Filter Content
- Principal's Message
- It's who we are
- Religious Education
- Core Value Awards
- SPB4L
- Sports Notice — 1500m Event
- NAIDOC Week
- School Disco – July 4th
- Mufti Day – July 5th
- Pupil Free Day – July 22nd
- Life Education
- Grandparents Day — July 25th
- Kindergarten – Learning, Discovering, Investigating
- School Fees
- School Pick-Up Zones
- Technology Tip – Live Photos
- Happy Birthday
- Canteen Menu — Update
- Canteen Roster
- Catholic Care Courses
- Lowes – School Shoes Sale
- Community Announcements
Dear Parents & Carers
Thank you for your continued support and involvement in the life of our school. It has been another tremendously rewarding term at St John's with much achieved and celebrated. Congratulations to the students for their demonstrated commitment towards the achievement of their personal learning goals and efforts in being respectful, responsible and safe. Thank you also to our incredible staff for their enthusiasm and passion in providing a safe and supportive learning environment.
On Friday, we will farewell Miss McMahon (School Support Officer) after eight years of service to our school community. Miss McMahon has recently completed her teaching degree, which in itself is a wonderful achievement and is now looking forward to forging a new career as a teacher. In congratulating Miss McMahon, I would like to thank her and acknowledge, the very professional way that she has supported the teachers and the care that she has shown to our students, during this time. I'm sure that you join with me in wishing Miss McMahon a very successful and rewarding teaching career in the years ahead.
Congratulations to Mrs Mackie, who last Friday gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Both mother and daughter are well and I know 2 Red is excited about a visit in the coming weeks.
A reminder, school resumes on Tuesday 23 July (K-6) as Monday 22 July is a Teacher Professional Planning Day (PUPIL FREE DAY).
Staffing Announcement
Mr Downes (Assistant Principal) has accepted a temporary appointment to St Michael’s Catholic Primary School, Nowra as Assistant Principal.
- Mrs Villanti will replace Mr Downes teaching 5 Red on Monday and Tuesday. Mrs Sharpe will continue teaching 5 Red Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
- Leadership days for Mr DeBattista will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week with Mrs Gonzalez teaching Year 3 Red. Mr DeBattista will teach 3 Red on Monday and Friday.
2. Mrs Thomas (Co-Acting Assistant Principal) - Evangelist Campus
- Leadership days for Mrs Thomas will be Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday each week with Mr Soligo teaching Year 6 Green. Mrs Thomas will teach 6 Green on Monday and Tuesday.
3. Ms Boyd-Skinner (Middle Leader)
- Ms Boyd-Skinner returned to St John’s in a part-time capacity this year following parental leave in 2018. She has accepted the position of Middle Leader, returning to the leadership role that she held before commencing parental leave.
I hope that the upcoming holiday period provides your family with some time together and a restful break from the routine of school.
Have a happy, relaxing and safe holiday break.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Heffernan (Principal)
It started off as a short 20 second background video for the homepage of the Diocese of Wollongong’s new website. Six months and 23 separate film shoots later, the diocese has today released it’s new “It’s Who We Are” video on their website at
The short sub-three-minute video clip narrated by Bishop Brian Mascord and shot by master filmmaker, Hugh Clark, showcases the wonderful people and works of the diocese that happen every day and often go unnoticed.
Anniversary of Fr Francis' Ordination
Monday 1st July
On Monday, Father Francis celebrated the 24th anniversary of his ordination into the priesthood. We thank Father Francis for the enthusiasm, hard work and care that he puts into our parish. We are truly blessed to have Fr Francis with us. Please remember Father Francis and his vocation in your prayers.
Congratulations Father Francis!!
Feast of St Joachim and St Anne
Friday 26 July
Joachim and Anne were the parents of Jesus’ mother, Mary, therefore making them Jesus’ grandparents. We honour Joachim and Anne, as saints and we celebrate their joint feast day on July 26. Their love for one another and for Mary is an example to us of how God calls us to live. They also remind us to honour our own grandparents and to thank them for the blessings they have passed down to us in love.
St Vincent De Paul Annual Winter Appeal
Our Mini Vinnies team here at St John’s is working to support the SVDP Annual Winter Appeal by collecting much-needed items. Each grade is encouraged to donate items to support those in need. These items need to be new and any food brought in, in-date.
