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- Principal's Message
- Religious Education
- Merit Awards
- PB4L
- Sport
- CEDoW Spotlight Competition
- Year 3 Celebration of Learning
- UPDATE — ICAS Competition 2024
- Staff Professional Learning
- Book Week
- Book Week — Dapto Library Visits, K–2
- St John's Trek for Amarli Fundraiser
- P&F Week 3 Term 3 Meeting
- Father's Day Celebrations
- Resilience with Dr Coulson, Parental Guidance Workshop
- Dr Justin Coulson Parent Page — Ideas for Parenting
- Girls' Summer Uniform
- Year 5 Step up to Corpus
- Blended Online Learning Courses — Parents (Free)
- Parent Calendar
- Clearway Werowi Street
- St John the Evangelist Dapto Parish News
- Community Announcements
Gospel Reflection
In Parishes throughout the Diocese of Wollongong we celebrate the 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B. In today’s Gospel reading, we hear Jesus say again, as he did in last week's Gospel, that he is the bread of life. We also hear Jesus add that he is the living bread. Both of these statements help us understand better the gift that Jesus gives us in the Eucharist. We celebrate this gift of Jesus each time we gather for Mass. We believe that receiving Jesus in the Eucharist will lead us to eternal life.
Dear Parents and Carers,
On the 8th of August, St John’s celebrated the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop with the St John's Parish. Mary was a prolific writer, sending messages to her sisters in the schools and communities across Australia. Two of the quotes attributed to St Mary of the Cross MacKillop that capture the essence of the teaching of Jesus is, “Do all you can with the means at your disposal and calmly leave the rest to God.” and “Never see a need without doing something about it.”
At this special time each year, we give thanks for the life of Mary MacKillop, her influence on our world and her legacy as a woman of inspiration and deep faith. She was canonised a saint of the universal church on 17 October 2010, becoming Australia's first saint.
Catholic education has a long history in the Dapto community and St John’s. A Catholic school was established in West Dapto in 1839 and in 1880 three Sisters of St Joseph assumed control of the West Dapto school. Mary Mackillop visited the Sisters at Dapto in 1883, the school was known as St Joseph's until 1968.
As we reflect on the gifts of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop I invite you to pray for Sr Narelle and her sisters, and in your prayers offer your thanks for their dedicated and committed service to our school. Everyday at St John’s we try to walk in the footsteps of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop and we are truly blessed to have Sr Narelle continuing the work of her sisters at St John’s.
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Year 6 Mass with the Bishop
On Tuesday, 6 August Bishop Brian celebrated Mass with our Year 6 students along with 8 other Diocesan Primary Schools who came together at St John's Catholic Parish Primary School here at Dapto.
The annual Year 6 Mass with the Bishop is an opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist and remind students how they can foster their relationships with Jesus through compassionate actions and loving words as they grow. It was a very prayerful celebration of the Eucharist and our Year 6 students were very responsible, respectful and were mature when interacting with other Year 6 students from the 8 Diocesan Primary Schools.
Following the Mass, students were able to enjoy entertainment facilitated by Mr De Battista and our staff. Students had the opportunity to mingle, sing and dance together. They were also able to broaden their network of friends across the diocese during this time. I was incredibly proud of our Year 6 students who exhibited excellent leadership throughout the day. A huge thank you to Ms Kylie Stephens who organised the Mass, Ms Boyd Skinner who prepared the liturgical dance and our amazing dancers. Thank you to our Year 6 teachers who supported our Year 6 students on the day.
Feast of the Assumption
On Thursday, 15 August, St John's staff and students will join the St John's Parish to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption - our Catholic belief that Mary was taken, body and soul, to enjoy eternal life. In celebrating this feast, the Church recalls how Mary’s life on earth ended - an apparent perfect ending to a perfectly lived life of grace and so in honouring her passing, we also honour her living. Mary shows us a glimpse of how the life of grace makes us more human and that in God’s presence, we become completely ourselves, fully alive in body and soul. On this feast, we celebrate her unique role as a true disciple of Jesus.
