Term 3 Week 10
Principals Report
This term has been filled with new adventures and rich learning experiences—both in and beyond the classroom. From excursions and incursions to the daily joy of discovery, our students have embraced opportunities to stretch their thinking and deepen their understanding. We’ve introduced new ways of working, such as our Think Tank initiative, and strengthened community connections through visits to St Nicholas and shared celebrations with All Saints College. At the heart of it all has been the joy of learning and the pride we have taken in our students’ growth.
In recent weeks, our students have embraced a wide range of opportunities to learn, grow, and connect. Year 3 visited the Hunter Valley Zoo as part of their Wombat project, bringing their learning to life through real-world observation and inquiry. Our Stage 2 and Stage 3 students proudly represented our school at sporting gala days in rugby league, touch football, and soccer—demonstrating teamwork, sportsmanship, and school spirit. The school choir shared their talents at the Socktober Launch with a special performance at St Joseph’s, East Maitland, while our Year 1 students delighted their families with a showcase of their learning. We also welcomed the newest members of our community during our Kindergarten 2026 orientation sessions, marking the beginning of their exciting journey with us.
I am grateful to our Parents and Friends Association for their ongoing support, particularly in coordinating our Father’s Day Stall and helping to host our Father’s Day Breakfast. It was heartwarming to see so many dads, grandfathers, and father figures join us to celebrate the special role they play in our students’ lives. These moments of connection enrich our school community and remind us of the strength we find in working together.
As we approach the end of Term 3, I am reminded of the words from Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This verse reminds me of the resilience, growth, and joy I’ve witnessed in our students throughout the term - I can not wait to see what term 4 brings!
I hope the upcoming holiday break offers your family time to rest, reconnect, and recharge. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for a fabulous Term 4—full of new opportunities, continued learning, and shared celebrations.
Looking Ahead: Help Us Set Our 2026 Priorities
At St John the Baptist, we’re always looking for ways to grow and improve. Each year, we identify a set of school priorities that guide how we use our resources to best support student learning, wellbeing, and the smooth running of our school. These priorities are carefully considered and shaped by what we know will make a meaningful difference for our students and community.
In recent years, some of the key areas of investment have included:
- The rollout of iPads and laptops to meet Diocesan standards
- Our Whole School Musical at Maitland Town Hall in 2024, giving students a chance to build confidence and experience the arts
- Excursions to the Newcastle Civic Theatre to watch Aspire, helping students connect with the performing arts
- Student participation in sporting gala days
- The implementation of the Grow Your Mind program to support student wellbeing
- The development of our playground spaces to foster connection across the whole school community
As valued partners in our school, I’d love to invite you to complete a short survey to help shape our 2026 priorities. This is your chance to share what matters most to you—what you think we should focus on to ensure our school continues to thrive now and into the future. You can access the link here
Your feedback will provide valuable insights and help us make decisions that reflect the needs and hopes of our community. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Building Works Update
I am pleased to share that roof works have now commenced on the Year 2 and Year 3 building. This important upgrade will continue throughout the upcoming school holidays, with contractors working to ensure minimal disruption to learning.
During the holiday period, landscaping teams will also begin work on the oval refurbishment. While this will affect some play spaces, we are incredibly grateful to All Saints College for their generous support in providing alternative areas for our students to run, play, and enjoy their break times.
We’ll continue to keep families informed as further details become available. Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding as we work to improve and ensure safety of all of our school facilities.
Email Communication Reminder
We have noticed that emails sent by school staff via Compass may occasionally be delivered to your junk or spam folders. If you’re waiting on a reply from a staff member, we kindly ask that you check these folders first.
If you haven’t received a response within two business days, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office so we can follow up promptly.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we continue to improve our communication systems.
Fortnightly Frame
Our Creative Arts Leaders are doing a fantastic job! Macey, Dylan, Xavier & Ruby meet regularly with other Year 6 leaders from across the Diocese and Aspire staff to share ideas and find new ways to promote the arts at SJB.
Year 1 students sharing a joyful moment with their families during their showcase—dancing the Heel and Toe Polka together!
