Dear Parents and Carers,

As another hugely successful school term draws to a close, I would like to thank you for your continued support and involvement in our wonderful school and I wish all families an enjoyable, restful and well-deserved holiday break.

Thank you for your tremendous support, understanding, and patience during the 'big move'. It was a huge undertaking and with all 21 classes now settled into their new learning spaces, learning has quickly resumed and there is a calmness across the school. While there still may be questions as we all adjust to the new procedures, I encourage you to ask if you are unsure of any aspect of the new arrangements. It is only when we work together, support each other and approach this temporary change with a positive mindset, that we can achieve our goal of improving the school facilities.

In this regard, important reminders for families using car lines, particularly afternoon pick-up, have been shared and families are asked to please;

• display your family name prominently upon entering the pick-up zone
• follow the directions of staff who are attempting to provide an efficient and convenient service
• do not parking in the pick-up zone prior to the end of school (FINES APPLY)
• move to the front of the designated zone so that the maximum number of cars can access the area.

Preparation for Stage 2 of our building work, with the demolition of the old Year 3 classrooms during the holidays, is well underway. Services have now been disconnected, air conditioning units removed and contractors have commenced prioritising the scope of work ahead. The demolition work is planned to be completed during the break, weather dependent for safety reasons and to minimise disruption to the school.

Finally, I would like to thank Mrs Sazdovski for her tremendous work throughout the year. She has been teaching Year 4 Red since Term 1 and concluded her time at St John's on Friday 13 September to rest and prepare for the birth of her second child. Please keep Mrs Sazdovski and her family in your prayers at this very special time.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Heffernan
Principal

Parish Sacramental Program - First Holy Communion (Eucharist)

A reminder for parents and carers of Communion candidates that all children are expected to attend both practises on Wednesday 16th October and Wednesday 23rd October (4pm – 5pm in the Church).

Please remember to pray for the children in our parish who are preparing themselves to receive Jesus for the first time.

Loving God,
Pour out Your blessing upon our children,
That during this time of Sacramental preparation,
they may grow closer to you
and come to know Your special love for them.
May this time of preparation be a time of blessing for all families
and for our parish community of St John’s
and unite us all in your great love.
Amen.

Feast of St Vincent de Paul

Friday 27th September

If you ever hear Vincent de Paul mentioned, you may well think of the secondhand stores where you can buy clothing cheaply, or of the Society and its charitable works throughout Australia. You will almost certainly be reminded of the Catholic commitment to people who are poor. Behind these images, however, lies a saint who would have been happy to stay hidden behind the continuing church service to people who are poor. Vincent was a 17th century French priest. He had a gift for inspiring people to join his work with the poor. Vincent de Paul did not found the Society named after him, but his legacy inspired its formation in the early 19th century. Vincent de Paul and the groups that bear his name remain important in the Catholic Church and the wider society because they show how central to Christian faith it is to reach out publicly to people who are poor. This mission was at the heart of Jesus’ ministry and so of our following him as Catholics.

Feast of St Francis of Assisi

Friday 4th October

Saint Francis of Assisi was a Catholic friar who gave up a life of wealth to live a life of poverty. He established the Franciscan Order of friars and the women's Order of the Poor Ladies. Francis was known for his love of nature and animals. There are many stories about Saint Francis and his preaching to animals. It is said that one day he was talking to some birds when they began to sing together. Then they flew into the sky and formed the sign of a cross.

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Our Lady of the Rosary

Monday 7th October

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was instituted to honour Mary for the Christian victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Pope St. Pius V and all Christians had prayed the Rosary for victory. Pope Benedict XVI invites all families to pray the Rosary for the intentions of the Pope, the mission of the Church and peace. "It is as if every year Our Lady invites us to rediscover the beauty of this prayer, so simple and profound."

 
Diocesan Christmas Story Art Competition

Congratulations to all Stage 3 students on the completion of their entry for the Diocesan Christmas Story Art Competition. The Christmas Art Story Competition is an initiative of the Catholic Education Offices in Wollongong and Sydney to celebrate and explore children’s creative and artistic ability in illustrating the Christmas story. Students pick one of the Scripture passages given and complete an artwork that shows their interpretation of the passage. A written reflection is also entered.

