Newsletter Week 7

First Sunday of Advent (Year A)

“So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Matthew 24:44

Once again, we enter into the holy season of Advent. Advent, more than anything else, is a time of spiritual preparation by which we dispose ourselves more fully to receive the greatest Gift we could ever receive: Christ Jesus Himself!

The readings for this First Sunday of Advent remind us that the Savior of the World will one day return to earth. We are reminded that He will return in all His splendour and glory and that this coming will be “at an hour you do not expect…” 

Though it’s true that our Lord could return to earth for the Last Judgment and the re-creation of Heaven and earth at any time, most people do not expect this to happen anytime soon. And though that may be the case, our Lord goes to great lengths to encourage us to always be prepared for this final coming, stating clearly that it truly could be at any time.

How prepared are you if that day were to be today? This preparedness is one of the central keys to our holy living. If we were able to live today and every day hereafter as if it were that day, the day of our Lord’s return, then there is little doubt that our holiness of life would greatly increase as we live with this ongoing anticipation and preparedness.

One of the effects of living day after day, year after year, in a state of perpetual preparedness is that we are not only ready if our Lord does indeed return today, but, just as importantly, we remain perpetually attentive to the countless ways that He does come to us each and every day. This form of perpetual preparedness forms within us a spiritual habit of hearing and responding to the voice of God and the countless graces He sends to us every day. This habitual preparedness is a virtue by which the coming of Christ transforms who we are, here and now, and enables Him to live more fully within us, accomplishing His mission of redeeming the world in and through us.

My ever-present Lord, You constantly come to me at an unexpected hour to pour forth Your grace and mercy into my life. Help me to form within me a permanent habit of preparedness by which I continually open myself to You and to Your perfect will for my life. May this Advent be a true time in which my readiness to meet You increases a hundredfold. Jesus, I trust in You.

 

 

St Therese Catholic School Core Values

Inclusion     Excellence     Respect    

Collaboration     Community

Blessing & Opening

Last Friday, was a great day to celebrate our wonderful school and community. The feedback from the many invited guests praised how wonderful the students were and commented on the positive atmosphere that they experienced. This is a very common comment from prospective enrolling families, casual teachers and other visitors. 

The school will be opened on Sunday, 4 December after the 10am and 5pm Masses for any parishioners who would like to look through the refurbished building.

Facebook / Funding for Catholic Schools

The Illawarra Mercury attracted many comments after the article on our Blessing & Opening. By far, most of the comments were very positive and happy to see the investment and rejuvenation of the school. Unfortunately, some people took it as an opportunity to ‘bag out’ Catholic Schools yet again.

Just for the record, systemic Catholic Schools are not ‘private schools’. Too often we are lumped together with the very high fee paying prestigious schools dotted around the country. System Catholic Schools educate students at about 85% of the money given to State Schools per student. School fees then make up about 5% of the shortfall. The fact is, that systemic Catholic Schools save the government money (especially as the bulk of our funds come from the Federal Government as opposed to State Government funding.

Christmas Cards

We ask that the exchange of Christmas Cards among students not commence until December 1 at the earliest. Could you also talk to your child / children about the purpose / significance of exchanging cards. Too often we see cards and  envelopes left lying around as they are ripped open and then discarded. Is there a lot of meaning in writing “To ________, from _________”  ?? Are children ever encouraged to add a little extra that would mean something to the recipient?

Christmas Gifts / Kris Kringles 

Not wanting to be seen as a Scrooge, however, at school, we see the flow on positives and negatives of students distributing gifts at school. We see the students who don’t receive a gift, the students whose parents struggle to buy their own children a gift let alone others, the lavish gifts that some families are fortunate enough to be able to share, the isolating Kris Kringle groups that develop among students - isolating others, and the list goes on.

Our Year 6 and Year 5 students take some class time to create a gift for the Kinder and Year 1 buddies. The time and effort is the real gift. 

I understand children / parents wanting to buy gifts for close friends. Could this exchange happen at a better place than school? A play in the park, a play day at home, a day at the beach?

Year 6 Graduation

The date for Year 6 Graduation is Thursday, 15 December. Graduation will involve a Mass at 6pm followed by supper and activity in the hall. Further details will be distributed later.

Student Council 2023

The process for selecting the 8 members of the Student Council for 2023 will commence next week. Year 5 parents yesterday received details of the process.

