St Johns College Dubbo Term 4, Week 6 2024

Principal

Dear St Johns Community

Last week Year 9 had their Retreat. It was so pleasing to see the students engage in such a meaningful way to the experience. It is through the openness to new experiences that we can form a broader view of the world that we live in. 

Retreats are a highly valued part of Catholic Education. They form an integral part of the development of the whole child. This includes elements such as spiritual nourishment, social connection, team building and they provide opportunities for students to reflect and grow. An enormous amount of work goes into the preparation of these experiences and staff are very giving of their time to ensure that we can facilitate meaningful opportunities for our students. 

There is an expectation from the College and indeed Catholic Education, Diocese of Bathurst that all students enrolled in Catholic schools commit with good grace to all elements of schooling including retreats. It is great that so many of our students commit themselves to these Retreats in such a positive manner and consequently thoroughly enjoy and benefit from the experience. I look forward to being able to spend some time with our wonderful senior students when they go on Retreat during Week 8.

God bless

Mr Justin McCarney
Principal

Faith and Mission

Dear Families,

I cannot believe how this term is flying by. We have had a lot going on in the faith dimension of our community and a lot lays ahead of us.

Last week, Year 9 spent 2 days on their Retreat. Due to the size of the cohort, we split the year group in half. Half went to Lake Burrendong Sport and Recreation Centre to be together, work in teams and to challenge themselves in activities such as kayaking, canoeing, raft building and archery. Back here at school, students were involved in prayer, discussion, games, and challenges. The groups swapped on their second day. Again, this was an opportunity for our students to work in teams, but also to think about and discuss their thoughts about being a teenager and a student at the College, with a focus on being a child of God. There was a wonderful vibe both out at the Dam and here at school. Thank you Miss Douglas, Mr Parkinson, Miss Adler, Miss Redden, Mr Standing and Mr Watts who gave of their time and energy to make the Retreat happen. 

I had the pleasure of running a Year 5 Leadership Day yesterday with students from St Johns Primary and St Pius X. Assisted by volunteers from Year 9, our visitors were involved in games, prayer, song and discussion based around the idea of servant leadership. It is essential that those students going into Year 6 understand that they are the leaders of their school and the day was designed to give them an understanding of that and some of the skills to make them effective leaders who follow the example of Jesus. I was so incredibly proud of the Year students who assisted me. They guided the Year 5 students in a friendly and positive manner and were not afraid to share their faith and shine their lights.

Our new leadership team spent some time yesterday afternoon down at St Brigid’s talking about their roles, their theme and ideas for fundraising next year. They then attended Mass after setting up the hall and preparing salads and the BBQ for the monthly Parish dinner.

It was wonderful to watch the team serve our parishioners and then share a meal and some conversation. The leadership team is an impressive group of young men and women and I know that our parishioners left the evening safe in the knowledge that the College is in good hands.

Our Year 11/12 Retreat takes place in Week 8. I cannot wait to report back in our next newsletter and share some photos.  

Yours in faith

Elissa Burden
Leader of Faith and Mission

Yr 9 Retreat

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Yr 5 Leadership Day

Learning and Teaching

7-9 Assessement and Feedback

Students in Years 7 - 9 are under the pump with assessment tasks in Weeks 5 - 7 this term, as teachers take an opportunity to make a final appraisal of student achievement prior to reporting.

All students should be extending their efforts in assessment through work at home.

To support students, parents are reminded that assessment tasks, scaffolds, due dates, assessment advice and feedback are all found in our learning management system, Canvas.

Parents can log in to Canvas through the Canvas Portal on the College website.

Within feedback, in addition to marks and comments, parents can find comparative information like this:

To access this, 

1. Select a course from the dashboard
2. Click “Marks” on the top left
3. Click “Show All Details” on the top right

Like any app that is new to us, Canvas can take some exploring to navigate all of its features and functions, but the resources are excellent.

Year 10 Exams 

Year 10 end of course exams will take place in Week 7.

Assessment Notifications for the exams, with links to revision guides are in Canvas. All students should be taking opportunities to prepare for their exams beyond lesson time.

Year 10 have lots of resources at their fingertips to start setting up a study routine, including the “How to Study for Exams” course on their Canvas Dashboard.

End of Year Academic and Special Awards

We are preparing for our end of year awards.

Monday 16th December 
SJC Hall
Time TBA

If your child is receiving an award, we will be sending an email invitation to you to attend the awards presentation. Please ensure you RSVP.

