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- Principal's Message
- Religious Education
- Core Value Awards
- 2021 Premiers Reading Challenge
- Excursion Fee Refund
- Christmas Art Competition - Stage 3
- Footy Colours Day - 17 Sept
- Summer Uniform
- Enrolments 2022
- Public Holiday
- CDF Sports Awards
- ZOOM Ground Rules
- Stay safe online
- Help
- Insights – Parenting Ideas
- WCC - Connecting Neighbours Grants
Dear Parents and Carers,
As Term 3 concludes next Friday, this will be the final newsletter for the term.
I genuinely appreciate that it has been a really difficult and challenging time for all families and I would like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude for your continued support. Juggling work commitments, family responsibilities as well as taking on a more direct role in your child's learning is exhausting, to say the least. I'm hopeful that the holidays will provide a much needed break from the demands of home learning.
It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the incredibly hard working staff at St John's, who continue to go above and beyond to engage and support the children with their learning during this time. They too are feeling exhausted from the demands of online learning and are looking forward to a well deserved break. Your thoughtful messages of appreciation for the work of our teachers have been gratefully received.
R U OK? Day
This year, R U OK? Day was celebrated yesterday, Thursday 9 September with the message Are they really OK? Ask them today. We find ourselves in the midst of the most challenging of times and coupled with its uncertainty, we are all impacted in some way.
R U OK is a day of action focused on encouraging us to take time and connect with friends, family, and colleagues. Staying connected with each other and reaching out to help and support others is our collective responsibility. This year's theme reminds us that there is more to say after R U OK? It's about Listening, encouraging action and staying connected, because research indicates that genuine care and concern can make a real difference. In reaching out to someone your words may just have a lasting impact on someone's life.
Stay safe and go gently.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Heffernan
(Principal)
SEASON OF CREATION
The Season of Creation continues. It is our annual Christian celebration of prayer and action for our common home. Together, people around the world unite to pray, protect and advocate for God’s creation.
TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER – FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
On this feast, which focuses on the cross, we are reminded that Christ gave of himself even to death on the cross. Unlike Good Friday when we stand before the stark cross and mourn the death of Jesus, we now stand before the glorious cross and praise God for his incomprehensible goodness toward us. Such is the nature of our God, and the cross is the symbol of this nature.
It was through the cross that Jesus conquered sin and death and won for us access to God. As painful as life’s crosses may be for us, they serve to transform us. It can be our hope in the midst of pain and suffering and brokenness, because it promises to carry us into new life.
It is incomprehensible to think that death is the way to life, but that is the message of this feast.
Dianne Bergant CSA
WEDNESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER – FEAST OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS
The title, Our Lady of Sorrows, given to our Blessed Mother focuses on her intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of our Lord. Interestingly, in 1482, the feast was officially called Our Lady of Compassion, highlighting the great love our Blessed Mother displayed in suffering with her Son.
Focusing on that compassion of our Blessed Mother, our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, then reminded us that Mary continues to be the loving consoler of those touched by the many physical and moral sorrows which afflict and torment humanity. She knows our sorrows and our pains, because she too suffered, from Bethlehem to Calvary. Looking to the example of Mary, may we too unite our sufferings to our Lord, facing them with courage, love, and trust.
Fr William Saunders
DIOCESAN SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION POLICY - SURVEY FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
Bishop Brian Mascord has initiated the development of a Diocesan Sacraments of Initiation policy. As part of this process, Bishop Brian would like to invite parents and caregivers to participate in a survey that seeks to collect information regarding "what they believe to be important for their children in presenting them for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist”.
Below is a link to a letter to parents and caregivers from Bishop Brian inviting them to take part in this consultation process and providing a link to the survey. We encourage all parents to respond and have your say:
Congratulations to the following students for receiving Core Value Awards for Term 3.
