St Johns College Dubbo Term 1, Week 2 2024

Principal

Dear Parents & Carers

My name is Ray Wooby and I’m very pleased to be able to join the St Johns community as the Interim Principal. The recruitment for the permanent position to replace Mrs Nicole Morton has already begun and I will keep you informed of any developments and announcements. My work as Principal has been in south western Sydney schools and more recently completing interim positions in Lithgow and Albion Park. The teacher shortage is a significant issue for schools across Australia but particularly in regional and remote schools and this includes principal positions. I was educated at De La Salle College Ashfield and so it is great for me to come back to a school with such rich history and connection to the De La Salle Brothers.

I hope you and your families are well and your children are feeling refreshed after their holidays. I hope you were also able to get a break from the routine that school days bring to family life. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can during my stay at St Johns.

Getting back into routine is a struggle for all of us but it is the key to good learning and good work practices throughout our lives. This is especially so for adolescents and their learning. Being prepared, having all your equipment and completing your homework enables each student to have the best opportunity to understand and process each lesson during the school day. Thank you to all those students and families who have made a substantial effort to be in the correct school uniform and to have all their equipment including using the cases provided to carry their Chromebooks. Some students have grown significantly over the summer break and their uniforms no longer fit them as well as they might. I know full well the cost of school uniforms having had four children of my own through Catholic schools but could I ask that shirts that are too tight and the skirts and dresses whose lengths need to be adjusted be attended as quickly as you can manage. We will start talking to students about adjustments to the uniform over the coming weeks but it is my expectation that students will wear their uniform appropriately and with pride.

We had a great College Commencement Mass on Friday 2nd February. Our thanks to Fr Greg for officiating and to Mrs Burden for all the work involved in creating such a meaningful liturgy. I was impressed with the reverence of the students and their participation in the singing. I have always thought that singing is a “window to the soul” and a school where students love singing is a great school! I also spoke to the students about my expectations about the way they conduct themselves, their behaviour and their learning. I can summarise this for all of you in one word….. RESPECT

We were also very pleased to present and congratulate Tharusha Abayawickraman for his achievement in being the 2023 HSC Dux of St Johns College with an outstanding ATAR of 96.00, the highest ATAR of any school in Dubbo and wish him all the best as he commences his Degree in Medicine at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. Can I also add my congratulations to all those Year 12 students of 2023 who worked hard and achieved their goals.
Well done!

I need to alert parents, carers and students that there will be a Staff Professional Development Day on Monday February 19th . There will be no classes at St Johns on this day. I do apologise to families that this day is so soon after school has returned. It is a day organised by the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Bathurst (CEDB) for all catholic school teachers in Dubbo. The CEDB has acquired the services of Dr Michael McDowell who is a world renowned educational researcher and speaker and therefore all schools need to fit into his schedule to avail themselves of this marvellous opportunity. Once again my apologies for the disruption to family routine. Please feel free to contact me at the College if you need to discuss this further.

Prayer and Yarn
I do love a good prayer and a good yarn…see what you think of this one!

“A mother was concerned about her young son walking to school. He did not want his mother to walk with him.  She wanted to give him the independence, but yet know that he was safe. So, she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbour if she would follow him to school in the mornings, staying a distance, so he would probably not notice her. The neighbour thought that since she was up early with her young daughter anyway, it would be a good way for her to get some exercise, so she agreed. The next school day, the neighbour and her little girl set out following Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbour’s boy that he knew. She did this for a whole week. As the boys walked and talked, Timmy’s little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.  Finally, he said to Timmy, “Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her? Timmy replied, “Yeah, I know who she is.” The friend said, “Well, who is she?” “That’s Shirley Goodnest, Timmy replied and her daughter Marcy.”  “Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us?” “Well,” Timmy explained, “every night my Mum makes me say Psalm 23 with my prayers, cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says - ‘Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life’, so I guess I will have to get used to it’. May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always.” 

PSALM 23 - SURELY GOODNESS and MERCY shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
(Courtesy the late Fr John Langtry)

Congratulations
Wow, Wow, Wow!!!! I know it is a few weeks ago now but you would have seen and heard that St Johns Dubbo scooped the pool in the Dubbo Australia Day Awards…. The trifecta!!! My heartiest congratulations to:

• Molly Croft- Citizen of the Year (Year 12)
• Mia Richardson - Young Citizen of the Year (Year 9)
• Ella Penman - Young Sportsperson of the Year (Year 12)

What an outstanding achievement for each of these young ladies and an acknowledgement of their commitment to serving others and excellence!

