Principal's Page
'A Welcoming Community Leading the Future of Learning with Faith and Love'
Principal's Updates
For St John’s families, partnership and connection are at the heart of our school community. Parents play a vital role in supporting their children’s learning and development throughout their school years and beyond, and we greatly value the strong relationships we share with our families. Last week was a great example of connection to help support our wonderful students.
Research consistently shows that schools with high levels of parent and community engagement foster improved student wellbeing, positive behaviours and stronger learning outcomes. At St John’s, we are committed to working in partnership with families to create a nurturing and supportive environment where every child can flourish academically, socially and spiritually.
The involvement of parents in a variety of ways across school life reflects the important partnership between home, school, parish and the wider community in supporting the growth and development of our students. The spirit of St John’s was evident at our Grandparents and Special Visitors Day and at the Mothers Day Breakfast also. Thankyou to all of the families who were able to join us at these very special events. Together, we continue to build a vibrant and welcoming community where every child is supported to thrive.
Special Thanks
I would like to thank Nick McKay and Rob Kruisheer for organising the beautiful Mothers Day breakfast for our school community. The food was delicious and in abundance. The room looked lovely and there was a great crew of dads supporting this very special morning. Thankyou to all of the dads who came in very early in the morning to help prepare and serve the food.
Special Thanks to John Stack, from Jellis Craig Real Estate for supplying the Coffee Cart for the morning. It was wonderful to have freshly brewed coffee for all the Mothers to enjoy.
Extra thanks to Jess Kruisheer and Zuleika Wyman for coordinating the Mother's Day Stall. There was a huge range of gifts for all the mums and grandmotehrs. We are grateful for your time and energy in preparing this for us.
Thankyou to the PA for supporting the events across the week and donating prizes for our Mother's Day Raffle. I hope that all the Mums and Mother figures were spoilt on Sunday.
Catholic School Parents Victoria
Supporting Families in Catholic Education
Catholic School Parents Victoria (CSPV) has been re-established to strengthen the voice of parents and carers in Catholic education across Victoria, recognising parents as the first educators and key partners in their child’s learning, wellbeing and faith journey. CSPV is guided by a Council of parent representatives from across the state, ensuring that the diverse perspectives of families in Catholic schools are reflected in its work and advocacy.
We invite you to explore the CSPV website at www.cspv.catholic.edu.au
where you will find a wealth of information and resources to support your parenting journey within Catholic education, including guidance on wellbeing, faith, learning and key issues impacting families.
You can also subscribe via the website to join the CSPV community, receive the quarterly newsletter and be invited to upcoming events or connect with CSPV on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook to access valuable insights, updates and practical resources.
Together, we can continue to strengthen the partnership between families, schools and the wider Catholic community.
Grandparents and Special Visitors Day
Last week, we were delighted to welcome our grandparents and special visitors to St John’s Mitcham for a truly memorable celebration. It was wonderful to see our school filled with joy, connection and shared experiences as students proudly welcomed their special guests into their classrooms and learning spaces. We sincerely thank all of our grandparents and special visitors for joining us and helping make the day so meaningful. Your presence, support and involvement are deeply valued and the memories created will be treasured by our students and staff alike.
You Are All Invited
We invite you to join us at the combined PA/SAC Parent Engagement Event.
This Wine and Cheese evening will be held on Tuesday, 2 June, at 7pm and will be hosted in our New Wellbeing Hub. We will share the great work happening in Wellbeing at St John's and our Vision for our new Student Engagement Space, including a presentation of the Master Plan and future building works.
Please save the date - 2 June at 7pm - and come along to this exciting event.
St John's Art Show 2026
Student Challenge
This weeks challenge is to find the answer to this RIDDLE on another page of the newsletter.
Q: What can you find in the middle of March and April, but not at the beginning of either month?
Can you find it? When you do, let me know where you spotted it and collect your reward.
Good luck and happy searching!
Joke of the Week
Where would a fish live if it lived on land? A: In Fin-land.
May you have a peaceful week ahead and please let me know if I can assist you and your family in any way.
Verona Gridley
St John's Primary School Principal