Dear St John's Community,

What a busy two weeks it has been to end Term 3!

As the term concludes I would like to express my immense gratitude for the dedicated team we have at our school. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our remarkable staff, who tirelessly cater to the needs of our students, support one another as colleagues and work in close partnership with our parent community.

Teaching is far more than a profession; it is a deeply personal calling. Our educators experience the pure delight and joy that comes with seeing a child grasp a new concept or grow in confidence. Equally, because they care so deeply, our teachers share in the heartache when a child struggles or feels hurt. Through every rise and fall, their unwavering focus remains unchanged: to support all learners to flourish in their own right, celebrating the unique gifts each child brings to our school.

This commitment aligns beautifully with the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) vision outlined in the Forming Hearts framework. At its core, Forming Hearts calls us to place Christ at the very centre, as missionary disciples, within the educational journey, drawing on Christ's life and teachings as our ultimate role model. Education is not merely about acquiring knowledge, but about shaping character, empathy and spirit.

When we look to Christ as our guide, our learning takes on a profound purpose. We encourage our students to reflect on essential questions such as: How can I use what I am learning to better the lives of ourselves, others and/or the environment? As stewards of Christ, particularly in this Season of Creation, our education empowers us to look beyond ourselves, acting with kindness, compassion, dignity, devotion, acceptance and responsibility towards all creation.

Thank you to our staff, families and students for continuing to cultivate a community where hearts are formed, minds are nurtured and Christ's love is actively lived out each day.

The Story of the St John's Sinkhole!

I have experienced so many joyful moments throughout the week as I've listened to the chatter around the fence surrounding the St John's sinkhole! Lexie and Cleo from prep have told me they think that the hole came about from a frog jumping up and down , followed by the silly foxes who thought they would like to live there! Junior school students, Phoenix and Everly, report that it may have been a visiting Rocket ship or the rain "because concrete can be a bit gooey sometimes when it hasn't gone hard". The spaceman may have kept jumping on the same spot! There is also some suggestions that the hole appeared when lightning hit the ground!

Some ideas from Pippa and Hudson include that maybe the basketballs bouncing in that area each day has encouraged the clay underneath to start disappering and making it hollow so it collapsed, or maybe a bus drove over it and it was way too heavy! As the hole has become bigger, some students also believe that students shaking the fence has caused vibrations on the ground which in turn has created the collapse of the hole. Senior students, Bella and Eve, along wiht their classmates have written a narrative about the sinkhole. Bella's favourite line from her writing piece is, "Suddenly I heard rumours start to float around me" and Eve's is "I held my helmet tightly to my chest with a concerned look" - both of these students have written over 1000 words in their narrative - displaying great quantity and quality. Well done!

What we do know for certain is the experts have been out to assess the hole and surrounding areas and will provide us on instructions to rectify the area. Hopefully this can be done during the holidays!

Congratulations!

Just in case you haven't heard, Mrs Caitlin McInnes is expecting the arrival of her first baby next term. We are very excited for her and Tom as they prepare for their new journey as parents for the first time. Mrs McInnes will be entering her maternity leave within the first few weeks of Term 4, we are working hard to find a suitable teacher for 1/2M.

St John's students and staff have rejoiced in the news that Mrs Atkins is a mum! Grace and Jake welcomed daughter Andie in late August. They are enjoying this precious time together and we cannot wait to meet her.

Please read through the newsletter as there are many photos of what has been happening around the school, classrooms and also out and about!

Warm regards,

Marisa Patton

Acting Deputy Principal

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