A Message from the Principal

Today, as a school we celebrated Harmony Day which recognises Australia’s cultural diversity. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. Here at St John's we are a welcoming community, embracing all cultures and backgrounds. Today we discovered the many different cultures represented at our school. The students worked in their house teams, rotating through four different activities.

Connor and Harry taught the students Irish dancing. Monica, Dani and Mietta informed everyone about Italian food, landmarks and customs. Chanel and Jasmine shared their knowledge of the Japanese alphabet and language, while Flo, Mia and Estelle unpacked the English culture with a Kahoot Quiz.

The Harmony Day Lapathon at Halliday Park was another highlight of the day with students participating enthusiastically. The day concluded with a Harmony Day Assembly, led by Year 3/4 MB.

Future Leaders 2022

Today we proudly announced our Future Leaders for Semester 1, who will be on the Student Representative Council. The Aim of our Future Leaders is to enable student voice and action through:

- representing the needs of students

- building leadership qualities and skills

- using creative thinking and design to solve problems and put ideas into action

- developing students’ understanding of society and democratic processes

- enabling the school and students to live the principles of catholic social teaching

- providing peer learning opportunities

Our Future Leaders are:

PrepSW	Prep AK	1/2 KR	1/2 AB	3/4 CM	3/4 CB	3/4MB	5/6EP	5/6 RM
Valerie	Stella	Lucas M	Zoe B	Juan F	Eleonora C	Alina G	Isaac I	JosephM
James	Mackenzie	Lucie B	Henry S	Elliot S.W.	Piper F	Jackson M	SamH	Chase R

FIRE Carriers 2022

Today we inducted our new FIRE Carriers for 2022, Monique and Alana. The ceremony included a pledge from both students:

"As FIRE Carriers we will lay strong foundations in our school community to build respect, understanding and knowledge of our shared story that started in this rich land over 60,000 years ago and continues today."

St John’s Primary School is committed to developing an awareness of our Aboriginal culture and seeks to journey towards Reconciliation developed through core knowledge, skills and understanding.

For our School community, Reconciliation means:

Spiritual awareness
Cultural and Indigenous Recognition and Awareness
Practical Reconciliation and Justice

We are delighted that Alana and Monique will be joining our FIRE Carrier Team this year at St John's.

Past Student News

It was lovely to receive the following letter from a past parent recently.

I just wanted to let you know that thanks to St John’s Marathon Club establishing a passion for running in Erin, she has qualified for the Australian Junior Athletics Championships for 1500m and 800m. She will be competing in Sydney from March 26, 2022.

The Marathon Club at St John’s was a fantastic initiative and I hope you are still able to keep it going. It benefits everyone even if you are not a good runner. I don’t know if Erin would have found her love of running if she had not been involved in Marathon Club. At the time I always appreciated the extra work by the staff for this extra curricular activity. I want to say thank you.

Regards

Peta Mariner

CSEF

Please refer to the Community News page for information regarding the Victorian Government support Payment. The Victorian Government Camp, Sport and Excursion Fund (CSEF) is available to families who meet the criteria as set out in the information provided. If you believe that you are eligible, fill in the application form and return it to the school office to assist with your school fees.

National Ride2School Day

THIS Friday 25 March 2022

Each year, nation-wide, students are invited and encouraged to travel to school on National ride to School Day in an active way. Students may like to walk, ride, skate or scoot to school this Friday and they will receive a healthy snack when they arrive.

The weather is looking great for an active start to the day so please join in.

Don't forget that every Tuesday is also WOW Day - Walk, Scoot or Ride tomorrow and your class will earn points for the Golden Boot award.

Prep Enrolments for 2023

If you have a child who is ready to start school next year please send in your enrolment form soon. Don't forget to let everyone at your Kindergarten know about our wonderful school and please promote our OPEN DAY next Tuesday 29 March.

Thought for the day

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought, word, and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Have a great week!

Verona Gridley

Principal

vgridley@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

Camp Australia

Before and After School Care

CAMP AUSTRALIA