A message from Emily

Dear parents and carers

It's hard to believe that we are at the end of another school year. We have many things to be proud of, even in the face of challenges. I had a recent update about application for electrical supply upgrade. Based on their assessment, they anticipate that the offer letter may be available by the end of January. I will keep the community updated in the new year about this and the next steps.

Year 6 Graduation & Farewell

Our Year 6 children are experiencing a lot of 'last times' as they prepare to say goodbye to their primary school years and embark on a new learning adventure at secondary school.

• Guard of Honour: Next week, we will celebrate and honour these children as they leave through our gates for the last time on Wednesday at 1:00 PM. If you would like to join in the Guard of Honour, please arrive at Joan's Yard at 12:50 PM.
• Graduating Families Recognition: On Monday, we will also acknowledge the families who have their last child graduating this year, celebrating and thanking them for their partnership with us over many years.

'End of Year' Liturgy & Advent

We invite all families to join us tomorrow for our 'End of Year' Liturgy in Joan's Yard at 10:00 AM.

• This liturgy will be led by the Year 5 children and the Village Leaders.
• We will also focus on this week's Advent candle: Joy.

The third candle, Joy (which is pink), represents the rejoicing and anticipation that grows stronger as Christmas Day—the celebration of Christ's birth—draws nearer. In essence, the candle invites believers to pause and rejoice because the Lord is near.

Student Reports

All families should have received a notification that your child's reports are now available via PAM.

Please contact the office if you require any support accessing these.

🎄 Family Christmas Event: Excitement Builds!

There is much excitement and anticipation about TONIGHT's Family Christmas event! We can't wait to welcome you and for you to enjoy tonight's performances.

Food, Fun, and Shopping for Charity

• BBQ & Soft Drinks for Sale: Join us from 4:45 PM for a delicious BBQ and soft drinks.
• Payment: We have 'tap and go' facilities available for these purchases.
• Seating: Please bring a picnic blanket or chair and find a spot to enjoy food together before the official start.
• Don't forget to check out the 5/6 Hub's Myer Window displays
• Market Stalls: We are proud to have two children selling homemade items in the back yard to raise money for charity. 

See flyers below for details! The official start of the performances is 5:20 PM.

A Big Thank You to Our Volunteers!

This event would not be possible without the many hands who have contributed their time, organisation, and expertise.

A heartfelt thank you goes to:

• Melissa, Alicia, and the team: For planning and preparing the wonderful performances.
• Leonie: For overseeing the booking and set up of the stage and sound system.
• Melinda, Lisa, Vicki, and Amy: For sourcing food from local businesses for our fundraising BBQ and co-ordinating volunteers.
• Our Cooking Volunteers: Thank you in anticipation to those who will be on cooking duties this evening!

We look forward to a fantastic night! 

Mish and her team of helpers have the farm looking amazing and we would like families to volunteer time to care for this space over the summer holidays. The chickens will need checking daily for food and water. You are also welcome to take any eggs that they have laid. We will also need to ensure the gardens are watered regularly, particularly on days when it has been warm. Please contact Leonie or Mish to nominate days you are available to support with this. 

MACSEYE Summer Explorers School Holiday Program

Get ready for a summer filled with discovery, creativity and fun! Our Summer Explorers program is bursting with activities to keep children active, engaged and excited throughout the holidays.

Children will enjoy:

• Making sea creatures, tie-dye bucket hats, animal masks, bubble wands and more!
• Playing water games, our very own Summer Olympics and colourful challenge games.
• Learning about water safety with a Lifeguard from Life Saving Victoria.
• Visiting the historic Polly Woodside and going to the movies to see Zootopia 2.

Bookings

• Current OSHC users: Book now via the Xplor Home app
• New families: Enrol first using the link in the brochure to receive booking instructions
• Bookings close: Wednesday 17 December
• Please note: Regular before and after school care won’t operate during the holidays

For more information, visit macseye.vic.edu.au/holiday-program, or contact us contact@macseye.vic.edu.au or 1300 501 029.

