Dear Parents and Carers,

“Habits are hard to give up because they give stability. They are predictable. In going through the pains of adaptive change, there is no guarantee that there will be an improvement.”

- Leadership on the Line, Ronald Heiffetz & Marty Linksy

The above quote comes from an excellent book, Leadership on the Line, which I am reading as part of some professional learning I am undertaking, via Catholic Education and the Brown Collective. The book looks at, in detail, what it terms ‘adaptive leadership.’ Adaptive leadership differs from what the writers call technical leadership. Technical leadership is that which draws on existing knowledge, habits, processes or attitudes, to solve problems. Adaptive leadership is the leadership that is required to navigate a family, a company, a relationship or a school through a situation for which the old technical paradigms are insufficient to the current challenges. The inability to distinguish between the two different types of leadership is what can lead organisations to stagnate and falter, when faced with new and complex challenges. It is a wise and thought-provoking book and course.

First Eucharist Information Night

On Tuesday evening, an Information Night for parents of students in Year 4 making their First Eucharist was held online. Sts Peter and Paul are holding the Eucharist Program in conjunction with Holy Trinity Primary School, as we are both part of the same parish. My thanks to Andrea McQuirk for her excellent work and to our wonderful Year 4 teachers, Katie Birch, Rebecca Wright, Michele Pratt and Nic Marsham, for supporting both students and families.

Snow Trip

A reminder that this Thursday, the second and last of our voluntary snow trips is taking place. My thanks to Luke Gubler for coordinating the trip, and to Sarah Cunneen, Katie McGregor and Olivia Wilson who will be attending the trip and looking after the children. This opportunity will be made available again next year to the students in Grades 3 – 6.

Kindergarten Health Checks

On Thursday and Friday this week, our Kindergarten students will have their annual Kinder health checks. My thanks to our Kindergarten teachers, and to Trish Collis, for coordinating this and making it possible.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

First Eucharist 

The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated at Holy Trinity, Curtin, on Saturday 20 September and Sunday 21 September 2025. 

Who is eligible? 

Children in Year 4 or above who celebrated their First Reconciliation may be enrolled in the Parish’s Family-Based Sacramental Program for First Eucharist. 

On Tuesday the 29th of July we held a Parent Information Night for First Eucharist via Microsoft Teams.

If you were unable to attend and are interested in your child participating in the Sacrament, please contact me directly at andrea.mcquirk@cg.catholic.edu.au so that I can provide you with all the necessary information. 

I look forward to supporting your child through their faith journey. 

Timetable for First Eucharist 

NAIDOC Week Mass 

Mrs McGregor and I had the privilege of accompanying three students to the Archdiocese NAIDOC Week Mass and Awards Ceremony at the Cathedral last Friday. The event commenced with a traditional ochre face painting ceremony and a smoking ceremony, grounding us in the rich cultural practices of our First Nations peoples. It was a meaningful celebration of the significant contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in our local community, and a powerful reminder of how schools across our Archdiocese are walking together in the spirit of inclusion and reconciliation.

As a school, we celebrated NAIDOC Week with a reflective liturgy led by our Year 6 Youth Ministry team. It was a meaningful opportunity for our community to come together and honour this significant occasion. Following the liturgy, classes continued their learning by engaging in a range of classroom activities that deepened their understanding of the importance and meaning of NAIDOC Week.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - The Parable of the Rich Fool Luke 12:13-21

The book of Ecclesiastes - Qoheleth in Hebrew, meaning, ‘one who calls to assembly’ - surprises and upsets because the author (also called Qoheleth) questions the standard religious mentality of his time: that the good are rewarded and the evil punished. Qoheleth shocks by his pessimism: all is hebel, meaning, vain or empty. Human beings are no better than animals, one who is hardworking is no better than a sluggard; acquiring wisdom and knowledge is like chasing after the wind. Qoheleth’s contribution to religious thought is his willingness to question ready-made ideas and complacent optimism which extol success as the fruit of a well-ordered world. Qoheleth’s restlessness and pessimism are, in the final analysis, but the expression of his anguished cry for what lasts: the Absolute. He desires the Absolute: the One who is not ‘vanity’. 

