Principal Updates

Welcome back to the start of the 2026 School Year. The fresh faces of our new Prep students were a joy to behold last Friday and the Year 6 students excitedly greeted their peers and teachers as they returned for their final year in Primary School. It is always a special time of the year to reunite with our school families and to welcome the new students to our St John's Community.

An exciting part of the first day of school for our Year 6 students is receiving their Year 6 jumper. The students chose the design last year, so they were delighted to be able wear them for the first time, to begin their last year of primary school. Next Monday, 9 February, our Year 6 students will be presented with their Leadership Badges at our first Assembly for the Year, at 2.50pm. Everyone is welcome to come along and join us.

We had a great turnout for our Welcome back Morning Tea last Friday. It is always lovely to catch up with all of the parents again and to welcome our new Prep families aswell. It is fantastic that we have two Prep classes this year. The Prep students all arrived confidently and looked beautiful in their new uniforms. They are ready for a big year ahead.

All the classes have settled in well and are straight into their new routines this week. Timetables and Curriculum Overviews will be shared with all parents at the end of the week. This will include some reminders for the Term, homework and behaviour expectations and the procedures for your child's year level.

Please remember that all students need to be at school between 8.30am-8.45am every morning to ensure they are ready to start the morning at 8.50am. Teachers are on duty to supervise the students from 8.30am onwards.

Uniform Reminders

Hats need to be worn during Term 1 and 4, in line with our Sun Smart Policy. All students should have their own sunscreen in their school bags to apply at both breaks. Black school shoes need to be worn with the summer uniform and navy blue socks. White socks and runners may only be worn on PE days.

2026 School Fee Statements

Fee statements for 2026 will be sent to families by the end of February. This will include an outline of payment options, methods and timeframes. If you have any questions or concerns regarding school fees, please email administration@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au for assistance.

Staffing for 2026

Prep A - Cara Woolley supported by Keyla and Mel K

Prep B - Rebecca Stuart supported by Julie and Louise

1/2 A - Clorinda Maio and Amanda Hill, Monday fortnightly, supported by Sarah and Prue

1/2 B - Thomas Preston supported by Amina

3/4 A - Sebastian Vandenberg supported by Lipo

3/4 B - Anna Hendy and Nicole Webb supported by Ruby

5/6 A - Allison Bayliss supported by Kim

5/6 B - Marisa Box supported by Melissa

Introducing our new Teachers, Sebastian Vandenberg and Thomas Preston

Hi, my name is Sebastian Vandenberg and I have the privilege of being 3/4A's classroom teacher for 2026. I adore teaching, as I find it valuable in supporting young individuals to thrive. Witnessing students grow and the pride they develop within themselves, is one of my favourite aspects of this profession. I have a passion for crafting, games of all types and reading, with a love for fantasy and creativity. I am honoured to be welcomed by the St John's Community.

Hello! My name is Tom Preston and I am very excited to be the class teacher in 1/2B for 2026. I can’t wait to get to know all of you and join the students on their learning journey in Year 1/2. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy both watching and playing Aussie Rules footy. I love to go for walks and hikes, to travel to other countries and to go to the movies. Some of my favourites things are eating Banh Mi or Pho and supporting my footy team Hawthorn. A fun fact about me is that I have a twin sister.

We are both very excited to be a part of the St John's school community.

Parents Association 2026

Our First Parents Association Meeting for the Year will be on Tuesday, 10 March. Everyone is part of the Parents Association so you are all welcome to come along and share your ideas to help make this a big year of Social Events, Fundraising and Outreach.

Please join us in the Staffroom at 7.00pm on Tuesday, 10 March.

Parent-Teacher Meet and Greets - Tuesday 10 Feb

Parent–Teacher Meet and Greets in Term 1, are an opportunity for each parent to meet individually with their child's teacher (students do not attend) to share their child’s strengths and attributes, and to discuss the teacher’s goals for your child. We will offer 2 formal Parent Teacher Interviews throughout the Year. The next Parent Teacher interview will be in Term 3.

We encourage all parents to book an interview time between 3.40pm - 7.30pm.

Bookings are now open via PAM

Families who will have a PSG meeting scheduled this Term do not need to book a Meet and Greet, but you are most welcome to.

2026 Bell Times

After trialing different lunch break times throughout 2025 and getting some great feedback from student leaders and staff, the below schedule has been decided for this year.

Bell Times
8:30am	Front Door and School Gates Opened
8:50am	School Day Begins - Class Meditation
11:00am	First Break - Eating Lunch in Class
11:10-11:55am	First Break - Play
1:55-2:20pm	Second Break - Afternoon Snack and Play
3:20pm	Day Ends

Student Absences

If your child has an Illness, holiday booked, late starts and early departures, they are to be entered via PAM.

Please do not email student absences to classroom teachers until you have entered it into PAM.

It is important that all student absences are entered as soon as possible via the PAM site, and before 10am on the day of absence. See the Getting Started in 2026 newsletter section for more information about PAM.

If you are having difficulties with PAM, please see one of our office team to assist, Sheree or Maria.

For one-off instances, if you are unable to use PAM, please email the absence details to office@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au or phone the school on (03) 9874 1575.

Medication Authority

If your child requires medication at school, we ask that parents complete a new Medication Authority Form each year. In line with MACS policy, all medication must be supplied in its original packaging with the original label. Ongoing daily medication requires authorisation from an AHPRA-registered health or medical practitioner, supporting documentation such as a Medical Management Plan, or a letter from the treating practitioner.

For short-term or incidental medication (e.g. antihistamines or paracetamol), the form must still be signed by a parent/carer, but a medical practitioner’s authorisation is not required unless the medication relates to a more significant medical condition.

More information can be found in the attached form. Paper copies are available from the office.

Parking Safely

This is a reminder to always observe the parking signs around the school. Whitehorse Council Officers regularly check that all drivers are parking safely. There is a Kiss and Drop area at the front of the school, so please do not park there.

There is plenty of parking on the basketball court, before and after school. You can enter via Elizabeth St. Please note that in line with child safety policy the Elizabeth St gate is closed at 9:10am, and reopened at 3:10pm each school day.

There is also plenty of parking across Whitehorse Road and you can use the Footbridge.

Student Smart Watches and Mobile Phones

This is a reminder that students are discouraged from bringing smart watches or mobile phones to school. If they do bring one in these will be handed in to the class teacher at the start of the day and may be collected at the end of the day. They will be kept safely in the teachers cupboard.

Guidelines for screen time and keeping your child active can be found in the Australian 24-hour movement guidelines for the early years. These guidelines were developed from reviews of the evidence about the effects of physical activity, sleep and sedentary time (including screen time) on children’s development, health and wellbeing.

For screen time, the guidelines recommend:

no screen time for children younger than two years
no more than one hour per day for children aged 2–5 years
no more than two hours of sedentary recreational screen time per day for children and young people aged 5–17 years (not including schoolwork).

Class Reps

If you would like to be the Class Rep for your child's year level this year please email me your expression of interest. The Class Rep role is to ensure that weekly events, reminders and activities are communicated by via a Whatsapp Group to all parents in your year level. This Whatsapp group needs to be maintained in accordance with the MACS Code of Conduct for Parents. Please let me know via email if you are interested in taking on this role.

Joke of the Week

Q: Toby came home from his first day of school last week and his mother asked, “What did you learn today?”

“Not enough,” Toby replies. “They said I have to go back next week.”

I hope that you all have a great week ahead and please don't hesitate to reach out if I can support you or your family in any way.

Verona Gridley

St John's Primary School Principal

principal@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

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