St John the Baptist Ferntree Gully Newsletter

We look forward to welcoming our 2025 Prep families and students as they start their journey with us at St John the Baptist. The following dates below are important dates for our Preps and their families:

It was great to see most students with hats on during last week . As of this week students without a hat will be required to stay in the undercover area outside the administration building.

Students are required to wear a SJB wide brimmed hat.

The Prep - Year 2 swimming program will continue on Mondays throughout the term.  The students will walk to and from the pool each week. We warmly welcome parent helpers to assist with the swimming program. Each class is seeking two parent helpers to assist with movement to the pool and with changing. 

Whilst the primary focus of school swimming is the swimming lesson, additional learning comes with being able to independently look after personal belongings, changing and getting dressed. All of these skills are valuable life skills and terrific for building student independence and a sense of success.

If you haven't already done so, can you please respond to the Operoo for attendance at our Swimming Carnival for Years 3-6 scheduled for Tuesday 22 October.

We have been most fortunate to have had great support from the SJB school community at this year’s Working Bees. We have one more Working Bee for the year.  The Term 4 Working Bee will be held on Saturday 26th October between 1:30 - 4:00pm.  

We would be most appreciative to all who are able to assist with a number of jobs we have to complete around the school.  We are seeking assistance with parents who are able to assist with the maintenance of the SJB Naturescape in particular. Mulching, weeding & oiling of structures are just a few of the jobs to be completed. Families are welcome to contact Ursula DeCorrado in regard to the Working Bee or jobs to be completed. Ursula may be contacted through her email: udecorrado@sjferntreegully.catholic.edu.au

Families who will be attending the Working Bee are asked to respond via Operoo.

The School Nurse telphoned this morning to advise that she was unable to attend St John's this week.  She hopes to reschedule for next week.

We have a terrific team of Dads organising this year’s Gilwell Park Dads and Kids weekend away.  We ask that all families attending the Dads and Kids weekend please confirm via the QR code. 

For planning purposes registration and payment are required by Thursday 31st October.

In 2025 the Year 3 students will be preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Year 4 students will be preparing for their first Eucharist. 

We ask families who have not yet had their child baptised and who are seeking for their child to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist in 2025 to please make contact with the Parish Office prior to the end of this year.

In the beginning weeks of Term 4 the staff begin the process of putting together class lists for the 2025 school year.  The process will be completed with consideration given to:

• The social and academic distribution of the children within the same level across classes

• A gender balance in each class

• Children’s requests for friendship groupings

• Specific placement of siblings and children with individual needs, inclusive of emotional, learning, physical and behavioural needs

• The social needs of children including the working relationships of all children and the desired separation of children who do not have a positive social or learning influence on each other

• An awareness of teachers in the previous academic year.   

To support the placement of our children we ask each child to name classmates who they work well with.  Children will be reminded to consider children from their current class and from other class settings.  Classes will then be structured with the aim to have each child with at least one nominated friend.  However if the class teacher feels that the choices are not in the best interest of the child then the child will be asked to nominate others.  Parents please note that it is sometimes commented that, ‘My child didn’t get any of their friendship requests from last year’. It is often in this situation that a child’s actual friendship group has slightly or significantly changed from October through to the end of the year and as a result the child feels that their requests weren’t taken into account. 

With approximately 22 children in each class each child is provided with 21 opportunities to either further develop existing friendships or the opportunity to develop new friendships.  To be highly successful participants in our social, school and future working environments it is a most important skill to create new friendships each year, not be reliant on the same close friendship/s each year.  We make every effort to support our children by providing them with supportive environments but at the same time we wish for some form of challenge so that our children can further develop personal life skills by negotiating new friendships. 

As detailed above, there is a significant level of care that goes into establishing the best learning environments, along with social interactions, for our children.     

Parent Requests - Meeting with Leadership

We are aware that some parents may have valid reasons to have input into the placement of their children for the forthcoming year. Should there be numerous requests from parents then the ability for staff to make positive and professional judgements for the best learning environments for our classes is compromised.  Given this if parents have any relevant information that you believe is essential to the grade placement process, I invite you to make contact with myself kjohnston@sjferntreegully.catholic.edu.au  or Ursula DeCorrado

udecorrado@sjferntreegully.catholic.edu.au to share your thoughts for the 2025 year.  Should we need to gain greater clarity on the request as made we will make contact with you to make an appointment to share your thoughts or concerns.   We will evaluate all requests and make a professional decision on the placement of the child in question. The final decision rests with the school. 

‘Teacher Shopping’ -  At SJB School we are blessed with a highly skilled and enthusiastic staff team and we are confident that all teachers will meet the needs of your children. Parents making requests simply as ‘Teacher Shopping’, without any foundation, may not necessarily receive their requests for the new year.  The reference to ‘teacher shopping’ means that, for example, parents have heard positive comments about teachers in the school from other parents and think that teacher may be good for their child.  Likewise a sibling may have had a teacher previously and a parent wishes for their next child to also have that teacher.  We would love to meet all requests but there are other elements around class placements, as detailed previously, which may take priority over a request as such.  As stated above, parents are invited to meet with leadership to discuss thoughts that may be pertinent to 2024 class placements but we ask that you take on board all of the above information before making your request.

As we plan ahead for 2025 classes, we ask any families who know that they will not be returning to SJB in 2025 to inform the school as soon as possible. principal@sjferntreegully.catholic.edu.au

Wishing everyone a great week. 

Kelli Johnston

October

18th - 2026 Yr 7 offers sent

21st - P-2 Swimming continues

22nd - Year 3-6 Swimming Carnival

24th - Year 3/4 Phillip Island Camp

25th - Year 3/4 Phillip Island Camp

25th - Assembly @ 2.45pm - 1/2KC presenting

26th - Working Bee

28th - P-2 Swimming continues

30th - Prep 2025 Information Evening

31st - About Real Life Session Yr 3-6 - Family Online Session

November

1st - All Saints Day Mass @ 11am

4th - School Closure Day

5th - Melbourne Cup Day - School Closed

7th - Prep 2025 Transition Session #1

7th - Year 3/4 Level Mass @ 9.15am

8th - About Real Life Session 1 Yrs 3-6

8th - Yr 7 2026 placememnt offers to be finalised

11th - P-2 Swimming continues

11th - Remembrance Day - Prayer Service @ 10.45am

14th - Prep 2025 Transition #2

15th - Assembly @ 2.45pm - Prep BA

15th - About Real Life Session - Years 3-6

18th - School Closure Day - Staff Professional Learning

20th - School Advisory Council - 7.00pm

21st - Prep Transition Session #3

22nd - About Real Life Session - Years 3-6

25th - Prep-2 Swimming continues

29th - Assembly Prep LC

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.