Dear parents and carers,

Thank you for your support with the changeover to winter uniform. While the weather this week, doesn’t reflect typical autumn day time temperatures, the mornings are certainly cooler. I’m always grateful for your efforts in ensuring the correct uniform is worn daily, it is one of the many distinguishing features of our school.

A reminder, the second-hand uniform shop is open each Tuesday morning from 8:15 am in the Mini Hall or by appointment.

Last Thursday and Friday I had the privilege of travelling to Canberra with Year 6. Congratulations to our Year 6 teachers and students on a very successful and enjoyable overnight excursion to our National Capital. Year 6 were exceptional in their behaviour and impressive with their knowledge during visits to Parliament House, Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and the War Memorial. Questacon, AIS, Telstra Tower and the Museum of Democracy were additional experiences that were enjoyed by all.

I would like to acknowledge and thank Mrs Thomas for her thorough planning and organisation as well as the teachers and support staff for their care and management of the children. Affording Year 6 this wonderful experience requires tremendous commitment from the staff attending, and it would be remiss not to acknowledge with sincere gratitude their willingness to support such initiatives.   

In a change from previous years, enrolment meetings will take place on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 June between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. Mr Heffernan, Mr Downes, Mrs Thomas, and Mr De Battista will meet with families to discuss the enrolment process, exchange information and answer any questions that you may have about enrolment and the school.

It is always a privilege to meet with the families and listen to their hopes and dreams, as they embark on their journey at St John’s. A consistent message that is heard from families is that St John’s is well regarded in the wider community, enjoying a positive reputation as a school of welcome and inclusion. If you have a child who will turn 5 before June 30, 2020 enrolment applications must be completed and returned as a matter of urgency. We have received a large number of applications and letters regarding enrolment meetings were sent to families yesterday.

I will be attending the Association of Catholic School Principals Conference in Sydney from 22 - 24 May. The conference takes place every second year and the theme this year is What Matters Most: Faith, Learning, and Wellbeing. There will be a range of national and international presenters, liturgy and prayer, as well as opportunities for professional sharing and networking. During my absence from school, all matters of concern should be brought to the attention of Mr Downes.

May — Month of Mary

Our Lady Help of Christians - Friday 24th May 2019

The feast day of Mary Help of Christians has been celebrated in Australia since 1844. The infant church in Australia at this time had a special reason for turning to Mary. No priests were sent to the colony in its early days and Mass was not allowed except for one brief year until 1820. It was largely the Rosary in those early days that kept the faith alive. Catholic Australia remained faithful to Mary and was the first nation to choose her under the title Help of Christians, as principal Patroness.

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Friday 31st May 2019

The Feast of the Visitation recalls the journey made by the Blessed Virgin to see her relative, Elizabeth, who was pregnant with Saint John the Baptist. This feast invites us to always be open to the workings of the Holy Spirit and reminds us that we have Mary as our model of humility, obedience, and service.

The Ascension of the Lord - Sunday 2nd June 2019

Parish Sacramental Program

Preparations have begun for children who are to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this year. This coming weekend is “Commitment Weekend”. Candidates and a parent/carer need to attend any of the weekend masses to make their commitment and receive their preparation booklet.

Based on numbers enrolled, Confirmation will be on one night only

Wednesday 19th June at 7:30pm (candidates to arrive at 7pm).

Dates for your diary

• Friday 24 May, 9:30am - PARISH MASS - Year 6 attending - celebrating Our Lady Help of Christians
• Friday 24 May 11:15am - RECONCILIATION - 5G attending
• Saturday/Sunday 25th/26thMay - Confirmation candidates to attend Mass (take booklets)
• Thursday 30 May - CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES ATTENDING WORKSHOP DAY IN SCHOOL HALL
• Friday 31 May, 9:30am - PARISH MASS - Year 5 attending - celebrating The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Friday 31 May 11:15am - RECONCILIATION - 4G attending
• Saturday/Sunday 1st/2ndJune - Confirmation candidates to attend Mass (take booklets)

Stage Weekend Mass (with Andrew Chin)

Please join us to celebrate the Eucharist. A reminder of our stage Mass with Andrew Chinn, a well-known singer and musician:

Term 2 — Sunday June 16, 6pm
STAGE 3 (but all families warmly invited)

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

School photographs will be taken on Tuesday, 4 June and all students MUST wear their full winter school uniform.  Individual student photo envelopes were sent home last week and are individually labelled with each student’s name and ID number (ShootKey) printed on the front.  Envelopes should be returned to school before Tuesday, 4 June. 

If you would like a family photograph (siblings), envelopes are available from the school office for any parent or carer wishing to have their children photographed together.  Spare individual envelopes are also available from the office for any parent and carers requiring additional photo packages.

All enquiries should be directed to the school office.

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:

Extended Leave from School

Any parent/carer requesting leave for their child/ren for 5 or more consecutive days is required to complete an Application for Extended Leave Form. The form is available from the school website and from the school office. To ensure approval before Leave takes place, we required the completed form to be lodged at the school office a minimum of 2 weeks before the leave commences.

