Dear Parents and Carers,

It's been so nice to experience some sunshine after weeks of rain! 

NAPLAN assessment (Reading, writing, language conventions and numeracy) concludes this week for students in Year 3 and Year 5. It is a point-in-time assessment only that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy. As the assessment is now completed online, with the exception of Year 3 writing, individual student results will be available much earlier than in previous years.

NAPLAN reports are used by the school to identify strengths and areas of need in teaching programs and to set goals in literacy and numeracy. Teachers use the information as another tool, to help them identify students who require greater challenges or extra support.

Thank you for your effort with the changeover to the winter uniform. It does take a little time for the children to adjust to the change, but if today's cooler weather is any indication, the timing was perfect. Our uniform policy outlines the expectations for all students and I ask that you take the time to read over the policy. The consistent wearing of the correct school uniform is one of the many distinguishing features of our school and in recent kindergarten interviews, this was an area new families commented on positively.

As a reminder, our school hours are 8:30 am to 2:40 pm. It is important that children arrive on time each day. We no longer gather for a morning assembly, rather the children now move from the playground straight to their classrooms. It is important that children arrive on time and ready to learn. Being consistently late can have a significant impact on the learning outcomes for those students over time. 

As you are aware, my Principal Appraisal took place yesterday, Tuesday 17 May. My sincere thanks to the many parents/carers who completed the survey and provided feedback on my leadership of our school. While I do not get to see your survey responses, they are used by the appraisal panel to prepare a report for the Director of Schools. 

Yours sincerely
Andrew Heffernan
Principal

Find happiness in making others happy.
Mary MacKillop

EASTER

6th Sunday in Easter

Jn 14:23-29  The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you

Gospel Reflection by Fr Michael Tate

God’s home is where the heart is
Some people have the idea that God is awfully remote, dwelling beyond the edge of the cosmos. We make contact by sending a prayer like a long range rocket, hoping it will find its target. This is far distant from Our Lord’s teaching in today’s Gospel. ‘If anyone loves me and keeps my word, my Father and I will make our home with that person.’ It is not in outer space, but in inner space that Divine Love will make a home.
What turns a house into a home? It is in sitting around a table sharing a meal. So, Jesus created a sacred meal for us and invites us to share in the Heavenly Bread and Spiritual Drink. When we do so, we find, in the words of St John Paul II, that we ‘digest, as it were, the secret of the Resurrection’. We take into ourselves the Real Presence of the Risen Lord who makes his home with us.

Coming to Communion, even after a long time away, satisfies the yearning of the human heart because it is made to be the habitation of Divine Love. We could pause for a moment to reflect on the gracious fact that God chooses to dwell in our hearts.

Let us respond wholeheartedly.

PARISH SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM

We keep in our prayers our Year 6 students who have begun preparations to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Lesson booklets need to be stamped at Mass on the following weekends: Saturday/Sunday 21st and 22nd May and the  28th and 29th May. Practise for Confirmation will be held from 4-5pm on Wednesday the 18th and 25th of May. Our workshop day is during school hours on the 26th of May. Students are to bring their Saints assignment on the workshop day.

MAY - MONTH OF MARY

May is the month of Mary. This is a special time for us to pay homage to and to honour our Blessed Mother Mary. The Rosary is one way that we can do this. Mary herself once said that "when you say your Rosary, the angels rejoice, the Blessed Trinity delights in it, my Son finds joy in it too, and I myself am happier than you can possibly guess. After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there is nothing in the Church that I love as much as the Rosary." Perhaps as a family, some time could be spent praying the rosary throughout May.
 

LAUDATO SI WEEK

16th - 24th May

Laudato Si’ Week (16-24 May) is a celebration of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ and a call to action for Catholics around the world to care for our common home. You can participate through prayer, action and reflection with the new resources for parishes, schools, organisations and individuals created by the ACBC Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace. Further information at www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au. 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

• Wednesday 18th - Practise for Confirmation 4pm-5pm
• Friday 20th May - Year 1 Mass 9:30am
• Saturday 21st/Sunday 22nd May - Confirmation booklets to be stamped at Mass
• Monday 23rd May - Laudato Si Liturgy K-6 11:30am
• Tuesday 24th May - Our Lady Help of Christians
• Wednesday 25th - Year 6 Reconciliation (Half the grade)
• Wednesday 25th May - Practise for Confirmation 4pm-5pm
• Thursday 26th May - Confirmation Workshop Day
• Thursday 26th May - National Sorry Day
• Friday 20th May - Year 1 Mass 9:30am
• 27th May - 3rd June - National Reconciliation Week
• Saturday 28th/Sunday 29th - Confirmation booklets to be stamped at Church
• Tuesday 31 May - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Wednesday 1st June - Confirmation 7pm
• Thursday 2nd June - Confirmation 7:00pm
• Fri  3rd June - Year 3 Mass 9:30am
• Fri  3rd June - Year 6 Reconciliation (Half the grade)

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.

Renee Maguire
Religious Education Coordinator

PB4L 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 – Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe.

The first of our Student Wellbeing Afternoons took place today for the students of Year 3 and Year 4. The students had a great time participating in a range of fun activities and enjoyed a sausage sizzle for lunch. The Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 Student Wellbeing Afternoon will take place tomorrow 19 May and Year 5 and Year 6 will enjoy their afternoon on Friday 20 May. A special thank you to the staff for their enthusiastic support of these wellbeing afternoons.

Every day in Kinder Green we practise our letter formation. We took photos on our first day of writing on February 21st, and compared them to our current handwriting. What an improvement in a few short months! 

Representative Sport

Congratulations to Grady Farrugia who represented St John’s and the Wollongong Diocese at the Mackillop Hockey trials. A wonderful sporting experience, well done! 

Diocese of Wollongong Sports Hub: Information for Parents

The sports hub is a comprehensive website for parents/carers. It contains information regarding;

• Sports calendars - DoW, Mackillop, NSW PSSA
• Representative sport information - dates, venues, equipment, covid safe policies, relevant contacts etc.
• Gala Days
• Representative carnivals - swimming, cross country, athletics
• LIVE sporting results

Mrs Michelle Atkins
Sports Coordinator

Our  Made Fresh canteen is open every day we are at school.

They are accepting online ordering via www.flexischools.com.au.  You can also use the Flexischools app to order. All you need to do is register and then follow the prompts to place an order.

Alternatively your child can order directly at the canteen before school.