Think Tank participants are diving deep into the history of Maitland schools. Will, Charlotte, and Penelope met with All Saints College Principal Mr McCudden to learn more about the story behind the college and its place in our community.
Last week, we had the absolute joy of welcoming back some familiar faces—former St John the Baptist students who are graduating from All Saints College this year. They spent the morning reconnecting with their old Year 6 buddies, now our current Year 6 students, and together they toured the school, revisiting favourite classrooms and play spaces. We hold all Year 12 students in our thoughts and prayers as they prepare for their final exams next term, and we wish them every blessing as they step into the exciting adventures ahead.
Assistant Principal News
As we head into the school holidays, we encourage everyone to take time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the simple pleasures of a slower pace. Whether you're travelling, spending time with family and friends, or simply enjoying some quiet time at home, we hope the break brings you peace and joy. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 4, refreshed and ready for the exciting learning and celebrations that lie ahead, including our end of year events!
Wishing all our students, families, and staff a safe, restful, and happy holiday break.
If you are looking for a holiday activity to do with your children, please see the message below from Edie in Year 3.
As part of my THINK TANK Project, I have been researching information about MRAG, Maitland Regional Art Gallery. There are some programs in the school holidays that you might want to drop in and do. Some of these include:
- Free Art Sunday
- Drop in Recycled Monster Art
- Draw it Your Way-Still Life Drawing Workshop
- Collage Animation Workshop for Kids
- Riverlights Lantern Drop in Workshops
For more information, please click the link belowhttps://mrag.org.au/whats-on-mrag/calendar/
Religious Education
Mission Month & Socktober Launch
Last week, our year 5 Mini Vinnies leaders proudly represented our school at the launch of Mission Month and Socktober, joining other Catholic schools in a special celebration of faith, compassion, and global solidarity. The event focused on Zambia, the 2025 Socktober mission country, where children face many challenges but also show great resilience and hope.
Our school choir joined with the All Saints’ College choir and beautifully led the singing during Mass, creating a prayerful and uplifting atmosphere. It was a meaningful experience for all involved, reminding us of the power of community and the importance of standing in solidarity with children around the world. Thank you Mrs Murphy and choir for all of your preparation and for representing our school with such pride!
We look forward to continuing our Socktober journey in term 4 with fundraising, prayer, and learning activities that help us make a real difference.
Good luck ASC Year 12 students!
St John the Baptist came together in the spirit of community and prayer to host a special liturgy titled Stand By Me- Oh the places you’ll go to support the All Saints College Year 12 students. Led by SJB students and staff, the liturgy reminded us all of the power of faith and community in times of transition. Our Year 1 students made beautiful prayer cards for each Year 12 student. There is a sample below. Good luck and God Bless, Year 12!
Sports Report
Touch Football Gala Day
Stage 2 and 3 students attended the NSW Touch Football Gala days at Maitland Park. They had a fabulous day winning lots of games and showed fantastic sportsmanship. Thank you to Mr Tobin, Mr Murphy, Mrs Summerville, Mrs Miller, Ms Foxx and parent helpers Mitch and Luke who assisted with teams.
Soccer Gala Day
Stage 2 and 3 students attended the Lower Hunter Soccer Gala days at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Centre this term. The students had a great time playing against other schools and scored many goals. Thank you to Mrs Collins, Mrs Thorne & Mrs Reading who assisted with the teams.
Polding Athletics Carnival
Ayla, Hannah, Phoebe, Marlowe, Tilly and Ellie attended the Polding Athletics Carnival on Friday 12th September at Glendale. The Junior girls relay placed 1st in their heat and 2nd in the final which means they are heading to Sydney for the NSWPSSA Championships next term. Hannah also placed 1st in the heat and 2nd in the finals of the 100m race and will compete in Sydney.
Rugby League Gala Day
Well done to the Stage 3 students who participated in the 9 a side Rugby League Gala Day at Woodberry on Thursday the 25th of September.
