Principal's Corner
Dear St John the Apostle families,
The term is winding up very quickly now.
This week I met with a family of a child with complex needs in our school. In the near future they will be looking at high schools and they were just asking for some early advice about school options and issues to consider. Having a child with very complex needs myself has provided me with some insight as a parent as well as an educator in matters of inclusion.
During the conversation I was reminded again of the outstanding option parents have for a Catholic education pathway from Pre-school to Year 12 in Belconnen. The pre-school at St Thomas Aquinas provides a fantastic foundation for entering school and St Francis Xavier College is an excellent secondary school, particularly as an inclusive educational environment for students with complex needs. The Principal and inclusion staff are very committed to welcoming, supporting and growing every student that enrols.
Though I move to St Thomas Aquinas in 2025, I will continue to support the development of a very strong educational option for Catholic education in our Belconnen area.
Class Lists & Teachers 2025
At this time of year we are sometimes asked by parents what class their child is in next year. Students with complex needs sometimes need a little extra time to prepare for their new class and parents naturally feel anxious about what is happening. We always have these needs in mind.
Forming classes and selecting teachers for each class is a long and complex process. We have drafted the class lists and are taking another careful eye over them before finalising these. After the lists are ready we will then assign the best teacher to match each group. We will hold a 'one-up' afternoon on Wednesday 11 December from 2.00pm until 3.00pm. During that afternoon students will go into their classrooms for 2025 and meet their teacher.
We farewell Mrs Tabitha May at the end of this year. Tabitha is due to have her baby early next year and will take leave for the remainder of the year. We also farewell Ms Carly Sargent. Carly stepped in to teach in Year 5 Blue during the middle of the year. Children and staff have thoroughly enjoyed her contribution and we wish her the best at St Thomas More's in Campbell.
We welcome a few new teachers to our staff community. Firstly we welcome Mrs Cara Clarke who has been relief teaching this year and is joining us on a permanent basis. We also welcome Ms Lilly Eastman. Lilly is one of our Inclusion Assistants and, having completed her studies, will now begin teaching at St John the Apostle. We welcome Mrs Caroline Stewart, an experienced teacher currently teaching at St Matthew's in Page and excited about joining our community in 2025. Lastly, we welcome Georgia French who will teach AUSLAN to all of our students in 2025. AUSLAN is considered a language in the Australian Curriculum and we look forward to our students having the capacity to build relationships with AUSLAN users in the wider community.
School Fees 2025
Catholic Education have determined the school fees for 2025 and a separate letter has been sent out today. If you have any questions or concerns please contact me directly.
I wish everyone a peaceful weekend.
Matthew Garton
Principal
