ACTING YEAR 9 LEADER OF WELLBEING

Hi, I’m Mrs. Ross, and I have stepped in as the Year 9 Leader of Wellbeing, while Mrs. Jennings is on maternity leave. I have been fortunate enough to get to know your child as the Assistant to Mrs. Jennings over the past year and I am excited to be in the role and to advocate and support your student! 

Semester 2 is off to an encouraging start, with Year 9 students returning from the holidays refreshed and ready to engage. They’ve shown a focused mindset towards their learning and a strong desire to achieve their personal best this term. 

REPORTS

At the end of last semester, Year 9 reports were published on Compass. Please take the time to talk to your young person about the different elements of their report, particularly their learning profile to see if there are areas for improvement (and goals to aim to achieve) moving into semester two and to celebrate their successes in semester one! 

UNIFORM EXPECTATIONS AND REMINDERS

We would like to remind families of the expectations regarding the school uniform:

• Full winter uniform, including the blazer, is required on all days except when students have a practical subject or sport (for terms 2 and 3).
• All Year 9 students have sport on Tuesdays and are required to wear the full sports uniform on that day.
• Students will also need to wear their sports uniform for PDHPE and PASS practical lessons, as well as double lessons for Bushcraft and Agriculture.

To clarify the sports shoe requirements:

• Shoes should be classified by the manufacturer as “gym” or “training” shoes.
• Shoes should not have flat soles, be made of canvas, or have platform soles. 

Additional Uniform Notes:

• Students may wear a plain white undershirt under their uniform for extra warmth.
• On sports uniform days, students may wear the school jacket.
• On winter uniform days, students must wear the school blazer, and may also wear the school jumper underneath for extra warmth.
• Sports shorts must be loose-fitting and mid-thigh in length.
• Hair - natural colour, neat and tidy, no extreme hairstyles such as mullets etc, hair must be pulled back if it touches the collar (no half-up-half-down).
• Jewellery - 2 predominantly gold or silver studs or sleeper style earrings in each ear (no bigger than a 5 cent piece), no nose rings - clear retainers are acceptable, one bracelet or watch on each wrist, two rings, one gold or silver plain necklace or with a cross or religious pendant (no leather).
• Socks - white SJE socks
• Nails - no acrylic or coloured nails (light neutral colour is ok) - please make students aware that some subjects such as Food Tech have additional standards because of the nature of the course.
• No eyelash extensions or fake eyelashes

Please remind students to keep an eye on their uniform items, ensuring that their names are clearly labelled in the instance where an item is misplaced. 

We appreciate your ongoing support in helping us maintain high standards for uniform, presentation and pride in our school.

YEAR 10 2026 100 HOUR SUBJECT COURSE

The Year 10 2026 Subject Selection process will take place in the first few weeks this term. This week, students will be presented with the range of subjects available to them. Subject Selections Open on the 1st of August and close on the 7th of August. Please discuss the course options available with your child over the weekend to support your student in selecting the course options that work best for them. 

Year 10 2026 100hr Course Subject Information Handbook

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL (SRC)

This term, our SRC members are continuing to step up and embrace active leadership within Year 9! They are continuing to lead the Year meetings on Tuesdays and collaborating to plan Year 9 initiatives, such as the Year 9 House Cup that is continuing this semester. SRC Students should now be on the Year 9 SRC Google Classroom page and have access to the Year Meeting roster, to see when their house group will be leading the year meeting. Keep up the good work SRC! We can’t wait to see the positive influence their leadership inspires across the Year Group! 

THE SCHOOL PRODUCTION

Congratulations to the Year 9 Students involved in bringing ‘Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole’ to life in our school production! The performance was brilliant and a true showcase to the creativity and teamwork of the talented students and staff of St John’s and their many hours of dedicated work!

Thank You Mr. Burian, Ms. McKay and the entire School Production team for all of your efforts! 

YEAR 9 PDHPE

This term in PDHPE, our Year 9 students are engaging in a Project-Based Learning (PBL) unit , exploring the driving question: "How can I keep my mental health at its best and support the mental health of others?" Over the first five weeks of the term, students will work collaboratively in groups to investigate key mental health concepts, reflect on personal self-care strategies, and consider the importance of supporting others. Their learning will culminate in the creation of a meaningful resource designed to educate a specific audience on the driving question. 

This unit not only builds health literacy but also encourages empathy, teamwork and real-world problem-solving as students take ownership of promoting positive mental health in their community.

Please have a conversation with your child about what they have created! 

Mr. Carraro