Newsletter - 21st February 2025
- Principal's Address
- Data Collection Notice for Parents
- Deputy Principal Report
- Academic Awards Assembly
- Bottle Stall
- Year One - English
- Easter in the Country
- Gardening Club
- St John's School Representative Sport Process - R&D/SW
- Saint Patricks Day
- Employment Opportunities at St John's School
- Uniform Shop Opening Hours
- Flexischools Refunds
School Improvement
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we transitioned to our new tuckshop model and app. School improvement is a journey that requires us to embrace change, even when it comes with initial challenges. This transition period has presented some teething issues, but I am confident these changes will bring significant benefits to our community. Thank you to Heather Brittain for her work in getting the new app up and running quickly and allowing us to provide a 5-day-a-week tuckshop that services all of our students from Kindy to Year 12.
Our new tuckshop model is just one of the many initiatives we have undertaken to enhance the overall experience for our students, staff, and families. Alongside this, we have introduced a new leadership structure and a revamped teaching and learning framework. Each of these changes is designed with the goal of making St John’s a better place for everyone.
I’ve been impressed by the resilience and adaptability of our staff and community. Together, we are working towards an improved St John’s, and I am excited about the positive impact these changes will have on our school.
Emu Gully
I had the pleasure of visiting our Year Nine students at the Emu Gully camp last week. Witnessing their enthusiasm and determination as they tackled various challenges head-on was inspiring and gave me a greater appreciation for this cohort of students. Their willingness to step out of their comfort zones and collaborate as a team to achieve difficult goals was praiseworthy.
Camps like Emu Gully play a crucial role in our students’ development. They provide an invaluable opportunity for young people to build resilience, self-reliance, and a sense of camaraderie. Through these experiences, students discover that they are capable of much more than they often realise; they grow in confidence and learn important life skills that will serve them well in the future.
Thank you to Cooper Anderson, Bridget Bright, Beth Campbell, and Matt Creeley for their willingness to join the Year Nines in the mud, lose sleep, and provide guidance to ensure this camp succeeded.
Cheers,
Mark
It has been a wonderful start to the year! I just wanted to reinforce the importance of our school values within our community – something, I believe that sets us apart from many other educational institutions and elements that define a culture that is desired by both parents and students alike.
At St John’s, we believe that our school norms and values are the foundation of a thriving and harmonious community. By embracing the principles of excellence, respect, compassion, and justice, we create an environment where everyone can flourish. Let's explore what these values mean and how we can embody them in our daily lives.
Excellence
Excellence is about striving to be the best version of ourselves. It means setting high standards and working diligently to achieve our goals. Whether it's in academics, sports, or extracurricular activities, we encourage our students to pursue excellence with determination and perseverance. Remember, excellence is not about being perfect but about continuous improvement and giving our best effort.
Respect
Respect is the cornerstone of a positive school culture. It involves treating others with kindness, listening actively, and valuing diverse perspectives. By showing respect to our peers, teachers, and school staff, we create a supportive and inclusive environment. Let's remember that respect also extends to our school property and the broader community.
Compassion
Compassion is about understanding and empathizing with others. It means offering a helping hand, being considerate of others' feelings, and showing kindness in our actions. At St John’s, we encourage students to practice compassion by participating in community service projects, supporting classmates, and fostering a sense of belonging for everyone.
Justice
Justice involves fairness and equality. It means standing up for what is right and ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We teach our students to recognize and challenge injustices, both within our school and in the wider world. By promoting justice, we create a community where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and feel valued.
How Can We Uphold These Values?
- Lead by Example: Demonstrate these values in our actions and words.
- Be Mindful: Reflect on how our behaviour impacts others and strive to make positive choices.
- Get Involved: Participate in school activities and initiatives that promote these values.
- Support Each Other: Encourage and uplift your peers, creating a network of support.
Together, we can continue to foster a school community that embodies excellence, respect, compassion, and justice. Let's commit to these values and make St John’s a place where everyone can thrive.
Congratulations to the many students who received Excellence Awards, Veritas Medals and Academic Gold, Silver or Bronze Medals at our recent Semester 2, 2024 Awards Assembly.
Across the two assemblies, 284 students were acknowledged for demonstrating excellence in behaviour, effort and attendance. These students are to be congratulated for living the spirit of St John’s every day.
We would also like to acknowledge those students who received special awards, including the Bronze, Silver and Gold Academic Medallists and Veritas Awardees.
