St John's School Roma eNewsletter

Principal's Address

Dear Parents and Friends of St John's,

As we approach the mid-year holiday break, I draw on the biblical concept of heart. The word 'heart' is referenced over a thousand times in the Bible. In the context of scripture, the meaning of heart is a metaphor of 'inner self'.

An open heart, compassion and passion for justice go together. An open heart feels the suffering of others, responds to it and draws out the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the Christian life is to become more compassionate beings. I trust that the time we spend with family this break gives us the opportunity to reflect on the importance of expressing our hearts within our families and communities.

Last Wednesday, our School Leaders for 2023/2024 were announced. Each of the successful candidates set the highest standards in their applications, speeches and interviews whilst also enjoying significant support from students and staff through a voting process. It gives me immense pleasure to announce the following positions:

Female School Captain – Ella Williams

Male School Captain – Erl Nino Solana

Theresian House Prefects – Grace Horn and Tayla Doig

Marian House Prefects – Leo Ey and Thomas Hayward

Xaverian House Prefects – Taylor Forrest and Sateki Foukimoana

I also acknowledge the wonderful work of our outgoing School Leaders 2022/2023

Female School Captain – Kissea Cruz

Male School Captain – Max Henningsen

Theresian House Prefects – Brayden Crawford and Jeffery Lunney

Marian House Prefects – Mia Otto and Thomas Hayward

Xaverian House Prefects – Lalitha Cooper and Beau Cramer

The Leadership changeover occurred as part of a whole school Mass this Friday at All Saints Catholic Church.

This week, we farewell School Officer, Emma Crowley, who is entering the teaching ranks after graduating from her teaching degree earlier this term. Emma has made a wonderful contribution to supporting students and teachers across Years 1-6 classes. Emma will be undertaking relief teaching in the Roma area, and we hope to have her back at St John's School in a new capacity.

We also welcome new School Officer, Rebecca Scott, to St John’s School. She will be working with Ms Chloe Barwick in Prep Blue. Rebecca comes with experience as a Teacher Aide in the Northern Territory.

This week, thirty students from St John's attended the inaugural Toowoomba Catholic Education Performing Arts Festival in Toowoomba. This event has provided students from Years 3-12, opportunities to engage in workshops in a range of disciplines. The students were accompanied by Ms Treasure, Bradford and Parker in what was a truly enriching experience.

Year Nine Outdoor Education students had a wonderful experience exploring the wonders of the Bunya Mountains whilst honing their camping skills. This experience draws together their knowledge and skills covered this semester. Thank you to Mr Creeley and Ms Chloe Tiley who accompanied the students.

Last week, we acknowledged the contributions our School Officers and non-teaching staff make towards supporting student learning at St John’s School. Whether it is the wonderful presentation of our school facilities, care for parents and students at reception or the support of students and teachers in classrooms, these staff embrace the Spirit of St John’s. It was a delight to share morning tea and present each support person with their own personalised and framed acknowledgment.

Also last week, the annual school Athletics Carnival was conducted over two days. Students in Prep to Year 3 participated on Friday 16^th June in a variety of track and modified field events, whilst the remainder of the school participated in competitive events at the Bungil Street Athletics Club on Tuesday 13^th June. Participation from students over the two days was exceptional and it was lovely to see so many parents in attendance. Thank you to the organising staff led by Sports Coordinator, Sam Valentine, who facilitated the days. I also acknowledge Anita Crawford and her P&F team who ran the canteen at both events. Congratulations to Marian House who won the carnival and to the respective Age Champions.

Parent and Teacher interviews will be held on Tuesday 19^th July (P-6) and Wednesday 20th July (7-12). These days provide an opportunity for parents to discuss their child/ children’s progress with respective teachers. The interviews provide a more detailed and personalised report of Semester One reportswhich will be released to parents this Friday 25^th June through the Sentral Parent Portal. I encourage all parents to take the opportunity to meet with staff, especially if they have requested an interview. Additionally, I encourage parents to bring their children to the interviews.

Our Semester One Awards ceremony will be celebrated on Tuesday 19^th July. Two ceremonies will be held to accommodate the many students who will receive awards. The ceremony for Prep to Year 4 students will be held during Lesson Two (9.30-10.20), whilst the Years 5-12 ceremony will be conducted during Lesson Three (11.00- 12.05). Parents are encouraged to attend and stay for a cuppa between ceremonies in the P&F Multi-Purpose Centre.

Finally, I wish our Open Years Confraternity (Rugby League) and QISSN (Netball) teams the absolute best in their respective carnivals which will be held in Brisbane during the first week of the holidays. A large number of staff, parents and businesses have contributed to facilitating this wonderful opportunity which has developed a rich tradition within the St John’s Community. I thank everyone involved for your efforts and look forward to witnessing the students in action next week.

On behalf of all staff, I take this opportunity to wish all families an enjoyable time with your children over the mid-year break and look forward to seeing you for the commencement of school on Tuesday 11^th July.

