We have been so very blessed over the past 7 years to have Fr Duane as a part of our school community here at St John’s. Fr Duane was appointed to the St Michael’s parish as his first priestly appointment and now he has been appointed by the Bishop as Administrator of the West Wollongong Parish. Fr Duane will take up this appointment on 1 March 2019.

Fr Duane has enriched our community and each of our lives in so many ways. From his insightful homilies, to his engagement of our Religious Education program, he has deepened our knowledge of God. He has been a leader in mission, ministry and service in so many areas. He has worked with our social justice groups, including Vinnies and PAX, he has introduced the Youth Alpha program, attended year group and twilight retreats, joined with us on Youth Ministry Team days to name a few. Fr Duane has joined students in the playground for a chat and even shared his guitar playing skills on stage at showcase events. Yes we have been very blessed. We will miss him dearly however he leaves us as a richer community for having given so much of himself to us. We do wish him the best in his new ministry at West Wollongong and hope that he does get the chance to come and visit us sometimes.

Fr Duane will celebrate his final Mass on Sunday 25 February at St Michael’s Parish at 6.00pm. This mass is also significant as it is a ‘Mass with a Difference’: an opportunity to share mass with others in the community who have a disability and their families. There are also five students who have been preparing for baptism since last year and they will receive this sacrament at this special mass. Everyone is invited to attend.

Click here to view Father Duane's Farewell Mass 

HSC 2018 Recognition Assembly

Click here to view Emma McDonald's Speech

Mrs Sandra Hogan
Principal

It was great to see so many parents and students at our Year 11 and 10 information night and PALS gatherings earlier this week. The PALS teachers presented key information and guidance for the students and their parents. It was lovely to hear the chatting and laughter before and after the gatherings over a cup of tea. We look forward to the Year 7 PALS gathering coming up on Monday 4 March.

Also, bookings have opened for the Year 12 parent teacher night on Wednesday 20 February. It is such an important opportunity for students and their parents and carers to gain useful feedback about their progress as well as suggestions for improvement. Our hope is that this feedback, quite early in the HSC course will benefit the students for the rest of their HSC year. If at all possible, it is so important that the student attends these meetings. Have a great week.

Mrs Leonie Pearce
Assistant Principal

Uniform Requirements

Uniform

• Socks: Girls: white and at calf length;  Boys: walk socks.
• School shoes must be sturdy, black, polishable lace up leather school shoes.
• The skirt length must touch the knee when standing.
• Nail polish must not be worn to school.
• Makeup must not be worn to school, however Senior girls in Years 11 and 12 may wear modest, natural looking makeup.
• Earrings – one pair of silver or gold earrings for girls only may be worn in the earlobes (maximum size approximately the size of a five cent piece). No dress earrings.
• No facial or body piercing is allowed for boys or girls. Discreet (unnoticeable) clear inserts are acceptable, however, if they are bulky or easily noticeable, they will need to be removed.

Hair Requirements

• All long hair is to be tied back neatly. Hair below the collar must be tied back. All hair must be neat and tidy at all times. Students are not permitted to have their hair styled or coloured in a manner that is considered extreme by the school. Natural hair colour only.
• Boys are not permitted to have facial hair.
• All uniform items must be purchased from Lowes.

Click here to view the Uniform Requirements

Click here to view the Shoe Policy Guidelines

Mr James Eirth
Pastoral Care Coordinator

Best Start

St John's will participate in Best Start Year 7 which is an assessment that has been made available to secondary schools in the first five weeks of Term 1, 2019.

Best Start Year 7 is an online literacy and numeracy assessment package for schools to assess the literacy and numeracy skills of Year 7 students within the first five weeks of the school year. It addressed a key element in the NSW Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2017-2020 and is designed to assist teachers to identify where students may require additional support in literacy and numeracy skills to succeed in secondary subjects and to more effectively target teaching for all students.

Best Start Year 7 does not provide separate parent reports, as the purpose of the assessment is to provide feedback to inform teaching staff. However, teachers are able to provide feedback to students, parents or caregivers during the usual teacher interview processes. The Best Start Year 7 is just one of a range of assessments that the school uses to assess students.

Students will be asked to bring headphones or earbuds that plug into a school computer to enable them to hear audio for numeracy questions.

Mrs Lisa Murphy
Curriculum Coordinator

P&F AGM

The Annual General Meeting for the St Johns Catholic High School Parents and Friends Association will be held on Monday, 18 February 2019 at 6.00 pm in the staff room.