Also impressive is Charlotte Cooke (Year 11) who embarked on a Cultural Immersion during the Christmas holidays. I hope you enjoy reading Charlotte’s account of her experiences in this newsletter. Fantastic work!

I would also like to acknowledge and congratulate the following students and ex-students who received awards and scholarships at the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, Awards Ceremony for Academic Excellence held at Orange Civic
Centre last Wednesday:

• Miranda Simpson - Aboriginal VET Student of the Year
• Sally Sherwood - Moya Crowe Aboriginal Student Pathways Scholarship
• Olivia Mintern - Moya Crowe Aboriginal Student Pathways Scholarship
• Lara Winterton – Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst Teaching Scholarship

Awards for Academic Excellence: Band 6 (over 90) results in their HSC subjects

• Darcie Gravitis
• Xanthe Mara
• Isabella McAlister
• Daniel Mutero
• Emma Powning
• Jade Turner
• Abby Wilson
• Jonty Winsley
  

What a talented group of students and what a talented school!!  St Johns is a good school lets all continue to work to make it a better school!

Yours faithfully

Ray Wooby
Interim Principal

Religious Education

Dear Families,

Welcome back! And a special welcome to our new students and their families. 

We started the year with an Opening Mass. All students participated with reverence and respect. Many of our students are not familiar with the specifics of Mass, but as a school, we expect that all students are quiet, respond when asked and listen thoughtfully to readings, prayers and homilies. If our Opening Mass is anything to go by, our students understand this.

I would like to share with you what was read out by our Year 12 leaders. The theme that have chosen as a year group, but also a theme we would like all students to think about, is the theme ‘Rainbow’.

The theme chosen for 2024 by our current Year 12 cohort is ‘Rainbow’. Although it is Year 12 who chooses the theme, we hope that all members of the St Johns College community are inspired by our chosen theme.

The theme of Rainbow was chosen for a number of reasons. As a Catholic school, we are of course reminded of the promise God made to his people. When we see a rainbow, we are reminded of God’s promise to look after us.

Since rainbows usually appear after a storm, rainbows have come to symbolise hope after a storm. For all of us, there will be challenging times; sad times - but we believe in hope. That we will make it through with the help, support and guidance of our families and the College community.

Rainbows are symbolic of new beginnings - of opportunities to find joy and to grow. As each of us starts a new school year, we are each given the opportunity to start afresh, to wipe the slate clean and head into 2024 with enthusiasm and energy, ready to give of ourselves and shine our lights.

Rainbows have come to be seen as a symbol of tolerance and acceptance. Every colour that exists is present in a rainbow, all different, but all come together as one. Here at the College, no matter who you are, what you look like, where you are from, what your interests are, you are all an equally important part of the fabric of our school.

As we start the 2024 school year together, we hope you are inspired by our theme of ‘Rainbow’ and that you think about how it applies to you - whether it be God’s promise to look after you, hope, new beginnings or inclusion. Here’s to 2024 being a wonderful year for all of us. 

I would like to take this opportunity to invite all families to Mass at St Brigid’s this Sunday night at 6pm. Twice a term, our school is in charge of music, singing, readings, offertory and giving out Eucharist. Our Year 12 leaders are each allocated to a role, but I would love to see as many SJC families there as possible. Many people view going to Mass as one more thing they have to fit into their weekend. Many think going to Mass is to please God. But going to Mass is actually for you. It is one hour out of the busyness of everyday life to stop, breathe and reflect upon life. You are surrounded by like-minded people. The St Brigid’s community is extremely caring and welcoming. I guarantee you will walk out of Mass with a smile on your face, ready to face the week. 

I am very much looking forward to the year ahead and leading our students on their individual faith journeys.

Elissa Burden
Leader of Ministry and Mission

Whole School Mass

Learning and Teaching

It’s great to be back for 2024.

Year 7 Chromebooks

Over Weeks 2 and 3 we will have the opportunity to meet with every Year 7 class to issue chromebooks and to work through care and learning expectations for these devices. Parents can view this presentation here: Year 7 Digital Learning Orientation.

