Dear Parents and Carers,

It's hard to believe that the end of the school year is just around the corner. You might be like many others and be thinking, bring on the end of 2020. Despite the challenges that have confronted all of us this year, we still have much to be grateful for. Looking at all that we have achieved together makes me very proud. As I'm sure you are aware, the children are very excited about the amalgamation of the school (K-6) and the new learning spaces, playground areas and other facilities. There is a newfound connectedness within the school for both students and staff, one that further strengthens the already strong sense of welcome and belonging.

I have had the pleasure of joining Year 5 on camp this week. The camp is always a wonderful experience for the students, who will partake in a range of engaging, challenging and team-building activities. In preparation for the upcoming 2021 student leadership elections, there is a deliberate focus on leadership skills. My sincere thanks to our wonderful staff, who are most generous in their gift of time in providing this experience for our students.

Included further in the newsletter is a gallery of photos from camp showing just how much fun they have been having at 'The Tops Conference Centre' — Stanwell Tops.

Tuesday was the first of our orientation mornings for Kindergarten 2021. In complying with COVID guidelines, a restructured program was developed and will continue in the school hall over the next few weeks. It is an exciting time for the children and their families as they take their first steps towards 'big school' and an absolute pleasure to be welcoming so many new families to our wonderful school. 

PARENT-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK

In this newsletter, I have included the fourth principle of the CEDoW 'Parent-School Partnership Framework, 'Creating a Connected and Welcoming Community'

In the framework, all parents/carers are asked to commit to:

CATHOLIC MISSION – WORLD MISSION MONTH

Sincere thanks to all those who have supported our “Socktober Shootout” fundraiser for Catholic Mission. So far, we have raised over $4000. This is an amazing effort and shows the generosity of our families here at St John’s. We ask that all money be returned to school by Friday 20^th November 2020.

 4 Blue making their soccer balls

ST VINCENT DE PAUL – CHRISTMAS APPEAL

It is that time of year where St Vincent de Paul begins their annual Christmas appeal. Our donations for this appeal go directly to local families who are in great need. By bringing in an item, we can help many people have a brighter Christmas. Could all donations please be brought in by Friday 4^th December to all St Vincent de Paul time to pack into hampers and distribute the items.

Staff
Serviettes / Napkins / Bon Bons 

Gunyah
Tinned fruit

Kinder
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
Chips / Lollies 

Year 3
Chocolates — Christmas stockings, Block chocolate, Box chocolate 

Year 4
4B        Long Life Custard
4G        Spreads — Nutella / Honey / Jam / Maple Syrup / Vegemite 
4R        Pretzels / Rice Crackers / Nuts

Year 5
Tea Bags / Coffee / Hot Chocolate Mix / Cocoa Mix / Marshmallows 

Year 6
Drinks — Cans / Bottles / Cordial / Poppers 

FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING - 22^nd November 2020

This Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King, marks the end of the liturgical cycle. Next week begins the new year with the season of Advent. The Gospel reading on Sunday is a powerful reminder of how Jesus envisaged the Kingdom of God. For Jesus, the Kingdom was not a rule of power and status but a rule of justice and peace for even the lowliest. Jesus wanted a world in which the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked and the imprisoned were all treated with respect and dignity as a child of God. This is exactly what Jesus himself did throughout his ministry and it is what all Christian people are called to do. Jesus never really declared himself to be king of anything on earth. It is us who declare him to be our king.

YEAR 6 ACTIVATE FIRE – Friday 27^th November 2020

On Friday 27^th November 2020, our Year 6 students will be involved in an Immersive Spiritual Experience. It is based on the Year 6 Religious Education unit, Confirmation: Celebrating the Gift of the Holy Spirit. The day has been organised for all Wollongong Diocesan Schools by the Catholic Youth Ministry Wollongong. This year, due to COVID restrictions, the day will be held at St John’s. Year 6 children are allowed to come in mufti clothes and will be supplied a sausage sizzle lunch.

