SCHOOL NEWSLETTER - TERM 2 WEEK 4 2025

Our Parish

Our Parish

Fr Feleki – Parish Priest (Administrator)
C/- 94 Oran Park Drive, Oran Park, NSW 2570PO
Box 889, Narellan, NSW 2567
Ph: 4648 2226    Email: oranpark@dow.org.au
Web:   marymackillopparish.org.au
Facebook:  oranparkparish

Office Hours
Mon to Fri - 9am to 1pm

NB: While the Parish Office is open to visitors, if possible we encourage all enquiries to be directed to the Parish Admin team via email oranpark@dow.org.au or via phone 02 4648 2226

If the parish office is unattended, leave a message on the answering machine or you can send an email: oranpark@dow.org.au 

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION PROGRAM 2025

ONLINE ENROLMENTS

OPEN MONDAY, 9 JUNE

Families wishing to prepare their children for the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2025 are asked to complete the online enrolment form which will be available from Monday, 9 June, on the ‘Youth Sacraments’ page of our Parish website.

Online enrolments will CLOSE on Friday, 27 June, at 5pm - no late enrolments are able to be accepted.

ALL enquiries must be made through the Parish Office

Parish Mass Times

Weekend Mass Times, Oran Park

• Saturday Vigil 5pm - preceeded by the Sacrament of Reconciliation from 4pm
• Sunday 8am
• Sunday 10am
• Sunday 12 noon - Chaldean Holy Mass
• Sunday 5pm

Week Day Masses, Oran Park

• Tuesday 7pm
• Wednesday 8am
• Thursday 10am - preceeded by Rosary at 9.30am
• Friday 9.30am - 1st Friday of the month will include Anointing of the Sick

Principals Report

Dear Partners in Mission,

Hope that you are well and have enjoyed a sensational week.

Last week, Mrs Billett, Mrs Manning, Mrs Fenato, Mrs Vergara and I had the privilege of interviewing many prospective Kinder 2026 students and their families. It was both humbling and reassuring to hear families share why they believe St Justin's is the right Catholic school community for their children. Many responses highlighted the strong connection to our parish, the care, compassion, dedication of our staff, our vibrant sense of community and the rich learning opportunities offered to our students. We should all be incredibly proud of the collective work we do and the way we represent Catholic Education in the Oran Park community and the wider Macarthur region.

Our School Motto: Faith, Reason and Harmony

Next Friday, 30th May our school community will come together to celebrate St. Justin's Day. St. Justin the Martyr was a Christian philosopher and apologist, known for his writings that both supported and defended our faith. His feast day is celebrated on June 1.

In honor of our patron saint, our students will engage in activities that reflect our Vision for Learning: Connection, Challenge, Engagement, and Student Ownership. Parents are invited to visit classrooms from 11:15am–11:45am, followed by Mass at 12:00pm in the Hall. The day will conclude with the launch of St. Justin’s Vision for Learning in the Hall and a community picnic at 1:00pm. Thank you to Mrs Fenato and the Religious Education Vertical Team for their collective efforts in organising what will be a fantastic acknowledgement and celebration.

St Justin's Prayer

St Justin, Pray that we may defend the faith,
not just in word, but in Deed
as you showed by your life and death
as a martyr for Christ

Amen.

The Partners in Learning survey is open until Friday 30th May. We invite you to share your feedback, which will help us continue to improve student learning and wellbeing at St Justin’s Oran Park. Your input is greatly valued as we work together to strengthen our school community.  

On Wednesday our students joined over 2.3 million participants across the country to take part in National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS), hosted by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). This year marks the 25th anniversary of NSS—a nationwide celebration that encourages a love of reading and highlights the importance of literacy in a fun and engaging way. Thank you to Mrs Giewald for her organisation and support of this wonderful annual event.

Wishing you a fantastic Friday and a restful weekend. Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to our wonderful St Justin’s school community.

Take care,

Brad Colquhoun
Principal

Spirituality Day - Friday 6th June (Pupil Free Day)

Our staff will be participating in a Spirituality Day on Friday 6th June. This pupil free day will then move into the King's birthday long weekend and we look forward to our students returning on Tuesday 10th June.

Mother's Day Celebration and Prayer Pilgrimage

The Mother’s day morning tea was a great success with many mums, grandmothers and family members enjoying a morning tea in the school Hall. 

This year, parents and their children were invited to visit our Prayer Garden for a Prayer Pilgrimage honouring Mary, the mother of God. This pilgrimage took participants through a reflection of the significant moments in Mary’s life. It was simply wonderful to see so many children and parents praying together and talking about their faith in a meaningful way!

