Dear Parents/Carers,

Last Sunday marked the beginning of the Advent season, which comprises the four Sundays before Christmas Day. It is known as a time of waiting and preparation. This waiting and preparation each year is for the celebration of Jesus' birth - in essence, one big birthday party! In the Church's tradition, we are also said to be waiting and preparing for the second coming of Christ as it is mentioned in scripture.

However, as Fr Andrew Hamilton writes, "the Australian context of Advent is sometimes characterised by the rush towards Christmas in which work presses hard, preparing for family celebrations and perhaps vacation afterwards occupies the mind. It is a time when the ringing of cash registers is heard throughout the land. Advent offers us a time to find a moment of space in a busy world." How a family can find that space is a challenge, however maybe these suggestions may be worth pursuing: attending Mass each week; taking one day during Advent to spend time in nature (at a beach, on a bushwalk, in a public garden); attending a Christmas carol event; or visiting a relative or friend who may be unwell or lonely. These activities would provide an opportunity to remove ourselves from the rush of Christmas and to refocus on what is really important about this season. 

At school, through our Religious Education lessons, we provide the children with the understanding that Christmas is more than giving and receiving presents. The Christmas Family Concert tonight will hopefully strengthen this understanding as we celebrate in song the birth of Christ. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible tonight. You are reminded that it commences at 6.30pm (children need to be in the Hall by 6.00pm) and that the sausage sizzle (gold coin donation per item) will be available from 5.00pm.

At the end of next week the academic reports for all students, including Kindergarten, will be made available on Compass. We will send out a notification to let you know when this will occur. Please make sure that you have access to Compass, either as an app on your phone or via a web browser (best viewed on a computer). If you need support with this, contact our office staff who can provide assistance. 

Wishing you a happy and safe forntnight,

Paul Moroney
Principal

FINALISING SCHOOL FEES

All school fees need to be finalised by end of Term 4. Outstanding school fee balances are now listed under the billing tab in the Compass Parent Portal. 

COMPASS

It is imperative that you login to Compass, with the login details sent home last term, as this is where you will find your child's Semester 2 report at the end of week 9.  No paper copies will be available.

Full Day & Partial absences

It is your responsibility to notify the school, through Compass, if your child will not be attending school for the full day.  Partial absences and holiday leave are not to be entered in this manner (this will be completed by the office staff).

The School's annual Christmas event will be held in Holy Family Church this evening with the students being led by Catholic musician and singer, Peter Kearney. 

From 5pm: P & F hosting a BBQ - sausage sandwiches and soft drink available for a gold coin donation per item.  All money raised will be donated to the St Vince de Paul Christmas Appeal. Please do not take food or drink into the Church

6pm:  students to meet their teacher in the hall to prepare for the concert - moving to the church at 6.15pm

6.30pm: Concert to begin.

Students will be dismissed from the Church.

The Most Rev Brian Mascord, DD Bishop of Wollongong has announced the appointment of the new Director of Schools for the Diocese of Wollongong.

As requested by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference:

Eternal God, In wisdom and love you created our earth to sustain us and give us life. We turn to you now in faith, hope and love, asking you to look with favour on our drought-stricken land, on our starving animals, on our failing crops.

Strengthen, sustain and give new heart to our farmers and to all who are affected by drought; be with those who support them.  In your loving providence, send abundant rain and restore our parched earth. Father of all compassion, hear our prayer through Jesus Christ your Son, in whom the promise of new life has dawned, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life: Renew your faithful people; Renew the Face of the earth.

Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Mary, help of Christians - Pray for us

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop - Pray for us