St John's Newsletter - 12th May 2022
- Principal's Report
- Prep
- Prep
- Year Two
- Year Six
- Year Seven
- Year Twelve
- Theresian Two Most Noteworthy Student
- Book Club LOOP
- Year Twelve Formal
- Xaverian House
- Career Development
- Career Development
- Roma Show: School Display
- Covid-19 and Flu
- AUSTDRIVE Youth Defensive Driving - Copy
- Deb Ball
- Girl's Trousers
- Tuckshop
Dear Parents and Friends of St John's,
Last Sunday, was an opportunity to celebrate the mothers who touch our lives, whilst also remembering those who have gone before us and left an indelible imprint on our hearts.
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 captures many qualities our mothers bring:
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skilful hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting.
The woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward of her labours, and let her work praise her at the city gates.
Thank you to all the mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers of our St John’s Community.
A successful Mother’s Day stall was held at St John’s School on Thursday 5th May. Students were able to purchase small gifts in readiness for spoiling their mums. A special thanks to Mrs Kiara Williams of the P&F who once again organised and coordinated this event. The stall raised approximately $2000 which the P&F will direct into student-orientated projects.
At the recent Roma Show, the work of students and staff was on display showcasing learning experiences from the previous twelve months. I acknowledge the exceptional work of students on display which included handwriting, art, photos of school events and student work. Thank you to Mark and Angela Brennan, Yenda Emery and a multitude of staff who constructed the school display which was rewarded with First Place in the school display section. The theme of this year’s presentation was 'The pursuit of excellence in education'.
On Tuesday evening, students from Years Three to Eight presented project-based learning at the 2022 Enrichment Night. This event provides an opportunity for students to research and showcase an area of interest to the school community. The quality of the presentations was extremely high with presentations on martial arts, volcanoes, Highland dancing, fishing, muster dogs and motocross to name a few. To round off the evening, guests were treated to singing and dance performances highlighting the diversity of opportunities available to all students at St John’s School. I thank Miss Megan Hooper for her exceptional organisation of what was a truly enriching experience for all.
Our students have been active in the community over the last two weeks making significant contributions to local events. Twenty students assisted with staffing the gates at the recent Roma Show, whilst our Year 11 and 12 student leaders have conducted school tours during last week. Students also ran the canteen at the recent Enrichment Night. These events are in addition to the magnificent turn out of students atthe recent ANZAC Day ceremonies held across the Maranoa. Our students' contribution clearly demonstrates their values, world views and determination to make their school, town and region thriving communities.
NAPLAN assessment has commenced this week (Tuesday 10th May) for Years 3,5,7 and 9 and will conclude in Week Five (Wednesday 18th May). Students will complete four individual tasks in Numeracy, Reading, Language Conventions and Writing on separate days.
The St John’s Open Day has been conducted in a different format this term with tours conducted during the school days last Tuesday and Friday at 11am, whilst a 5pm tour was conducted on Tuesday afternoon prior to the Enrichment Night. This change in format has enabled the school to showcase the working environment of the school so prospective parents and students can experience the 'Spirit of St John’s School'. If any parent missed these opportunities and is seeking a tour, please contact the school to arrange a time.
I also suggest families mark the St John’s Race Day (Saturday August 20) ontheir calendars. The day is a fundraiser conducted by the St John’s Parents and Friends Association and is a wonderful opportunity for parents, friends and staff to mix in a friendly environment. The day also presents an opportunity for existing families to introduce new families considering St John’s as a schooling option.
Finally, a reminder to families that we commence compulsory winter uniforms from next Monday 16th May.
God Bless
Jim Brennan
On Friday 29th April, the Year 12 cohort celebrated their formal at Explorers Inn Function Centre. The glitz and glamour of the evening began with the red-carpet arrivals. The students all looked very grown up and stylish in their dresses and suits and were ready to celebrate one of the many milestones that form their final year of schooling. This year, we were fortunate to be able to have a large crowd of parents, siblings, family and community members gather to watch the arrival procession.
We extend our thanks to the team at Explorers for hosting the event; the venue looked gorgeous. A special mention to Olivia Warner who created the floral arrangements for the evening. They provided a stunning backdrop for photos and were admired by many.
The staff and students enjoyed a three-course meal and spent the night making unforgettable memories. The dress-up photo booth and dance floor provided opportunities for lots of fun throughout the evening, with students and even some teachers displaying some impressive moves on the dance floor. The night was captured beautifully by our photographer, Mrs Kat Silvester. A big thank you goes to the Formal Committee and Staff who made the night possible and so memorable for the Year 12 cohort.
It’s safe to say this term has been an exciting time for all the Houses, including Xaverian!
Our House has been very busy getting involved in all sorts of activities throughout the school. Over the holidays, we had many students take part in the Easter in Country Parade making our school’s float very impressive. We also had an amazing number of students join the ANZAC Day Parade, representing our school and paying their respects to Australian and New Zealand soldiers. Cross Country was a fun day for us all and we had plenty of Age Champions and Runners Up winning points for Xaverian.
Your participation counts and brings us closer to taking out the House Cup!
The Xaverian Year Twelve students easily had the best moves on the dance floor at the senior Formal, which was a night we will never forget. The next few weeks only get better, with many students going away to represent our school in various sport competitions. The South West Netball girls played really well at their carnival making us very proud.
Good luck to all students in their respective sporting endeavours; we know you will all do amazingly. Finally, the Athletics Carnival, the event we’ve all been waiting for, is coming up. We can’t wait to see you all there in your best 80s outfits bringing home lots of points for Xaverian. Don’t forget, every point counts, so get in there and get involved and make it a sports carnival to remember.
We’re so proud of all our Xaverian students; let’s make Term Two the best term yet!
If parents and friends of St John’s School had the opportunity to attend the Roma Show and inspect the School Display, they would have witnessed one of our best displays in recent years, awarded First Place in the Large Schools category.
The judge, Mr David Bowden, was impressed with the use of colour and the brilliant alignment of the students’ work to the display theme The Pursuit of Excellence in Education and to our school values, Excellence, Respect, Compassion and Justice. The judge’s feedback noted that ‘Panels four and five clearly showed careers were the reason for education.’
Each of the six panels told a story of the high-quality education on offer at St John's School, from Prep to Year 12 including samples of our School Based Traineeships and Apprenticeships program. Teachers, support staff and students should all be very proud of our school display at the 2022 Roma Show.
Mark Brennan
Chief Steward
Roma Show School Display
Parents
Tuckshop orders are received and paid for through Flexischools, which you can access online or by downloading the App. You can find our school by typing in Roma, then finding St John’s. Cut off time is 8am on the morning of Tuckshop (every Tuesday and Thursday). It’s important to let your child know if you have only ordered for one break and which break you have ordered, as students will sometimes get confused about the day or the break. It is very easy to think you have ordered First Break but accidentally put Second Break, and also it is quite easy to order for the wrong day, so be careful to check this before sending through. Flexischools will send you an email to confirm your order, so it is a great idea to check this to make sure there are no errors.
At the Tuckshop, we proceed to get the orders together which, for Primary, are put in their class boxes and picked up by Year Six students and taken to the classrooms. The students will need to come back to the Tuckshop, with their bag, if they have ordered an iceblock. Secondary students will collect their orders from the Tuckshop individually. If your child does not receive their order, please let them know to come to the Tuckshop or tell a teacher as we never let a child go hungry. Sometimes, it is just ordered for the next break, a different day or maybe another child has accidentally picked it up out of the box.
If you have any questions regarding Tuckshop orders, or volunteering at tuckshop, please do not hesitate to contact Anita Crawford on 0418985276.