Nathan and Alice from St Therese win at the regionals First Lego League Robotics Competition.

There were 33 teams competing in the FIRST LEGO League region competition including schools, community groups, and Scouting groups of children from 9-16 yrs.

 

Project Bucephalus, had two teams with St Therese Students in the competition held at TAFE Wollongong. 

Alice Thornbury from Year 3, and her all-girls locally sponsored team called "Dobby's Sock" won the Rising All Stars Trophy.

 

Nathan Bird, Year 4, and his team Intergalactics, won Champion's Award Finalist (2nd place overall) and this also gets them in to the Nationals FLL Competition in 2 weeks time.

Great achievement from these St Therese Children

 

 

Principal's Awards

No Awards This Week 

 

St Therese School Facebook Page

www.facebook.com/westwollongong.sttherese

School Vision Statement

“Immersed in faith, pursuing excellence in learning

and positive wellbeing of all”

SEL

HELPING CHILDREN READ

The University of Wollongong invites our students to Learning Labs, an academic and creative arts enrichment holiday program. Students from Year 1 to 6 who are passionate, self-motivated and curious learners are invited to apply.

Dates: Little Learning Labs (Years 1 and 2): 9^th – 11^th January 2023

            Early Learning Labs (Years 3 to 6): 17^th – 19^th January 2023

Venue: University of Wollongong (Wollongong campus only)

Applications close: Wednesday, 9^th November 2022

 LITTLE AND EARLY LEARNING LABS program brochure

P & F COLOUR RUN 2022

P & F Colour Run 

• Friday 2 December 2022

P & F Bunnings BBQ

• Saturday 3 December 2022

Whole School Christimas Concert 

• 11.30am Friday 9 December 2022

Year 6 2022 Graduation Day 

• Thursday 15 December 2022

Year 6 2022 Big DayOut

• Friday 16 December 2022

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL 2022 - END OF YEAR ASSEMBLY, AWARDS & YEAR 6 GUARD OF HONOUR

• Monday 19 December 2022

Sacrament of Holy Communion

This week we celebrate almost 50 students receiving the special Sacrament of Holy Communion in our Parish.

Congratulations to all these students on takinbg the next step in their faith journey.

Thank you to Fr Duane, our Year 3 teachers (Mrs Timpano and Ms Pellizzari) and Lauren Hall  (Parish) for preparing the students so well. Thank you to Mrs Locke and Mrs Townsend for your support with booklets/ certificates etc and training others and Melissa for collating all the data. We are all so grateful for your support of our First Communicants.

ADVENT

This Sunday is the 1st Sunday in Advent. Advent is that special time of the year,  when we prepare and get ourselves ready for the coming of our Saviour at Christmas.

Christmas Hamper Donation

Our Mini Vinnies Team will begin our donations for our Christmas Hampers beginning next week. We will be collecting a variety of Christmas foods to place in Christmas Hampers for the less fortunate. All donations are gratefully accepted. 

RECONCILIATION

Normal times for Reconciliation to resume from 5pm Saturday 23^rd October, please refer to the weekly bulletin this Friday for the details. In addition, Fr Jerzy will be offering Reconciliation from Monday 25^th October until Saturday 30^th October after Mass as needed.  

BAPTISMS

We are in the process of rescheduling baptisms that were postponed during lockdown. For any new requests please contact Kathy at the Parish Office (email: westwollongong@dow.org.au any time or call 4229 1074 on Tuesdays 9am-3pm).

God bless you all,
Fr Duane

Birthdays

23 November 2022 - 29 November 2022

Dion T - 1G , Charles A - KG, Merry D - 6B , Mani K - 4G, Elizabeth E - 5G.

November 2022

24 - First Holy Communion

25 - 9.30am Parish Mass

December 2022

2 - 8.40am Advent Prayer - Year 5

     1.30pm P & F Colour Run 

3 - P & F Bunnings BBQ

9 - 11.30am Christmas Concert & Liturgy

14 - 2022 Semester 2 Reports Portal Opens 

15 - 6.00pm Year 6 Graduation in the Church

16 - Year 6 Big Day Out

19 - Last Day For Students Term 4 2022

20 - Staff Development Day Term 4 2022

WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS & FRIDAYS ONLY