Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to the start of Term 3.

We have had a wonderful start to the term and have enjoyed working with our students and staff with a renewed energy and optimism. Whilst are are still engaged in the Phase 3 COVID-19 cycle, it has be wonderful to embrace a greater sense of routine, structure and consistency within the context of the school community.

Next Saturday is the Feast day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop who founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart.  Mary and her Sisters played a significant role in Catholic education in Australia. At the time of her death in 1909, the Sisters of St Joseph numbered over 300, with 112 Josephite schools formed across Australia and New Zealand, and over 12,000 students enrolled with St Columbkille's Corrimal being one of these schools. As a school, we will celebrate St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day on Thursday 6 August.

Prayer to Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop 

God, who loves us dearly, we thank you for the life of

Saint Mary MacKillop. She showed us how to love and

care for each other and how to trust you when

everything seemed wrong.

We ask her to pray for us at this time.

May Saint Mary MacKillop help us to follow Jesus always.

We ask this through Jesus.

Amen.

Every 4 years of a Principal's contract, a Principal's Appraisal is undertaken. Last Wednesday was my first appraisal and I was extremely satisfied with both the process and the outcome. The appraisal panel consisted of Dr Michael Slattery (former Director of Schools: Newcastle/Maitland Diocese), Mrs Cynthia McCannon (CEDoW: School Improvement Services) and Mr Neil McCann (CEDoW: Leadership and Growth).

The process included survey feedback from Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong CEDoW and SCC staff, parents, grandparents and carers. On the day Father Patrick, CEDoW and SCC staff, students, parents and grandparents were interviewed.

Thank you to all the members of our school community that participated in the appraisal via survey and/or interview. I greatly appreciated your time and support throughout a very successful process.

Have a sensational couple of weeks. 

Take care 

Brad Colquhoun - Principal

Sunday Masses

In these restrictive times, we can still attend our regular Mass. The Parish Mass (with Fr Patrick inside St Joseph’s parish church) will be uploaded to the website at 5pm each Saturday. Gather the family and go to www.saintjosephsbulli.com and set your own time to view the weekend Mass. The Mass will stay on the website for the whole week.

Don’t forget Sunday Masses with Bishop Brian and priests from around the Diocese are available online at dow.org.au or diocese’s Facebook page. This weekend is the final live Mass celebrated by Bishop Brian.

UPDATES:

• Church can only take 40 registered worshippers
• It is essential that you register for each Mass you would like to attend (weekday and weekend Masses) through the office on 42843000 Mondays to Thursdays 9:30am to 3pm.
• No bookings will be taken after Thursday at 3 pm. Please ring if you cannot attend!!!
• All registers will be cleared and you will have to rebook each week. This is to be fair and equitable to all who wish to attend Masses.

Monitors will be in attendance at church to check names of those registered

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand Mt 14:13-21  

The miracle story is far more than simply feeding hungry people. It gives insight into the identity and mission of Jesus. Jesus is the new Moses, able to feed all the children of Israel in the wilderness with abundant bread.

The description of the miracle uses words from the community’s Eucharist and so we see in the miracle story the community’s understanding of their Eucharistic gatherings. Although Jesus is no longer a physical presence with the community, when they gather at Eucharist they continue to be nourished by Divine Wisdom’s bread and wine.

The miracle emphasises the abundance of food made available. There is a crowd of five thousand, and even more if the women and children were counted. Everyone eats as much as they want and there are still twelve filled baskets of scraps. What this suggests is that the meal can continue beyond this gathering. As we hear this story, we are part of its continuation. Every time we gather for Eucharist the miracle happens for us. Hear Jesus’ words of invitation to you, ‘Come, eat of my bread, drink of my wine.’

COMMENTARY by Mary Coloe PBVM 

Children may like to complete the worksheet attached at the end of the Newsletter about the Gospel reading.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

Jesus Walks on the Water Mt 14:22-33

Members of the Church, especially perhaps at the present time, can take great comfort from this scene. The Gospel recognises that there will be times of stress and danger when faith will be sorely tested and sometimes fail. But this does not mean that ‘Emmanuel’ is not with us, swift and sure to rescue, when, like Peter, we cry ‘Lord, save us’.

As Jesus and Peter get into the boat, the wind subsides and the disciples ‘worship’ him saying, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God’. Like Elijah at Horeb, they have come to a new awareness of God’s saving presence among them. The Gospel suggests that such new awareness can be the outcome of crises in which the Church experiences weakness, failure, and faltering of faith.

Children may like to complete the attached worksheet below about the Gospel reading.

MINI VINNIES DONATIONS

A huge thank you to the whole school community for supporting our St Vincent de Paul ‘Winter Appeal.’ It was a lovely sight to see so many wearing their beanies, gloves and scarves and donating winter woollies and non-perishable food items. Mr Neville Eager from St Vincent de Paul’s Corrimal office is also very thankful for our support in helping those in need in our local area.

RECONCILIATION & FIRST HOLY COMMUNION ENROLMENT

Enrolment forms for Reconciliation and Holy Communion were due today. Any questions or concerns please call the Parish Office on 42843000. 

