Our School
Our School
St John's Frankston East
St John's Frankston East
St John’s is a Catholic Primary school with classes from Foundation to Year 6. Our school was established in 1967 with the motto – ‘Love Is Life’. The staff at St John’s work in partnership with our parents to nurture each child’s development in a safe and friendly environment where a love of learning is fostered.
Like all schools, we have a strong commitment to Child Safety and our Student-led Child-Safe Team act in the best interests of all students.
Our school is located adjacent to St John the Evangelist Church. The church was established and blessed by Archbishop Little on 6th June, 1981 and was consecrated in honour of Pope (now Saint) John XXIII. The design and stained glass windows of the church created by artist William Gleeson still impresses all visitors – a hidden gem of Frankston East. The Church Hall was converted into learning spaces and finally the school library before its demolition.
St John's Primary School is a wonderful family community, where our children are supported and encouraged by a team of committed staff and parents. Co-operation, respect and shared responsibility are values fostered throughout our school.
As a Catholic school, we are committed to a holistic education that relates the Gospel messages of Christ to our current world context for our students. We work in unison with Parish leaders and parents to promote values and ideas that are central to our Christian beliefs.
School History
St John’s Catholic Primary School in Frankston East opened on 5 February 1967 with an enrolment of 24 students under the leadership of Mrs Margaret Carruthers as sole teacher and principal. St John’s Parish was established as an official Parish on 1st February 1969.
From these humble beginnings, St John’s has developed and flourished under the leadership of six different principals. The order of the Faithful Companions of Jesus led the school from 1968 to 1988 with Sr Kevin Nunan FCJ (1970–1980) and Sr Peter Wilson FCJ (1980–1988). The FCJ Nuns helped form the foundational charism of Saint John’s Catholic Primary School. The FJC Charism is an Ignatian spirituality where members work in a missionary spirit and adapt their religious life to the changing needs of the society and culture in the area in which they live.
The school’s leadership continued with Mrs Dana Morison (1989–1998), Mr Paul Hartin (1998– 2016), Mrs Tonia Tamblyn (2017 - 2019) and continues today with Mr Derek Bruitzman (2020 - current ).
St John’s Primary School is one of three catholic primary schools in Frankston. In 2018, it became more closely linked to the St Francis Xavier Parish. Both Parishes reside in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Currently, the dual Parish (St John's and St Francis Xavier) are under the guidance of the Spiritans, a French Order of priests. The current Parish Priest is Fr Chinua Okeke and the Assistant Priest is Fr Jude Agorchukwu.
In 2017, Saint John’s Catholic Primary School commemorated fifty years of operation providing Catholic education to students in the Frankston area. The school enjoys strong community support and is proud of its positive reputation as a welcoming and inclusive community which provides many opportunities for its students to participate in the life and culture of the school.
Principal's Welcome
Derek Bruitzman
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the community of St John’s Primary School.
As educators, we find ourselves in a world full of new challenges for our young people. We are responsible for raising Generation Alpha, the first generation of children not to have known a world without touchscreen technology. We also find ourselves in a world where knowledge is doubling exponentially and long term industries are being disrupted every day by technological advances. By the time this generation enters the workforce, it is estimated that 45 per cent of currently existing jobs will have disappeared thanks to digital disruption.
As Educators, we are being asked to equip this generation with 21st Century learning skills because today’s students are being shaped in a time very different from the ones we grew up in. Consider this, in the 50 years leading up to 2000 we had learnt more about everything than we had learnt in the prior 3500 years! In the last 20 years that knowledge has doubled again. Your children will be better educated than you were and live in a world with far greater knowledge than you could have ever imagined when you went to school. Sobering thoughts indeed!
How do you educate children in a world where knowledge is expanding so rapidly? It starts with new strategies and approaches to setting expectations and communicating. Technology has provided a whole new range of learning tools and pedagogies. Game-based learning, interactive or immersive learning are rapidly becoming the norm. Common pedagogical methods are being reinvented through open-ended or inquiry-based instruction. Neuroscience and research are also providing a huge impetus for teacher development in the areas of brain development and a better understanding of how children learn and develop memory.
Our aim at St John’s is to ensure that every time your child starts a new year with a new teacher, they get the growth they need. Teachers place a greater focus on teaching to a student’s point of need as a way of developing the conditions for personalised learning in a more collaborative style environment. We encourage students to know their own thoughts, understand how they learn and practise what they preach.
