St John's School Roma eNewsletter

Principal's Address

Dear Parents and Friends of St John's,

Just on a fortnight ago St John’s School celebrated Mercy Day. Our school was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1881 and in 2023 we acknowledge their legacy. The collective work of founder Catherine McAuley and the sisters who followed established a caring and respectful ethos based on the values of Compassion, Respect, Justice and Excellence. As a school community, we came together through a student-led liturgy to reaffirm those values and Jesus’ central message of love. Students then donned their sports uniform and House-coloured shirts to participate enthusiastically in the tug of war, nun races, quiz challenges and other fun activities organised by staff. The reason we stop our usual school activities to engage in Mercy Day activities is best captured in our school song 'Our Future in Faith rests with the young'. St John’s School aims to achieve a holistic education of Spiritual, Social, Academic, Sport and Cultural ideals. Mercy Day serves to reinvigorate the personal attributes and thinking required to achieve those ideals. I extend my sincere thanks to Mrs Trish Parker, staff and senior leaders who coordinated and led the day’s celebration.

On Tuesday 1^st August, Years 5/6 and 7/ 8 students from St John’s competed in the Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers (QAMT) Challenge at Roma State College against schools in the local area. Students enjoyed the opportunity to apply their collective knowledge and skills under pressure. Thank you to Mathematics Curriculum Leader Mr Ross Penrose, Mrs Maria Purssell and Mrs Hayley Sayer for facilitating the day and to the staff who assisted with marking and recording. Congratulations to the following students on their team results:

First Years 5/6 section: Kianzie Cruz, Kevin Zhang, Kaden Lee

Second Years 5/6 section: Rachael Bond, Jana Bugarin, Alara Grantham

Second Years 5/6 (tie): Annalise Ey, Xara Cruzat, Adam Fernandez

Third Years 5/6 section: Jonty Purssell, Harry Wells, and Tristan Nel

First Years 7/8 section: Taylah Marshall, Harriet Regan, Micah Pearce

Second Years 7/8 section: Yarin Panchal, Eli Purssell, Caelen McDonald

Third Years 7/8 section: Sam Anderson, Faith Iseppi, Jack Murray

This week, the school acknowledged The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. The NDA is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative for schools, encouraging whole-school communities to work together to implement evidence-informed positive and proactive solutions to prevent and address bullying. Senior students and staff presented material on this topic to our students and P-6 students have been presented with wrist bands to mark the initiative. In addition to this day of action, St John’s School utilises the Zones of Regulation, Restorative Practice and Love Bites initiatives to skill students in managing their own behaviour and recognising unhealthy relationships.

This week, our recent and newly elected Senior Leaders constructed Acknowledgment of Country plaques for each classroom and presented them on parade to a student from each class. I applaud the initiative and thinking of our leaders in demonstrating the Mercy value of Respect.

As we draw towards the end of August, the temperatures are slowly beginning to rise. It is normally this period when students display varying levels of comfort with uniform. Compulsory wearing of the winter uniform will cease on Monday 21^st August. Students will then be able to wear either the full winter or summer uniform until Monday 4^th September when the transition to summer uniform commences for all students.

God bless – Jim Brennan

Prep

Prep

Year Two

Year Eight

Students in the Year Eight Civics class have been actively participating in using their democratic values to bring attention to issues that they feel are important. They have learnt the different levels of government and who they need to contact in order for them to be heard. Students are now working towards creating a persuasive letter to bring an issue to our local government here in the Maranoa. Towards the end of the term, they will participate in debates and even recreate their own Prime Ministerial election.

Year Nine

Resilience Project

The next part of The Resilience Project's digital series is about creating Authentic Connections.

Brene Brown, a research professor, defines connection as being the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued. Therefore, creating an environment where children feel this way will provide the opportunity to build important authentic connections.

View Part 5 of the series here:
Part 5 - Connection: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2023-parent-carer-hub-inspire-hugh-martin/

In this presentation, Hugh shares a few strategies to help build an authentic connection with your children or any person in your life. The key is to listen, validate, label emotions and then offer assistance to help solve the problem if the other person wants that assistance.

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

Year Ten

Marian Four Most Noteworthy Student

Millie Filan undeniably shines as the standout student in Marian 4. Millie's active involvement in various activities sets her apart. From her spirited participation in netball, where she has engaged in events like QISSN and Mercy Shield netball carnivals, to her recent leadership in teaching the sign language alphabet to our year one buddy class, Millie's dedication knows no bounds. Her approachable and warm demeanour fosters a sense of camaraderie, making her an approachable figure for her peers. Millie's eagerness to participate actively enriches our class discussions and collaborative projects. Her consistent willingness to extend help showcases her selflessness, leaving an indelible mark on all who interact with her. As if her accomplishments weren't enough, Millie's involvement in dance eisteddfods in Goondiwindi and Charleville, as well as her upcoming participation in the All-Schools touch carnival, illustrate her versatility and dedication to personal growth. Millie is a true inspiration, leaving an enduring positive influence on our class.

Mercy Day

What a day! St John’s was abuzz on Friday, Week Four, as we celebrated the founders of our school, the Sisters of Mercy. Their legacy lives on in our school through the Spirit of St John’s, based upon the four Mercy values of Compassion, Justice, Excellence and Respect. As a way of honouring Catherine McAuley and the courgeous, resilient nuns who moved to Roma in 1881, students participated in a whole school liturgy, quiz, tug-a-war, activities and nun races. The energy within the school was electric and participation from students was at an all-time high. It was a hotly contested competition to see who the overall winner was with Theresian being the deserving winners on the day.

I would also like to recognise the Year 7 students who wrote Slam Poetry about the Sisters of Mercy. Bentley Brider, Year 7 student, has his poem featured below.

Swiftly searching, the sisters

Welcome people into their home

Helping with education

For their nation

With dedication to their cause.

Like a beacon in the fog,

Baggot House stands proud

Shining light onto others' plights.

So have no fright

And listen to the tendrils of hope.

To all of you:

Let it in.