Sometimes something really special happens at St Johns, on Friday 7 June we had one of those times with the most wonderful Foundation day. The deep spiritual experience of our Foundation day mass began in the days before with students collecting water from the rivers and oceans all around the Shoalhaven and bringing it together on the altar, symbolising the congregating of our community on this very special occasion of gathering on the feast of Pentecost. The music, international prayers and inspiring homily by Fr Pat were some of the highlights.

The Foundation day Fair was sheer joy of community involvement. From the intensity of putt-putt golf to the bravery of the captains who put themselves out there to be  the target of a drenching, they all had a wonderful time but most of all it was heart-warming to see the PALS groups working together with their teachers to do something for others.

Then there was the showcase, thanks Mr Eirth. The dancers told a sad story of a refugee and brought a tear to our eyes. There were many students who shared their talents from music to comedy and card tricks. Year 12 surprised us with a group act and even the teachers performed.

ACADEMIC CARE FACILITATORS

Our learning goal at St John’s is to ensure that all students are learning to a high level. Our teachers set clear learning intentions for each lesson and differentiate the learning to ensure that all students are challenged at their own level. We have many targeted interventions such as MACLIT which assists students with their literacy.

This year we introduced a new initiative that is proving to be very successful for targeted students. We have appointed three teachers who work as Academic Care Facilitators to mentor students to maximise the effectiveness of their learning. The program targets about eight students from stage 4, 5 and 6 who have been identified from data as students who are achieving but have the potential to improve their learning outcomes. The mentors meet with them regularly for eight weeks helping them to identify the talents and areas for improvement and collaboratively to develop their skills as a learner. Teachers also meet to discuss each of these students and how they may be supported in improving their learning outcomes.

By the end of the year the program will have provided one-on-one intervention and support for around 100 students. The Academic Care Facilitators are Mr Watson (stage 4), Mrs Frew (stage 5) and Mrs Isemonger (stage 6)

Mrs. Sandra Hogan

Principal