Term 2 Week 4

From the Principal

Over the past week, our community has been impacted by unexpected localised flooding, and our thoughts have been with all families and staff navigating these challenging conditions. I understand that many made the difficult but wise decision to remain at home to prioritise safety, thank you for putting safety first. I am grateful to our dedicated SJB staff who were able to safely make it to school, and I sincerely thank our families for their understanding, flexibility and support during this uncertain time.

If your family has been affected and you require any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact the school—we are here to help in any way we can.

While this was unfolding locally, for the past three days I have been attending the Catholic Principals’ Conference in the Hunter Valley, joining over 300 Catholic school principals from across New South Wales. I am incredibly grateful to our dedicated staff who led the school, so capably in my absence, ensuring continuity and care for our students and families. The conference was a valuable time of collegiality and shared learning with leaders from other schools and guest speakers from around the world. A true highlight was the beautiful Mass celebrated last night by Bishop Michael, which was made even more special by the involvement of our very own music teacher, Nicole Murphy, who contributed her gifts to the liturgy.

The theme of this year’s Catholic Primary Principals’ Conference was Hope—a powerful reminder of the hope we hold in our Catholic schools through God’s eternal love. It is the hope we carry as educators, called to nurture and guide our students with faith and purpose, and the hope we see in the future that education unlocks for every child. I am continually reminded of this hope through the wonderful community of St John the Baptist, whose faith, resilience, and commitment to one another inspire great confidence in the future. As shared in Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Appointment of Director of Catholic Schools

I am pleased to share that Jacqueline Wilkinson has been appointed as the new Director of Schools for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. With over 35 years of experience in Catholic education, including roles as teacher, principal, and senior leader within the Catholic Schools Office, Jacqui is a deeply faith-filled and inspiring educator. Her passion for ensuring every student is known, supported, and nurtured in their learning and faith will continue to shape the future of Catholic education across our Diocese.

I look forward to the future of Catholic education under Jacqui’s leadership and offer her our prayers and support as she takes on this important role.

Winter Uniform

From Monday 26th May, all students are expected to be in full Winter uniform. Last week, Mrs Whiting and I visited each class to speak with students about our uniform expectations and to answer any questions they had. The St John the Baptist uniform has always been worn with pride, and our staff continue to support and encourage students to do the same. We appreciate the ongoing support of our families as we make this seasonal transition. If you have any questions regarding uniform requirements, please don’t hesitate to contact the school. If you are looking for our school uniform guidelines you can find this in COMPASS (School Documents --> Parent Communication --> SJB Uniform Guidelines).

Walk Safely to School Day and everyday!

Last week, we celebrated Walk Safely to School Day, and it was wonderful to see so many of our students choosing active and healthy ways to get to school. A special shout-out goes to the large group of students who rode their bikes together from Lorn—what an achievement! This group continues to grow, and all students are warmly invited to join them or even start their own bike group from nearby suburbs. It’s a great way to stay active, build independence, and enjoy the company of friends on the way to school.

Fortnightly Frames

Assistant Principal News

At St John the Baptist, we are proud to play a role in shaping the next generation of educators by hosting intern students from local universities. These aspiring teachers bring fresh energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm into our classrooms—and in return, we offer them a supportive, hands-on environment where they can grow and learn.

Interns work closely with our experienced teachers, observing lessons, assisting with planning, and gradually taking on more teaching responsibilities. This practical experience is essential for developing their confidence, classroom management skills, and understanding of how children learn best. Our staff mentor and guide them every step of the way, providing feedback, encouragement, and opportunities to reflect and improve.

Working with intern teachers also benefits our school staff. It encourages us to reflect on our own teaching practices, revisit foundational strategies, and stay connected to current research and new ideas in education. The conversations we have with interns often spark professional dialogue among our team and help us grow as educators too..

We believe that by supporting intern students, we are investing not only in their futures, but in the future of education as a whole. We’re proud to be a part of their journey—and we always learn just as much from them as they do from us!

