Principals Update

Key Events

Term 3, Week 1

• Thursday 18th of July - Confirmation Family Workshop (Year 6 students)
• Sunday 21st of July - Confirmation Commitment Mass @ 9am

Term 3, Week 2

• Tuesday 23rd of July - Confirmation Retreat Day (Year 6 students)
• Thursday 25th of July - Grandparents/Special friends Day, 9.15am Mass, 10.15am classroom visits & 11am Morning Tea (Grandparents/Special friends only)
• Friday 26th July - SJV School Musical Rehearsal, 12pm onwards. Olympic Games begin

Term 3, Week 3

• Monday 29th of July - Book Fair
• Tuesday 30th of July - Book Fair. Bishop Tony visiting Confirmation candidates @ 9.30am
• Wednesday 31st of July - Book Fair. 100 Days of Prep celebration
• Thursday 1st of August - Book Fair
• Friday 2nd of August - SJV School Musical Rehearsal, Book Fair
• Sunday 4th of August - SJV Feast Day & The Sacrament of Confirmation @ 1pm

Dear SJV Families,

Welcome back for Term 3! 

I hope all families had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday and are ready for another huge term here at SJV with the Confirmation program, parent teacher interviews (week 10), Book week, Book fair, Grandparents/Special friends day, Hoop Time and St John Vianney’s Feast Day (Sunday 4th of August - celebrated on Monday the 5th of August) and our school Musical, Once Upon a Fairytale Crisis,  just to name a few. It promises to be an exciting term with many opportunities offered to all of our wonderful students.

At the end of last term, I attended a rich professional learning experience in the Northern Territory with the Peninsula Principals Network. We Stayed in Kakadu, Katherine and Darwin over the week. Our Journey around the NT included the Tiwi Islands, Litchfield Park, Katherine Gorge, Mataranka Hot Springs, Kakadu National Park, Nourlangie Rock Art Sites, Yellow Waters, Warradjan Cultural Centre, Ubirr Rock Art Sites, just to name a few.

The journey provided all of us with an invaluable opportunity to deepen our own personal understanding of our First Nations People, their unique culture, and their enduring traditions. By immersing ourselves in the rich heritage and diverse practices of Indigenous communities, we gained a profound appreciation of their history, knowledge, and perspectives. The Tiwi Islands was an amazing, spiritual learning experience especially visiting the local Catholic Church, St Therese's as well as having permission to visit Arnhem land. Another highlight was visiting and experiencing Kakadu and the many natural indigenous features. More will be shared over the coming weeks.

Grandparents / Special Friends Day

Next Thursday, 25th July we will be celebrating our annual ‘Grandparent’s / Special Friends Day’. Grandparents and special friends are invited to join us for Mass in the Church beginning at 9.15am with Fr Justin. At 10.15am students and their grandparents/special friend will make there way to the classrooms and join in some activities with their grandchild/children. Morning tea will then follow at 11.00am in the Multi Purpose Room (MPR). 

The timetable for Thursday 25th of July is as follows:

• 9.15am - 10.15am - Mass celebrated by Fr Justin 
• 10.15am - 11am Time in the classroom 
• 11am - 11.45am Morning Tea in the MPR

All children will go out to play and the Grandparents/Special Friends will gather in the MPR for Morning Tea. The PFA will provide morning tea for the Grandparents/Special Friends. We look forward to our many Grandparents / Special Friends  spending time here at St John Vianney’s. Please view the invitation below.

Confirmation

The Confirmation candidates are in the process of preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.Tonight, all of the Confirmation candidates are expected to attend the family workshop presented by Fr Elio Capra in the MPR. It begins at 7pm and concludes by 8pm. The Commitment Mass will take place on Sunday the 21st of July.

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated by Bishop Tony at 1pm in the St John Vianney Church.

Please keep these students in your prayers.

MPR (Multi Purpose Room) Refurbishment

Over the school holidays, we have been working on refurbishing the MPR. The old evaporative coolers were removed, the ceiling tiles repaired and now cover the entire roof space, cabinetry moved, area for chairs to be stored is currently being created, painting works completed, new carpet laid and a new sound system being installed next Monday. The MPR is starting to look amazing and will be used on Grandparents and Special Friends day next Thursday. Thank you to the staff, in particular Mark Slater for assisting with moving the stage and other items out of the MPR while work was taking place.

School Closure Dates - Term 3

There will be two student free days this term:

• Friday 9th of August
• Monday 12th of August

Term 3 concludes on Friday 20th of September at 1pm.

Google Review

We hope your experience with St John Vianney's Primary School Parkdale has been positive and enriching. If you have a moment, we would greatly appreciate it if you could share your thoughts and experiences by leaving us a Google business review. Your feedback not only helps us continue to improve and grow but also assists other families in making informed decisions about their children's education. Thank you for taking the time to support our school community!

To leave a review, simply click here.

SJV Facebook Page

PFA

Thank you to Jess Viviani and her PFA team for the great work that they are doing for our community. We had many parents attend the meeting last Tuesday evening with many wonderful events planned. Please note the following save the dates. The flyer for the Prep to Year 4 disco was sent home to parents yesterday.

2025 Prep Enrolments 

Our Requests for School Tours are continuing with many booking times to come and visit our wonderful school! 

We are continuing the process of enrolling 2025 Prep students. If you know of anyone who is considering enrolling at the Foundation (Prep) level or any other year level, please encourage them to come and take a look and get in quick as places are filling fast. Families can book a school tour by contacting Nicole in our front office or scanning the QR code or book online on the SJV Website. Our enrolments are open to Catholic and non-Catholic students. Enrolment forms can also be downloaded from the school website or collected from the office.  We have been delighted with the highly encouraging response to the 2025 enrolment application process.

Reminders

• Dogs - Please note that for the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community, no dogs are permitted inside the school grounds and they must not be left unattended tied up at the gates. Adult supervision and holding of the leash is so important around vulnerable places such as schools.  We love dogs but we do have to take care of all members of our community.
• Bikes and Scooters - Please walk bikes and scooters when moving through the school grounds.
• Punctuality - It is expected that all students are to be at school by no later than 8.45am and not any time up to 9am. From 8.45am to 9am is crucial for students to get themselves organised, start the day with prayer, take the roll and ready to commence their day promptly. Formal lessons begin at 9am. Any child who arrives at or after 9am is to be signed in at the office by a parent/guardian. I ask all parents to make sure that you adhere to these times.
• The next newsletter/update will be shared on Thursday the 1st of August.

Keep Warm!

Regards

Mick Schinck

Principal