Term 4 Week 2

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.

Term 4
Week 2
Wednesday 22nd October - 2026 Kindy Parent Information Night
Thursday 23th October - Stephanie Disco in the Hall
Friday 24th October - Grandparents Day Liturgy at 1 pm in the St Johns College Hall
Week 5
Tuesday 11th November - Rememberance Day Liturgy at 10:20am

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. 

School student travel information for parents and students
School Travel Passes
Applications are now open for 2026 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel. 

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their School Opal card at their nominated postal address from mid-January 2026.

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply for a new card or update their existing card as soon as possible. Students who receive a notification that their School Opal card is expiring need to re-submit their details. 

If a student has lost their School Opal card, they will need to apply for a replacement card. Note: a new card will not be issued if an existing School Opal card is updated online – you must submit a replacement application if a School Opal card is lost.

In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Terms of Use
Students using School Opal cards must tap on and tap off in line with the Opal terms of use.

This includes travel within the approved times between 6.30am and 7.00pm from Monday to Friday on school days only. Students must use their Child/Youth Opal card for any travel outside these times.

All students are required to comply with the Student code of conduct. The code of conduct aims to ensure the safety and well-being of school children and other passengers. It is important that parents ensure their child is aware of this, as failure to comply with the code of conduct can result in a suspension from travel.

Scholastic Book Club
The Scholastic Book Club Issue 7 has been sent home this week. Orders can be placed through the Scholastic Book Club website, and instructions have been included below.

Ordering

1. Select the relevant Issue from which you'd like to order.

2. Add the Class.

3. Add a student.

4. Enter the book reference number from the Book Club catalogue (note that all data is automatically saved; there is no need to press Submit to keep the data).

5. Enter the payment information.

6. When finished, add or select the next student.

7. When one Class is complete, select the next Class and repeat Steps 1 to 5.  If you need to leave mid-order, select Exit Order. When you're ready to resume, go to  Open Orders to recommence.

8. At the end of the entire order, select Submit.

9. Reconciliations (your order summary) will appear by Title, Club, Class and Student.

10. Select Submit. Payment information will now be presented. Add any additional Scholastic Rewards or Vouchers as payments here.

11. Select Invoice to be invoiced or Credit Payment to pay by credit card.

12. Your order is now complete.
    
    

Welcome to Week 2
What a wonderful start to Term 4 we’ve had! The students have returned full of enthusiasm and energy, ready to learn and reconnect. The smiles across the playground and the chatter in classrooms have been a joy to witness — a true reminder of the sense of belonging that makes St John’s such a special community.

💙 St John’s Day Celebrations
Our St John’s Day celebrations last week were filled with joy and gratitude. The Liturgy was both moving and inspiring, reminding us of the deep connection between St John and Jesus — a friendship built on faith, love, and service. It was a beautiful reflection of the values we strive to live by each day.

Afterwards, students enjoyed a wonderful range of activities. The parachute games were a standout favourite, and of course, no celebration is complete without a classic paddle pop treat! It was heartwarming to see the laughter, teamwork, and community spirit shining brightly throughout the day. Thank you Mrs Clifford for all of your organisation.

👪 P&F Meeting – Tuesday 21st
A reminder that our next Parents & Friends meeting will be held tomorrow evening, Tuesday 21st, in the school staffroom. Everyone is warmly welcome to attend. Your involvement and ideas play an important role in strengthening our school community, and we’d love to see some new faces join the conversation.

🏃‍♀️ Good Luck – Polding Athletics
Best of luck to  Malakai, Will, Sam and Savi, who will represent St John’s at the Polding Athletics Carnival this week. Your dedication and sportsmanship make us very proud — we can’t wait to hear how you go!

👶 2026 Kindergarten Information Evening – Wednesday 22nd
This Wednesday evening, we look forward to welcoming the parents and carers of our 2026 Kindergarten students to the Information Night, beginning at 6:00pm. This is always an exciting milestone as new families begin their journey with St John’s. We’re eager to share what makes our school community so special and help them feel right at home.