Diary Dates

Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning Survey

Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning Survey - Closes 30th May 2025

We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Justin’s Oran Park.

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL link:  http://www.tellthemfromme.com/p73xj

Theme for 2025: Family - Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development

"The future of humanity passes by way of the family."
– St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio

As we mark International Day of Families on 15 May, we are invited to reflect on the foundational role of families in building a more just, compassionate, and sustainable world.

This year’s theme — ‘Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development’ — reminds us that strong families are at the heart of strong societies.

This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families globally. When families are supported through inclusive policies and community care, children thrive, education flourishes, and the common good of all families is strengthened and advanced.

In Catholic education, we are not only educators—we are partners with families. We walk alongside them in faith and endeavour to nurture and provide opportunities for formation. Every time we welcome a parent, support a carer, or celebrate a student’s progress, we are contributing to sustainable development rooted in human dignity.

Let Us Pause to Reflect

How do we recognise and support the many different family structures in our school community?

• How do we uphold Gospel values when engaging with families—especially those facing hardship or marginalisation?
• In what ways do our practices promote well-being, equity, and long-term hope for the families we serve?

At the heart of our mission is a commitment to relationships. This is where sustainable development begins—not in grand gestures, but in the everyday moments of kindness, patience, and shared purpose.

Prayer for Families and Our Work

Loving God,

Bless the families we serve in our school community.
May they be strengthened by love, guided by faith,
and supported in all they need to flourish.

Help us, as educators and leaders, to listen with compassion,
respond with wisdom, and act with justice.

May our work reflect Your purpose for the world -
A world where every family is valued, included, and empowered to grow.

We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

Celebration of Learning - Stage One

Curriculum and Learning

The Premier’s Reading Challenge

This year, St Justin’s has had 110 primary students sign up to complete the challenge individually! What a great response from our students. It is not too late to sign up to the challenge. If your child is interested, please see Mrs Orazi or Mrs Giewald.

A special shout out to these primary students who have completed the challenge over the past fortnight:

Year 3: Elliana F, Isaac M & Simone P

Year 5: Anakai L

Year 6: Maryella A

We now have 34 students who have completed the challenge! Remember you can keep reading and compete for the in-school prizes!

Fluency Check In Assessments Years 1- 3

All ‘check in’ assessments have begun with the support of our gracious parent and grandparent volunteers. You will have noticed, if your child is in Years 1 - 3, they would have come home with a small fluency certificate indicating how many words correct they read in a one-minute timed read. The following table indicates the benchmark scores for each grade for specific times of the year:

Fluency is often a misunderstood literacy skill. It can sometimes be oversimplified as ‘how fast one reads’. Reading rate, speed, is one part of the skill of being considered a fluent reader, however intonation and how one attends to the punctuation in a sentence is equally important, as is being able to monitor one’s own reading errors and being able to self-correct them. Fluency is a great predictor of reading comprehension, and when a reader attends to all of the elements of being fluent correctly, it is an indication that the text being read is also being understood - which is the ultimate aim of reading!

Class Cup of Learning

At the Week 3 Infants Assembly, the long awaited Class Cup of Learning was awarded to 2 Blue for winning the Term One Spelling Bee, spelling 98% of their word list correctly. Coming in second place was tie - 2 Green and 2 White scored 97.6%! It was a nail-biting, suspenseful experience for all of Year 2. The Spelling Bee competition has recommenced for Year 2 for Term Two. I wonder who the winner will be next?!

The following words feature in the Term Two  Spelling Bee:

Sacred Song Writing Competition

Sacred Song Writing Competition – Entries Now Open!
Students are invited to compose a contemporary song for use in liturgy or prayer. To enter, submit your lyrics along with either sheet music or a song plan showing how you imagine your song to sound (e.g. fast, slow, high/low pitch, rock, modern, country, etc.). A demo recording is optional but encouraged to help us understand your vision—entries are not judged on singing ability. A simple voice recording on a device will suffice.

Submit your entry (paper copy available from the Office or via Google Doc) by 30th May to Mrs Fulko at: info@sjopdow.catholic.edu.au

Bandemonium Performance 

Bandemonium Students will be performing at the Primary Assembly on Friday 20th June 2025 at 2.15pm

✍️WriteOn Competition 2025 ✍️

About the competition

The annual WriteOn competition is an exciting opportunity for students to focus on writing. Through the competition, students develop skills in writing to express their ideas and may become published authors. 

