Pathways | Volume 41 Number 4 | 1

Wednesday 20th March 2019

From the Principal

How wealthy are you?

There was a boy, whose family was very wealthy. One day his father took him on a trip to the country, where he

aimed to show his son, how poor people live. So they arrived to a farm of a very poor family, as he considered.

They spend several days there. On their return, the father asked his son, did he like the trip.

“Oh, it was great, Dad,” the boy replied.

“Did you notice, how poor people live?”

“Yeah, I did,” said the boy. The father asked his son to tell in more details about his impressions from their trip“.

“Well, we have only one dog, and they have four of them. In our garden there is a pool, while they have a river that

has no end. We‘ve got expensive lanterns, but they have stars above their heads at night. We have the patio, and

they have the whole horizon. We have only a small piece of land, while they have the endless fields. We buy food,

but they grow it. We have a high fence for protection of our property, and they don‘t need it, as their friends protect

them”

The father was stunned, he could not say a word.

Then the boy added, “Thank you, Dad, for letting me see how poor we are.”

True wealth and happiness are not measured by materials things. Love, friendship and freedom are far more

valuable. I know I will be re-focusing my priorities. Will you?

Some tips for helping your child have a successful end-of-term

I came across some great ideas recently whilst wading through some old files. Sometimes it’s the ‘old tried and true’

methods, which abounded during our childhood, that stand the test of time. I hope you find them useful.

Help your child get organised. Instead of doing everything for your child, encourage them to be active in the

organisation process. Let your child experience the ease of being able to find things, the joy of being on time, and

the sense of control that organisation will bring.

Volume 41 Number 4 Email: school@stjohnsbundaberg.qld.edu.au

Pathways | Volume 41 Number 4 | 2

Plan ahead so mornings go smoothly. There is an old saying, “well begun is half done,” and it certainly is true about

getting off to school. Start planning the night before by making sure your child gets enough rest. A slightly earlier

bedtime may make a big difference to your child’s ability to function in the morning. Have your child lay out clothes

before bed, and put everything else needed for school in the backpack. It is a good idea to have your child put the

backpack right on top of his/her shoes, so he/she can’t leave the house without it.

Help your child keep up with work. Share a tip from time-management experts: break tasks into manageable parts,

and do one at a time until the job is finished.

Get a handle on homework. Provide a place for your child to do homework, and make sure your child has the

necessary supplies. Keep things like pencils, paper, ruler and coloured markers all together in a pencil box or shoe

box to save time looking around when doing homework. Set a time to do homework. Some families like to do

homework right after school, while others prefer doing it after dinner. Whatever you decide, find what works for

everyone in your family, then stick to it as often as possible. Don’t forget to read!

Keep track of important notes from school. Here’s an easy way: the minute your child gets home, stick the note

on the refrigerator or magnetic bulletin board. It won’t get lost in a pile of papers, and it won’t succumb to the “out-of-

sight, out-of-mind” syndrome, either.

Try some offbeat ways to entice your child to read. Use a current film as a starting point to encourage your child

to dip into the book it is based on. Or help your child to write a letter to the author of a favourite book. (Send it to the

publisher – most authors are good about replying to letters from children.) Do all you can to foster your child’s love

of reading. Video games are fun, but they don’t develop vocabulary and language skills the way reading does.

Take a critical look at your child’s activities. Be careful that screen time does not take up lots of time – especially

during the week. Ensure that there is a balance of inside and outside activity.

Remember the power of praise. Let it work its magic to motivate your child. Displaying a child’s best work is a form

of praise. Add a special touch to an especially good piece of work by having it laminated. (You can do it yourself with

clear contact paper.)

Celebrate your child’s effort and attitude as successes, no matter how small. Learning is not always easy for

children, and sometimes their progress may be measured in very small steps – and particularly the attitude and effort

they put in rather than the outcome or result itself. When your child does master a new skill through hard work, effort

and attitude, rejoice together.

Maintain consistent rules and approaches at home. Irrespective of what you believe to be important values in

your home, maintaining a clear set of ‘expectations’ in line with your beliefs and values is important for stability in

your child. Whilst this can be hard to stick to, it remains important to do so in order to send clear and consistent

messages of expectations to your child. You could even try aligning your expectations with that of our school.

Our 5 Rs are as follows: Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Random-Acts-of-Kindness and Rigour.

Building Update

Thank you to the many in our community who have graciously provided positive feedback about the new classroom

buildings. Whilst this has taken longer than we had hoped – we are nearly there! We are waiting on the official

paperwork and building certification for finalisation. It is our hope and ambition to have our Year 6 classes in the

building by the end of Term 1.

Thank you for your patience and understanding regarding the final stage of building works.

Thank you for working in partnership with us.

Grace and peace

Mr Chris Mallett

PRINCIPAL

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Curriculum Connections At St John’s we use a variety of learning and teaching methods and a suite of programs in all subjects to deliver the best learning outcomes for all students. We believe that all programs have value, but no one program replaces the core learnings as outlined in the Australian Curriculum.

