Dear Parents/Carers,

Last week in the Newsletter, I wrote about flexibility being a key focus for all of us during this time of eased restrictions. Then, that afternoon the new State Premier announced a change to the schedule for students returning to school! How quickly things can change.

As we prepare to welcome back our Kinder and Year 1 students next Monday, and the rest of the grades on 25 October, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the support that parents and carers have shown during the lockdown. I appreciate the sacrifices you have made, the financial impact it may have had and the burden that it has given you over the last 16 weeks. As a staff we are so grateful for your patience, support and understanding.

Today you will have received a letter on Compass outlining some of our procedures that will be in place from next Monday 18 October. The main emphasis of the procedures is to reduce the amount of mingling, as per the Level 3 restrictions. Of course, we have never needed to use these procedures before, so we may need to refine them if we come across any aspect that is not practical. We will keep you updated of any adjustments as needed.

The return to school for the children may take some adjustments, so our priority will be to focus on their wellbeing as they reconnect with each other and their teachers, while adjusting to our Level 3 restrictions. Once they have settled back into routines, we will then be able to more effectively attend to their learning.

The following prayer was shared by two staff members at a meeting this morning:

"Dear Lord, 

Thank you so much for your presence in our lives. Thank you for the blessing You have given us in our children! Please bless our wonderful parents and guardians at home who need to be praised. Thank you for all of our staff here at St. John’s, please bless us as we return to school and guide the children in their journey as they may face unknown challenges. 

We pray to you God for guidance and support during this time as you have always been there for us. Please help us to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Please help us to be able to handle all the challenges being thrown at us right now, including have to do multiple jobs at the same time. 

Help us to remember that You are in our lives always, not just during the good times. You will help us get through the challenges we face right now. We pray for our St John’s community. Lord guide us in our journey back to school.  

Amen."

Paul Moroney

Principal