Informer Term 3 - Week 6 - 2025

From Our Principal ...

Dear Families,

Over the last term, the number of students arriving early at school has grown considerably.  At St John’s, supervision is provided for 30 minutes before the commencement of the school day at 8.40am. Supervision is rostered on before and after school and is included within teachers’ hours of duty.

Two issues are apparent at the moment. Firstly, our school runs an Outside School Hours Care service. This is a registered service that runs under the Early Learning and Childcare Act.  OSHC has a number of registered sites around the school. Under the legislation, when OSHC is operating, they have exclusive access to the areas and no child or adult who is not registered can be there. OSHC will regularly use the covered space in Nazarene Place in the morning. We cannot remain compliant if we have students arriving to ‘wait in the shed” before duty commences.

Secondly, the risk management predictors we use as part of our insurance process clearly indicate that if we are aware of students arriving early before supervision commences then we still have a duty of care towards them from a legal and insurance perspective even though we do not provide supervision at this time.

Students who are onsite for before school training or practice, are under the legal care of the supervising teacher. Unless parents or carers are onsite actively supervising, siblings are not to be at school unsupervised. If your child is riding their bike or scooter to school, please ensure departure times from home have them arriving after 8.10am.

Schools, both in regional areas and larger centres are moving to a model of secured sites. Campuses are fully fenced and are not unlocked until the hours of duty begin. This not a model or a cost we would like to engage with, but when schools are not compliant from a legislative or insurance perspective, I can see why they would take this path.

As always, our primary driver is the safety of our kids. Thank you for playing your part in this.

Have a great week and hug your kids.

Regards,
Jamie Emerick
Principal.

Pupil Free Day - Friday 5 September

Prep 2026 Enrolments: Important Diary Dates

Prep 2026 Information/Orientation sessions have been scheduled for the following dates:

Monday 27 October – First Orientation Session (compulsory for all students who have accepted placement)

Monday 24 November – Final Orientation Session (compulsory for all students who have accepted placement)

Parent Teacher Interviews: Prep - Year 6

Pastoral Care Groups: Friday Afternoons

On Friday afternoons (1^st , 8^th , 15^th  and 22^nd August) after second break, all children will be participating in Pastoral Care Activities that will be spread throughout the school.

If you need to collect your child between 1:20pm and 2:55pm, unless the matter is urgent, please pre-arrange early collection of your child with your child's teacher or the office, prior to Friday afternoon.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and assistance with this.

Father's Day Stall: Orders Close 12 Noon Fri 22 Aug

School Fun Run: Friday 19 September

Our much-loved Fun Run is on our last day of this term - Friday 19 September starting at 2pm.  The Fun Run begins with Buddy Classes leading out together for the 1^st lap (Year 6/Prep first Buddies go first) and then students complete the Fun Run at their pace.

All students need to wear their normal PE uniform, school hats and a water bottle. Please be reminded that the last day of Term 3 is NOT free dress day.

At the end of the Fun Run (approx. 2.45pm), all students will receive an ice block (if they would like one) before returning to class for dismissal.

If any parents want to join in on the Fun Run, the Risk Assessment must be read and signed. This Risk Assessment will be displayed near the oval for reading and signing. Please note the following:

• No strollers or prams are allowed on Fun Run track.
• Only students currently enrolled at St John’s can participate (no younger or older siblings).
• Parents are to wear closed in shoes and hats.

If you have any questions about the Fun Run, please see your class teacher or see Mrs Graham.

Grandparents Day

Last Friday, our school community warmly welcomed hundreds of grandparents to celebrate Grandparents Day. The day began with a delightful parade presentation by our Year 2 Yabbies class, followed by classroom visits where grandparents spent special moments with their grandchildren. Our Principal, Jamie Emerick, shared a heartfelt message about the importance of the presence of loved ones in our lives—reminding us that their time and attention mean far more than the presents they may give.

Singer Andrew Chinn Visiting: Thur 4 Sept

Andrew will be working with all year levels throughout the day, culminating with a whole school concert from 1:50pm to 2:50pm.

Learn to Pray

Library News ...

St John's Library Statistics

• St John’s has ONE Library Co-ordinator - Mrs Skelhorn
• St John’s has TWO library dogs – Delilah and Sadie
• St John’s has 91 staff members
• St John’s has 651 students
• St John’s library has 8,267 Fiction books and 10,151 Non-Fiction books
• At St John’s library there has been 22,094 books borrowed and returned so far this year!!

That equates to nearly 884 books a week that Mrs Skelhorn sorts and returns to the library shelves with the help of wonderful students (too many to name them all!) and thoughtful teacher aides who put books away when they visit with their classes.  I thank you.

Great reading everybody!!!!!

St John's Way Awardees ...

Students who have embodied faith, dignity and integrity within our school.

We view our school as one body, with many parts, each in its own way contributing to our common mission.
(1 Corinthians 12: 12-26)

Ubobo and Many Peaks Staff Outing

On Sunday, staff from St John’s travelled out to Ubobo to attend mass at St Mary’s.

It was heartwarming to engage with local parishioners. After the mass the staff and parishioners enjoyed a meal at the Many Peak’s Grand Hotel.

It was a lovely outing!

Volunteer Tuckshop Roster

Tuckshop Ordering Information & Menu

Our tuckshop operates every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (first and second breaks).

The following information will ensure the efficient ordering of tuckshop for your child/ren:

• Tuckshop must be ordered online via QuickCliq www.quickcliq.com.au  Orders will not be accepted at the Tuckshop or Office.
• Orders must be placed by 8:10am. Tuckshop can be ordered weeks in advance. Simply click on the day/s that tuckshop is required.
• QuickCliq operates very slowly at very busy times i.e. close to 8:10am.  During these times the system may boot you off and require you to log back in. Late orders put a lot of pressure on our tuckshop staff and volunteer helpers.
• If you miss the ordering cut off time, your order will be transferred to the following day.  You will be notified of this on the screen.
• Parents MUST check confirmation email to ensure the order has been processed for the correct food on the correct day.

If you have any problems with the online ordering system please contact QuickCliq via 1300 11 66 37, or email: support@quickcliq.com.au

Uniform Shop Hours

Parish News

Port to Park Fun Run

Women's Health & Wellbeing Expo