Teachers have nominated students for special awards, including Commitment to College Life, Missional Values and Shining Light Awards. 

As grades are determined for student achievement, we will start to look at our Academic Excellence Awards, which recognise students who have achieved a grade point average of 3 or above. 

How you can build resilience in your child - Term 4 Parent Support Series

Many SJC parents have joined the free parent support webinars delivered by Elevate Education. 

Topics so far have been, How you can help your child manage their time, and How to help your child alleviate stress. Next week is How you can build resilience in your child. 

Our next live webinar on resilience gives parents the tools to address their child’s ‘fear of failure’ and support them in managing their responses to setbacks. With parents reinforcing this ability to bounce back from mistakes, your students can be better prepared for whatever exam season throws at them.    

Please see the Elevate Education flyer contained in this newsletter for all of the details.

Yours faithfully

Mrs Catherine Jones
Leader of Teacher and Learning

Yr 12 Graduation Ball

Yr 12 celebrated their Graduation Dinner with family and friends last Friday 15th November.  The students looked amazing in their stunning gowns and dapper suits!  

We wish them all the best with their future endeavors.

An email will be sent to students and parents with access to a folder with all high resolution images taken on the evening. 

Photos taken by Sally May Photography  and Anthea Joshua.

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Faith

On Friday 15th November our emerging College leadership team had the opportunity to attend the iRISE Leadership Day in Wellington. 

Our new leaders had the opportunity to connect with other students in the Diocese undertaking similar leadership positions. Guided by the wisdom of Bishop Michael and inspired by the lyrics of contemporary priest and singer - songwriter, Fr Rob Galea, along with other insightful keynote speakers, students were challenged to reflect on their role as servant leaders in their college communities.

Our leadership team represented the St John's community with reverence and pride. 

Ms Danielle Stein 
KLA Leader - Religious Education

Remembrance Day

Captains Charlotte and Daniel and Vice Captains Saphira and Alex were extremely proud to represent the College at the Commemoration of the Fallen ceremony held at the Victoria Park Cenotaph today. Our College Choir also took part in the service which was beautifuly performed.

St Johns College also has a number of students involved the Army and Navy Cadets Regiments who formed an important part of the ceremony.

St Johns honours those who have made the supreme sacrifice.

Lest we forget.

Pathways

University of Sydney Residential Program

SJC Year 11 students, Sophie and Piper travelled to the University of Sydney to attend the Year 11 Regional Residency program during the October holidays. This program was highly competitive with over 400 applicants. 

This opportunity allowed them to tour the university campus, connect with other rural students, partake in university courses, and learn about ATAR pathways. The University provided immersive experiences in Sydney such as a scavenger hunt, bowling and the Sydney Harbour Bridge walk. 

It was an incredible opportunity that is highly recommended and appreciated.

Mrs Patricia Strahorn | Stage 6 Pathways and ASPA Coordinator

2024 Orana Youth Forum

Year 10-12 interested students attended the inaugural Orana Youth Forum organised by the Regional Development Australia - Orana. They networked with business, industry leaders, universities and training providers about jobs for the future and how the next generation will be building our region. Two of our students were involved in a Youth Panel discussing renewable energy. Molly Croft was one of the keynote speakers. It was a very valuable day for all.

Mrs Strahorn & Mrs Strain Pathways Team

Work Experience and SBATS

We have a lot of students completing work experience and starting an SBAT. Please see below the processes for each of these. 

Mrs Strain | VET KLA Leader and Stage 5 Pathways Coordinator 
Mrs Strahorn | Stage 6 Pathways & ASPA Coordinator 
Miss Lappa | Careers and Pathways Assistant

Agriculture

Fletcher International

 Year 9 Ag visited Fletcher International Exports here in Dubbo to view their business and processing facilities.

Over the course of the year, Yr 9 Ag have been learning about prime lamb production, processing and the red meat industry as a whole. This was a unique learning opportunity for students to visit a vertically integrated business. Students engaged well in the visit and were very grateful to Luke and Ty at Fletchers for their time and answering all of their questions.

Thank you also to Greg Patterson for accompanying us on the visit.

Miss Emma Rice | Assistant KLA Leader - Science

Cattle Team - Group 10 Qualifying

Congratulations to all students who competed on the weekend in Paraders and Junior Judging.
Students improved livestock handling and jumping skills as well as gained valuable knowledge about the Australian cattle industry.

