Dear Families,

God of all creation,

We thank You for the gift of our grandparents and other special people in our lives.

Thank You for their love, wisdom, faith, and the many ways they enrich our families.

Bless them with good health, joy, and peace.

Strengthen them in times of difficulty and help them to continue sharing their love and guidance with future generations.

Teach us to honour and respect them, to be patient and kind, and to cherish the gift of their presence.

Bless future generations with open hearts to learn from those who have gone before them.

May they grow in wisdom, faith, compassion, and gratitude, building on the legacy of love passed down through their families.

God of endless love, unite young and old in gratitude and understanding as we journey together in faith.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Grandparent's/ Multicultural Day Celebrations

Thank you to all the grandparents and special people who joined us for our Grandparents and Special Person Day. It was wonderful to welcome so many visitors to St John’s and see our students proudly share their school with the people who mean so much to them.

We hope you enjoyed the morning, including our liturgy and time spent in the classrooms. Thank you for being part of this special day and for the love and support you bring to our children.

A big thank you to our staff and PIC for helping make the morning so special! Also a huge thank you to the families who came in to teach the classes something special from thier cultural heritage. The studnets loved learning from you.

Welcome Baby Matteo

Congratulations to the Cassisi-Young family on the safe arrival of beautiful Matteo during the school holidays. Matteo is a much-loved little brother to Clara in 1D. We wish the whole family much joy and happiness as they enjoy this very special time together. We look forward to welcoming Matteo into the St John’s community.

St John's Feast Day Mass

On Friday 30 October, we will celebrate our St John’s Feast Day. All students will attend Mass at 12.00 pm, and all families are warmly invited to join us for this special celebration as we come together in faith as a school community.

Year 5 Leadership Program Dates

This term, our Year 5 students will be learning about what makes a great leader as part of our Leadership Program.

At St John’s, we are very proud of our leadership opportunities and the way our students are encouraged to develop their confidence, responsibility, service and leadership skills.

Please take note of the following important dates:

Monday 26 October – Year 5 Leadership Day

Wednesday 4 November – Leadership 2027 Nomination due

Thursday 12 November – Leadership Speeches

These are important components of the Leadership Program, so we ask families to make every effort to ensure students are present on these days. Unfortunately, if a student is absent, we are unable to reschedule these events.

We look forward to seeing our Year 5 students embrace this exciting opportunity and discover what it means to be a great leader at St John’s.

Year 6 Transition Program Dates

There are lots of exciting celebrations and special moments ahead as our Year 6 students prepare to finish their primary school journey at St John’s.

Please save these important dates!

Monday 30 November - Lip Dub Filming: Students will film their Year 6 Lip Dub, which will be presented at Graduation. This is the only filming day, so students need to be at school to be included.

Tuesday 8 December - Some Secondary Schools Transition Day: For students transitioning to Loyola, OLMC, Parade or Marcellin.

Thursday 10 December - Year 6 Graduation

Friday 11 December - Big Day Out

Monday 14 December - Year 6 & Prep Buddy Activity

Tuesday 15 December, 10:15am - End-of-Year Mass - St John’s Church.

Tuesday 15 December - Final Day of Term - Guard of honour will occur at 12:45pm

If Year 6 families would like the Year 6 students to run through a banner this is traditionally organsied by the Year 6 parents. Please contact Alison if a parent is organising this.

St John's Christmas Carols – Christmas Stall Information 2026

Our annual St John’s Christmas Carol Celebration is just around the corner, Tuesday 1 December. We are excited to offer our students and families the opportunity to host Christmas stalls, and we extend a huge thank you to the Partners In Community (PIC) for their leadership in bringing this initiative to life.

To ensure a safe, well-organised, and memorable festive event, the school will directly oversee the coordination and provide guidance for all participating student stallholders. It is essential that the school ensures a safe and respectful environment for the Christmas stalls, in line with MACS Code of Conduct, OHS, and Child Safety Policies.

Families that would like to hold a Christmas Stall are invited to read the guidelines and complete an online application published via nForma Wednesday 21 October.

2027 Planning

To assist us with our 2027 planning, if you know that your circumstances are changing and your child will be leaving the school at the end of this year, could you please inform us as soon as possible by emailing office@sjheidelberg.catholic.edu.au

We currently have waiting lists for several year levels across the school, and providing us with early notice means that your child’s place can be offered to another family.

Thank you for your assistance and consideration.

Touch of Pink Day – Friday 23 October

On Friday 23 October(tomorrow), our students are invited to wear a touch of pink to help raise awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). Students can add a splash of pink to their school uniform – this could be a pink shirt, socks, hair accessory, ribbon or something else fun and appropriate.

We ask families to please bring a gold coin donation, with all donations supporting BCNA and the important work they do to support people affected by breast cancer.

This is a cause that is particularly meaningful to our St John’s community, with several members of our school community, past and present, having been supported by this wonderful organisation. By coming together, we can show our care and support for those in our community who have been affected by cancer.

Thunderstorm Asthma Risk Forecast: How we prepare and stay safe at St John's

During the Victorian grass pollen season (1 October to 31 December), high pollen counts combined with specific spring weather conditions can trigger epidemic thunderstorm asthma. Thunderstorm asthma can affect anyone with asthma or spring hay fever—even those who have never experienced asthma symptoms before.

How Staff and Families Can Ensure Students Stay Safe

St John’s encourages all families to be prepared during thunderstorm asthma season.

Check the Risk Forecast: Monitor daily Epidemic Thunderstorm Asthma Risk Forecasts via the VicEmergency app or website.
Keep Asthma Action Plans Updated: Please ensure your child’s current Asthma Action Plan and in-date reliever medication are provided to the school office.
Stay Indoors on High-Risk Days: During high-risk days, students will remain indoors when required.
Carry Reliever Medication: People with asthma or hay fever should have access to their prescribed reliever medication and spacer.
Work in Partnership: St John’s will contact families if a student experiences breathing difficulties or shows signs of respiratory distress.

We advise families with children affected by thunderstorm asthma to check the risk forecast before deciding whether their child should attend school.

World Teacher's Day

Next Friday, 30 October, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day at St John’s. This is an opportunity for our school community to recognise and celebrate the wonderful contributions our teachers make to the lives of our students each day.

Our teachers play such an important role in nurturing a love of learning, building confidence and helping every child feel known, valued and welcomed.

I feel very fortunate to lead such a passionate, dedicated and caring team who work so hard to support our students and families.

School Fees- 2027

We are pleased to share that the 2027 school fee information is now available. Please note "Extra Curicular activities" include sports, excursions, incursions, special performance/guest speakers, lunchtime clubs, sacraments etc.

We encourage families to review this paperwork carefully and begin planning early. Setting up a direct debit arrangement now is an excellent way to maintain consistent payments across the coming year and avoid end-of-year stress. Louise and Bec are more than happy to guide you through the process, and you are welcome to establish direct debit payments straight away, continuing through the upcoming school break, to get ahead on your 2027 accounts.

Important Dates – Start of the 2027 School Year

Wednesday 27 January 2027: Staff return
Thursday 28 January 2027: Student Assessment Day A - K unless your letter states a different date
Friday 29 January 2027: Student Assessment Day L- M unless your letter states a different date
Monday 1 February 2027: First day of school for all students

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the Trivia night on Saturday.

Alison Dean

School Calendar