BRONZE MEDALLISTS
|
Prep |
Harriet Arthy, Carter Tweed, Fergus Cook, Duncan Loughnan, Nicola Flower |
|
Year 1 |
Matilda Flower, Cecilia Pearn, Maxwell Groat, Clara Kunde, Ralph Watson, Lara Burey, Hadley Jackson |
|
Year 2 |
Savannah Bryant, Angus Crocker, Marlie Lewis, Lachlan Joliffe, Maggie Flesser, Mishka Chetty, Leah Sally, Chloe Proctor, Cade McIvor |
|
Year 3 |
Maggie Watson, Samuel Wong, Matthew Connolly, Isabelle Vaughan |
|
Year 4 |
Sophia Spreadborough, Heidi Bond, Olivia Burey, Marshall Bere-Streeter, Henry Crocker |
|
Year 5 |
Reka Cabulay, Tilly Wells, Amelia Wilson, Edward King |
|
Year 6 |
Caitlin Auld, Ivy Barden, Rafielle Cawilan |
|
Year 7 |
Jana Bugarin, Zara Parker, Xara Cruzat, Lucius Bruggemann |
|
Year 8 |
Henry Jenkins, Isla Allwood, Eli Purssell |
|
Year 9 |
Amelie Dawes, Daniel Pienaar, Phoo Pwint Zaw |
|
Year 10 |
Spencer Henricks, Charlee Shepherd, Mia Fitzgerald |
|
Year 11 |
Baylee Melcer, Erl Ren Solana, Katie Shields, Sienna Cartwright |
|
Year 12 |
Mitchell Boland, Alexander Hayward, Grace Horn, Patrick Moloney |
SILVER MEDALLISTS
|
Prep |
Maeve Spreadborough, Georgie O’Neil, Charlotte Wong, Beau Lamond, Hugo Wilson, Douglas Burey |
|
Year 1 |
Benjamin Ferrier, Weston Hagan, Sophie Thompson, Annabelle Lesleighter, Kalea Deebank |
|
Year 2 |
Layla Leard, Lachlan McDougall, Eliza McAuley, Albert Devlin, Maisy McKillop |
|
Year 3 |
Frederick Holland, Eadie Hartfiel, Teagan Klar, Anna Saldanha, Alexis Barden, William Tucker |
|
Year 4 |
Kinsey Ey |
|
Year 5 |
Roman House, Elsa Smith |
|
Year 6 |
Annalise Ey, Kianzie Cruz, Georgie Watson |
|
Year 8 |
Brooke Harvey, Georgia McKee |
|
Year 9 |
Claudia Schafer, Harry Hudson |
|
Year 10 |
Macy Lemon, Elsie Irwin, Beau Bere-Streeter, Gracianna Ramage |
|
Year 11 |
Claire Lunney, Ruby Ferrier, Millie Filan |
|
Year 12 |
Caitlin Atkin, Taylor Forrest, Amy Lorenz, Erl Nino Solana |
GOLD MEDALLISTS
|
Prep |
Grace Cameron, Vann Davidson, Fletcher Rayne, Zahli Haslop, Olivia Holland, Charlotte Bateup, Henry Clarke |
|
Year 1 |
William Burey, Winnie Eakin, Jack Kimlin, Isabelle Nason |
|
Year 2 |
Keith Manansala, Hannah Pfeffer, Douglas Wilson |
|
Year 3 |
David Ramos, Jeremy Keetch, Frederick Kunde, Hunter Wolfe, Zane Edwards, Jue Jue Zaw, Emily Nason |
|
Year 4 |
Samantha Nixon, Jessica Cook, Cassidy Schuss, Liberty Peatling, Keeleigh Ward, Arisha Gupta, Toby Flesser, Pippa Warner |
|
Year 5 |
Sophia Parker, Adelaide Clark, Chloe Parker |
|
Year 6 |
Rachael Bond |
|
Year 8 |
Yasmin Bond, Brydee Williams, Holly Stromblad, Faith Iseppi, Rosalie Bere-Streeter |
|
Year 9 |
Katy Ey, Hudson Thomas |
|
Year 10 |
Alannah Atkin, Rahni Swan, Holly Partridge, Bridget Bell |
|
Year 11 |
Allie Ey |
|
Year 12 |
Erick Jaleco, Hasti Mahmoudian, |
VERITAS AWARDEES
|
Prep |
Eadee Knight, Ronald Bowden, Harriet Wolfe |
|
Year 1 |
Aurora Seville, William Macdonald, Sonny Pobar |
|
Year 2 |
Jock Chandler, Jack Kenny, Isla Houston |
|
Year 3 |
Sapphire Schafer, Archer Clark, Thomas Harrower |
|
Year 4 |
Dallas Joliffe, Lara Cilliers, Lily Harland |
|
Year 5 |
Ruby Dingle, Loralei Cross, Eli Peatling |
|
Year 6 |
Scarlett Challenor, George Bowden, Eva Stevens |
|
Year 7 |
Teegan Duke, Jack Cramer, Georgia Warner |
|
Year 8 |
Lucy Harrison, Lacie Bryen, Riley Alderson |
|
Year 9 |
Lincoln Densley, Penni Walsh, Paityn Swan |
|
Year 10 |
Mary Malano, Tristan Bruggemann, Nate Freeman |
|
Year 11 |
Katrina Rathjen, Emma McCoy, Alex Freeman |
This term, the Year One students have been busy reading the text, ‘Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge’ by Mem Fox. We read about a little boy who helps an elderly woman with her memories. We wrote and drew about the memories she uncovered as well as our own special memories. We have enjoyed talking about our different memories of things we have done with our friends.