Qoheleth’s words prepare us for the Gospel teaching about the folly of wealth. “A man’s life is not made secure by what he owns’, Jesus declares. To drive home that message, he tells the parable of a rich man who ‘has it all’ and looks forward to enjoying his wealth. But he dies the very night he makes his great plans. 

The only solution to the inevitability of death is to be ‘rich in the sight of God’. We should consider always what will remain after death. We will be stripped of all material goods, even those legitimately acquired. What remains will only be the quality of our life and how we have made use of our goods, be they much or little. 

Paul understands Christ’s teachings well and declares, ‘Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on things that are on earth’ (Colossians 3:2). Life in Christ is the only wealth worth having, a wealth that endures forever. 

From God’s Word, Daily Reflections, 2025

Yours in Christ, 

Andrea McQuirk 

Religious Education Coordinator 

• Calm Down: Use ways like deep breathing or counting to stay calm when you’re upset.

Hooray! This Monday, we welcome the fabulous author Katrina Nannestad!

Students in Years 4, 5, and 6 are in for a special treat, with an engaging and interactive visit from Katrina. She’ll share her wonderful stories and offer valuable writing tips to inspire our young writers!

BOOK WEEK 2025!

Book Week Parade & Celebration Day – Tuesday, 19 August!

Our annual Book Week Parade and celebration day is just around the corner – happening on Tuesday, 19th August (Week 5)!

With this year’s theme “Book an Adventure”, the possibilities for costumes are endless! Start planning your amazing outfits – whether it’s your favourite book character, a travel-inspired look, or a wildly creative expression of flair and imagination, we can't wait to see the students bring the theme to life on parade day! 

The fun doesn't stop there! There will be sensational activities throughout the day, including time to read and explore many of the fantastic titles nominated in the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week Awards. 

Mark your calendars – Tuesday, 19 August – Week 5
A full day of celebrating books, illustrators, and the joy of reading!

And finally. Don’t forget...

 ISSUE PREVIEW | Scholastic Australia

Book Club orders are due back on or before Monday 11th of August. 

Please contact amanda.dejongh@cg.catholic.edu.au  if you have any questions regarding anything to do with library or borrowing.

Keep reading!

Mr Washington and Mrs de Jongh

We are fundraising with tea towels and creating lasting memories! 
 

The Sts Peter and Paul Community Council is running a Tea Towel Fundraiser to raise money to go to towards upgrades of the Senior Playground.   

Our limited-edition Tea Towel design will be made up of self-portraits drawn by all our children and staff. Just like a yearbook on a tea towel. The pictures and names will be arranged all together as a commemorative design then screen printed onto certified organic 100% cotton 50x70cm tea towels. Each year group will have their own design! 

As well as being great for lint free dish drying, the tea towels look fantastic and are a long-lasting memento of your children and their friends. They make great gifts that are easily mailed to relatives, so make sure you order a few extras for family members and your keepsake box. 

The kids just love seeing their artwork in print. By purchasing our tea towels you are not only receiving a practical keepsake, you’re also helping to achieve our fundraising goal, which would not be possible without your support!  

The price per towel is $25 or you can save by ordering 3 or more for only $22 each (per child/year group). There is an example tea towel on display in the front office so you can see the quality and size. The tea towels will be handed out towards the end of Term 4. 

The Tea Towel print run is limited so make sure you, your family and friends don't miss out. They will be delivered just in time to make the perfect Christmas gift.   

Tea Towels can be ordered through the Qkr! app from Week 2, Monday 28th July. 

Final Orders are due Week 9, Friday 19th September.   

