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"Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of grandparents. Thank you for the life they gave my parents and the life they give to me. For the ways they have loved me and made me strong, I give thanks. Let them grow in wisdom and joy and let them find peace and rest. Amen".
Dear Parents and Carers,
Grandparents hold a special place in our hearts!
Students were so excited to welcome their Grandparents to school today, 31 October, a day filled with laughter, love and togetherness. Grandparents Day is a wonderful opportunity to pause, reflect, and celebrate the love, wisdom, and support that grandparents bring into our lives.
We recognise the invaluable role grandparents play in our student’s lives and love to see generations unite and enjoy their time together. Each year, we set time aside in our school calendar to honour and thank them for all they do.
We watched as children laughed, created, and had fun with the special loved ones in their lives. Tasty picnic food and pretty blankets adorned the floors amongst the chatter and laughter coming from all corners of our playground area. Some children proudly showed their loved ones what they could create, what they have been learning, making cards, reading stories while others showed their competitive side while playing board games.
As the echoes of laughter fade and the memories linger, we are reminded of the profound impact grandparents have on shaping our student’s lives.
Thank you to everyone involved for helping to make Grandparents Day a memorable one!
Hats
Please remind your child to have their school hat at school each day. They should also be wearing it before and after school to ensure they are fully protected. I highly encourage all families to check tonight to make sure hats are clearly labelled. A child who is not wearing a hat will be asked to play in the shaded areas of our school yard.
Is It Fruit?
An effective practice each of our classes participates in is “Fruit Break”. Research has shown that a short break, when children snack on fresh fruit or vegetables, is beneficial to learning as well as overall health.
Why have a Fruit and Veg Break at school?
· To improve the overall intake of fruit and vegetables in students while at school
· To ensure all students have some nutritious food early in the morning, especially as some children do not eat breakfast
· Fruit and veg breaks can help to improve student’s concentration and learning capacity
· Students are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if other snacks are not an option
· Students are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if their friends are doing it too
· Students may skip recess to play - they can be very hungry by lunch time
What can my child eat?
· All fresh fruit is permitted (e.g. whole fruits such as a banana or a small apple, chopped melon)
· Fruit canned with artificial sweeteners added is not permitted. Artificial sweeteners are not recommended for children
· Yoghurt and fruit pouches
· Dried fruit is permitted, although, fresh fruit or vegetables is the first choice because dried fruit contains high concentration of natural sugar and it tends to cling to teeth, increasing risk of tooth decay (e.g. sultanas)
· All fresh vegetables are permitted (e.g. celery, carrot sticks, broccoli bits etc.)
What foods are not allowed during fruit break?
All other foods are not permitted including:
· 'Fruit' products (e.g. fruit leather, fruit roll-ups, fruit bars or similar)
· Fruit jams or jellies
· Fruit pies or cakes
· Fruit canned in syrup or jelly or with artificial sweeteners
· Canned or processed vegetables
· Vegetable or potato crisps, hot potato chips, olives
· Vegetable pastries (pies, pasties, sausage rolls)
· Baked vegetable breads
· Vegetable cakes, fritters, quiches or similar
· Popcorn
Absences from School
As parents, we are legally required to send our child to school every day. It is also, therefore, a legal requirement that all absences are explained. Please notify the school of your child’s absence by either: Using the Compass App; Calling the Front Office; Emailing the Front Office at office.sjaps@cg.catholic.edu.au indicating your child’s name, class, reason for absence and date; or sending a note to the classroom teacher indicating date and reason for absence.
Families Leaving St John the Apostle
As we begin preparations for 2026, it is important for the school to have accurate enrolment projections. If you haven't already, we ask you to contact the front office if your family will be moving interstate, or has made the decision to choose another school for your child in 2026. This will assist in giving another family an opportunity to join our wonderful community.
2026 Class Groupings
Teachers will shortly commence planning class groupings for 2026 and will consider the following:
· Faith, gender balance, learning styles, learning accommodations, enrichment needs, learning habits, social needs, health considerations, emotional needs, behaviour considerations and other relevant issues.
When creating 2026 class groupings at SJA:
· We aim for an equal spread of both positive and challenging characteristics in every class
· Every care will be taken to ensure that your child is placed in the best situation to enhance learning and social development
· Where appropriate, advice will be sought from the Assistant Principal, Coordinators, Learning Support Teachers, previous teachers, School Counsellor, etc during this process
· Teachers should already be aware of any issues you have, if not please contact them to discuss
· Teachers have the main responsibility for placing their current students in the most appropriate class for next year;
· Executive staff will examine the draft lists to highlight any concerns; and
Students will be informed of their class placement for 2026 late this term and the opportunity will be provided for them to spend some time with their new class teacher. Class lists will not be sent home or displayed.
