As the 2020 school year draws to a close and we reflect on our year together, no-one would have predicted the events that have unfolded. The St John’s Community has proven to be an adaptable, resilient and generous community. Our word for the 2021 school year was “Belong” and it was our aim to ensure everyone felt connected and felt that they belonged here at St John's. I hope that everyone in our community has felt the connection and reached out when they needed to.

We would normally invite parent helpers and volunteers in to school for a thank you afternoon tea. Unfortunately this will not be taking place this year but we extend our thanks and gratitude to all in our school community that have assisted the staff and students in some way this year especially the Community Association (CA) and Education Board members. Particular thanks to Rohan Sutton who is stepping down from the School Board and to Ryannon Elliott, Maria Wallis and Elizabeth Watkins who will no longer be assisting the CA. Both Ryannon and Maria have contributed a great deal to our school community and are leaving as their children are finishing their time here at St John's.

We thank the following families who are finishing at St John's at the end of this year. The Wallis, Pal, Datoy, Breaden, Elliott, Troup, Crawford, Finlay, Fraser, Godino, Horvat, Galati, Marriner, Saez, Taboada, Ward, Zhao, Solidarios and Abeysiriwardana families have all contributed in some way to the fabric of our community.

The leaving families have all been invited by the CA to share lunch with each other at Bucatini's Restaurant next Tuesday.

Year Six Graduation

We look forward to celebrating our Year Six students next Monday evening 14 December at 7:00pm. The Graduation Ceremony will take place outside with family members invited to attend. Families are invited to then stay and enjoy a picnic on the grassed area. Families will need to supply their own picnic and please remember that alcohol is not allowed at school events due to Child Safety regulations. Further information will be sent home with Year 6 students this week.

End of School Year

Next Monday 14 December we will be celebrating the year with students at a Thanksgiving Mass at 9:00am, followed by an hour with their new teacher and class for 2021and a whole school picnic at Halliday Park. A sausage sizzle will be provided by the CA and any students with special dietary needs will need to bring their own lunch.

Tuesday 15 December is the last day of school for students, finishing at the usual time of 3.20pm. Students are welcome to wear free dress on this day

Reports

Over the past few weeks staff have been finalising assessment tasks and completing report writing in preparation for student reports and Learning Folios. The reports are a celebration of learning gains made by each student this year. Reports will be live this Wednesday and parents will be sent an email outlining how to access the reports. Your child will be bringing a Learning Folio home if they are in Prep - Year Two and will have a Digital Folio for you to view online if in Year Three - Six. I thanks all staff for the time and effort they have put into reporting, ensuring they are personalised and reflect success and improvement.

2021 Booklists

Students will not be bringing books and stationary home from school at the end of this year. All booklist items will be at school ready for students on their first day next year.

Student Assessment 2021

We will be trialing a new process at the beginning of the 2021 school year. On Thursday 28 and Friday 29 January, students will be attending school for an hour each for some literacy and numeracy assessments. All students will resume the school year on Monday 1 February, 2021. Teachers will be analysing results and designing learning programs based on each students' needs. Please follow the instructions on the Learning and Teaching page to make a booking for your child/children.

Art Expo 2020

Thank you to our wonderful Visual Art teacher, Mrs Deirdre Cosgrave, for putting our Art Expo together. I hope you all found time to enjoy our students' creative talents. It's not too late if you haven't already had a look.

Carols on the Screen

Thank you to our amazing Performing Arts teacher, Ms Lou Devoy, for her preparation of students for Carols on the Screen. Due to COVID regulations students were not allowed to sing inside so Ms Devoy had to be creative with the presentation. A link to the video recording will be sent to families shortly. Please respect the privacy of our students and families and only view the video in your own homes. Please do not share online or any social media sites.

Confirmation 2020

Congratulations to the following students who celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation last week: Will, Anria, Chrissy, Kane, Tristan, Patrick, Anna, Cohen, Sam, Greg, Jessica, Maeve, Sienna, Gemma, Cooper, Gracie, Erin, Leah, Josh, Aidan, Ebony, Lena, Cameron, Basti, Marco and Chris.

On behalf of Verona, staff and students, a very big thank you to everyone at the end of what has been a very challenging, yet rewarding year. A year that taught us to be creative and innovate, the importance of family and friends, not to take things for granted and that there is a lot to be thankful for.

A Christmas Wish

by Myra Scovel

God Give you blessings at Christmas time;

Stars for your darkness, sun for your day,

Light on the path as you search for the Way,

And a mountain to climb.

God grant you courage this coming year,

Fruit for your stiving, friends if you roam,

Joy in your labour, love in your home,

And a summit to clear.

Have a joyous and blessed Christmas and a wonderful holiday with your family. We all look forward to welcoming you back next year for what promises to be an inspiring year.

Monica O'Shannassy

moshannassy@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au