Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank-you to all of our parents and guardians who continue to support our staff and students and provide encouraging feedback around the high quality of remote learning provided at St. John's. It is great to see the students smiling faces each morning as they greet their teachers and classmates on the Google Meets.

I am so proud of the way that all of our staff have embraced the new style of teaching and continue to up skill around new technology tools and programs. This will revolutionise teaching going forward and have a very positive impact on the way our students learn.

A big congratulations to all of our students who continue to try their best each day, remain positive and focussed, completing their learning throughout the week. Our School Leaders have been sending words of encouragement to our students. This week Chris and Anria have set some challenges for everyone which can be found on the Remote Learning Page of the newsletter and also in the Home Learning Site.

Be sure to check the front page of the Home Learning Site each day. Something special will be added this week!

Enrolments for 2021

If you have a child ready to start Prep in 2021 please ensure that you have your enrolment forms completed and handed in to the Office with their Birth Certificate and Immunisation Record.

Please spread the word to your neighbours, families and friends also.

Happy Mothers Day

I would like to wish all of the Mothers and Grandmothers a very Happy Mothers Day. You have added Home Schooling to your list of many talents and skills as you nurture your child's learning. I hope that you all have a very special day and that your children think of creative ways to spoil you and share their love.

Baby News

Congratulations to Brendan and Kate Roberts on the safe arrival of their child Paige Lucy on 28 April. All are doing well. Abigail in PrepK is delighted to have a younger brother and a baby sister.

We are also delighted to announce that Mrs Naomi Ryan, teaching in Prep, is also expecting a baby and is due in late September.

Tuesday 12 May Whole School Wellbeing Day

Next week we are planning a Whole School Wellbeing Day. Students will be set tasks that encourage relaxation and wellbeing. Teachers will not be having a Google Meet on this day and teachers will not be contacting any students. We will encourage you to go to the Wellbeing Page on the Home Learning Site for the day's activities.

Families are encouraged to plan fun and relaxing activities for this day. Staff will also be taking care of their own wellbeing.

Fr Dispin

The Parish Office is still open and offering full support to any family in need. Please contact Fr Dispin 0413683153

or Martine in the Office for any additional support. PH: 9401 6366

Before and After School Care

Please remember that Before and After School Care is still operating at St John's every day. It is free and they would love to be able to support you by providing additional care for your children.

Before & After School Care 1300 105 343

Our Library is Open on Tuesdays

If your child would like to borrow some new books from the school library, it will be open on Tuesdays all day.

St John's Outreach Program

The St John’s Outreach program is here to support our school community through the provision of home-cooked meals, uniforms and school supplies. I have a variety of home cooked meals in the freezer and would like to be able to distribute these to our school families in need. Please contact me via email or phone to let me know if you would like any meals provided. The Outreach program operates with the utmost sensitivity and confidentiality.

MRS GRIDLEY'S POETRY CHALLENGE

This poem was written in 1869 and reprinted during the 1919 pandemic:

“And people stayed at home

And read books and listened

And they rested and did exercises and made Art

and played and learned new ways of being

and stopped and listened more deeply

Someone meditated, someone prayed,

Someone met their shadow

and people began to think differently

and people healed

and in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways

dangerous, meaningless and heartless,

the earth also began to heal

and when the danger ended and people found themselves

they grieved for the dead and made new choices

and dreamed of new visions and created new ways of living

and completely healed the earth

just as they were healed.”

Many positive things have come out of this time of Isolation!

It is important that we all stop and reflect and the many positive outcomes of this time of working and learning remotely. We miss our friends and family and our way of life but so many great things have emerged.

Please discuss these as a family and encourage your child to write a poem about Isolation and the Epidemic and email it to me.

I would love to add some of these poems to the Home Learning Page and the Newsletter. Good Luck!

Additional Support

I am here at the school every day, along with teachers and learning support officers to continue to provide a high quality of education for your children. Please contact me if you need anything and let me know if we can help in any way. Stay safe!

Have a great week!

Verona Gridley

Principal

vgridley@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

Digital Technologies atSt. John's

Parenting in a Digital World

Digital Technologies at
St. John's