Term 2, Week 3

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 2 Dates

Week 3
Wednesday 14th May - Catholic Schools Week Liturgy - 10.00am
Friday 16th May - Walk Safely to School Day
Week 4
Tuesday 20th May - School Photos Booked - Full Formal Winter Uniform
Sunday 25th May - Meeting for Mass
Week 5
Monday 26th May - Kindergarten 2026 Sibling Interviews Commence
Monday 26th May - Regional Final AFL Paul Kelly Cup - Girls team - Orange
Week 6
Tuesday 3rd June - Eisteddfod Choir
Week 7
Monday 9th June - King's Birthday Long Weekend 
Wednesday 11th June - Polding Cross Country
Week 8
Monday 16th June - Eisteddfod (Speech and Drama)
Tuesday 17th June - Eisteddfod (Speech and Drama)
Wednesday 18th June - Eisteddfod (Verse Speaking)
Thursday 19th June - Eisteddfod (Speech and Drama)
Friday 20th June - Eisteddfod (String Ensemble)
Friday 20th June - Kindy 2026 Interviews
Week 10
Tuesday 1st July - SJP Athletics Carnival
Wednesday 2nd July - Semester 1 Student Reports - Live on Compass
Friday 4th July - Final Day of Term 2

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 Photo Day - Tuesday 20th May
Children are to wear full winter school uniforms, including blue long sleeve shirts for girls and boys. Kindergarten children will need to bring their sport uniform in a bag to change into after photos for their gymnastics program. Sibling Photos will be taken in the school hall from 8.00am-8.45am. Parents are required to park off site and bring their children to the hall for photos.

School Fees
Instalment 2 Fees were emailed on Friday, 9th May 2025 and DUE on Friday, 23rd May 2025.

For families making regular, weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments please ensure your payment plan is on track to have your school fees account finalised by 30 November 2025.

To ensure your fees account is on track please note from today, Monday, 12 May 2025 there are 39 weeks, 14 fortnights or 7 months until fees are due. Contact the Fees Office if you need to adjust your payment plan.

If you wish to discuss your account please contact the Fees Office on 6884 8504 or email m.lew@bth.catholic.edu.au.

Week 3 Newsletter – Celebrating Catholic Schools Week
Dear Families,

Welcome to Week 3 of Term 2 – a sacred and celebratory time in our school calendar as we come together for Catholic Schools Week. This week provides a beautiful opportunity to honour the distinctive role Catholic education plays in nurturing faith, learning, and community across Australia.

A New Chapter in Catholic Leadership – Welcome Pope Leo XIV
It is especially meaningful that during this week of celebration, we also mark the beginning of a new chapter in the Catholic Church. Following in the compassionate footsteps of Pope Francis, we welcome Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost, as the 267th Pope and the first American to serve in this role.

With Spanish and Franco-Italian heritage, and a deep missionary heart shaped by his years in Peru, Pope Leo XIV brings a powerful message of unity and service. A member of the Augustinian Order, he spent over a decade working with marginalised communities and teaching in seminaries in Trujillo, before being appointed Bishop of Chiclayo by Pope Francis.

In his first words as Pope, he lovingly reflected:

“We still hear in our ears the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis who blessed us. United and hand in hand with God, let us advance together.”

We pray that Pope Leo XIV’s ministry will continue to guide our Church with wisdom, faith, and a heart for all people.

Honouring Mothers and Mary – Our Models of Love and Faith
We hope that all mothers, grandmothers, and special women in our community enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday. Your love, strength, and grace are blessings to our children and school.

A heartfelt thank you to our Kindergarten team who led a moving Mother’s Day Liturgy last Friday. It was a beautiful expression of gratitude and love.

In this month of May, we also take time to reflect on Mary, the Blessed Virgin, the mother of Jesus. As the spiritual mother of us all, Mary serves as a profound model of faith, obedience, and devotion. May is traditionally dedicated to her, and we are encouraged to honour Mary through prayer, especially the Rosary, and by seeking to imitate her compassion and strength.

Through both our earthly mothers and our heavenly Mother Mary, we are reminded of the enduring power of love, nurture, and faithfulness.

Catholic Schools Week Liturgy – You Are Invited!
We warmly invite all families to join us for a special Catholic Schools Week Liturgy:

📅 Wednesday, 14th May
🕙 10:00am
📍 School Hall

Please come along to celebrate the rich faith and vibrant learning community we are all part of.

⚠️ Important Attendance Reminder:
We kindly ask that students not be signed out early after the Liturgy. Our focus is on every student attending school for the full day, and we appreciate your support in helping us reach our goals.

Every Day Counts – Let’s Reach Our Attendance Target Together!
At St John's, we are placing a major focus on attendance this term—and the early results are encouraging!

