Dear Parents and Carers,

As the end of the school year looms and in the busyness of life, we can easily overlook the fact that each day brings with it much to celebrate and be thankful for.  St John's is a wonderful school community, a true place of welcome and belonging. In speaking with families seeking to enrol their children, I hear this message consistently, together with the very positive reputation of our school within the wider community.

On Wednesday 20 November, I will be travelling to Berry Sport and Recreation Centre with the Yr. 5 students and staff. The Yr. 5 camp is always a wonderful experience for the students, who will partake in a range of engaging and challenging activities. The focus is on building leadership capacity in preparation for the upcoming 2020 student leadership elections.  Thank you to our wonderful staff, who are most generous in their gift of time in providing this experience for our students. 

During my absence, Mrs Thomas and Mr De Battista (Acting Assistant Principals) will fulfill my principal responsibilities.  

PARISH CELEBRATION DAY

This coming Sunday is the St John’s Catholic Church, Parish Celebration Day. All families are warmly invited to join in the celebrations, commencing with an outdoor Mass at 10:00 am. The information has been shared via our social media sites and has also been included with this newsletter. I hope to see you there.

Andrew Heffernan
Principal

RELIGIOUS LITERACY ASSESSMENT

The Religious Literacy Assessment was initiated by the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong, in collaboration with the Australian Catholic University. It provides teachers and parents with information about the ways children process and express their religious knowledge. Religious Literacy in a Catholic primary school context involves a continuum of learning to enable children to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in the wider Catholic and Australian communities.

The Religious Literacy Assessment reflects the Religious Education Curriculum for Stages 1 and 2. The Religious Literacy Assessment Framework is organised into four cognitive processes increasing in complexity; Knowing the tradition, Working with the tradition, Applying the tradition and Valuing the tradition. The Year Four Religious Literacy Assessment addresses the first three processes of Knowing, Working with and Applying the tradition.

The results from the Year 4 Religious Literacy Assessment have been sent home this week to parents and carers. If parents or carers have any questions about the assessment, please see your child’s classroom teacher or myself. 

PARISH CELEBRATION - Sunday 24 November

On Sunday 24th November, the Parish will have its annual celebration day. There will be an outdoors Mass at 10 am (this will be the only Mass this day, the Saturday 5 pm Mass will be on as normal). The Parish Celebration will be held on the Evangelist Campus. There will be limited seating so if possible, please bring your own fold-up chairs and tables and/or picnic blankets. After Mass, there will be food and entertainment. There will be a jumping castle, popcorn, fairy floss and snow cones, as well as face painting for the younger children. There will be a free BBQ on the day. If you have a food allergy, please bring your own food just to be safe.

If you have a national dress from another country, please wear it on the day to add to the colour of this celebration. If you have a large flag of your country of origin, please consider offering it to Fr Francis by the 22nd November so that it can be displayed on the day. If you have a small handheld flag please bring it on the day.

Helpers are needed on the Saturday evening from 6 pm to help with set up. Please contact Steve Leonard if you are able to help with this — 0403230872.

For further information, please contact the Parish Office — 42611315.

Thank you to the children in Years 4 and 5 who will be coming along to participate in the Gospel Procession and Offertory.

VINNIES BINS

At St John’s, we have a number of “Vinnies Container Returns” bins. Unfortunately, they are often contaminated by waste other the accepted items. We therefore have decided to change the way we use them. The blue Vinnies bins will only be brought out each Tuesday morning before school - starting next week on Tuesday 26th November. There will be bins at both campus gates that will be monitored by our Mini-Vinnies members. We are asking families to send in any containers (no glass) on this morning.

Each container we return will earn 10c for SVDP.

If our 600 students each bring in one container each week (though you may send in more!), we will raise $60 every week ($2 400 per year) for St Vincent de Paul. How amazing would that be? In doing so, we are also helping our environment - God’s creation.

Items that could be brought in:

• Cans (e.g. soft drinks)
• Cartons (e.g. small flavoured milk cartons)
• Juice boxes or poppers
• Recyclable water bottles

However, they must…

• Be in good condition (not be crushed or broken)
• Be empty
• Have the label and barcode attached
• Milk, juice and cordial containers that are 1L or more, can not be put in the Earn and Return bins.

FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING - Sunday 24th November

In the Gospel that we hear on this feast day, the good thief simply asks Jesus to ‘remember me’. And Jesus tells him that being remembered by God is paradise. It’s a wonderful way to understand the Kingship of Christ. We know that Christ our King is not about earthly power, land, buildings, riches or might. We know Jesus’ Kingship is not about lording it over us or making us frightened of his compassionate judgment. The power of Christ the King is seen in his memory, holding every person in this world close; calling each one of us by name. What a feastday! The final day of the church’s year is when we remember the saving memory of God! So let’s join our voice with all those who long for paradise and say, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’

Reflection by Richard Leonard

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

• Thursday 21st November - Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Friday 22nd November - 9:30 am Parish Mass - Year 3 attending
• Sunday 24th November - Feast of Christ the King
• Sunday 24th November - St John’s Parish Celebration
• Friday 29th November - 9:30 am Parish Mass - Year 1 attending
• Friday 29th November - 11:00am - Reconciliation - 5R attending
• Saturday 30th November - Feast of St Andrew, Apostle
• Sunday 1st December - 1st Sunday of Advent
• Friday 13th December - Whole School Christmas Concert with Andrew Chinn - 1 pm - all families are welcome to attend
• Sunday 15th December, 6 pm - 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 5.00 pm
• Sunday 7.30 am
• Sunday 9.30 am
• Sunday 6.00 pm

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

Over the course of the next couple of weeks we are encouraging students in each class to bring in items to support the ‘St Vincent De Paul Annual Christmas Appeal’. St Vincent de Paul require the following items to create their Christmas Hampers for struggling local families. The local St Vincent De Paul provides approximately 120 hampers to families experiencing difficulties in our local area. Hampers will be presented to a St Vincent De Paul member in the Church at our final Mass on Friday December 6 at 9:30am. All are very welcome to attend.

Staff
Serviettes / Napkins / Bon Bons  

Kinder and Gunyah 1
Christmas Cakes / Christmas Pudding / Mince Pies 

Year 1
1B        Sweet Biscuits — shortbread, scotch fingers, wafers, ginger biscuits, etc.
1G       Savoury Biscuits — Jatz, Ritz, Sakatas, Shapes, Cheese Twists, etc.
1R        Cake/muffin/pancake mix / Packets of Jelly 

Year 2 and Gunyah 2
2B        Tinned Fruit
2G        Tinned Fruit
2R        Chips
G2        Chips

Year 3
3B        Chocolates — Christmas stockings, Block chocolate, Box chocolate 
3G       Chocolates — Christmas stockings, Block chocolate, Box chocolate 
3R        Lollies / Candy Canes 

Year 4
4B        Custard (Long Life — NOT FRESH)
4G        Custard (Long Life — NOT FRESH)
4R        Spreads — Nutella / Honey / Jam / Maple Syrup / Vegemite 

Year 5
5B        Pretzels / Rice Crackers / Nuts
5G        Tea Bags / Coffee 
5R        Hot Chocolate Mix / Cocoa Mix / Marshmallows 

Year 6
Drinks — Cans / Bottles / Cordial / Poppers 

Student learning progress is formally reported to parents and carers on Wednesday 11 December (Week 9), via the Parent Portal in Compass. Please ensure that you have the app downloaded and up to date on your device.

The Kindergarten to Yr. 6 Semester 2 reports, are standards-referenced, which in NSW means reporting based on the Common Grade Scale. Standards-referenced reporting requires teachers to consider the performance of each student according to the standard detailed at each level (A-E) of the Common Grade Scale for each Key Learning Area (KLA). Students are then awarded a grade based on the evidence teachers have of their learning in that particular KLA and the standard it reflects. According to the Common Grade Scale a ‘C’ grade is considered sound. That is, if awarded a C in a particular KLA the student has demonstrated that they have gained the knowledge, skills and understanding expected of them at that point in time.

The Common Grade Scale

The Common Grade Scale describes performance at each of the five grade levels.

OTHER REPORT FEATURES INCLUDE:

Overall grades

Each KLA has an overall grade that is determined by the teacher following consideration of the evidence of each student’s learning and the standard on the Common Grade Scale that it reflects. Overall grades are not determined by averaging student performance in strands within a KLA. It is not unusual for a student’s overall grade to change from one reporting period to the next, as the knowledge, skills and understanding they encounter in each KLA will vary from one reporting period to the next. The Common Grade Scale is a feature on your child's report.

