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A PRAYER FOR FATHER’S DAY
We give our thanks, Creator God, for the fathers in our lives.
We ask for your blessings for them all.
This Father's Day we remember the many sacrifices fathers make for their children and families and the ways both big and small they lift children to achieve dreams thought beyond reach.
So too we remember all those who have helped fill the void when fathers pass early or are absent - grandfathers and uncles, brothers and cousins, teachers, priests and coaches - and the women of our families.
For those of us who are fathers, we ask for wisdom and humility in the face of the task of parenting. Give us the strength to do well by our children and by you. In your Holy name, O God, we pray. Amen.
To all the dads and pops, we hope that you have a wonderful Father’s Day with your families on Sunday.
REMOTE LEARNING
Once again I would like to thank all parents for their role in supporting their children during these times of remote learning. At this stage, the current arrangements will continue until at least the end of the term, unless government restrictions are eased. Parents are reminded to complete the Google Form if their children have no option to learn from home and must attend school on site.
Given the challenging nature of this term, it has been decided that teachers will reduce the workload for students over the next two weeks as everyone is exhausted and battling lockdown fatigue. This change is intended to support parents and a focus will be placed on activities of a lighter nature, possibly integrated with other subject areas (KLAs) and opportunities for children to connect more with their home life and families. For assessment purposes, students will still be expected to complete and submit tasks. Obviously some work still needs to be set in English, Maths and RE and there also may be unfinished work that the students can complete. There hopefully will be less of a reliance on technology although the students will still need to check in as attendance needs to be monitored on a daily basis. As always please contact your class teacher if you require support with your children's learning over the next fortnight.
KINDER 2022
We have now finalised acceptances for the Kindergarten cohort for next year. Unfortunately at this stage the nature of the transition process is uncertain, however we hope that once restrictions are eased, we will be able to organise opportunities for the children to visit the school and familiarise themselves with the school environment.
SUMMER UNIFORM
The changeover to summer uniform officially starts on the first day of Term Four, Tuesday 5 October, however if the warm weather continues, students attending school can start to wear their summer uniform from Week 9, Monday 6 September.
AFTERNOON PICK-UP PROCEDURES
We have been able to trial the new afternoon pick-up arrangements, with parents/carers staying off-site and collecting their children from one of three gates: Wentworth Street for surnames A-Grif; The Church Gate for surnames Grig-N and the Bottom Wilson Street gate for surnames O-Z. It has been working extremely well, however when larger numbers return to school, parents will need to exercise patience as the procedure may take a little longer. I thank parents/carers for wearing masks whilst collecting their children.
VIRTUAL BOOK WEEK PARADE
Thank you to the many students who sent in photos and videos of their chosen Book Week characters. There was a great variety of costumes and it was obvious that a lot of creative thought was exercised by children and parents. Thank you to our librarian Mrs Love for coordinating this wonderful initiative.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Thank you to the many parents, carers and grandparents who continue to provide positive feedback regarding the variety of learning experiences that are posted on the school’s Facebook page on a regular basis. It has been especially important during these times of remote learning. Social media, when used responsibly, is a wonderful vehicle for schools to communicate educational as well as other fun events to the wider community. Thank you to Mrs Love for coordinating all our communication via social media.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
This Sunday’s Gospel
Jesus heals the deaf man.
All Saints Catholic Parish Shellharbour
Mass times: All Saints Church - All Masses have been cancelled till further notice.
19 College Ave, Shellharbour City
MASS ONLINE WITH FR JOE
Watch Mass with Fr Joe live each weekday at 7:30am on the Parish Facebook page
facebook.com/All Saints Catholic Parish Shellharbour City
…remember to ‘like’ and ‘share’ & on Sunday morning at 9:00am on the Parish YouTube channel. The YouTube channel is new, so, got to YouTube and search for ‘all saints catholic parish shellharbour city’ and ‘subscribe’, ‘like’, ‘share’ and ‘comment’! Fr Joe would love to hear from you.
Mass at Stella Maris has been put on hold until we have further information. Any missed masses will be rescheduled later on in Term 4.
