Mt St John's Primary School Dorrigo eNewsletter

Principal's Message

As we close the book on 2024, I reflect on what has been a truly wonderful year filled with love, laughter, and connection. I am deeply grateful to be part of the vibrant Mt St John’s Dorrigo community and am inspired by the spirit and dedication of our students, staff, and families.

As we look ahead to 2025, I am excited to embark on my five-year tenure as Principal and continue building on the strong foundations we have laid together.

This is a reminder that students will return to school on Wednesday, February 5th, after completing their Maths Interview Assessment by appointment on either Monday, February 3rd, or Tuesday, February 4th. A notification to book your interview time will be sent out shortly.

Wishing you all a happy and holy holiday season!

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss this or anything else.

Take care,

Deb

Important Dates

2024

Wednesday, 11th December - Reports go home

Thursday, 12th December (9:30 am ) - End of Year Awards and Graduation Liturgy

Tuesday, 18th December - End of Year Fun Day @ Dorrigo Pool

Wednesday, 19th December - Final day for students and staff

2025

Thursday, 30th January - Staff return

Monday 3rd/ Tuesday, 4thFebruary - Maths Assessment Interviews by appointment

Wednesday, 5th February - Students return for Term 1

Thursday, 10th April - Final day of Term 1 for students

Christmas Giving Tree

Mt. St John's is doing their Giving Tree again this year. There is a Christmas tree in the foyer with some gift tags on it. Each tag has the age and gender of a child written on it. If you can help a family in need, please ask your child to choose a tag from the tree and buy a gift for a child that age. Gifts must be returned to school by Monday, 16th December. Please sticky tape your tag to the gift, and the gifts will be distributed by St Vincent de Paul. Thank you!

We are also collecting toiletries for the homeless. All donations are gratefully accepted.

Centenary Celebrations

Celebrating the centenary of Mt St John’s Dorrigo on Friday, November 29th, was a humbling and joyous occasion. The day began and ended in Dorrigo’s signature fog, with sunshine in between reflecting the warmth and connection of the event.

The formalities opened with a smoking ceremony led by Uncle Alan Phillips, honouring the Gumbaynggirr connection to the land and the school. A student-led procession to the Church followed, where Father Paul Winter conducted a Liturgy, beautifully highlighting the enduring bond between faith and education over the past 100 years.

Guests enjoyed a shared lunch and a formal assembly led by Stage 3 students. The event included heartfelt speeches from past Principals, teachers, and students, as well as memories from one of the school’s first students, spanning 1924 to 1934. Gratitude was expressed for the sacrifices of the Presentation and Mercy Sisters, whose dedication established and sustained the school.

A memorial stone and time capsule were laid to mark the occasion. Attendees enjoyed a display of historical photos that showcased the school’s journey over a century.

As Lily Sibanda shared, “Thank you, Mt St John’s, for an excellent education, for pushing me to exceed my limits, and for making me the person I am today.”

Mt St John's Centenary Celebrations

Community Carols - Sunday, 15th December

The annual Carols on the Hill will be held again this year on Sunday 15th December at St Stephen's Anglican Church. A free sausage sizzle will begin at 5pm, folowed by carols at 6pm. All welcome!

UNE Science Discovery visits

Yesterday we welcomed UNE Discovery Voyager science facilitators to our school. They brought hands-on science to all our students, presenting three sessions; The Magic of Physics, Crime Scene Investigation and Creative Chemistry.

The students had an amazing time and really enjoyed all aspects of this incurasion. Below are some great photos of our budding scientists.

Enrolling Now!

We are currently conducting enrolment interviews for 2025. If you know of any families considering Mt St John's, please encourage them to reach out and organise a school tour. Spread the word!

Peaceful Problem-Solving

What's On - Term 4

After positive feedback last term, we have published a 'What's On' for Term 4. This document is designed to help you plan ahead for Term 4. Please be aware that changes may (and probably will!) happen. We will continue to keep you updated via Compass. Here is the LINK.

Whole School Focus

At Mt. St John's, we have four core values that guide our behaviour: Respect, (Self) Responsibility, Safety, and Effort. These four expectations are our behaviour norms.

Our whole school focus this fortnight is on RESPECT and EMPATHY. We are reminding each other to use kind words that lift each other up, not put others down. Our teachers and student leaders look for students demonstrating these skills and give out GEM Awards to celebrate.

Class Awards

Congratulations to all our award-winners for Weeks 7 & 8.

Principal's Award	Seth Haley	For demonstrating great initiative, problem-solving and leadership skills when faced with challenges in the playground.
Kindergarten	Ziggy Carter-Sims	For being helpful and responsible when given a job by the teacher!
Stage 1	Sophie Carter	For being an attentive listener who works well.
Stage 1	Vasja Floridan	For his enthusiasm and the ideas that he contributes to class activities.
Stage 2	Tate Miller-Thompson	For making responsible learning choices and working independently to design a magnetic game.
	Samo Floridan	For sharing your scientific thinking during our science day activities.
	Lakota Miller-Thompson	For designing and making a challenging magnet game.
	Paddy Moffatt	For resilience and persistence in Dance and making responsible learning choices.
Stage 3	Eden Gibson	For showing initiative and creativity in your podcast assessment.
	Chloe Thomas	For excellent work joining letters in running writing.
	Ruby Francis	For having a great attitude to learning and putting in effort in all areas.

Term 4 School Fees

Term 4 fees are now due unless you pay by regular direct debit or BPay amounts.

1 student - $318

2 students - $556.50

3 students - $715.50

Payment options are:

BPay—Instructions on how to make a payment using BPay are on your most recent school fee statement. This is our preferred payment method.
using the Compass app - You can check your school fee balance and pay fees through the Compass app. Select more - school fees - next - and enter your credit card details. You have the option to pay in full or pay a portion of your fees.
cash at school
EFTPOS at school

Remember, if you feel you will be unable to finalise your Term 3 school fees by this date, some financial assistance may be available from St Vincent de Paul - to make an appointment with them, call 0472 718862. You will need to take your school fee statement with you to your appointment. Alternatively, you can call the Office to discuss your individual circumstances with the Principal.

Thank you!

School Facebook Page

Check out our school Facebook page! It is wonderful to be able to share the good news of our school with our families and community.

Mt St John's Primary School, Dorrigo Facebook

How to Cancel a Canteen Order

If you need to, you can cancel canteen orders before 9am on canteen day. If you know your child is going to be away you can go into Compass Canteen and select "cancel order".

The refunded money goes back into your Compass "wallet" so you can use it next time you order - when you get to the Confirm & pay screen, click on the down arrow and select Compass Credit.

Whooping Cough Information

Dorrigo Swim Club

Community Notices

GLUE & Messy Church

GLUE God Loves Us Eternally KidsClub is held each Wednesday during school term time from 3-5pm at the Anglican Church Hall. Afternoon tea, games, fun worship and craft. All primary kids in Years 1-6 are welcome, as are newcomers. For more info, ring Gwenneth on 6657 2135.

Last session for 2024 (which is the Christmas Party!) is on Wednesday 4th December.

The final Messy Church for 2024 will be held on Sunday 1st December, with a theme of Messy Celebrations.

School Bus Travel

Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel.

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.

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.

Transport for NSW

School Drive Subsidy

The School Drive Subsidy is available for eligible school students where there is no public transport available for all or part of the journey. If you have to drive your child more than 1.6km to a school bus stop, you may be eligible for this subsidy – go to the link below to apply.

School Drive Subsidy

Term 4 - Week 8, 2024