In Mary’s assumption, we stand on the promise that we can each make a difference in this world. I would like to thank Fr. Francis for celebrating the Eucharist with the school community on this important Feast Day and Ms Kylie Stephens for planning the Mass.
Fr Francis will be taking 4 weeks leave from Monday 19th August. Fr Brian Harrison will be replacing Fr Francis whilst he takes leave. We welcome Fr Brian to St John's the Evangelist Parish and school and wish Fr Francis a safe and relaxing break.
I will be joining Peter Hill Director of Schools and my Principal colleagues next Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd August for the annual Principal Spirituality Overnight Retreat. Mr Jeffrey De Battista will be Acting Principal and Ms Kylie Stephens Acting Assistant Principal in my absence and I thank Mr De Battista and Ms Stephens for their leadership and support.
I look forward to the next two weeks at St John's as together we celebrate Book Week, Fund raising Walk for Amarli, Father's Day and the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and Dr Justin Coulson's workshops for students and parents and carers.
Yours in Faith and Learning,
Mrs Michelle Rodwell
Principal
Acknowledgement to Country
St John’s Dapto acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal people, past and present, the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is built.
Saturday 3 August 2024 — Parish Mass 5pm
It was wonderful to see so many of our families at our Parish Mass and BBQ. Thank you to all the children who came along and sang with Andrew Chinn. Father Francis always loves seeing our families at Mass on the weekend.
Year 6 Diocesan Mass with Bishop Brian
On Tuesday 6th August, our Year 6 students, along with Year 6 students from 8 of our Diocesan Primary Schools, participated in a Mass celebrated by Bishop Brian. The Mass was a meaningful opportunity for our Year 6 students to gather as a community of faith. Following the Mass, the students had the chance to connect with peers from other schools, including those who might be their future high school classmates. Our Year 6 students were excellent representatives of St John’s.
The Feast of Saint Mary of the Cross Mackillop
On the Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop, Australia's first canonized saint, we reflected on her outstanding legacy of faith, education and compassion. As the co-founder of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, her influence continues to guide our Josephite school's values and mission. We celebrated a beautiful Mass with Fr Francis and the Parish, with classes then learning more about Mary MacKillop and completing various activities.
Altar servers
Congratulations to Ivy J, Joseph K and Christian M (Year 4), who have completed their altar serving training with Fr Francis. They have now begun serving at our Friday Masses. Their dedication and commitment to this important role enhances our worship experience, and we look forward to their continued contribution to our Masses. Thank you, Ivy, Joseph and Christian, for your service and devotion to our parish and school community.
Thursday 15 August 2024 — The Feast of the Assumption
On August 15, we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, a special day honouring the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken up into heaven, body and soul. This feast highlights Mary's unique role in our faith as a model of purity, grace, and devotion. As we reflect on her life and unwavering faith, we are reminded of her closeness to God and her role as our heavenly mother. May her life and example continue to guide and strengthen our faith.
We will mark this occasion with Mass on Thursday at 9:30am with the Parish. All are very welcome to join us.
2024 THE YEAR OF PRAYER — in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.
The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven,
May the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators
of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
Prayer Intentions
We pray for all families in our school community who are in need of our prayers.
We pray for the needs of our country and our world.
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us.
St John the Evangelist, pray for us.
Kylie Stephens
Religious Education Coordinator
PB4L 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 – Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe.
