World Refugee Day

As we reflect on World Refugee Day held each year on the 20th of June , this prayer reminds us that in the core of our Catholic teaching , we believe every human being is created in the image of God and is therefore entitled to dignity and respect.

A Moment of Grace

A Prayer for Refugees

God of our Wandering Ancestors,

Long have we known That your heart is with the refugee:

That you were born into time

In a family of refugees

Fleeing violence in their homeland,

Who then gathered up their hungry child

And fled into alien country.

Their cry, your cry, resounds through the ages:

“Will you let me in?”

Give us hearts that break open

When our brothers and sisters turn to us with that same cry.

Then surely all these things will follow:

Ears will no longer turn deaf to their voices.

Eyes will see a moment for grace instead of a threat.

Tongues will not be silenced but will instead advocate.

And hands will reach out—

working for peace in their homeland,

working for justice in the lands where they seek safe haven.

Lord, protect all refugees in their travels.

May they find a friend in me

And so make me worthy

Of the refuge I have found in you.

AMEN

Return to School

It is great to have all students back at St John’s as we finish the last two weeks of term. Our students were excited to be back and I certainly congratulate them on persisting with their learning programs during the time of remote learning, whether that be their focus on completing exams or work tasks. It does require of them good study skills, self-discipline and motivation which are all important for them to develop as good learners. I also thank our staff again for demonstrating their professionalism in switching to remote learning seamlessly with the added challenge of providing a remote examination period. Their ongoing support of our students has been exemplary.

We will be reemphasising our COVID routines - masks, washing of hands and social distancing over the next few weeks to ensure everyone feels safe in our community and hopefully we will have a good run of normal life and school routines over the next few months. We will keep you updated as the current restrictions ease and inform you of this impact on our school community.

Make a Difference Day (Mad Day)

At the conclusion of Term 2 next Friday our tradition would be to stage the MAD Day walk to raise funds for the Lasallian Mission Council and local Wellsprings Centre for Women in Dandenong run by the Presentation Sisters. Unfortunately, COVID restrictions have prevented us from running this as planned however we will be rescheduling this event to Term 3 along with several fundraising activities to support these worthy causes.

Reports

Reports will arrive home in the first week of the school holidays via the SEQTA Engage App giving a summary of student progress over the first semester. Staff have spent many hours correcting exam papers and preparing the reports which will provide clear feedback for each student and recommendations for the next steps they should take with their learning. The school holidays are the ideal time to discuss with students their progress and to review the goals they have set for themselves. From this point the important task for Semester 2 is to identify the next steps they need to take to continue to grow and develop their abilities as learners.

Final assembly – June 25th

At the final assembly on June 24 we will take the time to acknowledge some of the achievements from this term including the winners from the House Athletics, House Cross Country and the team that won SIS Senior Girls Soccer Pennant. All academic awards for Semester 1 will be presented at the Assembly for Academic Excellence held in Week 2 of Term 3.

Student Scholarships

Applications for St John’s Regional College Scholarships for General Excellence are now open. General Excellence Scholarships are awarded based on the following criteria: Academic Achievement, Community involvement, Extra-Curricular involvement, Teacher Reference, and Letter of application.

For next year, the 2022 school year, the following Student scholarships will be awarded at St John’s Regional College:

Year 7 (2021) into Year 8 (2022) 4 Half Scholarships
Year 8 (2021) into Year 9 (2022) 4 Half Scholarships
Year 10(2021) into Year 11(2022) 4 Half Scholarships

The application form will be available on SEQTA and from Student Services from the beginning of Term 3 and applications are to be submitted by Friday August 27th to Student Services.

Students already in receipt of a Student Scholarship at St John’s are not able to make application for a General Excellence Scholarship. Students will be notified of their successful application or otherwise in the last week of Term 3.

Holiday Programs – Mushroom Records & Melbourne Victory

Over the last few years we have had the opportunity to offer to our students the following holiday programs from Mushroom Records and Melbourne Victory at no charge.

The ON TRACK program conducted by Mushroom Records is an exciting hands-on music program where students have an exclusive opportunity to work with some of Australia’s leading artists, performers and music-makers.

Not requiring any song writing experience, students will have the opportunity to write a collaborative track , record a DEMO and FILM CLIP and perform their track to an audience; an opportunity not to be missed.

The Melbourne Victory Holiday Program will provide participants with the opportunity to engage with Melbourne Victory staff, coaches and players, as well as participate in education and employment sessions. Participants will have the opportunity to develop leadership and teamwork skills as well as learn and improve their football skills and knowledge through daily training sessions and games.

For more information on these holiday program opportunities go to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sjrchs .

24th of June Open Evening – New Enrolments

Due to the Corona-virus restrictions our Open Event for the 24th of June will be rescheduled as an online event. Parents wishing to take a virtual tour of our facilities and meet the principal in an online forum should make a booking through: https://www.trybooking.com/BALBU.

Congratulations

Chris Jorissen from the class of 2020, returned to St Johns yesterday to collect his Lasllian Award for services to the St John’s Community. Chris is now doing a Bachelor of Arts (Music Production) at Collarts in Collingwood and is thoroughly enjoying his transition to University life.

Staffing

We give our best wishes to staff member Mr Andrew Champion who has announced his resignation from St John’s Regional College after 26 years of fine service. I thank him for his great contribution to St John's in his role as ground’s maintenance and the way our property looks is a testament to his dedication and professionalism. I wish him well in his new role as the ground’s manager for an aged care facility in his local area.

End of Term

I thank staff and students collectively for the effort they have put into this term. It has been an interrupted one and I appreciate the genuine partnership between home and school that has allowed students to continue their learning. I wish all of our families a safe and happy holiday and look forward to our students return for the beginning of Term 3.

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