Principal's Report 

World Youth Day - Lisbon, 2023

Staff member Patrick O’Connell is currently attending World Youth Day in Lisbon for the next two weeks with other young leaders in the Archdiocese of Melbourne.  The purpose of World Youth Day in the Catholic Church is to bring together young people from around the world to celebrate their faith, share in a sense of community, and deepen their relationship with God. It takes place every two to three years in different host countries and provides an opportunity for young Catholics to participate in various religious activities, including Mass, prayer vigils, catechesis sessions and cultural events.  

Throughout the event, participants have the chance to interact with the Pope and other religious leaders, which serves as a source of spiritual guidance and inspiration. Fortunately for Mr. O’Connell, and the leaders from Melbourne, last Wednesday they were able to attend an hour question and answer session with our Pope.  We look forward to hearing of his experiences and our Pope's wisdom when he returns in a few weeks' time. 

Futures Expo 

A highly successful Careers Advice and Subject Selection Evening, “The Futures Expo" took place on Wednesday 19 July in the Br Leo Scollen Stadium.  Families and students were able to access experts from a variety of Universities and TAFE as well as our own teaching staff on subject selection and pathways through senior school and beyond.  Our students now work through the important subject selection process for 2024 based on this information and advice and their own discernment of future pathways with their families. 

Note the subject selection period closes on 9 August.  I extend my thanks to Careers 

Co-Ordinator, Mr. Bruce Topham; Deputy Principal, Learning & Teaching, Kamila Bielinski; VCE Programs Leader,  Ms. Frankie Flanagan and all of our Learning Area Leaders and teaching staff for their preparation of a very informative EXPO for our students. 

STEM Excursion – St Paul Apostle North 

On Wednesday of this week, the Grade 5 and 6 students from St. Paul Apostle North Primary School had an enriching STEM excursion at St John’s, led by staff members Miss Anna Nguyen and Miss Teagen Yates, along with our Year 10 Science students. As some of these primary students will be joining St. John’s in the future, we believe that experiences like these will provide them with valuable insights into what to expect as they progress to the next level of education. Moreover, we hope such experiences will ignite their motivation to excel academically and behaviorally. Witnessing older students actively engaged in learning and participating in extracurricular activities can serve as positive role models for the younger students. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated staff and students for their inspirational work with our Primary school attendees. 

Staffing  

I advise that staff member Mr. Simon Pamuk has resigned from St John’s to take up opportunities in the world of business and I wish him well in the next stage of his career. Mr. Pamut will be replaced by Dr. Julian Fernando and Mr. Greg Barker.  

Mrs. Nasioulas will be taking a well-deserved Long Service Leave break over the remaining weeks of this term and we wish her well with family and friends.  Mr. Barker will be taking on her senior Science classes in her absence. 

​ 

Launch of the St John's Regional College Academic Scholarships for 2025 

We are pleased to announce a change to the scholarship structure for the 2025 school year at St John's Regional College. In an effort to support and recognise academic excellence, we are offering 20 scholarships to Year 7 students entering St John's in 2025. Of these, two scholarships will be available to students from each of our Primary Feeder schools listed below, while two more will be open to students from outside our feeder primary schools: 

Primary Feeder Schools: 

St Mary’s Primary School, Dandenong 

Holy Family Primary School, Doveton 

St Paul Apostle North Primary School, Endeavour Hills 

St Paul Apostle South Primary School, Endeavour Hills 

St Kevin’s Primary School, Hampton Park 

St Francis De Sales' Primary School, Lynbrook 

St Anthony’s Primary School, Noble Park 

St Gerard’s Primary School, Dandenong North 

Additionally, four half scholarships will be available to students at the end of Year 9. 

To launch the scholarship program for 2025, an online session will be held on 9 August. All families interested in attending are welcome to book online through the following link. 

At St John's, we firmly believe that awarding academic scholarships is an investment in the development of future leaders and contributors to society. 

Over the years, scholarship recipients have made significant contributions in various fields, positively impacting their communities and the world. We are enthusiastic about supporting students on this transformative journey. 

Moreover, we understand that some families may face financial constraints when considering educational opportunities for their children. To address this, we offer a number of concessions to assist families in making quality education more accessible. The process for accessing these concessions will also be outlined during our Information session on 9 August.  

We look forward to welcoming and supporting exceptional students at St John's Regional College for the 2025 academic year. 

 College Community Assembly for Academic Excellence Awards and Stella Awards (Semester 1) 

Date: Monday, August 7 

Time: 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Br Leo Scollen Stadium at St John's College 

This assembly is organised to present the Academic Excellence Awards and Stella Awards for the first semester. It's a wonderful opportunity to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of students and their hard work over Semester 1. 

All parents and guardians are welcome to attend the assembly and the morning tea afterwards held in our Graduates' Restaurant for the students who will be receiving awards, and their families.  

Parents and guardians who wish to attend the celebration can use the following Trybooking  for registration. 

It's an excellent opportunity for the College Community to come together and celebrate the hard work and dedication of our students. Congratulations to all the award recipients in advance!