Dear Families

Pope Leo’s words remind us of hope and compassion:

“Peace be with you all! “ Beloved brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who has given his life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, reach your families, to all people, wherever they may be, to all peoples, to all the earth. Peace be with you!”

Every day, our teachers see students showing kindness and caring for others—small acts that make a big difference. Let us carry this spirit of peace and compassion into our families and community and hold in our hearts those around the world in need of hope and comfort.

What a wonderful and exciting fortnight we are having at St John’s!

District Athletics, the Festival of the Arts, Learning Expos, a visit from Vixens player- Ella Shannon, District Basketball, Parent Support Group meetings, the Reconciliation Faith Formation session and the Father’s Day Stall have all been highlights of our community life. These events don’t just happen on their own—they take a great deal of planning, organisation, and teamwork. We are very grateful to our dedicated staff, supportive parents, and enthusiastic students who work together to make these rich opportunities possible. It is through these shared efforts that we continue to build a vibrant and connected school community where learning, faith, and wellbeing are celebrated.

Father's Day Celebrations

We are looking forward to welcoming many families to our Father’s Day/Special Person Breakfast tomorrow morning in the hall. Breakfast will be served from 7:45am, allowing plenty of time for everyone to enjoy before students head into their classrooms at 8:30am.

Please note this is a light breakfast so the students may want to have some breaky before hand.

A big thank you to the PIC and the wonderful team of parents who helped with the Father’s Day Stall. The students thoroughly enjoyed selecting and purchasing gifts, and we know many dads will be delighted with the thoughtful surprises they receive. Your time and effort in making this possible are greatly appreciated.

We wish all fathers, grandfathers, and father figures in our community a very Happy Father’s Day this Sunday. May it be a day filled with love, gratitude, and special moments with family. We thank you for the important role you play in the lives of your children and the school community.

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Thursday 11th September 7pm

On Wednesday, September 11 at 7:00pm, our Year 3 students will celebrate the Sacrament of First Reconciliation, an important milestone in their faith journey. In the lead-up to this special evening, the children have been preparing through prayer, reflection, and learning about God’s love, forgiveness, and the importance of making good choices. With the guidance of their teachers and families, they will approach this sacred occasion with reverence and joy.

We look forward to joining together as a community to support and pray for the children as they take this next step in their journey of faith.

MACSSIS Survey - PARENT SURVEY

As part of our ongoing improvement process, we invite all parents to complete the MACSSIS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys). This is an important opportunity for us to listen to your feedback, which guides our planning for 2026 and beyond.

The survey link will be sent to many families in the coming days, and we kindly ask that it be completed by Friday, September 19. Your feedback is anonymous, and we truly value it and it’s a gift to help us grow as a school community.

Festival of the Arts

We congratulate all staff and students on their outstanding creativity and effort showcased through the Art, Performance, and STEM learning displays. The Art Show was a huge success, with many visitors enjoying the vibrant galleries, engaging performances, and innovative projects. The evening truly highlighted the diverse talents of our students and the dedication of our staff in bringing learning to life. It was wonderful to see such strong community support and pride in celebrating the achievements of our young learners.

I particulary want to congratulate members of the Creative Arts ActionTeam-Elizabeth, Annalyse and Jordan. They did a wonderful job opening the Festival and helping to gather student voice to generate ideas for the event. The Scavenger Hunt and buskers were a great ideas.

The buskers showed so many St John's Learning Powers: Courage, persistence and creativity. It was lovely to see you perform and share your talents with us.

Festival of the Arts - Silent Auction

Congratulations to all the families who have put in a successful bid for the child's Class art. I hope you enjoy hanging the art up in your homes. You generosity helped us raise $1030 for more arts supplies.

Parish Trivia Night - October 18

The St John’s Parish is excited to invite families to their upcoming Trivia Night on Saturday 18 October. Get ready for a night filled with fun, laughter, and a touch of friendly competition! This is a wonderful opportunity for all ages to come together, with children most welcome to join in the fun. Delicious food will be provided, and there will be plenty of chances to test your knowledge, share a few laughs, and enjoy the spirit of community.

Lost Property

A number of personal items have been lost around the school including lunch boxes and food containers, water bottles, school hats and jumpers, and some personal clothing items. While named items are able to be given back to their owner, many are not identifiable.

Please note that any containers and bottles left at the end of Term 3 will be disposed of for hygiene reasons.

Any unclaimed school uniform items will be donated to the second hand uniform shop.

Lost property items can be located outside the double doors

Summer Hats

It may not feel like it yet, particularly after seeing hail last weekend, but Spring officially began this week. As a SunSmart School, this means students are required to wear their hats during break times and outdoor activities. We encourage all students to begin bringing and wearing their St John’s hat from this week.

From Monday 8 September, students will be expected to wear school hats. Those who do not have a St John’s hat from that date will be asked to stay and play in a designated covered area during outside times.

Hats can be purchased at Noone Image wear in Ivanhoe.

PIC Meeting Tuesday 9 September - 9am

All welcome to attend in the staffroom.

Congratulations Mrs Penny Baynes

We are delighted to share the wonderful news that Penny and Lachlan Baynes’ baby couldn’t wait any longer to arrive!

Lily Joan Baynes was born last week, arriving six weeks early. Both Mum and Baby are doing well.

We congratulate Penny and Lachlan on the safe arrival of their beautiful daughter and wish their family all the very best as they begin this special new chapter together.

School Advisory Council (SAC) Feedback Form 2025

The SAC provides a forum for discussion and discernment, where the parent / guardian voice and perspective inform and support the decisions made by the principal and parish priest for the good of school and parish where the wellbeing and outcomes for students is paramount. The St John's SAC invites parent feedback, suggestions and constructive comments enabling a wide range of perspectives to be shared. Please see below for the link to your level Feedback email.

	SAC Parent Representative	Feedback email 2025
Prep	Aidan Depetro	prepsac@sjheidelberg.catholic.edu.au
Junior-Year 1/2	Kate Ruddell	year12sac@sjheidelberg.catholic.edu.au
MiddleYear3/4	Mel Mahady	year34sac@sjheidelberg.catholic.edu.au
Senior-Year5/6	Silvana Micallef	year56sac@sjheidelberg.catholic.edu.au
General/Parish	Laurette Kairouz	parishrepsac@sjheidelberg.catholic.edu.au

Have a lovely week ahead and I look forward to seeing you all at the Fathers' Day Breakfast this Friday.

Alison Dean

Happy Birthday