Key Dates & Reminders
IMPORTANT TERM 1 2024 DATES
Below is a list of some of the main dates on the school calendar for Term 1. Families need to be aware that events which involve organisations outside of St John’s, such as the St Andrew’s Parish, may at times need to be rescheduled. Please be aware that these changes are beyond our control.
Thursday 7th March - School Photo Day 1
Friday 8th March - School Photo Day 2
Monday 11th March - Labour Day Public Holiday NO SCHOOL
Wednesday 13th March - NAPLAN Commences
Thursday 14th March – Reconciliation Parent Meeting @ 7pm School Hall
Tuesday 19th March - 12:30 FINISH FOR STUDENTS due to Parent Teacher Interviews
Thursday 21st March - Sacrament of Reconciliation @ 7pm in the School Hall
Friday 22nd March - National Ride2School Day
Friday 22nd March - Year 1s present Palm Sunday
Monday 25th March - Year 4s Holy Thursday Video Premier
Tuesday 26th March - Year 6s present the Stations of the Cross
Tuesday 26th March - Parent Teacher Interviews after school
Thursday 28th March - End of Term early finish 12:30pm
Friday 29th March - Good Friday
Sunday 31st March - Easter Sunday
SCHOOL PHOTOS
School Photos will take place over two days this year. Students in Prep, Year 1, Year 3, and Year 6 will have their individual and class photos taken on Thursday 7th March. With Year 2, Year 4 and Year 5 individual and class photos taken on Friday 8th March. Sibling Photos will be taken on Friday 22nd March.
NAPLAN SCHEDULE 2024
NAPLAN begins Nationwide next week. Most of the assessments are completed online, with the only difference being for the Year 3s who complete their Writing Task on paper. Students perform best when they are well rested, have eaten breakfast and do not feel under undue pressure. If you find your child is becoming anxious about the assessments, reassure them that they are a very small part of each day and that the teachers will be there to help them feel calm. Below are the dates when students will be completing their four Naplan Assessments:
- Wednesday, 13th March - Naplan Writing (Year 3 & 5)
- Thursday, 14th March - Naplan Reading (Year 3 & 5)
- Friday, 15th March - Language Conventions (Year 3 & 5)
- Monday, 18th March - Numeracy (Year 3 & 5)
- Tuesday, 19th March - Friday, 22nd March (Catch Up Tests)
LABOUR DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY NO SCHOOL
A reminder that there will be no school next Monday 11th March, due to Victoria’s Labour Day Public Holiday.
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Our Semester One Parent Teacher Interviews will be held over two days, in the last two weeks of this term. The first session will be held on Tuesday 19th March from 1:00pm - 8:00pm. To accommodate this, students will finish early on this day. The second session will be held on Tuesday 26th March from 3:30pm - 7:30pm. We will offer both online and in person options for this year’s interviews. Bookings open Tuesday, 12th March at 4pm. Instructions on how to make your booking will be emailed on this day.
Please note that parents of students with Anaphylaxis or other serious medical conditions will be contacted to arrange a meeting to review their child’s management plan. These meetings will be held either prior to or following your child’s parent teacher interview time.
EARLY FINISH TUESDAY 19TH MARCH
A reminder that students finish early at 12:30 pm on Tuesday 19th March, to accommodate our Parent Teacher Interviews.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION PRACTISE & INFORMATION EVENING
Baptised Catholic students in Year 3 are invited to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation this year. Families of these students received a letter about this Sacrament last week.
A reminder that we will be holding an important Practise Session & Information Evening in the School Hall next week on Thursday 14th March at 7:00pm. At this meeting students will practise the process of going to Confession and parents will receive information required for the celebration of the Sacrament on Thursday 21st March. A reminder that we require all students to attend this meeting with one parent. We look forward to working with you and thank you once again for your continued support.
2024 SACRAMENTAL INFORMATION
An important aspect of preparing for any Sacrament is to attend Mass each weekend. Fr Albert is encouraging every child in the Parish of St Andrew’s who is preparing to celebrate a Sacrament this year, to attend Mass regularly, to receive God’s abundant graces.
Children preparing for their First Confession, First Holy Communion or to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this year, will receive a Mass Journal as part of their Sacramental preparation. The Journal is an easy way for families to record the Masses they attend throughout the year. Please remember to take a pen to Mass so the priest can sign your Journal for you at the end of Mass.
Below is a list of the Sacramental Dates for 2024, which includes the dates of Practise Nights and Parent Information Sessions:
HOLY WEEK PRESENTATIONS
Over three days students will be recalling the main events of Holy Week. The Year 1s will be retelling the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, on Friday 22nd March. Invitations to this event will be sent out to parents closer to the time. Our Year 4 students will be releasing their Last Supper Video on Monday 25th March. Finally, Year 6s will lead our school community through a live reenactment of the passion and death of Jesus.
ST JOHN THE APOSTLE COMMUNITY MASSES
Throughout the year we will be holding several weekend Masses, here in the school Hall. All families are warmly invited to attend these Masses. Please check the poster below for which months we will be holding a Mass.
FINAL PREP REST DAY
Tomorrow, Wednesday 6th March is the final rest day for our Preps. We thank families for working with us to accommodate these rest days. The transition to school involves an enormous amount of new learning for children and these rest days are very valuable in helping the students to adapt successfully to full time school life.
SUBWAY LUNCH ORDERS
The school will continue our partnership with Subway this year. This initiative provides students with an opportunity to receive a ‘lunch order’, that families have ordered and paid for online, prior to the day.
Orders must be place by 11am the Wednesday prior. (Wednesday, 14th February)
Future Subway Days for 2024
- Term 1 - 16/2, 1/3, 15/3
- Term 2 – 19/4, 3/5, 17/5, 31/5, 14/6
- Term 3 – 19/7, 2/8, 16/8, 30/8, 13/9
- Term 4 – 11/10, 25/10, 8/11, 22/11, 6/12
Please order via the link below:
FRIDAY ICY POLES - $1 (TERM 1 & 4)
Each Friday a group of our student voice students organise the sale of Zooper Dooper icy poles before afternoon play. If you would like your child to have an icy pole please make sure they bring a dollar on the following Fridays during Term 1. (These days alternate with our Subway lunch days)
- Friday, 8th March
- Friday, 22nd March