The School Advisory Committee (SAC) continues to meet regularly with the most recent meeting held on Tuesday, 10 September. The forum provides essential connection, commitment and consensus to support St John’s Primary School and all its students.

Key messages from our recent meeting:

Leadership & Management

We are pleased to welcome Sheree, our new Administration Officer, who started last week. Sheree has begun the handover process with Jenny, who will be farewelled at this week’s Assembly. We extend our deepest thanks to Jenny for her 22 years of dedicated service to St John's school community.

In other updates, our school website has been modernized and updated to better serve our community. https://www.sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au/

Additionally, we have received costings from Whisker Architect for the proposed five stages of refurbishment and renovation in the new Masterplan, moving us closer to our facility upgrade goals. Our new Future Leaders are actively working on ideas related to the masterplan and outdoor play spaces, aiming to enhance our school environment.

The review of school fees is currently underway to align with the government’s ‘capacity to contribute’ expectations and MACS guidelines.

Religious Dimension

We are excited to announce that Godly Play resources have been updated across all year levels with a focus on sharing and exploring scripture. The Family Liturgies hosted by our junior classes have been well-attended and warmly received.

Our focus on Catholic Social Teachings continues, and we are working on integrating these teachings into our daily lives.

Learning and Teaching

The Interrelate personal development evening and class lessons for Years 3-6 families and students have been completed successfully. Our students shone brightly at the District Athletics, demonstrating excellent skills and sportsmanship in track and field events.

We have recently invested in new equipment for podcasts and movie making, enhancing our students’ learning experiences. Additionally, Sphero robotics have been added to our STEM resources, further enriching our coding and robotics curriculum.

This term’s excursions included visits to IMAX and Ripponlea, while the Sovereign Hill Camp proved highly engaging for our Year 5 students. The St John’s Art Show was a wonderful showcase of our students artistic and creative skills.

Student Wellbeing

Wellbeing Week was a success, with positive feedback from both staff and students. We will be sharing our Positive Behaviour for Learning Matrix and Flowchart with the school community early next term, aiming to foster a supportive and thriving school environment.

School Community

The Fathers Day Breakfast was a delightful event, enjoyed by many dads and students. A big thank you to our Chair, Ange Maclean, for organizing the event and to the mums who supported it so wonderfully.

Parent Evenings this term, featuring speakers such as Justin Coulson and Maria Ruberto, have been fantastic and eye-opening. For those who missed these events, resources like Justin’s "Parental Guidance" show are available online and highly recommended. A key takeaway was to reconsider giving children smart mobile phones and delaying this until a later age.

The Tournament of the Minds was a great success, with 14 students participating.

We raised $4,000 through Dolly’s Disco Bingo event which was a fun community event.

Whitefriars College generously donated the Art display boards used at the Art Show.

School Fees

We are pleased to inform you that Verona has presented a proposed new tiered fee structure to the School Advisory Council (SAC). This proposal aims to address the gap between our current fees and our families' ‘Capacity to Contribute’ (CTC), ensuring financial sustainability for the school while providing fairer fee options for families and was approved by all SAC members present.

Proposal for a Tiered Fee Structure

Current Fee Structure - At present, St John’s applies a single fee per families, regardless of the number of children a family has enroled at the school. The current state is as follows:

The government retains $2,018 per child under CTC, while the actual cost of educating each child is around $15,000.

Due to the discrepancy between CTC and the fees collected, the school has to subsidize families with more than one child. This ensures that teacher wages and educational support are adequately funded. We currently have 32 staff members to provide essential support.

Impact of Current Fee Structure

The existing fee structure creates a significant and unsustainable gap between the CTC and the fees charged by the school each year. To address this, we need to close this gap to ensure adequate support for our teachers and maintain our high standards of education.

Current Enrolment and Financial Details

At the beginning of the year, we had 152 students from 116 families. We now have 157 students from 120 families.

We are still repaying a loan from previous building works, which is supported by the capital fee of $290.

Analysis of Family Structure

Currently, 69% of our families have one child, while 30% have two children and 1% have 3 children.

Proposed Tiered Fee Structure

To better align with our financial needs and provide fairer fees for families, we propose the following tiered fee structure:

1 Child Family: $2,300
2 Child Family: $2,450 ($1,225 per child)
3+ Child Family: $2,550 ($850 per child)

Comparisons and Considerations

Surrounding schools have successfully implemented tiered fee systems. The proposed changes aim to balance the fee structure while addressing the gap between CTC and actual costs.

