Principal's News 

Term 2 - Week 8

Dear Families, 

I would like to thank our families for your continued support. Over recent weeks we have noticed a significant improvement in our school-wide "Hands Off" expectations, with students responding positively to the consistent messaging from both school and home. While there is always work to do, it has been pleasing to see students making safer choices in the yard and treating one another with greater respect. Thank you for supporting us in reinforcing these expectations. 

This week also sees our PSG meetings taking place across Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. These meetings play an important role in ensuring every child receives the support they need to flourish. I would particularly like to thank Mrs Melinda Watson for her outstanding leadership and coordination of this process. It is a significant responsibility involving considerable preparation, organisation and collaboration with staff and families and Melinda makes it look easy. 

Year 3/4 Camp 

As you read this Newsletter, I am with our Year 3 and 4 students enjoying the first day at our Camp at the Alexandra Adventure Resort. So far it has been fantastic to see students stepping outside their comfort zones, encouraging one another and embracing the opportunities Camp provides. The smiles in the photos say it all. Thank you to Ms Katherine King, Mr Linc McKernan, Mrs Christine Buhler, Mrs Lou Frewen and Mrs Lisa Crowe for making this experience possible for our students. I am sure parents can look forward to hearing all about their adventures when they return tomorrow. We plan on being back at school by around 1:30pm tomorrow if any families wish to collect their child early from Camp. 

Former Students Shine at Japanese Speech Contest

We were delighted to receive news from Sensei this week about the success of some former St John's students at the 2026 North East Secondary Schools Japanese Speech Contest held in Albury. Congratulations to Chloe Harvey-Bredden, who achieved 2nd place in the Year 7 Individual Speech Competition and to Grace Eddy and Mable Tilton, who achieved 3rd place in the Year 9 Pair Speech Competition. Safe to say Ayako-Sensei is still working her magic! Learning a language takes courage, dedication and confidence and we are incredibly proud to see our former students continuing to thrive and achieve success in their secondary education. Well done Chloe, Grace and Mable on these wonderful achievements.

St John's Master Plan Survey – We Need Your Voice! 

One of our key priorities at the moment is reviewing our School Master Plan alongside ROAM Architects as we consider the future growth and development of St John's. A huge thank you to the families who have already completed the survey. If you haven't had the opportunity yet, I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes to do so. The survey takes approximately 5–10 minutes and your feedback will play an important role in helping shape the future direction of our school. Whether you are a new family or have been part of St John's for many years, your perspective matters. 

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO START THE QUESTIONNAIRE.   

PARENT VOICE NEEDED!!! 

Master Plan Parent Consultation Group – Friday 19th June 

As part of this process, ROAM Architects will be conducting a parent consultation session on Friday 19th June from 9:15am until 10:00am in the Board Room. We are seeking 8–12 parents from across our community to participate in this discussion and share their thoughts, ideas and aspirations for St John's. If you would like to be involved, please email me directly at principal@sjeuroa.catholic.edu.au. We would love to hear from a broad range of families and perspectives. 

Staff Wellbeing & Safeguarding Professional Learning Day 

Last Friday, our staff participated in a Wellbeing and Safeguarding Professional Learning Day as part of our Pupil Free Day. Throughout the day, staff engaged in learning focused on student wellbeing, positive relationships, behaviour support and the Victorian Child Safe Standards. We also explored the new CESL Wellbeing Framework, which places a strong emphasis on creating school environments where every child feels safe, known, valued and supported to flourish. Importantly, the day reinforced that wellbeing, learning and safeguarding go hand in hand and that every member of staff plays a vital role in ensuring St John's remains a safe and nurturing place for all children. Please refer to the CESL document that was launched with staff on Friday: CESL Wellbeing Framework 2026 

Updated Uniform Policy - 2026

Please note that our St John’s School Uniform Policy (please see attachment below) has now been updated and will be uploaded to our school website in coming days. There are two important reminders we would like families to be aware of moving forward:

• Students are expected to wear black shoes at all times. Black sneakers (completely black all over) are absolutely acceptable and can be worn as part of the uniform. 

  We don't expect families to rush out and by new shoes but anticipate this change to be in full effect by the start of 2027.

• Green socks are part of the St John’s uniform. White socks are not part of the school uniform expectations.

Green school socks can be purchased through our online uniform supplier here: https://www.spartanschoolworld.com.au/collections/st-johns-euroa-primary-school

We appreciate families continuing to support our school standards and helping students wear the St John’s uniform with pride.

Smartwatches at School

St John’s School does not permit students to wear or access smartwatches during the school day. Even when placed on “School Mode or School Time”, smartwatches function similarly to mobile phones and can cause distractions, interruptions to learning and issues around communication and privacy. If a student needs to bring a smartwatch to school, it is expected that the device is handed into the office with Bek upon arrival each morning and collected again at the end of the school day, in the same way as mobile phones. We appreciate families supporting us in maintaining a focused, calm and distraction-free learning environment for all students.

St Vinnie’s Winter Appeal 

Winter Appeal – St Vincent de Paul

Thank you to the families who have already contributed to our Winter Appeal so far. We are still seeking donations across all year levels and would greatly appreciate contributions of non-perishable food items and essential household products. Suggested donations include canned soup, baked beans, pasta, rice, long-life milk, breakfast cereals, toiletries, toothpaste, shampoo, soap and toilet paper. Every donation, no matter how small, helps support local families doing it tough this winter. Thank you for helping us live out our values of Truth, Love and Service through practical acts of generosity.

Semester 1 Reports and Parent Teacher Meetings 

Semester 1 School Reports will be available to families on Thursday 25th June. These reports provide an important snapshot of your child's learning, growth and progress throughout the first half of the year and will help guide discussions during our Parent Teacher Meetings early next term. Parent Teacher Meetings will be held on Monday 27th July and Tuesday 28th July from 2pm to 5:30pm. 

Enrolments CLOSING for 2027 

Applications for Foundation 2027 CLOSE on Friday 26th June. We continue to receive strong interest in our school and encourage any families considering St John's for next year to submit their application before the closing date. If you know families looking for a school where children are known, valued and supported to flourish, please encourage them to make contact with us. 

End of Term Reminder 

A reminder that Friday 26th June is the final day of Term 2. Students will conclude the term with an early finish at 2:30pm before we head into a well-earned holiday break. 

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. Have a great week! 

Take care, 

Sam