In the coming weeks, we will be getting ready for our ‘Show and Tell’ Assessment Task in Week Nine by practicing how to speak in front of an audience. We have begun discussing the item that we could bring to school in a ‘Memory Box’.
Each day, we practice the Phonic Concepts we’re learning for the week and revisit the previous weeks as well. We are developing our independence by writing our spelling words in our PLD Workbook daily and completing an activity using our spelling words. We are working on correctly forming lower- and upper-case letters to ensure our handwriting is neat and legible. We are doing our best to become proficient readers by practicing our reading each day and are showing an understanding of what we have read by drawing pictures related to the text.
Angela Brennan, Mark Brennan, Brook Marquart
Year One Teachers
St John’s is once again taking part in the Easter in the Country Street Parade which will be held on Saturday the 19th of April. This year, we will be promoting the upcoming school musical The Little Mermaid, Jr.
We will be decorating a vehicle and need students to come along and join in the fun. Students are asked to wear blue clothing as they will be dressed up as the sea. The school will provide colourful themed decorations on the morning.
More details will be provided throughout the term, we hope to see as many students involved as possible in this year’s Easter in the Country Parade. All students from Prep to Year 12 are encouraged to attend.
Preparing for Moonlight Fair
Our gardening community are getting ready for the Moonlight Fair.
We are hunting for a few things:
- Potted plants we can nurture
- Quirky containers that can be repurposed as a pot
- Boots
- Clay pots
- Jugs
- Decorative china cups and saucers
- Old hand and bath towels (without holes)
- Large tin cans
- Cuttings and seedlings we can pot up
- Bags of potting mix will also be a very welcome donation.
Please drop anything off at the School Office.
Contact Teacher: Mrs Anne Moloney Email: anne.moloney@twb.catholic.edu.au
There have been questions about the nomination process for R&D and Southwest sports. Please find the process outlined below.
- The relevant sports convenor releases the bulletin to schools via sports coordinators (sports calendar (R&D/SW) issued at the start of the school year)
- Information is shared with students and parents via the app and student notices.
- Students need to sign up (name, date of birth (DOB), and sometimes their preferred position) at the front office and read the relevant information on the sport bulletin sheet- it’s a good idea to write it down in their diaries
- Collect the R&D trial permission form (DTPF) from the front office and return it before nominations close - this information is on the bulletin and in the notices. Sports coordinators will send DTPFs onto the St John's teacher responsible or the relevant convenor.
- Students participating in R&D trials must wear their full sports uniform.
St John's School Roma is seeking dedicated Relief Teachers and Relief School Officers to join our vibrant community.
We are looking for individuals who are:
- committed to supporting our students' learning and growth
- have flexibility and reliability
- adaptable to different classroom environments
If you are interested in becoming a part of our supportive and dynamic team, please reach out to us! We would love to hear from you.
Contact the St John’s School Office on 4622 1842 or email roma@twb.catholic.edu.au
Uniform Shop Hours:
Monday 2:00 - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:00 - 10:30 am
Online:
https://theschoollocker.com.au/schools/st-johns-catholic-school
Please note that the uniform shop is only open during the school term and closed on school holidays.
How to refund monies from your Flexischools account:
Parents can receive a refund of their remaining monies on Flexischool by following these steps on their Flexischools App:
- Tap “Profile” on the home screen
- Tap “Manage my Details”
- Tap “Close my Flexischools account”
- Select “Refund my balance back to me” and tap close account
- “Refund successful” should appear
