Principal's News

Dear Families,

May is a special month in the life of the Church as we honour Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our spiritual mother. Mary’s love, strength, and faith remind us of the many remarkable women in our own lives. It was fitting, then, that we gathered last Friday to celebrate the mothers and significant women in our community at our Mother’s Day lunch. Thank you to Mel, Margie, Eugenia, and the PIC Team for the time and effort in making this another successful and memorable community event.

A special thank you to Daniele Sellick for entertaining and informing the audience as this year’s Guest Speaker, sharing both the highlights and challenges of motherhood from a psychologist's perspective.

First Eucharist

Congratulations to the students of 4P and 4MT who received their First Eucharist over the weekend. This is a very special milestone in your faith journey, and we are so proud of each of you.

Thank you to  Fr Vinh and Fr Geo for leading such a reverent and joyful celebration.

We also extend our gratitude to the families and  teachers who have supported and prepared the students so beautifully. May this sacred occasion continue to strengthen your relationship with Jesus and inspire you to live out His message of love and service each day.

Uniforms

Thank you to all the students who are in their full winter uniform. I know they would have enjoyed being warmer during these chilly mornings. As discussed many times please ensure  your child is wearing a long sleeve shirt or skivvy. Short sleeve shirts are not part of the Winter uniform. You can purchase these at Noone imagewear or via our second hand  uniform shop.

Lost Property – Please Check for Missing Uniform Items

We currently have a large number of jumpers in our lost property. Thank you to the Prep Working Bee team for kindly sorting through them.

If your child is missing any clothing, lunch boxes or bottles please take a moment to check the lost property rack located in the corridor.

Please note: Unclaimed items will be donated to the Second-Hand Uniform Stall after two weeks.

School Review – Welcoming David Allibon

Next Monday and Tuesday, we warmly welcome David Allibon to St John’s as he leads our School Review process.

This important review occurs every four years and provides an opportunity for us to reflect on our achievements, evaluate our current practices, and plan strategically for the future. It ensures we remain aligned with our mission and values, while continuously improving outcomes for all students.

The School Review:

• Supports ongoing school improvement
• Celebrates what we do well
• Identifies priority areas for growth
• Involves input from staff, students, and families
• Ensures alignment with MACS priorities and the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) requirements

We look forward to engaging in rich professional dialogue and sharing the many strengths of our school community with David. Thank you to the families who have said they will meet with David to speak on behalf of the families of St John's.

Australia’s Best Teacher – Nominate Now!

We have wonderful teachers at St John’s. Australia’s Best Teacher is a national campaign celebrating amazing educators who make a real difference in their school communities. Run by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) in partnership with the Herald Sun and News Corp, the campaign invites students, parents, staff and community members to nominate a teacher who has had a positive impact. 

You can visit https://www.australiasbestteacher.com.au/ to ominate one of our great teachers.

Reporting at St John’s

At St John’s, as with all Victorian schools, we are required to formally report on each student’s progress and achievement twice a year. However, reporting goes well beyond the written report. It is an ongoing process that involves regularly sharing how your child is progressing in their learning and what they are working on next.

How Do We Report?

• Informally – Through teacher feedback in student workbooks, Seesaw posts, phone calls, and informal conversations with parents.
• Formally – Through written reports, student/parent/teacher conversations, personalised learning plans, and/or Program Support Group (PSG) meetings.
• Ongoing – By sharing updates on Seesaw that include learning tasks, reflections, and assessments.

Formal Reports

Twice a year, at the end of each semester, families receive a formal written report outlining each student’s achievement and growth across the core areas of the curriculum. These reports are based on legislative requirements and include progression points that indicate each student’s progress and achievement against age-appropriate expectations, in line with both the Victorian Curriculum and the Religious Education Curriculum. Your child's report will go out in Week 10.

Parent Teacher Feedback

Three-Way Conversations ( Parent-Teacher Interviews) in 2025-

Thank you to all families who provided feedback regarding our mid-year reporting format. The results were unanimous — the majority of families voted in favour of Three-Way Conversations / Parent-Teacher Interviews mid year and Student Led conferences at the end of the year.

