Principal's News

Pentecost People 

Come Holy Spirit, and make us Pentecost people.

Let your wisdom and right judgment guide our decisions.

Let knowledge and understanding increase our capacity for empathy and compassion.

Let reverence and awe fill us with gratitude and respect for all creation.

Give us the courage to witness boldly to     our faith in word and deed.

Through and with him in Jesus Christ, we pray.

Amen.

Dear Families,

As we reach the midpoint of Week 9, it’s a wonderful opportunity to pause and reflect on the many achievements of our students throughout the semester. From academic progress and sporting accomplishments to creative projects, acts of leadership, and everyday kindness in the playground, our students have continued to shine in a variety of ways.

We are incredibly proud of the way they embrace challenges, support one another, and consistently demonstrate our whole school expectations through both their words and actions. Their dedication to the Learning Powers and positive mindset are a daily reminder of the impact of teamwork and persistence.

Student reports will be distributed on Monday, 23 June. These reports provide a summative snapshot of each child’s growth and learning across the semester. More than just grades or comments, they are a celebration of the effort, resilience, and progress each student has made.

When you receive your child’s report, I invite you to take time to sit down together, read through it, and acknowledge the achievements, while also identifying areas for continued growth. Your support in this reflective process helps children build confidence, take ownership of their learning, and feel proud of their efforts.

I would like to extend my thanks to the dedicated staff of St John’s for the many extra hours they have invested in preparing your child’s Semester One report. 

Behind each report is a great deal of thoughtful reflection, professional dialogue, and careful moderation of student data to ensure accurate and meaningful reporting. Our teachers go above and beyond to provide a clear picture of each child’s learning journey, strengths, and areas for growth. I am grateful for their ongoing commitment to student success and the genuine care they show in supporting every learner at St John’s.

Finally, a gentle reminder—learning is not a race. Each child grows at their own pace, bringing unique strengths, interests, and challenges. It is this individuality that makes them who they are, and we celebrate each step forward in their learning journey.

Three-Way Conversation 

Tuesday 24 June (1:30pm to 6:00pm). Please note students are dismissed at 1pm. OSHclub is available on Tuesday from 1pm.

Wednesday 25 June ( 3:45pm to 5:30pm)

Our teachers are looking forward to conducting Three-Way Conversations on the Tuesday 24 June and Wednesday 25 June. As students prepare to share their learning goals and work samples with their parents, we strongly encourage all children to attend and take part in these important discussions. 

I would particularly like to see Year 5 and Year 6 students attend, as this format mirrors that of secondary schools and provides a great opportunity to help prepare them for the future.

Online Booking Site OPENED Wednesday 4 June 2025 at 10:00am 

To book please visit: https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/4jv8c

Reporting Changes

We are  sharing an important update from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)  and MACS regarding the implementation of the revised English Version 2.0 and Mathematics Curriculum Version 2.0. This updated curriculum is now fully implemented at our school, and we would like to inform you of the key changes you will notice in your child’s report this year.

Key Changes in Reporting:

On your child’s school report this year you will notice a change as to how Mathematics will be reported. Previously, there were separate results for the strands of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics and Probability as seen below. Victorian Curriculum: Mathematics v.1.0 (prior to 2024) 

However, with the implementation of the revised Victorian 2.0 Mathematics curriculum at St John's, teachers will now report against the achievement standard as a whole, providing a single, aggregated score as shown below. Also, for the June 2025 reports only, there will be no indication of progress since the last report (as shown in the example above), due to the change in reporting requirements and the altered standards for each level, within the revised curriculum. Victorian Curriculum: Mathematics v.2.0 (2025 and beyond). 

This change to the reporting of Mathematics will occur across all Catholic schools in Melbourne, as they all implement the revised Mathematics curriculum. At St John's, what we will continue to provide on the report will be an indication as to the progress your child has made in each of the areas of Mathematics covered for that semester through the 5 point scale - Not yet, At expected standard, well above expected standard etc. The areas covered in Mathematics curriculum v.2.0 across the year are: Number, Algebra Space, Probability, Measurement and Statistics.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, our Mathematics Leader, Paul Tarabay, will be hosting an informal Q&A session on Wednesday 2 July at 9:00 AM. All parents are warmly invited to attend.

Confirmation

Congratulations to our Year 6 students who celebrated their Confirmation at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Friday evening. It was a beautiful and reverent occasion that brought together families, staff, and parish in a powerful expression of faith and community. The message of the Holy Spirit was deeply felt, and we are proud of the way our students conducted themselves throughout the ceremony. 

Farewell Assembly for Mrs Melanie Sharples

This Friday, we come together as a school and parish community to celebrate and farewell Mrs Melanie Sharples, who will be starting an exciting new chapter in Western Australia in the coming weeks.

A special farewell assembly will be held on Friday 20 June at 3:00pm in the top yard, and all families are warmly invited to attend.

