St Johns Newsletter - 17 September 2025

Principals Report

School Review:  I would especially like to acknowledge and thank all those within our school community who met with the School Review Panel. This is part of what the Panel had to say:

      The School Reviewers would like to acknowledge and thank the principal, staff, students and parents of St. John the Baptist Primary School, Koo Wee Rup for their welcome, hospitality and positive engagement with the School Review process.

     We would like to acknowledge each member of the school community for their commitment to ensuring students are central to their core work.

    The students of St. John the Baptist Primary School speak positively of their learning journey.  They identify what it means to feel safe, to belong in a Catholic School and to answer the call of service to others.

     The leaders, staff and parents strive to build a community that is safe, welcoming and inclusive. They speak to the life and mission of St. John the Baptist alive in their school community.

Lions Club Speech Competition: Congratulations to Ana Jopp (Yr6) and Ava Gard (Yr4) for representing our school in the annual Lions Club District Junior Speech competition. They can both be very proud of these achievements.  A special mention to Ana who will go onto the Regional Level of competition which will be held early next term, we wish her good luck.

Staffing Term 4: This year has seen an unprecedented number of staff changes due to a variety of factors. We are always mindful of the impact that change can have on students, staffing decisions are made with this in mind.

Therefore to create greater consistency and more stability in classes through to the end of the year, the follow class staffing will commence at the start of Term 4:

• FB - Raelee Browning  & Charli German
• FH - Bernadette Hance & Lisa Banjac
• 1/2B - Nicola Finch 
• 1/2S - Daniel Stark 
• 3/4B - Brooke Baker & Anna Hughes 
• 3/4M - Bianca Deane & Chantelle Davies
• 4/5M - Olivia Hunt & Peta Barnett
• 5/6G - Jess Gridley & Rhiannon McFarlane
• 5/6M - Crystal Meyer 

Socktober: Socktober is an initiative of Catholic Mission and one way which our school can fundraise and support Catholic Mission during World Mission Month in October. 

The ‘sock it to something’ concept is an Australian expression that means to strike out at. We will be inviting families to help us strike out at social issues, such as poverty, child labour, child trafficking, homelessness and lack of education.

Next term, each class will be encouraged to raise money in support of Socktober. We will also have a ‘Crazy Sock’ on October 20 to help raise awareness and money

Uniform/Makeup/Jewellery:  A reminder to families that full school uniform is to be worn at all times, please see flyer below with our uniform examples and guidelines. Some things to note:  

• Students are not permitted to wear makeup of any description. 
• Jewellery is not permitted - other than small, plain stud or sleeper earrings.
• Hair accessories must be in school colours, blue and/or yellow only. 
• Sport Uniform - Is only to be worn on sport days or for excursions as advised in the excursion information. Any runners can be worn in conjunction with sports uniform.
• Shoes - Black leather shoes or fully black leather runners (no platform soles & no mesh runners). 

A reminder that students are to commence wearing summer uniform from the beginning of Term 4 , this includes hats being worn for all outdoor activities. So during the holidays, FIND THOSE HATS!

Term 3 concludes for all students on Friday 19 September with a finish time of 2:30pm, please note, buses will run approximately 40 minutes earlier in the afternoon to accomodate this.

Term 4 commences on Monday 6 October for all students, we hope you all have an enjoyable break. 

Regards 

Chris Dortmans, Principal

Uniform Guidelines

Religious Education News

As we finish off our Term 3 with the Yr5/6 class Mass we look ahead to Term 4. In Term 4 we will celebrate World Mission Month, a special time when we focus on helping people around the world and supporting Catholic Mission, the Pope’s official mission agency working to combat the challenges of poverty in every part of our world. The theme for 2025 is "Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples," inspired by Pope Francis' message for the Jubilee Year. It’s a chance for us to think about how we can share our blessings and make a positive impact. At St John’s, we embrace this month by showing our commitment to helping others, both near and far.

To celebrate World Mission Month, next term we'll kick off Socktober.   This year focus is on supporting the amazing work of the Catholic Mission in Zambia. On October 20, we’ll have a Crazy Sock Day, where students can wear their wildest socks to school with a gold coin donation. Let’s come together to make a big difference with a simple act of kindness. See flyer below for full details of Crazy Sock Day. 

For more information on Catholic Mission, visit https://www.catholicmission.org.au/ .

Pray Together

Crazy Sock Day - Mon 20 Oct

Billy G's Cookie Dough Delivery - Thu 18 Sept

Dough-livery day is just around the corner! 🚚

Our cookie dough is due to arrive on Thursday 18 September. 

Cookie Dough Collection Information 

• Thur 18 Sept,  2:30 - 3:30pm 
• From the rear door of the hall
• All orders MUST be collected on this day! 

Please Note: Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie dough will stay fresh and safe for up to eight hours outside the Freezer - but make sure you get it inside and, in the fridge/freezer, as soon as you can ❄️ Enjoy!

Small orders can be sent home with bus travellers upon request - please call the office before 10am Thursday to arrange this. 

The Resilience Project

The school holidays are a wonderful opportunity for families to reconnect, recharge, and enjoy quality time together. However, with the extra downtime, keeping young minds engaged, balanced, and emotionally well can sometimes be challenging. The good news? Nurturing your child’s wellbeing doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Here are some practical, cost-free tips to support your child’s emotional and mental wellbeing during the break: 

1. Maintain a Consistent Routine - While holidays bring flexibility and freedom, a consistent routine provides stability and security—especially for young minds. Children thrive on predictability, as it helps them feel safe and reduces feelings of anxiety.
2. Limit Screen Time - Screens often become a default entertainment option during holidays, but too much screen time can negatively impact mood, sleep, and behaviour. The Australian National Screen Time Guidelines recommend: 

Ages 5-17: Less than 2 hours per day of sedentary recreational screen time

It’s important to spread this time across the day rather than compensate for missed days with extended periods. For example, a “no screens before lunch” rule can help establish balance.

1. Positive Social Connections - Social interactions are vital for children’s emotional health, helping them build relationships, boost confidence, and feel connected. Long breaks can sometimes leave kids feeling isolated, so providing opportunities for social interaction is key.
2. Spend Time Outdoors - Nature is a natural mood booster! Spending time outside reduces stress, increases physical activity, and fosters creativity. The best part? It’s completely free.

Ideas for Outdoor Activities:

• Go on a nature scavenger hunt—look for leaves, flowers, or bugs.
• Visit the local beach, bush trails, or playgrounds.
• Play simple games like hide-and-seek, hopscotch, or ball games.
• Turn an outdoor walk into a story adventure—ask your child to invent stories about what they see.

Enjoy your holiday break everyone!

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events shows events for the next 4 weeks, for events further ahead please see the calendar in PAM. 

St Johns Art Show - Save the Date!!

Uniform Ordering - Beleza

St Johns uniform is sold through Beleza both in their Pakenham store and online - see links below for online shop  or shop location/contact details. 

Koo Wee Rup Catholic Parishes in Partnership

OSHC (Out of School Hours Care)

After School Hours Care operates out of the St Johns hall before and after school.

Please contact OSHC directly for all enquiries:     1300 946 337

To enrol in OSHC please use the online enrolment form via this link:  Enrolment Form

For all other information in regard to OSHC please follow the link below to their website: 

Out of School Hours Care | Windermere

Alternatively you can visit them in the hall before or after school to enquire. 

Community News