St Johns Newsletter - 15 May 2024

Principal's Report

Catholic schools across Gippsland and Melbourne’s outer south-east will celebrate Catholic Education next week from 17th to 24th May. This is a chance for us all to celebrate and be proud of the welcoming faith and learning environment we have here at St John’s.

This year's theme, A New Dialogue of Love, Hope and Joy is inspired by the Scripture passage,  ‘See, I am Making All Things New’, Revelation 21:5.

Mr Paul Velten (Director of Catholic Education Diocese of Sale) said through this theme, Catholic schools intend to inspire young people to engage with the Christian message and to showcase their efforts in making a positive impact on society.

I invite you to watch the video message from Paul which was recorded here at St John’s

To celebrate Catholic Education Week, the 3 schools within our Parish will be holding combined Masses at 10am on each of the following days:

• Wednesday May 22 - Columba, Bunyip to host Years 3 & 4 
• Thursday May 23 - St John’s, Koo Wee Rup to host Foundation - Year 2 
• Friday May 24 - St James, Nar Nar Goon to host Years  5 & 6 

Parents and parishioners are welcome to attend. Please ensure permissions are actioned via PAM for students in grades 3 to 6 before Friday 17 May. 

Mothers Day Liturgy & Breakfast: It was wonderful to see families enjoying Mother’s Day Breakfast & our Mother’s Day Liturgy. Thanks to our staff for the generosity of their time and cooking skills in order to provide this wonderful experience. We hope our families all had the opportunity to celebrate Mother’s Day with loved ones at the weekend.

Pie Drive: The Friends of St John's Annual Pie Drive commences today with orders being placed via CDFpay. Please see the flyer below for full details. 

Student Free Day: A reminder that this Thursday (16 May) is a student free day for the purpose of staff professional development. 

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal: A reminder that each classroom has a collection basket for donations, see flyer below for items to donate.

Regards 

Chris Dortmans, Principal

Religious Education News

This week we begin Catholic Education Week. This marks a significant time of celebration and reflection in the Diocese of Sale, as we come together to embrace this year's theme of 'A New Dialogue of Love, Hope, and Joy.', inspired by the Scripture passage from Revelation 21:5, 'See, I am Making All Things New.’

This theme symbolises a positive and hopeful view of the world, encouraging a fresh way of creating positive change. It highlights the idea that change and improvement can happen in every part of life through our own decisions. By learning from Jesus' life and teachings, and practicing kindness, peace, goodness, and fairness, we can help make the world a joyful place, spreading positivity and hope wherever we go.

To celebrate, next week we will be joining together with our Parishes in Partnership schools – St James Primary School, Nar Nar Goon, and Columba Catholic Primary School, Bunyip – for special Masses. This is a very exciting opportunity for our students to connect with their peers from our partner schools and reflect on how being a member of our Catholic Community is special to them.

We are also excited to have students from St Francis Xavier College attending our St John’s Mass on 23rd May to lead the music. Families are welcome to attend all Masses.

Alycia Matthews, Religious Education Leader

Upcoming dates

Wednesday 22nd May: 3/4 Mass at Columba Catholic Primary School, Bunyip @10am

Thursday 23rd May: F/1/2 Mass at St John’s, Koo Wee Rup @10am

Friday 24th May: 5/6 Mass at St James Primary School, Nar Nar Goon @10am

Thursday 30th May: Whole school Reconciliation Mass @9.15am

Pray Together

Friends of St Johns - Pie Drive

The Friends of St Johns Annual Pie Drive starts today, see full information below. All orders are via CDFpay and close Wednesday 5 June at 10am - late orders cannot be accepted. 

SchoolPix - Miscellaneous Group & Whole School Photo Orders now available

Miscellaneous photos are now available to order online from Schoolpix - these include Whole School Photo, School Captains, House Captains, SRC Reps, Social Justice Leaders & Walk Ambassadors. Please see information below in regard to ordering. 

SchoolTV

Explore SchoolTV today! 

https://stjohnskwr.catholic.schooltv.me

Because parenting doesn't come with instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource that has been implemented at St John’s to help support you in the challenges of modern-day parenting relating to youth mental health and wellbeing. Parenting is a learning journey and SchoolTV supports families by providing credible information from trusted sources with practical strategies to help alleviate some of the challenges being faced by young people today.

Watch video interviews with leading wellbeing specialists and browse a library of resources. Each topic is accompanied by factsheets, podcasts, books, articles, apps and other videos.

Uniform Shop & Canteen

Canteen

Our canteen is open on Mondays and Thursdays, all orders must be placed via CDFpay prior to 8:45am on canteen days. Please Note: Late orders cannot be accepted. If you have any queries in relation to canteen please email canteen@stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au

Uniform Shop 

Uniform orders are processed on Monday & Thursday, orders must be placed by 2pm on these days via CDFpay (uniform shop is online only please follow the link above to access CDFpay). 

For exchanges or general enquiries in regard to sizing, second hand uniform etc please email Belinda:  uniform@stjohnskwr.catholic.edu.au 

Upcoming Events

Koo Wee Rup Catholic Parishes in Partnership

OSHC (Out of School Hours Care)

After School Hours Care operates out of the St Johns hall before and after school.

Please contact OSHC directly for all enquiries:

• 1300 946 337
• EnrolmentsOSHC@windermere.org.au

Alternatively you can visit them in the hall before or after school to enquire. 

Container Deposit Scheme

St Johns has registered to fundraise through the Victorian Container Deposit Scheme. 

If you wish to donate your refund to the school please either: 

• Search for -St Johns School Koo Wee Rup, or
• Use the code above