If you have any questions you can contact: Claire Briant clairebriant25@hotmail.com or Tegan Ingold n.t.ingold@gmail.com 

Kitchen and Canteen “Stock Drive"

To help stock our pantries for 2025, we are having a “Stock Drive" in Week 2 on Thursday 31 July.

We are asking students to come to school wearing silly socks, but in return they must bring an item to stock our pantries.

Each class will be asked to bring in a different item and there will be a prize for the class with the highest percentage of participation.

In each classroom, there will be a box to place the items.

We understand the cost-of-living crisis we are currently in, and we are not asking for expensive or branded items, generic brands are most welcomed! Not all students from a family need to bring in items to be able to wear silly socks, as long as one of the children brings in an item for their class. The issue will be deciding which class wants the prize more!

Your class items are listed below

Kinder - Brown paper bags

Yr 1 - Baking Paper (not greaseproof paper)

Yr 2 - Baking Paper (not greaseproof paper)

Yr 3 - Self Raising Flour (white or wholemeal)

Yr 4 - Plain Flour (white or wholemeal)

Yr 5 – Paper towel and/or muffin patty cases

Yr 6 – Sugar and/or oil or oil spray

Thanking you in advance, every little bit helps… much appreciated!

Mrs Moore & Mrs R

THE CANTEEN IS CASHLESS FOR ALL LUNCH ORDERS 

Families are required to place ALL lunch orders via Qkr! before 8.45am 

Please purchase over-the-counter sale items (snacks & treats) for your child in a lunch order. 

Purchase a “daily counter sales voucher” via Qkr! for your child to go to the canteen to collect items at lunchtime. 

WEEK 3 TERM 3, CANTEEN VOLUNTEER ROSTER

Please contact me if you are unable to assist on your day. 

 Are you able to help in the canteen?  

 Parent/carer helpers are most welcome in the Canteen. A lending hand is always required and very much appreciated. 

 Helping in the Canteen is a great opportunity to meet new people and make a valuable contribution to the school. 

 No doubt your child will get a buzz from seeing you at the school.  So, if you have any spare time and would like to help out in the canteen, PLEASE feel free to contact me through email at lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au or click on the link below to add your selected time to the roster. 

https://stpandp.schoolzineplus.com/CanteenRoster2025 

All volunteers must have a WWVP card. 

Qkr! TIPS 

Is your child sick and not going to school, and you have placed a lunch order on Qkr!? 

You have till 8.45am that morning to cancel the lunch order - instructions on how to cancel lunch orders are below. 

OPEN TUESDAY MORNINGS

8.30 – 9.30AM

The Uniform Shop is a service for the parents and children. We sell new & quality second-hand school clothing, and all money raised goes back to the school to provide resources for the children.

The school uniform is available via Qkr! Tuesdays - Fridays, orders will be delivered to your child’s classroom. Orders need to be placed before 8.45 am.

It is usual practice for most schools to offer second-hand clothing at the uniform shop to families at a discounted price. Quality second-hand clothing can only be purchased during uniform shop hours. We do understand that this may not be convenient for some families so please feel free to send me an email if you are unable to get to the uniform shop during its’ hours and I will do my best to attend to your needs.

The uniform shop is limited with space, so if you wish to donate pre-loved items, PLEASE ONLY DONATE CLOTHES that are washed and in perfect resalable order.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following students who are celebrating a birthday this week.

Massimo M

Tendwai M

Oscar B

Zachariah R

What is GPN?

The Girls' Programming Network (GPN) is a workshop series for girls in grades 6-12 who are interested in learning coding skills for free.

The Australian Signals Directorate is a proud local sponsor of the Canberra node of this fantastic program, supporting the growth of a community of women and girls interested in computer science, programming, and IT.

Workshops are led by GPN tutors and local women from industry, academia, and government. Tutors will provide basic through to advanced learning. Workshops are free, and no prior coding experience is required.

In Term 3 the event will be held at the ANU on 17 August 2025. Lunch, snacks, and computers are provided. Bring your enthusiasm!

https://www.girlsprogramming.network/canberra