Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you to the many mothers, grandmothers and other family members who joined the St John’s Community for the Mother’s Day Mass and morning tea last Friday. It was an incredible turnout from our mothers and grandmothers and wonderful to see the school community coming together.

Once again, the Parents and Friends Association provided a great service for the children by organising an exceptional Mother’s Day stall. Thank you to the P & F Executive and the parent helpers who gave up their time to run the stall on the day. The children were so excited about their purchases. I am sure many of the children would have struggled to keep their purchased gift a secret until Mother’s Day.

“A mother, like Mary the mother of God, is a person who has said yes; yes to new life, yes to being responsible for the growth and development of another human being who is totally reliant on a mother’s preparedness to do so and yes to loving another to the best of their ability. Yes to taking their children’s hands and leading them into life with a tenderness and unconditional acceptance that reveals God’s love and yes to walking beside them through the challenges and difficulties life presents.” CEDoW Gateway 2023

National Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June) 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. This year’s theme for Reconciliation Week: “Be A Voice for Generations” is a challenge to us all to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation and work together towards a just and equitable future for all Australians. This Thursday, the St John’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, along with the Year 6 Student Representative Council will be attending the CareWays Community Reconciliation Walk at Koonawarra. 

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. We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part, we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

Schools Upgrade Fund

Earlier this week I was notified that St John’s was successful in our application for a Schools Upgrade Fund from the Australian Government – Department of Education. The Schools Upgrade Fund provides funding to improve and upgrade school facilities to help keep students safe and get their education back on track after the COVID-19 disruptions of the last couple of years. The funds will go towards the installation of a ‘Hypar Shade Sail’ over existing seating located on the Fr Ward (eastern) Playground.

For the remainder of this week, I will be attending the Association of Catholic School Principals in NSW State Conference. In my absence, Mr Jeff De Battista will be Acting Principal.

Kind regards
Mr Matt Downes
Acting Principal

When I could not see my way, God kept my heart full of trust in him to make all come right.
Mary MacKillop 1874

The Ascension of the Lord – Sunday 21st May

The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on the 7th Sunday of Easter. The Ascension is not a farewell nor a time of sadness at Jesus’ departure from this world. Rather it celebrates the ongoing presence of the risen Christ in our midst. Although Jesus is no longer physically present, he is with us even to the end of time. Christ did not abandon us but gave us hope. Christ is the beginning, the head of the Church; where he has gone, we hope to follow. What we celebrate is not just a past event or the hope of our own glorious future destiny but the life we share now with the risen Lord. In Australia, the Ascension marks the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Let us pray that the risen Christ will lead us to eternal life,
God our Father,
Make us joyful in the ascension of your Son Jesus Christ,
May we follow him into the new creation,
For his ascension is our glory and our hope.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Pentecost – Sunday 28th May

The Church celebrates Pentecost, one of the most important feast days of the year that concludes the Easter season and celebrates the beginning of the Church.  Pentecost always occurs 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus and ten days after his ascension into heaven. Originally a harvest feast, Shavu`ot now commemorates the sealing of the Old Covenant on Mount Sinai, when the Lord revealed the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. Every year, the Jewish people renew their acceptance of the gift of the Torah on this feast. 

Pentecost is the celebration of the person of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Apostles, Mary, and the first followers of Jesus, who were gathered together in the Upper Room. A "strong, driving" wind filled the room where they were gathered, and tongues of fire came to rest on their heads, allowing them to speak in different languages so that they could understand each other. It was such a strange phenomenon that some people thought the Christians were just drunk - but Peter pointed out that it was only the morning, and said the phenomenon was caused by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also gave the apostles the other gifts and fruits necessary to fulfil the great commission - to go out and preach the Gospel to all nations. It fulfils the New Testament promise from Christ (Luke 24:46-49) that the Apostles would be "clothed with power" before they would be sent out to spread the Gospel. It was right after Pentecost that Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, preached his first homily to Jews and other non-believers, in which he opened the scriptures of the Old Testament, showing how the prophet Joel prophesied events and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

He also told the people that the Jesus they crucified is the Lord and was raised from the dead, which "cut them to the heart". When they asked what they should do, Peter exhorted them to repent of their sins and to be baptised. According to the account in Acts, about 3,000 people were baptised following Peter's sermon.
(Adapted from Catholic News Agency)

Laudato Si’ Week 2023

Laudato Si’ Week is the annual celebration that marks the publication of the encyclical Laudato Si’. This year the global Church is celebrating its eighth anniversary with the theme “Hope for the Earth. Hope for Humanity”.

