General Information

LETTER TO PARENTS FROM DIRECTOR OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Families may have noticed recent media articles about financial, structural and operational changes that are underway across Catholic Education in Melbourne.  Our Catholic schools are governed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), which manages nearly 300 schools.  Parents will shortly be receiving a letter from the Executive Director of MACS Dr Edward Simons, outlining some important updates.

TERM OVERVIEWS

Parents received a notification yesterday with links to our Term 4 Curriculum Overviews.  These Term Overviews give parents a snap shot of what students will be learning areas across the term and an overview of elements within the Victorian Curriculum that will be covered within the term.

HATS

With the commencement of Term 4, all students are expected to be wearing their school hats.  If your child’s hat has been misplaced over the winter months, we encourage you to buy a new one.  Hats can be purchased from the Office or from Rushfords for $15.

2027 CLASS GROUPING REQUESTS

Early in Term 4 staff will begin the process of allocating students to a class for 2027.  This is always complex with many factors coming into play and decisions are never made lightly.  If you feel you have information which would assist us when planning class groupings for next year, please note that all requests must be in writing to the Principal by Friday 23rd October.  Parents are reminded that they are unable to request a specific teacher for their child.  While all submissions will be considered, families need to be aware we cannot guarantee we will be able to accommodate your request.  

2027 INTENTION FORMS

As we begin planning for the 2027 school year, we are grateful for the trust you place in our school community. Careful forward planning helps us ensure we have the staffing, learning resources and facilities needed to support every child to thrive.

To assist with this planning, we ask current families to let us know their intentions for 2027 by completing the form sent out last Wednesday, via the nForma App. Please be assured that an honest response will not affect your child’s place at the school.  We kindly ask each family to respond by Friday, 16 October 2026. Your response will help us plan for future enrolments, staffing and educational resources.

IMPORTANT FEE STRUCTURE INFORMATION FOR 2027

Last term families were notified of changes to our fee structure for 2027.  Previously, fees were made up of a Family Fee and Capital/Building Levy, together with individual Student Levies and Camp Levies where applicable. Following direction from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), we will move to the following tiered fee structure.  

We understand that household budgets are under pressure and appreciate that any increase in school fees can be difficult. This decision has not been made lightly.  We remain committed to supporting families wherever possible. A range of payment options is available to help spread payments across the year. Families who hold a ‘Service Australia Health Care Card’ may also be eligible for the means-tested CSEF discount and the MACS Concessional Fee Discount. Please contact the school office confidentially if you would like to discuss payment arrangements or available assistance.

The clips below have full amounts and examples of payment options:

CHILD SAFETY  - DIGITAL SAFETY

Term 4 Digital Safety Programs & Parent Tip Sheets

At St John’s our students participate in a digital safety program at the beginning of each term.  These programs have been designed by the team at Inform and Empower.  Below is an outline of the different focus areas throughout the school:

Year Prep

During their sessions the Preps will focus on navigating uncomfortable feelings when they are online and they will unpack who are the trusted adults we can turn to for help.

Year 1 & Year 2

The junior classes are looking at the online advertisements that appear when watching videos and playing online games.   The students will explore how these Ads are there to try and sell us something.  The program will reinforce with students that being kind online means being friendly, helpful or fair to others.

Year 3 & 4

Students in the middle school are looking at the idea that personal information about ourselves shouldn’t be shared online.  This includes our full name, address, school, photos and passwords.  The program will reinforce with students that some people online will use tricks or lies to take something from you, like your money or personal information. 

Year 5 & 6

The senior students are looking at ways to think critically when online, by asking questions such as:

• Who made this and why?
• Could it be AI generated?
• Is this misinformation or disinformation?
• Is it trying to sell me something?

They will explore online scams, which are tricks or lies that people use on the internet to take something from you, including your money or personal information.  

Parent Tip Sheets can be accessed via the links below: