St John the Evangelist Catholic Parish Primary School Campbelltown eNewsletter

Principal's Report

Dear Parents/Carers,

Summoned or not summoned, God is present.

Invoked or not invoked, God is present.

Called or not called, God will be there.

Bidden or not bidden, God is present.

Mother Hilda Scott, from The Abbey in Jamberoo, points out that human need is a magnet that draws the already present God into a Presence that you and I can't miss - if we are truly looking. Have you ever been in need? Have you ever ached for the presence of someone who could at least be there with you? How many times have you come across other people in need of one kind or another. Had we eyes to see, we would have found God sitting beside us. In this season of Lent, let us remember that in our humanness we do not usually go out of way to encounter God, rather he seeks to encounter us.

Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) Strategic Plan

Recently our Catholic Education Office launched its most recent strategic plan, titled "Lighting the Way 2023+". This has come from several months of consultation and planning and provides information about how our Catholic schools will continue nurturing the faith, learning and wellbeing of the children.

The plan can be found at the following link:

Neurodiversity Week

This week we have been acknowledging Neurodiversity Week with the children. The aim is to gives them an opportunity to understand how we can create a more inclusive and equitable culture that celebrates difference and empowers very individual.

Sienna Castellon, the founder of Neurodiversity Week explains: “I founded Neurodiversity Celebration Week in 2018 because I wanted to change the way learning differences are perceived. As a teenager who is autistic and has ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, my experience has been that people often focus on the challenges of neurological diversity. I wanted to change the narrative and create a balanced view which focuses equally on our talents and strengths.”

NAPLAN

For the first time NAPLAN is being held in Term 1 and commenced today. This national assessment program is held each year for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, and it provides information for parents and teachers about some of the essential literacy and numeracy skills. Parents can see growth in their children's learning over the years and the results can assist schools in strategic planning for future learning programs. We wish our Year 3 and Year 5 students well as they participate in NAPLAN over the next week or so.

Wishing you a safe and blessed week,

Paul Moroney
Principal