Year 5 Blue Week 9 - 7 September TBC
Year 4 Gold Week 10 - 14 September TBC
Father’s Day - The Year of St Joseph 2021 - Father, the Protector
Today let us pray for all those men and women who during this pandemic are serving in the shadows like
Joseph to protect, care, heal and support the vulnerable. Throughout Jesus’ life he was constantly aware of the nurturing, protective and loving presence of Abba, Father. Joseph became for Jesus this earthly presence and so is often spoken of as ‘Father in the Shadows.’ Today he becomes a wonderful inspiration for all those men and women who generously ‘take on the responsibility for the life of another’ as if they were the parents.
Let us pray,
God of love,
Today we ask your blessing on all who give their lives with a father’s love.
Bless new fathers and wise grandfathers.
Bless loving uncles and caring godfathers.
Bless fathers who await the birth of their child with joy.
Bless men who embrace fatherhood through adoption or foster parenting, remarriage or single parenthood.
Bless men still waiting and hoping to become fathers.
Bless fathers whose work takes them away from their children.
Bless fathers whose work is with their children.
Bless fathers whose lives are shaped by war, poverty, or violence.
Bless fathers who work for peace, freedom, and justice.
Bless teachers and mentors who serve as father figures.
Bless men who are separated from their children, by force or choice.
Bless families without fathers and all who love in abundance in their absence.
Bless families who have lost their father.
Bless all who celebrate today.
Bless all who struggle today.
Amen.
Care for Creation
September has been designated the Season of Creation. It is an annual worldwide celebration of prayer and action to protect our Common Home, running from 1 September – the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation – to 4 October – the feast of St Francis of Assisi.
Pope Francis launched this season at the Vatican, saying, ‘We should be united in showing mercy to the earth as our common home and cherishing the world in which we live as a place for sharing and communion’. Now,..every member of the Christian world is called to engage in this season prayerfully and courageously. So, let us join our individual and collective efforts to protect this Common Home we love.
Diocesan Sacraments of Initiation policy - Survey for parents and caregivers
Bishop Brian Mascord invites you to complete a survey inorder to collect information on what you consider is important for your children in presenting them the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. The Bishop believes that your responses are key to the development of the Diocesan Sacraments of Initiation policy and thanks you for considering being part of this important research.
You can access the Survey by simply clicking here: https://dow.sh/SacramentsSurvey
Confirmation | Shellharbour City Parish | 29 August 2021
As you may have anticipated due to the current ‘lockdown’ both the programmed upcoming Retreat/Preparation Day and Confirmation Day for this year’s Confirmation candidates have been cancelled and will be rescheduled. The rescheduled dates are yet to be advised:
TBA Retreat/preparation day
TBA Confirmation Masses at 11 am and 2 pm
We will be utilising the time preferences for Confirmation previously supplied. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to ask.
God Bless and Keep Safe
Alicia Sanchez-Levine
Religious Education Coordinator
School Opal cards have a physical lifespan of five years. Between now and the end of 2021, School Opal cards which haven’t been renewed in the past five years are due to be replaced.
Impacted students or their parent/carer will be contacted by Transport for NSW via email or post. They will be asked to confirm their contact details via a secure online form to ensure their replacement School Opal card is sent to the correct address.
If you have any questions you can contact us via transportnsw.info/
CatholicCare is opening a New Early Learning Centre, Long Day Care/Preschool for 2-5 year olds.
Located within the precinct of All Saints Parish and Nazareth Primary School, the proposed DA is currently before Shellharbour Council. The centre will include a new 60 place long day care centre and will provide a high-quality, early education and care experience for children and families, supporting a seamless transition to school. Highly qualified educators will deliver pre-school programs, catering for each child's needs and development, underpinned by the National Early Years Learning Framework and Quality Standards to guide and build strong early learning foundations so the children can thrive in the early years of their education journey, fostering a life-long love for learning.
We are currently consulting with local schools, parent groups and parishioners to understand how we can best meet the needs of the community. We value your voice, which will help shape the planning of the new Early Learning Centre and we would appreciate you completing this short survey: https://ncv.microsoft.com/wURfLQLpnx
Thank you for your time and sharing your opinion. Your feedback will help us shape a nurturing, quality education and care experience for your child and the community. If you'd like to register your interest for a placement, please go to catholiccare.dow.org.au.