We encourage you to bring in all donations by the end of the term. These will be presented to members of the St Vincent de Paul Society at Mass on the last day.
| Grade | Item |
| Gunyah | Handkerchiefs |
| Kindergarten | Socks |
| Year 1 | Gloves |
| Year 2 | Milo/Hot chocolate powder |
| Year 3 | Pot noodles |
| Year 4 | Tins of food |
| Year 5 | Scarves |
| Year 6 | Beanies |
Dates for your diary
- Friday 5 July, 9:30 am PARISH MASS - Whole school attending (Presentation of Winter Appeal items to St Vincent de Paul representative + Principal Awards)
- Thursday 25 July, 9:30 am PARISH MASS - Whole school attending (Celebration of Grandparents - see below)
Stage Weekend Masses (with Andrew Chin)
Please join us to celebrate the Eucharist
A reminder of our stage weekend Masses for Terms 3 and 4. We are lucky enough to have Andrew Chinn, a well-known singer and musician, come along and play with us.
- Term 3 - Saturday September 7, 5 pm - STAGE 2
- Term 4 - Sunday 15 December, 6 pm - STAGE 1 (Years 1 & 2)
Of course, all families are always very welcome to join Father Francis for the celebration of the Mass.
Parish Celebration of the Eucharist
A reminder of weekend Parish Mass times for St John the Evangelist, Dapto.
Fr Francis loves to see our families there.
- Saturday Vigil 5.00pm
- Sunday 9.30am
- Sunday 7.30am
- Sunday 6.00pm
Prayer Intentions
We pray for all families in our school community who are in need of our prayers.
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us.
St John the Evangelist, pray for us.
Kylie Crowe
Religious Education Coordinator
At the Award Assembly last Friday, we presented the Term 2 Core Value Awards. In Week 9 of each term, two students from each class are presented with a Core Value Award.
Our Core Values are Faith, Learning, Love, Respect and Community. They define the qualities that we desire to be modelled by all in our school community and are the values that we hope students take with them into their futures.
| Faith |
Students who demonstrate a love of Jesus and his Gospel message and live this through all their interactions with others. |
|
Learning |
Students who display a love of learning, value the gift of learning and strive hard to achieve their learning goals. |
| Love |
Students who consistently show kindness and care to others as described in our school motto, ‘Love One Another’. |
| Respect |
Students who value the dignity of all and shows this by being inclusive, accepting and fair. |
| Community |
Students who strive to build a welcoming and supportive environment by seeing the value and importance of each individual. |
Congratulations to the following students who were the recipients of the Term 2 Core Value Awards.
Class |
Students |
Core Value |
| KB |
Zoe M Reece F |
Love Learning |
| KG |
Charlie M Ashton B |
Learning Respect |
| KR |
Jai S Annabel W |
Learning Love |
| Gunyah 1 |
Byron H |
Community |
| 1B |
James McK Aria B |
Learning Love |
| 1G |
Preston T Ella W |
Learning Respect |
| 1R |
Caydence L Nikki L |
Love Learning |
| 2B |
Pavithra S Rylee McD |
Respect Learning |
| 2G |
Mia H Georgia K |
Respect Community |
| 2R |
Peter S Ella P |
Love Learning |
| 3B |
Anna A Olivia S-A |
Learning Love |
| 3G |
Daimen F Harper W |
Respect Love |
| 3R |
Indie G Benji G |
Love Respect |
| 4B |
Millie M Riley C |
Respect Community |
| 4G |
Emily H Nash M |
Community Learning |
| 4R |
Elijah W Isabella D |
Love Respect |
|
Gunyah 2 |
Jackson C |
Love |
| 5B |
Jenna S Michael S |
Learning Community |
| 5G |
Gemma C Riva R |
Learning Respect |
| 5R |
Charli S C Jordan P |
Learning Respect |
| 6B |
Sophie C Connor F |
Love Respect |
| 6G |
Sophia G Lucas S |
Love Respect |
| 6R |
Dylan G Brooklyn L |
Respect Love |
SPB4L is an evidence-based framework that emphasises school-wide systems of support for all students and staff. These include proactive strategies for defining, teaching and supporting appropriate student behaviours. Positive behaviour supports are implemented for all students, across all school settings, by all staff, at all times. This continuum of support ensures students’ academic and social outcomes.