📈 Week 1 Attendance: 92.8%
📈 Week 2 Attendance: 92.9%

This is a fantastic start to Term 2, and we thank families for making daily attendance a priority. The graph below shows the journey so far this year. 

Our whole-school target is a minimum of 95% attendance each day—for every student, for the full day. This is an ambitious but achievable goal, and we believe that as a committed community, we can do it!

🌟 Why is this important?
Every day and every minute of school counts. Even being late by 10–15 minutes each day adds up to hours of lost learning over the term. Partial attendance—such as late arrivals or early departures—also has a significant impact on your child’s learning and continuity of routine.

According to the NSW Education Act, school attendance is compulsory for the entire time school is open each day.

⏰ We strongly encourage all families to:

• Make medical, dental, or other appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.
  
• Avoid signing children out early, especially after events or liturgies.
  
• Reinforce routines that prioritise full-day attendance.

Thank you for working with us to support your child’s success.

National Simultaneous Storytime – Reading Together Across Australia
Also in May, we are thrilled to take part in National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) – a wonderful event that promotes a love of books and storytelling across the country.

📖 This year’s NSS takes place on Wednesday, 21st May, and the featured book is the heartwarming story The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel.

This beautifully written tale follows Tinka, a cat whose journey explores immigration, identity, and belonging. We can’t wait to share this story with our students and celebrate the joy and power of reading together.

Parents & Friends News – Strong Turnout and Exciting Plans
Thank you to everyone who joined our recent P&F meeting—it was fantastic to see such strong engagement. Planning is already underway for some exciting community events, including a Trivia Night in Term 3 that promises fun for all.

🗓 Next P&F Meeting:
Tuesday, 10th June – All welcome!

School Photo Day and Winter Uniform Reminder
📸 School Photo Day:
🗓 Tuesday, 20th May

This also marks the beginning of Formal Winter Uniform Days (Tuesdays and Thursdays). All students are expected to wear the full formal winter uniform. If you need assistance or support with uniform items, please don’t hesitate to contact our office team.

Meet for Mass Sunday – Save the Date
📍 St Brigid’s Church
📅 Sunday, 25th May
We warmly invite all families to come together in faith for this special parish Mass. It is always a beautiful way to share and celebrate our Catholic identity.

Thank you for your continued support. As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week and work toward ambitious goals together—academic, spiritual, and community—we are reminded of the strength we share in unity.

Anthony O’Leary

Catholic Schools Week 2025
It’s Catholic Schools Week this week! This week, SJP and all Catholic schools across the Diocese will celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Our theme this year is: Guided by Faith, Inspired by Hope, Committed to Learning.

Parents, if you are able to, we invite you to attend our Catholic Schools Week Liturgy at 10:00am in our school hall, followed by Open Classrooms between 10:30-10:50 this coming Wednesday.

This is a great opportunity to see your child in action in their classroom and have a look at some of the work they have around the room. Parents if you would like to bring morning tea and sit with your child/ren during the first break (11:00-11:30) you are more than welcome to.

Year 6 students who are Catholic, Enrolment Masses for The Sacrament of Confirmation
Enrolments for this sacrament begin this weekend -  17th/18th May. Another enrolment weekend will be held on the 24th/25th May. Parents of Year 6 students wishing to make this sacrament must attend a Mass over either of these weekends to enrol in the sacrament. Please note, it would be greatly appreciated if families could arrive 5-10 minutes early to mark your child’s name off and collect 2 prayer cards for the children to write their name on. These will be given out during the mass. 

All families who have registered interest in their child receiving this sacrament at the Parent Information Meetings at the beginning of the year, should have recently received an email from Sacramental Coordinator Rosalie Hosking, which included all of the necessary information required to prepare for and receive this sacrament. If this is not the case, please contact Rosie on: sacraments.dubbo@cdob.org.au

Meeting 4 Mass
This term, SJP’s Meeting 4 Mass will be held on Sunday 25th May. As this is also the same date as a Year 6 Confirmation enrolment Mass, this would be a great opportunity particularly for our Year 6 students to attend. 

We are very grateful for the families who attended Meeting 4 Mass in Term 1, and look forward to seeing even more families attend this term. Please save the date on your family calendar. Invitation from class teachers will arrive home shortly. Please remember to return it specifying if your child would like to actively participate in a role of responsibility.

Catholic Schools Week
Catholic Schools Week is a time to celebrate the incredible value our school brings to students, families, and the wider SJP community. It’s a moment to reflect on our rich history and embrace the exciting journey ahead - a time for connection and celebration.

The combined theme for this year’s celebration embodies who we are and what you can expect from a Catholic school - Guided by Faith, Inspired by Hope, and Committed to Learning. 