Students in years 1-6 who are interested in entering the competition will plan, write and edit their work at home. Their task is to create an imaginative text of up to 500 words, using a provided stimulus.

The new stimulus for WriteOn 2025 is the quote:

“Could they be changing?”

Each year, winners are celebrated at an award ceremony and their entries are published in ‘The Best of WriteOn' anthology. The 2024 version of the anthology is now available for purchase from the NESA Shop.

Entry criteria

• Each school/home school can submit a maximum of 3 entries: one entry from Stage 1, Stage 2, and/or Stage 3.
• Each typed submitted work can be up to 500 words.
• Entries can only be submitted by a teacher in a school or a registered home schooling parent/legal guardian with a valid NESA registration number.
• All entries must be the student’s own work. Some students with disability may require adjustments.
• Only one entry per student can be submitted.

Consent form

All entries require parent/guardian consent. The consent form is included within the entry form. 

Entries for the competition can be emailed to the schools email address: info@sjopdow.catholic.edu.au

Entries close: Thursday 12th June

To find out more information click on this link.

Diverse Learning

Sensory Pod

Additional Sensory Pod

Last Term, St Justin’s School purchased one Sensory Pod which is placed in our Stage One building. We have had a great response from our students, who report after using it, they feel calm and are ready to learn.  The Sensory Pod incorporates a sensory learning experience to help improve an individual's ability to develop sensory stimulation and re-regulation. It has been designed with input from occupational therapists, sensory integration specialists, and educators to ensure a practical sensory integration experience

The Sensory Pod is a calming place that students can go during class time if they are feeling “in the red zone” (angry, dysregulated). The Sensory Pod is controlled by the student through the interactive sensory pad. The student is able to select one and/or all of the four different options below: Vibrating seat, six different calming songs, blue light and colourful lights. 

We are so delighted to announce that St Justin’s will be getting ANOTHER Sensory Pod which will be located in our Stage Two building. We would like to thank our St Justin’s School P&F for purchasing the Sensory Pod. We know our students in Stage Two will greatly benefit from this pod. We are extremely grateful to you!!!!

Personalised Plans

All Personalised Plan meetings now have occurred. Thank you for all your support during these meetings. A digital copy of the information discussed during these meetings will be uploaded to Compass for your viewing. As this is a timely process, we aim for all Personalised Plans to be available by Week 4 of this term. Thank you for your patience with this matter.

Belinda Pace

Leader of Diverse Learning 

Library News

National Simultaneous Storytime 2025

On Wednesday 21st May at 12pm, our students joined over 2.3 million participants across the country to take part in National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS), a vibrant annual event organised by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). This year marked the 25th anniversary of NSS—a nationwide celebration that encourages a love of reading and highlights the importance of literacy in a fun and engaging way.

Each year, a picture book by an Australian author and illustrator is chosen to be read aloud simultaneously in libraries, schools, childcare centres, homes, and bookshops right across Australia. This year’s featured story was The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel and Danny Snell—a heartwarming tale that captivated students and teachers alike. Our classes gathered to listen to their teachers read the story, sharing a special moment that connected us with schools and communities all over the country.

Events like NSS help promote not only the joy of books and reading but also shine a spotlight on Australian creators and the power of storytelling to bring us all together.

If you would like to view the story with your child/ren at home, it is available on story box hub which our diocese has a subscription to. Login details are:

Username: wollong16

Password: SBL2494

There is also a cardboard truck challenge using recyclable materials which you may like to try over the weekend.

 Support and Recommendations

Our library staff work with classroom teachers to support students’ reading development and with students to foster a love of books and reading. By knowing what your child is reading at school, you can help make meaningful connections at home—whether that’s continuing a topic of interest, finding similar books, or simply encouraging more independent reading.

If you’d like personalised recommendations or support choosing books that suit your child’s interests and reading level, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our school library staff. Email us on: sjoplibrary@dow.catholic.edu.au

Happy Reading!

Jennifer Giewald

Library Teacher

Sporting News

Mackillop Rugby League Trials

Jett F attended the MacKillop Trials in Canberra, on Friday 9th May and was selected into the MacKillop Team. He trialed with 87 other players vying for a position and was selected as a part of the team to represent Wollongong in the Under 11’s. Congratulations Jett!

Futsal Regional Championships Senior Girls

Mr Hawkins attended the Championships on 8th May with our Senior girls team. They competed with great rigor and sportsmanship and have made it to the state championships later in August. Well done to the girls!

