St John's
Dapto
Dapto
A Catholic Parish Primary School
Please find below, some frequently asked questions to assist our parents and carers, as well as prospective families.
Our Parent Information Handbook also provides a range of important information about school life and structures at St John's.
Download our Parent/Carer Information Handbook
You can also see more about what we offer students and families at St John's. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our school office.
Looking for more parent and carer resources to support your child through their Catholic education journey? Visit the CEDoW Parent and Carer Resources website.
To enol you child at St John's Dapto, please kindly complete the online enrolment form.
For more information on the enrolment process at St John's, visit our Enrolment Information page.
Enrolment interviews are held in May and June (Term 2). You will receive a letter or phone call informing you of a time for you and your child to come in and meet with the principal or member of the school leadership team. Written offers of placement will follow in July.
For more information on the enrolment process at St John's, visit our Enrolment Information page.
St John's Catholic Parish Primary School is a vibrant Catholic co-educational primary school committed to every student finding meaning and purpose through continual growth in faith and improvement in learning.
Our vision and core values always remain at the forefront of our decisions. We ensure our students are provided with learning that is child-centred, contemporary and innovative – catering for the needs of each individual in a supportive and inclusive environment that challenges them to reach their full potential.
At St John's, you and your child can expect a school community focused on:
Please see our What We Offer page or Contact Us for more information.
Our school is proud to provide 21st century new and refurbished learning environments for our children.
We have air conditioned learning spaces, with learning technology resources available for students including access to iPads, desktop and laptop computers, and LCD TVs in our classrooms. Read more about Learning Technologies at St John's.
Our spacious school hall is equipped with modern technologies to support student learning and school events.
Our new playground equipment and open-space playgrounds provide beautiful areas for children to play and learn outdoors.
Our open day provides a perfect opportunity to learn more about St John’s, and to experience the difference a Catholic education offers in the quality of partnerships between families, school and parishes, and the strong sense of inclusion and community.
Open days also provide an opportunity for your child to begin familiarising themselves with the big school environment to lessen any worries about starting a new school.
Our school open days will be published on our social media pages, our school newsletter and our website. In the meantime, take a look at our Buildings and Facilities page.
Our office opening hours are Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Our school bell times are as follows:
| Morning Bell | 8:30 am |
| Recess | 10:30 am – 11:00 am |
| Lunch | 1:00 pm – 1:40 pm |
| Dismissal | 2:40 pm |
Supervision of students in the school grounds begins at 8:00 am each morning. It is an expectation that children do not arrive at school prior to this time.
The school day concludes at 2:40 pm and parents are expected to collect their children as soon as possible after this time.
Please note, our staff offer families a car line service to pick up their child/ren from 2:40 pm without leaving their car.
Please see our Term Dates and Bell Times page for more information.
There are many co-curricular activities on offer at St John's!
Children have the opportunity to try out for MacKillop and Diocesan representative teams in several different sports, numerous Diocesan Gala Days and locally-based sporting events.
St John's competes in the Da Vinci Decathlon, public speaking and Wollongong Diocesan Christmas Art competition. We have a Student Representative Council, Mini Vinnies and a school choir.
Students also have opportunities to engage in Enrichment Learning Teams from K-6, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and coding. Biannually we hold a school musical and drama production.
Find out more about the co-curricular activities available for students at our Co-Curricular Opportunities page.
St John's is a Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) school and an eSmart School.
At St John's, we believe that all members of the community have the right to a learning and working environment free from intimidation, humiliation and harm. We all share a responsibility to create a culture of caring that will not tolerate bullying. We believe that bullying must be taken seriously and is not acceptable in any form. In witnessing Christian values we reject ideas, beliefs and behaviours, which marginalise or victimise people.
Our Behaviour and Anti-Bullying Policy, ensures clear processes are followed and that all members of our school community are aware of the school behaviour expectations. Please also refer to the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) Student Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Policy.
You can also find further anti-bullying, wellbeing and online safety resources on our Resources page.