Melanie has been a much-loved and deeply valued member of our St John's community. Over the years, she has supported countless families with compassion and care, worked alongside staff with dedication and positivity, and always placed the wellbeing of our students at the heart of all she does. Her contribution to the spiritual and pastoral life of our school has left a lasting impact, and her kindness and professionalism will be greatly missed.

We invite you to join us on Friday as we honour Melanie’s time with us, share memories, express our gratitude, and wish her every blessing for the journey ahead.

Let’s send her off with all the love and warmth she so generously shared with us.

Farewell to Ms Sharples – Our Queen of the Front Desk

At St John’s she reigned with style and flair, 

Running the office from her comfy chair. 

Over a decade of calm, friendly grace— 

Melanie kept the chaos neatly in place.

Rolls to be filled. First aid on repeat. 

Melanie handled it all without missing a beat. 

No panic, no drama, just her classic grin— 

Then buzz—with a press, she’d let someone in.

She’s soothed the sick and bandaged a knee,

With kindness and care for all she could see.

She knows every child, their quirks and their ways—

And brightened their mornings with warm "hellos" each day.

But now she’s heading to WA’s shore, 

With her husband by her side and shopping in store. 

We’ll miss her laugh, her jokes, her flair— 

No one can quite replace Ms Sharples there.

So thank you, Ms Sharples, for the love that you gave, 

For the calm and the care, 

and the way you were brave. 

You’re part of our story, a chapter so bright— 

And St John’s won’t be the same… without your light. 💛

Welcome to Mrs Julie Sparks – Our New Administration Officer

We are delighted to welcome Mrs Julie Sparks to the St John’s community as she begins her new role as Administration Officer. Julie brings with her a warm and friendly presence, as well as a strong background in administration, education and a passion for supporting school communities.

Over the next week, Melanie and Leanne will be working closely with Julie to ensure a smooth transition, sharing her knowledge and familiarising Julie with the day-to-day operations of the office. 

We encourage families to pop into the office and say hello to Julie. She is very much looking forward to getting to know our students, staff, and families, and becoming an active part of the vibrant St John’s community.

St John's Beanies

As the winter weather sets in, we understand that many children are feeling the cold and would like to wear beanies while outside.

To ensure consistency with our school uniform expectations, students are asked to wear only school-issued beanies or plain navy blue beanies with no logos, writing, or decorations.

We’ve noticed an increase in students wearing sporting club and branded beanies.  We appreciate your support in maintaining a consistent and respectful school appearance.

School beanies are available for purchase from Noone for $15, and a limited number will also be available at the school office from next week.

SRC Joke Box

Oscar and Mia have organised a Joke Box on behalf of the Student Representative Council (SRC). If you have a funny, friendly, school-appropriate joke you'd like to share, please write it down and place it in the Joke Box located at the school office. We look forward to sharing some laughter and brightening everyone’s day with your contributions!      The winning joke this week was...

St John's Italian Carnevale Thursday 27 June

Please see the timetable for our upcoming Carnevale.                                   

Families are welcome to attend BETWEEN 9-11am - if you have a WWWC. There will be 5 stations for adults to sign in up in the top yard.

If you would like to help out on the day please email your child's teacher.

Carnevale Car Show and Donuts

Before and after school, families are invited to admire a stunning selection of Italian sports cars on display from 8:30am, then at 3:00-4:15pm (weather permitting). These impressive vehicles will be parked on the top yard of the school for everyone to enjoy—look, admire, but please do not touch.

 Adding to the festive atmosphere, there will be live singers in the afternoon, delicious Italian donuts for sale in the afternoon, and plenty of Carnevale cheer for the whole community!

The Sfinci donuts will be sold in packs:  Small- 5 donuts for $8

or Original- 12 donuts for $15.  

Cash or eftpos accepted.

Please note: All before and after school activities require family/adult supervision. Teachers will not be supervising your children during this time.

St John's Italian Carnevale Gnocchi & Pasta Drive

Don't forget to order.

Grandparents' Day and Book Week Parade /Morning Tea

The 2025 theme is Book an Adventure!  We will be celebrating on Monday 18 August -please note change of date.

Bunnings BBQ -  Thank you

What a fabulous day! A big thank you to Steph, Ellese, and Dan (Year 1) and the PIC team for coordinating the event, and to everyone who generously volunteered their time.  Thank you to Alex (prep), you did a great job cooking the sausages... for hours!

We’re also incredibly grateful to the Kairouz family (Year 4) for donating the sausages, and to Bakers Delight for providing the bread. It was wonderful to see so many families drop by and support the fundraiser.

It was also heartwarming to witness how generous our customers were—many said “keep the change,” donated extra money, and asked where the funds would be going.

A special shout-out to Henry, our Environmental Leader, who rolled up his sleeves, put on some gloves, and helped serve the community. It was a huge day, filled with laughter—and plenty of sausages sold!

Once again, our wonderful community came together to support the school, and we are so grateful for the time, energy, and generosity of all involved. Events like these not only raise important funds but also strengthen the connections that make our school such a special place.

Stay warm.

Alison