Term 3, Week 8, 11th September 2025
Principal's Message
Dear Parents, Carers, and Members of our School Community,
The weeks are flying by!
What a fantastic time we had at our Stage 2 and 3 Brisbane camp last week! The students are back, full of stories and happy memories, and so are we.
We couldn't be prouder of how they behaved. Their conduct throughout the trip was truly exceptional. They were enthusiastic and respectful at Bounce, they were polite on the City Cat, and they showed great sportsmanship at the Broncos vs Storm game. They were a complete credit to your family and our school community.
Thank you for all your support and for raising such wonderful children. It was a pleasure to spend this time with them.
Thank you to everyone who attended the 3-way conferences on Monday and Tuesday, September 8th and 9th. We hope that you found them to be a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress. Your participation is a vital part of your child’s learning journey.
Tonight, the students will have their Sacrament of Reconciliation at Our Lady of Lourdes. It will be a beautiful and special service, and we look forward to celebrating this important milestone for these children.
Tomorrow, there are a couple of special events happening!
Our school is holding a mufti day and bake sale to help raise funds for our STEM Mad team's trip to Adelaide. We hope your child can join in the fun with a gold coin donation to help them on their way!
Additionally, a special visitor will be here for International First Aid Day! A paramedic will be teaching our Stage 2 and 3 students some vital CPR skills and First Aid. We are so excited for them to learn these life-saving techniques.
Thank you all for your continued support. Have a wonderful week!
Warm regards,
Dave
Term 3 Events
All of the following events are in the SCHOOL GOOGLE CALENDAR
- Friday 12th September: National First Aid Day
- Friday 12th September: STEM MAD Fundraiser - Mufty Day and Bake Sale @ Recess
- Monday 15th September: Year 6 Visiting Koolbeanz @ 1:30pm
- Wednesday 17th September: School Community Forum Meeting 3pm
- Friday 19th September: Stage 3 Gala Sport Day
- Tuesday 21st September: Stage 3 - Prime to High Program @ 12:20pm
- Friday 26th September: Story Dogs Fundraiser - Dress in orange and orange hair chalk fundraiser.
- Friday 26th September: Celebration of Learning @ 2pm
- Friday 26th September: Last Day of Term 3
- Saturday 27th September - Sunday 12th October: Spring School Holidays
- Monday 13th October: First Day of Term 4
School Community Forum Meeting - New Date!
The School Community Forum Meeting that was scheduled for this week was postponed. Sorry for the inconvenience.
The meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday 17th September at 3pm
Thank you!
Capital Works Project @ St John's
It has been a long time coming, but yes, it is happening. We are formally seeking tenders for our upcoming capital works project. The tendering process is now open, and we are inviting interested and qualified parties to submit their proposals. This crucial step ensures that we select a partner who can deliver the highest standards of quality and value for this important project.
The project will begin during Term 4 and includes:
- New Library
- 3 x New classrooms
- New toilets
- New undercover area
- New Sports Shed
- New Meeting room (current canteen)
- New canteen (current hall kitchen)
- Restructured Admin building
- Update to the carpark area, including drive-through and pedestrian areas
- New Bus pickup area
- New car parking spaces in Casuarina St
- Updated access to the Hall and boundary fence movement
A tremendous amount of work has been happening behind the scenes to get us to this point. This included sending back our State Government grant and re-applying for a larger grant, navigating delays with the council's DA process, adding additions to our DA and updating our plans to meet current bushfire safety requirements.
At the same time, we were also successful in our application for a State Government grant to build an Early Learning Centre at St John's, so we have already started planning that Capital Project as well! We will release more details about that later - it will be open and operational at the start of 2027!
Staffing Updates
There are some temporary staffing changes in our school's leadership and teaching teams for both Term 3 and Term 4.
Term 3 Staffing Update. From weeks 8 to 10 of Term 3, Mr. Greg Flint will be taking a period of long service leave. During this time, Mrs. Ellie Bailey will be stepping into the role of Acting Leader of Pastoral Care. Mrs. Bailey will be performing this role on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM. To ensure Stage 2 students are well-supported during this period, Miss Molly Phillips will be covering for Mrs. Bailey in Stage 2 and will be employed for the whole day from Monday to Wednesday, providing extra classroom support.