St Justin’s K - 6 Athletics Carnival 2nd July, Narellan Sports Hub - Please look out for the event on Compass so you can provide consent.

CEDoW GALA DAYS

Selection Process

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) organised Sport Gala Days provide our students with a chance to participate in friendly games as part of a St Justin’s team, competing against other local Catholic Primary Schools. These days are designed to be enjoyable, allowing students to have fun with their peers while applying the skills they've learned in Sports lessons in a fun competitive setting.

Throughout their sports lessons this year, students will be given the opportunity to express interest in participating in the upcoming Gala Days and need to nominate themselves. Mr Hawkins, the sports teacher, will observe all nominated students during their sport lessons to assess their understanding of the game rules and their demonstration of good sportsmanship, which will assist with the team selection process. Preference is given to Year 6 and Year 4 students for teams and if there are additional spots these are then filled by Year 5 and Year 3 students who have expressed their interest in participating. This ensures that students get an opportunity to attend a gala day (should they wish to) every 2 years.

If your child has been invited to participate in a St Justin’s Gala Day Team you will receive a Compass Event Notification for parents’ permission closer to the event date. Please note that students attending these Gala Days will require parental transportation to and from the venue. Additionally, events like these rely on parent volunteers to ensure their success, as without parent help we would be unable to support the number of teams in each day.

Upcoming Gala Days:

Term 2

• CEDOW Netball - Thursday 26th June 2025 (Back up Date 3rd July 2025) - Students are currently putting names down at school expressing interest to attend.

Term 3

• CEDoW Soccer - Thursday 28th August 2025 (Back up Date 4th September 2025)
• CEDoW Basketball Juniors Yrs 3 & Yrs 4 - Thursday 18th September 2025
• CEDoW Basketball Seniors Yrs 5 & 6 - Friday 19th September 2025

St Justin’s are also looking forward to participating in other Gala Day style events this year that are competitive and not organised by our CEDoW. These days ARE competitive and therefore teams for these will be picked on student ability and skill in the sport. Students will be offered the opportunity to nominate themselves to trial for these events and teams will be organised by Mr Hawkins and Ms Young. If your child has been selected in a competitive sporting team, you will receive a Compass Event notification for parental permission closer to the event date. These days will incur a fee, to help cover the cost of the team registration. Parents will also be required to transport their children to and from the venue.

Upcoming Competitive Sporting Days: (Small fees payable)

Term 3

• Futsal State Championships (Qualifying teams)

Term 4

• Oz Tag

St Justin’s School Sporting Events

Upcoming Whole School Sporting Events:

• St Justin’s School Athletics Carnival - Term 2: Wednesday 2nd July 2025 (Back up date 24th July)

Next level competitive pathway for selected students - Mackillop Western Region Friday 8th August

Primary Students Diocesan Representative Sporting Pathways

Students participating in the representative pathway events are highly skilled athletes, selected based on a range of criteria. This includes years of experience in their chosen sport, representative achievements, sporting club affiliations, and notable sporting accomplishments. These trials are not gala days or school-based carnivals. They are not designed for students “to come and try or for the experience” They are designed specifically for elite athletes who have demonstrated exceptional talent and are aiming to progress to the next level of competition; Regional→State→National. These are organised and run outside of our school, we just provide the information for the when and where of the event.

Parents will need to nominate their child for the 2026 year during the nominations period which opens from 2nd September to November 2025.

Upcoming Diocesan Representative Sporting Trial Dates for 2025

These upcoming trials are for selected students from the 2025 Diocesan Representative Sports Pathway who have already been nominated by their parents in 2024. These nominations are reviewed by CEDoW sport selectors unless St Justin’s have been asked to run an in school trial to gain further insight into nominated student abilities.

If your child has been selected by CEDoW Sport you will receive a Compass Event Notification for parent permissions closer to the event date. Please note these are CEO run events and therefore no St Justin’s staff members attend and students who attend will require parental transportation to and from the venue.

2026 Representative Sport Pathway Trial Nomination Information

Each year primary school children have the opportunity to trial for Wollongong representative teams, for the following summer and winter sports: Basketball, Tennis, Cricket, Touch, Softball, Football (Soccer), Rugby League (11 years and Open), Rugby Union, Hockey, Netball and Australian Rules. This gives students the opportunity to access higher levels of sporting pathways, representation and opportunities to progress into state representation. 

