Principal's News

Dear Families,

What a busy 2 weeks it has been!

Carols Night

What a wonderful night it was!!!!  The children sang so beautifully, they were excited and shone through out the evening.  We were blessed with the weather and by all accounts everyone had a fabulous time!  A special thanks to Kathy Allen for her coordination and organisation of the evening, to Linc McKernan for working his magic with our sound system and to the teachers - the sounds of practise have resonated through the corridors for the last few weeks and especially thank you to the children!!!  

Swimming

Once again we have been blessed with almost perfect weather, especially this week.  The program has been brilliantly implemented by Melinda Watson with support from Euroa Secondary College students Molly, Nic, Max and Harrison.  The children have loved it and they are more confident and competent around water than they were before they started.

Art Works

Last week Ms Ally has been working with some of our students on several pieces of Art.  We received a grant from the State Government "Victoria Remembers Grant Program" to create Art for ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day.   Our Artist's work has been amazing and we can't wait for you to see it.  Thank you to Ally for the time and creativity creating these Art Works and for the wonderful way she collaborates with the children and incorporates all their ideas and work into the final pieces and also to Libby Hamilton who was successful in writing the grant application.

Farewell

We say goodbye to Mrs Kathy Allen, our Performing Arts teacher for the last 17 years!  We thank Kathy for all she has done for our community, her contemporary approach to music, her singing groups, her coordination of our Carols each year, her active participation in the community Carol's Night with our students, her care of the staff, her sense of humour, her commitment to the Feast of the Sacred for all schools in the Sandhurst Diocese, her love of the children and wanting them to be the best they can be and her love of a good chat!   Thank you Kathy!  Enjoy retirement!

Community Thank you 

Over the last 2 years our Year 5-6 students have been working with Ray Thomas to help the local environment by planting native plants and building nesting boxes for Phascogales (a marsupial native to the area).  I thought I would include a thank you from Ray to the children for their great work.  This is just one of the many great experiences the children have at St John's.

'I was genuinely impressed with the skills and knowledge they brought to the task from their previous involvement. And the display of values, attitudes and commitment, clearly shows the deeper level of education that we're all aiming for. It is a privilege to be working with your school community!'       

Thank you Ray, we are very lucky to be working with you too and to witness  your dedication and passion for the environment!

We farewell the following families from St John's this year:-

The Frost Family (Abbey), The Hamill Family (Freddie), The Hoare Family (Darby), The Holmes Family (Mia), The Perry Family (Theo), The Simpson Family (Bridie), The Tilton Family (Mabel), The Bruns Family (Albie), The Embling Family (Asha), The Hahnel Family (Isla), The Hornby-King Family (Cooper), The Zhao Family (Emma), The Zhu Family (Isabelle), The Macara Family (Leo and Ariadne), The Ellis Family (Archie), The Gommers Family (Noah & Lily). 

A very big thank you for being part of our community, especially those we farewell after a very long time at St John's!  

2024 School Structure

Classrooms

Foundation - Sally Redfern.  LSO's - Damien Saxon and Grace Ivill

Year 1-2 - Fiona Robinson.  LSO Dee Hinss and Lisa Crowe

Year 1-2 - Katherine King.  LSO Karen Goss

Year 3-4 - Rachel Timperley.  LSO Keira Bodycoat and Lisa Crowe (Fridays)

Year 3-4 - Ally Johnston. LSO Nic Asquith and Lisa Crowe (Mondays)

Year 5-6 - Louise Frewen.  LSO Lisa Lister

Year 5-6 - Linc McKernan. LSO Kerry Mason  with Lisa Crowe working across both grades on a Tues, Wed and Thurs.

This morning all children spent time in their 2024 classrooms with their new teacher and classmates.  There was great excitement as they moved to new spaces.  The wonderful thing about St John's, the children know all the teachers and each other and are very resilient and mindful of each other.

We welcome the Mann family with Benji starting in Year 5 next year.

Specialists 

Japanese - Ayako Mizushima

Visual Arts and PE - Melinda Watson

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) - Libby Hamilton

Intervention - Christine Buhler (4 days)

School Leaders

Principal - Therese Stewart

Deputy Principal  Compliance and Wellbeing - Libby Hamilton

Catholic Identity Leader - Louise Frewen

Learning & Teaching Leader - Briony Clarke

Learning Diversity Leader - Melinda Watson

Mental Health in Primary School Leader - Denise 

Vinnies Donations

For the remainder of the week we will be collecting food items for St Vinnies.  Due to the demand in the area over the Christmas break we thought we could make a difference.  If you are able, we are asking families to donate food items to be made into hampers for families in the local area, who are facing challenges at this time of the year.  Many thanks!

As we near the end of another eventful year, it's with immense gratitude and heartfelt reflection that I share this final newsletter for 2023. This is the perfect time to acknowledge the incredible efforts, unwavering dedication, and boundless enthusiasm that have defined our journey at St John's this year.

To our exceptional  staff: Your commitment to nurturing young minds, fostering an environment of growth, and ensuring our students receive the best education is truly commendable. Your tireless efforts, creativity, and compassion shape not just minds but futures. Thank you for your unwavering dedication.

To our  families: Your support, collaboration, and trust in our community are the cornerstones of our success. Your partnership in shaping the lives of our students is invaluable. Thank you for entrusting us with their education and growth.

And most importantly to our students: You are the heart and soul of our school. Your eagerness to learn, your resilience in facing challenges, and your endless curiosity inspire us daily. Your laughter and accomplishments fuel our passion for education. 

Thank you for being the shining stars of St John's!

May the new year bring fresh opportunities, renewed hope, and abundant blessings for each and every one of you.

The children finish school for the year on Friday at 3:15pm.  We will be celebrating the end of year Mass together in the Church with Fr Tony at 12:30 and then our final Assembly for 2023 at 2:30 in the Mercy Centre.  All are very welcome to join us.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a safe and happy holiday filled with love and laughter.  May we remember on Christmas morning that this is the day that Jesus was born and the special place he has in each and every one of our lives.

Until next year and God bless over the holidays,

Therese

PS 

I am taking Long Service Leave for most of term 1 and will be travelling through Europe with my husband for 12 weeks.   We are very very excited and looking forward to visiting places we have not been before.   I leave the school in Libby Hamilton and Louise Frewen's very capable hands!