St John Paul II Catholic College Newsletter

Dear Parents/Carers and students,

As I have written in previous letters this term the world at present is being challenged by COVID-19 and one which we are learning to navigate together as best we can. Here at St John Paul II Catholic College, our focus is on maintaining the care for each other’s wellbeing. All around us, some people in the community are responding with fear and individualism and we can see that sometimes this is not a dignified way to relate to each other. It is causing unnecessary shortages in supermarkets and unnecessary friction between people. When we only think of ourselves no-one thinks of us. Yet if we look closely, we can see goodness exhibited by many people too which warms the heart.  As a Catholic community, we need to be Christ-focused and look at how we can be of service to others.  

As a result of COVID-19, we have had to cancel many internal school events for the remainder of Term One.  As Principal, I will continue to communicate with you regularly regarding updates and advice and instructions concerning COVID-19.  

I wrote most of the following report at the end of Week 7 and many things have changed in the last few weeks. 

The students arrived with enthusiasm for the year and have been engaged in their learning during this term. I welcome the Year 7 students to St John Paul II, as well the new students in Years 8 -12. We have seen all the new students settling in well and being supported by their peers and teachers who care for them. As we progress through 2020, we will continue to emphasise to all students the need to do their best, care for one another and concentrate on their learning, making the college a place which has a unique and dynamic learning experience.

This year Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta will celebrate the bicentenary of Australia’s first Catholic school through a continued commitment to growing opportunities of Catholic education for all. This milestone will provide the opportunity to learn from one another, inviting the voices, curiosity, and creativity of our students, teachers and parents/carers to celebrate the gifts of faith and learning. 

In owning the history of Catholic schools in Australia, we recognise the hurts of the past. We acknowledge the victims of abuse and injustice and continue to support them in healing together.  We acknowledge the history, stories, and Dreaming of the Darug people. We learn from the wrongs of the past, and these challenges guide us to a future that is accepting, welcoming and proudly diverse.

The history of Catholic education in Australia is far from staid, beginning with Irish insurgency in the early colony. We continue to grow from our beginnings in 1820, acknowledging the spirit, determination, and initiative shown by our earliest lay teachers. 

Ours is a story of courage and determination with heroes like St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, a woman whose extraordinary faith effectively extended the opportunities of education to ordinary Australian children. We continue to grow from the foundations laid by the religious orders and the legacy of the clergy who dedicated their lives to building Catholic schools and their communities. 

The contribution of the earliest Catholic schools transformed access to education for disadvantaged Australians. Today, Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta builds on this legacy through leading, transforming learning and teaching and through outreach. Above all, we celebrate all that unites us, and we commit to a hope that defines us, in living out God’s love for one another.

This term we have witnessed other college events which are in addition to the daily timetabled learning and teaching experiences. Some of these events have been our 2019 HSC High Achievers’ Assembly, College Opening Mass/ Ash Wednesday Liturgy, Caritas-Project Compassion Fundraising, Information Evenings, Swimming Carnival, Parent/Principal Chat Groups and our recent Enrolment Open Afternoon/ Evening. Each event has helped develop our great community at St John Paul II and each one has enhanced our community faith formation and educational endeavours.

 At the college we recognise that email is a fast and convenient way to communicate with your child’s teacher. As you could appreciate, teachers read their emails at various times throughout the school day. Further, other than in the case of a genuine emergency, they are generally not expected to respond to emails from parents/caregivers and students outside of normal working hours. Please keep in mind that if you send an email to a member of our staff outside of normal working hours, a reply may not be received until the following working day.

If you wish to contact your child’s teacher, please continue to direct your emails to the teacher which will be replied to as per usual practice. We appreciate your assistance and understanding. If you have any questions about this matter, please feel free to contact me at the college.

Communication between parents/caregivers, teachers and students is crucial to ensuring a student’s education and wellbeing is at its best. In response to the ever-increasing digital communications via social media, we have continued to embrace these technologies in a positive and productive manner. Currently we use college website, Facebook, Skoolbag app, intranet, SMS and email as the information is provided closer to the date of the event

During 2020 we will be creating more opportunities for parents/caregivers/students to receive information about their learning. We have commenced implementing Compass with the other schools in the Diocese of Parramatta. Compass is a school platform that assists schools in parent/caregiver, student and staff communication. Compass is designed to assist schools to improve the home school partnership with more timely and relevant communication.

Staff Update

Parents Representative Council – Diocese of Parramatta (PRC)

Thank you to Mrs Priscilla Pickering for representing the college at the Parents Representative Council – Diocese of Parramatta (PRC). Please contact me at the college if you wish to be the second representative for St JP II CC for the PRC in 2020.

The Open Evening which was held recently highlighted everything that we do here as a community with staff and students displaying our school to the wider community with genuine warmth and enthusiasm. The teaching and support staff are to be congratulated on their professionalism and dedication to the school during the event. Then we had the students assisting throughout the evening with our tour guides performing magnificently.

Our Open Evening attendance numbers should also serve to remind parents and caregivers that it is important to submit enrolment applications promptly to ensure a place at St John Paul II Catholic College in 2021. If you know of a family that wishes to enrol their son/daughter in Year 7 at the college in 2021 please advise them to contact the college to obtain an enrolment information pack prior to the end of term one vacation break. Enrolments are also available for any other students who are not currently at St John Paul II Catholic College, especially Year 11 for 2021. Offers of enrolment letters are currently being sent to families for 2021.

