Dear Parents/Carers,

This week is Catholic Schools Week, an annual event in our Diocese that helps to highlight the contribution that Catholic schools have made to the educational landscape in Australia. The faith and spiritual dimension of a Catholic school must always be at the forefront of what we do as teachers and parents, as this is our point of difference to other school systems.

Traditionally we would have open classrooms to showcase some of the great learning that is happening at St John's. Unfortunately this is not currently possible with the restrictions, so we will post some photos this week on our school's Facebook page to show you what the students have been doing in their classrooms.

This year also coincides with an acknowledgement of 200 years of Catholic education in Australia. It is worth noting that St John's holds a special place historically in the Diocese of Wollongong by being the oldest school in the diocese. A temporary Catholic school first began in 1828 in the Campbelltown area, with a permanent building constructed in 1840. This building is now called Quondong and is near the Campbelltown Catholic Club. In 1914, the school needed more space and moved to our current site. Throughout much of this history, our school was led by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. We stand on the shoulders of many hard working women and men who were committed to providing children with a good education in the Catholic tradition.

School times

Thank you to the parents who responded to our recent survey regarding the possibility of changing our school times. We also received helpful feedback from many others. As part of our ongoing consultation process, we are able to confirm at this stage that if there is going to be a change of times, it would not be implemented until the beginning of 2022. This will be fairer to parents who have made arrangements for this year, as well as giving us more time to make any necessary arrangements to help a smooth transition.

Just a reminder that currently our day begins with assembly at 8.55am and gates open for pick-up from 3.00pm. This is earlier than normal to help us adhere to social distancing requirements. 

Parent-School Partnership Framework

This week I would like to highlight the fifth and final of the principles of the Parent-School Partnership Framework - "Active Engagement." This principle focuses on supporting engagement in learning and well-being. To succeed in this area, it is incumbent on all of us to: communicate openly information about a child's learning and well-being; modelling a positive attitude to learning; actively supporting consistent school attendance; and facilitating a positive learning environment at home and school.

Paul Moroney
Principal