PRINCIPAL’S END OF YEAR MESSAGE

As the end of 2023 draws near, I wish to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of this year. Thank you to our families for your unwavering support and thank you to all the staff who work so tirelessly to ensure the success of every student. As a school community we have much to be grateful for and Christmas provides us with the ideal opportunity to reflect on our successes and give thanks to God for the things we have achieved through His guidance and love. I wish all our families a very Merry Christmas and hope that the holidays are an opportunity to take a break and recharge.

RETIREMENT FAREWELL

Last Monday we gathered as a school community to farewell Mrs Jenny Fenech. It was a fitting farewell for Jenny, who has given 37 years of service to Catholic Education. During the afternoon tea Jenny was presented with some gifts and her hard work and dedication were acknowledged. It was terrific to see so many parents join us to say farewell and thanks to Jenny. The number of ex St John students who also came along to give their best wishes to Jenny, was a testament to her ability to not only teach young people but to build relationships with all of her students. A special thanks must also go to a parent from Year 1, Melissa Drever who catered for the afternoon tea. As you can see from the images below it was a wonderful selection of sweet treats.

STAFFING UPDATES

Staff Farewells

We farewell Mrs Jenny Fenech, who has been with St John’s since we first opened in 2015. Mrs Fenech will be retiring from teaching after a lifetime of service to Catholic Education. We were privileged to have Jenny as part of the team here at St John’s. She was instrumental in setting up our Prep area and over her time here at St John’s has worked in classrooms across the school . We wish Jenny all the best as she embarks on this next chapter.

We also bid farewell to two staff from our Year 4 Team, who will be moving to another school in our Parish, Bethany . Miss Cassandra Farrugia joined us as a graduate in 2020 and has contributed much in her time here at St John’s. Students from Cassandra’s earlier classes are now in Secondary School and no doubt have many fond memories of their time with Miss Farrugia. We say farewell to Mr Joshua Archer, who has been with us for the past three years. Josh’s caring and compassionate nature has enabled the students in his classes to grow and succeed. We thank Josh for all his hard work and we wish him well as he joins the staff of Bethany.

Finally we farewell Ms Carole Ahrens and Mrs Sherese King. Carole has secured a job at St Margaret's Maribyrnong, which will significantly reduce her travel time. We thank Carole for her dedication and commitment over the past three years. As an experienced educator Carole has brought to St John’s a wealth of teaching knowledge and expertise. Sherese has recently accepted a position at another school and we thank her for the work she has done over the past semester in Year 5. Sherese’s caring and compassionate nature has enabled the students in her class to grow and succeed.

Welcome to our new Staff

We are very pleased to welcome several new staff members to the team in 2024. We have expanded our Leadership Team to include Mrs Angela Anderson, who will oversee Learning and Teaching and Mrs Michelle Perceval who will be joining the Learning Diversity team.

We also have several new Teachers joining us in 2024 and they are looking forward to working with their classes next year. Mr Keanan Van Hees will be joining the Year 2 team, while Mrs Erin Webb and Miss Kara Lawson will be part of the Year 3 team. The Year 4 team are looking forward to welcoming Ms Carolyn Dillon. We will introduce all these new staff members fully in a February Newsletter.

Continued Staff Recruitment

With one staff member only having recently accepted a position at another school, the school has commenced a recruitment process to find a suitable replacement. With the critical shortages of teachers being experienced by all schools, particularly in the Western suburbs we are unsure of how long this will take. Our processes for finding and securing a suitable replacement have begun and will continue over the Christmas holidays. As a contingency plan in the short term, the class will be overseen by two current staff members, Mrs Leah Jozeljic and Mrs Rosalie Baldwin. We thank you for your understanding and trust in our school, as we work together to navigate the current challenges presented by teacher shortages.

Below is a list of our 2023 Class Teachers

Year Prep - Ms Jessica Gatt & Ms Bianca Gomez

Year 1 - Mrs Wendy Gonsalves/Mrs Annette Palma & Mrs Tiana D’Souza

Year 2 - Ms Audrey Bongetti, Mr Keanan Van Hees & Mr Cooper Trigg

Year 3 -Sarah Cauchi, Mrs Erin Webb & Miss Kara Lawson

Year 4 - Mrs Milkovic/Ms Georgia Burston & Ms Carolyn Dillon

Year 5 - Ms Amelia Browne & Mrs Rosalie Baldwin/Mrs Leah Jozelijic

Year 6 - Ms Ashleigh Withers & Mr Zac Lane/Mrs Kerry Lowerson

2024 CLASS LOCATION MAP

FAMILY HOLIDAYS @ THE BEGINNING OF TERM 1

Families who may not be back for the commencement of the 2024 school year, are asked to contact the office. Clear communication enables us to ensure all enrolment placements can be held with confidence.

Families should also be aware that the first weeks of the school year are an important time whereby your child becomes familiar with their new classmates, teacher and the routines of the new class. Families should think carefully about these impacts before booking extended holidays.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION DATE 2024

Each year we work with St Andrew’s Parish to secure our Sacramental dates for the following year. We have scheduled the Sacrament of Reconciliation for Term 1. This sacrament is offered to Baptised Catholic students in Year 3. Parents will be required to attend a Preparation Meeting on Thursday 14th March @ 7pm in the School Hall. We will be celebrating the Sacrament the following week on Thursday 21st March @ 7pm in the School Hall.

Principal's Message & Videos

Principal's Message

Nativity Presentation (Year 2)

Year 6 End Of Year Community Bike Ride

Out & About (Week 10)