Students are able to catch one of the Premier Illawarra school buses operating in Dapto, Kanahooka, Kembla Grange, Horsley, Koonawarra, Wongawilli and Avondale. See our school bus routes and timetables here (under 'St. Johns School').
Note: The School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) gives eligible school students free or subsidised travel between home and school on NSW public transport, including buses and trains.
Free travel is available for children attending Kindergarten to Year 2, irrespective of the distance from home to school. For children in Years 3–6, they must live 1.6 km or more from the school to receive a free Opal bus pass. Parents are required to complete the bus application form and it will be verified by the school office before your child can be issued with an Opal Card. Those students not eligible for free travel are able to purchase an Opal Card directly. Please refer to the Opal website.
For more information on the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) and to apply for a school travel pass for your child, click here.
Yes, we offer high-quality organised before and after school care for our students through PEAK Sports and Learning (Outside School Hours Care) onsite at St John's.
PEAK implement a daily program with a sports and learning focus that enriches children's learning and helps them to achieve. The program is developed in accordance with the National Quality Framework, the My Time our Place Learning Outcomes and Quality Areas and the NSW Department of Education and Training Curriculum and Syllabus. With qualified and training school teachers on staff, our team can support the educational needs of children, including language and literacy, mathematics, PDHPE and creative arts.
Morning Operating Hours: 6:30 am – 8:30 am
Inclusions: Breakfast supplied daily — Click here for the menu
Afternoon Operating Hours: 2:40 pm – 6:00 pm
Inclusions: Afternoon tea supplied daily — Click here for the menu
St John’s is partnered with Made Fresh for the contract of our school canteen services. The canteen at St John’s is open for breakfast, recess and lunch five days a week.
Made Fresh are a family business who have been providing fresh food for students and school communities since 2006. They are fully accredited and have attained 'Healthy School Canteen' certification based on the new Healthy School Canteens strategy. To learn more about made fresh, see their website https://madefresh.net.au/about-us.
School uniform items are available for purchase from Lowes Dapto (Dapto Mall) or Poppets Direct (1/31 Montague Street, Fairy Meadow). Uniforms are also available to order online at Poppets Direct.
School fees are set by the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) and signed off on by the Bishop. These will change slightly each year. There is also a Resource Fee per child, which covers books, stationery, excursions and incursions. This varies from year to year depending on the needs of the grade.
School fee statements are sent to parents at the beginning of Terms 1, 2 and 3. Payments can be made in full or part using eftpos, BPAY, direct debit or via Compass.
If you are experiencing financial hardship and are unable to pay fees, please discuss the situation with our principal. Your situation will be treated with care and confidentiality, and an appropriate arrangement may be made for you. No student will be refused enrolment because of a family’s genuine inability to pay fees.
Please see our Fees Information page for more information.
If you have a concern or would like to raise any issue regarding your child’s learning and wellbeing, our staff welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your child.
We ask that you contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. The best way to do this is by:
If the matter is urgent please, contact the school office on (02) 4261 4611.
We ask for your patience in response to your request as schools are busy places and the main priority of staff is the education, safety and wellbeing of the students in their care during school hours. Requests by parents for information and meetings will be responded to as quickly as possible.
If you need to speak to your child’s teacher, we ask that you do this by:
If the matter is urgent please, contact the school office on (02) 4261 4611.
We ask for your patience in response to your request as schools are busy places and the main priority of staff is the education, safety and wellbeing of the students in their care during school hours. Requests by parents for information and meetings will be responded to as quickly as possible.
The Lighting the Way Together Parent-School Partnership Framework outlines for parents and the school, the principles and expectations of the partnership that is formed when a child is enrolled in a Catholic systemic school in the Diocese of Wollongong such as St John's. It will be introduced and implemented in schools throughout the school year.
Download a copy of the Parent-School Partnership Framework and read more about this important partnership at www.dow.catholic.edu.au/partnershipframework
Parents and carers can access the St John's Compass Parent Portal here and log in using their login details.
For more information on Compass, view our Parent Information document here.
For further information or enquiries, please contact the school office.
Peak Sports and Learning