Dear St John the Apostle families,

Congratulations everyone on such a positive start to Term 3 and a big welcome to our new students and families. Welcome to St John the Apostle community and thank you for choosing to be part of our story and the privilege of being part of yours.

We've had a number of staff and students away this week due to COVID, flu or other reasons and while this term is predicted to be challenging, in relation to illnesses, we have good strategies in place to support staff and students in continuing their teaching and learning, no matter the circumstances. If you find your child having to spend time in isolation at home then please be sure to visit our online Home Learning Centre to find work set by the teacher.

Impact of COVID - Term 3

Earlier this week I wrote to families letting them know about some of the procedures and practices that will help us reduce the transmission of COVID and flu within our community. This included what to do should a student or their family member test positive for COVID. Please refer to that message for those details.

To manage the impact of both the transmission of COVID and shortage of relief teachers in the ACT, Catholic Education have had to consider a number of other strategies to keep schools open, students in classes and teachers in front of students.

Camps and Excursions

Catholic Education have advised us that all camps and excursions planned for Term 3 

are to be cancelled or postponed. Those schools who had these planned for the first two weeks of term may go ahead with them, due to the late notice, however any planned later must not go ahead.

Years 5 and 6 will not be able to go to camp this term. We are currently reviewing our options with each of the providers and will let everyone know of the outcome of these discussions shortly. We have closed the Qkr! payment option for both camps until further notice and will organise refunds for families who have already paid should they be cancelled completely.

Assemblies

Thankfully we can continue to gather as a whole school throughout the week. These are important to us for maintaining a strong sense of community and belonging among our students and classes. We use these times to celebrate learning and to pray together. We will keep them succinct and focused.

Liturgies and Masses

Over the coming weeks many of our Year 3 students are celebrating the Sacrament of First Eucharist. This is occurring at one of the Parish masses. As it occurs outside school it can go ahead but with a mindfulness of being COVID safe. We look forward to celebrating this Sacrament with each of our families this weekend.

Parent/School Interaction

You may find that teachers will organise meetings with you via phone or MS Teams rather than ask you to come into the school grounds. To reduce accidental transmission we have been strongly encouraged to hold any meetings with families remotely. 

Parents must still remain outside the school gates unless invited in for an event that would be held outdoors, e.g. Book Week dress up parade later this term. We also really encourage parents waiting at pick up time to engage in physical distancing.

Our Fathers Day breakfast will be re-considered to make it a more COVID safe event.

Our Athletics Carnival will now be held at school with the opportunity to have parents

assist outdoors where required.

Events with parents, that are held outside school times, can be on site provided they are COVID safe. Those sport teams that practice after school are encouraged to be COVID safe. Our Community Council can still meet on site in a COVID safe manner.

While we haven't been required to go back to the strict practices of cohorting students and having various entry gates we are still encouraging students and classes to maintain excellent hand and respiratory hygiene throughout the day. Hence our focus for this week.

Thank you all for the small choices you make each day that go a long way to keeping your families and our school community healthy and well. 

We look forward to another term of outstanding learning and achievement for our students.

Matthew Garton

First Eucharist

Congratulations to each of our students from St John the Apostle celebrating their First Eucharist this weekend. Thank you to Fr Michael who came and spent time with these students on Thursday, giving them a little encouragement and practice in preparation.

Whole-hearted Parenting

One of my most favourite spiritual thinkers is Fr Richard Rohr. I receive his reflections in me email once a week and while I endeavour to read them all I don't always get to them amidst the busyness of life itself. Like us all.

I recall one reflection that touched my quite deeply as a parent, reminding me that I don't need to be perfect. That I am simply enough. In his reflection he references Brené Brown, another person that inspires me. I'd like simply to share it with you here, hoping that there may be something for you in this piece as well:

Researcher Brené Brown knows the importance of vulnerability and open-heartedness. In her book Daring Greatly, she offers a parenting manifesto that can serve as a touchstone when we feel afraid or resist vulnerability. You might read it aloud to a child, someone you love, or yourself:

Above all else, I want you to know that you are loved and lovable. You will learn this from my words and actions—the lessons on love are in how I treat you and how I treat myself.