Guided by faith, Catholic schools instil core values that inspire young students to grow into compassionate and responsible individuals. Our students understand and take action to support others with care and respect, recognising their duty to protect and uplift those in need. Following Christ’s example, every student is supported and valued as part of a caring school community.

Inspired by hope and in honour of the 2025 Jubilee, we are called to reflect on challenges facing our world - war and conflict, the lasting effects of the pandemic, and the urgent need to address climate change. Hope is more than optimism; it’s a spiritual force that gives us the strength to endure, the courage to rebuild, and the resilience to address the challenges that we face. As Pope Francis reminded us, “Hope is a gift from God that fills our hearts with joy.” By embracing this gift, our school communities are beacons of positive transformation.

Committed to learning, our highly qualified and dedicated teachers nurture individual student gifts and potential, inspiring a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. Catholic Schools Week is a special time to celebrate this commitment - honouring our dedicated educators, the inspiring curiosity of our students, and the invaluable partnership of families who support learning as a lifelong endeavour.

MASS TIMES
St. Brigid’s Church: Saturday - 5:00pm, Sunday - 9:00am and Sunday- 5:00pm.
St. Laurence’s Church: Sunday -7:30am and Wednesday 9.30am

Please note the following change: Mass times from 3rd May: Weekend evening masses will be at 5pm from 3rd May until the end of August.

Enjoy your week.

Paula Clifford
Religious Education Coordinator 

Upcoming CAPA News
We’ve hit the ground running this term, with students buzzing with excitement as they prepare to showcase their incredible talent at the upcoming Dubbo City Eisteddfod. Opportunities to perform in front of an audience builds confidence, resilience and the ability to think on your feet! Skills that are valuable far beyond the stage!

The official Eisteddfod program is now available via the Dubbo City Eisteddfod Programs, and our school schedule has been updated to include all session dates and times—giving families plenty of notice to come along and cheer. Grade specific emails were sent at the end of last term outlining event details, but if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email. k.king1@bth.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations to Our Cross Country Competitors!

Well done to all the students who represented our school at the recent Diocesan Cross Country Carnival held in Coolah. Whether they ran the 2km or 3km course, each student showed great determination, sportsmanship, and school spirit throughout the event. 

A special mention to Abby for placing 7th in the Girls 11 year old event and gaining position in the Bathurst Diocesan Cross Country team. Abby will complete in Sydney at the Equestrian Centre in June.

Netballers Shine at Netball NSW Schools Cup
A big congratulations to our three netball teams who played in the Netball NSW Schools Cup last Monday! Each team played with great skill, determination, and sportsmanship.

One of our teams finished 2nd in their pool, while another team secured a strong 3rd place finish. Additionally, our third team enjoyed playing their games.They showed true team spirit and making the most of the experience. We couldn’t be prouder of the effort and teamwork displayed by all players.

Polding Tennis Team at the NSWPSSA Tennis Championships

An update on how Vassic from St John’s Primary Dubbo played whilst representing your school and community as part of the Polding Tennis Team at the NSWPSSA Tennis Championships held in Bathurst during week 2 Term 2, 6th - 9th May. 
Over the course of the tournament Vassic played in 15 matches winning 8 of these against the best players from the other regional teams vying for individual selection into the NSWPSSA Tennis Team to go to the National Finals in October. 
Vassic was an instrumental member of the Polding Team as the number three seeded boy for the Team. He is to be commended for the fantastic way that he played tennis, singles and doubles and the excellent sportsmanship he showed whilst playing his tennis as part of the Polding Tennis Team at the Championships. 
Vassic’s efforts helped the Polding team achieve the excellent result of 4th place overall out of the 13 regional teams that were participating at the PSSA Championships. Thank you Vassic for your excellent efforts and leadership whilst playing at the PSSA Championships, great work!  

Adam Foley. 
Polding Tennis Team Manager 2025. 
Assistant Principal.
St John’s Primary School Dubbo. 

Moscow Circus, Colouring-in Competition
Congratulations to the winners of the colouring-in competition, who received a ticket to the Moscow Circus.

We’re taking it in our stride on Friday 16^th May 2025
Well it’s that time of year again when our school seriously starts talking about walking!

Walk Safely to School Day asks that we all consider our transport habits and try to incorporate more walking as part of a healthy, active way to get around. And although walking all the way to school isn’t realistic for many of us, it’s quite easy to figure out how you can build a walk into your family’s daily routine.

