“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Dear Parents and Carers

Happy Christmas

The end of the school year has arrived and I would like to wish you all a very happy and holy Christmas with your families. Most people look forward to this time of the year because of the positive childhood memories they have. Children do make all the difference at this time. There is genuine ‘wonder and awe’ on children’s faces as they experience different aspects of Christmas. I hope that Christmas is a peaceful time to you and your families. I wish you every blessing.

Thank you from me to you all for my thirteen happy and productive years at St Jude’s. I leave knowing I have done my best and am deeply satisfied with how the staff over the years has worked together to handle the many challenges and situations we have found ourselves in. When I came here we had eight classes and next year we will have eighteen, so that is strong growth and it reflects well on our current staff as well as previous staff who have worked hard to build up this good school. Thank you and goodbye.

Peer Leaders 2021

School captains, house captains and vice captains are selected by students and staff via our voting system. The peer leaders are positions of responsibility that are appointed by the principal. These are the only leadership positions not chosen through voting. There are so many terrific students in our Year 5 classes who would do the peer leader role beautifully. The peer leaders for 2021 are: Grace M, Amy R, Margo S and Abbey S. Using the consensus model these students will be appointed to run the following committees: Publications, Prayer and Mission, Administration, Sustainable Schools.

Year 6 Graduation

Year 6 Graduation was held on Tuesday evening starting with Mass at 5.00pm. The evening was a fitting way to farewell our Year 6 classes and wish them all the best for their future.  Thank you Mrs Chant for her efforts in organising the Mass. Following Mass we held the formal part of graduation involving our prize giving which took place in the air-conditioned church. Following the prize giving our Year 6 students did a fine job in performing their graduation song with all students playing an instrument/singing in a rock band - they were most impressive. I want to especially thank Mrs Shillington for her great work with the Year 6 graduation song and band. Congratulations to all involved on a terrific night. I thank Mrs Gibson, Mr Stephens and Mrs Chant on the wonderful job of teaching our seniors all year. Tuesday night reflects very well on them.

Major awards were presented to:

School Captain Awards: Ashleigh M and Charlie R

Citizenship Award (voted by students): Ann-Maria M

Citizenship Award (voted by staff): Isaac S                          

Rostrum Award: Campbell L

Sr Margaret Watson Award: Ann-Maria M               

Enthusiasm for Learning Award: Chloe C

Healthy Lifestyle Award: Angus W                          

Global Awareness Award: Bailey F  

Outstanding School Achievement Award: Juliette G

House Captain and Vice-Captain Awards:

Mulley:  Captain - Campbell L      Vice-Captain - Lily E

Streeton:    Captain - Maddison C       Vice-Captain - Juliette G

Dixon:    Captain - Holly C       Vice-Captain - Mia W

Hindmarsh:    Captain - Natalie S        Vice-Captain - Lilium H

Peer Leaders:

Jared W    Lucy F    Ann-Maria M    Ella A

Classes for 2021

Yesterday morning from 9am to 11am, our students spent time in their classroom with their classmates and teacher for next year. Things seemed to go smoothly and the children were certainly excited afterwards, as many conversations were heard, which clearly stated how much the children enjoyed their new arrangements.

Teachers and their classes in 2021 are:

KF Cathleen Feerick  /  KC Mandy Cowley  /  KH Shannon Henry

1S Catherine Smith  /  1T Zoe Tsiouris /  1H Emily Holgate

2H Sharon Hart  /  2D Kelly Delaney  /  2LS Debbie Lynch/Angela Sallecchia

3M Karen Mahony  /  3S Anna Stincic

4LR Maggie Lloyd/Debbie Reed  /  4R Megan Rice  /  4T Keryn Thiele

5S Tim Stephens  /  5L Kathy Laudenbach

6V Brigitta van Deas  /  6G Nicole Gibson

Departing Staff

We bid farewell to Susan Chant as she heads off to St Thomas the Apostle at Kambah as Assistant Principal. Susan has been a wonderful servant to this school but I am pleased she is heading off to a promotion position as she richly deserves it. Kim Hekimian, both as our Canteen Manager and Library Assistant leaves us after a number of years.  Kim will be working full time at Merici College next year in their library. Kim has trained in library services and her new role is too good for her to refuse. Her cheerful presence will leave a whole in this school and she will be an enormous loss. Liz Bailey won’t be with us next year as she has taken the year off. When she returns in 2022 I am sure she will have many stories to tell. Thank you Liz for your always thoughtful and meaningful contributions to St Jude’s.

Camp Australia – Refreshed Parent Portal

This new Parent Portal app (see flyer elsewhere in this newsletter) significantly improves the way that parents can make and manage their bookings with Camp Australia by offering a simplified and intuitive booking process, a booking calendar overview to see your bookings in advance, and updated features including multi-child booking and a recurring/casual toggle. CAs updated billing section gives families their totals at a glance, is an easy way to track your spend, and gives you full control over your payment management. There are lots of other features such as child profile management (including medical requirements, additional authorities and more), one-touch contact to call the service directly or get in touch with CAs customer care team. The Parent Portal app is available now and the update to CAs desktop version will be available in early 2021.