PB4L Raffle Ticket Winners
Week 2
| Gunyah | Eli M |
| Kindergarten | Charlotte L, Emily W |
| Year 1 | Maria P, Octava C |
| Year 2 | Aria V, Marianne D |
| Year 3 | Charlotte H, Asher H |
| Year 4 | Christian F, Zane H |
| Year 5 | Ruby M, Harry N |
| Year 6 | Lilly T, Lewis L |
Week 3
| Gunyah | Evie E |
| Kindergarten | Paige V, Evelyn L |
| Year 1 | Ashton L, Francesco L |
| Year 2 | Marli H, Scarlett V |
| Year 3 | Amelia V, Liana D |
| Year 4 | Jaxson M |
| Year 5 | Noah C, Mason B |
| Year 6 | Sebastian D, Jaxon W |
Dates for Term 3:
20 August Diocesan Athletics Selection Trials
23 August South Coast Soccer Gala Day (Years 3-6)
19 September Basketball Junior Boys & Girls (Years 3&4)
20 September Basketball Senior Girls & Boys (Years 5&6)
South Coast Athletics Championships
St John’s sent a team of talented students to the South Coast Athletics Championships on Tuesday, 13th August. This event took place at the Kerryn McCann Athletics Track, Beaton Park. It was a challenging weather day, often with periods of rain and a wet athletics track.
Our school placed a creditable overall position of 7th (out of 17 schools).
Congratulations to Gianni O who was the 12-Years Boys Age Champion.
The following students have qualified for the Wollongong Diocesan trials, which will take place next Tuesday, 20th August at the Kerryn McCann Athletics Track, Beaton Park.
- Noah O
- Ash G
- Mason B
- Grace C-S
- Roman P
- Gianni O
- Rachel D
- Larissa B
- Ruby S C
- Morrison B
A big thank you to Mrs Ockenden and Mrs Halcrow for their support and management of the school team.
Congratulations Bronte
During the July School holidays, Bronte B from 6G travelled to Tamworth to represent the Illawarra at the Under 12’s State Hockey Championships.
Bronte and her team played a total of ten games of hockey over a four day period where they won nine of their games, loosing only the one game and conceding only one goal for the entire tournament. A wonderful achievement for a team who dedicated themselves to training hard and showed true sportsmanship over the four days.
Bronte had a fantastic experience learning new skills and making life long friendships.
Last term, some Year 3 students took part in the Catholic Education Office’s Spotlight Competition. This competition was open to all Catholic primary and high schools in the Wollongong diocese. Students were asked to submit a design for a logo that incorporated the theme of AI in Education. The students used the application Canva and the AI tool within the app to create their logo. We congratulate Connor C from 3G, who was selected as the runner-up in the Primary Schools category. What an amazing achievement! See his amazing design below.
Connor will be awarded a prize at this Friday's assembly by the CEDoW.
In 2024 Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 students were invited to participate in competitions organised by the Educational Assessment Centre at the University of NSW. These are external assessment opportunities that are facilitated by the school.
The aim of these competitions is to provide students with stimulating challenges, as well as feedback on their performance. In weeks 2, 3 and 4, nominated students participated in ICAS Writing, Digital Technologies and English Assessments.
In the upcoming weeks, nominated students will be participating in the ICAS Science (Week 5) and ICAS Mathematics (Week 6).
We wish all participating students the best in their assessments.
This term, the staff have continued to work towards our school’s Annual Improvement Goal ‘All students are appropriately challenged and demonstrate growth in Mathematics.”
The last three staff meetings have focused on the targeted teaching practices that are happening in classrooms to support student growth in the area of place value. Targeted teaching refers to short, sharp intervention designed to extend the skills and knowledge of every student in every class, regardless of their starting point.
Teachers will continue to focus on Mathematics as an area for Professional Learning throughout Term 3 and Term 4.
The theme for the 2024 Children's Book Week is "Reading is Magic." We’re celebrating the incredible ability of stories to transport our minds to new places. We're encouraging students to be curious about the wonders of our world. The magic of reading also lies in its power to captivate; a good story sparks conversations and connects readers with one another.
It's time to start planning your Book Week costume for the Parade! Remember, there's no need to spend a lot on your outfit. We encourage you to get creative with items you already have at home and take inspiration from your favourite characters. Our Book Week Parade will be on 27 August from 8:45 am to 9:30 am. Parents, carers, and grandparents are welcome to join the celebration!
We are very excited to welcome Lisa Nicol, our visiting author, who will come and speak and read to the children throughout the day.
