the school to drop off or pick up their sons and daughters as there are a significant number of primary and secondary students walking around these areas. Cars cannot park or stop in the area between the driveways on Mount Street as this is a bus zone. Our  students access the bus from this area and cars parked in this No Stopping zone make it unsafe.

Any parents seeking access to the school via Mount Street for drop off and pick up must seek approval from the school. This carpark is a designated staff car park for both Freeman and JB and as such is often at capacity. We have had several instances of parents driving through the exit in an attempt to bypass the procedures we have in place. This is unsafe and poses a significant risk to staff, students and parents who have permission to be in the carpark. We ask for your cooperation and assistance in ensuring this does not happen and the safety of staff, students and parents is upheld. 

The Highway Patrol works closely with both schools to ensure the safety of everyone. They will be patrolling the area over the coming weeks so please ensure that all road signs are followed. A reminder that cars cannot make a U-turn near the pedestrian crossing on Mount Street.

Please be patient at Gloucester Street. Again, this is a very busy area with parents collecting their children from both John the Baptist and Freeman. We want to ensure that everyone is safe as they travel to and from school.

Mr O'Connor  Principal

Assistant Principal News

 Dear Parents, 

Welcome back to a new school year. The students have settled in so well to their new classrooms and are busy learning so many new and exciting things. 

Meet the Teacher Interviews

We look forward to welcoming you to discuss your child's strengths and interests. If you have not yet made a booking, please make sure you do via Compass.

Important Traffic Management

We have again had a number of parents who are attempting to enter the school on Mount Street via the exit driveway or who are leaving the school via Gloucester Street and turning right. Both of these actions endanger the safety of our students and staff. 

Local area police have been notified and will be patrolling to ensure the safety of our students is maintained. 

The Gloucester Street car park is clearly labelled with a ‘No Right Turn’ sign. We appreciate your support in adhering to the road rules and your patience with the busy nature of our carpark.

Parent Volunteer Induction Meetings

I will be holding Parent Volunteer Induction Meetings throughout Week 3 so that you are able to assist in classrooms as parent volunteers and attend carnivals/ excursions/ incursions as a parent helper with your child/ children. These meetings last approximately 30 minutes and are the only sessions being run this year. If you have attended in the past, that is no longer valid and you must attend again in each new calendar year. 

Monday 19th February 5:15pm

Tuesday 20th February 6:30pm (NEW time added)

Wednesday 21st February 8:20am 

Friday 23rd February 3:15pm

If you wish to volunteer as a parent helper in the classroom, you MUST have a valid WWCC, please bring this information along with you and register this online via this link. You must still attend a session with me in addition to completing this step. 

JOHN THE BAPTIST IS AN ALLERGY FRIENDLY SCHOOL

Anaphylaxis is a severe form of allergic reaction and is potentially life threatening. John the Baptist School has a number of children at the school with Anaphylaxis. Peanuts, nuts, eggs, milk, soy, sesame and shellfish are the foods that commonly trigger anaphylaxis. Even trace levels of these foods can cause anaphylactic reactions.

Reminder: We are a NUT free school, children will not be permitted to eat any products containing nuts. 

In order to support and protect children the school asks all children and parents not to bring Peanut Butter, Nutella or other nut products or foods containing any advertised nut derivatives to school. Do not send Nutella or peanut butter alternatives that indicate that they are nut free as it makes it difficult for staff to monitor.

We thank you for your cooperation as we do our best to ensure every child is safe at school. 

School Open Days

We look forward to welcoming new families to our John the Baptist community. We will host two open days this year and warmly invite any new families to join us. 

• Tuesday 12th March, 5.30-6.30pm
• Wednesday 13 March, 9.30-10.45am

You can register online via our school website 

https://jbbonnyrigg.syd.catholic.edu.au/enrolment/visit-our-school 

We look forward to a wonderful partnership this year, 

Mrs Natali Tomic  Assistant Principal 

Family Educator News

Family Educator  Term 1  Week 2

Welcome back to 2024!

Quote of the week:

Lent is already HERE!!

Lent is the season of preparation for Easter. It starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lords’ Supper, lasting for 40 days (not counting Sundays). We prepare for Easter by fasting and practising spiritual discipline during this time - to reflect on His sacrifices. Basically, Lent is a time for "spring cleaning" our lives while giving thanks to God and strengthening our relationship with Him. There are many things you can do as a family to prepare for Easter.

Some Suggestions;

*Attend weekly Mass, offer prayers at dinner time; clean out closets and donate the best used items and clothing to St Vincent De Paul; visit an elderly relative or neighbour; give up something  like a takeaway dinner once a week, and donate the money to Project Compassion; turn off the tv/computer and spend some time talking with each other.

Try to think of something MEANINGFUL to give up for Lent this year- not just the chocolate or soft drink but something that will truly bring you closer to GOD.

Weekly Parent Gathering and CUPPA- Mondays in the demountable classroom. 

Coffee machine will be on early! Begins Monday 19th February.

Term 1 SPaR will be our own school Lenten group on Monday mornings from 9am-10am.

The Sydney archdiocese has put together a beautiful resource reflection booklet (you may have picked one up outside church) and we will follow this along on our journey to Easter. Each session we will read through the week’s reading and reflection, and follow up with a cuppa and chat. 

Please put your name down HERE.

This is a great opportunity to meet other parents and enter a little more deeply into the Lenten experience.

JB Juniors Playgroup - starting back on Wednesday 21st February

Children aged 0-5 years are welcome to join us at our JB Juniors Playtime Group on Wednesday mornings from 9-10 am. We meet in the demountable classroom on the top playground beside the church when the bell goes. 

There is prayer, song, story and craft followed by some playtime out on the school play equipment by the library.

