Dear Parents and Carers, 

Advent is an opportunity to make yearly pilgrimage through the scenes and events of the history of our salvation. Advent is a time for looking both backward and forward. We look backward as we prepare to celebrate the historical birth of Jesus. At the same time, we look forward to his Second Coming, as we prepare ourselves to welcome him into all areas of our hearts during the Advent season. 

We see the traditional signs of Advent in our Church: violet vestments and banners and the Advent wreath. We light a candle on this wreath each Sunday until all four are lit. These candles remind us that we are waiting for the rebirth of Jesus in our hearts and lives in hope, love, joy and peace.

Advent reminds us of the need to be wakeful and watchful. We are often so future-oriented that we can frequently forget the present entirely. We spend so much of our time trying to protect ourselves against future misfortunes. We save for a rainy day, to get married, to buy a home, to have a baby, to send our children to school and then university, to retire in comfort and to protect ourselves against future misfortunes with a variety of insurance policies.  But we often forget that we also need to protect and awaken our spiritual life.  In the coming weeks, we are encouraged to take the opportunity to slow down in the midst of our haste, in order to more thoroughly prepare ourselves to receive and celebrate the special blessings of this season – the birth of Jesus. 

Christmas Cards

As we prepare to enter the season of Advent we ask that our students continue the practice established in previous years in regards to the exchange of Christmas Cards. Most classes will be scheduling class celebrations before the end of the year that will provide an opportunity for students to exchange cards. Students are encouraged to consider making cards rather than exchanging cards that are store bought. The purpose of this request is to respond to Pope Francis’ call to care for our common home by resisting the urge to purchase excessively and to minimize our environmental footprint. We thank you, in advance, for your support of this arrangement and hope that you will reinforce with your children the importance of being a responsible consumer of the earth’s limited resources.

CDF Public Speaking Final

Congratulations is extended to Eva Grados (Year 6) who last week competed in the Final of the CDF Public Speaking Competition, at St Thomas Aquinas Bowral.

Eva represented St John’s with great pride and showed great courage in speaking in front of a large audience.

Eva received her certificate last week from the Director of Schools, Mr Peter Turner, who is retiring at the end of the school year. 

Retirement of CEODoW Director of Schools - Mr Peter Turner

At the end of 2019, Mr Peter Turner will retire as Director of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Wollongong. We are deeply grateful to Peter for his personal and professional support of our school throughout his time in the diocese. As Bishop Brian mentioned in his announcement, "Peter has made a difference to the lives of thousands of students, their families and staff and through his leadership, he has directly advanced the mission of evangelisation of the Church here in the Diocese of Wollongong and throughout the Church in Australia."

The staff, students and the school community of St John the Evangelist Campbelltown, will have an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate Mr Turner’s contribution to Catholic education in the Diocese of Wollongong in the coming weeks.

Welcome Morning Tea – Mr Paul Moroney

Student Leaders - 2020

Congratulations to the following students who were announced as Student Leaders for 2020 at assembly yesterday morning. These students will receive their leadership badge at the end of the year Mass.

 

This Friday 29 November, we farewell Mr Wayne Sly and thank him for his contribution to the St John’s school community over the past four years. Mr Sly will be relocating to Western Australia with family for the 2020 school year.

We wish Wayne many blessings for the 2020 school year and will miss his presence at St John’s.

Enjoy the coming week ahead.