Principal's Report
Welcome Back
AS we begin term 3 , I begin with this prayerful reflection from Pope Francis found on this website https://clicktopray.org/ . Our Popes intention this month is to pray to the lord for all families that they may be accompanied with love, respect and guidance during these troubled times.
With Jesus in the morning
Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. I am grateful for the great mission of the Carmelite work in the world. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). In the Lord my heart rests, only in him do I find peace. Even so, the routine of daily life often makes me forget these truths. I ask the Lord to teach me how to rest in him. Today I will try to give him a special time. Through Our Lady’s intercession, I offer this day for the Pope’s intention for this month: For families, so that they can be helped and accompanied. Hail Mary…
I hope all of our students and families enjoyed a restful break over the holidays. I know they have not ended the way we wanted them to, but it is important that as we return to school that we lift our eyes and thoughts to the work ahead of us – learning and teaching. This beautiful image of spring reminds me of the wonderful rhythm of change in our seasons and the promise of beauty and new life to come. I think we are all looking forward to the joys of this spring now only six weeks away.
As we begin the term, we remind our students and families of the protocols that will keep everyone safe this term:
- please stay at home if feeling ill
- temperature testing at the beginning of the school day
- social distancing
- regular washing of hands and use of sanitiser
- wearing a mask is not mandated but student and staff can wear one if they wish to.
From July 20 until August 19, our students studying the VCE and VCAL will continue their learning at St John’s face to face with their teachers while students in Years 7 – 10 will return to remote learning via our SEQTA learning management system. We will communicate to all families if we move to Stage 4 restrictions in the Melbourne Metropolitan Area. This is likely to mean that all schooling at all levels will be delivered remotely.
Parent Teacher Interviews
The feedback so far from parents on our virtual parent teacher interviews held last Monday was mainly positive. The opportunity for parents to gain feedback from teachers on student progress without having to leave the warmth of one’s home was not lost on anyone given the cold winter’s night. We will seek more formalised feedback with a survey of parent’s views on the interview structure during this term with consideration given to how we shape our end of Term 3 interviews.
Virtual Futures Expo – July 29
Our Careers Advice and Subject Selection Evening “The Futures Expo” will take place on Wednesday July 29. This will be staged as an online event put together by our Careers Advisor, Ms Leana Bailey. Students will be able to access course information from all the major universities and TAFES via our SEQTA Learning Management System and will be a wonderful opportunity for our Year 12 students as they contemplate their pathway for the next year. Subject selection advice from our learning area leaders and teaching staff will also be available for students in years 8-11 on the night as they consider their subject choices for the 2021 school year.
This is a compulsory night of engagement for our students in years 9 – 12 to assist them in answering the following questions:
How do I work out what career path I should follow?
What are the fees for a university course? What options do I have for paying university fees?
What careers follow from a university or TAFE course?
What subjects should I be doing in Years 9, 10, 11 or 12 if I like this particular career?
How do I qualify for a trade? What trades are providing the best employment opportunities?
More details on the Virtual Futures Expo and how you access on the night can be found in this newsletter.
Staffing
As we begin Term 3, I welcome to the College our new Business Manager Ms Shelley Iles and the following staff back from maternity leave Ms Anne Marie Corrigan (Science & Maths & Coach) and Ms Trish Dounias. Ms Anne Smith returns from long service leave and Ms Lynn Cemeljic will be on long service leave for Term 3.
VET Students – Sale of Evening Meals
Over the coming weeks our VET students completing their Hospitality and Kitchen Operations courses will offer for sale take-away weekend dinners to all college staff. This could evolve into a 2-course dinner including dessert and will provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the outcomes required of their courses during the Stage 3 Lockdown. Like many restaurants in the Hospitality industry, our Graduates Restaurant remains closed and I thank our Hospitality staff Karla Thomas, Sally Taylor and Kees Van Der Lean, for providing our students with this uniquely authentic hospitality experience as part of their learning.
25th of July Virtual Open Morning & Tour – New Enrolments for 2021 and 2022
Our next Enrolment Information Session for this year will be held online on Saturday the 25th of July at 10am. New and old families considering enrolment for their children in the 2021 or 2022 school year are invited to attend this event which will include a virtual tour of our facilities and opportunity to meet the principal in an online forum. Bookings for the Enrolment Session can be made via the College website or through the following link https://www.trybooking.com/BALBU
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) On School Students with Disability
Schools must now 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 plan for the needs of students with disability. In this newsletter under the NCCD section you will find important information for Parents, Carers and Guardians of students with disabilities.
Student Scholarships
Applications are now OPEN
For the 2021 school year, the following student scholarships will be awarded at St John’s Regional College:
- Year 7 (2020) into Year 8 (2021) 4 Half Scholarships
- Year 8 (2020) into Year 9 (2021) 4 Half Scholarships
- Year 10 (2020) into Year 11(2021) 4 Half Scholarships
Student Scholarships awarded at St John’s are deemed to be General Excellence Scholarships and selection is based on criteria such as Academic Achievement, Community Involvement and Extra-Curricular Involvement.
The application forms are available on SEQTA (see below links) and from Reception.
Applications are to be submitted by 4pm Friday 21 August 2020 attention to Mr Tim Hogan via Reception or can be emailed to stjohns@sjrc.vic.edu.au
