Dear St John the Apostle families,

Thank you all for joining our teachers online or over the phone for Parent-Teacher Interviews. There were very few technical hitches and a lot of really productive and positive conversations. Whatever the future looks like post COVID-19, we will certainly consider this as an option for Parent Teacher Interviews again. It's likely this will sit alongside a face to face option as well. Thanks for your partnership.

Fete 2021

At last night's Community Council meeting it was agreed to not continue on with planning for a beginning of year Fete in 2021. It's clear that there can be no certainty about what restrictions may still be in place at that time and fetes take a long time to get organised. It was crunch time to make that decision.

The great news is that we can now switch our planning to more creatively thinking about how else to have the same opportunities to come together as a community, undertake some fundraising and share our school story with the wider Belconnen community.

Belinda Duke (mum of Elizabeth and Emma) is leading the process of putting together an 18 month plan of activities and events that we can all be part of, regardless of restrictions. So watch this space to see what will be happening in the lead up to Christmas!

Community Council Update

Our very active Community Council is working hard in a number of areas at the moment, helping to shape future opportunities for students and families at St John the Apostle. We have subcommittees looking at the following:

• Healthy Food Choices: We are learning more about the food options available at the canteen (there are some fantastic options there), the ways we can highlight teaching about healthy food choices in the existing curriculum and opportunities in the wider community that can help generate children's interest and enthusiasm (e.g. excursions, visiting shows).
• IT that supports teaching & learning: Remote learning changed the ways that many schools use technology. Both teachers and students across our school discovered many new ways to undertake and express their learning. Well-designed use of IT can transform tasks into learning opportunities that can't be completed nearly as well with paper and pencil. We don't want to lose what we have learnt. Working closely with Bree Dess, this group are looking at ways to sustainably increase access to technology from Years 4 to 6 from 2021.
• School Uniform:  The uniform at St John the Apostle has been the same for a long, long time and as we move into the future we want to look at any ways we might modernise the school uniform for our students. We're not seeking to make grand changes and the focus is only on the sports uniform. We want to keep it affordable, sustainable (good for hand me downs) and just change only what is needed. It's a conversation at the moment and this group will communicate something when it is needed with plenty of planning and notice for everyone!
• Out of Hours School Care: One of the roles that the Community Council plays is one of governance. While any outside provider we partner with enters into an agreement with Catholic Education, we have a responsibility locally to make sure that the service offered to our families always remains what is needed and the best possible.

Our Community Council undertakes very valuable work in our school. They help to provide a parent's voice and perspective in shaping what is offered and developed. They always think of the families that most need our support and assistance and help ensure that the school is remaining true to it's vision and mission.

I always feel very blessed to be working with such dedicated people, committed to serving our community.

Census Facts! Did you know.....?

Every February and August schools undertake a census. The census data is collected by Department of Education, Skills and Employment, Australian Government.

At St John's this August we have:

Our student population is almost the exact same size as it was 5 years ago (367 students in May 2015)!

• Percentage of students identifying with a disability: 28%
• Percentage of students identifying with English as an Additional Language/Dialect: 18%
• Percentage of students identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander: 1%
• Percentage of students identifying as Catholic: 57%
• Total number of staff: 36 (22 Teaching, 14 Support)

Our students reside in 36 different suburbs or regional locations. The majority coming from:

• Macgregor: 18%
• Florey: 16%
• Latham: 10%
• Holt: 7%
• Higgins: 7%
• Scullin: 7%

I love sharing these facts with everyone because it reminds us all that we each come to St John's with a unique set of experiences and background and together we make up a diverse community of learners. There's no such thing as a norm that we all differ slightly from. Diversity is the norm!

I'm glad to be sharing this community with you! Thank you for your contribution and collaboration.

Matthew Garton, Principal

Annual Survey for Parents, Students and Staff

An annual satisfaction survey of parents, students and staff will be conducted on behalf of all Catholic schools in the Diocese this term. The surveys are designed to gather feedback from parents, staff and students about our school and will be used to inform school improvement. Responses are confidential and individuals can not be identified. 

The surveys will be launched via email on Friday 7 August 2020 using the email addresses supplied to the school. If you do not receive an email with a link to the survey, you can access and complete the survey at the following link.