Best wishes and Merry Christmas.

Wishing you well

Peter Galvin
Principal

H a p p y  B i r t h d a y  t o

December 2020 Birthdays

Oliver H, Lily N, Harry H, Greta H, Cooper W, Riona R, Jasper S, Abby M, Yanxi D, Toby W, Jonah S, Rhye M, Alex S, Chelsea J, Daniel F, Scarlett O.

Janurary 2021 Birthdays

Hugo C, Heidi T, Abhayjot S, Olivia W, Grace O, Denham D, Amelie C, Max V, Peyton J, Archie R, Ethan J, Samuel M, Luka F, Connah R, Karston L, Bronte B, Elizabeth M, Buster O, Hannah P, Haya M, Benjamin L, Sophie W, Jemima W, Penny A, Nenad C, Mehtaab B, Maya B, Tristan B, Elliot M, Amelie M, Gabrielle S, Rishan S, Noah B, James R, Finnley C, Lucas A, Thomas A. 

Christmas Mufti Day - Uniform Free Day

We invite children to dress in their Christmas best on the last day of term, Friday 18 December.

School Fees - Now Due

If you are leaving St Jude's this year, please ensure your school fees are paid prior to the end of the school year. Please contact Peter Galvin if you are experiencing financial difficulties paying school fees.

Book Pack Orders

Last call for book pack orders! All orders are due by tomorrow, Friday 18 December. Click on this link for further information: https://stjudesps.schoolzineplus.com/_file/media/1586/2021_book_pack_order_letter.pdf

Qkr! Reminder

Please update your children's profile on Qkr! at the end of the school year, to reflect their new school year level in 2021. For example, change the profile from year 3 to year 4. If you are leaving the school at the end of the year, please remove your profile from the app.

School Communication – SZAPP

As with Qkr!, please update your children’s profile at the end of the school year, to reflect their new school year level in 2021. If you are leaving the school at the end of the year, please remove your subscription from the app.

Lost Property

Our lost property is overflowing. Please encourage your child/ren to have a look for any items they may own.

This week’s Gospel passage from Luke tells the story of the Annunciation where the angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to tell Mary she was to be the mother of Jesus. This story is especially important for our parish, as it has recently been renamed as the Parish of Our Lady of the Annunciation. I have been especially blessed to be a part of this parish for close to 15 years and have developed close friendships with the parishioners - many of whom have grandchildren at St Jude’s. Blessings also come from our school, as I have been a parent and teacher here since 2010. I can honestly say that this school - your school - is one of a kind. It is because of the wonderful teachers, supportive parents and brilliant students that it is going to be very hard to say goodbye. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your support during my time here, the kind words that have been shared and common stories along with your genuine interest in your child’s education and willingness to engage in our community. I know I leave you in wonderful hands with all the teachers who work tirelessly each and every day. Passing my leadership role onto Mrs Brigitta van Deas has been an easy one - she shares my passion for evangelisation and a love of teaching. I have every confidence that she will love her job just as much as I have.

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for updates on all three sacraments in the school newsletter for 2021!

God bless

Uniform Free Day Tomorrow

Children are welcome to dress in Christmas cheer tomorrow for the last day of school.

Holiday Program – 21 to 22 December

The ELC will be open on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 December from 9am to 5pm. If you would like to book, email the ELC office ASAP.  Bookings cannot be accepted if fees are in arrears.

ELC Holiday Program

St Jude’s ELC will be open on Monday 25 and Friday 29 January from 9am to 3pm for holiday program. To make a booking please email the ELC office before Tuesday 22December.

Final ELC Fees – Due Now

Thank you to those families who have finalised their ELC fees for 2020.  Can all families please check your final account balance (which will take into account CCS rounding and extra term charges) and ensure that you do not have any amounts owing.

Fifth Lane photography

$20 from each photo package purchased by families from our community will go towards ELC resources. If you are due for family photos or looking for a special Christmas gift check out their website and the great deal.

Ski and Snowboarding Clinic

Our Year 1 students have been participating in ski and snowboard clinics with Callum and Wendy this week. They have enjoyed balance, coordination and learnt quite alot about snowsports.

Swimming

On Wednesday 10 February 2021, we will be holding our School Swimming Carnival at Stromlo Leisure Centre (Corner of Uriarra Road and, Dave McInnes Rd, Stromlo). St Jude’s students in Years 1 to 6 will be participating in water related activities including swimming races and novelty events, with a strong emphasis being placed on participation, having fun and encouraging others. Nominations for races have been sent home, so please return them ASAP. An information letter, together with a lunch order note and a permission note will be sent home early in 2021.

Get Active!

Regular physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Making physical activity a priority and encouraging good habits in children from an early age is important and can help them to develop the skills they need to be active throughout their lives.

Why is being active important?

