Year 7 - “Strong minds , gracious hearts”

Wow - Year 7 has had a great start to high school at St John's. Parents and carers, you should be so proud of the way your child and the year group as a whole have settled into the routine of high school. They have been inundated with information but they have listened carefully and followed instructions which has helped them cope with the busyness of school. I have been blown away by all the positive comments I have received from the teachers of Year 7 - already I am a very proud Year Coordinator!

To assist with  organisation at home I will go through some of the information that I have been sharing with Year 7 below;

YEAR 7 CAMP 

• Notes were due on Monday 7 February - they have been distributed via compass (the school’s online portal) but a signed hard copy needs to be returned to the school. If you have any problems accessing the camp note please email the school (or ask other parents who may be able to assist!)
• A “What to bring” list has been given to your child and there is a digital copy on your child’s PALS classroom page. 

• Tent groups have been organised by students. If your child has been nominated as providing the tent, could you please ensure that you practice putting up the tent so you know that it is in working order and that it has all the poles and pegs. Please do this in advance so you have time to organise parts etc if needed.
• Parent Helpers are welcome but you will need to complete the Volunteer form which is also accessed via compass.
• Transport - ALL students must travel to the venue by bus, even if parents are helping.
• Morning Drop Off - students will need to leave all their camp gear on the grass area outside the bus bay. Please be very careful and aware that normal school buses will be arriving and it does get busy in this area. Parents may park in this area if they are assisting with taking gear to camp.
• Labelling of gear - try to label everything - we have 180 students with gear coming on this camp - that means a lot of gear! Make sure your child knows what their gear looks like so they can identify it - luggage tags would be useful.
• Rash vest for swimming - ALL students must have a rash vest or old tight fitting t-shirt to wear for sun protection when swimming.
• Medication Notes - students who will be taking  medication should have collected a PINK form  from the office. This needs to be returned BEFORE camp.

VACCINATIONS 

Vaccination forms are to be returned to PALS teachers by Wednesday 9 February. Year 7 vaccinations will occur on Monday 14 February. Students are to wear their sport uniform and remember to eat breakfast to minimise the chance of feeling unwell. If your child is not participating in the school vaccination clinic, please inform the school prior to Wednesday 9 February on info@sjedow.catholic.edu.au or phone 4423 1666.

SWIMMING CARNIVAL 

Due to COVID restrictions, we have had to change the way the carnival is organised. Students will need to enter online. Their PE teacher will be able to assist with this. The carnival will be held on Friday 25 February.

CONSENT FORM FOR USE OF STUDENT'S IMAGE 

Return of this form to PALS teachers was due on Friday 4 February. If your child has misplaced this form or any other notes please ask your child to check with their PALS teacher. Consent for use of student's image forms may be downloaded here.

DIARY USE 

The use of the school diary is an important and compulsory tool to support students in their organisation at St John's. It is also an important communication tool between parents and teachers and for this reason we ask that parents read and sign their child’s diary every week - preferably on Tuesday night, as the PALS teacher will check on Wednesday morning and if the diary is not signed, consequences are put in place by the PALS teacher. This is also where notes should be placed in regards to ongoing illness or injury so that the student has a record of this information with them at all times.

LUNCH ORDERS

The preferred method for ordering lunch is online. This means that your child will receive their lunch more efficiently and allows the canteen staff to plan their day and avoids congestion at the canteen during breaks. The link to order lunch from our school canteen is available on our school website or by clicking here.

CATHOLIC CULTURE IMMERSION

On Friday 4 February Year 7 students experienced a Catholic Culture Immersion. Students gained a greater knowledge and understanding of the school emblem, prayer, motto, song, housing system, Chapel and how Catholicity is practiced at St John's. To conclude the morning students participated in a year group liturgy which focused on the theme of welcome.