Future Adjustments

At this stage, the fee increase will be around 5.5% per year. We will be transparent about the forecasted gap between fees and CTC, the current state and the implications of these changes for our school community.

Context and Background

Global budgeting has affected school funding, with the government reducing its support over the years. This has led MACS to review and adjust funding models to better meet the needs of schools. We believe that a tiered fee structure will provide a more equitable approach for families and help us bridge the financial gap effectively. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we work towards maintaining our school’s financial sustainability and educational quality.

Before and After School Care Report

We are excited to share an update on the future of before and after school care at our school. MACSEYE, the new before and after school care system introduced by MACS, is being rolled out across its network of Catholic schools. However, at this time, we are not yet eligible for MACSEYE. It will be trialled in some schools next year.

Current Situation and Future Plans

Camp Australia: We will again partner with Camp Australia for the next 12 months. This decision will allow us to have a reliable before and after school care service while MACSEYE establishes itself and prepares to be available at more Catholic schools.

Haruka, our Camp Australia coordinator, has recently moved on and Vinetha will commence next term. A temporary replacement has been covering the role. Camp Australia currently pays rent for the room used for before and after school care.

Child Safety Report

Risk Assessment and Register

Ensuring the safety of our students is a top priority at St John’s. We are continuously reviewing and updating our child safety standards and risk assessment procedures to maintain a secure environment for all children.

Update on School Gates and Pick-Up Procedures

Recently, there have been discussions regarding the timing of when the school gates open for pick-ups. To address concerns and improve safety, Verona has provided the following updates:

Gate Opening Time:

The school gates are set to open at 3:10pm for afternoon pick-ups. This timing is carefully chosen to ensure that children are still safely supervised outdoors until the gates are opened. The gates will not be opened before 3:10pm because children are often still active outside, and early opening could compromise their safety.

Pick-Up Time Recommendations:

We encourage parents to arrive closer to the official pick-up time of 3:20pm rather than arriving earlier, as this helps reduce congestion and ensures that children are not waiting unsupervised.

To facilitate a smoother pick-up process and enhance safety, we recommend that parents park across the road from the school and use the overhead footbridge. This bridge provides a safe crossing and minimizes traffic congestion around the school.

Recent Incidents:

There was a recent incident where someone from the hall used our bin, resulting in papers blowing around, landing on the sensors and causing a delay.

Key Takeaways for Parents:

Arrive Closer to Pick-Up Time: Please aim to arrive closer to 3:20pm to align with the official pick-up time.
Park Across the Road: Use the parking area across the road and make use of the overhead footbridge for a safe and convenient crossing.
Minimise Early Arrivals: Arriving too early can contribute to congestion and potential safety issues.

We appreciate your cooperation in following these guidelines, which are designed to ensure the safety and well-being of all students during pick-up times. Thank you for your attention to these important safety measures.

Courage Corner

Aligned with our school theme of “Courage” for the year, the SAC explored the idea of introducing a Parent page in the newsletter called “Courage Corner” to express or show courage for things felt or observed in our community and invite your submissions to principal@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

We are delighted to kick off this edition of Courage Corner by extending our deepest gratitude to the dedicated teachers who made the Year 5 camp a memorable experience. A special thank you goes to:

Melinda Buscema
Tracey Farrar
Allison Bayliss
Lipo Li

From the photos and reports, it is clear that the students had a remarkable experience. We are pleased that they are now back in their classrooms, benefiting from today’s rules and regulations that ensure a safe and enriching learning environment. Your enthusiasm and commitment made the camp a truly unforgettable adventure for our students. Thank you for your hard work and dedication!

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our junior school teachers who led the class liturgies last week. From all accounts, they were absolutely amazing, and both students and parents thoroughly enjoyed them. A special thank you to:

Cara Wooley
Clorinda Maio
Nicole Webb
Anna Hendy

Your leadership and dedication in these liturgical activities, guided by Melinda, truly shone through and contributed to a wonderful and meaningful experience for everyone involved.

Thank you all for your hard work and commitment to making these events so special!

As we approach the end of term, the School Advisory Council (SAC) would like to extend our warmest wishes to all staff, students, and families. We hope you have a safe and happy holiday break. For those traveling, please take extra care on the roads and ensure a safe journey. We look forward to welcoming you all back in Term Four, ready for another exciting and productive term. Enjoy your holidays, and see you soon!

Angela Maclean

Chairperson and Parent Representative

St John's Community Fete