Staff Learning Days

Winter Uniform 

If students return to school at the start of Term 2. The changeover from summer to winter uniform for Term 2 is always difficult to determine with our changing weather patterns. However, we have decided that Week 1and 2 being the changeover period when students can choose to wear winter or summer uniforms –– not a mixture of them –– depending on the weather, with the beginning of Week 3 Monday 11 May being the time all students should be in their Winter Uniform.

Finally, I am always happy to speak to you about your child’s education or issues that affect their education. We  will continue to provide the best learning at school and on line we can as we work nationally in responding to COVID-19. 

“In times like these it’s important not to panic or lose heart. If this pandemic shakes us up and starts us thinking about who or what’s most important to us and what we should be doing with our lives, that can be a good thing.”

Today we ask all to be mindful that as of this time many places of work have been forced to cease trading in the hope of reducing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

This will have an impact on the economy, but it will also have an impact on many workers.  This in turn will have an impact on families. We live in uncertain times and in many ways, we are all struggling.

We pray for those who are sick.

We pray for those who care for the sick.

We pray for those who will struggle to find work.

And we pray for ourselves: that we can be ambassadors of hope through the patience, care and responsibility we display.

Above all we pray for strength.

The Angelus that we pray each day reminds us that God became present in our world through Jesus. Jesus taught us that all obstacles can be overcome through patience, faith and love. It will be tough. It might seem impossible. But we will get through this.

 In the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen

“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son”

Lenten is a time to reflect on the sacrifice Christ made for us and how we in turn respond to this sacrifice in our lives through our actions, interactions and speech. It is an ideal time to talk as a family about how what we do and say reflects our values. READ MORE

Technology and Online Learning

On behalf of ICT we would firstly like to thank the parents/givers for their support in this unprecedented time of Online Learning. We have seen a large majority of students already well equipped to join Google Classroom, Education Perfect, Edrolo and Zoom Online Learning Environments.

ICT would like to advise that students need to be doing the following on a daily basis to maintain a proper online learning environment: 

• Checking emails on a regular basis 

• Join Google Classrooms if your teacher has provided you a code

• Make it known to your teacher that you were present for the lesson, this can be done via:

• Submission of work

• Writing a comment in google classroom 

• Being visible on Zoom

• Writing questions in the Zoom chat

  Read more ....
  

All  Assessment Handbooks are available online from the website OR COMPASS Community School Documentation Parent Portal parents/caregivers and students to access.

On 6 February 2020 we honoured our 2019 HSC High Achievers at a whole school assembly. Students who achieved a band 6 and/or a band 5 in at least four courses were presented to the gathered. 

Read more ....

On March 24, students and parents received StJPIICC’s Remote Online Learning Teaching Plan. Though the timeframe from concept to action was very limited, our teachers, students and parents have responded positively to these new changes during these unprecedented times. Feedback from our students can be read here...

The Voice Auditions Excursion

On 5th February, Entertainment and Music students from Year 10-12 had the opportunity to go to The Voice Auditions live at Moorebank. Students were immersed in the Entertainment Industry and able to see how backstage aspects work, what industry standard equipment is used and listen to the valuable performance feedback given to performers. Entertainment students were able to see how a production of this scale is put together through sound, lighting, vision and backstage departments. Music students also saw some great performances and heard relevant feedback given by the judges which they can now learn to apply to their own performances.  Read more ...

On 3 March, the Year 12 Construction class along with Ms Geppert, Mr Claridge and Mr Lewis went to Cath West Innovation Centre at Emu Plains to complete day one of their Brick and Block practical task. 

Students were asked to create a 7 course wall which was 1200mm long. Students learnt the skills for brick laying in a workplace environment. Later the Year 12 class returned to build a free standing pier. 

BUSHFIRE APPEAL VALENTINE'S DAY FUNDRAISER
Valentine's day was celebrated a little differently this year. Due to the unprecedented bushfires that took place over the summer break, SRC students were determined to stand in solidarity to raise money for this cause that affected so many families and their homes along with the Australian landscape and its wildlife. Students shared the love by purchasing a rose and a card dedicated to their peers which was distributed during homeroom on Valentine's day. 

STJPIICC OPEN AFTERNOON
During StJPIICC's Open Afternoon, simultaneous groups of parents and students from our extended community were led through our school by our Student Representative Council along with a superstar group of student volunteers. Throughout this important event our dedicated students wore their uniform with pride and they each spoke about their own positive learning experiences at the College. Each tour group began in the gathering area and though each tour duration was a little different, each group concluded back in the gathering area with the same positive responses from parents about the professionalism of our students and the wonderful community we have. 

Please follow us and stay connected on instagram @STJPIICC 

Enrolments for Year 7 - 2021 

St John Paul II is accepting enrolments for Year 7 2021. The closing date for Year 7 2021 applications 1st round offers was Wednesday, 25 March 2020.

Enrolment applications are still available from the website under Enrol Now or you can contact Mrs Fay Lovett on 9208 7200 to enquire further.