Dear St John the Apostle families,

It's nearly the end of term and we always talk about finishing strong!

This week we have had some wonderful moments.

Visit by a Winter Olympian

On Thursday we were visited by Seve de Campo, who represented Australia in the cross country skiing at the Beijing Winter Olympics

Seve spoke as part of the Olympics Unleashed program. He shared stories from his earliest age to most recent experiences, lead him to represent Australia. One of the most important messages he shared was that he was just an ordinary Year 6 student, not the best in the school at anything, when he took a chance at trying out cross country skiing in an inter-school competition. While he didn't win, he loved it.

From there he achieved his success through:

• setting simple goals to achieve along the way
• persistent, hard work and practice
• having strategies to overcome challenges

He was inspiring for staff and students. What's more, he visited us on World Olympics Day!

Celebration of Student Success

This week we held Parent-Teacher Interviews following the distribution of Student Reports. The feedback from both teachers and parents is that they have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to come into the school, talk face to face and celebrate their child's achievements.

Parents have enjoyed coming to sit in the space their child uses each day and to see examples of their work. Teachers have enjoyed showing great work and getting to know the parents who support the children they see each day.

It has been an overwhelmingly positive experience.

Enrolment Interviews - Current Families

I have held enrolment interviews for all new families for 2023. Early next term I will hold enrolment interviews for all current families that have a younger sibling starting in Kindergarten in 2023. Our Office Manager will be in touch next week to book in a time. Today these families will receive an offer of a place for Kindergarten.

Canteen News

As we transition to new arrangements for running our own school canteen I would like to thank St Francis Xavier College who will cease running our canteen at the end of this term. St Francis Xavier College have provided us with a wonderful canteen service over many years. We will miss the staff who have served our students, particularly Maria and then Kelly and Cheryl who have stepped in for her.

Beginning next term we will return to providing lunch orders. These will be provided by a local Belconnen provider called The Merchant's Feast. The Merchant's Feast are a local gourmet digital deli who have branched out to provide delicious school lunch orders. They have been highly recommended by a number of other schools and we look forward to partnering with them from the beginning of Term 3.

Information about the menu and how to order will be sent to families through Compass prior to the start of term.

Feast of the Sacred Heart

If you say the words 'May the Sacred Heart of Jesus...' to your children what do they say? Try it and see. My children, the youngest being 17, went to this school. When I say these words to them, they still instantly respond with '...be everywhere loved'.

Today we celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart. It's our day. It's the day we celebrate our school, its members, its values and and its charism. We celebrate our unique community identity. 

One of the warmest realisations of the day is that we belong to a wonderful community where we truly try our best to 'be on earth the heart of God'. I have a very, very soft spot for everyone who has been a part of our school story. Thank you for choosing to be part or this extraordinary community. Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart day.

Reminder: Pupil Free Days Coming Up

Our last day of term will be Wednesday June 29 and our teachers will be at school undertaking training and planning requirements on June 30 and July 1.

If you require support for supervision of children OSHClub is available on these days. Please register at the SJAPS OSHClub website.

Have a lovely weekend.

Matthew Garton