If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly on jo.reed@cg.catholic.edu.au or if you would like to speak to me about your child and their particular circumstances, please make an appointment through the Front Office.
2026 Classes for 2026
As we have grown in kinder enrolments the CE has granted SJA a new class, this new class will be known as Kindergarten White. Year 1 numbers were very high, and we have decided to split them into 3 classes. This will allow them more space in the classrooms and also the benefits of smaller classes. The third Year 2 class will be Year 2 White.
Facility Upgrades
Our school has a Master Plan which includes many upgrades. Currently we are building an assessable toilet and shower in the Junior school, an assessable ramp into Kinder, and looking at other replacing structures that need a facelift. You may have noticed the gardens look well-kept and internally there have been many subtle upgrades including internal painting. We are in the process of applying for a Block Grant which will hopefully see our hall extended and an upgraded to accommodate the school. In the interim, we are working on securing plans in place for major events to ensure that everyone is included.
The pergola which was removed outside the library will be replaced with a new structure, it had rotted and was a safety hazard. We are waiting for plans and availability of
contractors. New blinds will go into the portables and shades will cover areas for students to enjoy. There are so many wonderful upgrades happening and I thank you for your support as we journey together.
I was talking to my mother in law, Colleen Reed, about all of the upgrades and what were happening in and around the school. She mentioned that her first classroom at SJA was under the big trees in the playground because the demountable were not ready. I am sure many of our children would love that today. How blessed we are to have such great school facilities, gorgeous grounds and a faith filled community.
Blessings to you and your family.
Jo Reed
Principal
Healthy Harold
Healthy Harold is visiting St Johns next week!
Healthy Harold merchandise is able to be purchased through the online Healthy Harold store. Simply select 'Parent/carer ordering for child', choose the desired items, add them to the cart, and complete the checkout process. Online orders will close on Monday 3rd November. All items will be delivered by the Life Ed educator during Healthy Harold 's visit to St Johns. https://lifeed.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/UPDATED-Online-store-parent-flyer.pdf
To reinforce key learning at home and support ongoing conversations about health and wellbeing the following information can be viewed by all parents and carers. https://lifeed.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Life-Ed-NSWACT-Parent-Flyers-2025.pdf
If you have any questions about the program, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
World Teachers Day
Today is World Teachers Day, as we are celebrating all of the Grandparents and Grandfriend figures in our live we are going to celebrate teachers next Friday. At St John’s we are extremely fortunate to have wonderfully hard working and committed staff, who love supporting your children with their learning.
Child Safe Standards
The Child Safe Standards were proposed in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (the Royal Commission), which shone a spotlight on thousands of cases where organisations in Australia failed to protect children in their care from abuse.
The Child Safe Standards provide us with tangible guidance about how to create cultures, adopt strategies and act to put the interests of children first, to keep them safe from harm.
The Child Standards include:
Child safety is everyone’s responsibility. Our staff have an important role in following all our school policies and procedures, immediately raising concerns, and being proactive in managing child safety risks.
If you have any questions or feedback about the Standards, please email me – karen.leighton@cg.catholic.edu.au
Karen Leighton
Asistant Principal
Happy Birthday to Muhammad Hani, Edith Bradbury, Rohanika Khattri, Tia McNamara, Kiri Foster, Rylee Terron, Lachlan Frankcom, Annika Nilsson, April Malcolm, Lilijana Tundulin, Maxwell Wheatley, Corbin O'Mahony, Diyana Weerarathna, Natasha Speehley, Sky Ho, Henry Ton-That, Grace Whitfield, Chloe Han, Madelyn Borscz, Henry Pieterse, Nutjari Bowler, Nathan Adimonye, Amara Melpa, Martin Howes, Sean Ojo, Austin Matthews, Jigme Wangmo, Penelope Ayton and Prit Brahmbhatt who all celebrate a birthday in October.
Please go to our school calendar on the website or COMPASS for more details.
Please note that the following is a pupil free day for professional learning for staff. Students do not attend school on this day. Term 4 - Friday 19 DecemberOSHClub will be available.
