Dear Parents and Caregivers
Welcome back to Term 3. As a community we welcomed our newest students and the very next day we were preparing for four days of home learning. Despite this, our resilient learners and their families came online each day to watch, conference and post their experiences through Seesaw and Microsoft Teams. Thank you so much to our families and staff for the way in which we lived out our authentic and ongoing partnership. Then this week, we welcomed each other back with a collective smile and a story or two to share.
COVID-19 Adjustments:
Masses
Until Tuesday 3 August, St Ignatius Church has a maximum capacity of 120 parishioners and large group gatherings including class Masses and Liturgies have been cancelled or postponed. Therefore, the whole school Mass on Monday 9 August celebrating the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop will most likely become a Microsoft Teams Liturgy of the Word where a selection of representative students and staff will join Fr Paul in the Piazza. At this stage, restrictions may also apply for our whole school Mass on Monday 16 August for the Assumption of Mary. Jess Nelson will continue to keep everyone updated.
Mission Day
Our major fundraising event, Mission Day, that was planned for Friday 13 August will be postponed. Classes will still continue to plan for this event over the coming weeks and we are hopeful that we will have a new date and further information to share in our Week 4 Newsletter. Jess Nelson will continue to keep everyone updated.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Due to the recent lockdown, the First Reconciliation meeting on Tuesday 20 July was cancelled. On the 23 July the Family Faith Formation team from the parish, distributed an introductory email and workshop activities for candidates to complete with their families at home. If your child has been registered for their First Reconciliation and you have not yet received this email, contact the parish directly on 8332 0600, ring the front office at school or send an email to mharrison@sjms.catholic.edu.au and I will forward or send home a hard copy.
St Vincent de Paul Acknowledgement
In the first week of the school holidays, our Winter Appeal donations were collected by the President of St Vincent de Paul’s Norwood Conference, Max Ormsby. Max, was overwhelmed by the 14 boxes filled with donations and the generous monetary donation from our uniform sales and Pyjama Day. The following day, Max wrote:
“On behalf of the St Vincent de Paul Society, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation for the support that St Joseph’s Memorial School again gave to our Winter Appeal.
We have delivered your wonderful donations to the St Vincent de Paul Warehouse from where they will be shared with many of the companions that the Society cares for. Your cash donation has also been greatly received and will assist us to assist the many homeless that nightly seek our support.
Please advise your community that St Joseph’s Memorial School’s generous support is greatly appreciated and valued.”
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Matthew Harrison
Acting APRIM