General Information
Information which you need to be aware of
RAFFLE WINNERS
Thank you once again to all the families who generously supported our school raffle. The money raised was used to defray some of the costs associated with our 10 Year Anniversary Celebrations, including the hiring of the stage and a professional lighting and sound system. As you can see from the images below, winners are grinners!!
DIVISION CROSS COUNTRY
Last Thursday 22nd May saw thirteen of our students travel to Werribee Racecourse to compete in the Divisional Cross Country competition. These students are to be commended for their efforts and the sterling way they represented St John’s. Congratulations to Eyueal, Chiemerie, Dominic and Dylan who have qualified for the Western Region Championships on the 19th June.
GOD BLESS POPE LEO XIV
On May 8th Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the 267th Pope and he will be known as Pope Leo XIV. He is the first American to fill the role of Pope, although he is considered as much from Latin America because of the many years he spent as a missionary in Peru. Pope Leo was born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Spanish and French/Italian descent. As a child Pope Leo served as an altar boy and was ordained as an Augustinian Priest in1982 taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. He moved to Peru three years after his ordination and began his work as a missionary with the Order of Saint Augustine.
As Pope, Prevost is following in the footsteps of St Peter, who Jesus personally chose to be the very first Pope. When Pope Leo first appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica he greeted Rome and the world with the simple blessing: ‘Peace be with all of you.’
Below is a prayer families may like to say together for our new pontiff:
Dear Lord,
Preserve Pope Leo and give him life
Shelter our Holy Father the Pope
Under the protection of Your Sacred Heart
Be his light, his strength and his consolation
We ask this through Christ Our Lord
Amen
CATHOLIC YEAR OF JUBILEE
Teachers in Catholic schools play an essential part in ensuring that students experience a quality education and encounter God at their school. To support this MACS asks that schools provide their staff with opportunities each year to develop their knowledge of our Catholic faith and traditions. With this in mind, staff gathered together last Friday to participate in a Professional Development session around the current Jubilee Year declared by Pope Francis last Christmas.
The Catholic Church's Jubilee Years are special times of prayer, pilgrimage, and conversion, celebrated every 25 years. They are a call to experience God's mercy and experience spiritual renewal. The current Jubilee year began on Christmas Eve 2024 with the opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica and continues until January 6, 2026, when the church will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany.
CHILD SAFETY - PARENT HUB & ONLINE MONITORING
In follow up to our Raising Kids in a Digital World parent forum with Marty and Karly McGauran from Inform and Empower, we have some important resources to share below. We encourage parents to browse the resources related to the evening and to activate their Qustodio App and use this to monitor their child when on their persnal devices at home.
Raising Kids in a Digital World - Parent Resources
www.informandempower.com.au/schools-webinars/st-john-the-apostle
- Replay of the Raising Kids in a Digital World Forum - Available for 30 days
- Toolkit (slides, links & resources from the session)
- Blog posts
- Printable family poster
Parent tip sheets links below
INSTALLING QUSTODIO ON YOUR DEVICE
As part of our school’s partnership with Linewize, we are able to provide our parents with parental controls via the Qustodio Parent App. Qustodio offers a range of features to help you engage with and support your child in their digital journey. Our school's partnership allows you to protect your child’s personal device, ensuring their protection extends beyond school-managed devices. Please see the steps below, which outline how to install Qustodio on your child’s device:
- Scan this QR Code
- Enter the email address that your school has on record (this is usually the address that your invitation was sent to). Click Continue.
- Enter your name and create a password.
- A verification code will be sent to your email address. Enter the code on the verification screen and click Verify. If you don’t receive the code, check your spam folder.
- Ensure that the information of your child’s school account is correct and click Connect.
- Use the dropdown to select your child’s birth year and click Continue. This optional step will give you safety insights personalized to your child’s age
NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORY DAY
Last week all students from St John’s participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime. This annual Australia-wide event sees a specific Australian picture book read simultaneously in libraries, schools, and other venues across the country. This year the book "The Truck Cat," written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell, was read across the country on Wednesday 21 May at Midday.
NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK 2025
This week our school will actively participate in National Reconciliation Week (NRW), joining communities across Australia in reflecting on our shared histories, cultures, and achievements. This year's theme, "Bridging Now to Next", encourages us to look forward while learning from the past to achieve reconciliation.
Throughout the week, students will engage in activities that explore Dreamtime stories, gaining insights into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. These stories, rich in symbolism and tradition, will serve as a foundation for discussions on belonging, connection, and the importance of understanding our collective history.
ASSEMBLY LIVE STREAM
Each Friday the students gather for a whole school assembly in the Hall. This event is usually streamed to our Vimeo channel. Families can view the assembly by clicking on the link which is emailed via email using your Operoo profile. The email only goes to those parents who have “receive correspondence” checked in their settings.