At this me

eting reports will be delivered from the President, Treasurer and school Principal prior to all positions on the Executive being vacated. Elections will then be held to fill the Executive positions. The positions are: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Parent Liaison & Publicity Officer. The duty statements for each role can be found in the constitution or in the minutes from previous meetings.

All positions are open to parents and care givers within our school community with the President role requiring previous experience on the committee.

Please consider standing for any of the positions as the school genuinely appreciates the support provided by the P&F. Being on the committee doesn't involve sacrificing endless hours - perhaps an hour or 2 each month, and the personal rewards of being a part of this important group far out way any physical rewards.

Mr John Barak
P&F President

Click here to view the 2019 P&F AGM Flyer

Click here to view the 2019 Working Bee Flyer

NSW Health Alert

Chickenpox Alert - there has been a recent diagnosis of Chickenpox in the Nowra community and as such we would like to bring your attention to the attached NSW Health Fact Sheet outlining the symptoms to be aware of.

Click here to view a copy of the NSW Health Chickenpox fact sheet

Welcome back for 2019. We have a very busy year ahead kicking off with Year 9 camp in week 6 this term. Year 9 camp is a real highlight of the year and our students will often talk about if for years to come. Camp is compulsory and a very valuable learning experience. It’s another great way to make new friends, experience new activities and share meaningful interactions as a year group. Please help our organisation of camp by returning camp notes as soon as possible.

I am happy to report we have started the year well and the students seem to be enjoying their new classes and elective subjects where they have begun working more intensively in subjects that they have chosen themselves.

I’m proud to report that some of our boys have had great success over the holidays in Futsal.

Lucas has written a brief overview of what they have been up to.

During the summer school holidays, Year 9 boys Joshua Moroney, Lucas Johnson, Alexander Priest and Christian Page represented Southern NSW Futsal Club at the 2019 National Futsal Championships in Sydney. All of the boys played well, one team being knocked out in the quarter finals, the other in the group stage. However, Josh, Lucas and Alex caught the eye of the selectors with their outstanding play. Josh will be travelling to Italy later this year to represent the AFA Australian National Team. Lucas and Alex were offered to represent Australia in Brazil, but both declined the offer. This is an incredible achievement by these boys and they should be applauded for their efforts.

Lucas Johnson Year 9

I look forward to another eventful year full of fun and new opportunities. God Bless!

Mrs Maggie Frawley
Year 9 Coordinator

Thank you to all of those parents and students who attended the Information Evening on Monday 11 February. There will be lunchtime sessions for those students who were unable to attend run by Mrs Murphy and Mr Vaughan. The feedback regarding the evening has been positive and we appreciate the enthusiasm and commitment shown by our cohort parents.
Some important dates coming up for Term 1 2019:

• Swimming Carnival - Week 4
• Open Night for 2020 Year 7 - Year 10 helpers needed - Week 5
• Year 10 Reflection Day - Week 8
• Cross Country - Week 9
• NRMA - Live Learn Drive - Week 10
• Parent Teacher Interviews - Week 11
• Subject Selection Information Night -Term 2 Week 8

Please look carefully at the following descriptions for the Award system. Please encourage students to pursue positive behaviours in every class, in every lesson and seek out red stamps whenever an opportunity arrives. The following is also in the diary:

3 RED STAMPS IN DIARY = 1 MERIT
BRONZE - 10 MERITS IN ANY AREA
SILVER - 20 MERITS IN ANY AREA + INVOLVEMENT IN CO-CURRICULAR OR EXTRA-CURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT
GOLD - 30 MERIT POINTS IN MORE THAN ONE AREA + SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY SERVICE (examples: working bee, open nights assistance, member of Vinnies, JAG, Social Justice action group, nursing home visits etc)

Any issues that arise of a pastoral nature please contact, class teacher, PALS teacher or Year Coordinator.

Mr Simon Vaughan
Year 10 Coordinator

Another year has started and the Maths staff are excited at the opportunities available to our students to really excel in their mathematics.

