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WELCOME TO ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
True before God. True before all.
With faith, dignity and integrity.
A Catholic school in the Diocese of Rockhampton
PRINCIPAL'S WELCOME
Thank you for your interest in our school. St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School is a welcoming and compassionate community that is committed to the development and wellbeing of every individual child. At St John’s, we are dedicated to educating the ‘whole child’. Our school has a strong academic tradition built on broad foundations that value every aspect of your child. Every child is recognised for who they are, and we take great pride in our partnership with families as we seek to provide an education that prepares children to be ‘lifelong learners’ who possess the skills needed to be active participants in the journey of life.
St John's is a learning community that recognises and honours each child's right to feel safe, to learn and to be respected, while also respecting others.
We aim to provide a school that is striving for excellence in the religious, academic, sporting and cultural areas of education.
We strive to preserve a culture of support for one another, intertwined with the values and beliefs of our Catholic faith traditions.
We value each child,
their individual stories
and the journeys that made them
who they are today.
We look forward to travelling
on this exciting journey
with each child and their family.
MISSION STATEMENT
Our Mission is to prepare the way for our students,
so they know the truth of Christ,
are true before God and lead meaningful lives,
now and into their futures.
Facilities and Resources
We offer our students every opportunity to excel by ensuring all of our students have access to a wide range of opportunities and modern, well-equipped facilities.
St John’s offers all students:
- Modern, air-conditioned and well-equipped classrooms
- Advanced technology to enhance student learning
- Vast range of non-fiction and fiction reading material for student borrowing
- Designated IT, Music/Drama, Science, LOTE, Art and Food Technology Classrooms
- Outdoor learning gardens (with full Wi-Fi capabilities)
- A spiritual reflective garden
- A state-of-the-art Resource Centre including specialist rooms, reading areas, teaching pods and learning support facilities
- Onsite uniform shop
- Tuckshop (with an emphasis on home-made and healthy options)
- Outside Hours School Care
- Large playing fields with a wide variety of playing equipment
- A fully undercover shed comprising basketball, netball, handball and volleyball courts as well as a stage area
- Nature playgrounds for students to explore, build and navigate
- Kitchen gardens and native stingless bees
- Enrichment and extension opportunities including ‘Genius Hour’, Robotics, ICT challenges,
- Three large drop-off and pick-up areas for the safety and convenience for our families
- Lunch-time and afterschool clubs which include – Mindfulness, Craft, Choir, Lego, Chess, Robotics and Fitness.
annual SCHOOL report
Our Story
St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School developed from the vision of Mr John Crabbe, a Texan entrepreneur who selected the land on which St John’s now stands.
The Gooreng Gooreng people are the traditional owners of the land upon which St John’s has been established.
Construction work on St John's commenced in late 1975 and by 1977 the school was ready for the first intake of students. St John’s was established as a response to the city’s anticipated industrial and population growth.
On 5 August 1977, Senator David MacGibbin officially opened St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School and Rev. Bishop Wallace of Rockhampton gave the formal blessing. St John’s was the second Catholic Primary School in the Parish of Gladstone. In 1977, with enrolments of 111 students, school commenced with classes catering for Years 1, 3, 4 and 7. By 1979 the school conducted all grades from Years 1 to 7. The first Principal was Sr Margaret Cummins, a Marist sister. The sisters were a presence until 1985 and since 1986 the school has been staffed by lay people.
From the year 2000 and beyond, St John’s has maintained a student population of 450 to 500 students and over 50 staff. As the school grows, staff, students and parents alike have concentrated on maintaining a welcoming, small-community feel through our open door policy, our belief in shared partnerships and strong relationships throughout our whole school community.
OUR EMBLEM
FLAMES
Positioned above the cross, they represent the light and the truth of Christ. When we are our true selves, let the Word of God enter our hearts and don't let anything hold us back, the the cross / sword becomes a light for us and for others to follow.
CROSS
The Cross represents Christ, the Word of God. When we allow the Word of God to be entrenched into our hearts, everything we do and say is in the name of Jesus. We make Jesus real to others through our lived lives.
Jesus, the Word of God, who calls himself the light and the truth, is embedded in our own hearts, just as the Word of God was firmly embedded in the heart of Mary. Just as Mary’s love for her God, her son and us, all emanates from this heart, so too does our love for God his son and our love for others. Our baptism sets us apart as belonging to Christ and as being on a journey to live as Christ for others to witness.
HEART
The heart is the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It represents how Mary allowed the Word of God to be entrenched into her heart. It symbolises her love; her undying love for God and her love for her son, Jesus and her love for all humanity.
WATER
The water symbolises the waters of the River Jordan. Just as St John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the River Jordan, as a sign of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the waters of our own baptism symbolize the beginning of our own call to live a life with Christ.