Uniform Items

Please ensure all uniform items, particularly hats, school sloppy joe, and sports jackets, are clearly labelled with your child's name.

Visitors to St John's

Any person entering St John's Catholic Primary School grounds (including volunteers assisting with the Canteen) must report to Reception to electronically sign in and out — this is a legal requirement.

Permission Notes

Please ensure any permission notes for excursions/sports/events are returned to the classroom teacher by the due date to ensure correct medical and WHS regulations are met. Students who have not returned their notes by the nominated due date will not be permitted to attend/participate.

Supervision

VOLUNTEERS WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Volunteers offer a valued support base for our Catholic schools, assisting school staff to provide a range of high-quality opportunities to promote the learning, wellbeing and growth of students. As partners in the education of your child, Schools encourage parents and carers to play an active part in the school life of their children and appreciate that you will consider volunteering when the school asks for assistance. The protection of children entrusted to our care, is a very serious responsibility. It is important for parents and carers to be aware of some steps that Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong schools are taking to help maintain Child Safe Catholic Schools.

In 2013 the NSW government introduced a new Working with Children Check (WWCC) scheme which is being phased in over a number years. The WWCC is free for volunteers.

Under NSW legislation many of our parent volunteers (and close relative as well) in schools are exempt from requiring a Working with Children Check. To help ensure a Child Safe school for your children we are taking a range of important steps.

Parents and carers being engaged to volunteer are asked to either:

1. Provide their Working with Children Check (WWCC) details if they already have obtained a WWCC for other work; or otherwise
2. Complete a Declaration

Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong appreciates your support in maintaining Child Safe Catholic Schools. Should you have any questions or require any further information please contact the school office or Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong on 4253 0800 or by e-mail to workingwithchildren@dow.catholic.edu.au

Thank you for your ongoing support and active involvement as we work together to create vibrant Catholic schools that support every student to grow in faith and improve in learning.

Partly extracted from communication (2018) from
Peter Turner, Director CEO

On Thursday 16 and Friday 17 May students from Year 6 attended an educational tour of our Nation's capital city. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on democracy, history, culture, and our heritage. The Australia Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit their national capital as part of their civics and citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government contributes funding under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards the travel expenses incurred. This contribution is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion and is a major factor in enabling the children to spend time in Canberra at a reasonable cost. We would like to thank the Australian Government for their support of this program.

The students had the opportunity to visit Questacon, The Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, Telstra Tower, The Museum of Democracy, The Australian Institute of Sport and the Electoral Education Centre. They came back from the excursion having had a wonderful time and have made lasting memories with their friends. Their behaviour was impeccable throughout the entire trip, with many tour guides commenting on their knowledge, listening skills and overall engagement to learning. The Year 6 students should be proud of the way they represented St John's in such a positive way.

On Wednesday 8^thMay, 16 Stage 3 students travelled to the Illawarra Christian School with Mrs Cruickshank to compete in the Illawarra region Da Vinci Decathlon. The Decathlon comprises of ten different academic disciplines, where children work collaboratively on challenging tasks and compete against other schools in the region. The students were a credit to our school and performed exceptionally well against some fierce competition!

Year 5 representatives

• Sienna W
• Julian S
• Mia T
• Evie G
• Bridgette D
• Elijah B
• Ethan C
• Ian H

Year 6 student representatives      

• Matthew U
• Riley W
• Julian S
• Prisha A         
• Sophie C
• Christopher N
• Abia J 
• Lacie Mc

Today at St John’s we participated in National Simultaneous Storytime! This was a national reading event with the aim to have 1 million students reading simultaneously at 11am. This years book was ‘Alpacas with Maracas’ by Matt Cosgrove. We all enjoyed listening to the story. If you would like to find out more visit https://www.alia.org.au/nss

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Reconciliation Week occurs from 27 May to 3 June and commemorates two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey — the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our pathway towards reconciliation begins with Sorry Day on 26 May. It is an important moment to remember the past policies of forced child removal. We reflect on the sad and painful history of the Stolen Generations and recognise moments of resilience, healing and the power of saying Sorry. National Sorry Day is held on 26 May each year to acknowledge and recognise members of the Stolen Generations.

We will be acknowledging these significant moments at St John’s with a liturgy on Monday 27th May in the school hall at 8:45 am to which you are very welcome to attend.

Our Aboriginal students from St John’s will also be attending the I.A.M.S Sorry Day event at the Ribbonwood centre in Dapto on Tuesday 28th May. A reminder for students to bring their clothes for dancing in on this day and please return permission notes.

The cooler weather brings with it increasing numbers of children presenting at school with symptoms of cold and flu. When children are in close proximity with others, the spread of common colds can be passed on through touching hands or objects (e.g. tissues and toys) or by breathing in droplets from sneezes or coughs.

A flu shot once a year is your best protection - it’s safe and does not give you the flu.

The flu is more serious than a cold and spreads easily. In 2017 over 650 people in NSW died from the flu.

Free flu shots are available for pregnant women, children 6 mths to 5 yrs, Aboriginal people from 6 mths of age, people with serious health conditions, people over 65.

Speak to your GP and get a flu shot.

This applies for both the iPhone and iPad.