Dear Parents/Caregivers,

How are you going with Lent? Have you given it any thought? Many people often don’t look forward to Lent. Childhood memories of words like “sacrifice,” “discipline,” and “self-denial” mean that some of us see Lent as something to be endured rather than a time of grace and spiritual growth.

The following story from the website Loyola Press (loyolapress.com) provides a different perspective on how Lent can be approached in a family context:

“One of my best Lenten practices was begun when my children were in primary school and I was a working parent. It seemed as though we were struggling to find time to eat dinner as a family and this was greatly disturbing me. I decided that if we were unable to hold the dinner hour sacred due to work schedules and after school activities, I would instead hold the breakfast hour sacred. I made sure to get up each morning during Lent just a little earlier so that I could not only provide breakfast for my family but actually sit together, say grace and begin each day on a happy note. It began in Lent and didn’t end until my children went off to college many years later. I learned that Lenten habits could carry far off into the future with my family. The impact was dramatic in that each day was started with a prayer and positive attitudes.”

Catholic Schools Week

This week marks Catholic Schools Week (CSW) with the theme ‘Embracing our future together’. CSW is about celebrating the diversity and uniqueness of Catholic education and is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the achievements of our school community. CSW also marks the beginning of the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong enrolment period. Please click here to access a school enrolment package. You might also like to watch this video created for the Catholic schools in our diocese. CEDoW video

To help celebrate Catholic Schools Week at St John’s, we will be holding the following on Friday 6 March:

• Liturgy under the COLA at 10.30am
• Following the liturgy, parents are invited to share a BYO morning tea with your children
• From 11.45am, we will have Open Classrooms to give parents and visitors an opportunity to visit your children’s classrooms.

Following open classrooms, children will be able to leave with their parents/carers. We hope that you are able to join us on the day.

Goals for 2020

The final of the goals our school has set for 2020:

• Staff will be kept up to date with new curriculum compliance requirements as set by NESA and the diocese.
• The school will have processes and procedures in place to support a seamless transition to new financial and data entry software.

I hope that you have a great week,

Paul Moroney
Principal

Home and School Communication 

Positive communication between families and schools is necessary for our students' success. Research shows that the more parents and teachers share information with each other about a student, the better equipped both will be to help that student achieve academically.

At St John’s we aim to communicate with parents with:

• Parent meet & greet conferences
• Mid and end of year parent conferences
• Parent & Friends Association meetings
• Newsletters
• Parents are able to request a meeting with their child’s teacher through the office via email or in person
• Parents are able to contact the office to request that their child’s teacher phone them
• Various social events eg Grandparents Day, Catholic Schools Week (open classrooms)

We value our parent’s questions and concerns and therefore we ask that you avoid asking teacher’s questions in the line or at their classroom door, as during this time they are responsible for the supervision of all the children.

We are also committed to contacting and working with parents if we have concerns for your child. As parents, you are the experts of your child, so always feel that you can speak with us to share information or if you have a query about your child.

Thank you for your continued efforts and working together for our students!!

Enjoy your week.

Acting Assistant Principals

Helen Libro

Kylie Billett

First Week of Lent

With Caritas Australia’s support, Shirley trained to become an indigenous health worker. She has learnt to supplement her income and is able to feed her family. The program has also empowered Shirley to send her children to school. Watch a short film about Shirley’s story: Primary school film  General film

Let’s Go Further, Together!  Please support the Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

Grade Mass

Next Wednesday, 11 March, there is a Grade Mass with Year 4 and Year 2 in the Church at 9.30 am with the Parish.  You are more than welcome to join us.

First Holy Communion

This Sacrament is for students who have made their Sacrament of Reconciliation.  There is a Parent Information Evening on Wednesday 6 May 2020 at 7 pm in the church. All parents must come to this information evening if they wish their child to be part of this sacrament program.  This is Week 2 in Term 2.  Put it in your calendars!

RE Newsletter for Parents

Please find attached the latest RE newsletter for parents.  It continues our journey with St Paul. 

Enjoy your week.

Mrs Kathryn Hampton

Religious Education Coordinator

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE 2020  - 2 March - 28 August 2020

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is running again this year!

At St Johns we promote the importance of reading and acknowledge that we all read for many different purposes. It is hoped that by participating in the PRC that students will continue to develop their love of reading. 

All K-2 classrooms will be participating in the PRC, with class teachers reading 30 books to their classes during class time up until August 25 and these books will be logged as a class. 

Year 3 - 6 students will be required to read 20 books - 15 from the PRC booklist and 5 self choice books. They will be required to self log their books. 

At the completion of the PRC, all students who have successfully read and logged their books will receive a certificate. 

ALL parents who wish their child to participate in PRC need to give permission through the COMPASS app notification by Tuesday 24 March.  

Any questions please contact Mr Astill at info@sjctdow.catholic.edu.au 

Mr Andrew Astill 

Literacy Contact 

GIFTED EDUCATION

Maths Olympiad and Maths Games 2020 

This year our school  is again participating in the Australasian Problem Solving Maths Olympiad contests. This is an opportunity for identified students from mainly Year 5 and 6 to participate in problem solving tasks as individuals and as part of a school team. They will compete against each other and against other schools through Australasia. Students in both levels participate in 5 contests throughout the year. 

The Contest Dates for 2020 are:

Contest 1:   25th March 2020     Contest 2:   6th May 2020      Contest 3:   17th June 2020 

Contest 4:   5th August 2020     Contest 5:   16th September 2020

We wish all those students who are participating in the APSMO in 2020 the best of luck, as their problem solving skills and knowledge are put to the test.