During Week 5, Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 will be visiting Dapto Library to participate in activities to help us celebrate Book Week 2024. Thank you to the librarians who have organised this special event for us. We are looking forward to our visit to our local library.
| Monday 19 August | 9 am Kinder |
11 am 1 Red and 1 Green |
| Thursday 22 August | 9 am 1 Blue and 2 Red |
11am 2 Blue and 2 Green |
Trek for Amarli Fundraiser at St John's — 21st August
In every community, there are families facing hardships that can be overwhelming without support. A family in our school community requires our collective support, kindness and generosity. Featured in the Illawarra Mercury was the story of the Broome family and Amarli who has a genetic disorder known as GRIK 2. The Broome family and supporters are organising for the 3rd and 4th August a fund-raiser which is a 34km trek. Please see detailed information about the fund-raiser.
St John's staff and students will be holding our own fund-raiser on the 21st August, inclusive of a mufti day, a trek around our school for students and staff and a gold coin donation.
Students are invited to wear mufti clothes and bring a gold coin donation. At 2pm we will be holding our own Trek for Amarli around the perimeter of the school grounds.
Please keep the Broome family in your prayers and thoughts as we come together as a school community in support and care for the Broome family.
Dear Fathers and Grandfathers
Please join us for the Father's Day Celebrations on Friday, 30 August.
12:30 pm — Calling all fathers and grandfathers! Come and enjoy a mouthwatering steak sandwich prepared by Outback Steakhouse while listening to an inspiring guest speaker from the Fathering Project. Please complete the form below.
1:00 pm — Join our students for a delightful picnic lunch, filled with fun games on the playground. It's a perfect opportunity for bonding and making memories!
1:40 pm — Step into the classroom with your children to explore their workbooks, read favourite stories, and engage in exciting activities together.
Don't miss out on these special moments!
Father's Day Raffle
The P&F are generously holding a Father's Day Raffle to be drawn at the Father's Day celebrations on Friday 30 August.
Tickets are 50c each or a sheet of 10 tickets for $5. Each family have received 2 sheets of tickets, if you would like more tickets, please contact the school office. Money raised by the ticket sales will go towards funding school resources.
Please return completed tickets and money to the school office by Monday 26th August.
Father's Day Stall — Help Needed
Exciting News! The P&F have organised a fantastic Father's Day Stall on Friday, 30th August! With gifts ranging from just $1 to $5, it's the perfect chance for your children to pick up something special. Don't forget to pack a reusable bag for their treasures!
We need volunteers to help set up on Thursday 29th August, starting at 2:30 pm, and on Friday 30th August, from 8:30 am until after recess.
If you can lend a hand, please fill out the form below.
Plus, don't miss out on our Father's Day raffle! Raffle tickets have been sent home this week, and the lucky winners will be drawn after the Guest Speaker on 30th August. Good luck!
Thank you
P&F Committee
Dr Justin Coulson is the co-host and parenting expert on Channel Nine’s “Parental Guidance” and the founder of happyfamilies.com.au and is considered one of Australia’s most trusted parenting experts.
The parent session will focus on the topic of Resilience, in this session, parents will learn the psychological secrets that build their child’s sense of identity, strengths, and growth mindset in order to perform better, be happier, and build resilience.
Students in Years 4-6 will also be attending a session with Dr Coulson during school hours focusing on the topic of well-being, which will be an interactive and age appropriate discussion for these students. This is a free session.
The P&F are excited to have Dr Coulson come to St Johns Dapto and bring his experience and knowledge to the parent community and to students in year 4-6.
Tickets are limited.
The live session runs from 7:00pm-8:30pm and refreshments will be provided from 6:30pm on the night.
Parenting Ideas by Dr Justin Coulson- Parent Wellbeing
Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters. He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel Nine’s Parental Guidance, and he and his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family: The Happy Families Podcast. He has written 9 books about families and parenting. In the article below Dr Justin Coulson outlines the importance of involvement in the life of your child.
The St John's Parents and Friends (P&F) are excited to announce that we are moving forward with the introduction of shorts as an option for the girls' summer uniform. This decision is in support of inclusion, comfort, and the interest expressed by our community in providing an additional choice for girls during the summer season.
