Dear families and friends,

What a week, back on site with such joy and love. We were so excited to see all the smiling faces walk towards us last Monday. The ice -cream van certainly got us into 'energetic' mode. It was such an awesome start. Thank you to all of our wonderful families for supporting us in such a smooth return. Our staff jumped straight back into face to face with so much happiness - easing any fears or nervousness quickly. Routines began with a focus on wellbeing for learning, soon after our projects were alive and explicit teaching groups were well under way.

CO-VID return - staffing - extra support

We have decided to employ Patrick early - he has begun this week. This will help / support smaller groups in our Prep to Two over the coming weeks. We have increased some intervention times over the coming weeks to ensure we support all in their learning progress.

We are also eagerly awaiting government information around extra funding for schools to employ tutors or extra teachers - we will be hoping to employ teachers on leave, pre-service teachers and casual relief teachers to ensure extra support is given.

Gemma Leave

I will be on leave from October 30 to November 6. I wish I was heading to an exotic location however not this time. As our lockdown came we worked harder than ever to get platforms ready in record time and everyone took part of the load for continuous school improvement, student achievement and family wellbeing. This in turn meant my Phd study was placed on the back burner - or literally in the hallway cupboard. I have a huge job to get back on track and hopefully complete my paper by mid August next year. This leave will certainly support this. Any concerns or if you need to contact us for any reason - please call or email Aoife McCarthy - Deputy Principal.

REVIEW 2020

Not only did we move back on site - we also had a 4 yearly external school review occurring. A little information about this:

St John's Improvement Framework

Every four years, Catholic schools engage in a cyclical process of review. This year, St John's Primary School is undertaking a review, facilitated by our school leadership and with the support of our Regional Leadership Consultant, Mr Wayne Richard. Our External reviewer is Judith Hanke.

The purpose of the School Improvement Framework review is two fold:

To satisfy legitimate expectations of government and sector authorities about accountability for the outcomes of schooling
To assist schools and teachers to improve student outcomes

We are excited to undertake this process as it provides a unique opportunity to reflect on past and current educational practices, through a data driven lens. It also enables us to create a focused strategic plan for the next four years, ensuring our students and families remain at the centre of all we do.

We thank you for your support as we engage in this important work for our school and students.

NAIDOC Week 2020

We will be celebrating NAIDOC week in the coming weeks with the theme highlighted: Always Was, Always Will Be.

A little bit about NAIDOC WEEK:

'Always Was, Always Will Be recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. We are spiritually and culturally connected to this country. This country was criss-crossed by generations of brilliant Nations.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were Australia’s first explorers, first navigators, first engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, first diplomats, first astronomers and first artists. Australia has the world’s oldest oral stories. The First Peoples engraved the world’s first maps, made the earliest paintings of ceremony and invented unique technologies. We built and engineered structures - structures on Earth - predating well-known sites such as the Egyptian Pyramids and Stonehenge...The very first footprints on this continent were those belonging to First Nations peoples.

Our coastal Nations watched and interacted with at least 36 contacts made by Europeans prior to 1770. Many of them resulting in the charting of the northern, western and southern coastlines – of our lands and our waters. For us, this nation’s story began at the dawn of time. NAIDOC 2020 invites all Australians to embrace the true history of this country – a history which dates back thousands of generations.

It’s about seeing, hearing and learning the First Nations’ 65,000+ year history of this country - which is Australian history. We want all Australians to celebrate that we have the oldest continuing cultures on the planet and to recognise that our sovereignty was never ceded.'

Always Was, Always Will Be.

(https://www.naidoc.org.au/get-involved/2020-theme)

Congratulations

A huge congrats to Bess, Luke, Hamish and Darcy on the safe arrival of Teddy (Theodore Luke)... We can't wait to give him a big squeeze.

Prayers

Please keep our Stevie and her family in your prayers. Stevie is having some very important time with her Mum right now.

Lots of important learning coming our way, as usual.

Sending lots of hope and energy your way,

Gemma

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