RIPPLES PODCAST

The latest episode features Tim Hart and it is entitled "The Story Behind Pray School". He shares the inspiring story of how the program Pray School came to life during this time of COVID-19 as well as his own understanding of prayer and his journey as a musician. The Meditation this week is an experience of Centering Prayer. It is entitled "Be Still" and it draws on Tim's beautiful composition of this Psalm.

The links to the Podcast are provided below. 

PODCAST LINKS:

LINK TO PODBEAN: https://ripples.dow.catholic.edu.au

APPLE PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ripples/id1511337808 

LINK via CEDoW Learning Continuity Site: 

1. TEACHERS:https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/clem-spiritual-formation/spiritual-formation/teachers
2. PARENTS:https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/clem-spiritual-formation/spiritual-formation/parents

FEAST DAY ST MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP

On 8 August Catholics celebrate the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. She was a wonderful woman who gave her life to God and to people in need and was declared Australia’s first Saint on the 17 October 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. This year is the tenth anniversary of her cannonisation. Students will focus on St Mary and her life within Religious Education lessons close to this date as well as take part in a Zoom liturgy on Thursday morning. If you would like more information about her life, as well as relevant YouTube clips, click on this link from the Sydney Catholic Schools

https://reonline.sydcatholicschools.nsw.edu.au/2016/06/17/feast-of-st-mary-of-the-cross-mackillop/

Key points of Phase 3 include:

• no assemblies, carnivals and/or excursions
• 1.5m social distancing (morning arrival and afternoon dismissal) adult to adult and adult to student, encouraging student social distancing, morning duty, afternoon dismissal, daily cleaning and ongoing hygiene practices.
• Please do not congregate in the doorway to the office building or the gate accesses to our school
• No parents/carers are permitted past the office area
• No parents/carers are permitted into the classrooms or library

• Parent pick up at 3pm - students, parents and grandparents to assemble at their grade witches hat adhering to 1.5m social distancing and moving from the school grounds as soon as possible
• Students catching a bus to assemble in the basement at 3:05pm
• Students walking home or going home on car lines, assembly on the front cement at 3:10pm

As part of their learning in Religion during Term 2, the Year 3 students were exploring the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The children discussed how the Holy Spirit was at work in their community, through the care, kindness, courage, patience and strength shown by all Health workers during COVID-19. The students wanted to express their gratitude, so they wrote and illustrated letters of encouragement and support to say “Thank You” to Health care workers at Wollongong Hospital.

The students of 3B were very touched, and excited, to receive the following letter

Mrs Lace and Mrs Bower Year 3 Blue Teachers

As senior members and leaders within our school community, Year 6 are called to live according to a pattern of love and service modeled by Jesus Christ.  Each student is challenged to use their own unique skills and abilities to help bring about peace and grow our sense of community, by modelling how to best be, Respectful, Responsible and Safe. Over the course of the year, Year 6 are invited to participate in activities of service and stewardship, both at a school and community level.

Students are asked to identify areas of need and/or support, endeavoring to promote and provide positive relationships between their peers, other school students, teachers and parents.  In maintaining and sustain these relationships, students will help and support others during their own time, through making themselves available to help others within the St. Columbkille’s, Corrimal School community.

Within their Our Time to Lead booklets, student log their actions of giving which is later signed off by the teacher. 

In Semester One the follow students took up the challenge.  Congratulations to: Niceisha Manago, Liam Pleace, Zara Srbinoski, Maddison Wood, Xavier Parlemo, Evenly Ritz, Oliver Ibrahim, Emily Sharman, Taj Dorrington, Lucy Baggio, Lucas Sharman, Mia Akhurst, Jed Petre, Billy Collyer, Noah Smart, Lucas Dubowski, Isabella Oliver, Lukas Srbinoski, Olivia Otsyula, Isaac Feilding, Tahlia Capocchiano, Jay Giblett, Tyler Karhof, Jake Walsh, Cameron Munn, Matilda Bailey, Steven Porter, Luca Tortorici, Ellie McCormack, Indiana Dalton, Ellie Cram, Samuel Morrisey, Kaden Drady, Max Baumeister, Tayler Humphries,   Emma Lumsden, Alessandra Ezquerro, Riley Locke, Joelle Bates, Sophia Kordalis, Mira Cameron, Jasmine Whiddon, Alana Mauroplous, Kobe Carter, Riley Holl and Harper Fursey.  

Maria Disibio

Assistant Principal

You now have until Sunday, 2 August to register your child in any of the UNSW ICAS Assessments for 2020. Initially the cut of date was July 17 but UNSW have generously extended this. 

If you are interested and did not get a chance to do so earlier in the year, please view the attached document for instructions on how to register. 

Mrs Libbie Tyrrell

Middle Leader

A Staff Development Day will be held on Friday 28 August, with the focus on writing and spelling

- This will be a Pupil Free Day... 

School photos will be taking place on Monday, 10 August.  All students must wear their full "Winter Uniform" on this day, even if they are scheduled to have sport. We have sent home envelopes last week for you to use if you don't wish to order online.  Sibling photo envelopes will be available from the school office.

Premier's Reading Challenge News

Helen Moon

SSO Library