The following six artworks have been chosen at St John’s to progress to the next level of judging at the Wollongong Catholic Education Office. These artworks will be displayed at the Wollongong Art Gallery from October 5th to October 23rd. Congratulations Prisha A, Sophie C, Maddison G, Jett S, Lily S, Sienna W!

Dates For Your Diary

• Friday 27th September – 9:30am Parish Mass – Whole school attending
• Sunday 15 December, 6pm – STAGE 1 (Years 1 and 2), Stage Weekend Mass with Andrew Chinn

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

If you know that your child will not be returning to St John’s in 2020, would you please notify the school, in writing, as we require this information to assist with our planning for the new school year. 

Fight Cancer Foundation’s Footy Colours Day is a national fundraising campaign held during the month of September to support kids living with cancer. Students are encouraged to wear their favourite footy team’s colours (mufti-day) for a gold coin donation. Every dollar raised supports Fight Cancer Foundation’s education programs to help kids with cancer continue with their education during treatment and recovery.

Note: suitable footwear must be worn (e.g. school sport shoes).

It is with great excitement that St John’s Primary School’s production of Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr opens on Friday 18th October 2019. Over the past two terms the cast and crew have been working tirelessly to bring to life the wonderful story of Ariel and her aquatic friends. 

In a magical underwater kingdom, the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home – and her fins – behind and live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father, King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she's the girl whose enchanting voice he's been seeking. 

Disney's The Little Mermaid JR., is adapted from Disney's Broadway production and the motion picture. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories, Disney's The Little Mermaid JR.is an enchanting look at the sacrifices we all make for love and acceptance.

The cast and crew will present four performances at the Roo Theater, Shellharbour during Week 1 of Term 4. 

• Friday 18 October 1:00pm Matinee performance
• Friday 18 October 7:00pm Evening performance
• Saturday 19 October 1:00pm Matinee performance
• Saturday 19 October 7:00pm Evening performance

We are overwhelmed that three of the four performances have already been sold out! There are a very limited amount of tickets available to the matinee performance on Friday 18th October and are available online through TryBrooking using the link below:

https://www.trybooking.com/515085

We are truly delighted with the talent, excitement and preparation of the student’s throughout the entire rehearsal period and cannot wait to bring this beautiful production to life. Congratulations to our fabulous cast and crew for 2019! 

Angela Boyd-Skinner & Catherine Sutton

As from Term 4 2019 we are unable to accept cash for Book Club orders.  All orders are to be placed through Book Club LOOP.

It is easy to order. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school and the books will be delivered to class. You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/LOOP or using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

If you have any questions please contact Mrs Maree Kissell in the Library.

 The school has been notified by NSW Health that there is an outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis) in NSW, mainly affecting school-aged children. They have advised that there are confirmed cases within our school community and in turn, have provided information for parents and carers.

• Coughing spreads the infection to others nearby.
• Whooping cough can spread to anyone at home, including younger brothers and sisters.
• Whooping cough can be especially dangerous for babies.
• Whooping cough starts like a cold and progresses to bouts of coughing that can last for many weeks.
• The infection can occur even in fully-vaccinated children.
• Older children may just have a cough that is persistent and may be worse at night.
• Children with these symptoms should see a doctor.

The NSW Health factsheet is the most current information whooping cough (pertussis) and should be read by all parents and carers.

St Mary's and Edmund Rice Colleges upcoming Try Year 7 for a Day which is open to Year 5 students from all Primary schools in the region.

The scheduled days are Thursday 7 November and Friday 8 November. Parents/carers can register their children for Try Year 7 for a Day via the Edmund Rice and St Mary’s College websites. Parents/carers are required to make their own private transport arrangements for their son/daughter on the day.

Please feel free to contact Marie Pulford 42286011 at St Mary’s College or Darren Jeffery  42284344 at Edmund Rice College if you require any further information.