A Message from the Principal

Welcome Back to all of our students and their families, to an exciting Term 3 at St John's Mitcham. The school holidays have been a time to relax and enjoy some great adventures, which the students eagerly shared as I walked around to visit all of the classes today. I heard about their trips to the snow, the movies, playgrounds, around Victoria and even abroad. They were certainly very engaged anad entertained over the break and it sounds like there were some special moments shared by our families. This term we extend a warm welcome to our new students, Ethan and Sam. We are delighted that they have chosen to be a part of our wonderful school community and know that they will share many richly rewarding experiences.

Some of my holiday reading included learning more about Generation Alpha. All of our current students are Generation Alpha, which is typically defined as those born between 2010 and 2025. Their emergence, presents significant implications for various sectors, including education, technology, marketing and the economy. As the first generation to be born entirely in the 21st century, they are growing up in a world that is highly digitalized and interconnected, which shapes their learning styles, preferences and expectations. While they are children today, once they have all finished being born, they will be the largest generation to date. Before we know it, they will be entering the workforce and earning an income with spending power to match. It has been fascinating learning more about what their futures might look like and how we can support them in Education today.

Parent Information Evenings

This Term we will be hosting two big Parent Information Evenings. On Thursday, 8 August, we will be running two Personal Development Sessions for students in Years 3-6 and their parents. Please lock this date in your calendar and stay tuned for more details soon.

On Thursday, 22 August, we will be hosting Dr Justin Coulson who will be presenting on Cyber Safety and Digital Kids. We undersand how important it is stay informed about latest research in this area. Join Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia's leading parenting experts, as he unpacks - step by step - the specific conclusions we can draw about our digital kids and how we can support them.

Curriculum Term Overviews

This Friday we will send out the Curriculum Term Overview for all Year Levels and Specialist Classes. Please ensure that you read this for any important dates, things you can do to assist your child and any changes to class timetables.

Parent/Teacher/Student-Led Conferences

Parent/Teacher/Student-Led Conferences will be held next Tuesday, 23 July.

Please click on the link below to make an appointment to see your child's class teacher.

Appointments are for 10 minutes and your child is expected to attend with one or both parents/carers.

Student Absences on P.A.M.

In order to streamline communication we ask that all parents and carers use the PAM online portal to inform the school about any student absences. We are no longer using the Skoolbag App so please ensure that this has been removed from your mobile devices. Using PAM will instantly notify the class teacher and show up on the class roll.

PAM can be easily added to your devices homescreen and saved as an app.

PAM - https://pam.sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

Marathon Club

Please note that there will be no Marathon Club this week. It will resume next week on Tuesday, 23 July. All students in Year 3-6 are welcome to join us at 7.45am on Tuesday or Thursday morning for Marathon Club.

Parents Association Major Fundraiser

Disco Bingo - Friday Evening, 9 August

On Friday, 9 August, St John's Parents Association warmly invites you to a night of fun and entertainment with Dolly at her Disco Bingo Fundraiser. It will be a night of interactive entertainment, including games, dancing and so much more.

It is Time to BOOK your table so gather your friends

https://sjmitcham.cdfpay.org.au/MonitorOnline/app/#!/shops

You will be able to pre order pizzas from Neros which can be delivered on the night (more details to follow). It is BYO drinks and Snacks also.

DONATIONS would be appreciated for auction items, raffle prizes or for games prizes on the night. Please leave any donations at the Office.

School Closure Day - 12 August

Please note that on Monday, 12 August, we will be having a School Closure Day. This is a Professional Learning day for our staff. The focus for the day will be on Literacy and Numeracy in light of new research around the Science of Learning. Camp Australia will be running a full day program for any families who require this service.

Feed Our School fundraiser by Farmers Pick

Welcome to Farmers Pick, we are humbled to embark on a sustainable journey with you that will make a real and positive impact at St John’s! Farmers Pick offers sustainable fruit and vegetable boxes on a subscription basis for the whole family. Every box is packed with a wide variety of farm fresh seasonal produce that has been rescued from lesser outcomes, originally rejected by unrealistic beauty standards.

How it Works

For more information please see the attached flyers on the Parents Association Page.

https://farmerspick.com.au/feed-our-school/

St John's Joke of the Week

Which dinosaur had the best vocabulary?

The Thesaurus!

Have a great week ahead and please let me know if there is anything that I can do to assist you or your family.

Verona Gridley

Principal

vgridley@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

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