A message from Emily
Principal – St John's Footscray
Dear parents and carers,
Over the past fortnight, we have celebrated Book Week, the Sacrament of First Eucharist with several of our Year 3 children, and the Year 5/6 Camp. Each of these was a fun and successful event! I loved seeing the creative homemade Book Week costumes, the reverence of the children as they received Holy Communion for the first time, and the pure joy of being on camp with our amazing Year 5/6 children.
I spent a lot of time with the canoeing groups and thoroughly enjoyed watching their problem-solving in action—learning how to work the paddles and steer under low bridges without capsizing. Almost everyone managed to stay afloat, with only one group going for an unintended dip, though there were certainly plenty of other soggy clothes from all the fun had on the water!
Tomorrow, we celebrate all the fathers and special men in the lives of our St John's children! Gates open at 8:00 am, where our special guests will receive a token for a free drink and donut, enjoy time with their children, and connect with other dads. This will be followed by a special prayer gathering at 9:00 am, after which children will have the opportunity to buy a gift from the Father's Day stall.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Jacquline Cassar, who has led the organisation of both the Mother's Day and Father's Day stalls for many years. This will be her final stall, as her youngest child, Jed, moves on to secondary school next year. Thanks to Jacquline’s dedication over the years, our children have enjoyed wonderful stalls to select gifts for their special adults. Having parents step into these coordination roles provides tremendous support to our school community, staff, and children—and we hope it has been equally rewarding for Jacquline. Thank you, Jacquline, for your time, commitment, and effort in organising gifts well in advance and coordinating parent helpers over so many years. We greatly appreciate everything you have done and hope you enjoy your final Father's Day stall at St John's!
NAPLAN
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been analysing our recent NAPLAN results, and it is incredibly exciting to see the positive impact our school priorities have had on children's achievement and proficiency levels in both Year 3 and Year 5. This success is a direct result of our passionate, dedicated educators and leaders, who work in partnership with families to ensure all children at St John's flourish academically, socially, and emotionally.
I am often asked how our approach at St John's influences children's learning and their preparedness for secondary school.
As the results below demonstrate, our targeted teaching ensures children leave St John's with strong skills as confident, literate, and numerate learners. These achievements reflect our commitment to supporting the whole child—combining data-driven explicit instruction and teacher expertise with Discovery, allied health partnerships, and rich extracurricular opportunities. This progress is also made possible through the valuable support and professional learning provided by MACS through the Vision for Instruction and Vision for Engagement.
Outstanding Year 5 Performance
- 100% Proficiency in Reading & Numeracy: 100% of Year 5 children achieved a proficiency level of Strong or Exceeding in both Reading and Numeracy, exceeding the State average by 25% and the National average by 29%.
- 96% Excellence in Spelling: 96% of Year 5 children achieved Strong or Exceeding in Spelling, placing St John’s 24% above the State average (72%) and 26% above the National average (70%).
- High Writing Outcomes: 88% of Year 5 children scored Strong or Exceeding in Writing, placing St John's 15% above the State average (73%) and 22% above the National average (66%).
Key Year 3 Achievements
- Leading in Writing & Reading: 87% of Year 3 children scored Strong or Exceeding in Writing (compared to 80% State and 74% National), while 80% achieved Strong or Exceeding in Reading.
- Grammar & Punctuation Success: 80% of Year 3 children achieved Strong or Exceeding in Grammar & Punctuation, surpassing the State average (59%) by 21% and the National average (54%) by 26%.
- Strong Numeracy Foundations: 77% of Year 3 children achieved Strong or Exceeding in Numeracy, outperforming the State average (69%) by 8% and the National average (62%) by 15%.
Building Update:
As mentioned in our last newsletter, I have been meeting with a small parent group to ensure our hall redevelopment gets underway as soon as possible. I am pleased to share that we have now received official confirmation of our exact funding amount.
This allows us to move forward confidently with design decisions for our new COLA (Covered Outdoor Learning Area) and the next stages of the project, including putting it out to tender in the coming months. Tomorrow, our parent group will meet with the architect and our MACS Infrastructure Delivery Officer to review the project schedule and next steps. I look forward to providing a further update in our next newsletter as we enter this exciting stage!
MACSSIS
Yesterday, an email was sent to all families containing an individual PIN to access this year's MACSSIS survey. If you did not receive this, please check your spam folder or contact the office so we can share it with you.
MACSSIS provides our school with valuable feedback from staff, children, and families, which directly informs our future priorities. I invite all families to complete this survey before 18 September. Children in Years 4–6 will also complete their survey during school hours.
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS) are conducted annually for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. This year’s MACSSIS window is from Monday 31 August to Friday 18 September 2026.
