General Information

WELCOME NEW STAFF

We are very pleased to welcome three new staff members this term.  Ms Sherese King has joined the Year 5 Team working in 5 King from Monday to Thursday.  Mr Reuben Vande Kraats and Mrs Chrystal Vande Kraats are joining us from Canada.  Reuben will be supporting the school with daily teacher replacement needs and Chrystal will be working with small groups of students supporting their learning and implementing some of our intervention programs.

UNIFORM UPDATE

We are very excited to announce that all new uniform items are now available in store.   Parents wishing to purchase any pieces from the range will need to visit Rushfords uniform shop located in Barnes Pl, Werribee.  At this stage items are only available for purchase in store.  Online purchasing will not be available for a few weeks until the website is adjusted.  Current uniform items that are in stock can still be worn. They have been heavily reduced by 50% but will not be restocked once sold out.  A display of the uniform items was set up in the Community Space on Friday. We encourage parents to come and have a look when you get a chance.

The new uniform consists of a multipurpose "wardrobe" whereby parents may choose a combination of any items. It can be worn everyday meaning that we no longer will have a summer and winter uniform. It also allows students to engage in sport, dance, bike ed and other activities comfortably and reduces the impact of timetable changes on families.  The uniform also has reduced the cost burden on families considerably.

FREQUENTLY ASKED UNIFORM QUESTIONS

My child’s current uniform is in good condition, do I need to buy the new one?

No, as long as your child is in full school uniform, they can wear the current one until you decide to transition across. Remember that the old uniform will not be restocked instore. Once supplies are sold they are no longer available.

What days does my child wear the new uniform?

The new uniform is multipurpose therefore it is waorn everyday regardless of whether your chils has sport or not.

What parts of the new uniform do I buy?

You now just mix and match any combination that you like from the new uniform wardrobe. This means if your child does not feel the cold you do not need to buy the track pants. We hope this will save families money as they are not having to purchase items their child won't want to wear.

Are any current items able to be worn with the new uniform?

Yes, the sports shorts, polo top, soft shell jacket, hat, vest cardigan and jacket can be worn with the new uniform. 

What shoes will be worn with the new uniform?

Students must wear runners with the new uniform. These must be predominantly white or black in colour.

Can I replace new uniform items with unbranded items from Kmart, Target, etc?

No, with the reduced cost of the uniform we are expecting families to use the official uniform items which are identified by the school logo.

Can my child wear leggings or long-sleeved undergarments under the uniform for warmth or sun protection?

Yes, however they must be from the official uniform list. These items have now been added to the wardrobe.

YEAR 6 BOMBER JACKETS

Last Thursday the Year 6s received their long awaited Bomber Jackets.  As part of our ongoing commitment to authentic student voice, a team of Year 6 students worked with staff from the Positive Behaviours for Learning  Team (PBL Team), to research, design and order the Jackets.  Pictured below is the design team Myra, Daniel, Nainika and Joseph, showcasing their work to the Year 6s.

HOLIDAY WORKS

The school holidays are an ideal time to complete certain maintenance tasks which are safer or easier to complete when there are no students on site.  I would like to thank Mark Page our Facilities Manager and Michael Halle our Cleaning Contractor, for their hard work over this period.  

Works completed included:

• Installation of garden beds either side of Jayden’s memorial seat
• Winter grass maintenance completed, including fertilising the oval
• Garden beds mulched
• Painting and oiling of surfaces completed in and around the school
• Junior carpets steamed cleaned
• All vinyl areas polished

WEEKLY FLAG RAISING CEREMONY 

Some of our Year 6 leaders have researched and created a ceremony we can hold each week to raise our flags and join together to pray the Our Father and sing our National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair. Last week was our inaugural Flag Raising Ceremony. 

SCHOOL REVIEW FEEDBACK

Last week the school leadership team and staff from MACS met with our Reviewer Mrs Mary Lovelock.  In her feedback Mary reflected on the ‘Positive Vibe’ she experienced as she moved around the school and met with students, staff and parents.  Mary commented on the high level of commitment she encountered from all staff and the safe environment St John’s provides for the students.  From her discussions with the parents, Mary felt that the parents were extremely proud of the school their children attend and provided positive feedback about their child’s education.

An important aspect of the review process is to provide recommendations.  These recommendations are then used by schools to plan for the coming four years and set goals which will enable a school to develop greater depth and substance in their student’s learning. 

The recommendations provided to St John’s were:

• Deepen students’ understanding of our Catholic Faith by using a range of strategies which will help them to reflect meaningfully on our church doctrine
• Continue to use assessment data and feedback to strengthen learning and teaching
• Investigate new opportunities for student engagement, which will enrich learning experiences and equip students with the capacity to think deeply and critically assess their own learning

TERM 3 EVACUATION DRILL

In line with the school’s safety procedures and policies, we hold regular safety drills.  These enable the school community to practise efficiently evacuating or locking down an area of the school.  Our Term 3 drill will take place at 2:30pm on Monday 24th July, to enable staff from Quantin Binnah to participate. 

St Mary’s College Flyer

NATIONALLY CONSISTENT COLLECTION OF DATA (NCCD)

Schools complete the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) every year. It counts the number of students who receive additional adjustments or “help” at school because of a disability. The NCCD helps governments and schools plan for the needs of students with a disability. For further information click on the link NCCD Information Sheet.  

NCCD Information Sheet

CHILD SAFETY - Online Safety Parent Hub

After this week the school will move into the next phase of our online safety initiative. With real time alerts now active through our Linewize Monitor system, concerning online behaviour by students when at school will be immediately flagged to the leadership team. These alerts monitor students at risk of self-harm, depression, grooming, sexual content, bullying, school violence and other threats in real time.

To support parents in navigating this ever-changing online space, we now have access to our own Online Safety Parent Hub. At St John’s we believe parents need tools, support, and education to take an active role in their child's digital development.  The Parent Area provides a wealth of online safety resources - such as digital parenting guides, app reviews and articles - developed by our team of leading digital safety and wellbeing experts. Plus, access to free parental control tools to help keep children safe while using their personal devices.

The hub empowers parents to take an active role in teaching their children about online safety.

Content on the hub is constantly updated and added to so parents should try to get into the habit of visiting this regularly especially as new online social media platforms and games are released.

The Parent Online Safety Hub is accessible to all our school parents using this link.