Principal's News

Dear Families,

As the weather begins to get colder, it’s heartwarming to see that the enthusiasm of  getting outside remains. Despite the chill in the air, students are still loving their time outdoors, making the most of lunchtime activities. From fast-paced dodgeball games and creative outdoor art sessions to quiet chess matches, groups making jewellery; there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Our creative students are also embracing the outdoors with imaginative play, turning everyday spaces into magical lands of adventure. Whether building pretend castles, playing make-believe games, or exploring nature, their creativity continues to flourish. 

Thanks to the generous fundraising efforts of the PIC over the past years, we are excited to see the construction of a brand new Gaga  Ball Pit underway! The children are thrilled and eagerly watching the progress as this fantastic addition to our playground comes to life.

The idea was sparked by our Year 5/6 students, who experienced a Gaga Pit on camp and presented a passionate and persuasive case for why St John’s should have one too. It’s wonderful to see the power of student voice contributing to real improvements in our school grounds. 

We have a PIC meeting on Tuesday 10 June at 9am. All are welcome to attend.

Three-Way Conversation 

Tuesday 24 June (1:30pm to 6:00pm) 

Wednesday 25 June ( 3:45pm to 5:30pm)

Our teachers are looking forward to conducting Three-Way Conversations on the Tuesday 24 June and Wednesday 25 June. As students prepare to share their learning goals and work samples with their parents, we strongly encourage all children to attend and take part in these important discussions. 

I would particularly like to see Year 5 and Year 6 students attend, as this format mirrors that of secondary schools and provides a great opportunity to help prepare them for the future.

Online Booking Site OPENED Wednesday 4 June 2025 at 10:00am 

To book please visit: https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/4jv8c

Confirmation Family Faith Night.

Thank you to all the families and sponsors who attended the Family Faith Formation Session on Tuesday, May 28th, in preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation next week. We were blessed to continue our partnership with Fr Elio Capra, who facilitated a meaningful and engaging evening. It was a valuable opportunity for families to reflect and deepen their faith as they supported their children on this important journey.

A particularly special moment was witnessing parents hand over a heartfelt letter to their children, sharing the gifts of the Holy Spirit they see in them. This touching exchange was a beautiful reminder of the sacredness of the sacrament and the strength of family support. Please keep our Year 6 students in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Holy Spirit during the Sacrament of Confirmation on Friday, June 13th, at the Cathedral.

Congratulations to students - Divisional Cross Country

On Tuesday, the Divisional Cross Country event was held. Despite the rainy weather, our wonderful students gave it their all and performed with great determination.

Congratulations to the following students who qualified for this level and represented both themselves and our school with pride. Everyone ran exceptionally well. Well done!

Felix 6G

Emilia  6T

Scarlett 6T

Darcy  5B

Niko  4MT

Zara McLennan 4MT

Reminder – Friday 6 June: School Closure Day

A reminder that Friday 6 June is a School Closure Day for all students.

Staff will be participating in a Professional Development Day focused on Faith Formation. 

The day will centre on:

• Deepening our understanding of our Catholic Mission as educators
• Exploring how we can more effectively connect students’ understanding of Catholic traditions with their everyday lives

This is an important opportunity for staff to reflect on and grow in their role as Catholic educators, and to strengthen the faith life of our school community.

Unfortunately, OSHclub did not receive enough interest so they will not be open on this day.

SRC Joke Box

Oscar and Mia have organised a Joke Box on behalf of the Student Representative Council (SRC). If you have a funny, friendly, school-appropriate joke you'd like to share, please write it down and place it in the Joke Box located at the school office. We look forward to sharing some laughter and brightening everyone’s day with your contributions!

To get things started, here are a couple of jokes:

 What’s a math teacher’s favourite place to go on vacation?

Times Square!

And here’s another one: 

Why did the teacher wear sunglasses in the classroom? 

Because her students were so bright!

Winter Coughs and Colds

As winter weather approaches we will see an increase of cold and flu symptoms across all year levels of the school. If your child is feeling unwell, please keep them home to rest and recover and contact the school. This helps prevent the spread of illness and keeps everyone in our community healthy. Thank you for your cooperation and care!

Key Enrolment Dates for Year 7, 2027 (Current Year 5 Students)

Attention Year 5 Families (2025):

If your child is currently in Year 5 (2025), it is time to begin the enrolment process for a place at a Catholic secondary college for the 2027 academic year. Below are the key dates you need to be aware of:

• Term 1 – 28 January 2025: Applications open for Year 5 students seeking enrolment in Year 7, 2027.
• Term 3 – 15 August 2025: Applications close.
• Term 3 – 29 August 2025: Principals exchange a full list of applications with neighbouring colleges, including parish of residence.
• Term 3 – 12 September 2025: Principals exchange a full list of proposed offers and non-offers with neighbouring colleges.
• Term 4 – 17 October 2025: Offers of enrolment are posted to prospective Year 7, 2027 students.
• Term 4 – 7 November 2025: Final date for families to accept an offer made by the school.

We encourage families to begin considering their options early and ensure all documentation is submitted before the closing date. Please contact the school office if you have any questions or need assistance with the process.

2026 Canberra Camp - current Year 4 and  Year5 families

An information session for the Canberra Camp 2026 will be held on August 6th at 6:15 pm for current Year 4 and Year 5 families. This meeting will be conducted online, where we will provide details about transport arrangements, answer any questions, and share information about the proposed camp dates: Wednesday, 29 April to Friday, 1 May 2026. A Zoom link will be provided closer to the date. We encourage all families interested in the camp to attend.

St John's Italian Carnevale Gnocchi & Pasta Drive

Bunnings BBQ -  Saturday 15 June - Preston

We’re excited to be running a Bunnings BBQ on Sunday, 15th June and would love your support! Come down to Preston Bunnings and grab a sausage or two – it’s a great way to support our school community. PIC are also looking for volunteers to help out on the day. If you’re able to spare an hour, your help would be greatly appreciated . Please reach out to the picstjohnsheidelberg@gmail.com

Donations for BBQ

If you’re unable to help on the day but would still like to contribute, we’d greatly appreciate donations of the following items:

• Cans of soft drink (Fanta, Lemonade, Diet Coke, Solo, Coke) 
• Tomato sauce or mustard sauce

If you’re able to help, please add these to your shopping list and place them in the basket provided in the school office by Wednesday next week.

Thank you for your support—let’s make this a fun and successful event together!

Specialist Italian Carnevale

Please see the PIC newsletter page to order your child's lunch - pizza and gelato on the Specialist's Italian Carnevale Day.

MACSEYE – New OSHC Provider at St John’s

As indicated in our previous newsletter, OSCH Club will be concluding their service at St John’s, and we are pleased to welcome MACSEYE as our new Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) provider.

To support a smooth transition for families, we have included the following materials in this week’s newsletter:

• An enrolment flyer with key information about the new service and how families can express their interest.
• An enrolment fact sheet outlining important details such as enrolment procedures, the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), and fees..

For your convenience, we have also included our school’s unique enrolment link below:

Enrolment Link – St John’s Heidelberg

If you have any questions or require further support during the transition, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

I hope you all enjoy the long week.

Alison