As of yesterday, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 requires social media platforms to:

• prevent children and young people under 16 from having a social media account
• deactivate or freeze existing accounts held by people under 16.

Delaying access to social media protects the health and wellbeing of young people and gives them extra time to build real world connections and digital literacy skills. 

The responsibility will be on the social media platforms, not parents, carers, children or schools, to implement these new restrictions. 

Most popular social media platforms will be age restricted. These include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and YouTube.

Messaging services and online games, as well as apps and platforms that support health and education, can still be used. 

How to help under 16s prepare for the change

Parents and carers play an important role in supporting their children to be safe online. 

To help get under 16s ready for the social media minimum age requirements, you can go to the eSafety website to learn more about the social media age restrictions and find tips on how to talk about social media age restrictions with young people.

What the change means for our school 

At our school, all age-restricted social media platforms are blocked for student use on the school network. This will block children's access to YouTube on ChromeOS Devices, or anywhere they sign into their Google Account.

Our 2026 School Priorities

As another school year concludes, we have taken time to reflect on our impact and progress against this year's Annual Action Plan. We are proud of the work accomplished, particularly in implementing a research and evidence-based spelling approach and developing strong place value knowledge and understanding in Mathematics.

Review and New Goals for 2026

After reviewing various forms of data (including NAPLAN, MACSSIS Survey results, PAT Assessments, etc.), we have set our priorities for 2026. We will continue our work that we began this year with Tessa Daffern (Spelling) and Rob Vingerhoets (Maths) and introduce a new goal focused on Wellbeing and a School-wide Behaviour Curriculum.

This new goal is based on a key recommendation from our 2024 School Review and is supported by data gathered from staff, children and parents in our MACSSIS survey results as well as the children's PAT Social Emotional Wellbeing Surveys. This work begins with two school closure days at the beginning of the year, 28th January and 6th February. For more 2026 dates please check out our Important Dates page. 

We look forward to sharing more about this initiative in the new year. Parent voice will be a vital part of this work, alongside contributions from staff and the children, as we move forward together.

If you are looking for things to entertain your children over Christmas and the summer break, please check out our Community Connection page. Maribyrnong City Council has a wide range of activities on offer for our local community. 

Thank You to Our Amazing Community

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the wonderful St John's staff members. They truly keep every child at the heart of everything they do.

The care and dedication they show towards your children's learning and wellbeing is an incredible strength of our school community.

I would also like to thank all families for your valuable partnership with me this year. Please know that my door is always open to anyone wanting to meet and talk.

Wishing each and every member of our very special school community a joy-filled Christmas and a relaxing and safe holiday break.

I hope that this time is spent with those you love and who love you.

We wish safe journeys to those travelling far and wide, and send our best wishes to those who will be leaving our community next week for the last time.

God Bless,

Emily

What's coming up:

• Tonight - Christmas Family Night
• Tomorrow - End of Year Liturgy, Joan's Yard 10am
• Monday 15th December - Yr 6 Graduation and day of Celebration
• Wednesday 17th December - Last Day for 2025, 1pm finish and Yr 6 Guard of Honour

Reminders:

🧢 Hats

We have a small supply of spare hats for children who forget theirs. However, we are finding that more children are missing their hats than we have spares available to loan. Please check with your child to ensure they have their hat so their play isn't limited to shaded areas.

👕 Uniform Donations

As the year draws to a close, we welcome uniform donations for our second-hand uniform shop. Please feel free to hand any items in at the School Office. All donations are greatly appreciated.

OUR IMAGE OF THE CHILD

‘At St. John’s, we strongly believe that children are at the centre when given authentic and meaningful experiences. They flourish when their passions and interests are acknowledged and valued. Children are empowered when they take ownership for their learning. They have a right to develop autonomy through discovery.’

(St. John’s Staff, 2018)

We respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation as the owners of the land on which we live, play and learn at St John's Primary School, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

All students attending St. John's Primary School have the right to feel safe. The care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a fundamental responsibility of all within our school.