You can teach your child the healthy habit of walking more by:

• Walking with them the whole way to school
• If they get the bus, walk past your usual stop and get on at the next stop
• If you have to drive, park the car a few blocks away from the school and walk the rest of the way

Regular exercise like walking with your child not only helps them (and you!) beat chronic problems like obesity, heart disease, behavioural and mental health issues and diabetes. It also gives you a great opportunity to teach your child safe ways to behave around roads and traffic.

Remember, Active Kids are Healthy Kids so get planning your own Walk Safely to School Day journey for Friday 16^th May 2025!

For more information visit https://www.walk.com.au/WSTSD/ or watch video https://youtu.be/y2BkSYncPu0

Dear Parents,
Your child is invited to take part in the 2025 International Competitions & Assessments for Schools (ICAS), which will be held during August 2025. Competitions are offered in English, Maths, Spelling, Science, Digital Technologies and Writing.  
Please be aware that entry for these competitions is not compulsory and entry is left to the parents’/caregivers discretion.  Students may enter one, some or all of the assessment examinations.

Please be aware - St Johns Primary cannot make entries into ICAS competitions on behalf of parents or students. All entries into ICAS need to be made by parents or caregivers before the listed closing date which is set by ICAS. Please note - St John’s Primary does not have any jurisdiction on dates and timeframes that are set by the ICAS organisers. 
Please note - not all ICAS assessments are available for Year 2 to participate in.   
All participating students receive a Certificate and an individual Results Letter indicating which questions they answered correctly, as well as the average mark for their state. 
The competition is an initiative of the Educational Testing Centre of the University of New South Wales and is a not for profit organisation.

Regards
Adam Foley
Assistant Principal

2025 ICAS Dates
Year level /Subject /Sitting Date/ Cost (AU$)

• Yr 3-6 Digital Technologies on 4-8 Aug cost $20.95

• Yr 3-6 Writing on 4-8 Aug cost $24.95

• Yr 2-6 English on 11-15 Aug cost  $20.95

• Yr 2-6 Science on 18-22 Aug cost $20.95

• Yr 2-6 Spelling Bee on 18-22 Aug cost $20.95

• Yr 2-6 Mathematics 25-29 Aug cost $20.95

Please note - Writing and Digital Technologies ICAS Assessments are available for students in Yr 3 - 6 only.
Mathematics, English, Science and Spelling Bee ICAS assessments are available for students in Yr 2 - 6. 
ICAS Prices per assessment, payable at time of entry on the PPS
Please note, St John’s Primary cannot facilitate refunds or make alterations as all money is paid directly to ICAS Assessments.
Read the terms and conditions here.

Masonic Village visit by 6 Blue
We thought it would be a fun idea to introduce the Dasbots to the residents, and they were thrilled to see them in action. Many gave it a try and enjoyed operating them. The staff were also curious and joined in the fun, with plenty of laughter all around. Afterwards, we chatted with the residents about the kinds of toys they played with when they were our age. Tin trains, dolls, cards, marbles, and even mud pies were some of the favourites they mentioned. The visit was filled with smiles, and we had a wonderful time.

SPB4L Reminder – Fortnight Focus: Be in the Right Spot, at the Right Time, for Safety

As part of our ongoing SPB4L (School Positive Behaviour for Learning) program, our focus for the fortnight is “Being in the Right Spot, at the Right Time, for Safety.”

This means making sure students are where they need to be, when they need to be there. It’s not just about location—it’s about being aware of surroundings, following routines, and supporting a safe, well-supervised school environment.

Here’s how students can show this behaviour:

• Wait near the Area 1 gate in the mornings – not near the road, to stay safe and avoid any risk of accidents.
  
• Line up as soon as the bell rings – this helps with smooth and orderly transitions between lessons and breaks.
  
• Stay off the grassed areas until a teacher is present – supervision is key to keeping everyone safe.
  

By consistently following these simple actions, students help make our school safer and more organised for everyone.
We ask parents and carers to continue supporting these habits at home by reinforcing the importance of safety and awareness.

Together, we can maintain a positive and secure environment for all.

Kids in Space, Professional Development
Mrs Lees and Mrs Jones recently spent two exciting days in Parkes at the Kids in Space professional development program, where they explored Makers Empire—a fun, easy-to-use 3D design tool that helps students build STEM skills and confidently engage with the Design and Technology curriculum.

Makers Empire is designed to help K–10 students become creative thinkers, problem-solvers, and innovators. It’s backed by research and helps improve STEM learning outcomes in a hands-on, engaging way. 

Mrs Lees and Mrs Jones will be using what they’ve learned to run space-themed challenges with our Year 5 students. These will include designing and building 3D-printed models, solving space-related problems, and even creating their own spacecraft!

They also can’t wait to start using our brand-new 3D printer to bring students’ designs to life. Both teachers had an amazing time learning the program and are excited to launch these creative, high-tech lessons in the classroom.