Some key ideas from this were:

• Digital learning builds essential skills for the future
• Chromebooks remain the property of St Johns College
• Students need to bring them to school fully charged and ready to go everyday
• Students need to follow all of the safety instructions to avoid having to pay for breakages. Especially, make sure it is always transported in its case
• Chromebooks will grow executive skills, helping students stay up to date with their timetable, emails, school notices, and their learning through CANVAS
• Students should make sure that their Google Drive is organised and maintained to avoid misplacing important documents

Parents and CANVAS

Soon parents will receive their logins and passwords for CANVAS. CANVAS is one of our most significant tools for strengthening the relationship between parents and school, and supporting parents in understanding their child’s learning. 

Through CANVAS you can:

• See classroom learning
• See your child’s submitted work
• Find a calendar for upcoming assessment tasks
• Find marks, feedback and comparative information
• Support your child in their learning and relearning of key ideas

Watch the newsletter and socials for links to short clips to support you in accessing, using and making the most of the platform.

Literacy Focus 2024

Secondary schools across the diocese will focus on writing this year. Specifically, we are enhancing our work on the explicit teaching of writing in Year 7, and how to respond to complex writing tasks in Year 11 and 12. In addition, St Johns will be rolling out a literacy program for our Year 9 students. You will also find a greater emphasis on writing in our assessment marking rubrics, which we will look at in greater depth next newsletter, as assessment tasks start to appear in CANVAS.

Catherine Jones
Leader of Teaching and Learning

Road Safety

As we welcome you into the first term of school in 2024, we have a few changes to the way you can access the school visitor and student car parks and parent/student drop-off zones.

Welcome to our 2024 Yr 7 Cohort

Welcome to our 2024 Yr 7 Cohort! A day filled with excitement and enthusiasm as we commence the school year!

"You don't get results by focusing on results. You get results by focusing on the actions that produce results". - Mike Hawkins

2024 Yr 7 Cohort

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Pathways

Tomingley Gold Mine Work Experience

Patricia Strahorn - Stage 6 Pathways & ASPA Coordinator

Year 12 student James Nichols undertook work experience at Tomingley Gold Mine before the school holidays. It was an amazing opportunity for James to discover the world of mining and the diverse roles that exist within this field. Here’s what James had to say about his work experience.

How do you get a head start heading into the workforce from school?
You can get a head start by getting your foot in the door before anyone else and making an excellent first impression. Knowing this I applied for work experience in the Tomingley Gold Mines. I have learnt a lot through my work experience at the gold mine. I did work experience in the last week of school in 2023. There was so much I learned from multiple fields in mining, such as geology, engineering, environmental preservation, machinery, and metallurgy. I also made a good impression with this company which creates opportunities for future employment and even a cadetship. Work experience was a great time for me and I recommend that every student does work experience.

Resource Hub - Library

Library Lover's is next week!
Normally celebrated on the 14th of February, Libraries share the love of books. Through out the week you can write your favorite book on a heart shaped post-it note and place it in the giant love heart we have on display as you first walk into the Library.

We also Have 3 x $10 Canteen Vouchers up for grabs!! One Lucky winner per stage group!! To enter the competition please grab a Library Competition Bookmark sheet and design a bookmark based on a book with the theme of Love or Friendship. Entries must be returned to Miss Lappa in the Resource Hub Library by Friday the 16th February. Entries will be voted on by Staff and winners will be announced on Wednesday the 21st February. Winners will receive the $10 Canteen Voucher as well as have their designs made into proper book marks for students to use in the Library. We can't wait to see your designs! And Remember "Book's are a uniquely Portable Magic" - Stephen King

Mrs Bruce - Teacher Librarian
Miss Lappa - Library Technician

Attendance

Sport

College Swimming Carnival

The Annual College Swimming Carnival will be conducted on Wednesday 14 February at the Dubbo Aquatic Leisure Centre. The day is a compulsory school day. All students are to attend and participate throughout the day. Student admission is included in school fees.

Homerooms will be conducted at 8.50 am to ensure the carnival begins on time (9am). Students will need to make their own way to and from the pool. If your child has no transport to and from the carnival, contact needs to be made with Mr McAlister prior so that transport can be arranged from the College. If any students wish to remain at the pool at the completion of the carnival, they must leave the pool grounds and then enter once everyone has left. Pick up time is 3pm.

All students in Years 7-10 MUST wear their College Sport Uniform or College sport shorts and coloured house shirts to and from the pool, This also includes the appropriate footwear (joggers & socks). Please ensure all clothing has student names on them.

Senior students are to dress appropriately in their house colours. Coloured face paint, coloured zinc or coloured hairspray is NOT to be brought onto the pool grounds. Crepe paper is also banned. The Aquatic Centre canteen will operate on the day. Students are encouraged to bring plenty of water, apply sunscreen and wear hats for sun protection.