Years 7 and 8 will follow a learning program tailored to the individual needs of each student. The great advantage of this program is that it focuses on the growth of the student, giving regular feedback to parents and allowing each student to grow at their own rate. Last year we have had several hard working students grow more than 2 years of learning in one year, an outstanding result. The other aspect of the Year 7 and 8 program that excites the Maths teachers is the opportunity and focus given to Rich Activities and Investigations. I have put together a short video introducing parents to this program. The link can be found here or by typing in the URL (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLG1c1--AWY&feature=youtu.be)

There will be several other opportunities for students to further explore the wonders and joys of Mathematics. Look out for invitations to join the Maths Olympiad team (Year 7 and Year 8), ICAS MAths Competition (all years) and Maths in Surveying excursion (10MT.1 or 10MT.2)

Maths Tuition

Parents often enquire about extra assistance for their child. The Maths staff very generously offer their time every Thursday afternoon in B-block until 4.00pm. Students come along and do homework or study and have teachers readily available to help. This is always spoken of by departing Year 12 students as being of real benefit to their studies.

Mr Mark McKinnon
Maths Coordinator

Congratulations

We have received some fantastic news about the success of current and past students. Congratulations to Makenzie Veale (Year 12) who auditioned for and gained entry into NIDA’s actors studio which is a year long course that runs all day every Saturday. This a fabulous achievement as she is the only school student and one of only two teenagers to be accepted into the course with the rest of the participants being adults with varying levels of acting experience and training.

Congratulations also to Johanna Renwick and Megan Coulson-Knight (Year 11) who both applied for and were accepted into the the Young Belvoir Theatre Club. This will enable them to see 6 Belvoir theatre productions and be involved in post performance discussions with the actors and other creatives.

In addition Johanna also applied for and was successful in gaining entry into the Sydney Theatre Company’s Young Wharfies program which gives her the opportunity to see 7 STC productions and participate in 7 theatre workshops and 5 masterclasses with STC actors and directors. All of these students are hardworking, enthusiastic and talented individuals who have really challenged themselves by applying and auditioning for these courses and in doing so have demonstrated that you can, as a regional student, be as successful as anyone.

A further indication of what students from here can achieve is the amazing news that Natalie Abbott, who graduated from St John's in 2013, has gained the lead role in the mainstage musical Muriel’s Wedding. Natalie is a rare talent having a stunning voice and being an extraordinary actor - she won a Bell Shakespeare scholarship when she was in Year 11. Muriel’s wedding opens in Melbourne in 4 weeks and then comes to Sydney later in the year for a season. Make sure you get tickets to see a great show and to support Natalie’s big stage debut. It is immensely rewarding to see these wonderful young people receive these incredible opportunities to further develop their talents. A very warm and sincere congratulations to each and everyone of you from a very proud Drama teacher.

Mr Mark Burian
Creative Arts Coordinator

UoW Discovery Day

On Wednesday 6 February, 47 of our Year 12 students attended University of Wollongong Discovery Day. Our Year 12’s attended many university style lectures ranging from “Romanticism: What’s love got to do with it? (English)” to “Is Free Will an Illusion?” presented by the Philosophy department. This gave them the opportunity to see and use the university's facilities first hand, experience lectures and ask questions about the courses they may be considering for their future studies. They also enjoyed the exciting social activities on offer during the lunch break.

Families are encouraged to keep an eye on the careers website http://www.sjecareers.com throughout the year as this will include Open Day and information dates for various universities and other pathways post school.

Year 11 Life Ready

All Year 11 students will attend the Life Ready program on Wednesday 20 February. Permission notes have been distributed during PALS and these permission notes are to be returned ASAP.

Mrs Carla Hill
Careers and Student Futures Advisor

Thank you to the students who trialed for Girls Touch Football in Week 2. The teams have now been selected and notes are due Wednesday 20 February. Congratulations to all girls selected. Teams will travel to Fairy Meadow on 27 February. Google form nominations are now closed for Boys Touch, Tennis and Futsal. Coaches will be in contact with nominated students in the coming weeks. Google form nominations are now open for Boys and Girls Soccer. These are available on the Representative Sport Google Classroom page (code: oeddp3) and will close Monday 25 February at 3.00pm. It is important that students continue to read their daily notices and check for upcoming representative sporting events on the Google Classroom page. Notices regarding both school and CCC nominations are available.

