St John the Baptist Primary School - Maitland eNewsletter

From the Principal

World Refugee Day

Today, we join with communities around the world in recognising World Refugee Day, an international day observed by the United Nations. This important day invites us to reflect on the strength, courage and resilience of millions of people who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution or disaster. As a Catholic school, we are reminded of our call to show compassion, to welcome the stranger, and to stand in solidarity with all those seeking safety and a place to belong. Let us continue to keep refugee families in our prayers and in our hearts.

Attendance at school

I understand that there is a lot of sickness going around, and it’s completely understandable to keep children home when they are unwell. Ensuring your child recovers fully is important for their health and for preventing the spread of illness to others. At the same time, regular attendance plays a vital role in a student’s learning and development, so finding the right balance is key.

Regular attendance is one of the most important factors in a student’s academic success and overall wellbeing. When students attend school consistently, they not only absorb vital lessons and skills but also develop strong social connections and routines that set them up for lifelong success.

Why Does Attendance Matter?

* Academic Achievement: Each day in the classroom builds on the last. Missing even a few days can make it harder for students to keep up with lessons, leading to gaps in knowledge and lower grades.

* Building Relationships: School is not just about learning facts; it’s about forming friendships, developing communication skills, and learning to work with others. Consistent attendance helps students stay connected with peers and teachers.

* Positive Habits: Attending school regularly helps students develop responsibility, time management, and commitment—skills that are essential beyond the classroom.

Supporting Parents and Carers
The Catholic Schools Office Maitland-Newcastle has a dedicated space on their website with resources, events, and information to support parents and carers across our school communities. I encourage families to visit https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/our-community/supporting-parents-and-carers/ to explore upcoming parent webinars, helpful articles, and support services designed to strengthen home–school partnerships.

Vacation Care

St Nicholas OOSH Vacation Care programs are now available, offering a range of fun and engaging activities for children these school holidays. You can view our local program here: https://stnicks.org.au/oosh/vacation-care/

Enrolled families can make a booking by navigating to the ‘Bookings’ tab in the Xplor Home app. Families who are not yet enrolled can submit an enrolment request here: https://stnicks.org.au/oosh/vacation-care/enquire-now/

Fortnightly Frames

On the 12th June Kindergarten Blue and Year 4 Blue enjoyed a joint Mass together at St Mary's Chapel. Thank you to the families who were able to join us.

Our amazing choir performed at the Civic Theatre last week. These students were amazing, we are so proud of their performance!

Congratulations Aurelia who performed as a part of Aspires Voice Worx ensemble

Congratulations to our St John the Baptist students who particpated in the regional Spelling and Maths Bee today. A huge shout out to Hamish who was the Lower Hunter Regional Maths Bee winner in Stage 3 - good luck at the dioceasen competition next week!

Our impromptu Dance Party this week was a huge success on Wellbeing Wednesday! Staff were thrilled to teach the Nutbush and loved all the requests for the Macarena — the energy was contagious!

Assistant Principal News

Student Led Conferences

At St John the Baptist, we believe that learning is most powerful when students take ownership of their growth. Students will have the opportunity to share their learning journey next term during student led conferences.With guidance from their teachers, students prepare to present their work, reflect on their progress and learning, and discuss future learning goals.Student led conferences will be offered during Weeks 1 and 2 next term. Bookings will open on Monday of Week 10 (30 June) via Compass and will remain available until Friday of the same week. We kindly ask all parents and carers to schedule a conference time to ensure the opportunity to engage in a meaningful discussion about your child’s learning progress and achievements.

Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) Professional Learning

On Wednesday 18th June Miss D’Accione and I had the privilege of attending a professional learning day at the Catholic Schools Office focused on the familiarisation and preparation for the new K-6 HSIE Syllabus. As part of the NSW curriculum reform, schools will use 2025 and 2026 to explore and prepare for the new syllabus, with full implementation scheduled for 2027. Some of the key changes include:

History and geography combined into one HSIE K–6 syllabus (previously K–10)
New Aboriginal Cultures and Histories outcomes and content, including Aboriginal languages
Historical and geographical concepts and skills embedded within the content
Content about the world and the ancient past from Stage 1
Strengthened civics and citizenship learning opportunities
Access content points for students with significant intellectual disability

We are excited to begin engaging with this refreshed and inclusive curriculum, and we look forward to the opportunities it will bring to enrich student learning in HSIE.

St John the Baptist Feast Day

You are invited to join us on Tuesday 24 June at 10:30am for a liturgy in our school hall to celebrate St John the Baptist Feast Day. Families are invited to BYO picnic to join us afterwards for morning tea.

Religious Education

Sacrament of Confirmation

We are overjoyed to congratulate our students who recently received the Sacrament of Confirmation—a profound and beautiful step in their faith journey. Surrounded by their families, sponsors, school and parish community, these young people stood with courage and grace to affirm their commitment to the teachings of Christ and to welcome the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Religious Education

Religious Education in Year 3 at St John the Baptist is taught using the Pedagogy of Encounter. 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 3 are currently working on a module called Encountering the Word of God. Students are exploring the notion of story: their own and other people’s, and the Christian story that is the Bible. They are learning the Sacred Scriptures are the Wod of God and God speaks to us through the Bible. Below are samples of some of the work recently created by Year 3 in RE.

PJ & Movie Day for Mini Vinnies Winter Appeal

We are holding our PJ & Movie day on Friday 4 July. Students and staff are invited to wear their PJ’s and bring a gold coin donation. Our P&F are supporting this great cause by supplying popcorn and a lollipop for students. All funds raised will go to the St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal.

Wellbeing Project – Year 11 TAS & Kindergarten Collaboration

This year, Year 11 TAS students from St Mary’s have collaborated with Kindergarten on a wonderful wellbeing project. As part of their research, Year 11 visited Kindergarten during our Successful Foundations program to observe how our students play, and how play supports both wellbeing and learning. Their challenge was to design and create something that could be used in play, while also supporting our whole-school focus on wellbeing. After researching, conferencing with Kindergarten teachers, refining their ideas and building their designs, Year 11 hosted Kindergarten to road-test their incredible creations. We were so impressed by the creativity and thoughtfulness shown by our Year 11 students. We can’t wait to use their designs in our current play spaces and as part of Successful Foundations next year.