Principal's News

Dear Families, 

We are now well into Term 1 and it really has been a busy and positive start to the year. Our Mercy Day celebration was a special moment in the life of our school and it has been lovely to see visible reminders of our Mercy story in classrooms and shared spaces. I particularly enjoyed learning from our Foundation students about the Mercy cross and the meaning behind it. 

I would like to sincerely thank all our families who attended our “Meet and Greet” Parent Interviews last week, these early conversations are incredibly valuable. Thank you as well for your organisation around School Photos, the day ran very smoothly and our students presented so proudly in their uniforms. 

There is a really settled and positive feel across the school at the moment. Classrooms are calm, routines are strong and it has been wonderful to see students growing in confidence each week.  Our Foundation students are finding their feet beautifully and our Year 6 leaders are already stepping up in quiet and impressive ways around the school. Just a reminder for our Foundation families, that the final Wednesday off for this term will be Wednesday 4th March. From that point on, our Foundation students will attend school five days a week. 

Principal Leave 

From Week 6 through to the end of Term 1, I will be taking leave to be with my Mum, Anne, who is now palliative. During this time, my brother Tom and my sister Sarah and I will be at home with Mum in Myrtleford. I am deeply grateful for the compassion and understanding shown at this time and I want to sincerely thank our staff and families for the quiet support that continues to be offered. I am reminded just how special St John’s truly is and feel incredibly fortunate to be leading such a caring and faith filled community. During my absence, Lou Frewen will step into the role of Acting Principal. Lou is an exceptional leader who knows our school and our families so well, she leads with calmness, integrity and care. Thank you in advance for supporting Lou and our staff while I am away. 

Parish Update – Fr Tony’s Retirement 

At Mass a few weeks ago, it was announced that Fr Tony will retire as Parish Priest of St John’s Euroa on 20th March 2026. A consultative panel is meeting to discuss the way forward for our Parish. This group includes nine members of the Diocese, six priests and three lay representatives. The two options being considered are the appointment of a new priest to our Parish or twinning with another Parish and sharing a priest while remaining the Parish of Euroa. Father Joe Taylor will celebrate Masses throughout Holy Week and Easter, as well as the weekend following Easter. As a school community, we will hold a special Farewell Mass for Fr Tony on Thursday 26th February at 12.30pm in the Mercy Centre. This will be a celebration especially from St John’s School to thank Fr Tony for his years of service and connection with our students. There will be several farewells across the Parish, but this one will be particularly for our school community. We thank Fr Tony for all he has given to St John’s and to the wider Parish over many years. We will miss his warm sense of humour and the gentle care and kindness he shows our students each time he visits. We hope families who are able will join us. 

Lent 

This week we move into the sacred season of Lent. Lent is the 40 day period leading up to Easter. It is a time of prayer, reflection and preparation as we journey with Jesus toward Holy Week and the celebration of the Resurrection. The 40 days recall the time Jesus spent in the desert and during this season we are invited to pause, reflect and renew our relationship with God and with one another. On Tuesday, students will take part in Shrove Tuesday celebrations. Traditionally, pancakes are shared on this day as a way of preparing for the simplicity and reflection of Lent. Ash Wednesday marks the official beginning of Lent. Classroom prayer tables will change to purple, symbolising repentance and preparation. Families are warmly invited to join us for our Ash Wednesday Mass on Wednesday 18th February at 12.30pm. During Lent, we also begin our Catholic Mission fundraising through Project Compassion, led by Caritas Australia. This is an important part of living out our faith in action. Project Compassion encourages our students to think beyond themselves and to understand their responsibility to stand with those who are experiencing hardship or injustice. Through Project Compassion, students deepen their understanding of Catholic Social Teaching, including the dignity of every human person, our call to family and community, the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, and our responsibility as stewards of creation. These are not simply concepts we talk about, but values we strive to live each day at St John’s. Families, please look out for Project Compassion boxes to be sent home in the coming days. These are an important social justice fundraiser for our school. 

FIRE Carrier Commissioning Assembly 

I would like to warmly invite families to our FIRE Carrier Assembly on Friday 27th February at 2:20pm* (*10 minutes earlier than normal assembly time). Rachel Timperley, our Indigenous Education Leader, will lead a commissioning ceremony for our FIRE Carriers. FIRE stands for Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education. The program began in 2009 through the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry and supports Catholic schools across Victoria to promote reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It encourages respect, understanding and meaningful action within our school communities. At St John’s, our FIRE Carriers play an important role in helping us grow in awareness and commitment to reconciliation. We are proud of the students who take on this responsibility and we look forward to formally commissioning them as leaders in this space. Hopefully with a bit of luck, this Assembly will coincide with the opening of our NEW Indigenous Garden on our back oval which is slowly coming together. 

District Swimming Update 

Last Friday 13th February we had a number of students represent St John’s at the District Swimming Carnival. A big thank you to Mr Linc McKernan for coordinating the event and supporting our students on the day. Many of our students performed exceptionally well in their events and, more importantly, they represented St John’s with pride. It was wonderful to hear how they modelled great sportsmanship, encouraged one another and approached the day with such positive attitudes. We are very proud of the way they carried themselves both in and out of the pool. We acknowledge the outstanding individual achievements of Matilda, Ella, Paisley, Thomas, Lucy, James, Sam, Lenny, Wyatt, Jocelyn and Paige, each of whom placed in the top two positions and therefore qualified for Division. We also recognise the strong performances of the 9/10 Boys and Girls Freestyle relay teams, the 11 years Girls relay, the 12/13 Girls relay and the 9/13 years Girls Medley relay. Mr McKernan will contact the students who have progressed to the Ranges Division Trials, which are scheduled to take place at the Benalla Outdoor Pool on the 13th of March. 

School Advisory Council 

We are currently seeking expressions of interest for one new member on the School Advisory Council following Jaime Hamill finishing up at St John’s at the end of last year. Members are appointed in line with Diocesan governance guidelines. If you are interested in contributing to the strategic direction of our school community, please email your expression of interest to principal@sjeuroa.catholic.edu.au. Our next School Advisory Council Meeting will be held in the Board Room at St John’s in Week 7 on Tuesday 10th March at 5.30pm. 

2026 St John’s School Strategic Vision/2026 Annual Action Plan 

At the beginning of each year we set clear goals for our school through our Annual Action Plan. This helps guide our work and ensures we are always improving in ways that matter most for our students. Our 2026 focus is built around three Catholic Education Sandhurst key guiding lights... 

We hope to see many of you at one of our upcoming Masses or Assemblies over the coming weeks. We look forward to another great week of learning ahead and thank you again for your ongoing support of our school community. 

Take care, 

Sam Kerlin 

Principal – St John’s School, Euroa