These trials are held annually and provide a pathway for students to the MacKillop selection trials. The selected Wollongong teams’ trial at MacKillop level against the Dioceses of Wagga, Canberra/Goulburn, Sydney and Parramatta. 

The Wollongong Diocese nomination process for 2026 will be open in Term 4 2025. Further information will be released closer to the date. 

If you have any sporting inquires please email sjop_sport@dow.catholic.edu.au

Ms Rochelle Young

Sports Coordinator

Administration and Awards

ATTENDANCE

Congratulations to our Kindergarteners!! Well done for achieving 95% student attendance.

Thank you to all of our other grades who have improved over the last two weeks. Remember it is a whole school goal to reach and maintain a 95% student attendance rate.

PB4L WHITE AWARD CHANGES - 3rd Notice

Our PB4L team has been reviewing the award system and a small change to kindergarten white awards will commence from the next infant assembly.

Kindergarten students will only have their very 1st White Award present to them at the Infants Assembly. All other white awards will then be presented in the classroom as per Yr 1 to Yr 6 award protocols.

Principal Awards and Principal Medallions will still be issued to eligible students at the relevant assembly.

Infants assemblies will go back to a 2:15pm.

We thank you for your support of this process.

PARENT/ TEACHER COMMUNICATION - Reminder

A reminder to our parent cohort that the school encourages all communication to teachers from parents to come via info@sjopdow.catholic.edu.au all communication is forwarded on to the relevant staff member the same day so long as it has not been sent outside office hours and the staff member then has the opportunity to respond to your query within a 48hr period.

Communication via Seesaw has now been turned off as this is a tool used by teachers to share your child's work and achievement from the day / week.

We thank you for your support of this process.

Medallion and Principal Awards

Congratulations to the following students for receiving their Medallion/Principal Award at our last Assembly.

Parent Survey - St Justin's Award System

Dear Parents, 

Thank you to all families who provided feedback on our current award system. Your input has highlighted the need for greater consistency, transparency, and inclusiveness—particularly in recognising all students, including those who quietly meet expectations, consistently apply themselves, and demonstrate steady academic and behavioural progress.

In response, we have established a designated team that will be working on developing a clear and purposeful plan for a revised award system. This team will draw on your feedback, as well as feedback form our teachers and students, to ensure our approach reflects the values of fairness, clarity, and celebration of diverse student achievements.

We appreciate your engagement and look forward to sharing updates as this work progresses.

Kind Regards,

Positive Behaviours for Learning Team

Catholic Care School Counsellor

SCREEN TIME 

Screen time is a major concern for many families that I have worked with. Recent research shows that while it’s important to be mindful of how much time our children spend on screens, it's equally crucial to consider how they use them. Here are some simple, research-backed tips to help your child get the most out of screen time without sacrificing healthy development:

1. Make Screen Time Together Time

• Watching shows or playing games together boosts language skills and helps children understand the content better. 
• Ask questions like, "Why did Bluey do that?" to spark conversations and learning.

2. Choose Age-Appropriate Content

• Look for shows that encourage play, creativity, and learning. 
• Avoid violent or mature content that could impact behaviour.

3. Avoid Screen Distractions During Family Time 

• Avoid using your own screen during important moments like during visits with friends, meals or bedtime. 
• Quality interactions are foundational in a child’s emotional and social skills. 

4. Turn Off the TV When Not in Use

• Background TV can distract from learning and play. 
• When not actively watching, turn it off to encourage better focus and more meaningful interactions.

For more information about viewing, please visit: Common Sense Media: Age-Based Media Reviews for Families | Common Sense Media

Best wishes,

Miss Amanda

St Justin’s Catholic Primary School Facebook Page:

Don’t miss out on following all our exciting news about events and learning on our St Justin’s School Facebook page:

Social Media Statement

The Catholic Education Office of Wollongong, Social Media Statement will become a permanent fixture as part of the school newsletter in order for Parents of the school community to be aware of the standards expected.

Parent-School Partnership 

Apple Devices - iPad, iPhone or Mac

- Open Books app - sign in using Apple ID if needed

- Tap GET to download the Book

- Access via the Books app Library once downloaded 

You will then have the option to download - Download the book from the Book Store and then read in books.

Android

Click this link to download as an ePub file and open in your favourite eReader app, like Adobe Digital Edition

P&F News

P & F contact email:

pandf@sjopdow.catholic.edu.au

Cash purchases only, No EFTPOS facilities. Please be kind to our P&F volunteers.

Community & Parish News

Our wonderful student Colin A will be performing in the Enchanted Orchestra.