St John the Baptist Ferntree Gully Newsletter

Tuesday April 1st 2025

Letter from the Principal, Kelli Johnston

Dear Families

We have thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful Term 1.  We have settled into new classes, routines, met new friends, engaged in rich learning opportunities, built on our strong SJB community partnerships and enjoyed many terrific events.  Below is a snapshot of all we have achieved in Term 1. 

  • Welcome Morning Tea, Twilight on the Green,  Ash Wednesday Mass, Reconciliation, Kinder partnerships & visits,  Prep Family Mass, Year 6 leadership sessions, Halogen National Young Leaders Day - Year 6 School Captains, Mater Christi - International Women’s Day breakfast - Year 6 Leaders, St Patrick’s Day Mass - Year 6 Leaders, St Joseph’s Lighthouse program, Year 3-6 Squad Swimming Program, District Swimming, School Open Days, Student & School Athletics Day, built a chicken coop. 

  • Wellbeing Parent Webinar - ‘Managing Big Feelings’ 

  • School Open Days -  Thursday 6th March, Wednesday 12th March, Tuesday 25th March - 9am, 10am, 4pm & 5pm.  

  • Presentation of Year 6 Jackets & leadership badges

In our final week we still have our Easter Bonnet parade to celebrate, Easter Raffle & presentation of SRC & Sustainability badges. Please join us on Friday 4th April at 1pm in the undercover area for our final celebrations of the term.

School Photos - Thursday April 3rd - Summer Uniform

This Thursday we have our SJB School Photos. All students are to wear full school summer uniform. This includes wearing school shoes. Students are not to wear their sports uniform. Students are to have their hair tied back for their class photos, however should students wish to have their hair down for their individual photo this is fine. Once the individual photo has been taken students are required to tie back their hair again.

Classes who have PE on Thursday may change into their runners after their school photos.

Easter Events - Friday April 4th

We warmly welcome families to join us for a number of events on the last day of term.  Please see the outline of the day below:

Holy Week Prayer Reflections: Our Year 5/6 students will lead us in Holy Week Prayer Reflections on Friday in the hall.  Families are welcome to join either of our Holy Week prayer reflections in the school hall. The Holy Week Prayer services will be at: 9:00am and 9:45am.

Easter Bonnet Parade, Choir Performance & Easter Raffle: We look forward to celebrating our junior students as they display their Easter Bonnets. The SJB Choir is excited to debut their first performance at our gathering. We will gather outside the administration building in the undercover area. 

SJB Easter Egg Raffle: Our fabulous P & F Team has been busy preparing this year’s Easter Raffle. We have a number of amazing prizes to be won.

We thank Veronica Brightwell, Joanna Kirrane, Maxine Schimizzi & Amy Chan for organising this year’s Easter Raffle.

Tuckshop - Hot Cross Buns - Friday April 4th

Orders due in this Wednesday

On Friday 4th April the regular Tuckshop menu will be replaced by Hot Cross Buns for the final Tuckshop session of the term.  Orders for Hot Cross Buns can now be placed through Flexischools. All orders are required to be placed by Wednesday 2nd April.

Students are encouraged to bring additional items in their lunch boxes on this day as the regular Tuckshop menu will be unavailable.

Hot Cross Bun Order Form Link

Easter Mass Schedule

Open Days for 2026 Prep Children

St John the Baptist Open Days for 2026 Prep Children

Let your neighbours, friends and relatives know St John’s School Open Days are set for May.

School Open Days will be held on:

Thursday 1st May

Saturday morning 3rd May

Alternatively families can book tours by phoning the office, through the school website or the QR Code. Every day is Open Day at St John the Baptist School!! Please come and see us in action.

We request that parents already with children in the school enrol as early as possible.

Social Justice Fundraising for Caritas - Amelia & Hannah B

Congratulations Amelia and Hannah, your Social Justice initiative was such a wonderful success.  The many hours spent making scrunchies to sell and raise funds for Caritas is such an amazing example of supporting others in need. 

We would also like to thank our SJB community for your support of Amelia and Hannah and their scrunchie initiative. Such an outstanding example of social justice and sense of community.

Students wishing to buy scrunchies may purchase these at the office.

Congratulations

Congratulations to the Barrand family on the safe arrival of their son and brother, Thomas.

We are thrilled for you all and know that you will enjoy many wonderful times ahead as a family.

Community Update and Thank you

Last Thursday one of our grandparents sadly had a fall at the end of the day in which she sustained a severely broken wrist. We continue to maintain contact to check in and see how our beautiful grandmother is progressing and will continue to check in, throughout the weeks ahead.

We would like to extend an enormous thank you Ben, Alfie’s dad for his support and care throughout the afternoon. You were brilliant.

A thank you to our community and staff for their calm and professional response, whilst ensuring care and safety of all at this time.

Congratulations Reconciliation Candidates

Congratulations to our Year 3 students who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation last Wednesday 26th March. 

We thank Fr Thomas, Marialisa Mandarino (Religious Education Leader), the Year 3/4 team and our staff for their support of the children on this evening. 

Furthermore, we thank our families for your support of your children in the preparation for Reconciliation.  Preparing students to receive sacraments requires a strong home, school and parish partnership.  We are most grateful to our families for your ongoing support.

ANZAC Day Badges



ANZAC Day this year is in the first week of Term 2. Families wishing to purchase ANZAC Day badges or wrist bands may purchase these items, ranging from $2 - $5  from the office. 

