Term 3 Week 7

School Vision Statement: To change the world through our faith in Jesus who is our light.
Phone: 6882 2677 or 6882 2653
Email: stjohnsprimarydubbo@bth.catholic.edu.au                    
Principal: Mr. Anthony O’Leary
Parish Priest: Father Greg Kennedy           
P&F Meetings: 2nd & 7th Tuesday each term

Parents/guardians-Please note that photographs of students may be used in publication. Please advise the School Office if you do not approve of your child’s photo being used.

Week 7
Wednesday 3rd September - Year 5 Kids in Space presentation at 6pm
Thursday 4th September - Father's Day Stall 11:30am to 1:30pm
Friday 5th September - Father's Day Liturgy at 1pm, followed by pizza & poppers at 1:30pm
Week 8
Thursday 11th September - R U OK? Day
Week 10
Thursday 25th September - Year 4 Lake Burrendong Excursion
Thursday 25th September - Last Day of Term 3

Change of Details, have any of your details changed??
Please inform the school office if you have changed address, have a new email or phone contact number, changed jobs, or have different emergency contacts for your child/children.

Compass Announcements - Upcoming Events
Permission notes for the events below have been sent out via Compass. Please ensure you confirm your child's attendance to avoid missing out. 

• Thursday 4th September - Father's Day Stall
  
• Thursday 25th September - Year 4, Burrendong Sports & Rec Excursion

Magpie Season has arrived!
Please inform your child that magpie swooping season has arrived and to be aware, especially if they are walking to/from Bunnings. 

Welcome to Week 7
This week we welcome the season of Spring 🌸 and begin our transition from the formal winter uniform on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students may continue wearing the formal uniform on colder days, however the sports uniform may now be worn every day. A gentle reminder that sport shoes are to be predominantly black and paired with navy socks. Please avoid branded socks (e.g. Nike) so that our students continue to wear their uniform with pride and unity. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week (1–5 September)
This week we celebrate Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week, a time to recognise the incredible contribution of our teacher aides at SJP. We are truly blessed with a team of dedicated and highly trained staff who work tirelessly to support our students and teachers each day.

Our teacher aides play a vital role in:

• Supporting students with identified needs,
  
• Delivering specialised programs such as MultiLit and QuickSmart,
  
• Assisting with learning in large class settings, and
  
• Providing care and encouragement that makes a real difference in student growth and wellbeing.
  

On behalf of our school community, thank you to our amazing teacher aides for the skill, compassion, and dedication you bring to SJP. Your work is deeply valued and appreciated.

A Prayer for Fathers and Father Figures
Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the gift of our fathers and all those who are father-figures in our lives. Bless them with wisdom, patience, and strength. May they continue to guide with love, protect with courage, and inspire us to live with faith and joy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Staff Development Day
Please note our next Pupil Free Day will be Friday 26 September. Staff will be working with Brother Damien Price on creating engaging retreats for our students. The last day of Term 3 for students will be Thursday 25 September.

Attendance Focus
In Week 6, our attendance remained above 90%, although slightly lower than Week 5. With the warmer weather, we hope to see illness reduce and attendance continue to improve. If you have any concerns about your child’s attendance, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Mr Foley for a discussion.

Spotlight on Learning – Year 5 Kids in Space 🚀
Our amazing Year 5 students have been busy with their Kids in Space project, an Australia-first initiative from the Andy Thomas Space Foundation, supported by the Australian Space Agency and Makers Empire. This program engages students in STEM-based design thinking, encouraging them to explore space technology and future career opportunities.

With guidance from their teachers and Mrs Jones, students have designed and created tools for work in space, even using our 3D printer to bring their designs to life. This week, each class will view the creations, and parents are warmly invited to see them on Wednesday evening at 6:00pm. Congratulations to our Year 5 students on their creativity and innovation!

Gospel Reading
Luke 14:1,7-14
When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

Family Connection
Parents and children often enter into “negotiations” over how much allowance is to be earned at certain ages. Typically, when a child seeks an increase in allowance, parents will attach an increase in chores and responsibilities for them to better earn the increase. Talk about what kind of allowance you received as a child and what kind of responsibilities your parents expected of you to earn your allowance.

Explain that in this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus talks about doing good deeds for others and expecting nothing in return. Read aloud Luke 14:1,7-14. Ask your children how they would feel if you told them to take on more chores without ever expecting another raise in allowance. Emphasize that Jesus teaches us that it is our duty as his followers to take care of the needs of others and to do so without expecting repayment. Discuss what other types of rewards we can find when doing good things for others.

Point out that we sometimes fall into the trap of wanting too many things and that, in the Our Father, we pray for “our daily bread,” meaning that we pray for only that which we really need in life.