Term 4 Weeks 4 - 6
- Kinder Orientation & Information Morning, 4 November (week 4)
- Healthy Harold Visit, 4-6 November, (week 4)
- Year 2 Assembly, 7 November (week 4)
- Healthy Harold Visit, 10 November (week 5)
- Yr 1 excursion National Arboretum, 14 November (week 5)
- Yr 4 Assembly - Remembrance Day, 10:45am, 11 November (week 5)
- Kinder Orientation Morning, 18 November (week 5)
- 2026 New Students Orientation, 21 November (week 5)
I am so pleased to announce that 100% of St John's students completed the Chief Minister's Reading Challenge this year. Students were supported during library lessons to read 30 books and record their reading for the challenge. I attended the award ceremony with Mrs Osborne-Goldsborough and Penny Osborne-Goldsborough to receive the awards from the Chief Minister Andrew Barr. We had the opportunity to take part in activities in the library and celebrate with staff and students from other schools and local authors and illustrators. As a prize, we received gift vouchers from Paperchain, which we will use to purchase new books for the library. Thank you to all families and staff for supporting your children to experience the delight that is reading!
Community Council Update
On Wednesday, November 29, 2025, the Community Council convened to discuss several important topics. Below are key updates from the meeting.
Volunteer Shout out to the outgoing Chairperson
Thank you, Max Rixe, parent from 1B for the enormous contribution and dedicated volunteer service as the Community Council Chairperson over the past year. Your leadership and direction, endless hours of commitment and hard work greatly benefited the Community Council and school community, and we truly appreciate the significant and positive impact you have had during your time in this volunteer role.
Welcome to the incoming Chairperson
We sincerely thank Leonie Wise, parent from 6M, for stepping forward to serve as our new Community Council Chairperson. We are excited to welcome her to this important role.
Upcoming changes within the school
Thank you, families, for sharing your curiosity, concerns and questions with the Community Council members.
Please know that at the Community Council meeting there was an acknowledgement of the many questions/concerns from parents regarding the upcoming changes within the school e.g. increasing student numbers and subsequent impact on classroom allocation, increasing student numbers and capacity to fit all students in the hall, etc.
In response the concerns have been noted in the Community Council meeting minutes, and we have voiced your concerns to the school executive team. In addition, we encourage all families to continue checking the weekly school newsletter for updates from the Principal and Assistant Principal for progress updates.
Families, thank you for the communication. We value your input. Please keep this good communication happening!
Community Council Treasurer
The Community Council Treasurer Role will be up for election at the term 4, week 8 Community Council meeting. If you would like to nominate yourself for the volunteer treasurer position or would like to learn more about this volunteer role, please contact office.sjaps@cg.catholic.edu.au
The Uniform Shop
Opening Hours
Friday 7 November from 8.30-9.30am
Friday 14 November from 8.30-9.30am
Friday 18 November from 8.30-9.30am
If you have any questions, please email the uniform shop at
Upcoming events
|
When |
What |
Description |
|
Wed 3 Nov |
Community Council meeting SJA staff room @ 6pm |
Community Council Treasurer will be stepping down. A new treasurer will be voted in at this meeting. |
|
Thu 6 Nov |
Fete meeting, location & time TBA |
SJA Fete subcommittee meeting to continue plans for the 2026 school fete. If you are interested in attending please email office.sjaps@cg.catholic.edu.au |
|
Sat 15 & Sun16 Nov |
Professional family portrait |
A Community Council fundraising initiative. Only a few spaces remaining! |
|
Late Nov/early Dec |
Mango fundraiser |
Pick up details will be advised closer to this time. Watch this space! |
That’s all from us for October.
Georgina Misev (parent from KB)
SJAPS Community Council member
How to Deal With a Stubborn Child
Parenting a stubborn child can be a challenging journey filled with frustrations and emotional hurdles. Understanding the root of stubbornness is key to effective communication and discipline. In this article, we will explore practical strategies that empower parents to foster cooperation and connection. By applying the 3 E’s—Explore, Explain, and Empower—you can navigate difficult moments with empathy and patience. Discover how these effective techniques can transform your parenting approach and help you build a stronger relationship with your child.
Dear Dr Justin,
Please help! We are really struggling with our daughter’s stubbornness. When boundaries are set, she reacts by screaming and outright refusing to listen. When we try to use the Three E’s to understand her perspective and give her some autonomy, she becomes defensive, avoids communication, and says she wants to be left alone.
What else can we do when Explain, Explore, and Empower aren’t working?
