Principal's Report 

Concerns Over 2024-25 State Budget Measures

The Allan Labor Government recently announced the 2024-25 State Budget, which includes a $400 School Saving Bonus for all government school students. However, only Health Care Card holders in Catholic schools will be eligible for this payment.

We believe in equality for all school children in Victoria. Therefore, we are actively voicing the concerns of the Catholic school education sector to the government in the strongest possible terms. At the local level, we are taking the following steps:

Communicating with you our Families and School Community by sending a letter to inform you and give you options to engage with your local government representative around this issue.

Engaging with Local Representatives: We are sending a letter to our local Member of Parliament, The Hon. Gabrielle Williams, to advocate for equal treatment for all students.

Your support is crucial as we strive for fairness and equality in educational funding for all Victorian children.

Mother's Day Celebration

Our inaugural Mother's Day celebration, organised by our Vocational Major students, was a resounding success last Thursday. The students prepared a delightful breakfast and High Tea in the Graduates' Restaurant for our mothers and their children, who also attended.

It was heartwarming to see the interactions between the children and their mothers, highlighting the vital role mothers play in fostering growth, development and love. Truly, they are our first teachers.

A special thank you to Ms Emily Dias, Miss Emily Blake, and the Vocational Major students for establishing this wonderful initiative which will become a regular event on our school calendar

Paul Wade Cup

On Monday, May 6 our fourth annual Paul Wade Cup was held at St John’s Regional College. Over two hundred primary school students from St Mary’s, Dandenong, St Paul Apostle North and South, Endeavour Hills, St Francis De Sales, Lynbrook, Holy Family, Doveton, St Gerard’s, Dandenong North and St Kevin’s, Hampton Park gathered at St John’s to compete for a spot in the grand final. The gala soccer day is named after Paul Wade, an ex-student of St John’s and a former captain of the Australian Socceroos.

In a thrilling match, St Paul Apostle, South claimed the Paul Wade Cup for the first time with a 3-0 victory over St Anthony’s, Noble Park.

Events like this require extensive planning and preparation. We extend our gratitude to our St John’s Football program partner, Dandenong City Soccer Club, and our VET Sport & Recreation and SJRC Football program students who facilitated the refereeing and coaching on the day as part of their training requirements.

Special thanks to the dedicated St John’s staff members: Ms Nievas, Ms Fraraccio, Mr Alexander, Mrs Dias, Ms Blake, Mr Boswell, Mr O'Loughlin, Ms Beus, Ms Philips, Mr. Justin Chungue, the Maintenance Team, and the Admin Team, including Luke Tabone, for staging a wonderful tournament.

Founders Day Celebration

On Tuesday May 14, our community gathered to celebrate the lives of our Founders, St John Baptiste de La Salle and the Venerable Nano Nagle, at St Mary's Church in Dandenong. The day began with a beautiful whole school Eucharist celebrated by Fr Luke Bulley, C.P. and Fr Sebastian. As St. Mary’s Parish is one of the foundation parishes of St John’s Regional College, it was fitting to hold our Founders Day Mass in our home parish Church. It was also an opportunity to thank and bid farewell to Fr Luke, who is taking on a new role with the Passionist Retreat team in Donvale.

The celebration continued with a series of fun activities organised by each House, culminating in the annual SJRC Talent Quest, the highlight of the afternoon. It was an enjoyable day for all, and such events require the efforts of many for it to come to life.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the following staff members for their contributions:

· Mr John Rhynehart, Director of Faith and Mission

· Deputy Principal Mr.Van Es and the House Leaders Team

· Mrs Anne Aldis, Mr Greg Barker, Mr Michael Almery, Ms Tamara Hughes and Mr. Paul Boswell for leading the Talent Quest Team

· Our Maintenance and IT Team

· Our Business Manager, Shelley Iles, and the Administration Team.

Thank you to all the staff for making this a wonderful day of celebration.

Student Free Day – Monday, May 20

St John’s will be closed on Monday, May 20 to allow staff to participate in a professional learning day. This day will focus on exploring the new learning vision for all schools in the Melbourne Archdiocese (MACS) and how it aligns with our teaching practices at St John’s.

We are pleased to welcome guest presenter Ms Patrika Rowley from MACS, who will

 outline the 2024-2030 learning vision. This vision emphasises how students learn most effectively and efficiently, providing explicit guidance for schools on instructional best practices.

Thank you for your support of professional learning days like these, which are crucial for developing our staff's skills and professional capacity to enhance the learning outcomes of our students.

Enrolments 2025 and 2026 - Open Evening June 6.

This term alongside our weekly enrolment tour at 9.15am on a Thursday, we will be conducting an evening enrolment tour on June 6 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 our College reception on (03) 8793 2000 or through https://www.sjrc.vic.edu.au/