God Bless and have a wonderful week
Anthony O’Leary

Father’s Day Liturgy and Lunch
This Friday 5th September, our Year 3 grade will help us celebrate our all important fathers, dads, pops, and grandpa’s with a Liturgy in our school hall at 1pm. Parents and grandparents are more than welcome to stay afterwards for lunch with their children at 1:30 for pizzas and poppers! We look forward to celebrating with the father’s and grandfather’s within our school community!

First Communion Celebrations
We continue to pray for, and celebrate with our students in Year 3 - more students will receive communion for the first time this weekend. Here are a few photos of our very excited students who received their First Holy Communion last weekend.

St. Brigid’s Parish Prayer for our First Communicants as we congratulate them on making their First Holy Communion recently: 
Lord Jesus Christ, bless the children coming forward to receive Holy Communion for the first time.
May this day be the step toward a life-long love of the Eucharist.
Give them a hunger for this sacred food so that they turn to you for comfort, guidance, and wisdom as they grow into full discipleship.
Thank you for their innocence and goodness.
May their hands, extended in anticipation of your body and blood, inspire all of us to cherish this sacred Sacrament.
Amen

Enrolment for the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Parents of Catholic students in Year 2, please be aware that enrolment Masses will begin this coming weekend (please see times below) and continue the following weekend. Enrolling your child in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is different to registering interest in the sacrament which occurred at the beginning of the year at the Information for Parents session. All children wishing to receive this sacrament must attend an enrolment Mass. If you have not yet received information from Rosie Hosking - St. Brigid’s Sacramental Coordinator, please contact her on sacraments.dubbo@cdob.org.au, so you can receive all of the necessary information for your child to receive this sacrament.

Please note Change of Mass time
Commencing this Saturday, afternoon/evening Masses will be altered back to ordinary time = 6pm instead of 5pm.

MASS TIMES
St. Brigid’s Church: Saturday - 6:00pm, Sunday - 9:00am and Sunday- 6:00pm.
St. Laurence’s Church: Sunday -7:30am and Wednesday 9.30am

Enjoy your week.
Paula Clifford
Religious Education Coordinator

SPB4L Focus – Week 2
Our SPB4L focus this fortnight is lining up calmly at the end of breaks. By practising calm and orderly line-ups, everyone can return to class smoothly and be ready to learn. This routine helps build a respectful and safe environment, where students can settle quickly and teachers can begin lessons on time.

We encourage all students to:

• Move promptly to their class line when the bell rings.
• Stand quietly and respectfully while waiting.
• Be ready to enter the classroom with a positive attitude for learning.

Together, these small actions make a big difference in supporting our whole school community.

Kindness Challenge – Week 4
We are excited to continue our Kindness Challenge journey! Each week gives us the chance to practise care, respect, and inclusion in our daily lives. Small acts of kindness add up, helping us create a safe, positive, and welcoming school environment for all.

This week’s Kindness Challenges:

• Say thank you to someone who helps you today.
• Help tidy up your classroom.
• Ask someone how they are feeling.
• Tell your family something nice about your day.
• Encourage someone who is trying their best.

R U OK? Day – Thursday 11 September
On Thursday 11 September, our school will recognise R U OK? Day, a national day of action that reminds us to check in with those around us and ask, “Are you OK?”. It’s an important opportunity to promote kindness, connection, and looking out for one another.

To show our support, students are invited to wear yellow accessories with their school uniform. Some ideas include:

• Yellow ribbons or headbands
• Sweat bands
• Socks or shoelaces
• Necklaces or bracelets

We encourage all students to take part and add a splash of yellow to their uniform while still following our regular dress code.

Together, let’s brighten our school in yellow and spread the message that every day is a good day to ask, “Are you OK?”.

Debating Teams
This term in CAPA, our Stage 2 and 3 students are developing the skills of debating, learning how to think critically, articulate their ideas confidently and work collaboratively to build strong arguments.

We are proud to have two Stage 3 debating teams competing in the Dubbo Catholic Primary School Debating Competition. Last Monday, both of our teams were successful in defeating St Mary’s Primary School with the topic, “ChatGPT is detrimental to student learning and society in general.’ Their delivery and arguments were incredibly strong but it was their confident and articulate rebuttals that got both teams over the line.

Congratulations to the St Mary’s students who were also excellent. It was wonderful watching the amazing students from both schools do so well. 

The debating team will take on St Laurence’s this Thursday in Round 2!

 Library Shelving for Sale 

As part of our library refurbishment, we have some sturdy second-hand library bookshelves available for purchase. These metal shelves are in good condition, perfect for storing books, resources, or even for garage and office use.

• Adjustable shelving
• Some Mobile (on wheels) for easy movement
• Solid and durable

If you are interested, please contact the school office for further details.