Wellbeing News

Year 5 Students Represent St John’s at KidsView Social Justice Conference

On Monday 23 June, thirteen of our Year 5 students proudly represented St John’s at the KidsView Conference, held onsite at our school. This unique event focused on social justice and global citizenship, empowering young people to think critically about inequality and the role they can play in creating a fairer world.

To take part, Year 5 students submitted thoughtful letters of application outlining their passion for social justice, along with the learning powers and St John’s values they would demonstrate throughout the day.

Facilitated by Catherine Scerri, Executive Director of Bahay Tuluyan, and three inspiring youth ambassadors from the Philippines, the conference featured powerful personal stories and engaging workshops. Students explored issues such as poverty, education, and social change, and were challenged to consider how they can make a positive difference in their own communities.

St John's students began the day learning about the distribution of wealth around the world. They then played a board game, exploring children’s access to education, health, housing, and employment opportunities—or the lack thereof—around the world. This was followed by a powerful performance by the Bahay Tuluyan youth ambassadors, who shared their life stories of being empowered to move beyond a life of poverty.

The day concluded with a moving reflection on young people who have made a real difference in the world—including the founder of Who Gives a Crap, who has helped improve access to clean water and sanitation for communities in need. Catherine shared the following three step process; 

1. Choose a problem you care about
2. Learn as much as you can 
3. Do something

Inspired, our St John’s students brainstormed ways they could take action in their own community. Here are some of their thoughtful and creative ideas:

• Fundraising through sausage sizzles, bake sales, and icy pole days
• Collecting and donating second-hand school items (pencils, cases, books)
• Setting up a stall to sell unused or donated items
• Starting a foundation to support access to sports
• Promoting reusable and bamboo products
• Organising community events with QR code donations
• Donating bathroom products and food
• Launching a GoFundMe campaign

We are incredibly proud of our students’ insight, compassion, and commitment to making a positive difference. It will be exciting to see how this leadership day inspires our students to take real action in the weeks and months ahead.

We congratulate all participants for their mature reflections, enthusiasm, and leadership, and thank them for representing St John’s with pride.

To learn more about the program, visit: btpa.org.au/kidsview-2

NAIDOC Week - Sunday, 6 July – Sun, 13 July

In Week One, our school will celebrate NAIDOC Week, recognising and honouring the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students will take part in a range of learning experiences including storytelling, art, music, and discussions to deepen their understanding of First Nations cultures. NAIDOC Week is a special opportunity for our school community to come together in the spirit of respect, connection, and reconciliation. The 2025 theme, "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy," celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead.

As NAIDOC Week is in the school holidays the City of Melbourne runs events around the city, a lot of these are free and family friendly. See their website for more information https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/naidoc-week