This term, we are pleased to welcome Pippy McGarry to 1B. Pippy is currently completing her university studies through Charles Sturt University and is undertaking her second teaching internship with us. Although she has only just begun her placement this week, it is already evident that she has a natural presence with the students and will make an excellent teacher.

Primary Coordinator News

PACER Contribution

Our Year 6 Students have recently undertaken an education tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government has contributed funding to our school in the amount of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion and will go towards other Year 6 Educational activities during the year.

Religious Education

Catholic Schools Week

Please join us on Wednesday 4 June to celebrate Catholic Schools Week! We will begin at 2pm in the courtyard with a liturgy led by Year 1. Following this families are invited to join their student in their classroom for a formation experience based on the Dominican Pillar of Study. The Faith Formation events, are designed for students and families to be engaged in a variety of meaningful activities aimed to deepen their understanding of the Dominican Pillar of Study and deepen their understanding of God.

Spelling & Maths Bee

St John the Baptist will be holding our school Spelling and Maths Bee finals in week 7 on Friday 13 June, 2025. Four students from each grade per Bee will make it through to the SJB finals. Heats will be held in class. Parents are welcome to attend the SJB finals and will be notified by email if their students is successful. Finals will be held in the hall. See the attached flyer for a timetable.

One student per stage will be sent to the Regional Spelling and Maths Bee which will be held at Rosary Park Branxton on Friday 20 June, 2025. Rosary Park will also host the Diocesan Spelling and Maths Bees on Friday 27 June, 2025. One student, per stage, per region will make it through to a Diocesan level. Kindergarten will be involved in a school final but there is no Regional or Diocesan competition for Kindergarten.

Religious Education

This year at St John the Baptist, along with all other schools across the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, Year 4 students are experiencing a new Religious Education Curriculum. Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 have already been experiencing the new Religious Education curriculum, which is taught using the Pedagogy of Encounter. Year 5 and 6 will follow over the next two years.

The Pedagogy of Encounter is about encountering the mystery of God through the mystery of everyday life. It encourages, knowledge gathering and deconstruction and reconstruction, as well as a search for personal meaning. Year 1 are currently working on a module called Belonging to God’s Family. They are learning to know what it means to belong to the Christian family. Below is a sample of some of the work created by Year 1 in RE.

Class Awards

Congratulations to our class award winners for Week 3!

Kindergarten: Ariella G, Millie M, Angus S

Year 1: Harley-Rose H, Everly JM

Year 2: Isabella T, Eli S, Annie M

Year 3: India, Caleb, Aysha

Year 4: Georgia N, Geronimo G, Jessie C

Year 5: Aurelia C, Hudson M, Sophie C

Year 6: Patrick B, Lucille F, Siobhan M

Environment & Sustainability

Last week, we had a visit from Fiona and Will in the Environment and Sustainability team at Maitland City Council. The students learnt why reducing our waste is important, how to care for our environment, and ways to sort waste at home, which will change in Maitland when FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) begins on 30 June.

From this date, you can put food scraps in your household green bin along with garden organics, and your green bin will be collected weekly with your red general waste bin.

Visit yourorganicsbin.com.au for more information. Having a conversation at home about recycling or reducing food waste is a great way to connect learning at home and school and encourage environmentally sustainable habits.

Finance

School fee statements are available through your Compass portal. If you require a copy, please email admin@maitlandsj.catholic.edu.au to request one.

At the bottom of your statement, you will find suggested payment amounts (weekly, fortnightly, or monthly) to help ensure your account is paid in full by the due date—30 November 2025. At this point in the year, you should have paid approximately one quarter of your total fees.

Payments can be made via BPAY, or you may contact us to request a form to set up a Direct Debit from your bank account.

If you choose to pay more than the required amount, any extra payments will remain as credit on your account and be applied to next year’s fees.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance.