Facilities & Learning Opportunities - St John the Evangelist Catholic High School Nowra

FACILITIES AT ST JOHN’S

On-site Chapel
Air-conditioned classrooms
Well equipped school library with additional study rooms for senior students
Fully equipped commercial kitchen
Creative & Performing Arts theatre & a large supply of musical instruments
Technical and Applied Studies rooms equipped with the latest technology including five 3D printers, laser cutting machinery and robotic equipment
Expansive playing fields, gymnasium plus outdoor weather protected basketball courts
Large Auditorium catering for over 1,000
Outdoor learning area
Agriculture plot including vegetable gardens, 5000L aquaponics system & animals (alpacas, cows, chickens, goats)
School canteen facility operating 5 days per week
Well equipped Science laboratories
Dance studio
Indigenous Education Unit (Gooroon) providing cultural awareness and programs
Modern technology and knowledgeable staff, connecting our school and community providing livestream opportunities for many events

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES & EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AT ST JOHN’S

Thanks to our dedicated teachers and members of staff, there are endless opportunities provided for students at St John’s to engage in extra-curricular and representative activities. Activities and groups also run during lunchtime each day, with a website available for students to view the latest information for these opportunities and events. Click here to view this site.

Some of the groups offered at St John’s include;

Creative & Performing Arts Groups	including Dance Troupe, Wakakirri Dance group, Drama Club, Music Jam Group, Annual School Production, Art Club, Concert Band, Vocal Group.
Social Justice Groups	including Vinnies Youth & PAX (Peace & Advocacy)
Environmental Groups	including Sustainable Garden Group, Johnnies Action Group (JAG), Bushcare, Compost Crew and tending to the animals in the Ag plot
Special Interest Groups	including Mindful Monday Lunchtime Yoga & Relaxation, Debating, Law Society Mock trials, St John’s Network News Crew (SJENN), Chess Club, Duke of Ed, Bio group, Cafe Francais Club, Barista skills, TED Team (Technology, Engineering & Design Group), Origami Club, ASX Stockmarket Traders
Spiritual & Cultural Opportunities	including Youth Ministry Group, Mindful Mondays, Boys & Girls' Indigenous Dance Troupes, Didgeridoo Club.
Sporting Opportunities	including access to equipment and facilities including basketball courts, playing fields, gymnasium and handball courts. Staff and student challenges such as volleyball, t-ball and netball are also regularly played.

ADDITIONALLY, STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS THE FOLLOWING;

Academic Support	Free after school study & tutoring for all students including; -Maths tutoring (Thursday), - Gooroon homework club (all subjects & afternoon tea supplied Wednesday) - Library study after school every afternoon until 4pm (Friday until 3:30pm). A large supply of fiction books, reference and study guides as well as resources made available 24hrs day through our online library collection and library website. Situated on the lower level of our 3-tier library, our Learning Support unit also offers additional support to students requiring extra assistance. St John's also offers gifted & talented extension learning opportunities and programs, including the SPLICED (Stretching Potential Through Learning inInteractive Challenging Environments), Tournament of the Minds and more. Click here to view further details about the SPLICED program. The peaceful and supportive learning environment provided at St John’s ensures students are able to reach their full potential, with many students achieving amongst the top of the State. These students are recognised in our HSC Bulletin, available for viewing by clicking here.
Sport	Pathways are provided for Representative Sport as well as opportunities for all abilities to participate in a range of activities including Athletics, Cross Country, Swimming, Basketball, Soccer (Football), Volleyball, Touch Football, League Tag, Hockey, Cricket, AFL, Snow Sports, Netball, Rugby League, Sailing, Equestrian, Surfing, Tennis and Triathlon. More experienced and elite athletes are also able to trial for Wollongong Diocese and NSWCCC teams during the year. With an encouraging and supportive environment provided at St John’s, there is a very high level of participation in sport and an excellent sense of community and House Spirit amongst students.
Outdoor Education Opportunities	Students in Years 7-10 have opportunities for outdoor learning including Year 7 Camp, Year 9 Camp, Stage 5 Bushcraft elective, Stage 5 Marine Studies, Duke of Edinburgh Award Program and various year group and special day excursions. Outdoor activities include abseiling, climbing, canoeing, snorkelling, bushwalking, rogaining and multi-day expeditions. All activities are run by our staff who hold a variety of outdoor guiding qualifications to support safe student learning in this area.
Pastoral Care and Support	Strong support is provided for student mental health by a team of professionals. Students begin each day with their PALS (Pastoral and Learning Support) teacher for roll call with an extended PALS meeting each week allowing teachers to check in with each individual student. Students also have access to their Year Coordinator, our School Pastoral Care Coordinator, our school Chaplain and Catholic Care School Counsellors.
Spiritual Opportunities	including Twilight Retreats, Catholic Youth Festival and the Sacrament Program.
Rarely offered Practical & Engaging Subjects	such as Bushcraft, Marine Studies, Hospitality & Construction are offered at St John’s. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) immersion events are also enjoyed by many students.
Indigenous Education Support & Cultural Activities	facilitated by our Gooroon faculty. Indigenous Dance troupes and Didgeridoo groups welcome both Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal students.
Career & Future Study/Employment Support	Our Transition and Pathways Specialist is available in the student foyer for students to access information and assistance with resume writing, job applications, work experience, employment opportunities and external study. Regular workshops are also provided by a variety of industry professionals to inform students of career opportunities. All senior students are provided with individual meetings to help map out their future direction.
Defence Family Student Mentor	A mentor for our students from Defence families is available on-site to assist students.
School Community Service Opportunities	Students are able to become involved by assisting with working bees, open nights, etc.
Leadership Opportunities	Students in Year 8 - 12 may nominate for Student Leadership positions, with twelve House Captains elected for each grade, as well as positions available for Youth Ministry Leaders (Year 11), School Captain & Vice Captains (Year 12).
Community Engagement	A variety of opportunities are available to engage with the community including positions on Shoalhaven Council’s Youth Advisory Committee, ANZAC marches, Legacy, Relay for Life, Year 11 Timor Leste Immersion and more.
Competitions & External Opportunities	Students are able to challenge themselves by participating in a variety of competitions each year including ICAS, Tournament of the Minds, Maths Olympiad, GEOSnap photography, Writing Competitions, ASX Stock Exchange Challenge, Debating, Chess, Law Society Mock trials and more. External opportunities for engaging in courses and events are also available such as UOW, Nowra Show, National Science School, just to name a few.