Congratulations to the following students who completed the 2021 Premiers Reading Challenge. Certificates of completion will be presented in Term 4.
|
Gracia B |
Nate B |
Valentina K |
Charli T |
Haylen H |
|
Aiden B |
Kendrix C |
Cooper K |
Sebastian T |
Sophie E |
|
Archer B |
Inara D |
Zain N |
Joseph V |
Jay K |
|
Boston B |
Georgia D |
Fletcher P |
Caleb E |
Noah K |
|
Logan B |
Asher H |
Charlotte R |
Ivy J |
Amali K |
Unfortunately, many of the excursions that were planned for this year have had to be cancelled. Many teachers had been looking to reschedule into Term 4, however even when we return, Level 3 restrictions will still impact on what we can do. For most families, this will appear as a fee credit on your school fees statement. Rebecca Vigorito will be in contact with families leaving from Year 6 who have already paid their fees in full to organise a refund into their bank account.
This year the Christmas Art Competition will be going ahead, but with slight modifications due to the current restrictions and health guidelines.
If your child wishes to take part in the Christmas Art Competition this year we are requiring them to undertake a pre-submission task. They will be required to create an artwork based on the theme Creation: Awe and Wonder.
We will then choose an Art Focus Group from these pre-submissions that will work remotely with the Stage 3 teachers to create their artwork for the Christmas Art Competition.
Due Date: Tuesday 14 September
To submit their pre-submission task, they will be required to take a clear photograph of their creation inspired artwork and attach it to the Google Classroom assignment.
If selected for the Christmas Art Competition, the children will need to commit to the following:
- NOT begin their artwork until the beginning of Term 4 after meeting in their Focus Art Group.
- Multiple Zoom sessions per week with the Stage 3 teachers in Term 4.
- They will be asked to keep a record of their process in order to authenticate that the work is theirs and theirs only. This will be done via the Zoom sessions and any work that is completed not in these sessions will need to be time-lapsed recorded.
- They must be able to commit to the process of developing an artwork that is inspired by one of the Christmas scriptures. With support, they will be required to explain how their artwork expresses some aspect of the scriptures and the personal connections they made with it.
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, for a donation that can be made online. Every dollar raised supports Fight Cancer Foundation’s education programs to help kids with cancer continue with their education during treatment and recovery.
We are not collecting any money onsite, please donate via the online form:
The official date for the children to change over to summer uniform is Tuesday 5 October (Week 1 Term 4). For children who have no other option but to attend school during this time of remote learning, the summer uniform may be worn prior to this date, particularly as the days begin to warm up.
If you know that your child will not be returning to St John’s in 2022, would you please notify the school, in writing, as we require this information to assist with our planning for the new school year.
The first day of Term 4 — Monday 4 October is a Public Holiday. Remote learning will continue on Tuesday 5 October.
Please join us on Friday, 12 November 2021 for the 24th Annual CDF Sports Awards to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our student athletes. This will be an engaging presentation with action videos and also feature guest appearances from past students who were in action at the Tokyo Olympics. Over 150 students and 9 school teams will receive awards and showcase the incredible talent we have in our Wollongong Diocesan schools.
ThinkUKnow
ThinkUKnow is a partnership between the Australian Federal Police, Commonwealth Bank, Datacom and Microsoft, and delivered in partnership with all State and Territory police and Neighbourhood Watch Australasia. The ThinkUKnow program gives parents, carers, teachers and students information on how to stay safe online.
The Carly Ryan Foundation — App Factsheets
Provides support in the areas of internet safety and crime, and cyberbullying, including delivering online safety and healthy relationship seminars to students and parents. Their factsheets provide information and parent advice on the following apps: Calculator; Tik Tok; Fortnite; Roblox; Discord; Snapchat; Instagram; Facebook; and YouTube.
Understandably, many questions may arise and it is hoped that frequent school communication via Compass, assists you in clarifying your concerns. Teachers will respond to emails and phone calls in a timely manner during school hours (8:00 am – 3:00 pm) only. Requests for technology support can be made via the form below.
We know that connecting with people is difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we're looking for projects that help people connect with their neighbours safely. We’re looking for ideas which will bring people together and help neighbours get to know each other. We are open to projects that could be online, creative ways of connecting without meeting up, or face-to-face projects for a time in the future.
Individuals and Community Groups are invited to apply. The Connecting Neighbours Grants are now open click here for more information.
A neighbourhood could include a street, a few houses, a group, or a place where you socialise.
https://wollongong.nsw.gov.au/book-and-apply/apply-for-a-grant/connecting-neighbours-grants
Applications Close Monday 27th September 2021