Pathways | Volume 40 Number 12 | 1

Wednesday 28 August 2018

From the Principal

Dear Parents and friends,

Our 5R’s I have spoken at recent assemblies about our 5R’s – Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Random-Acts-of-Kindness and Rigour. That doesn’t mean to suggest for one minute the three 3Rs of old; Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, don’t hold weight or importance in our school. They certainly do! However, in a world where we are becoming increasingly more reliant upon interfacing with a computer over another human being, I believe it vitally important to teach our children accepted Christian, social, moral and attitudinal norms. At St John’s our ‘code-of-conduct’ is based on the broader notion of relationships. Our teachers regularly teach our children the code of conduct and the values and behaviours that surround it. At a recent assembly I spoke particularly about the notion of resilience. Life being as it is, is never always smooth sailing. We endure the ebb and flow of the tides and the waves that pitch high and low depending on the ‘conditions’. Being resilient enough to navigate such life conditions will only hold young people in good stead in the long run. Resilience is the ability to ‘bounce back’ from life challenges. It results in individuals having the skills to steer the ship in a different direction if the waters are treacherous. Amanda Ripley, author of the book The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way writes, “The trick is that teaching kids to fail and then recover is easier when they are 10 than when they are 30. So if we don’t teach them about resilience when they are younger we are not really helping them.” Michael Grose is one of Australia’s foremost experts in relation to childhood development. He suggest that the keys to building resilient children lies in the following:

Spirit Temperament and in-born characteristics count!

Self-esteem Telflon kids against rejection

Skills The big 4 – independence, problem solving, social skills and optimism

Support The power of ONE resilient adult in children’s lives is huge

Stuff Kids experiences of every day ‘upsets’ help them deal with major challenges that inevitably happen.

For more information check out Michael Grose’s website – www.parentingideas.com.au.

How fortunate we are

Let us never underestimate the value of positive attitude and belief in ourselves and each other. Our world is truly great- even though we are often bombarded with portrayals of violence and despair. Dennis the Menace (of all

Volume 40 Number 12 Email: school@stjohnsbundaberg.qld.edu.au

Pathways | Volume 40 Number 12 | 2

people) once said "People wait for opportunity to come along...yet it is there every morning." Each morning that we come to St John’s Lutheran Primary School we can be thankful that we do indeed come to a terrific school where people matter! Parent Communication and Information – The Essential Ingredient St John’s Lutheran Primary School encourages an environment that allows parents to feel included, valued, fully informed and knowledgeable about our school and the progress of your children. As such I encourage you to continue to speak with your child’s teachers about their academic and social development. Of course the offer also extends to myself and Jocelyn. Whilst we both have busy loads, we always aim to prioritise our time to work with our parents, students and staff. Grandparents’ Day A huge thank you to all in our community for supporting our Grandparents’ Day last Friday. The day proved to be a wonderful success. Thank you to the Parents and Friends of our school for contributing to morning tea and lunch. I received many messages of support from many in our community about how much they enjoyed the day. See below, a kind email from one of our parents. Dear Chris

After talking to Charlotte’s grandparents about the day on Friday, they were just thrilled with how the morning was

presented. They were moved by the kindness, sincerity and compassion that both yourself and the teachers clearly

have for the students. They were also very impressed with the classroom activities and especially mentioned the

exemplary behaviour of all of the students.

Thank you for including Charlotte’s grandparents into the school community.

Again, thank you for your ongoing support of our school community. We are blessed.

Grace and Peace

Chris

Chaplain’s Chat

You can’t reach out and touch it.

You can’t package it and sell it.

But you know it when you see it,

And you feel it when it touches you.

Like the little 4 year old boy whose elderly neighbour was a man who had just lost his wife. Seeing the old man

crying, the little fellow went into the old man’s yard, climbed onto his lap and just sat there. When his mum asked

the little chap what he said to the old man, he replied, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.” That’s love! ** (From Face to Face Broadcast “What does love mean?” Pastor Trev Keller)

I too, experienced something similar when my middle son died shortly after birth, a little boy at the kindergarten where

I was working went to the wood work table and made a cross for me. It touch my heart and showed the love that

even little children can demonstrate.

“Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It

doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always

supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13).

However when we reflect on this in our own lives we see how we fail to show this kind of love for each other. That’s

why God’s love is so amazing – that God sent Jesus to pay for our sin and failures.

1 John 4:9 states “God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son

into the world that we might live (and be forgiven) through Him.”

Warmly in God’s Love,

Jeanette Mann (School Chaplain)

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Curriculum Connections

Thank you

from the

Library! Reading, and being read to, is important for all young children’s development. At St John’s reading is encouraged by everyone. Children learning to read is one on the fundamental skills which allow them to engage across the curriculum. It is equally important for children to have access to literature at home as it is at school. It is evident at St John’s that our families take reading very seriously and have a deep love for books. We would like to thank you all for making our 2018 Book Week a success. Throughout the week, students and staff celebrated Book Week during class library lessons and a variety of class activities. Book Fair culminated with the very exciting visit of our Grandparents, Parents and Special Friends. Once again our Book Fair was very well supported and successful with the approximate total of $7400 worth of books being sold. We will receive 20% commission of these sales from Dymocks, which will enable us to purchase more books and great literature for our school library over the next 12 months.

