A message from Emily

Dear parents and carers,

St. John's has enjoyed a very active fortnight. Last Thursday's Open Afternoon and Welcome Picnic were a highlight, with a fantastic turnout of families enjoying the lovely weather and engaging with our educators. The Welcome Picnic began with a meaningful smoking ceremony at the Farm, conducted by Uncle Daniel, followed by the launch of our Farm treaty. Thomas from ABC Music kindly stepped in to provide live music, creating a wonderful atmosphere. Our valued partnership with the Western Bulldogs was also on display, with Lachie and his team contributing to the evening with activities and giveaways. We extend our sincere gratitude to them for their ongoing support. We also appreciate the community's cooperation and understanding regarding the individual found in the convent during the picnic. The Parish has taken swift action, securing the building to prevent future occurrences.

A special thanks to Amanda, Tanya, Mardi, Alyssa, Amy, Sean, and Lisa for their hard work in preparing and serving pancakes to all the children on Shrove Tuesday. Their support has ensured this event was successful and created a wonderful sense of community. The delicious treat was thoroughly enjoyed by the children, and our Year 6 leaders demonstrated exceptional leadership and care while assisting with serving.

What is Shrove Tuesday? 

• Shrove Tuesday is a Christian tradition that is celebrated by many communities, religions and cultures
• It is the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent
• It is also called Pancake Day!
• A day to have a feast before Lent begins
• The name comes from the word 'shriving,' which means confessing sins
• Christians would confess their sins so they can be forgiven by God
• It is a time to reflect before Lent starts
• Long ago, during Lent people fasted from certain foods

Why Pancakes?

• People gave up foods like eggs, milk and fats for Lent
• They made pancakes to use up these ingredients before Lent started
• Sometimes you might also hear Shrove Tuesday being called Pancake Day!

What is Ash Wednesday?

• Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent
• On Ash Wednesday, we will receive ashes on our forehead
• The ashes are burned palms from last Easter
• The ashes are an old tradition of the Catholic faith and the cross on our forehead is a visible sign of our Catholic identity

What is Lent?

• Lent is a time when Christians prepare for Easter
• It lasts for 40 days
• Many people give up certain foods or treats during Lent or promise to give more, like giving to others

This Lent, we are called to Unite Against Poverty through Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion. Your generous support this Lenten Season will enable Caritas Australia to provide life-changing support to communities facing poverty, food insecurity, lack of education, and water shortages, while building resilience against future challenges. Together, through faith and action, we can bring hope and opportunity to those most in need. With the beginning of Lent now here, we will also be calling for donations towards Caritas Project Compassion. The Social Justice Leaders have been promoting this and will collect money providing tally updates at our assemblies. 

Our 3/4 Hub children were treated to an extraordinary experience yesterday, thanks to the generosity of the Western Bulldogs. They were invited to take part in the club's preparations for their 100 Years in the VFL/AFL celebrations. The Bulldogs' willingness to accommodate all our interested children, despite the overwhelming response, was truly remarkable. A select group even participated in a special filming project that will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Our children and educators thoroughly enjoyed watching the senior players train, exploring the museum, and collecting autographs. We're excited to share the upcoming film with you.

Hall Update: I am hoping to share some exciting news in regards to the hall in the next newsletter. I attended a meeting at James Gould House with the senior managers of the Infrastructure and Planning team at MACS and have another meeting this afternoon onsite to discuss plans and steps forwards. It looks like works to develop this area of the school will be happening sooner than anticipated. 

The St John's School Advisory Council will meet for the first time this year next week. Part of the meeting will be to welcome new members to the team and look at the school priorities this year including the hall. The 2025 School Advisory Council members are:

• Emily Conroy (Principal)
• Fr Gerald Binegas (Parish Priest)
• Tim O'Leary (Chairperson)
• Paul Handley (Parish Representative)
• Tina Meddis (Parish Representative)
• Nick Stephenson (Parent)
• Erin Jenkins (Parent)
• Mardi Beck (Parent)
• Fletcher Bubb (Parent)

Wishing you a wonderful long weekend

Emily

Reminders

• Reconciliation Family Faith Night at Our Lady's Hall @ 6pm
• Managing Big Feelings Webinar for families of children in P-2
• Monday is a Public Holiday
• NAPLAN begins next week for children in Year 3 and 5