In 2025, we will move forward with the following format:

• Mid-Year: Three-Way Conversations -  Tuesday 24 June and Wednesday 25 June.

• Term 4: Student-Led Conferences

These meetings will be 15-minute sessions with your child's classroom teacher. While we encourage students to attend the mid-year Three-Way Conversations, we understand that this may not suit every family.

Three-Way Conversation Guidelines

Student Role

• Select and share one piece of work they are proud of, explaining why they chose it
• Identify one area for growth, reflecting on what they’re working on to improve
• Listen to valuable feedback from their teacher

Teacher Role:

• Share current assessment data and observations in Mathematics and Literacy, highlighting:
  • Key strengths in the student’s learning
  • Areas for growth and next steps for progress
• Provide context or strategies to support learning at school and home
• Briefly discuss home learning progress

Parent/Carer Role:

• Listen and ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of their child’s progress
• Collaborate with the teacher and child to discuss learning goals and strategies for ongoing growth
• Share these understanding of how their child is going at School

Please note: We understand that some families may prefer to attend without their child. In these instances, the conversation will still focus on student growth and achievement. Teachers will ensure the student’s selected work is sent home to include their perspective. 

It is also important to note that these meetings are about your child, not other children in their class.  The teacher will not be discussing any details about another child.

Excursion updates on SeeSaw

Please note that during excursions teachers will not be posting live updates or photos to SeeSaw. While photos will still be taken and shared later, our priority during excursions is ensuring the safety, supervision and enjoyment of all students. Just like at school, if we ever needed to contact you throughout the day, we absolutely would, so please take “no news” as a good sign that everything is going smoothly. We appreciate your understanding as we prioritise the wellbeing of all students. The only exception to this is if a class is returning later than expected. An update will be posted in that case via Seesaw or NForma. 

New Before and After School Providers

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) is in the process of streamlining OSHC provision across all MACS schools by engaging a single provider—MACSEYE. As part of this initiative, St John’s has been informed that we will transition to MACSEYE as our new before and after school care provider starting from Term 3, 2025.

The first day of service with MACSEYE will be Monday, 21 July 2025.

Who is MACSEYE?

MACSEYE is a newly approved OSHC provider, established by MACS to deliver high-quality early childhood and school-aged care programs. Their vision is to see every child and family flourish through engaging, inclusive, and values-based care.

As a Catholic provider, MACSEYE will work in close partnership with our school and parish community, offering programs that nurture each child’s identity, health, and wellbeing. The service will operate in alignment with the National Quality Standards, ensuring a safe, supportive, and enriching environment for all students.

Thank You to OSHClub

We would like to sincerely thank OSHClub for their many years of dedicated service to the St John’s community. Their care, professionalism, and commitment have supported countless families and provided a safe and welcoming space for our students before and after school. We are incredibly grateful for the role they have played in building strong relationships with our families and contributing to the wellbeing of our students.

Accessing the New Service

Enrolment details and further information about how to register your child for the MACSEYE program will be shared in the coming weeks.

Questions?

If you have any queries or would like further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly or reach out to MACSEYE via email at: contact@macseye.vic.edu.au

Reminder – Friday 6 June: School Closure Day

A reminder that Friday 6 June is a School Closure Day for all students.

Staff will be participating in a Professional Development Day focused on Faith Formation. The day will centre on:

• Deepening our understanding of our Catholic mission as educators

• Exploring how we can more effectively connect students’ understanding of Catholic traditions with their everyday lives

This is an important opportunity for staff to reflect on and grow in their role as Catholic educators, and to strengthen the faith life of our school community.

OSHClub would like to operate on Friday, 6  June, 2025. However this will depend on 12 or more children registering for the day. Please make sure you book in NOW. (Decision to run will be made by Tuesday 3 June, 2025. If the program does not go ahead families may be able to attend a program at Ivanhoe East PS). 

