A message from Emily

Dear parents and carer's

You may notice some changes to this edition of the newsletter. We are always reviewing and evaluating our communication processes including the newsletter. After reviewing the statistical data on how may people access the newsletter, what pages they view and for how long, we have decided to strip it back to essential information and alternate each week between a newsletter like this one and one that purely focuses on the learning that is happening in our beautiful school. 

You may have noticed the change in the image at the top of this newsletter. I took this photo on my recent pilgrimage waiting to enter John's cave in Patmos. I shared my reflections about this in the last newsletter for Term 1. I had many wondrous moments on the pilgrimage that were both inspiring and joy filled. While travelling through plains of Thessaly we visited two Meteora monasteries dating back to the 14th century which stand amongst striking scenery, perched on sheer-sided rock pinnacles of varied and spectacular shapes making them appear to be suspended in mid-air. 

The Holy Monastery of Varlaam was named after its founder, the ascetic monk Varlaam who lived in a cave as a hermit and built a chapel on top of a rock. In the 16th century, two brothers, Theophanis and Nektarios Apsaradas who were both monks, enlarged the chapel and built a monastery. The monastery was actually founded in 1517 and was decorated in 1548 by Frangos Kastellanos, an important Byzantine iconographer, who painted some beautiful frescoes in the church of Agioi Pantes. It has another church to the north side, dedicated to the Three Bishops: St Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian and St John the Chrysostom. This church, known as the Chapel of the Three, was built in 1627 and has a square-shaped cross on the roof.

The male monastery can be accessed through the main road after climbing 195 steps carved in the rock. The Monastery of Varlaam hosts a museum in the old refectory and is known for its great frescoes. Every now and then, a monk sits in the garden and starts conversations with the visitors. It is the second largest monastery of Meteora and is open to the public, visited by lots of pilgrims all year round. I have included some photos below that I took during my visit.

The St Johns' Athletics Day last week was a positive community event, with great participation from all of our students. It was nice to see their enjoyment, effort, and the supportive cheering for each other. The final results are as follows: 

1st: Malachi 

2nd: Flora 

3rd: Irene 

4th: Alex

We appreciate the many parents who volunteered their time to assist with scoring, timing, judging, and officiating. Your assistance was greatly appreciated and the day wouldn't have the success it was without you. What a great way for our community to come together and have fun. Thank you also to Michelle for her leadership with this event and all the staff who support to make these events possible.

We are excited to add two new items to our School Uniform list. Both items are optional. We have introduced a school book bag with our Prep - 2 children in mind. We highly recommend this bag to be purchased to carry books for home reading and other important items. It is waterproof to protect library books and readers. We will then add this to a list of required items for Preps from 2026. 

Our second new item it very exciting to announce and was all drive from a Discovery Project by Milo last year. Milo designed and then made a prototype for a school beanie. This year Milo and I have met with Andrew from Spartan to present this design which was then used to create some storyboard designs. Milo then selected the design he liked best and this has now been produced and available for purchase (see image). Milo will receive the very first beanie and I look forward to presenting this to him as soon as it arrives and sharing this with the community.

Hall Update: We have had some exciting updates around the hall. Over the holidays we had work conducted to improve the safety of this building by removing the plaster ceiling. With support from MACS we now have a plan moving forward. Stage 2 is to relocate the mains power and data that is currently housed in a room attached to the hall. Then we will partial demolish the hall followed by the construction of a COLA (covered outdoor learning area). This will create more back yard space for break times and a place to gather as a school in all weather conditions. I look forward to sharing COLA designs with the community in the near future.

This Sunday we celebrate Mother's Day and show gratitude to all the women in our lives that love, support and care for us. Tomorrow at St John's, we will be hosting a special breakfast where coffee and pastries will be on offer to the special women in the lives of the children. There will also be an activity to do together followed by a prayer gathering. The children will also be able to purchase a gift from the Mother's Day stall that will be setup during the day. I have included a prayer for this Mother's Day as we give thanks for all they do. 

Dear God,

This Mother's Day, we lift up the special women in our lives – our mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, aunts, sisters, friends, and all those who nurture and care for us with a mother's heart.

We thank you for their boundless love, their unwavering support, and the countless sacrifices they make, often unseen. Thank you for their patience, their wisdom, and their gentle guidance that shapes us into who we are.

We pray for their strength and resilience in the face of challenges. Grant them peace in their hearts and joy in their journey. Bless them with good health, happiness, and the knowledge of how deeply they are loved and appreciated.

May they feel cherished and honored today and every day. May their spirits be lifted by the love that surrounds them.

For those who long to be mothers, we pray for hope and fulfillment. For those whose mothers are no longer with them, we pray for comfort and peace in their memories.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of these incredible women. May we always recognise and celebrate the profound impact they have on our lives.

Amen.

Warm wishes

Emily

OUR IMAGE OF THE CHILD

‘At St. John’s, we strongly believe that children are at the centre when given authentic and meaningful experiences. They flourish when their passions and interests are acknowledged and valued. Children are empowered when they take ownership for their learning. They have a right to develop autonomy through discovery.’

(St. John’s Staff, 2018)

We respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation as the owners of the land on which we live, play and learn at St John's Primary School, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

All students attending St. John's Primary School have the right to feel safe. The care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a fundamental responsibility of all within our school.