Thank you to the Dubbo Show Cattle Committee for running this educational program.

A big shout out to Don Foran, Dean Pearce, Barbara Wonderley and all the parents who helped make this event most enjoyable.

Ben Toll | Cattle Leader

2025 Art Express Nominations

We are very proud to announce that two of our students, Olivia Inder and Tatum Petty, have been nominated for ARTEXPRESS - an exhibition of the best HSC Bodies of Work in Visual Arts from around the state.The work of these students now heads to Sydney and is included in the selection process for the exhibition. We congratulate them and wish them luck.

Shape 2025 Nominations

Congratulations to Lachlan Chapman and Emma Durrant who have been nominated for the Shape 2025 Exhibition for their Industrial Technology Major Project. Shape is an annual exhibtion of exemplary Major Projects developed by HSC Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design students.

Lachlan's Major Work was inspired by modern country outdoor furniture with the inclusion of a rustic look with the New Guinea Rosewood Timber giving off different colours of brown and orange throughout the carcase, drawers and doors.

Emma's Major Work project was inspired by modern Country Hampton with the use of barn yard doors made from stunning Victorian Ash/Tasmanian Oak.

The exhibition will be held at Walsh Bay Arts Precinct 17th March to 12 April 2024.

Science

Yr 10 CEDB USYD Research Hub Elective Course

Fourteen students travelled to the University of Sydney to participate in a Research Hub Elective Course on the 8th of November.Students appreciated and valued the opportunity to interact with academics and researchers from the University of Sydney. Alayna H., Thashiru A. & Lawson L. received the best data analysis prize at the USYD presentation for their in-depth data analysis with mammogram research at the University of Sydney! Well done! We are very proud of your achievement.

Mr Jose Sunny | KLA Leader Science

Sport

Netball NSW Schools Cup

Our 7/8 Boys Netball side competed in the state finals of the Netball NSW Schools Cup this past Wednesday. The boys came up against some tough competition early on and went down to eventual winners Hunter Sports High and again in a close match win Xavier High School. The boys did finish on a more positive note with a draw against MacKillop College to wrap up SJC netball for 2024. 

A massive thank you must go to Sophie Brotherton for all her efforts coordinating and coaching these boys and organising these opportunities. A very big thanks also to Jane Bowen and Jesse Doran for coaching in the lead up to the carnival, and finally to Chloe Reid for assisting with her expertise at the carnival.

The combined efforts from all staff involved made this a very successful year of netball and look forward to seeing continued success in the future.

Mr Connor Burke | Leader of PDHPE

Job Vacancies

Resource Hub - Library

Attendance

We care about attendance because we care about your child.

Regular school attendance establishes a strong foundation for academic growth and paves the way for future achievements and enhancing life opportunities.

Regular school attendance is not just about meeting a requirement; it is a fundamental building block that sets the stage for academic growth, personal development, and the pursuit of life's opportunities. It lays the groundwork for a successful and fulfilling educational journey.

Consistent school attendance is a key factor in preparing students for success in college and future careers. Employers and higher education institutions value the dedication and commitment demonstrated through regular attendance.

Expect that your child attends and actively participates in their school community. 

School Fees

Dear Parents/Guardians 

Thank you to our families who have paid their College fees.

Any outstanding fees are due by 30 November 2024.

Please note failure to meet your financial commitment to the College as per the enrolment agreement may result in your College fees account being forward to our Fees Liaison Office in Bathurst for further action. 

If you wish to discuss your account please contact the College Fees Office on 6841 5142 or email m.carlow@bth.catholic.edu.au.

Kind Regards 

Maree Carlow
Administration Finance Leader

Parent Webinars

Important Dates

Term 4 2024

If you would like to add the St Johns College Calendar
to your google calendar please click on this link.

Monday 25th November
Year 10 Exams begin

Tuesday 26th November
UN Youth NSW School Visit

Wednesday 27th November
Yr 6 Orientation Day 2
Yr 7 2025 Parent Information Evening

Wednesday 4th December - Friday 6th December
Yr 12 2025 Retreat - Blue Mountains

Thursday 5th December
SJC Ensembles Showcase

Friday 6th December
Diocesan Golf Day

Tuesday 10th December
Last Day for Yr 10

Monday 16th December
Academic Awards

Wednesday 18th December
Last Day for Students

Friday 20th December
Last Day for Staff

Community Notices