Dear St John the Apostle families,

We are playing catch up a little at the moment and so this week we have had our Reconciliation Week virtual liturgy and participated in a few activities in classes.

At our staff meeting this week we began having a lengthy discussion to define the aspirations we have for students when they complete their journey in Year 6 and head off to high school. We talked about the values we want them to hold, the skills, the knowledge, the understandings, the memories, the feelings (See more information below to learn about how you can contribute to this discussion).

I spoke with staff last week about how important Reconciliation Week is to celebrate with our students. It can't be 'something extra' we do. It has to be a genuine (age appropriate) conversation in our classes. These children are a future generation. They will influence their own families and friends, community groups and organisations they belong to. They may even influence whole states, territories and the country. The values and understandings they have about our indigenous people and their history and tradition will be essential to bring healing where it is needed in our country. The values and understandings they develop begin now.

There has been so much in the media about the response by the American people to death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and how it reflects the racism that is inherent in the cultural fabric of their country. Plenty has already been said. I want us to weed out of our own country any of the values or behaviours or systems that limit the lives and potential of our aboriginal brothers and sisters. As parents and educators we may not always be able to feel we have a great public influence over all of the limiting an devaluing experiences that aboriginal and other people may have in our country right now, but we can shape the next generation, who will be able to make a far wider difference for many people. We play the long game.

Let's show our children the value of Reconciliation. Our mission at St John's after all is 'to be on earth the heart of God'. What's in the heart is often seen in the hands and heard in the mouth. Let's help our children have the next wave of positive impact in healing a reconciliation in our country.

COVID-19 Restrictions Update

We continue to not gather as a whole school community in the mornings or Monday afternoon assembly. Our Year 6 leaders run the morning assembly over the PA system. Thank you to Mrs Stewart who has prepared a virtual assembly each week, including scanned copies of merit certificates. We want to maintain our school routines for students.

Some of the community groups who hire our school hall are beginning to return with small groups for their evening classes. They are following the guidelines that have been directed by the ACT Government and developed their own procedures and practices.

We're also keeping with our drop off and pick up arrangements at the moment, asking parents to not come into the school grounds each morning and respect the 1.5m physical distancing where possible at afternoon pick up.

Thank you to everyone who has returned a borrowed device used during remote learning. Almost all came back in the same condition they were borrowed out. We have been able to get most of them back in place for every day use by students.

Our cleaners are continuing to conduct extra cleaning on top of the normal routine, including cleaning and disinfecting high touch areas and spraying child safe disinfectant on playground equipment and students' desks at the end of each day. It has meant that our school budget has had to change a little to accommodate these extra measures but this is a small price to pay to keep us moving forward in containing COVID-19 here in the ACT.

We continue to ask that no home made items are sent in to share with classes for student birthdays. Rather, students are welcome to bring in individually wrapped items such as Freddo frogs or order a birthday pack from the canteen using Qkr.

Aspirations for students

Often when parents come for a school tour to consider enrolling their child they are taken around the school by Year 6 students. They often come back commenting on how wonderful they have been. They begin to build a picture of what their own child may be like in Year 6 and feel excited about that.

So we want to hear from you. What do you wish for your child at the end of Year 6 at St John the Apostle Primary School. What are your aspirations for them?

Pleas let us know in this very simple survey. We will combine your aspirations with those of the staff to see all that we as a community want for our children/students.

I hope you all have a lovely long weekend....again!

Matthew Garton, Principal

It's enrolment time!

Just a reminder that it is enrolment time for 2021! We already have a number of enrolments with a few new families looking to join the St John the Apostle Community. Just a reminder if you have a child looking to start Kindergarten in 2021 to jump on our website and complete an enrolment form. 

Please spread the good news about our school. The best marketing a school can do is through their current families. Word of mouth is very powerful when it comes to families choosing a school for their child. Please recommend us and basically, talk us up please. I will be starting to do personal zoom meetings with new families, taking them for a virtual tour and answering any questions they have. I am happy to do this for any new families’ wanting to know more about St John's. I can't talk enough about how great our school is. It's very easy for me to sell the school in the best light possible. 

A great way to share about us would be through our social media sites. Please click on the following to visit them.