Children benefit greatly from being active as it can:

• Promote healthy growth and development
• Build strong bones and muscles
• Improve movement skills
• Improve cardiovascular fitness
• Help achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• Improve academic achievement
• Help relaxation
• Provide opportunities to make friends
• Improve self esteem and self confidence

Children who are not physically active enough will not have the opportunity to gain these benefits and are at an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese long term can contribute to conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and heart disease.

Cricket

If you are at all interested in purchasing tickets for the upcoming Sydney Pink Test - Cricket Match. Tickets go on sale tomorrow and can be obtained using the code : ACFSYDTEST

We have had a number of students sharing the Christmas spirit within our community which is so pleasing to see and hear.
 
Last weekend, four students performed at the Canberra Christmas Carols. Congratulations to Emmett 2D, Alexis 3M, Laura 4LR and Monica 6CG who were great ambassadors for our school and were even broadcast on ABC radio and ABC TV. If you would like to see the concert it can be viewed here https://www.facebook.com/abccanberra/videos/819129112215802/

We also had a number of students take up the challenge of a virtual choir with ABC classic with an original piece composed by Deborah Chetham. The final performance is just magic, if you would like to watch the performance you can view it here https://www.abc.net.au/classic/read-and-watch/news/virtual-classic-choir-premieres-new-australian-christmas-carol/12982952?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf241095902&utm_campaign=abc_classic&utm_source=m.facebook.com&sf241095902=1&fbclid=IwAR3fF7JgUvFRvLNY9OfhDGbE3xKO8DIUlndgkDT0EG_KrMXpZdjfNsROTWQ .

At last! Rewards for first class to have returned all their Library books go to 3LS!

If you still have books outstanding, try to get them in by tomorrow but if not, don’t worry. I’m sure they will turn up over the holidays. Do your best but don’t stress!

Please note: I am very happy to reimburse families the cost of lost books if they are found over the holidays and returned in good condition next year.

Holiday time is a good time to visit the local Library, join up (it’s free!) and make use of their resources!

Last but not least, we are farewelling the lovely Mrs Kim who is leaving us to take up a full time position at Merici College in 2021.Thank you, Kim for all you have given to our school in your different roles over your time at St Jude’s. We wish her all the very best!

Thank you to the Hamilton family for the donation of some preloved books.

Happy reading!

The Mulleyduds Uniform Shop will be open for new and second hand school uniforms on:

Sunday 31 January 2021, 10am to 11am

Please note that the uniform shop will not be open on Friday 18 December.

All uniform orders submitted on Qkr! will be processed during the first week of term 1, next year.

Uniform orders can be paid for via Qkr! or with cash. School uniform orders, enquires, etc, should be directed to the uniform shop at uniformstjudesps@gmail.com

Fete 2021

Save the date for the school fete – 13 March 2021.

Next year we are going to give volunteers the opportunity to assist with any stall, not just the one traditionally aligned with particular year groups. This will help us in getting more volunteers for planning and on the day. Many thanks to those who have already signed up to assist with coordinating a stall. Please contact the Fete Committee at stjudespsfete@gmail.com if you are able to assist or for more information. The following stalls still require a coordinator:

• Tombola
• Dutch Pancakes
• Nachos Stall
• BBQ
• Chip on a Stick
• Drinks
• Ticket Sales
• Fairy Floss
• Raffles
• Hair Spray
• Gelato
• Lolly Stall
• Side Show Alley
• MC 

Tombola

We usually collect items for Tombola at the start of term 1 in preparation for the fete. This year, please consider collecting for each of your children, approximately $5 worth of small items to be used as prizes. These can be collected this year or early next year. Just send them to school in a ziplock bag labelled “Tombola prizes”. Some suggested items include bouncy balls, ooshies, slime, special pens/pencils etc.

Sponsorship

We are seeking sponsorship for our fete and would love to hear from you if you or your business would like to provide sponsorship, either as a cash donation or by donating items or services. You can email your interest to stjudesfetesponsorship@gmail.com

Community Council Positions

At the AGM in week 3 of term 1 2021, the Community Council will elect a new President, Vice President and Secretary. These positions are essential to ensure the continued functioning of the Community Council, which provides service to the school in the form of continued improvements, providing feedback to the school and associated organisations, and strengthening the school’s connection to the community. If you are interested in nominating for any of these roles, please email me at the Community Council email address, as well as Peter Galvin at peter.galvin@cg.catholic.edu.au

We wish all of our families a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Mass Timetable - Our Lady of the Annunciation Weston Creek/ South Molonglo

Christmas Eve - 24 December

• 6pm Vigil Mass both Churches Children and Family Liturgy
• St Jude’s Mass is held under the Shelter Shed - please bring a chair and your umbrellas
• Limit 500 people
• Donations are tap and go
• The Archbishop Appeal – cash donations only
• 8.30pm Carols
• 9pm Mass St John Vianney Church

No Midnight Mass in the Parish

Christmas Day - 25 December

• 8.30am Carols
• 9am Mass St Jude’s Church 

Boxing Day - 26 December

• 8am Mass St Jude’s Church

As mentioned in last week's newsletter, there will be no school banking this week.