Principal's Corner
Dear St John the Apostle families,
Students have been very pleased to go outside more often this week as it finally began to feel like the onset of summer.
As December begins, students are feeling a little fatigued by the cohort based COVID-safe strategies we've had in place since returning from lockdown. I spoke with our older students to encourage them to keep going I reminded them that as we get closer to Christmas our efforts will ensure that we can all leave school on the last day healthy and well and enjoy it with family and friends.
Thank you everyone for continuing to work together for our whole community. Our actions not only keep ourselves healthy and well but also each other.
School Fees 2022
Our School Fee Schedule for 2022 can be found below and on our school website.
Careful consideration has been taken in reviewing the fees for 2022 to continue to support our school's needs while keeping increases manageable and fair for families in the current economic environment. The fees have been adjusted to a maximum of 5% increase over all for the year. This is an increase of only $3.50 a week over the year. This increase will help us keep pace with rising costs to ensure our school continues to deliver the quality education for our student that you would expect. Further details will be provided next week.
While Catholic Education determine the Tuition Fee and Building Fund components of the Fee Schedule our school, in collaboration with the Community Council, determines the Student Resource Levy (student based) and School Levy (family based). The purpose of the levies were outlined in the Newsletter last week.
As always, if fees create financial concern for you, I would encourage you to make an appointment with me to discuss how we can help. It is a policy in the Archdiocese that no student should be refused enrolment, excluded or disadvantaged because their family is unable to afford fees. Any discussion is always strictly confidential.
Staffing Update
Ms Ellen Fletcher will be taking a break from St John the Apostle next year. She will head over to St Bede's Primary School in Red Hill to teach for the year. Ms Fletcher works hard for all students in her care and I know that our students will miss her. We wish her the very best.
When should we be worried about local COVID cases?
Some parents may be aware that recently a few of our local Catholic churches, including our own St John the Apostle Parish, were named as exposure sites by ACT Health and that people on those sites at the nominated times were listed as casual contacts. Fortunately the times were during school hours and on weekdays when there is not likely to be any connection with our families.
ACT Health are excellent at contact tracing and our parishes have very strict procedures for checking in with the Check in CBR app. I know that ACT Health would have very quickly contacted me if there was any risk to our students and families.
Please be assured that if there is a risk of exposure we will work with ACT Health and Catholic Education to very quickly communicate this with all families.
School Reports
On Tuesday School Reports were distributed to families via the Compass Parent Portal. I hope you received them. It is a new way to receive reports and in 2021 a very appropriate way. One of the benefits for receiving reports through the Compass Parent Portal will be that parents will always be able to access past reports for their children, without have to remember where they put them.
Parent-Teacher Interviews have been well received. We're pleased to offer the opportunity to clarify any aspects of the school reports in parent teacher interviews as well as celebrate the success of both students and their families in maintaining their learning throughout the Semester.
If you haven't booked in for a parent-teacher interview please ring Leanne on the Front Office to organise a time.
Have a lovely weekend.