1^st SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Sunday 29^th November

The season of Advent begins on Sunday 29^th November and continues through the four Sundays of Advent and ends at Christmas Eve. The first week of Advent focuses on the return of the Lord and the following weeks focus more specifically on the anticipation of the birth of Jesus. Rather than simply commemorating a historical event, Advent is a time of preparing our hearts to ‘receive’ Jesus into the world each year.

Often, by the time the Church begins to celebrate Advent as a period of preparation towards Christmas, the stores have been filling with Christmas paraphernalia for weeks. It starts out small with a few decorations and wrapping paper and eventually takes over every retail outlet. In the midst of this excess of Christmas consumerism, it is often difficult to draw attention to the season of Advent and the need to prepare spiritually for the celebration of Christmas. It is important to “stay awake” (as told to in the Scripture) - wake to what is happening around us in the world and awake to what is happening within us.

CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST

Masses have resumed at normal times in our Parish but are still limited to 100 parishioners at each mass. It is essential to register for weekend masses as we need to ensure that the maximum capacity is not exceeded. To register for mass please call or email the parish office.  Alternatively, you are able to register your interest to go to mass at the following link:  https://www.dow.org.au/registration

Once your interest to register for mass is received by the parish office, you will need to wait for confirmation that you can attend the mass.

Don't forget that you can also participate in one or more of the many online Masses livestreamed throughout our diocese. Check out our diocesan website for all the links.   

ADULT SPIRITUALITY

“Ripples: Inspired Voices, Treasured Stillness”

In response to the current Covid-19 situation, a significant initiative has been developed by the Catholic Education Office CLEM (Catholic Life, Education and Mission) team for staff and parents to support our ongoing personal spiritual formation. It is a new podcast series entitled ‘Ripples: Inspired Voices, Treasured Stillness’. Ripples seeks to offer a space where people can draw on the wisdom of a series of guest speakers and can experience some treasured stillness through meditation. New Episodes and Meditations are being added regularly. Practices like these create a ripple effect. They have the potential to impact the way we respond to family, friends, colleagues, to others in our world, to creation and to our loving God.

https://ripples.dow.catholic.edu.au/p/introduction-1588201803/

PRAYER INTENTIONS

We pray for all families in our school community who are in need of our prayers, as well as our country and world.

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us.
St John the Evangelist, pray for us.

Kylie Crowe
Religious Education Coordinator

The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.

Congratulations to the following students who successfully completed the 2020 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge

Year 4 dance groups under the new COLA as they performed their own dance sequences that they have been working on over the last few weeks this Term and the end of last term in CAPA.

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 hampers to families experiencing difficulties in our local area. Hampers will be presented to a St Vincent De Paul at the end of term.

Staff
Serviettes / Napkins / Bon Bons 

Gunyah
Tinned fruit

Kinder
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
Chips / Lollies

Year 3
Chocolates — Christmas stockings, Block chocolate, Box chocolate 

Year 4
4B Long Life Custard
4G Spreads — Nutella / Honey / Jam / Maple Syrup / Vegemite 
4R Pretzels / Rice Crackers / Nuts

Year 5
Tea Bags / Coffee / Hot Chocolate Mix / Cocoa Mix / Marshmallows 

Year 6
Drinks — Cans / Bottles / Cordial / Poppers

Have you considered volunteering your time at the School Canteen? The Canteen is run by parents, carers, friends and volunteers, with all profits going back into the school.

The Canteen requires volunteer helpers for:

• Thursday 26 November

If you are able to volunteer your time, please email Dana Norris norrisd02@dow.catholic.edu.au

If you know that your child will not be returning to St John’s in 2021, would you please notify the school, in writing, as we require this information to assist with our planning for the new school year. 

Book Club - Issue 8 has been handed out to students. All book club orders MUST be placed online at scholastic.com.au/LOOP or by using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Due to current restrictions, all book club orders will be home delivered for a small delivery fee. Please have orders submitted by 27 November 2020.

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.

This resource is a brief guide to help parents and carers support their child and access support services if needed. The Coping With Change pdf has embedded links to flyers and a "podcast style" audio file.