Dear Families,

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

The wild weather over the past few weeks has been challenging in a school environment. Our students have shown great resilience through inside lunches and oval closures. It was great to see the Kinder students ‘making lemonade’ with our muddy puddles last week. We may have had some muddy uniforms but the joy in our students' faces made it all worth it.

Last night was a huge celebration of the arts at our Spring Concert. It was fantastic to see our students succeed by dancing, singing, playing in a band or reading poems. Emmaus was built to bring the community together. We are very proud of the amazing work from musical genius Mrs Krishnan and dancing guru Mrs Hickey for preparing the students so well and helping them to perform. A special thanks to Joel Quillam for his A/V support and rock band preparation, and Mrs Jaeger for her work supporting students to create their poems. Well done to all students who participated!

We are gearing up for our upcoming positive behaviour excursion in Week 10. Each week, students who receive a Making Jesus Real (MJR) certificate will be entered into a draw for a spot on the bus. MJR certificates are awarded for academic effort, excellent behaviour, or by simply following the John Paul II way: showing respect, being safe, and maintaining high standards. There are 9 student spots available. The more certificates you receive, the more chances of winning a spot on the bus. We have been slowly revealing hints about the excursion. This week's hints included "Choo Choo Food" and "One of the biggest playgrounds in Tasmania".

Our recent Strategic Plan Survey revealed several key priorities from both staff and the community. The top priorities from our surveys were: developing a consistent K-6 Maths approach, progressing with the development of a new playground to support positive behaviour, and developing a parent/carer engagement strategy to foster a greater connection between our families and the school. Stay tuned for more updates regarding our strategic plan.

Staffing Updates

At the end of this term we will be farewelling Christina Booth, our amazing art teacher. Christina is taking some time away from work to focus on family. We wish you all the best and hope to see you again soon! Mr Laurence Winckel will be teaching Art each Thursday in Term 4.

Congratulations Miss Johnson

JPII's wonderful Prep Teacher Miss Johnson is one of 22 remarkable teachers from across Australia who has recently been recognised at the 2024 Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards. Miss Johnson has been honoured for her innovation and commitment to create opportunities for children to thrive in school and beyond. Congratulations Miss Johnson!

Ben Morgan

ACTING PRINCIPAL

Grade 1 | Leatherwood

CLEVER CLASS