Following consultation with the P&F community, we have begun the production of samples through Lowes. Additionally, based on feedback from parents, we have decided to incorporate the school logo on the boys' summer shirts. This change has now been included in our plans.
The proposed girls' shirt and shorts will be optional additions to the summer uniform, with the existing girls' dress remaining available as an option for students.
The boys' shirt with the logo will be gradually introduced into the school uniform. Students who already have school shirts without logos may continue to wear them throughout 2025.
We are hopeful that we will be able to have the additional shirts and shorts manufactured for 2025. Lowes have advised that the pricing would include:
- Girls Shorts: $42.95
- Girls Shirts: $42.95
- Boys Shirts: $39.95
In addition to the above there is also consideration to including the school logo with the boys and girls winter shirt (pricing to be confirmed).
OLT Improving Learner Outcomes
Upcoming Courses for Semester 2
These parent's courses are free to anyone. They don’t follow the same structure as our other courses, and they are not tutored.
ADHD for Parents
This short course is aimed at supporting the parents and carers of children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Other people, such as relatives and teachers, may also find it helpful.
This course was developed by OLT with help from Parents for ADHD Advocacy Australia.
Autism for Parents
The course is aimed at the parents* and carers* of children with autism. However, the content including lots of videos of parents talking about the issues that concern them most, provides fantastic insight for anyone who supports a child with autism.
* throughout this short course, parents will include carers and others with parental responsibility.
IMPORTANT
A reminder that roadworks will be taking place on Werowi Street until the COB of 23 August.
ALL student morning drop off to be on Jerematta Street only, Werowi Street will be closed.
Afternoon pickup — parents will be able to continue to pick up their children from Werowi Street between the hours of 2pm & 3pm. The contractors will be ceasing operation of major works between these hours to allow safe pickup. Please note – the contractor will ensure that Werowi Street is made as safe as possible for pickup of students but advise that it is still classified as a construction site. Slippery and uneven surfaces may be present and advise where possible parents and carers to use caution and if possible to pick up from Jerematta Street or parent pick up. The contractor and traffic controllers will do whatever they can to ensure safe collection of students including crossing the road at crossing area highlighted and kept clear between these hours. Flagging and signage will be utilised to show areas to assist.
Students travelling by bus will still be dropped off and picked up on Mombara Street and Premier Illawarra have been advised of the works.
Please note no parking will be available on Werowi Street during the period of works.
We do appreciate the timing of these works is very inconvenient. There is still going to be significant disruption during this period of works and we strongly encourage you all to have a little extra patience and consideration with fellow parents and residents during this time.
Should you wish to provide any feedback to the Council regarding this work you can contact Neville Sydenham via email nsydenham@stabilis.com.au or mobile 0408 188 347. Neville is the Traffic Control Supervisor from Stablised Pavements of Australia.
With thanks for your ongoing support.
Parish News
Fr. Francis and the St John the Evangelist Parish Pastoral Council thanks all families who were able to join the Parish and school to celebrate the Eucharist at the Stage One Family Mass with Andrew Chinn.
Fr. Francis will be taking leave for 4 weeks beginning Monday 19th August. We welcome Fr. Brian Harrison who will be celebrating Mass whilst Fr. Francis is on leave. We wish Fr. Francis a safe and relaxing holiday.
Parish Working Bee
Please join us for Parish Working Bee on 17 August from 1pm to 4pm.
St John's Parish Pie Drive Extravaganza Thank You
Thank you to all St John's Catholic Parish Primary School Families for your support with the recent Parish Pie Drive. Pie pick up will be on Friday, August 16th, from 2 p.m.
Fr. Francis and the St John the Evangelist Parish Pastoral Council warmly invites all families to join in the celebration of the Eucharist. See below the times for Mass.
Saturday Vigil — 5pm
Sunday — 7:30am, 9:30am and 6pm.
Please see the Parish Bulletin below