Book Donations A BIG THANK YOU to all of the families who also bought and donated books to the library from our Book Fair. The

books will be covered and catalogued as soon as possible and put into the library for the students to enjoy.

Thank you to Nashe Bere, Mrs Margaret Trigg, Jenna and Cooper Knott, Ms Stansborough, Trevor and Hansome,

Mallett Family, Mrs Billie-Jean Anderson, Mrs Trevellyn Murdoch, Caitlin Dempsey, Rachael Bowes, Tesch Family,

Ron and Carol Hillcoat, Johnson Family, Layla Heading, Alexis Heading, Cooper Croft, Wooldridge Family, Hayden

Banks, Madison Barrett, Kiahna Kruger, Alex Orr, Corban Routledge, and Van Der Klugt Family.

Lucky Door Prize -

Winner – Madison Barrett

Senior Boys Prize – Hayden Banks

Senior Girls Prize – Emilie Petts

Junior Boys Prize – Tai Abbes

Junior Girls Prize – Bianca Tickel

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Student Awards

Congratulations to this fortnight’s award recipients

Prep Red Brieanna Foreman, Lennox Higgins, Harry Uhlmann, Sunni Togo

Prep Blue Bailey Watson, Bailey Green, Cooper Higgins, Arianna Juster

Year 1 Jacob Bonney, Piper Weier, Baylee Kadel, Korbin Love, Charlie McDonald

Year 2 Lillee Curteis, Sienna Evans, Olivia Mallett, Christian Russell, Isabella Pohlman, Nitya

Tarigopula

Year 3 Brayth Burkitt, Faith Diener, Zahli Togo, Sebella Marano, Thea Smits

Year 4 Jenna Knott, Bridie Longford-Banks, Mia Marano, Alyssa Smith, Hayley McKeown, Jordan

Kadel

Year 5 Daniela Giovannoni, Jaryn Gallwey, Preston McNamara, Casey Hall

Year 5/6 Eli Rasmussen, Jacob Naude, Riley Dexter, Emilie Petts, Karen Lu, Bridget McEwan

Music Thea Smits, Sophia Van der Klugt, Chyler Lamberth, Rebecca Wooldridge

Chaplain Connor Petts, Rachael Bowes, Sophia Van der Klugt

Around the Grounds – General Notices

Uniform Shop – Opening House

Tuesday 8.15am – 9.00am

Thursday 2.30pm – 3.15pm

If you are unable to come at the above times, please remember that you can send in orders/payments via the class

basket. Just write a short note and send it in an envelope clearly marked ‘Uniform Shop’.

“My Life Rulz”

A book called “My Life Rulz” has been produced to help build emotional resilience in young minds. The book consists

of 10 crucial building blocks for the healthy formation of a child’s mental health focusing on a child’s identity, value,

worth and significance and plants reassurances that produce hope for a good future.

Below are the 10 “rulz”.

1. I belong here. I do belong.

2. I can get used to the place I am in and still grow

3. I deserve to feel safe and loved – always.

4. Sometimes life is fair and good and sometimes it isn’t.

5. All my choices matter. They have consequences.

6. God does care even when it doesn’t seem like it.

7. It isn’t just what happens to me that matters, but what I choose to

think about it.

8. Everything can be talked about and most things can be sorted out.

9. Comparing myself to others is out of bounds in my thoughts.

10. I matter. I am valuable. I am OK and so are others.

Further information about this product is available from www.myliferulz.com.au

If you would like to have a look at the book, please see Jeanette Mann

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Reminder that Subway Lunch orders need to be at school before 3pm Monday

September 3rd 2018. If you did not receive an order form or have lost it, please see the

ladies in the office.

Combined Church Service

The families and friends of St John’s Primary are invited to the Combined Church

Service at St John’s Church – Sunday 9th September at 10am. Children from the

school will be participating in the service. A note will be sent out regarding this. The

congregation will also be presenting Children’s Bibles to the Year 1 students.

We’d love to see you there!

Sprouts

Remaining Dates for Term 3

Wednesday 29th August

Wednesday 12th September

Welcome

We would like to welcome the Meier’s Family to St Johns, Charlotte in Year 3 and Kate in Year 5. Please make the

girls and their parents Cherie & Faron feel welcome if you see them around the school.

Father’s Day Stall

A big thank you to all the volunteers that gave up their valuable time this week to help

the children purchase Father’s day gifts from the stall. The children were most excited

to come to the stall with their own money to buy gifts. All the children were well

mannered and had big smiles on their faces.

Thanks again, Allison Stallan – P&F President

St John’s 2018 School Concert

“Back to the Future’

Thursday 20th September Commencing 6.30p.m.

Moncrieff Entertainment Centre, Bourbong St, Bundaberg

****More information coming soon****

Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day

To all of the wonderful family members who sent in a plate of food to help us cater for

Grandparents’ Day we would like to say a big thank you. We still have a number of un-named

platters and plates here at school. If you have not received yours back, please see the ladies

in the office.

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Grandparents

and Special

Friends’ Day

2019

Thank

you for

joining

us!