Dear Parents and Carers,

On Friday 8 August, we celebrated the solemnity of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop with Mass. In gratitude, we give thanks for the life of Mary MacKillop, her influence in our world and her legacy as a woman of inspiration and deep faith. She was canonised as a saint of the universal church on the 17 October 2010 and this year marks 110 years since her death.

Mary MacKillop founded the Sisters of St Joseph who in turn were the founding order of our school. As we continue the work of Catholic education, may we never forget their dedication and commitment and be strengthened by our rich history, as we walk in the footsteps of Mary MacKillop and her Sisters.

A prolific writer, Mary MacKillop famously said, “Never see a need without doing something about it.” This message is as relevant today as it was a century ago. What our world needs most now is kindness and compassion. Let’s follow Mary’s example by living this out in our relationships and community.

SOCIAL MEDIA 

The use of social media platforms brings with it an associated responsibility for the management of each user’s digital footprint. Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) launched its Social Media Policy on Tuesday 2 April, with the intention of encouraging the use of social media for open and productive dialogue within valid educational contexts. The policy outlines the expectations and responsibilities of all students, parents and carers within the system of schools. The policy states that when using social media, it is expected that all users will:

• respect the dignity of self and others
• not publicly criticise CEDoW, schools, staff or students
• not promote perspectives contrary to the Catholic faith
• not bring the school into disrepute
• align with the intended educational purpose of the social media presence.

In creating a positive experience and the maintenance of respectful relationships, the policy explicitly states that no material posted:

• includes any content that a reasonable person considers in any way is defamatory, discriminatory, rude, aggressive, abusive, harassing, intimidating, threatening, insulting, hurtful, hateful, offensive, obscene or indecent
• breaches or invades anyone’s privacy
• consists of any proprietary, confidential, sensitive or private information.

Our school has an authorised social media presence (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter), managed by the school with regular updates to celebrate the wonderful happenings within our community. Only social media platforms authorised by the school can use the school name. Facebook and other social media plaftorms that have been established by parent groups and use the school name have no status in the school community. In the case that such sites can be linked to the school name and the use of inappropriate material, the enrolment of a student can be reviewed.

Information about the CEDoW Social Media Policy was an inclusion in the school newsletter on Wednesday 2 May 2019 with links to both the policy and information for parents and carers. For your information, I have once again included links to the policy and parent/carer information fact sheet. Please take the time to review the content noting the associated parental responsibilities for using social media, in relation to CEDoW and its’ school communities.

It is important to note that continued breaches of the CEDoW Social Media Policy by parents and carers can result in more serious action being taken as outlined in the policy.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Heffernan
Principal

St Vincent de Paul — Vinnies Collection Drive

On Thursday 1August, our Mini-Vinnies team travelled to the St Vincent de Paul Warehouse in Wollongong to gain knowledge of how the St Vincent de Paul Society operates and in particular saw, first hand, how donations are sorted and the impact of these donations on the community and the environment. Following on from this, the Mini-Vinnies team are promoting a school drive to collect quality 2^ndhand items for St Vincent de Paul. We are asking each family to bring in one item of quality second-hand clothing OR one quality second-hand book.

Year 6 ACTIVATE fire — 12 August 2019

On Monday, as part of the Year 6 Religion Curriculum, our Year 6 students were involved in an Immersive Spiritual Experience at St Francis of Assisi School, Warrawong, along with students from St Francis of Assisi and St Patrick’s School, Port Kembla. The Wollongong Catholic Youth Ministry team facilitated the day. Our Year 6 students are to be commended on the way they represented themselves and our school.

Reflection from students: 

The year 6 Activate Fire day was a day to engage and interact with God. It was also a day to spiritually connect with Jesus and celebrate his Mercy and love, so strong and pure. It was a day to come together and openly share our insights about the Holy Spirit, with new people. Along with learning about his tenderness, we also learnt to praise God through our own ways of prayer and song. But it also was a day of fun, joy and laughter. Along with having a good time, enjoying the music, feeling like we belonged and feeling comforted were key factors. We felt like we belonged and felt a sense of warmth, we were engaged and appreciated by the speakers and their way of conversing with us. We got to bond with others during discussion groups and activities, with combined enjoyment and learning. Our favourite activities there were listening to the music and learning how we can personally pray to God. In the end, we came out with a good knowledge and understanding about who God really is and how we can deeply talk to him.

The Feast of The Assumption - Thursday 15 August

Since the 5th Century there has been an active tradition and belief around the assumption of Mary. The tradition states that Mary was physically ‘taken up’ into heaven at the end of her life. It is believed that her soul and her body remained united. This ancient belief was defined as an infallible teaching of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1950. It is one of only two infallible statements that have been defined as such and both related to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The feast is celebrated on August 15 and is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Year 4 Religious Literacy Assessment — Monday 19 August

On Monday 19August all students in Year 4 across the diocese will sit the Religious Literacy Assessment. This assessment is a means of celebrating and sharing the good news about students’ learning in Religious Education. It focuses on students’ knowledge and understanding of the key concepts that are being addressed by the Religious Education program and the children’s ability to communicate with their religious tradition. Key stakeholders, including parents, will receive data back regarding the assessment.

