Principal's Page

Welcome to Term 4

Welcome Back to Term 4. Spring has certainly sprung and our blossom trees and looking great across the school. This is a term of consolidation and collaboration for our students as we begin to revise, extend and plan for future learning. It is also a term of celebration, as we welcome our new Prep students who will be transitioning to St John's in 2026 and we celebrate the many achievements of all students, especially our Graduating students in Year 6.

Some of the special events that are on this term include:

• The St John's fete

• Christmas Concert

• End of Year Whole School Mass

• Prep Welcome Mass

• Whole School Halliday Park Picnic

We are a welcoming community and these are just some of the ways that we will celebrate as a school to support one another across the term.

It is great to be back after my long service leave and professional leave, which was an incredible opportunity for me. The first two weeks were spent in Slovenia and the North of Italy on holidays, while the second two weeks was the Pilgrimage. Slovenia is a beautiful country, with spectacular scenery and old cities. I was captivated by the mountain ranges, waterfalls, rivers and gorges. It is certainly an experience I will treasure for a long time.

Pilgrimage to Italy – A Journey of Faith & Discovery

Last term I was privileged to join with my Principal Network group from Melbourne’s Outer Eastern Region, accompanied and supported by Dr Peta Goldburg, to embark on a transformative pilgrimage across Italy. Over twelve deeply enriching days, our group visited some of the most significant spiritual and historical sites of the Catholic faith — from the grandeur of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome to the serene hills of Assisi.

The pilgrimage was marked by many profound moments: celebrating Mass in Italian in ancient basilicas, marvelling at the beauty of the Sistine Chapel and participating in a Papal Audience in the heart of St Peter’s Square. The journey also took us through the early Christian catacombs, the Benedictine Abbey at Monte Cassino, the shrine of Padre Pio and the sacred cave of Monte Sant’Angelo. Each site offered a powerful window into the rich history, culture and living tradition of the Church. Assisi, was a highlight for me and stood out as a place of deep peace, tranquility and contemplation. Walking in the footsteps of St Francis, we were reminded of the enduring call to simplicity, humility and care for creation. 

Other highlights included visits to Siena, Florence, Padua, and Venice — cities where the legacies of saints such as St Clare, St Catherine of Siena, and the recently canonised St Carlo Acutis came vividly to life. The contemporary witness of St Carlo, especially, resonated with our mission as Catholic educators in a digital age.

The pilgrimage had many physical demands including a day of walking 15 km, climbing many hills and staircases, one day of rain but ultimately, it nurtured resilience, gratitude and a renewed sense of spiritual purpose. Dr Peta Goldburg’s presence was a great gift, offering theological depth, reflection and pastoral care that enriched every step of the experience.

This journey reminded us of the depth and beauty of our Catholic tradition, the power of shared prayer and the importance of ongoing spiritual and professional formation. We return to our schools and communities with hearts full of gratitude, renewed in faith and inspired to continue our mission of Gospel witness. 

I extend my sincere thanks to MACS and to my school community, for supporting this extraordinary professional learning opportunity — one that has deepened my vocation and allowed me to walk, quite literally, in the footsteps of the saints.

Curriculum Term Overviews

This Friday we will send via email, the Class and Specialist Curriculum Term Overviews. 

This will outline the core curriculum focus in all subject areas. Across the school our focus in Religious Education and Inquiry Learning will be in Civics and Citizenship in Years 3-6 and Design/Technology in P - Year 2.

Changes to Break Times

This term at St John's we are trialing new lunch and recess break times. Our Lunch break will be for 50 minutes, from 11.10am - 12pm and our afternoon break will be from 2.00pm - 2.20pm. We will seek feedback from both students and staff in a few weeks to decide whether this will be an ongoing change to our timetable for 2026.

Uniform Changeover

In Term 4 the students will transition into their summer uniform. Students may still wear their Winter Uniform for the next 2 weeks, to allow for cooler weather. 

SUMMER UNIFORM

• Polo shirt with logo, short sleeved

• Navy school shorts 

• Summer Dress or new logo skort

• School windcheater

• Navy socks

• Black school shoes

• School hat     

FRIDAY SNACKBAR

Friday Snack Bar is back for Term 4 with Zooper Doopers.  Get your orders in on Wednesday for this week, Friday, 10 October - $1.00.

This is an ongoing fundraiser in Term 4 with all money raised going towards our Year 6 end of year Graduation. 

Money is to be given to the classroom teacher at the beginning of the day on Wednesday, icy-poles will be delivered to the classroom in the afternoon on Friday.

Thanks for supporting this initiative.

Please email Eileen Dalton, on eileen3dalton@outlook.com if you have any questions or would like to help out on a Friday morning. 

Families Helping at the St John's Fete

The 2025 Fete will be held on Saturday, 15 November, so please mark it in your diaries. The St John’s Parish Community Fete is one of the highlights of the School year for the school students, families and the parish community. It is a time for us all to come together, celebrate our wonderful community and in doing so, raise funds for the school and Parish as a whole. 

Months of preparation go into the big day, with many volunteers working behind the scene organising and planning to ensure the success on the day. We rely on a contribution from everyone to guarantee the success of the fete. We all have busy lives but a small contribution can make such a great impact. We have a number of stalls and the stall holders need volunteer assistance to help run them. 

We ask that every family contributes two hours to a stall on the day to ensure the Fete’s success. Lots of things need to happen before the Fete, details of which will be in the Fete newsletters. 

Below are a few of the things that you can expect to hear more about.

• Major Raffle - buying and selling tickets

• Baking for the cake stall 

• Signing up to be a stall helper 

• Helping to setup or pack up.

The experience of working at the Fete is enjoyable and rewarding, knowing that you are being part of our wider community.

We need everyone to help in some small way!

Outreach 

We are continually inspired by the generosity of our St John’s community. At this time, we are reaching out to ask for donations of non-perishable food items or frozen meals to support fellow families in need. Donations can be brought to the school office. Ideas include boxes of cereal, long-life milk, dried rice and pasta, frozen vegetables, frozen ready-meals, frozen meat products (e.g. schnitzels, fish), canned foods, curry and pasta sauce jars. Thank you for the kindness and care that make St John’s such a special place.

Daylight Savings Joke of the Week 

I hope that Term 4 is a special one for you and your family at St John's. I look forward to seeing you all at the many special events that we have planned throughout the Term.

Verona Gridley

St John's Primary School Principal

principal@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au