SPLICED (Stretching Potential through Learning in Interactive Challenging Environments)

We also have students selected to participate in the SPLICED program for 2020.

This year the theme is “Contemplating Connections” - Discerning Relationships in the Complex Tapestry of Life

Students decide on an area of interest to investigate and present it in a number of different ways. 

This program is facilitated by the Catholic Education Office and is a way to extend students in Year 4- 6 who have been identified as gifted in different areas. Students will work individually, in pairs or in small groups and will complete this during school time and at home. 

Students selected showed task perseverance, creativity, ingenuity and original thought. 

We look forward to students sharing what connections they will investigate and share with us in the coming terms. 

Mr Andrew Astill 

Gifted Education Coordinator

Heartbeat Excursion 2020

St. John’s and some other schools went to western Sydney University on Hawkesbury campus for a Heartbeat Excursion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children. We participated in four different workshops. Love, food, hate and waste, where we talked about how we waste food and also how we can prevent wasting food in the future.

Water quality: We choose something out of a container that earlier was in a river, we put into a container, then we looked at what it is under a microscope, then try to figure out what it was.

Food marketing: We watched a video and had to try to figure out what tactics people use in their adds to try and make people to buy their products even though they may not be as healthy as they make it seem.

Nutritional food: we had to try and figure out how many vegetables and fruit we should eat each day, how much sugar is in a can of Coke and many more.

We had a variety of sandwiches for lunch which were delicious.

Over all St John’s had an amazing day.

By Ella C

Congratulations to Amelia N from Year 2 who competed at Hollywood Bound National Championships on the Gold Coast in January.

Amelia had a wonderful time and in her Mini division she placed:
National champion and 1st Singing
National champion and 1st Song and Dance
National champion and 1st Miss Hollywood Bound
National champion and 1st Ballet
National champion runner up and  2nd tap
National Superstar Runner up

Amelia was also very passionate about Community service and in December she wanted to contribute to help the Bushfire relief.  She created her own video asking for supplies. She visited the Oaks Rural Fire Brigade and delivered donations to the Captain twice thanks to the generosity of family, friends and Macarthur businesses.

Amelia has been asked to sing and open the Lifeline Charity Ball held at the Cube in March.

Dear students, families and school communities,

Thank you for your school's participation in Catholic Schools Week from 1-7 March. It's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and showcase many of the fantastic things happening in your school every day, and in all our Catholic schools across the Diocese of Wollongong.

We thank you for working together in partnership with us to help make your school community such a vibrant, nurturing place of learning, faith, belonging and hope.

If you or a family member or friend would like to enrol your child in one of our schools, please download an enrolment package here.

Have a look at our Catholic Schools Week video below, celebrating what our students across the diocese love about their Catholic school. Can you spot the students from your school?

Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who are celebrating their birthday this week, March 2 - March 8

School Banking Day is Wednesday!

School Crossing Supervisor

The RMS have advised a crossing supervisor has been appointed. Unfortunately there has been a delay processing and we will have someone onsite both morning and afternoon from Thursday 5 March.

School Bus Travel

A reminder to all students catching buses must remeber to Tap On and Tap Off each time you travel. A letter from Busabout is attached for your attention.

Sisterhood is a rapidly growing national movement of Catholic women seeking to deepen our personal relationship with Jesus Christ and those we do life with. We are regular everyday women; students, sisters, daughters, wives, mums, career women and grandmothers, walking alongside one another and doing life together.

Sisterhood has now been operating for the past 14 years. Each year the conference draws between 200-300 Catholic women of all ages and from right across Australia for a weekend of prayer and formation on what it means to be a Catholic woman in the Church today.

Through keynote talks and workshops, mass, adoration of the blessed sacrament, reconciliation and quality sisterhood with other women, women are given the opportunity to deepen in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ and develop community with other women. The conference seeks to provide keynote inputs which are both spiritually enriching but also practical to the lives of women of all ages and stages of life.

We are excited to announce the 2020 Sisterhood National Catholic Women’s Conference, ‘Anointed’ will be held from 20 – 22 March 2020 at The Tops Conference Centre, Stanwell Tops. Tickets can be purchased via Trybooking - https://www.trybooking.com/BFQZP

This year's keynote speakers include the very beautiful and well known singer Alyssa Agius from Melbourne and Katie Kobler. Katie has a passion for seeing women released to be who they are created to be.  She also has a powerful personal story to share. The other keynote speakers include: The Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia of Nashville Tennessee, Trish Macarthy, Vivian Dolar, Carrie McCormack, Renee Doyle, Kate Seseljia and more. 

We want to invite women to what will be an incredible weekend of dynamic talks, quality sisterhood time and most importantly an encounter with an amazing God who loves us beyond measure and pours His Grace abundantly.

Waste Free Wednesday is back again this year. We ask that students pack their lunch in re-usable containers to reduce the amount of classroom waste around the school. Points are awarded to classes for the least amount of rubbish each Wednesday.

RETURN AND EARN DRIVE WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH – START COLLECTING NOW!

St John’s will hold our first termly return and earn drive on Wednesday 18 March.  All items received will be collected by St Vincent De Paul raising funds for their important work in the community.

On 18 March students will be invited to place their return and earn items in their house colour under the COLA. The team that brings the most items will get 200 points, 2nd will get 150, 3rd 100 and 4th 50. The points will help them to earn the Waste Warrior Trophy each term in addition to the waste free Wednesday points

Project: Green Schools at Campbelltown Mall

9 March, 2020 at 9 AM-3 April, 2020 at 5 30 PM