Upcoming Events:

Week Four:

20 February: TRIATHLON INDIVIDUAL - All Schools Closing Date
Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

21 February: GIRLS CRICKET - NSWCCC Closing Date.
Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

21 February: SWIMMING - St John’s Carnival

Week Five:

25 February: TENNIS - NSWCCC Closing date.
Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

27 February : GIRLS TOUCH - Wollongong Diocesan Gala Day

28 February: TRIATHLON NSW All Schools Individual Event: Penrith

1 March : TRIATHLON NSW All Schools Team Event: Penrith

Week Six:

5 March: BASEBALL -  NSWCCC Closing Date.

Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

7 March: BOYS TOUCH - Wollongong Diocesan Gala Day

8 March: Volleyball- NSWCCC Closing Date.
Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

Week Seven:

14 March: WATER POLO - NSWCCC Closing Date

Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

14 March: TENNIS TEAMS - Wollongong Diocesan Gala Day

14 March: SWIMMING - Wollongong Diocesan Carnival

15 March: FUTSAL - South Coast Schools Championships - Open Boys & Girls

Week Eight:

20 March: Hockey - NSWCCC Closing Date.
Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

20 March: RUGBY LEAGUE 15’S and OPENS - Wollongong Diocesan Selection Trial

22 March: Golf -  NSWCCC Closing Date.
Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

Week Nine:

26 March: CROSS COUNTRY - St John’s Carnival

27 March: FOOTBALL - CCC Knockout Closing Date (School nomination)

Week Ten:

3 April: Diving -  NSWCCC Closing Date.
Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

5 April: NSWCCC Swimming

Term 2

Week One:

29 April : AFL Girls  - NSWCCC Closing Date.

Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

30 April: AFL Boys Girls  - NSWCCC South Closing Date.

Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

2 May : NETBALL - NSWCCC Closing Date.
Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

2 May: BOYS Football (SOCCER)- Wollongong Diocesan Gala Day

3 May: GIRLS Football (SOCCER)- Wollongong Diocesan Gala Day

3 May: RUGBY - NSWCCC Closing Date.
Please visit https://www.csss.nsw.edu.au/nswccc-home.aspx to register.

Week Two:

6 May: CROSS COUNTRY - Wollongong Diocesan Carnival

The New NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy

Food and Drink Benchmark

Term 1 2019 there will be a few changes to the canteen menu, to comply with the new NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy, which replaces the old Traffic Light criteria of food and drinks that can be sold in school canteens. This means three quarters of the menu is everyday food from the five food groups and one quarter of the menu is occasional foods with a 3.5 or higher food star rating. Some food items high in sugar, salt and/or saturated fats that do not reach a 3.5 food star rating will be removed from the menu, eg. iced tea, Ovaltinis, cough lollies, JJ's Jumpies and some ice creams, so not too many changes. The canteen staff are working hard sourcing new and nutritious snacks and ice creams to add to the menu, eg. dip & nibbles packs, cheese dip & biscuits, fruit pikelets & scones, house made pasta dishes & salads, frozen juice cups and coconut juice ice blocks. There will be lots of new items to choose from. If you have any questions, ideas or a few hours spare to volunteer in the canteen, please contact the Canteen Manager on 4423 1359.

The school offers the convenience of online lunch orders for all students. If you wish to order online please click on the school lunch online image on the website to register. 
Close off for orders is 8.30am daily, a 25c transaction fee applies. If there are any discrepancies with your order, please contact 1300 787 939.

Volunteers please note: Sign in at the School Office on the computerised system before you commence your shift. Please wear enclosed shoes, long hair tied back, no excessive jewellery (i.e. rings, bracelets).

Click here to view the Canteen Menu

Click here to view the Canteen Roster

Click here to view the Canteen Volunteer Roster

Click here to view the Eric Genuis Flyer

Click here to view the Husky Football Club Flyer

Click here to view the Creative Company Info Night Flyer

Click here to view the Shoalhaven Womens Health Care Flyer

Click here to view the Womens Wisdom Group Flyer

Click here to view the Shoalhaven Rugby Club Flyer

Click here to view the Monkey Mondays Flyer

Student Exchange Australia

Student Exchange Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that is registered with all state and territory Departments of Education around Australia and with the Ministry of Education in NZ. We are the first and only secondary exchange organisation in Australia and New Zealand to be certified to ISO 9001 (Quality Management System) and we ensure the highest standards of care and support to our participants. 

FREE LIVE ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION
Hear from our very experienced, Senior staff, find out more about discounts and scholarships available and ask questions.
Thursday, 14 February at 7.30pm
Register now Visit www.studentexchange.org.nz or call 0800 440 079 for more information.

JUNIOR AFL COME & TRY THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday 16 February the Bomaderry Tigers & Shoalhaven Giants will be holding a “Come & Try” at West St Oval between 10am and 1pm.

The Giants and Tigers will have girls 12’s, boys 13’s, 15’s & 17’s(Tigers only) playing into the AFL South Coast competition on Sundays in 2019.