With this in mind, we are continuing to offer a range of mathematical experiences and lessons that enable students to learn in a way which suits their learning style, or the particular concept being covered. We are aiming to have mathematics lessons tailored to meet the learning needs of the students in our classes. Maths Pathway and imaths are both mathematics programs, that we believe assist us with some of the data and content we require to deliver developmentally appropriate maths to each child. Students may be;

- filling in gaps in prior learning - working close to or at their own year level, or - working on extension activities.

After rigorous investigation and staff professional learning we have commenced using imaths as a maths resource in 2019. This program is being used primarily for students from Prep – Year 4. imaths is carefully aligned to Australian Curriculum expectations and assists teachers to identify concepts and skills which students need to further refine or extend upon. The program is designed so that learners are engaging in a program under the direction of their teacher. We are continuing to cater for their level of development across the different strands of Mathematics, incorporating processes, skills and lifeworthy problem solving tasks. We have been trialing the Maths Pathway program at St John’s in 2018 and have continued this program in 2019. With this program as one of our main resources in Year 5 and Year 6, we are aiming to have all students engaging in an individualised Mathematics program that is tailored to suit their level of learning. Our team has been working very hard to further refine the way we deliver Mathematics in the primary school setting. We are striving for each student focusing on the concepts they are ready to learn at a level suited to their development. This means that every student can experience success in maths. If you have any questions or would like to know more about Mathematics at St John’s please make an appointment to meet with your child’s class teacher. Jocelyn Bakker Director of Learning and Teaching Chaplain’s Chat

A couple of weeks ago we observed Ash Wednesday, the start of the

season called Lent which leads up to Holy Week. I wonder if your child

came home from school after Friday’s chapel with a black cross

smeared across their forehead. My apologies if some of this mixture of

ash, olive oil, and charcoal finished up on clothes or books, as well as

foreheads!

In the early church, Lent was the culmination of a time of instruction and discipline, such as fasting, to receive the

sacrament of Baptism on Easter eve. Later in some traditions, Lent included time devoted to prayer, repentance,

penance, almsgiving, denial of self, and even mortification of the flesh.

In more recent times, many Christians have used a daily Lenten devotion, or fasted, or given up luxuries such as

technology, or chocolate, or alcohol. The purpose of this form of sacrifice is generally to reflect on the forty days

Jesus fasted in the wilderness, during which he was tempted by the devil.

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I find these observances helpful for a couple of reasons. I like the way these practices help me to prepare for the

events we celebrate in Jesus’ death and resurrection. The pace of life is such that for many families, there is an

unrelenting treadmill of school run, work, after-school activities, homework, getting dinner ready, cleaning up, and

then the bed-time routines. And now the weekends are rarely any better.

So I like putting aside a little time to step off the treadmill, find some quietness, and let go of the timetables, priorities,

and agendas that fill up my head. I like to read Mark’s Gospel at a leisurely pace. It’s the simplest and the shortest,

at only 16 chapters.

When I make a small sacrifice of some luxury, it also helps me to appreciate how richly most people living in Australia

are blessed. If my stomach is empty, the fridge is not; and if the fridge is empty, the supermarket and my wallet are

not. I have so many possessions that I might run out of space to store them. Lent helps me to be grateful to God for

his generosity, and encourages me to share my abundance with those who have little.

From the Bible verses I read this morning: “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and

whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and

to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10: 43-45).

May God grant you a little quietness in the time leading up to Holy Week, and if you give up something, may the hot

cross buns taste extra good on Good Friday and Easter.

Pastor Michael

School Pastor

Student Awards

Congratulations to this fortnight’s award recipients

Prep James Moyle, Mia Pearce, Aleeyah Forman-Ikstrums, Grace Wilkins

Prep/Year 1 Layla Heading, Harrison Neal, Lakirah Green, Tallen Chapman

Year 1 Olyvia Doyle, Eli Mutton, Bailey Green, Jonte Gledhill, Charlie Hill

Year 2 Susan Naude, Dainan Rasmussen, Charlie McDonald, Shaan Gurung, Tiffany Elliott, Baylee

Kadel, Nashe Bere, Phoebe Watts

Year 3 Hunter Neal, Neve Straker, Christian Russell, Byron Higgins

Year 4 Brayth Burkitt, Elloise Wooldridge, Ashleigh Plumridge, Declan Roberts

Year 5 Matthew Heaton, Nate Sergeant, Jack Steinhardt, Shaile Findlay, Bridie Longford-Banks,

Alyssa Smith

Year 6 Red Ella-Rose Smith, Lawson Carroll, Charlotte MacDonald, Clancie Watson

Year 6 Blue Caitlin Dempsey, Eli McCracken, Sebastian Dexter, Riley Dexter

Music Esther Smith, Casey Simpson, Gilbert Tasker-Holmes, Eric McDonald

Principal’s Mr Bakker, Madison Von Blanckensee

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’.

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The Surfing Scientist visits St John’s

The Surfing Scientist, is an Australian scientist, educator, author, and public

speaker. The Bundy boy Ruben Meerman is a surfer with a physics degree

and a passion for all things scientific. He is passionate about literacy,

numeracy and science education for all. He has appeared on ABC

Television’s flagship science program, Catalyst, Studio 3, Sleek Geeks,

Roller Coaster, Triple J’s Super Request, and he was the first ever resident

scientist on Play School.