Commitment to Learning

Commitment to Learning captures the student’s attitude to the particular KLA and their skills in managing their work, persisting when challenged and working to their potential. A scale explaining the three standards used in Commitment to Learning is also included with their report.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Semester 2 Reports will be available on Compass to all students in Year K to Year 6 on Wednesday 11 December.
• Parent/Teacher meetings are optional and available upon request between Thursday 12 December and Wednesday 18 December 2019.

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 4

Week 5

Transition to School Playgroup

Over the last few weeks we have had the pleasure of meeting some of our new Kindergarten students and their families. Our playgroup sessions have been operating under the covered area of the new building on a Tuesday and Thursday mornings and it has been lovely to meet the children together with their families in a relaxed environment.

The children were able to meet and interact with the Year 5 students who will become their future buddies. Thanks to the Year 5 teachers and students for their help with Playgroup.

Welcome to St John’s!

Orientation

Just a reminder that our final Kindergarten 2020 Orientation sessions are Tuesday 19th November and Thursday 21st November. These sessions will involve the children working with the teachers in the classroom and begin at 9am where parents will drop the children off and come back to pick them up at 11:30 am.

Please bring a hat and morning tea each day. We look forward to welcoming the children into our classrooms.

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

Get the Compass mobile app

Access student information on the go with Compass mobile app for iPhone & Android phones.

Automatically Update apps

It is important that your mobile device has the most current version of the app. Make sure that the apps are set to automatically update.

iPhone

Go into Settings and scroll until you see iTunes and App Store. Tap on iTunes & App Store. Then scroll down the bottom until you see AUTOMATIC DOWNLOADS. To turn on automatic app updates, tap in the white oval next to App Updates.

Android

Open the Google Play Store app. Tap Menu Settings. Tap Auto-update apps. Select an option: Over any network to update apps using either Wi-Fi or mobile data. Over Wi-Fi only to update apps only when connected to Wi-Fi.

Get Notifications

An app notification is a message or alert sent by Compass to the user. Notifications sent this way do not require the Compass app to be open and messages are displayed on the screen of the mobile even when the device is locked.

iPhone

Go to Settings > Notifications, select the app, and make sure that Allow Notifications is on. If you have notifications turned on for an app but you're not receiving alerts, you might not have Banners selected. Go to Settings > Notifications, select the app, then select Banners.

Android

Open your phone's Settings app. Tap Apps & notifications Notifications. Under "Lock screen," tap Notifications on lock screen or On lock screen. Choose Show alerting and silent notifications. On some phones, choose Show all notification content.

Newsletter Feedback

Parents and Carers

Lake Illawarra Police District is aware and are investigating numerous fraudulent transactions occurring on Gumtree. Police are urging people to exercise caution when purchasing items online, particularly tickets, mobile phones, and animals (especially dog and birds).

Always use Paypal or comply with the site's policies and guidelines. DO NOT deposit directly into an account or into Western Union. If Seller states Paypal is unavailable, please think twice about your purchase.

If it is too good to be true, it usually is! 

Report all Frauds to Lake Illawarra Police District.  

Kind Regards
Senior Constable Lori Hanley
Youth Liaison Officer
Lake Illawarra Police District
PH: 4232 5329 PH: 4232 5599

The annual Parish Celebration Day will take place on Sunday 24 November. All families are warmly invited to join the celebrations which will have a multicultural theme. 

Celebrations will commence at 10:00 am with an outdoor Mass, at the rear of the church, facing the new school building. Families are encouraged to wear national dress and asked to bring fold-up chairs or picnic rugs to sit on.

Following Mass, there will be food and entertainment including live music, a jumping castle and face painting.

Please note, if you have a food allergy please bring your own food just to be safe.

Stephen Leonard
Parish Pastoral Council

This is an extraordinary opportunity to get involved and make a real difference while having the adventure of a lifetime in Outback Australia. Together with a team of like-minded supporters, you’ll trek for five days on the Larapinta Trail to raise funds for CatholicCare’s SIBS program. The SIBS program helps siblings of children who have severe illness or disability. Without structured support programs, these siblings can often feel overwhelmed, unimportant or unacknowledged in their caring role and may face social isolation, depression and anxiety.

The Larapinta Challenge is your chance to make a difference by taking on an extraordinary adventure. By day, you’ll see highlights of the Larapinta Trail. By night, you’ll gather around the campfire with your teammates, and sleep under a blanket of stars.

This is a small-group experience and places are limited. To save your spot, click the Learn More button below for additional information and registration.