God Bless

Jim Brennan

Year Four

Year Five

Dear Miss Tilbury, Mrs Ey and Miss May

I had so much fun in Charleville with my friends. I saw so many wonderful things on my adventure with St John’s. Can I pick a favourite? Probably not. That is a good thing is it not? Let me elaborate.

Yes, we did go to Charleville because we looked at ‘Our Place in Space’ in Science and the Cosmos Centre was so good. Seeing different planets and even our nearest neighbour in our galaxy Alpha Centauri through telescopes was just amazing. e looked at different constellations and learnt how to spot different planets without a telescope.

But. It was not just for our Science in Term Two but we have also been learning about how animals adapt to their environment in our Term Three unit. We learnt so much from the Bilby Centre about how bilbies survive in the wild, the threats they face today and how we can protect them. We were so lucky to see two baby bilbies and their mother. They are so important for bilby conservation.

The other attractions that we visited included the WWII base. This base is pretty cool, and it was so much fun to take on the role of a person from WWII and find out about them throughout the various sections. We had lots of fun in the Dance Hall. It highlights Charleville’s role in the war and how American troops came out here to train and prepare to fight in the war.

We also visited the Royal Flying Doctor Service and looked at how important they are to rural and remote communities and properties. We listened to stories of how this service has helped save countless lives and how the planes are equipped to meet most medical needs.

Most of all, I enjoyed hanging out with my friends outside of the classroom. Singing songs on the bus, playing games and sharing a meal with one another was just so nice.

Thank you, Mrs Ey, Miss Tilbury, Miss May and Mr Brennan for taking us on this great trip.

Year Five Students

Year Six

Year Six Shake, Rattle and Roll!

This term, Year Six has explored the Earth’s forces and looked at the science behind earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. We have made models of different types of faults, created our own seismographs and written reports on the Boxing Day tsunami. We researched ways engineers build earthquake resistant buildings and used these ideas to create straw towers that could hold a sandbag on our shake table. It was a really fun and interesting unit of work!

Year Seven Food Studies

In Year Seven Food Studies this term, we have worked towards a better understanding of basic cooking skills, local produce and healthy eating habits. Students have learnt about local Maranoa food production including fruit and vegetables. A trip to the Roma Saleyards on sale day gave students a glimpse of the local cattle industry and what it is like to be a Cattle Farmer.

Students then brought this knowledge back to the classroom and designed their own healthy lunch burger using at least one locally produced item. Many students used local Maranoa beef or Roma bread understanding the importance of shopping locally. Students then enjoyed their creation together as a team.

Grade Eight

Year Ten

Year Ten SET Plan Program

Over three days in Week Nine, our Year Ten students engaged in a variety of activities within their SET Plan Preparation Program.

As part of the ‘Understanding of self’ component, students investigated the impact of people and events in their life along with how interests, skills and attitudes influence pathway decisions.

Students had the opportunity to listen to a range of engaging guest speakers including Sarah Clear, School Counsellor, Curriculum Leaders who provided an outline of Senior subjects, Jess Wild from CUC (Country Universities Centre), ex students, Briony Burns, Heath Waugh, Sophie Tilbury and Matthew Moloney and Daniel Wales from Headspace.

The students really enjoyed the relaxed environment, the guest speakers and last, but not least, the hot chocolate and snacks.

Angela Pollock Career Practitioner and Leisha McNulty Career Support Officer

Marian Three - Most Noteworthy Student

Year Seven student, Lucy Harrison, from Marian Three Pastoral Care class is respectful, polite and hardworking. She is always smiling and very welcoming of other students. Lucy has not only been trying to achieve great results in school subjects but has also been competing for the best scores in camp drafting. She has been travelling all over the state and was recently in Charleville. Lucy gained Second Place in the Junior Draft and Fifth Place in the Novice Division. She will surely be a great addition to the school team later in the year!

Interhouse Athletics Carnivals

The Resilience Project

Dear Parents, Carers, and Families,

This next presentation from The Resilience Project is all about Empathy and Kindness.

Empathy is our ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others to feel and see what they do. We practise this through being kind and compassionate towards other people.

Brain imaging data shows that being kind to others registers in the brain as more like eating chocolate than like fulfilling an obligation to do what’s right (e.g., eating brussel sprouts)!
Research shows that practising empathy, such as performing acts of kindness, taps into our brain’s ‘mirror neurons’, builds compassion and our behaviour becomes more social and community based.

View Part 3 of the series here:
Part 3 - Empathy: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2023-parent-carer-hub-inspire-hugh-martin/

In this presentation, Hugh shares how being kind and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes can make you feel good as well as having a positive effect on others. He shares some practical activities you could do as a family.

To find more inspiring activities to do at home visit TRP@HOME. Here you will find activities for kids, teens, adults and you (parent/carers).

For mental health resources and support information, visit The Resilience Project’s Support Page.

Wednesdays - 8am to 10.30am

Online:

https://theschoollocker.com.au/schools/st-johns-catholic-school

Newsletter - 23rd June 2023