FAQs

The short answer to this question is no. While we have a responsibility to the Catholic children in our local parish and to the siblings of those children already at St John's, we also invite enrolments from families who support our education program and the values we strive to teach the children.

Our main concern is that we work in partnership with parents and caregivers in the education of their children.

The children who attend our school come from a wide range of religious backgrounds and so we assume that their knowledge and understandings of the Catholic tradition will vary considerable.

Our Religious Education program is constantly under review and we work hard at ensuring this it is taught in such a way that all children are included and will find what they learning relevant.

Teachers work hard at including children with a range of abilities in their classroom program to ensure that they are learning with their peers at a level appropriate to them.

However, we also have a range of supports available for children with specific learning difficulties. For example, we employ numerous Education Support Officers whom work with children under the direction of the classroom teacher and adaptive education teachers. This occurs principally in the classroom setting but occasionally, where specific support is needed, some children are withdrawn for short periods of time to work at specific skills and understandings.

In some cases, children qualify for further Government funding which means they are offered extra support with the Education Support Officers. This is overseen by the Catholic Education Office.

We work under the guidance of an Inclusive Education consultant who meets with teachers and parents regularly to plan, implement and evaluate children's learning.

Good communication of course is very important to children's learning. At St John's, this occurs both at a formal and an informal level. At an informal level, parents and caregivers are encouraged to chat with teachers either before or after school or communicate via their child's diary on a regular basis.

Teachers are encouraged to do the same. Depending on their commitments with staff meetings etc., teachers can also be contacted at the school by phone. Sometimes, however, it can become quite hectic immediately before and after class, and so if a more extended time is required, parents/ caregivers are asked to make an appointment with teachers.

New reception children participate in a transition program during terms 3 & 4, which involves children attending a classroom session for one morning per week for 2 consecutive terms commencing week 1 of Term 3. The purpose of this is to help them get to know their teacher and classmates and to familiarise them with the classroom and how it works.

At the same time as the children's first transition session, the Principal hosts a meeting with parents/caregivers to discuss relevant information regarding their child's transition. Our Reception teacher also visits children at the kindergartens prior to them starting at St John's in order to observe them and discuss their development with kindergarten staff.

The vast majority of our children move on to Cardijn College, the local Catholic secondary college in Noarlunga Downs.  We maintain a very close relationship with Cardijn who reserve a number of places each year for children coming from St John's.

For further information about Cardijn College and its enrolment processes please contact the Registrar, Mrs Michelle Gaffney on:  8392 9449 or email: registrar@cardijn.catholic.edu.au

School tours are available by contacting our Enrolments Officer on 8382 2064 to make a mutually convenient time during school hours (i.e. 9-3pm) for our Principal, Leanne Johansen to show individual families around the school and grounds.