Sincerely, Desperate Parent
Understanding Stubbornness in Children
It’s rare to find a parent who hasn’t experienced the joys and challenges of raising a stubborn child. The irony is, though, that many parents are just as inflexible as their kids, particularly when it comes to challenging behaviour from their children. We don’t like it, and we want it to stop. Now!
Often, when a child is upset, sad, or challenged, their thinking can become inflexible, rigid, or avoidant. As that occurs, you’ll find that they’re not open to hearing what you have to say. Their mindset is fixed, and they cannot be swayed. We say that they’re being “stubborn.”
Desperate Parent, it sounds like this is where you are currently with your child—they have their fingers in their ears, yelling “lalalala” while you try to logically point out where they’ve gone wrong. Your child won’t hear it. They’re convinced that they’re right. They might have been upset, but they are making it clear that they don’t want your help.
This is infuriating for us as parents because we have answers! We can help! We can fix this!
The 3 E’s of Effective Discipline
You may be familiar with my 3 E’s of Effective Discipline (explore, explain, and empower), a process I developed to help parents move towards a need-supportive approach to raising children. It embraces the basic psychological needs of every human: relatedness, competence, and autonomy.
When we explore, we take time to connect—to hear, see, and value our child. Once we understand where our child is struggling, we move on to explain, giving a clear rationale for what we’re asking. Then, we empower them by inviting their ideas on how to move forward, offering gentle collaboration and guidance.
When the 3 E’s Don’t Work: Alternative Strategies
There will be times (as Desperate Parent is experiencing) when it feels like the 3 E’s are just not working! Why? Because this discipline process doesn’t operate on quick ‘fixes’ like the old-school styles.
Help! I’m Stuck at “Explore” With My Stubborn Child!
The pressure points of the 3 E’s (Explain, Explore, Empower) become particularly pronounced when dealing with a stubborn child.
Firstly, explaining becomes a challenge because a stubborn child often shuts down communication, making it difficult for them to hear your reasoning. They are likely to be defensive, interpreting your explanations as criticism rather than guidance.
Secondly, exploring options with them can feel like an uphill battle. They resist considering alternatives, firmly convinced that their perspective is the only valid one. This inflexibility can make collaborative problem-solving (the “explore”) seem impossible.
Finally, empowering a stubborn child requires patience and perseverance, as they may view your attempts to give them autonomy as another form of control. The key is to maintain a calm and empathetic stance, creating a safe space where they feel heard and understood. This approach can gradually break down their defensiveness, allowing the principles of Explain, Explore, and Empower to take root.
Tips for Navigating Difficult Conversations
Know that time is your friend. Sometimes it will take weeks or more to get a resolution. Emotions can remain high for a long time. Our kids need time to digest new ideas and work out what they value (this is particularly true for neurodivergent kids).
Be okay with your child’s discomfort. Accept that, for some children, uncomfortable conversations will always be uncomfortable. There may never be the “right” time.
Avoid information overload. Be clear in your own mind about what you need to communicate, make a gentle suggestion, and then back away. Arguing the pros and cons back and forth doesn’t help.
Be patient. Sometimes the conversation will need to be broken up into a series of smaller conversations.
Celebrating Small Wins with Your Stubborn Child
Know that you’re probably having a bigger impact than you realise.
Raising a strong-willed child can be tough, but it’s important to remember that their stubbornness can also be a sign of their determination and strength. By approaching these challenging moments with patience, empathy, and a focus on connection, you’re helping to nurture these positive traits. Every small step forward, every moment of understanding, brings you closer to building a stronger, more resilient relationship with your child.
Trust the process, remembering that “fast is slow, and slow is fast“. You’re not alone in parenting a stubborn child, and with time and persistence, you will see the growth and positive changes you’re working so hard to achieve.
Written by Dr Justin Coulson
Have your say! The new annual School Engagement Survey is launching mid-November, and you will have the opportunity to reflect on your experiences at the school as a parent or guardian and provide feedback.
Your feedback will be valuable to help us understand how to better support your child and improve our school.
The new survey has been developed with the support of JWS Research. It will take around 10-15 minutes to complete, and your responses will be kept completely confidential and only reported at an aggregate level.
You can expect the 2025 School Engagement Survey to be distributed through Compass as a News Item and push notification in the coming days! If you have any issues accessing the survey link, please contact the Catholic Education Office through Strategy.Survey@cg.catholic.edu.au
We are still accepting enrolments for 2026 in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2.
If you or someone you know is interested in joining our school community, please contact the school office for more information or to arrange a tour.
Places are limited, so we encourage families to submit enrolment applications early.