The performances throughout the day were excellent, with the students winning all 4 of their games against some strong opposition in Morpeth Public School, Rutherford Public School, Hinton Public School and St Brigid’s Raymond Terrace.
Miss Foxx and I were incredibly impressed with the students outstanding behaviour, positive attitude, skill and appreciation they showed us throughout the day.
Thank you to all of the families that came along to support the team. Well done!
Mr Michael Tobin
Stage 2 Rugby
Well done to our amazing Year 3 boys who proudly represented SJTB in the U10’s competition for the Digby Raywood Shield at Hunter Valley Grammar Rugby School last Friday! A huge thank you to Coach Nick and Coach Tim for your time, guidance and encouragement.
Ascent Shoelace Tying
Kindergarten and Year 1 participated in Ascent’s shoelace tying workshops recently. All the children tried very hard to master this skill and more importantly, it was fun to do. Well done Kindergarten and Year 1!
Top Blokes Program
This term saw the boys in Year 5 blue participate in the Top Blokes program. Top Blokes empowers boys to become confident and responsible. They have been mentored by qualified youth workers a program that cultivates resilience, empathy and positive masculinities through essential life skills in mental health, relationships, online safety and leadership.
Top Blokes Reflections
I'm incredibly grateful for the Top Blokes program. It gave me the space to reflect, challenge myself, and grow in ways I never expected. Through honest conversations and real support, I've learned to lead with confidence, listen with empathy, and back myself when it counts. I’ve come out of this stronger, more self-aware, and ready to make a positive impact—not just for me, but for the people around me too. - Simon L
What I enjoy about Top Blokes is learning that it's ok to be yourself and teamwork. Doing the teamwork activities were fun. I achieved growth to work to get better at teamwork. - Elliot P
Shining Brightly Together Reflections
Mrs Ferguson taught us that we must respect people as we should to ourselves. She also showed us that we are unique and special, and we shouldn't be afraid to show it! She taught this through all of our lessons whether it was a video, fun activities or just explaining why we are all amazing! Because sometimes it's a bit hard to realise, we are all stars! I love shining brightly together! It really got us to realise our worth. - Tallulah B
Us year 5B girls have been down in the hall for 1 hour every Tuesday learning about gratefulness, kindness and how to control our breathing and feelings. On the last day we did a reflection and we chose 1 word that each stood out to us and we put it on a canvas with words or drawings about the main word. - Ivy W
Class Awards
Congratulations to our class award winners for Week 9 & 10!
Kindergarten: Georgia C, Jed E, Ethan R, Rosie N
Year 1: Torfvie H, Ben O, Milla S, Romie c, Harper M, Harper R
Year 2: Mackenzie J, Isabella T, Harry B
Year 3: Kailen F, Abigail H, Grayson P, Hunter T, Isabella N, Peyton F
Year 4: Jack Mc, Hannah F, Harry B, Kaylani D, Sophie F, Yoannis N
Year 5: Kieran H, Tallulah B, Jamie C
Year 6: Gigi T, Zac P, Archer F, Jemimah F, Elizabeth S, Lachlan H
Battery Recycling
Help us recycle batteries right! Did you know you can’t put batteries in your kerbside bin?
The following sized batteries may be brought to school to be recycled:
- D, C, AA, AAA, 9V
- Button (small round types)
Canteen
We’re Always Happy to Have Parent Volunteers in the Canteen!
If you’d like to help fortnightly, monthly, by the term or even just for one day, please email the office with the days you’re available: admin@maitlandsj.catholic.edu.au
The canteen operates from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, but we appreciate any time you can offer!
Important: Catholic Schools require all volunteers to be cleared before participating. If you are not sure if you are cleared please contact our office.
To get started, please complete the volunteer clearance form at the link below:
https://mn.catholic.org.au/about/working-in-the-diocese/volunteer/
Thank-you for your support!
Wednesday 15th October: Helpers Needed
Thursday 16th October: Helpers Needed
Friday 17th October: Helpers Needed
Wednesday 22nd October: Nicole P
Thursday 23rd October: Helpers Needed
Friday 24th October: Helpers Needed