Dear Parents/Carers,

Dear Parents/Carers,

"Merciful Father,
On All Souls Day we are called to remember those who have died,
Particularly those who have died in the past year,
Names we will never know,
Voices we have never heard,
In lands we may never visit,
Yet brothers and sisters all.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen."

Yesterday was All Souls Day, a day in which we encouraged to remember those special people in our lives who have died. Especially this year we have been mindful of those who have passed away from COVID-19. As our nation begins to enjoy more of the freedoms that we are used to, it can be easy to forget that the pandemic has had tragic consequences for some families. I pray for any of our St John's community members who have been significantly impacted by COVID and ask for God's healing touch on your lives.

COVID update

A letter from the Director of Schools, Peter Hill, and myself was distributed this afternoon. It contained details of key changes for the rest of Term 4, from Monday 8 November. We will keep you updated of any specific changes to school procedures or events as they come up. 

Bell times

For the last eighteen months, we have brought forward our bell time at the end of the day in order to comply with COVID related restrictions. This has meant that we can give parents more time to collect their children, thus reducing any significant congregation of adults on the school site. The 3.00pm end to the school day has been working well.

However, it means we are currently ten minutes short of what would normally be required for five hours of classroom learning. During the pandemic, the state government has allowed for reduced time in the classrooms in order to comply with health regulations. From the beginning of 2022 we are hopeful that we will be able to return to normal expectations, therefore we will maintain the 3.00pm finish and bring forward the start of our school day just by ten minutes to 8.45am. The gates will open at 8.10am with supervision from 8.15am, and parents will be asked to collect their children by 3.30pm in the afternoon.

Last year we conducted a survey of parents about this proposal, and from 390 responses, 70% preferred that change. We are seeing up to 40 children waiting at our school gates each morning before they open, and up to 90% of our students are at school by 8.45am. 

Aspire before and after school care will continue to run from 6.30am to 6.00pm each day for families who need that service. Buses will also continue to run according to their current timetable.

Mrs Merrett

Next Monday, Mrs Merrett officially commences her maternity leave. We wish her and her husband the very best as they prepare for the birth of their first child.

Wishing you a safe and happy week,

Paul Moroney

Principal