I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness. You will learn that you are worthy of love, belonging, and joy every time you see me practice self-compassion and embrace my own imperfections.

We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honoring vulnerability. We will share our stories of struggle and strength. There will always be room in our home for both.

We will teach you compassion by practicing compassion with ourselves first; then with each other. We will set and respect boundaries; we will honor hard work, hope, and perseverance. Rest and play will be family values, as well as family practices.

You will learn accountability and respect by watching me make mistakes and make amends, and by watching how I ask for what I need and talk about how I feel.

I want you to know joy, so together we will practice gratitude. I want you to feel joy, so together we will learn how to be vulnerable.

When uncertainty and scarcity visit, you will be able to draw from the spirit that is a part of our everyday life.

Together we will cry and face fear and grief. I will want to take away your pain, but instead I will sit with you and teach you how to feel it.

We will laugh and sing and dance and create. We will always have permission to be ourselves with each other. No matter what, you will always belong here.

As you begin your Wholehearted journey, the greatest gift that I can give to you is to live and love with my whole heart and to dare greatly.

I will not teach or love or show you anything perfectly, but I will let you see me, and I will always hold sacred the gift of seeing you. Truly, deeply, seeing you.

For a full reading of Fr Richard's reflection and the references to Brené Brown's work please visit this site.

Notices from the Parish

Latest Parish compact - 24 July 2022

Today our Kindergarten students celebrated their 100th day at school. It was celebrated with dressing up and games all about 100! Congratulations Kindergarten!

Our Year 4 students have been learning about Bogong Moths and developing their drawing skills. Below are just a few of their wonderful drawings. They have amazing attention to detail. Impressive!

Year 4 are also using bottle top lids to create a large picture of a Bogong Moth. They really need a few more brown or light brown lids. If you have any and could send them to school washed a ready for use that would be wonderful.

Happy birthday to Isabella S, Nathaniel G, Cameron M, Sophia C, Riley M, Noah W, Seth W, Lorenzo S, Sophia Y, Alexander R, Tom J, Anthony M, Abel W, Vincent N, Alisha S, Sophie C, Leo K, Nelson D, Darci D, Emily N, Tymon A and Akshaj P who all celebrated a birthday over the last week.

Please note that we ask students to not bring home made cupcakes to share with the class for their birthdays. This is a precautionary measure for health and hygiene. The Canteen offers a number of options to share with the class. Purchases can be made through the QKR app.

It's Book Fair time!

In Week 3 we will be holding a Book Fair. Students will have an opportunity to preview the books next week. Parents are welcome to come and purchase books on the following days:

Book Fairs help our school stock up on resources to enrich your children's education. Best of all, each fair provides kids access to more books.

More books means more choice, which means kids get to read the books they want to read. The right book can ignite a passion for reading, so we encourage families to work together to create a reading culture at home. Reading expands the mind and nourishes the imagination.

Emmas Alcock

Teacher Librarian

CompassPay

Families are requested not to use CompassPay to make any payments to the school. The cost to the school is quite significant and we kindly request parents do not use this method of payment for anything pertaining to the school.

We have many other forms of payment available to families:

1. QKR
2. Direct Debit
3. BPAY
4. EFTPOS both online and over the phone or at the front office
5. Cash
6. Cheque

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

Building Fund Statements

Building fund statements were emailed out to families who pay the building fund on Tuesday 19^th July.

School fees

School fee statements were emailed out this week. Payment is due week 5, Friday 19^th August, unless you are paying by direct debit. If you are paying by direct debit please ensure fees are paid in full by the end of the school year.

Year 5 Technology

A reminder that year 5 Chromebook payments are due week 5 of each term unless you have paid in advance.

Year 4 Technology

A reminder that year 4 Chromebooks have been invoiced on your school fees.

If you have any queries regarding fees please contact Debbie Milne (finance officer) via email finance.sjaps@cg.catholic.edu.au or phone the school.

Please note that The Uniform Shop willbe open on the following dates:

Friday 29 July 8:30am-9:30am

Beanies are now back in stock!!

Parents are able to attend in person. 

If you have any questions or concerns please email the uniform shop on stjohnsclothingpool@gmail.com.