June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a beautiful and powerful devotion that invites us to draw near to the tender, burning love of Christ. It’s a perfect month to help children understand that Jesus’ heart is full of mercy, compassion, and love for each one of us.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost. This year, it falls on Friday, June 27, 2025. It is a solemnity, meaning it’s one of the highest feast days in the Church.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart is a way for Catholics to celebrate God's incredible love for everyone, as shown through Jesus' heart. It reminds us that Jesus loves us so much, he even died on the cross for us. 

When we celebrate the Sacred Heart, we think about how we can show love to others, just like Jesus did. We can be kind, helpful, and forgiving. 

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is associated with promises of graces, peace, comfort, and refuge in times of trouble. 

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.

You are the source of all mercy and love.

Grant me the grace to live according to You will,

and to love others as You have loved me.

 May your Sacred Heart be my refuge and my strength.

Amen

Prayers Please

Our community was saddened to hear of the passing of Sean Mullamphy last week.  The Requiem Mass for Sean will held at St John Vianney's Church at 11am on Thursday 3rd July.  A number of staff will attend and community members are more than welcome.  As a school community we will not take children, however parents can make the decision to attend with or without their child/ren.  

School will continue as normal. However, there may be slight changes to class structures to ensure children are supervised if their classroom teacher attends the funeral.  Being the last day of term,

If you feel comfortable doing so, you are welcome to keep your child(ren) home to help us accommodate staff attendance. Please notify the school if your child will be absent. We appreciate your understanding and support during this time.

Child Safety

Child safety is a shared responsibility. That is, a partnership between school and families working together to ensure the well-being of every student. We encourage all parents and carers to have regular conversations with their children about staying safe, particularly when travelling to and from school, or while waiting to be picked up.

There are many excellent resources available to support these conversations, including those from the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and Child Abuse Prevention and Education Australia (CAPE). One helpful article from CAPE, titled “Stranger Danger: What Should Kids Do?”, offers practical advice and can be found at:  https://www.cape-au.com/blog/strangerdanger

Here are a few key points adapted from that resource:

• Talk about who is a stranger: A stranger is someone who is not part of your child’s safety network; someone they don’t know or haven’t met with a trusted adult. Just because someone seems friendly doesn’t mean they are safe.
• Use role play to explore scenarios: Ask your child, “What would you do if someone you don’t know asked you to get into their car?” Encourage them to respond with actions like:
• Yelling “NO!”
• Running away to a safe place
• Finding a trusted adult or calling a parent
• Reinforce that it’s okay to say NO: Children should know they are never in trouble for saying “no” to an adult if they feel unsafe or unsure. Safe adults will never try to trick, scare, or pressure them.
• Remind them of safe behaviours: Safe adults won’t:
  • Ask children to leave school or the playground without permission
  • Offer gifts or treats without checking with parents
  • Make them feel uncomfortable or afraid

By having these conversations regularly and in age-appropriate ways, we empower our children to make safe choices and seek help when needed.

Planning for 2026 - Leaving SJV?

As we begin planning for next year’s enrolments and class structures, it’s important for us to know if any families are planning to leave St John Vianney's at the end of the year (excluding our Year 6 students, of course!).

If your family is relocating or changing schools, please let us know as soon as possible. This helps us ensure a smooth transition for your child and supports our planning for staffing and class placements in 2026.

Term Dates

A reminder that Term Two will conclude for students on Thursday 3 July. Staff will remain on site for a planning day on Friday 4 July.

Looking ahead to Term 3:

• Monday 21 July is a pupil-free day for all Catholic primary schools in Canberra. On this day, our teaching staff will be engaged in professional learning focused on enhancing planning and teaching strategies.
• All students will return to school on Tuesday 22 July to begin Term 3.

Wishing you a safe and warm term holiday.

Mrs D’s ‘Thought of the Week….’

Nina De Rosa

Acting Principal