LEST WE FORGET

ANZAC Day Dawn Service

The Ferntree Gully Rotary Club & CFA invite the community to join this year’s Anzac Day Dawn Watch on Friday 25th April at Quarry Park, Quarry Road, Ferntree Gully at 5:45am for a 6:00am start.

We are most fortunate to have one of our SJB family’s kindly offered to present a wreath on behalf of both the SJB School and Parish. 

LEST WE FORGET

Election Day BBQ and Cake Stall - Saturday 3rd May


Now that we have the date for the Federal Election our P & F team are keen to lead an Election Day Sausage Sizzle and Baking Stall.  St John the Baptist School will be a polling centre for the Election on Saturday 3rd May.  The success of such a day is based on community support. We will be seeking assistance with the BBQ on the day or baking prior to the day.

We ask families to please look out for the Operoo form seeking community support.

Mother's Day Stall - Tuesday May 6th

Our terrific P & F team is busy preparing for this year’s Mother’s Day Stall. We are most fortunate to have a number of community members sharing their talents and making gifts for the Mother’s Day Stall. 

All gifts at the Mother’s Day Stall will once again be $5.00. This year we will have a cashless system where families purchase $5.00 tokens for the stall prior to the Mother’s Day Stall. Children will receive their allocated number of tokens on the morning of the Mother’s Day Stall as they move into the stall.

Tokens for the Mother’s Day Stall are now able to be purchased through Flexischools and will be available for purchasing until 9am on Tuesday 6th May.

Mother's Day Event

We warmly welcome all Mother’s, Nanna’s and special people to join us for our SJB Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea and family activity on Friday 9th May from 1.30pm.  We will commence with an afternoon tea in the hall. Mums and special people will then move to the classrooms in family groups to participate in an activity with their children.

An Operoo form will be shared in the near future in relation to the afternoon tea.

MHiPS - Mental Health in Primary Schools News

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and St John the Baptist Primary is excited to be participating. 

The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 6 September 2025.

Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books.

The Premiers' Reading Challenge platform which parents use to record the books their child/ren have read offers a range of exciting features including:

  • access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs)

  • a modern user-friendly interface

  • rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved

  • the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review

All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.

To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit:
https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge

If you would like your child/ren to take part in the Premier’s Reading challenge please let Ursula know via email and I will register them and forward you your login details.

udecorrado@sjferntreegully.catholic.edu.au

Once you receive your login details you will be able to enter the books your child has read on the portal.

Please contact me if you have any questions or wonderings,

Ursula DeCorrado

School Library


Just a reminder for families that our school library is now open on two mornings a week so that parents are able to come in with their school child and share their love of books with them.  Our library will be open every Monday and Tuesday morning from 8.30am so that you are able to browse and borrow with your child if you wish.  The library is located in the main administration building.

Barry Plant Boronia - Easter Colouring Competition

It’s time to get creative and enter an Easter colouring competition. There are great prizes to be won.

This competition is open to children 12 years and under, with 3 prizes to be won that will be drawn out of a hat!

WINNING PRIZES:

1st Prize: 12-month Zoos Victoria Adult Membership (Kids under 16 from same household join free with an adult membership)

2nd Prize: 2x Child Luna Park Melbourne Entry with Unlimited Ride Pass

3rd Prize: $50 Timezone voucher

The artwork can be dropped into our office at 69 Boronia Road, Boronia, via email or at any of our Open for Inspections.  

Please find attached the Easter Colouring sheets (there are two options - see below).

The competition closes on Tuesday 15th of April and the winners will be announced on the day at our Barry Plant Boronia office on our social media.

If you have any questions or queries, feel free to contact us.

Good luck everyone!!

Easter Colouring Competition - Option 1


Download

Easter Colouring Competition - Option 2


Download

Kelly Sports Clinics


In Term Two Kelly Sports will host Monday afternoon clinics after school at SJB. The clinics will commence in Week 4 as of Monday 12th May.

Further information will be available in Week 2 next term.

Chess Club - Term 2

Wishing everyone a fabulous holiday break. For those who are travelling we wish you safe travels and many wonderful adventures.

Kelli Johnston

Term 1 Dates

April

3rd - SJB School Photos

4th - Holy Week Prayer Services

4th - Easter Bonnet Parade & Easter Raffle Draw at 1.00pm

4th - Term 1 concludes at 2.00pm

Term 2

21st - Easter Monday

22nd - Term 2 commences

24th - Review Day 1

24th - ANZAC Day Prayer Service - 10.40am

25th - ANZAC Day - School Closed

28th - P&F Meeting at 7.00pm

30th - First Eucharist Family Evening - 7.00pm

Uniform Shop

The 2nd Hand Uniform shop is open Wednesdays 2:45 - 3:15pm. With winter uniform starting in Term 2, come in and see whether we have the items you need. Please bring cash along in case you see something you like. All items $5.00 - socks and tights are free. Donations of clean, official SJB uniform are always welcome and can be left at the office at a time convenient to you.

Canteen News

Open on Wednesdays & Fridays


Canteen orders can be placed via http://www.flexischools.com.au

Orders must be placed no later than 7.30am on the Wednesday or Friday.


Hot Cross Bun Day in the Canteen this Friday - get your orders in now via Flexischools!

Canteen Roster - Term 1, 2025

Friday April 4th

Carrie Canton

Melinda Price

Katrina Horne

St John the Baptist Ferntree Gully