At St John’s, students learn within this context and in dialogue with our Catholic traditions. Our Catholic learning community encourages each learner to understand themselves, to understand others and to understand our faith more deeply.
‘To know God is to know yourself, to know yourself is to know the world.’ Anon
Learning in our Catholic School is a process that respects diverse cultures, worldviews and backgrounds of all our learners. At
St John’s, we believe that learning brings hope and a world of new possibilities for each and every one of us.
Kind Regards,
Derek Bruitzman
Principal
Australian Citizen Statement
At St John’s we are committed to creating an environment that supports the development of effective Australian citizens, who have an awareness of the values and systems which underpin our democracy.
We strive to ensure that our children develop the following:
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An understanding of, and commitment to, Australia’s democratic system of government, law and civic life.
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The capacity to clarify and critically examine values and principles that underpin Australia’s democracy and the ways in which these contribute to a fair and just society and a sustainable future. These values/principles include – Care and Compassion, Doing Your Best, A Fair Go, Freedom, Honesty and Trustworthiness, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion.
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The knowledge, skills and values that support active citizenship and the capacity to act as informed and responsible citizens.
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An appreciation of the local, state, national and global rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic life.
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An appreciation of the experiences and heritage of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their influence on Australian civic identity and society.
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An appreciation of the uniqueness and diversity of Australia as a multicultural society and a commitment to supporting intercultural understandings within the context of Australian democracy.
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An understanding of the ways in which citizens and governments contribute to environmental sustainability in local to global contexts and a commitment to adopting values, behaviour and lifestyles required for a sustainable future.
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An appreciation of the influence of media, information and communication technologies on the views and actions of citizens and governments.
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An understanding of historical perspectives on Australia’s development as a democratic nation.
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An understanding of the ways in which governance structures from other countries are similar to or differ from democracy in Australia.
House Values
The students of each family who joins our school are allocated to one of our four houses. Each house is dedicated to a past influential member of St John’s and a unique gospel value.
Red House (Wilson) is dedicated to Sister Peter Wilson, a Faithful Companions of Jesus nun and past Principal of St John’s. The Gospel value of Wilson is compassion.
Blue House (Walsh) is dedicated to Father William Walsh, the first parish priest of St John’s Church. The Gospel value of Walsh is devotion.
Green House (MacLellan) is dedicated to Father Alistair Maclellan who was the longest serving parish priest at St John’s Church. The Gospel value of MacLellan is acceptance.
Gold House (Nunan) is dedicated to Sister Kevin Nunan a Faithful Companions of Jesus nun and first Principal of St John’s. The Gospel value of Nunan is dignity.
Students participate in a variety of events over the year while representing their houses.
School Prayer
Dear God,
We pray for our school community of St John's.
May we continue to work together, sharing joyful times and celebrating life.
May we always treat each person as a gift from you and show care and support for others.
May our school continue to be a place where "Love is Life" is lived, as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Amen
Our Parish
St John’s School is one of three Catholic primary schools that are part of Frankston. The school is affiliated with St John’s and St Francis Xavier Parishes and belongs to the Archdiocese of Melbourne. We are located next to St John’s the Evangelist Church where we come together to celebrate our masses, liturgies and Sacramental celebrations.
Parish Priest: Rev Fr Chinua Okeke CSSp
Church: 20 Coral Street, Frankston East
Assistant Priest: Fr Jude Agorchukwu CSSp
Phone: 03 9783 3484
Fax: 03 9783 2210
Learning
Spaces
Care, Safety & Welfare of Students
Child Safety & Wellbeing
Complaints Handling
Curriculum
Employment
Enrolment
Governance
Infrastructure
Student management
Before & After School Care
Before and after school care is available for students at St John’s Primary School. This service is provided on the school premises. We are fortunate to have Extend operating from our shared Grade 5/6 area. This Child-Care facility is fully accredited, and also offers holiday care (not held on site at St John’s).
For More information on Extend Care and fees check out our website: Extend
Uniform
The Uniform Shop at school is now closed.
From 1st December uniform will be available to purchase from
Peninsula Uniforms
Unit 1/1 Titan Dr, Carrum Downs VIC 3201