Please note that if parents / guardians wish to collect their children from the pool other than their own, a note must be provided by those children’s parents / guardians giving permission for them to go with someone else. Students will not be released without written permission for them to go with someone else.

The canteen will be operating with a restricted menu due to the timing of the Carnival (Ash Wednesday). No meat products will be available to purchase. Students are urged to bring food for lunch to avoid disappointment. The Pool prohibits the entry of external food delivery providers (Menu log, Door dash etc) They will be turned away at the entrance to the pool.

The railway station has asked that there be no parking in their car park due to the volume of passengers coming throughout the day. Parents and other spectators are welcome to attend. Spectator entry to the Centre is $2. Students will be seated with their cohorts.

Event winners and placings will be issued based on times. The Diocesan Carnival will be held on Tuesday 5 March at Dubbo Aquatic Leisure Centre. Winners and second placings in the 50m Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly will qualify for the Diocesan Carnival as well as winners of other long distance events.

Permission will be distributed to attend the Diocesan Carnival in the days following through the Compass email system. If your child qualifies and does not wish to compete at the next level, they need to inform the College after receiving their Compass communication so that other students have the opportunity to participate.

Most events are run in age groups (100m Freestyle, 50m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly). However, some events involve Junior, Intermediate and Senior divisions (200 Freestyle and 200 Individual Medley).
Junior 12,13 and 14 years
Intermediate 15 and 16 years
Senior 17 + Years
100m breaststroke, 100m Backstroke and 100m Butterfly are now run in the following age divisions: 12/13 years, 14 Years, 15 years, 16 years and Open age.

Students in Years 8-12 have had the opportunity to nominate the events they wish to swim in through a Google form document that has been emailed to students in the lead up to the carnival. If students have not nominated and wish to compete, they can do so on the day by approaching the marshals when the event is called. Year 7 have or will have the opportunity to nominate in Health classes.

Diocesan Touch Football Trials

The Bathurst Diocesan Touch Trials for 15 years and under were held this week in Wellington. The College was represented by 29 students.

Congratulations to the following students on their selection in the Diocesan team to compete at the NSW CCC Touch Championships to be held on the Central Coast in Week 11 of this term:Alex Maas, Alexus Gordon, Ava Sutcliffe, Archie Aird, Charlie Pilon, Cooper Townsend, Isla Bassingthwaighte, Lachlan Maher, Levi Scarlett, Noah Sutcliffe, Oscar Macleod, Paddy Grose, Phoebe Fitzgerald, Sam Large, Zander Barton, Zade Burns and Tom Maas. 

Canteen

Flexischools App

Flexischools is St Johns College online canteen ordering and payments.  Simply download the app and sign up.

School Fees

Welcome to our new families joining the College this year and welcome back to our existing families

The 2024 College statements/invoices will be emailed to families in early March 2024.
On the invoice will be Compass and BPAY details and also term payment amounts for those families wishing to pay their fees in Terms 1, 2 & 3.

For existing families that have an additional student join the College this year you may need to adjust your payment plan accordingly. Please contact me to discuss your account.

For new families who wish to start a regular payment plan via Direct Debit, BPAY, Credit Card or Compass please contact me to discuss details and payment options.

Please note all College fees are due by 30 November 2024.
HSC fees are due by 31 October 2024.

If you wish to discuss your account please contact the College Fees Office on 6841 5142 or email m.carlow@bth.catholic.edu.au.

Kind Regards 

Maree Carlow
Administration Finance Leader

Important Dates

Term 1 2024

If you would like to add the St Johns College Calendar to your google calendar please click on this link.

Monday, 5th February
Yr 7 Parent Welcome Evening - SJC Hall @ 5.30pm

Thursday, 8th February
School Photos - students to wear formal uniform

Wednesday, 14th February
SJC Swimming Carnival - Dubbo Aquatic Leisure Centre

Monday, 19th February
Pupil Free Day

Tuesday, 20th February - Friday 23rd February
2024 Canberra Royal Show

Moorambilla Voice
Tuesday 20th February 9am - 10am

Friday, 23rd February
School Photos for absentees plus groups

Tuesday 27th February - Thursday 29th February
Yr 12 Advanced English - Bell Shakespeare Sydney

Thursday 29th February
Yr 7 Retreat - MNOP groups

Friday 1st March
Yr 7 Retreat - QRST groups

Community News