🏏🏀 Charism Cup – Year 5 & 6
The Term 4 Charism Cup continues this Thursday for our Year 5 and 6 students. The focus this week is on cricket and basketball, held at the Sportsworld complex. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to demonstrate teamwork, respect, and perseverance — values that lie at the heart of our school’s charism.

🎉 Disco for Stephanie – Thursday 23rd
Get ready to dance the night away! This Thursday evening, the much-anticipated Disco for Stephanie will light up the school hall.

• Kindergarten – Year 2: 5:00 – 5:45pm
• Year 3 – Year 6: 6:00 – 7:00pm

The theme is ‘Sports’, so come dressed in your favourite team colours or sporting outfit and show us your best disco moves! Thank you to everyone supporting this fun and meaningful event.

👵👴 Grandparents’ Day – Friday 24th October
We can’t wait to celebrate our wonderful grandparents and special friends this Friday. The Grandparents’ Liturgy will begin at 1:00pm in the hall, followed by classroom visits and afternoon tea. This is always one of the most cherished events of the year — a time to thank our grandparents for the love, wisdom, and faith they share with our children.

Prayer for Grandparents
Loving God, we thank You for the gift of our grandparents.
May they be blessed with good health, peace, and joy.
Help us to learn from their wisdom and love them as they have loved us.
Amen.

Gospel and Reflection: Luke 18:1-8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Family Connection
Children nag because it works. Parents, like the judge in the parable, often get worn down by the persistence of their children asking for things large and small. Nagging is not a positive trait, to be sure. The confidence and the persistence behind this behavior, however, confidence in the goodness of the giver and the tenacity to stay in the relationship, are traits worth emulating in our relationship with God.

God Bless and have a wonderful week

Anthony O’Leary

Sacrament of Reconciliation Preparation Sessions
Tomorrow will see the beginning of the Preparation Sessions for this sacrament for our Year 2 Catholic students. Students making this sacrament are required to attend one session each week for the next 3 weeks.

The sessions will be offered at St. Brigid’s Hall at the following times:

Disco for SJP’s Sponsor Child Stephanie Nnamele
This Thursday 23rd October, SJP will hold a School Disco for our Sponsor child Stephanie from Nigeria. All students are encouraged to attend the Disco (which will be held after school) and wear their favourite sport themed clothes, as Stephanie applies herself particularly well in areas of sport while at school.

The cost of the disco will be $5 per student. Students will receive a popper and a lolly bag at the disco. Please see the following page for more details and times for each grade to attend their disco.

Grandparents Day
At St. John’s Primary, celebrating Grandparents’ Day is a cherished tradition. It will include the heartwarming messages of Year 1 as they lead us in our Liturgy at St. John's College Hall this coming Friday at 1pm, followed by an Afternoon Tea back at SJP where students can spend some quality time with their grandparents. We are looking forward to seeing many grandparents this coming Friday!

MASS TIMES
St. Brigid’s Church: Saturday - 6:00pm, Sunday - 9:00am and Sunday- 6:00pm.

Enjoy your week.
Paula Clifford
Religious Education Coordinator

Coding Club 
Coding Club has kicked off for Term 4 with plenty of excitement! This term, our Stage 2 students are being introduced to Makers Empire as they explore the world of 3D modelling and design. Over the next few weeks, they will complete training to learn how to use the program before designing their very own Croc charm, which will be 3D printed.
Meanwhile, our Stage 3 students are in the final phase of their project and have begun designing their Croc charms. We look forward to seeing their creations come to life when they are printed in the coming weeks!

Monty’s Colour Fun Run
Monty's Colour Fun Run is coming 

14th November 2025! (Friday Week 5)

Simply go to www.myprofilepage.com.au and click onto the register button to create a cybersafe, online profile page.

Raise $10 to receive your first incentive prize or send your donations to one of the great causes on offer!

You can even earn free bonus donations!