Dear St John the Apostle families,

On Monday evening we held our Kindegarten 2023 Information Night, then on Wednesday morning we welcomed the new Kindergarten students for their first visit. Thank you to the staff who assisted the students with such a smooth start to school. The visiting children were amazing. They were so settled, so engaged and so interested in each other. We're going to have a wonderful year.

Parents were also very supportive of their children, helping them to settle well. Thank you to Belinda Clifford who spoke to new parents on Monday evening and Wednesday morning about school uniforms.

Planning for 2023 - Classes

As we enter into November, with six weeks of school to go, we are both bringing this year to an end as well as preparing for 2023. All classes are continuing with the last few weeks of important teaching programs before completing final assessments of learning for the year.

Teachers are forming the classes for students for 2023. We have asked all students to name three of their peers/friends they would work well with in the classroom. As we begin to create the class lists for 2023 we try to ensure that at least one of the nominated children are in their class with them.

Our goal is to ensure that every student has the best opportunity for learning each year and so many aspects of student development are taken into account when forming classes. We seek to balance student needs for support and extension, their social and emotional strengths and challenges as well as any shared interests.

Each year I ask parents to let me know if they have any important information they would like considered when organising classes for the next year. Whilst the current teachers draft the classes, I look through each list and have the final say over student class placements. We then let students know their class and teacher in the final week of term.

If you would like me to consider particular information regarding your child's class placement for 2023 please email me directly (Matthew.Garton@cg.catholic.edu.au). This information will remain confidential to me. Teachers for each year level are finalised in a few weeks time. Therefore I don't accept requests for specific teachers.

Congratulations Mr Biilmann

Next week Mr Biilmann, one of our Inclusion Assistants, goes on leave to get married and spend a few weeks together with his new wife Jodi. A big congratulations to Mr Biilmann and Jodi on their wedding. We all hope you have a sunny day to celebrate with family and friends and look forward to see you again near the end of term.

Have a lovely weekend.

Matthew Garton

Principal