Term 4 Staffing Update In Term 4, Mrs. Naomi O'Dwyer will be taking long service leave for weeks 1 to 3. We are pleased to announce that during this time, Laura McEvoy will be replacing Naomi as Acting Leader of Learning (Assistant Principal). We would like to congratulate Laura on this appointment. Replacing Laura in Stage 3 will be Miss Molly Phillips. Students are familiar with Molly as she is a regular relief teacher and has done short contracts at St John's in recent years. We understand that a change in teaching staff can be challenging for students, and we greatly appreciate your understanding and support as we manage these transitions.
I will also be taking long service leave in Term 4 from weeks 6-9. At this time, Naomi O'Dwyer will be Acting Principal.
We would like to extend our best wishes to Greg and Naomi for a wonderful and restful long service leave period. We also want to thank Laura and Ellie for their flexibility and willingness to step into these important roles.
LEARNING @ ST JOHN'S
A Day of Discovery: S1 and ES1's Excursion to Heritage Park and Brunswick Beach
Today, our S1 and ES1 students embarked on an exciting adventure, combining their Science, Creative Arts (Music) and Geography studies on a special excursion to Heritage Park, Brunswick Beach, and Torakina. The day was a fantastic opportunity for our young learners to step out of the classroom and see how their lessons connect to the real world.
Our students became keen observers, exploring these familiar local spaces to understand how they are used and how people and the forces of nature have shaped them over time. Students were asked to use their senses to investigate sounds in their environment and sort them into high, low, loud, natural and man-made sounds. They used their eyes to see firsthand how businesses like local cafes and shops enhance our environment and provide for our community's needs, connecting their learning about human-environment interactions to their everyday lives.
A key focus of the day was to investigate the fascinating process of erosion. At Brunswick Beach, the students actively looked for evidence of erosion caused by the wind and waves. The highlight for many was the hands-on experiments conducted right on the sand! Students used buckets and shovels to simulate how water can move and reshape the shoreline, gaining a deeper understanding of how erosion occurs and, more importantly, what can be done to help reduce its impact.
All this hard work was topped off with a well-deserved treat: a hot chip lunch and a play in the park! It was the perfect way to conclude a day of fun, discovery, and connected learning.
A huge thank you goes to all the teachers and volunteers who made this day possible. We are especially grateful to Mrs. Gruft for her meticulous planning and for creating such a rich and engaging learning experience. Our sincere thanks also to Ms. Chartres, Miss O'Leary, Bernie, and Mrs. Loane for their dedication and for ensuring the students had a wonderful, safe, and memorable day of outdoor exploration.
Heritage Park Highlights
Beach highlights
Three-Way Conferences
Thank you to all our dedicated teaching staff for giving their time to meet with parents, carers, and students this week. These meetings provide a wonderful opportunity to share in our students' learning journeys, celebrate their progress and growth, and collaborate to set meaningful goals for the future. Your commitment to fostering a strong partnership between home and school is invaluable and plays a crucial role in each child's ongoing success. We truly appreciate your hard work and dedication.
Brisbane Excursion
Embarking on an excursion provides an invaluable learning experience that extends far beyond the confines of a classroom. It's a place where students learn essential life skills, from practical things like safely navigating through a city and its large crowds to the deeper lessons of living with their peers day and night. Camp provides a unique environment for building tolerance and understanding individual differences, whether it's respecting someone's need for a nightlight or embracing a different morning routine. Students face and overcome personal challenges, like conquering a fear of heights on a rock wall or a high ropes course, and they learn the value of resilience and teamwork. They also discover new interests by trying activities outside their comfort zone, whether it's finding the thrill in a roller coaster ride, the peace in a quiet art gallery, or the excitement of a rowdy football game. This ability to adapt and find joy in unexpected places is a skill that will last a lifetime. Thank you to our students for representing our school with such pride, and a huge thank you to our incredible staff for giving their time to make this transformative experience possible. I loved every minute of the trip!
Naomi O’Dwyer
WELLBEING
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