Principal's News

Dear Families and Carers,

Lord Jesus,

As we journey through Lent, help us to grow closer to You.

Teach us to be kind in our words, generous in our actions,and loving in our hearts.

Help us to pray each day, to make good choices,and to care for those in need.

May this Lenten season  bring us closer to You and prepare our hearts for Easter.

It is hard to believe that we have already moved into the season of Autumn this week. As we continue through the season of Lent, we are reminded that this is also a time of reflection, growth and renewal in our faith journey.

Lent invites us to slow down, spend time in prayer, show kindness and compassion, and reflect on how we can grow closer to God and to one another. Just as the season of Autumn brings visible change in nature, Lent calls us to renewal within our hearts.

As St. Francis de Sales reminds us:

"Lent is the autumn of the spiritual life, during which we gather fruit to keep us going for the rest of the year."

Helping Children Grow Through Challenge

As parents , it is completely natural to want to step in and rescue our children when they face challenges. We never like to see them upset, worried, or struggling. Our instinct is to protect.

However, it is sometimes helpful to pause and reflect on what our children truly need in those moments.

When we consistently step in and solve problems for children, we can unintentionally send the message that the situation is something to fear, or that they are not capable of managing it themselves. Over time, this can impact their confidence and resilience.

Challenges, disagreements, friendship hiccups, tricky learning tasks and even small disappointments are all part of growing up. These experiences help children develop problem-solving skills, perseverance and courage. Each time a child works through something difficult, they build a stronger belief in their own abilities.

This does not mean stepping away or ignoring their needs. Rather, it means standing beside them instead of in front of them. We can guide them with supportive questions such as:

• What do you think you could try?

• Who could help you?

• What worked last time?

• Has your behaviour affected others?

• Is this a small or big problem?

By doing this, we empower our children to develop independence and confidence, knowing they are supported but also capable.

At St John’s, we are committed to nurturing resilient learners who are willing to try, to make mistakes and to grow. Together, through a strong partnership between home and school, we can help our children see challenges not as something to fear, but as opportunities to learn and become stronger.

Staff News

We warmly welcome Rebecca Hoolohan to the St John’s community this week. Rebecca has joined our school office team and will be working alongside Louise, supporting the many day-to-day operations that help our school run smoothly.

The school office is often the first point of contact for families, and we are grateful to have Rebecca join the team in this important role. Please join us in making Rebecca feel welcome as she settles into our community.

Congratulations to Miss Cristina Menegas and her fiancé Jack on announcing their engagement last weekend! 💍

Wishing you both a lifetime of love, happiness, and wonderful memories together. We are so excited for you and look forward to hearing about the wedding preparations.

Catholic Education Week - St Patrick’s 

Catholic Education week commences next week. This year’s theme celebrates the significance of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of our local Church in Melbourne.

Christ beside me: Walking in the footsteps of Saint Patrick.

This week is an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to celebrate their Catholic identity and the pivotal role that Catholic Schools play within their local community and the wider sector. As part of the celebrations I will be taking our School Captains and Faith and Social Justice Leader and Students Action Team to attend the Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Friday 20 March. Following the Mass, students will also attend the Concert in the park. 

We are proud to share that our school has been chosen to say a prayer and take part in the procession with the Archbishop. This is a wonderful honour for our school community, and we look forward to representing our school with respect and pride during this special occasion.

Vision for Engagement

I commend our teachers for their ongoing commitment to the MACS mandated framework- Vision for Engagement. This policy calls us to maintain a clear and intentional focus on ensuring that our classroom practices consistently reflect the spirit, language and expectations of the Vision for Engagement.

The six engagement practices include:

• Teaching respectful behaviour – not simply expecting it, but explicitly teaching and modelling it for our students.

• Fostering a strong sense of belonging – ensuring every student feels known, valued and included, as inclusion is of paramount importance.

• Focusing on attendance – supporting students and families to understand that every day of learning matters.

• Promoting mental health and wellbeing – creating safe and supportive learning environments where students can thrive.

• Enabling motivation – engaging students in meaningful learning that sparks curiosity and encourages effort.

• Targeting individual learning needs – recognising and responding to the diverse strengths, needs and abilities of every learner.

To support our Vision for Engagement, we ask families to ensure that students arrive at school on time each day. Recently, we have noticed an increase in late arrivals and early dismissals.

From now on, families will be required to sign students in at the office if they arrive late. Students will no longer be able to simply give their name at the office.

Thank you for your support in helping us ensure that every student makes the most of their learning time at school.

Parent Engagement in Learning Evenings

Thank you to the families who attended the  Prep and Year 5-6 Parent Engagement for Learning sessions held this week and took the time to engage with their child’s learning. Your partnership and support play an important role in helping our students feel confident, supported and ready to learn. We value the opportunity to work together to build strong connections between home and school and to support each child’s learning journey throughout the year.