All student behaviour expectations are founded on our three school rules that are:
Congratulations to the following students who were seen by staff following our school rules in the playground:
Week 9
Kindergarten |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Evangelist Campus |
| Ali-Rose | Maria | Claudia | Lucas | Isabella (4R) |
| Ruby | Evie | Bianca | Jasmin | Michael (5B) |
| Lara (6B) | ||||
| Ethan (6G) |
The 1500m event (in boys and girls Junior, 11 years and Senior divisions) has been added to the MacKillop athletics program for this year, 2019.
The event WILL NOT be added to the regional carnival at this time, however, it will be added to the selection trial day to be held at Beaton Park on Tuesday 20 August. The event should be for athletes who have run this event before and have proof of times. This is not a 'come and try' event and athletes should meet the qualifying standards listed below before nominating. Please note that the 1500m and 800m events will be run on the same day at the selection trials.
Qualifying times
- Boys Junior (8–10 years) — 5:30.00
- Boys 11 Years — 5:20.00
- Boys Senior (12-13 years) — 5:10.00
- Girls Junior (8–10 years) — 5:40.00
- Girls 11 Years — 5:30.00
- Girls Senior (12-13 years) — 5:20.00
To nominate for the 1500m event please contact Mrs Atkins through the School Office. Nominations close 2:40 pm, Thursday 1 August 2019.
All nominations will be collated in age divisions by the CEDoW and St John's will be advised. If numbers are low, some of the 1500m events may be combined at the selection trials. The top two (2) placegetters in each division will represent Wollongong at the MacKillop trials in September.
On Monday 1st July our Aboriginal students were invited to perform at the Catholic Education Office for their NAIDOC ceremony. The students represented our school and their culture beautifully and were respectful throughout the liturgy. We received great praise and thanks from the staff at the Catholic Education Office for their wonderful Aboriginal dancing. The students received a certificate and a gift of thanks from Mr Peter Turner, the Director.
We celebrated NAIDOC week at St John's with a liturgy of our own on Monday afternoon, which the students performed at also. It was a big day for our students and they did very well. Well done boys and girls!
Kindergarten celebrated NAIDOC week by discussing the theme 'Voice, Treaty, Truth' and creating an art display for our corridor. All classes this term have been working with Mr Mongta and Mrs Ball on decorating their own boomerang and some are on display in the hall.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Mongta and Mrs Ball for all their work with Aboriginal Education here at St John's. We are very lucky to have their support.
Please see below information regarding NAIDOC celebrations in the local community during the school holidays.
St John's Catholic Primary School — P&F School Disco
Thursday 4 July 2019
Years K – 2 (4:30 - 6:00 pm)
Years 3 – 6 (6:30 - 8:00 pm)
The cost is $5.00 per child and includes a drink and snack. The disco is for students enrolled at St John’s only.
Parent helpers are needed to assist with supervision at both discos. Please contact Jodie Maloney - 0404 846 106 or Therese Ly - 0405 200 819 if you can offer support.
The Life Education Van visiting St John's during Weeks 2 and 3 of Term 3. In partnership with schools, Life Education Illawarra helps children achieve the learning outcomes of the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Syllabus. All students K-6 will have time during these two weeks to visit the van and be engaged in a module that the class teacher has selected to help meet their learning outcomes.
We are very excited to see Happy Harold next term.
9:30
Whole School Grandparents’ Day Mass
10:30
BYO Picnic Morning Tea
11:10 – 12:00
Open Classrooms
All Grandparents are welcome and the invitation also extends to family and friends who cherish a similar role to a grandparent.
Thank you to all those families who have finalised their fees for Term 2 and 2019.
School Fee statements were sent home in Week 2 and in a change from previous years, expenses that would normally be incurred during the year such as Life Education, excursions and sports have been included. The Diocese is delivering a new school financial management system and this change is necessary for its implementation. The intention is to simplify the process of collecting, counting and banking money for such school events throughout the year.
A copy of the Diocesan School Fee Management Policy and School Fee Agreement were also emailed to families; a copy of each is available on the school’s website for your convenience.
If you have not received your account, please contact the school office to request a copy. Accounts are due 30 days after the date of invoice unless you have either a School Fee Agreement OR Fee Concession arrangement in place.
