St John's School Roma eNewsletter

Principal's Address

It was wonderful to see our service activities start this week, and I thank Trish Parker for all her work managing them. My daughter, in Year Three, came home very excited at all the ways she could participate in service, and we had to temper her enthusiasm a little to say, choose the thing you want to do the most. She decided to visit at Pinaroo, and I look forward to hearing the stories of the residents second hand from her in the coming weeks. The message that I’ve tried to instil in her and our students at St John’s is that we build our character through these good deeds; we reinforce the type of person we want to become.

During his Angelus speech on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Francis encouraged individuals to express God’s love to those who are unwell and in pain through tangible deeds, and it is great that our students have this facilitated for them at school. He stated that ‘Love needs tangibility. Love needs presence and encounter. It needs to be given time and space.’ The benefit to the residents of Pinaroo in having a young person to talk to and show interest in them and their story is immeasurable. The feeling of service to our community is one that will build compassion, positivity and optimism in our students and this, too, is of immense value.

I had the pleasure of visiting our Year Nine students at their camp at Emu Gully last week. Their teamwork and willingness to have a go and help each other were evident. They also made a pretty good steak sandwich for dinner, which, I’m happy to report, did not result in food poisoning for anyone. At one point during the evening, their camp facilitator pulled me aside to congratulate me on the students' behaviour. She stated that she had had many groups through and this was one of the most respectful she had seen. I initially brushed it off, saying, “Yes, they’re great kids.” and she stopped me again. She said, “No, they are not just great kids.” She went on to explain that it was clear that they were part of a school that had a great culture and that culture comes from the top. It was a very kind compliment, but I had to let her know that I’d only been there a few weeks, so I couldn’t take credit for any of it. It is, however, an excellent reflection of the school in general. The teachers and students of St John’s have built a culture of respect, persistence and support for each other that was recognised as unique by someone who deals with students from different schools all the time. Indeed, it is something to be proud of.

Cheers,

Mark Watson

Photo Day

Prep Buddies

The last couple of weeks have seen the beginning of the Prep-Year Six Buddies Program. This program aims to support Preps with their day-to-day routines, assemblies and whole school Mass, whilst providing leadership opportunities for the Year Six cohort. The feedback so far has been extremely positive. The Year Six students have enjoyed spending time with their little buddies and sharing in some reading and writing activities.

Year Two

In Year Two Science this term, we have been learning about living and non-living things. Through investigating the lifecycles of humans and plants, we have demonstrated our understanding that living things change over time.

This week, we used our sense of touch to investigate sorghum and wheat seeds. After listing the things that plants need to survive (water, the right amount of sunlight and food), students chose a seed to plant. Students then set up their Grow Windows and have been keenly observing their seed to notice changes. They will continue to observe and record changes as their seed grows this term.

Year Four

In Year Four Science, we're studying how Eucalyptus trees grow. This term we are doing an experiment where each student is taking care of two plants: one with no changes and the other with a change in one thing to see how it affects the seed's growth.

For example, some students are using sand instead of soil, and others are using sanitiser instead of water. We are excited to see how our seeds will grow!

Year Six

Year Six Science: The Good, the Bad and the Fungi

Year Six Science this term is all about micro-organisms …. the good, the bad and the fungi!

We have marvelled at these microbes under microscopes and cultured some pretty scary looking specimens in our petri dishes. Handrails, our toes and door handles appear to be home to some truly terrifying bacteria! We have seen yeast in action and watched it produce gas to inflate balloons and make dough rise. We’ve looked at moulds growing on food and how to make detailed scientific drawings.

We are now designing our own investigations to find out how moisture, light and temperature affect the growth of mould on bread. We will finish out unit by looking at food safety and the role micro-organisms play in our kitchens.

FUN FACTS

All the bacteria in our body collectively weigh more than 1.8kg.

There are more bacteria in a person’s mouth than the total number of humans on Earth.

There are around 1458 bacteria in your belly button.

New born babies don’t have any bacteria on their bodies.

Year Seven

Our First Three Weeks in Year Seven

Isabelle Row – I was a little bit nervous about Year Seven at first, but it is turning out to be fun!

Billly Hudson – It has been pretty good. It is a change from being home schooled to actually being in a classroom. There are some challenges, but I am settling in well.

Wyatt Butler – There are a lot of new things like remembering books and locks and I have to be super organised, but it is good, though.

Matthew Hall – It is great! Laptops are the best and my teachers are really nice.

Rahni Nelms – It is really good. All of the teachers help you out and make sure you are enjoying the work.

Tristan Nel – Exciting! Fun! It is all about new experiences such as getting a locker, having a laptop and having more responsibility.

Year Nine - Emu Gully

Last week, the Year Nine cohort was fortunate enough to go on a three-day camp to Emu Gully. We packed our bags and left on Wednesday, full of excitement for what was to come. When we reached Emu Gully, we were greeted by the amazing staff, and then it was straight into setting up tents and collecting rations. We were all informed that the camp would challenge us and push our boundaries, but none of us were ready for what was coming our way.

This was an incredible experience and we all learnt so much about our peers and their individual personalities and strengths. During our time, we took part in a variety of fun, team-building activities, the first of which was learning to drive buggies, where we had the opportunity to drive buggies around a track as fast as we wanted. The second activity was the Kokoda track, where we had to carry crates along a track that was covered in mud. This track is a representation of what our ANZAC soldiers experienced when fighting in World War 2. There were certain rules in place that, if broken, would lead to the consequence of lying in the mud and staying silent until instructed otherwise.

The next activity was a team-building exercise where the students had to lift nets for one another to climb under and then pull a cannon through deep, thick mud. On our last night, we were lucky enough to participate in one last activity. This involved assisting one another through underground tunnels in order to reach a wall where we were considered safe. We are so grateful for everyone involved in making this camp happen, including the Emu Gully staff. It was such a great way to prove to all of us that we really are better together, and working as a team makes everything easier.

Claudia Schafer and Hudson Thomas

Xaverian One Most Noteworthy Student

Marian House

Swimming Carnival

Awards Assembly

Congratulations to the many students who received Excellence Awards, Veritas Medals and Academic Gold, Silver or Bronze Medals at our recent Semester Two, 2023 Awards Assembly.

Four White Excellence Awardees

Year Two Bronze Medallists

Year Five Gold Medallists

Year Ten Excellence Awardees

Years Seven – Eleven Silver Medallists

Excellence Awardees

In this week’s newsletter, let’s place a spotlight on the St John’s Veritas Medal.

The Veritas Medals recognise the efforts of those students who work very hard to achieve their best in all areas of their studies, demonstrate compassion, respect and justice towards others and show significant contributions towards the religious life of the school.

'The word 'veritas' comes from the Latin, meaning 'truth'. The students receiving these medals have remained true to themselves and to the Mercy value of ‘Excellence’.

In Prep to Year Six, the Veritas Medals are presented to one student in each class who applies themselves to their studies and performs to the best of their ability, demonstrating all Mercy values, and embracing the religious life of the school.

In Years Seven to Twelve, Veritas Medal awardees are recognised for their dedication and commitment to their studies and the improvement they have made across the majority of their subjects. These students are conscientious in class, seek and take on feedback, complete assigned tasks and show a level of progress/improvement above all odds. They are not the top students in the class, but they put in an effort beyond expectation in order to improve. Additionally, these students demonstrate the Mercy values and make significant contributions towards the religious life of the school.

Some of the Semester Two, 2023 Veritas Medallists. Congratulations!