Father in heaven,
all creation rightly gives you praise,
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness
and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Dear Parents and Carers,

Tomorrow, August 15, our church celebrates the feast of the Assumption of Mary, acknowledging a belief that she was assumed into heaven, body and soul. I wonder how Mary’s Assumption affected the other disciples. She was no longer physically present with them, they could not see or hear her, they could not confide in her and seek counsel from her. What a challenge to their faith in Jesus and His promises. With Mary’s body literally gone and no burial site to visit, there was no physical reminder of Mary, only memories and, at times, an unexplainable presence.

In our own day, we hear of people who have experienced the loss of a loved one as a result of events like war, accident or violence, and the body is never located. The feast of Mary’s Assumption gives hope and consolation to them as they grieve and mourn the loss of their loved one, believing that the person is not lost, but enjoys eternal life with their God who loves unconditionally.

The Assumption symbolizes the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise, “I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14: 2). This scriptural quote brings hope and a deepening realisation that present life, with its challenges, joys, struggles and dreams is not the definitive heaven we seek. 

Year 6 Mass with Bishop Brian

I had the pleasure of joining our Year 6 students and staff yesterday at a Mass with Bishop Brian, along with staff and students from other local Catholic schools. It was a wonderful celebration for our senior students, giving them a sense of the community of Catholic schools to which we belong. Events like gala days and carnivals also provide opportunities for the students to experience this community, however yesterday's Mass helped them realise that we are an authentic community of faith, and to celebrate in communion is an integral part of who we are. Our students were a credit to our school in the way they prayerfully participated.

Annual Parish Celebration

Our parish has once again organised their Annual Parish Celebration to be held on Sunday 25 August. It will commence with Mass at 10.00am in the Church. Following Mass, food stalls will be set up in the Parish carpark, along with entertainment in the Parish Hall. 

Paul Moroney
Principal

STUDENT ARRIVAL

We understand the challenges that come with getting students ready for school and ensuring they arrive on time. However, we'd like to emphasise the importance of punctuality, as it plays a significant role in your child's education and overall well-being. There were 89 students who were late to school on Tuesday.

Children can be brought to school between 8:15am-8:45am. The school gates close not long after 8:45am. 

We kindly request your support in ensuring that your child arrives at school on time. We understand that unforeseen circumstances can lead to occasional lateness, but regular tardiness can disrupt the learning environment for all students.

We believe that a strong partnership between parents, carers, and the school is essential for the success of our students. By working together, we can ensure that your child receives the best education possible.

If you have any questions or need assistance in promoting punctuality, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support you and your child.

WESTERN REGION ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

On Friday, 9 August, many of our students were selected to represent St John’s at the Western Region Athletics Selection Trials at Campbelltown Athletics Centre. 

The students represented our school in style and participated in a range of events on the day. The most important thing was that they did their best in all the events they went in. We had lots of success throughout the day and acknowledged our athletes at Monday morning’s assembly. We congratulate all the students and those that were selected in the Western Region Team for the upcoming Diocesan Carnival. The names of the students selected for the Western Region Team are below:

Thanks to Mrs Sinfeld, Mrs Marshall and Mrs Fuller for supervising, supporting and organising our team. Thanks also to the parents who were able to attend to cheer our athletes on.

Week 3 - Awards: INFANTS

Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who are celebrating their birthday this week :11th August - 17th August

On Friday the 9 th August 33 students from St John’s proudly represented our school at the annual Western Region Athletics Carnival.
Every student displayed team spirit and sportsmanship. They all tried their very best in their events.
Congratulations to the following students for placing in the top 4 of their event and are proceeding to the Wollongong Diocesan Trials on the 20 th August.
* Alessandra V 2nd 800m, 3rd 100m
* Adriana B 1st 100m
* Jibola O 3rd 100m
* Monique J 4th Junior High Jump
* Izach T 3rd Senior Discus
* Luca J 3rd 11 years High Jump
* Chayse B 1st Long Jump, Shot Put, 100m, 200m (MultiClass)

A special congratulations to Alessandra Villarosa for overall 3rd Place in the Junior Girls.

Many thanks to the parents who supported their child/children and to Mrs Fuller who was assisting on Shot Put all day.
Angela Marshall

Dear St John Families

Thank you for your support in the Olympic Day at School on Friday 2^nd of August. The children all seemed to have a great day and hopefully made many wonderful memories too.

Special thanks to the parents who were able to help out on the day.

We raised almost $12,000, with sponsorship forms, donations from local business, and our hot dog and snack station on the day.

All money raised go back to the school to purchase new equipment, books, iPads etc.

The Raffle was also drawn last Friday. Congratulations to all the winners.

Thank you for your continued support

P & F

One of our Year 6 students, Liliana, has a younger sister with a developmental disorder and receives support from Jeans for Genes.  

Liliana raised $250 last week with her Jelly bean guessing competition. The lucky winner was Levi in KR with a guess of 583 jellybeans

A sincere thank you for your support, every little bit helps!

I'm excited to say that so far We've raised $4624.75 in Wear Your Jeans!

Thank you for supporting me!

Best wishes,
Mary Moretti & Liliana Grima

P.S. Thinking about joining the Wear Your Jeans community too? Join me here https://fundraise.jeansforgenes.org.au/

Daniel and Erin Fenech (parents from St John's), have written, directed and produced this movie documentary based on the true story of the blind surfer, Matt Formston.

Got a bit of time next week? Time to give blood and change lives? 1 in 3 people in
Campbelltown will need blood, and they need people like you to give it. We’re rolling into
town on 2 to 6 September. Don’t forget to pre-book your spot at Lifeblood.com.au, on our
app or on 13 14 95.

P & F Meeting