World Day of Migrants and Refugees — Sunday 25 August

The Church has been celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees since 1914. It is always an occasion to express concern for many different vulnerable people on the move; to pray for the challenges and increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers. For 2019, Pope Francis has chosen the theme “It is not just about migrants” to show up our blind-spots and make sure no one remains excluded from society, whether a long-time resident or someone newly-arrived. A good point to always remember, Jesus was a refugee!

Lord Jesus,

You call us to welcome the members of God’s family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence, and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Lord Jesus, help us by your grace,

• To banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister;
• To welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their needs;
• To realise that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;
• To share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us;
• To give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.

We pray that you protect migrants on their journey, and you give them your divine protection and shield them from evil. We ask that you open our hearts so that we may provide hospitality for those who come in search of refuge, so that we might welcome them as one of our own.

We pray this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Parish Sacramental Program

First Holy Communion (Eucharist)

Enrolments begin on Saturday 17August 2019 for those children in Year 3 or above that have made their First Reconciliation and would like to make the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Dates for your diary

Thursday 15 August, 9:30am PARISH MASS - Whole school attending (Celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary).

State 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, 5pm - STAGE 2

Term 4 - Sunday 15 December, 6pm - STAGE 1 (Years 1 and 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 7.30am
• Sunday 9.30am
• Sunday 6.00pm

Father Francis is currently away on holidays and Fr Fowler is relieving him as Parish Priest.

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

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:

At St John’s there is an ongoing commitment to the professional development of staff. Throughout the school year staff engage in professional learning aimed to further develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in providing quality learning experiences to support the needs of students in their class and the school.

As a systemic catholic school, the Catholic Education Office also provides professional learning, requiring school representatives to be in attendance. The systems strategic plan informs professional learning delivered and includes matters of compliance and policy implementation.

All teachers must to be accredited with the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA). Accreditation requires ongoing maintenance in which a teacher demonstrates how their practice continues to meet the Australian professional Standards for Teachers. The maintenance period for teachers working full time is 5 years and includes 100 hours of professional learning to support their practice and ongoing professional growth.

Therefore, teachers across the school will attend professional learning opportunities as a requirement of their employment. Every attempt is made to ensure consistency with replacement teachers, but this is a daily challenge and at times the availability of casual teachers, across the system of schools, impacts on our efforts.

The following staff will be attending professional learning:

Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to our Age Division Champions and our winning house. 

2019 Age Division Champions

2019 House Point score

• 1st Place – Joseph 
• 2nd Place – Ward
• 3rd Place – McCabe
• 4th Place – MacKillop

South Coast Athletics Carnival 

Congratulations to the following students who represented St John’s at the South Coast Athletics Carnival on Tuesday 13th August at the Kerryn McCann Athletics Centre – Beaton Park. All students competed with sportsmanship, well done.

Congratulations to these students who came in the top four for their field or track event and will now compete at the Diocesan Athletic Selection Trials next Tuesday 20 August at Beaton Park. We wish them all the very best.

• Riley Curren - Discus 4th
• Mikayla Fernandez - High Jump 2nd
• Laura Fitzwilliam - Long Jump 3rd
• Tiahna Johnson - 200m 4th, 100m 4th, Long Jump 2nd
• Joshua Michell - 100m 2nd, Shot Put 2nd, Long Jump 4th
• Christopher Negro - High Jump 3rd
• Matilda Powell - High Jump 3rd
• Lucas Smalley - 200m 2nd, 100m 4th
• Charli St Clair - Shot Put 3rd

Michelle Atkins
Sports Coordinator

South Coast Athletics Carnival Gallery

SJD Athletics Carnival

Remember, Tuesday is School Banking day and students should bring in their weekly deposit.

For every deposit made at school, students will receive a silver Dollarmites token. Once students have individually collected 10 tokens they can redeem them for an exclusive School Banking reward item in recognition of their regular savings habits.

School Banking is also a great fundraiser for our school. Our school receives a Regular Savers Contribution of $5 for every 10 deposits processed per student as well as an Annual Contribution which is based on the number of students who made at least one School Banking deposit in the prior year.

If your child has lost their book, they can bring their money to school in a sealed envelope with a note on the next School Banking day. We will issue them with a replacement.

Thank you for supporting the School Banking program at St John’s. We would also like to thank the wonderful parents who volunteer as our School Banking Co-ordinators and process our banking every week.

If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a 2019 School Banking program information pack from the school office or visit commbank.com.au/schoolbanking

This term Kindergarten have been very excited with their learning about Living Things. During Discovery Time we have been investigating: 'Would Jack's Beanstalk survive in Australia today?'. We have a farm in our classroom, Jack's beanstalk and even a milkable cow! We have made some great observations about the weather and really enjoyed being meteorologists at morning assembly early this term.

In order to assist parents in ensuring their children have the optimal opportunity for a radiant smile, the government provides the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). This program grants eligible children access to dental services valued at $1,000 over a span of two years.