This is a great place to meet other parents and to familiarise your child with the school.

Many of our JB juniors children begun Kinder this year so there are plenty of spaces available-Please register HERE

Parent Stations of the Cross Excursion-

Keep the DATE: Tuesday 19th March St Joseph’s Day Stations of the Cross with Father Dominic at Bringelly- ALL are welcome.

Come along on Tuesday 19th March as we commemorate St Joseph’s Feast day and walk the Stations of the Cross. We will gather from 10.30 with the walk beginning at 11am (should be only about 45 minutes walking on the concrete paths) stopping at the beautiful marble statues depicting the Passion of our Lord.

All are welcome, and you may wish to bring a picnic lunch with you- remember your hat and sunscreen! Tea and coffee will be provided also. This is a network initiative and we will have several schools joining us in this beautiful tradition.

More information to come!

Parish Matters!

Parish Newsletter Bulletins can be found here

Community Care 

If you or someone you know is experiencing any kind of difficulty that the parish may be able to assist with financially or spiritually, please contact Father Dominic or the parish office on 9823 2572 in confidence.

Sacramental lessons for Reconciliation will begin next week (from 19th February). Please pray for these children as they prepare to make the sacrament.

Tina Dunn  Family Educator

Literacy News

Literacy Corner Week 2 Term 1

Summer Reading Challenge

WOW! What a wonderful display of creativity and reading I was greeted with when starting here at JB. The Summer reading challenge entries have been amazing and judging a winner has been very difficult. The time and effort that has been put into each entry is clear and everyone should be incredibly proud of their effort. All class winners will be 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 the following Year Winners:

I wanted to say thank you to the families and students who have give me such a warm welcome to JB. I am very excited to get to know everyone and share my love of reading with you all. I look forward to sharing lots of great reading and wonderful stories with you. 

Happy reading everyone!

READ! READ! READ!

Melanie Moore  Literacy Coordinator

Numeracy News

Welcome back to 2024! 

Remember to explore our Maths @ JB site, Students in Year 3 and Year 5, please check out the NAPLAN tab for great problems to solve and practice. 

Please fill in the Google form to request a video and ask for help! 

Access the site via the following link: https://tinyurl.com/mathsjb

Students in Years 1 - 6 will begin bringing home logins for MathsOnline. There are great video resources and online activities to support student learning. Please speak to your child's teacher if you have any questions using the program. 

Michael Hobson & Laura Raco  Numeracy Coordinators

Gifted Education News

Dear Parents, 

Welcome to 2024. I wish to take this opportunity to introduce myself. 

I am the new Gifted Education Coordinator at JB and also one of the Critical Thinking Teachers. I am an educator with more than 15 years experience as a primary classroom teacher, a leader for authentic teaching and learning and a Gifted Education Coordinator. I have taught across a variety of systems and contexts which include Public, Catholic and Independent schools in Australia and in England. I hold academic qualifications of a Bachelor of Primary Education and a Masters of Gifted Education. I have recently attended conferences at Harvard University and at the University of Connecticut. 

I am passionate about nurturing and inspiring a culture of teacher professional growth that will pursue and enable student academic excellence in classrooms where engagement, learning and thinking are thriving. 

I look forward to working in partnership with you to support your child in their learning and well-being.  

Warm regards,

Caddie Ruster  Gifted Education Coordinator

Library News

If you would like to volunteer as a Book Covering Helper this year, please fill in the slip below and return to the library at your earliest convenience.

Kindergarten 2025 Enrolment Information

Enrolments are now open for our school for Kindergarten 2025 and will close in late March. Start your younger child’s application now at https://sydcatholicschools.nsw.edu.au/enrolment/enrol-now.

Enrolments are also now open for Year 7 2026 for applications from Year 5 parents. Open Day times are available at https://sydcatholicschools.nsw.edu.au/enrolment/visit-a-school. Please share these links with family, friends or on social media for anyone interested in enrolment in our school or at any Sydney Catholic School.

Our Catholic Secondary Schools are high-performing and incredibly popular. The vast majority of SCS Secondary Schools will fill all their places for Year 7 2026 in this enrolment period.

If you would like your child to attend an SCS Secondary school we recommend applying now. 

Notes from the Office

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Parents, as we warmly welcome you and your child/ren back for a new year, a gentle reminder regarding the importance of informing our school of any changes that may have occurred during the holiday break 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 2024 school fee statements will be emailed to you soon. 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!

CANTEEN

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

LOST PROPERTY

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.

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. 

CLOTHING POOL  

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. 

The clothing pool welcomes donations of school uniforms. Please ensure that all items are clean and in good condition (no rips or stains as we have no washing facilities). Only official school uniform items are accepted and please note we cannot accept socks or stockings.

CENSUS DAY & ADDRESS DATA COLLECTION

From time to time, we are required to provide student details and background data to Government agencies, particularly during Census time. Our school will be undertaking these processes during February and March. For more information regarding this, please refer to the SCS Privacy Policy and Standard Collection Notice.

Kindly note, you are not required to do anything for these collections, however, it is important that your personal records are up to date. For your convenience, the Personal Details Form is available in your Compass Portal - Favourites, anytime changes occur and the school is to be informed. 

VISA STUDENTS 

For our families from overseas, it is important that the school has details of your current residency status.  Please be sure to provide us with your new visa grant notice or Australian Citizenship documents if:

• There has been a change in your visa subclass or expiry date, or
• If you previously had a visa but have now become an Australian Citizen

We thank you for your support in ensuring current personal details are maintained throughout your child’s/rens enrolment.

Freeman Catholic College Open Day

Good Samiritan Catholic College Open Day

Dates to Remember