On his St Johns visit, Ruben had an arsenal of science tricks up his sleeve and showed the students liquid nitrogen, balloons and the laws of physics in a very exciting and enthusiastic way that had the students wanting for more.

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Early Years & Prep 2020 Come & Play Day

It is on again this year! Join us for our Annual Come and Play Day on Saturday 30 March from 9.30am – 11.30am.

Bring your child to our Come & Play Day where they can meet our staff, make new friends and learn about our school.

You and your child can see why St John’s is the Kindergarten and School of choice for young children in Bundaberg.

Please let friends and family know this day is on and we look forward to welcoming you on Saturday 30 March. Visit

our website and register your details for a fun morning.

A NOTE FROM YOUR

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHER

School photos are almost upon us again and will take place on Tuesday 2 April, 2019!

The school has engaged MSP Photography to create our school records this year and you are invited to purchase

prints of your child.

On photo day, every student will be photographed regardless of whether you are purchasing or not.

Your child would have brought home a personalised order envelope from the photographers. Please take care to

read and follow all the instructions carefully. This will ensure your order is processed smoothly and efficiently and

will help you to avoid any late fees.

You will have the option to order online or with cash in your student’s envelope. Please take care to follow the

instructions carefully.

Additional order envelopes are available from the school office for separated parents, blended families and

grandparents. You will need to collect these on or before photo day and give it to the photographer on photo day.

Be sure to write “Mum’s order” or “Dad’s order” on top of your envelope.

To order a sibling photo, please collect a Sibling Order Envelope from the school office on or before photo day, or

order it online at least 24 hours in advance.

Please note: Sibling photos are only for siblings who all attend the school.

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As school staff are unable to help with photography enquiries or payments, please direct your questions and

comments directly to MSP Photography by phoning

4921 3355

Thank you for your co-operation and we look forward to a great photo day.

Keep smiling!!!

Eco Club – Protecting Our Patch and the Great Barrier Reef On Tuesday 19 March, our Eco Leaders along with Ms A attended the initial Future Leaders Eco Challenge Event for 2019 at Innes Park alongside ten other Southern Region Reef Guardian Schools. During the day they partipicated in a range of activities addressing some of the key threats to the Great Barrier Reef. These activities were coordinated by Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) engagement team and community partners like Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Sea Turtle Alliance and Bundaberg Regional Council. Some of the activities involved developing a Litter Reduction Plan for St John’s, completing Dunal Vegetation Surveys and conducting a Marine Debris Clean Up – altogether we stopped a whopping 780 micro-plastics from entering our marine environment! Overall it was a very encouraging start to the year, and now our Eco Leaders will further consider what we can do at St John’s to ‘Protect Our Patch’ and the Great Barrier Reef. Stay tuned for more exciting news in the near future. Ms A, Jacob Heaton, Lani Hill and Frazer Nelson

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Prep – News Mail Photo Every year the NewsMail publishes a Prep feature of the students who have begun their schooling in this area. This year’s Prep photo will feature in the NewsMail on Wednesday 27 March. Don’t forget to purchase your copy of the NewsMail.

Subway Food Day

As part of the Year 6 Fundraising, we are holding a Subway Food Day on

Wednesday 27 March. Subway order forms will be sent home today. Should you

wish to order, please complete and return the order form by Monday 25 March.

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Important Dates for Term 1, 2019 March

22 Prep Dental Education Visit

27 Subway Food Day

30 2020 Prep Come & Play Day

April

2 School Photo Day

5 Last Day Term 1 – Closing Service at 2.00pm

The Pathways Newsletter is now available

on our school website

Go to www.stjohnsbundaberg.qld.edu.au

Click on News & Events - Newsletter

and follow the link to the newsletter

Issue 4, 20th March 2019

or go to our Facebook Page and you will find the link there

Phone 4132 6888

Two Weeks at a Glance

Date Activity Venue Details

Fri 22 March Prep Dental Education Visit Prep Classroom 9:45am

Wed 27 March Subway Food Day School Year 6 Fundraising – orders to be back

by Monday 25 March

Wed 27 March Prep Photo Feature Features in today’s NewsMail

Sat 30 March Prep 2020 Come & Play Day Prep Classroom

9:30am – 11:30am

(Entrance through George St Admin

Building)

Tue 2 April School Photo Day School Hall

Bundaberg Lutheran Parish

Parish Pastor: Pastor Wayne George / Pastor Michael Jarick

Phone: 4152 5900 Email: office@stjohnsbundaberg.org.au Website: www.stjohnsbundy.org.au

St John’s

30 George Street

Service Times

8.30am & 10am

Faith

Larson Street

Service Time

7.30am

Redeemer

Tirroan Rd, Gin Gin

Service Time

8.00am

Rosedale

10.30am

1st/3rd Sunday of the

month

Gracehaven

Chapel

Dr May’s Road

10.30am