DIOCESAN SCHOOL FEE MANAGEMENT POLICY
It is advisable that all parents/carers have knowledge of the Diocesan School Fee Management Policy. A Frequently Asked Questions document is also provided on the school’s website to assist families with interpretation.
SCHOOL FEE AGREEMENTS
Families who wish to take advantage of the flexibility of paying their school fees over the school year, rather than pay within 30 days, must have in place a current School Fee Agreement to advise their preferred method of school fee payment, amount and frequency. For your convenience, this Agreement has been emailed to you. Agreements are also accessible from the school’s administration office and school webpage.
Please note: If you have an existing School Fee Agreement you are required to provide an amended version as soon as possible to update your details. In the case that you are paying by Direct Debit or Centrepay, you may also need to provide an amended authority which will be lodged by the school on your behalf.
-
The School Fee Agreement should be returned to the school office as soon as possible with any applicable payment authorities.
-
Families who do not return agreements will be subject to full payment within 30 days.
-
Methods of payment offered include: BPay; EFTPOS; Cash/Cheque; Credit Card; Centrepay and Direct Debit with the preferred method being BPay Payments – please refer to the School Fee Agreement for further information regarding each type of payment.
-
Frequencies offered include: Weekly, fortnightly, monthly or intervals that suit the family budget.
-
To determine your payment amount, an online ‘School Fee Calculator’ is available on the school’s website.
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING OR WISH TO APPLY FOR FEE CONCESSION
If your family requires consideration for Fee Concession due to financial hardship, it is necessary to submit an Application for Fee Concession, providing evidence of your financial situation and have an interview with the Principal. This process will be undertaken by the school annually. Parents/Carers should be assured that these situations will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, respect and empathy.
If you have an existing Fee Concession, we will contact you during the year to conduct an annual review.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you require explanation or assistance in relation to school fee matters.
The increased use of car lines by parents and carers has prompted a reminder about our school procedures. To maintain the efficiency of the school pick-up zones, we request that family nameplates be displayed in cars as they approach the afternoon pick-up zone. Teachers on car lines will more efficiently be able to identify the vehicle directing the children safely to the correct vehicle. The nameplate can be attached to the sun visor of your car or placed on the dash and held up so as to be seen by the teachers who will, in turn, announce the family name.
To request a family nameplate, parents and carers are invited to complete the online form by accessing the following link https://goo.gl/forms/L1KuKhqKB9Kj49wq1
To the following students who are celebrating their birthday in July — we wish you a very happy birthday and hope you have a great day.
| Kinder | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
| Menara | Matthew | Elyse | Fiya | Catriona | Prardhana | Nikki |
| Thomas | Lucas | Bianca | Cooper | Ryder | Heath | Julian |
| Jett | Bella | Rocco | Aleksandar | Isabella | Almon | Adam |
| Alyce | Bronx | Kahn | Noah | Joseph | Eden | Sage |
| Ruby | Izaiah | Jacob | Declan | Cameron | Ivy | Maddison |
| Isaac | Mila | Blake | Will | Andrew | Shauna | |
| Lewis | Tyler | Mikayla | Jordan | Finn | ||
| Aria | Makayla | Connor | ||||
| Rachel | Michael | Joash | ||||
| Isaac | Cayless |
CatholicCare Wollongong has released its course dates for 2019, offering education and group work courses for adults, parents and carers, children and couples. We offer a range of courses to strengthen relationships and build resilience within a supportive environment alongside others who share similar life experiences.
Our calendar for 2019 outlines all courses that will be offered this year from our Wollongong site. For more information on the courses available please select from the options below:
 |
 |
| For Parents & Carers | For Children & Parents After Separation |
 |
 |
|
Marriage & Couples
|
Mental Health First Aid |
For more information or to make a referral please contact our Intake Service on 4254 9395 or email IntakeService@catholiccare.dow.org.au
Sale available online (search for School Shoes). Dapto, Warrawong, Figtree, Wollongong, Shellharbour Lowes do NOT sell school shoes in store.
Green Connect
Green Connect is a Wollongong-based, not-for-profit social enterprise that creates jobs for young people and former refugees in industries that are good for the planet and the community. Two of these are the Green Connect farm in Warrawong where we grow chemical-free fruit, vegetables and free-range animals, and the Green Connect op shop in Bellambi.
These school holidays, Green Connect is running farm tours for kids in Warrawong and art workshops for all ages and abilities in Bellambi.
