PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I trust that all had a wonderful Mother’s Day, although it is probably a fading memory as this very busy year races by.
The school is recovering from the recent heavy rains, with the ground recovering from the boggy mess that it had become. I thank the PE Staff and the students for their understanding in staying off the oval to allow for the area to dry out.
Over the last couple of weeks we have had a few major events:
- The Year 9 Camp, which was under threat of being washed out, turned out to be a great success.
- Year 7, 2025 interviews are taking place, and it is fantastic to see the quality of young people (and their families) that want a position at St John’s. We currently have almost 240 applications for the 180 positions available.
- Staff Development Day where we continued the Cyclic Inquiry process and started to set our goals for the next 4 years.
- Foundation Day.
YEAR 7, 2025 ENROLMENT PROCESS
Following on from the success of the School Open Night, the enrolment process continues. The application window for enrolments for 2025 has now closed and interviews are still taking place. Almost 240 applications have been received so far and St John’s continues to be the school of choice for most parents in our area.
THE IN BETWEEN TIME – ASCENSION TO PENTECOST
As we pass the middle of the Easter season, we enter the "in between time‟. Sunday 9th May was the Feast of the Ascension, where Jesus leaves the Disciples and ascends into heaven. This occurs 40 days after Easter. The Disciples are left with a promise – but no Jesus, no leader, no friend. The promise is the coming of the Holy Spirit. However, the disciples had no idea how long they would have to wait and what that waiting would mean for them. Would they have the same fate as Jesus? But still they waited faithfully.
The Holy Spirit arrived on Pentecost Sunday (last Sunday) and is the close of the Easter season.Pentecost falls fifty days after Easter and is when the Holy Spirit empowers the Disciples at the Feast of Pentecost. This is often called the birth of the Church as the challenge to spread the good news of Jesus is taken up by the Disciples.
This coming Sunday is Trinity Sunday. As Catholics we believe in one God, who reveals himself in three different forms, the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. This Feast day was decreed by Pope John XXII in the 1300’s.
NATIONAL SORRY DAY AND RECONCILIATION WEEK
This coming Sunday, 26th May is also National Sorry Day, where we pause and remember the stolen generations of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This then leads us into a week of prayer for reconciliation and National Reconciliation Week which runs until June 3rd.
The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2024 is – NOW MORE THAN EVER. This is a theme that rightly needs to be considered after the vote on the constitution failed in 2023.
FOUNDATION DAY
Today the school celebrated Foundation Day. St John’s opened it's doors to students in 1990 and next year marks the 35th Anniversary. (In 2025 we will be having some celebratory events).
I ask parents to discuss with their child the importance of recognising the foundation of things – sporting teams, national days and weeks, businesses etc. It is in respect for the contribution of those who went before us to build the club or organisation or event. What we continue to build in St john’s is because of the work that went before us.
I hope and pray that St John’s will have a lasting presence in the Nowra and Shoalhaven community. And the work we do today is recognised by those who come behind us.
On Foundation Day the whole school community gathered for Mass to celebrate who we are as a school and to offer thanksgiving to God. We thank Father Victor for presiding over St John's Foundation Day Mass and for all the staff and students reverence throughout the celebration.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Mr Wayne Marshall
Principal