The global celebration takes place from 21 May–28 May 2023, though in Australia some choose to celebrate this week from 16–24 May so as not to encroach on the celebrations of Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week.

A Prayer for Our Confirmation Candidates

Lord, You send out Your Spirit to touch the hearts of all people,
so that they may believe in You and in Jesus whom You sent.
Look kindly on all candidates for Confirmation
as they listen to Your voice.
Open their hearts to Your Spirit and bring to fulfilment
the good work that You have begun in them.
As we prepare these children for Confirmation,
make each of us an instrument of Your love.
Teach us to appreciate what is holy in others,
and to be patient with what we do not understand.
Deepen our faith in the Gospel
and help us to pass it on by our example.
We pray that You will continue to guide us and sustain us.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Dates for your diary

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 Joseph, 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.

Congratulations Grady on his selection in the MacKillop Hockey team. He will participate in the NSW All schools competition later in the term. An outstanding achievement, well done.

Miss Idstein accomplished an impressive feat on Saturday, May 13th, by completing the 100 km Ultra-Trail Australia Run amidst the breathtaking scenery of the Blue Mountains. This remarkable achievement demanded extensive training and a resilient mindset. Over its 14-year existence, UTA has experienced substantial growth and currently holds the distinction of being the largest trail run in the Southern Hemisphere and the second largest worldwide.

WE’RE TAKING IT IN OUR STRIDE ON FRIDAY 19 MAY 2023

Well it’s that time of year again when our school seriously starts talking about walking!

Walk Safely to School Day asks that we all consider our transport habits and try to incorporate more walking as part of a healthy, active way to get around. And although walking all the way to school isn’t realistic for many of us, it’s quite easy to figure out how you can build a walk into your family’s daily routine.

You can teach your child the healthy habit of walking more by:

• Walking with them the whole way to school
• If they get the bus, walk past your usual stop and get on at the next stop
• If you have to drive, park the car a few blocks away from the school and walk the rest of the way.

Regular exercise like walking with your child not only helps them (and you!) beat chronic problems like obesity, heart disease, behavioural and mental health issues and diabetes. It also gives you a great opportunity to teach your child safe ways to behave around roads and traffic.

Remember, Active Kids are Healthy Kids so get planning your own Walk Safely to School Day journey for Friday 19 MAY 2023!

Please ensure that your information on Compass is accurate. It is vital to have up-to-date details in order to receive Compass alerts, provide consent for events, and allow the school to communicate with parents when necessary. Please use the Compass parent portal to update your phone numbers and email addresses. For any other changes, kindly inform the school office in writing.

We now rely entirely on electronic consent for all events, so we kindly ask parents to promptly give consent for their children to participate.

If your child has not received consent by the specified deadline, unfortunately, they will be unable to attend the event. In the case of offsite events, they will remain at school.

Please find below the parent tip sheet that provides instructions for granting consent for events.

Dear Parents/Carers

Would you be more inclined to join the P&F Meeting on 25 July (7:00 pm), if there was the option to attend via Zoom?

Images captured during the Mother's Day Morning Tea

Thank you for being so supportive in implementing the transition to the winter uniform. It may take some time for the children to adapt to the change, but considering the cooler weather today, it seems like the timing was ideal. Our school's uniform policy clearly states the guidelines for all students, and I kindly request that you familiarise yourself with it. Wearing the appropriate school uniform consistently is just one of the many notable aspects of our school, which was positively highlighted by new families during kindergarten interviews.

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.

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. Please note: some providers may charge an administration or consultation fee. Ask your doctor, pharmacist or Aboriginal Medical Service if this applies to you.

Speak to your GP and get a flu shot.

FREE WEBINAR | On Tue 23 May, 7:30–8:15 pm, the Council of Catholic School Parents are running a free 45-minute webinar for parents, carers, and staff of students at Catholic Education.

FREE WEBINAR | On Wed 31 May, 7:30–8:00 pm, the ESafety Commissioner are running a free 30-minute webinar for parents and carers on Setting your child up for success online. This webinar will cover the following:

• age-appropriate expectations and boundaries
• online risks and strategies to keep your children safe
• where to find support for you and your child when things go wrong.

Register here
https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/1671877126416238091