Dear Parents and Carers,

Loving Father,

May we encounter Jesus Christ anew this day and live the Good News with joy.

Through the power of your Holy Spirit, help us to "go out to the whole world and proclaim" our faith with confidence.

Give us the courage to witness the Joy of the Gospel by our words and actions.

Help our parish to be welcoming and missionary, so that you may be known and loved by all people.

We make this prayer through Our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever

Amen.

Annual Parish Celebration

You are reminded that the parish is hosting an Annual Parish Celebration this Sunday 27 August. It will begin with Mass under the school COLA at 10.00am, followed by food stalls provided by the various cultural groups and entertainment. Some of our student are going to be involved in the Mass and the entertainment. Our school is a significant part of the parish and so all families are encouraged to join in this parish celebration.

Staffing Announcement

Following a recent recruitment process Mrs Kathryn Hampton has been appointed as the Religious Education Coordinator (REC) at Holy Family School, Ingleburn from the start of 2024. Kathryn began her work as REC at St John's in 2016 and felt the time was right to seek a new challenge in her career. During her time at our school, she has played a significant role in leading the faith development of our students. Through her meticulous attention to detail and her unwavering support of the parish, our community has a robust sacramental and religious education program which will serve us well into the future. Later in the year we will have an opportunity to acknowledge Kathryn and wish her well.

A recruitment process for a new Religious Education Coordinator for our school will now commence. We will keep you updated of its outcome.

Respectful Relationships

During this term we have been focusing on supporting the children with developing and maintaining respectful relationships. The whole-school approach has included lessons in the classroom, messages at assembly and visual signage around the school. Areas of focus have included:

• caring, sharing and taking turns
• using friendly behaviours
• respectfully standing up for ourselves
• showing empathy
• respectfully solving problems

It would be great if you were able to discuss some of these with your children at home.

Book Week

This week has been an opportunity to celebrate the wonders of reading and the joy and learning that children can experience through stories and the reading of facts. The 'Pre-Loved Book Sale' has been very popular and I would like to thank those families who donated books. I also acknowledge Mrs Burnett for this wonderful initiative, ensuring we are being more sustainable and acknowledging the current financial pressures that we are all experiencing. Giving the children a chance to get a new book (or two, three....!) without a significant cost still brings excitement to the joy of reading.

You are reminded that this Friday children can dress as their favourite book character. Following our morning assembly we will have a parade of each grade around our playground space.

Wishing you a great week,

Paul Moroney

Principal

MAPLE- TRAINED ON THE LEAD WITH A HALTI

Maple is constantly undergoing training so she can work alongside students in classrooms. Part of the training is to support her when on the lead. At the moment, Maple is strong and sometimes pulls on the lead. We would like students to walk her round but need to make sure it is safe to do so.

As a result we will be using a Halti to train her to not pull on the lead. The Halti lead is a safety measure for dogs. It helps with the tug-of-war when on the lead.

It may seem like the Halti is there to help stop the dog from opening its mouth and biting. Please do not be alarmed because this is not the case. This device is purely to support Maple when on the lead.

YEAR 2 INFORMATION REPORTS ABOUT MAPLE

The students in Year 2 have been doing some amazing work writing some descriptive information reports about Maple. Below are some draft examples of student’s work:

Isaac J 2B

Below are some photos of Maple working with students across the school.

ONLINE SAFETY FOR CHILDREN

In this digital age, ensuring the safety of our children online is an essential responsibility. The internet offers incredible opportunities for learning, connection, and entertainment, but it also comes with potential risks that we must be vigilant about. Here are a few important reminders and suggestions to help protect our children while they navigate the online world:

Open Communication: Maintain open and non-judgmental communication with your children about their online activities. Encourage them to talk about their experiences, concerns, and anything that makes them uncomfortable online. Let them know that they can always come to you for guidance and support.

Education: Teach your children about the potential dangers of sharing personal information online. Help them understand the importance of not sharing their full name, address, school name, or any other sensitive details with strangers online.

Privacy Settings: Familiarise yourself and your children with the privacy settings of the platforms they use. Make sure their profiles are set to private and that they are only sharing information with trusted friends and family.

Screen Time Management: Set healthy limits on screen time to ensure a balance between online and offline activities. Excessive screen time can negatively impact their well-being and physical health.

Parental Controls: Utilise parental control tools and software to filter out inappropriate content and monitor your child's online activities. These tools can help you keep an eye on what your child is accessing and provide necessary restrictions.

Cyberbullying Awareness: Talk to your children about cyberbullying and its consequences. Encourage them to treat others with kindness and respect online, and let them know that they should report any instances of bullying they encounter.

Lead by Example: Be a positive role model when it comes to online behaviour. Show them how to engage respectfully and responsibly online through your own actions.

Critical Thinking: Teach your children to critically evaluate information they come across online. Help them understand that not everything they see is accurate or reliable.

Safe Online Friendships: Advise your children to only accept friend requests and engage with people they know in real life. Online friendships should be treated with caution.

Report Suspicious Activity: Make sure your children know how to report any suspicious or uncomfortable encounters online, whether it's through social media platforms, gaming sites, or other online spaces.

Remember that staying involved and informed about your child's online activities is key. It's not about restricting their access, but rather empowering them with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate the digital world safely. By working together and fostering a culture of open communication, we can help our children make the most of the internet while staying protected from its potential risks.

Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who are celebrating their birthday this week 20th August - 26th August

Week 5 - Awards: INFANTS

Next week at St John's, the ICAS Maths assessment will be administered for registered students in Years 2-6

St John’s community is having a Koala Campaign which started on Monday of Week 3.

 The Year 2 children are looking at how we can “Reflect God’s Goodness” by caring for God’s creation in their lessons. We are asking the families in our school if they can help our koalas in Campbeltown by donating any used, clean pillowcases, towels and small blankets or sheets and bring them to school.

 The donations will be given to WIRES- people who look after injured animals, to make little pouches. Many of our native animals – especially koalas, get hit by cars at this time of year and they need helpers to look after them until they can be returned to the bush.

 Your support is greatly appreciated