Principal's Report 

Recognizing Sorry Day

Last week we honoured National Sorry Day, a significant occasion to remember the sad history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly the Stolen Generations. 

Our community marked this day with a moving ceremony, streamed into each classroom and led by our FIRE Carriers. Our Fire Carriers are students and teachers that share a passion for learning about Aboriginal culture and history and are committed to sharing this knowledge and promoting reconciliation within and beyond the school community.

Sorry Day can be a day of mixed emotions for Indigenous Australians—grieving the past while giving life to resilience and hope for the future. As a community, by acknowledging this day we help to foster  a shared understanding of our history and contribute to their healing process.

Our Catholic Faith is founded on Christ's strong teaching which values justice, peace and the recognition of the dignity of every human being. This teaching urges us to take tangible actions that support Indigenous communities through education, advocacy and backing Indigenous-led initiatives. I thank Mr Rhynehart and our Fire Carriers for leading this ceremony which allowed us to reflect and honour the significance of Sorry Day.

We continue to pray for reconciliation and work towards building a community for all that reflects Christ's love and justice.

Celebration of the Eucharist

We are delighted to welcome Fr Sebastian, the Parish Priest of St Mary's, as he begins conducting regular lunchtime Masses for our students and staff. The first Mass was celebrated last Tuesday, with over 30 students and staff in attendance.

The Eucharist is a cornerstone of our Catholic faith, offering an opportunity to come together in worship and reflection on Christ’s teachings. These regular Masses provide a moment to pause amid the busyness of the school day and remind ourselves of Christ's central purpose for us in building the Kingdom of God.

Semester 1 Report Writing Day (June 11) - Commencement Semester 2 ( June 12)

A school closure day will take place on 11 June to allow teaching staff to complete Semester 1 reports which will be distributed to families in the first week of the school holidays. The school administration will be open as per normal hours on Tuesday. 

Class will resume on Wednesday 12 June when we commence our Semester 2 curriculum program. 

Exams

Our Exam Schedule for students in Years 8-11 began last Thursday and continues to the end of this week. The exam results will be included in the Semester 1 reports and will offer valuable feedback on students' abilities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills across various subjects under test conditions. For students aiming for university, gaining confidence in examinations is crucial. As always, with practice and preparation, students can improve in this area. I encourage our students to utilise the tutors available in the CLC during Term 3 to help them enhance their examination skills.

Professional Learning Communities at St John's Regional College

Professional Learning for our staff is a key ingredient in our desire to continually improve the learning program for our students. With this aim in mind it is exciting to inform our parent community that our staff will be participating in a structured small group learning program known as Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). In these groups, teachers will meet regularly to learn new teaching methods, share their experiences and develop the best practices for the classroom. This ongoing process helps educators work together to improve student outcomes. 

Our teachers will gather evidence of student learning, create and try new teaching strategies, analyse their effectiveness and apply what they learn to continually improve. In the future, our PLCs will also use research to focus on key areas for improvement, guided by our School Improvement Plan (SIP) and Annual Action Plan (AAP).

I would like to acknowledge Deputy Principal, Kamila Bielinski, for bringing this Professional Learning program to life, and extend my gratitude to all staff for their ongoing commitment to improving learning at St John's.

Staffing 

I welcome to the staff our new marketing officer, Ms Kylie Box, who will commence her role on 17 June. Kylie has worked in the marketing role at Fountain Gate Secondary College and Woodleigh College, and brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge of this industry for the benefit of our community.

Enrolments 2025 and 2026 - Open Evening 6 June 

This term, alongside our weekly enrolment tour at 9.15am on a Thursday, we will be conducting an evening enrolment tour on 6 June at 6pm. Parents will have the opportunity to learn about our History, Curriculum programs and future plans for St John’s in a session that incorporates a tour through our facilities. Parents can book a place for these tours and our weekly tour by contacting Enrolment Registrar Ms Helen Phillips via our College reception on (03) 8793 2000 or through the school website.