Sacrament of Confirmation - Year 6 Families

A reminder to all Year 6 students and families preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation on Friday 13 June: you are invited to attend a Family Faith Formation Session on Wednesday, 28 May at 6:30pm.

We are delighted to continue our partnership with Fr Elio Capra, who will be facilitating this special evening. It promises to be a meaningful opportunity to deepen your family’s faith journey as you prepare for this important sacrament.

We also ask that families send in their Child's confirmation name and the name of their Sponsors 

Italian Carnivale at St John's - Thursday 26 June

On Thursday, 26th June, we are proud to present the St John’s Specialist Carnivale—an immersive and dynamic Italian cultural experience where all specialist areas—Performing Arts, STEM, Italian, and PE—will unite to bring the vibrancy, music, movement, and joy of an authentic Italian festival to life. This school community event will provide students with hands-on, creative, and collaborative opportunities to explore artistic expression in an exciting and meaningful way.

On this day, the whole school community is invited to come dressed in “Anything Italian”!You might wear something as simple as green, white, and red ribbons or clothing, or go all out in soccer gear, Ferrari attire, or anything else that celebrates Italian culture. Use your imagination and have some fun!

We warmly invite all families to join us at 9:00 a.m. on the bottom yard for a costume parade. Following this, students will participate in a whole-school Tarantella—a traditional Italian dance they have been learning in Performing Arts. We aim to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people dancing the Tarantella at one time!

Afterwards, students will engage in a variety of STEM, Physical Education, Performing Arts and Language Arts activities, each infused with a touch of Italian flair.

We’re also thrilled to host an Italian incursion by Spectacular Spettacolo in the Parish hall during the middle block of the day. This interactive performance will showcase traditional Italian culture through music, singing, and dancing.

Our wonderful PIC will delight the children with a Pizza and Gelato lunch. Order forms for this will be available soon.

From 2.30-4.15pm there will be Sfinci (italian donuts) will be sold in the top yard for our community to come together and enjoy. Come along and buy a donut and join in the music and fun.

The school will also run a Pasta Drive (Nick’s Pasta) before this special day and it will be available for pick up from 2:30pm on the 26th June. Please see more information in the PIC news tab.

LSO and Office staff Appreciation Week

This week, we took a moment to recognise and sincerely thank our dedicated Learning Support Officers and Office staff for the incredible work they do each and every day at St John’s.

To our LSO team – thank you for the care, patience, and unwavering support you provide to our students and teachers. Your contributions help create inclusive, nurturing learning environments where every student can thrive.

To our Office staff – thank you for being the calm, reliable, and welcoming presence at the heart of our school. From managing daily operations to supporting families and staff, your work often goes unseen but never unappreciated.

We are so grateful for all you do to help St John’s run smoothly and to support our whole school community.

Calling All Creative Gardeners! St John's Scarecrows - Family Activity

St John’s is in need of garden scarecrows!

We’d love to invite families to get involved by creating a scarecrow at home to help brighten up our school garden.

If you’d like to take part, get creative with recycled materials, old clothes, and your imagination—then bring your finished scarecrow to school. 

We would be thrilled to display your family creation proudly in our garden for everyone to enjoy!

Prep Working Bee

Thank You to Our Wonderful Prep Students and Families!

A big thank you to all our Prep students and their families who came along and supported our recent Prep Working Bee. It was heartwarming to see so many eager little hands – and their families – working together to care for and improve our school environment.

The students certainly put their learning into action, demonstrating their understanding of how to care for places that are special to them. Whether it was picking up rocks, weeding, or helping to tidy up the lost property baskets, our Prep students showed responsibility, teamwork, and a genuine sense of pride in their learning space.

We are so grateful for the time, effort, and enthusiasm shared by everyone who participated. Your contribution helps make St John’s a cleaner, brighter, and more welcoming place for all.

Well done, Preps – we are so proud of you!

Warm regards

Alison