To find out more about MACSSIS, what the clip below
District Athletics Day:
What a wonderful day we had for the recent Footscray District Athletics Carnival. It was great to see our 48 students representing St Johns and trying their best in each event and working well together as a team in the 4 x 100m relays. There were many students who received ribbons and achieved personal best performances.
A big thank you to all the parents and families who came to support our St Johns team.
Congratulations to the following children who qualified for the next level of competition. They will now represent St Johns’ at the Maribyrnong Division Athletics Carnival on Tuesday the 8th September and compete against children from over 30 different schools. A great achievement.
Yr 6: Georgie V (Shot Put) , Fionn N (200m & 800m), Yel A (Hurdles)
Yr 5: Evelyn Z (200m), Evelyn T (Triple jump), Angus D (Long Jump)
Maddie A (Triple Jump), Evie R (800m), Kate M (Shot Put)
Yr 4: Jubilee K ( 800m & Long Jump), Lucas V (Triple Jump)
The St. John's community wishes them all the best for their events.
National Child Protection Week 6–12 September 2026 National Child Protection Week runs from 6 to 12 September 2026, with the theme Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action.
National Child Protection Week is Australia's national campaign to prevent child abuse and neglect before it happens. Led by NAPCAN for over 30 years, it brings together individuals, families, communities, organisations and governments to build safe, supportive environments where children and young people can thrive.
You can explore the free 2026 Webinar program, downloadable resources and community events via the NAPCAN website Find out more: https://www.napcan.org.au/ncpw-2/
A local author and educator has recently released a picture story book that helps parents have an important conversation around secrets and what to do when someone asks you to keep a secret. We have some copies at school if you would like to check it out or if you would like to purchase a copy see the QR code below.
R U OK? Day 2026 is held on Thursday, 10 September. The overarching message focuses on "Ask R U OK? Any Day" which reminds families that while September 10 is our national day of action, checking in with loved ones is something we can do year-round.
R U OK? Day 2026: Ask R U OK? Any Day!
This Thursday, 10 September, our school community will join Australians nationwide to reflect on R U OK? Day.
While it’s a wonderful reminder on our calendar, the true message behind R U OK? is that a meaningful conversation can happen any day of the year. You don't need to be an expert to reach out…you just need to be a good listener.
4 Simple Steps to Start a Conversation
We can show children how to check in on their friends, building empathy, resilience and connection. You can practise the 4 R U OK? steps at home with your children:
- Ask R U OK? - Pick a relaxed time when you’re not rushed (like during a walk or making dinner).
- Listen - Give full attention, don't rush to "fix" the problem immediately and validate how they feel.
- Encourage Action - Ask what might help them feel a bit better (e.g. a short break, a hug, talking to a teacher or trusted adult).
- Check In - Follow up later to show you care and that they aren't alone.
How Parents & Carers Can Get Involved
- Look out for fellow parents: School drop-off and pick-up times are great opportunities to say a warm hello or ask another parent how their week is going.
Talk about feelings at home: Encourage children to name their emotions - it's okay to feel sad, overwhelmed or frustrated, and it's always okay to ask for help.
Need Support?
If you or someone you know is going through a tough time, free support is always available:
- Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7 Crisis Support)
- Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5–25)
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
Resources for Everyday Resources to help you ask R U OK? every day
Bunnings BBQ Volunteers:
A reminder that on Sunday, 13 September, we are hosting our Bunnings BBQ at the West Footscray store! We now have a roster full of volunteers which is wonderful, so all we need know if for all the families and friends of our St John's community to come down and grab a sausage and a drink to support our school!
Footy/Sports Colours Day:
To celebrate the AFL finals season, we are holding our annual Footy/Sports Colours Day on the last day of Term 3! Children are invited to wear their favourite sporting team's colours, scarves, beanies, or jerseys.
During the morning, Michelle Graham and our Sports Captains will run fun rotation activities for children to participate in alongside their House peers.
We are also excited to provide a Hot Dog Lunch for the children. This is a special treat provided free of charge to families. Each child will receive one hot dog in bread, and gluten-free options will be available for children with dietary requirements.
To help us cater accurately, please complete the form linked below to indicate whether your child would like a hot dog.
Things coming up:
- No School on Monday 7th September for Learning Conversations.
- Last day of term will be a Footy/Sports Colours Day. As a special treat we are organising a Hot Dog Lunch for the children. More information will be sent home soon.
- Family Photos Fundraiser 10/11th October. Spots are filling up fast so don't forget to book in to secure your session.
Warm wishes
Emily
What's coming up:
- 31 Aug to 18 Sept: MACSSIS Survey
- 4 Sept: Father's Day Celebration and Stall
- 7th Sept: School closure Day - Learning Conversations
- 18th Sept: Last Day of Term, 1pm Finish
- 5th Oct: Term 4 Begins
Upcoming road works: Summerhill Road which may increase traffic around St. John's
Upcoming road works: Leander Street
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.