A reminder that the next Parent Engagement for Learning sessions will take place on Wednesday 18 March:

• Year 1/2 – Online, 6:00–7:00pm

• Year 3/4 – Online, 7:00–8:00pm

We encourage all families to attend online and look forward to sharing further information about classroom learning, routines and ways you can support your child at home.

Child Safety Induction Program

This year, we again welcome the support of parents / carers to assist in our classrooms. As a school we value strong partnerships and believe that your support is invaluable. All parents / carers are welcome to help. We require that all helpers assisting in the classrooms are fully trained and have a current Working with Children Check. There will be a compulsory training session (approximately 1 hour) for all new  parent helpers. Parents / carers are asked to attend one of the following sessions  Wednesday 25 March 9:00am. Please contact Elizabeth on ewhiting@sjheidelberg.catholic.edu.au for any questions.

Easter Raffle

Easter Raffle – Supporting Our School Community

PIC will be holding our annual Easter Raffle, and we are excited to invite all families to take part! Please read the PIC page of the newsletter for more details.

Funds raised from the raffle will go directly back into enhancing student experiences across the school. 

Thanks to your generous support, we are planning to purchase:

• New sandpit toys

• Classroom games for wet day play

• Additional outdoor play equipment for the Top Yard

   

These additions will further enrich play opportunities, encourage creativity and collaboration, and support student wellbeing during both indoor and outdoor learning times.

Thank you for your continued support of our PIC initiatives

No Trading Cards

A reminder, that after much consideration, we have decided to not allow any sort of trading cards at school. This is includes footy cards, pokemon cards etc.

Unfortunately, they have been causing a number of issues with trading between students and are becoming a distraction from learning and playing. We appreciate your support in ensuring that students are not bringing trading cards to school.

Thank you to those families who have expressed their appreciation about this new rule. Your support is appreciated.

Year 4 Water Safety Program

The St John’s Primary School Water Safety Program for Year 4 students will now be held at Learn to Swim, 118 Cape Street, Heidelberg, from Monday 23 March to Friday 27 March 2026. Please note the date changes to accomodate Photo Day.

Lesson times are as follows:

• 4BT: 1:45pm – 2:15pm

• 4D: 2:15pm – 2:45pm

   

This important program focuses on developing students’ swimming and water safety skills in a range of water depths and with different equipment. The program aims to build students’ confidence in the water, increase their awareness of water safety, and promote safe participation in aquatic activities.

What students need to bring:

• Towel

• Underwear

• Goggles

• Wet bag

• Water bottle

• Small backpack

Students should wear their sports uniform that week, with bathers worn underneath their uniform.

School Photos  - Tuesday17 March

School photos will be taken on Tuesday 17 March. 

SchoolPix has requested that all students come to school in their full summer uniform.

• Long hair should be tied back.

• Any class that has PE on this day should wear their school uniform and bring their runners in their bag to change into for their lesson.

   

Thank you for helping your child be prepared for this important day!

Holiday Program

Families are warmly invited to attend Mary Immaculate Ivanhoe MACSEYE Holiday Program.  It is a fantastic program filled with creative workshops, active adventures and engaging excursions for children during the April school holidays. 

Book now – April School Holiday Program Autumn Adventurers 7 – 17 April MACSEYE’s Autumn Adventurers Holiday Program is now open for bookings, and we can’t wait to welcome children for a season packed with creativity, adventure and fun!   

View the program brochure for more details and how to book, or visit www.macseye.vic.edu.au/oshc/holiday-program/

175th Anniversary Parish - School Gala Dinner

Our Parish community is excited to celebrate a significant milestone this year as St John the Evangelist Catholic Parish Heidelberg marks its 175th Anniversary. To commemorate this special occasion, the parish warmly invites members of the community to attend a 175th Anniversary Gala Dinner.

The celebration will take place on Friday 29 May 2026 from 7:00pm – 10:30pm in the Great Hall at The Centre Ivanhoe (275 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe). This special evening will be a wonderful opportunity for parishioners, school families and friends of the parish to gather together, celebrate our shared history and give thanks for the vibrant faith community that has grown over the past 175 years.

Guests will enjoy a three-course meal with drinks, and the evening promises to be a memorable celebration of our parish story, community connections and faith. The dress code is Gala Dinner attire, making it a festive and elegant evening for all who attend.

Tickets are $150 per person and bookings can be made via TryBooking.

Wendy Herandez, one of our Parents, has kindly offered to help organise school tables. Please see the office for more details or phone her on 0423153310.

Prep Enrolments 2027 - Siblings

A friendly reminder to families that we are currently finalising enrolments for the 2027 school year. If you have a younger child or sibling who will be starting at St John’s in 2027, please ensure their enrolment application has been submitted as soon as possible.

As places can fill quickly, submitting your application now will help us with our planning and ensure we can accommodate siblings of current students.

Once again, thak you for your support.

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead.

God Bless, 

Alison Dean