Parent Engagement
At St John the Apostle we know that parents are very interested in their child's education and that parent engagement has a very positive impact on educational outcomes for children. We aim to make parent engagement as easy as possible and support parents and carers in being connected with their child's learning and school.
Our communication and reporting strategies help parents to be engaged in their children's learning. Parents can also engage in the life of the school. Some of these ways include:
Community Council
The Community Council is made up of elected parents, parish and staff members. We have an active Community Council who take a keen interest in supporting and planning for the whole of the school community. The role of the Community Council is to work closely with the Principal to support the mission of Catholic Education at St John the Apostle. It provides particular support in the development of the Catholic ethos, pastoral care, financial matters, strategic planning and the promotion of the school in the local community.
It has a major role to play as a parent forum, in developing the community of parents, students and staff, and in fundraising for resources to support the school in its work with students. The Community Council takes this role seriously and seeks input through the year from the general parent community to help inform its decisions.
The Community Council meets in Weeks 3 and 8 of each term. One or more of these meetings may be an Open Forum based on topics of interest for parents, e.g.
- supporting your child to navigate online spaces safely,
- encouraging positive behaviour at home,
- assisting with teaching your child fundamental literacy skills,
- supporting your child to develop healthy positive relationships.
These Open Forums are advertised in advance for all families to attend.
Our 2023 Community Council consists of:
| Chairperson | Katie Matthews |
| Deputy Chair | Tegan Campbell |
| Treasurer | Kellie Bradbury |
| Secretary | Lisa Zeretzky |
| Principal | Matthew Garton |
| Executive Representative | Rebekah Brown |
| Parish Representatives | Marian England, Fr Kimi msc |
| Staff Representatives | Mary-Ann Fraser |
| Parent Representatives |
Natalie Nicholson, Belinda/Hugh Clifford, Michael Rix, Jen Sheppard, Sally Walsh, Belinda Duke. |
The Community Council operates according to the St John the Apostle Community Council Constitution.
Parent Volunteers
Parent help and assistance is always welcome!
Regular assistance in the classroom is organised by teachers if required and there are a variety of possible options that include working with small literacy groups to assisting in Art or Physical Education classes. The students particularly enjoy when parents are able to share any very specialised knowledge or skills with students.
Some parents feel more comfortable with volunteering in the school Library or Canteen.
Occasional assistance at events or excursions are organised by the staff members coordinating the event.
All volunteers wishing to assist regularly in the classrooms, canteen, carnivals, must be registered for Working With Vulnerable People. Registration is free through Access Canberra.
School Fete
We know that many parents are not able to assist the school on a regular basis.
The School Fete is held in Term 1 each year and an opportunity for parents to assist in creating a wonderful community event as well as raise funds to support their children and the school.