Dear Parents and Carers

“...greatness of spirit is manifested in simple everyday realities. It involves striving untrammeled for all that is great, better and more beautiful, while at the same time being concerned for the little things, for each day’s responsibilities and commitments.”

- Pope Francis

The late Pope had many gifts. One of those gifts was his extraordinary capacity to speak to people in the midst of their everyday and so-called ‘ordinary’ lives. In addressing people in their course of their daily lives, he had the gift of naming the grace and gift that is the quiet presence of God, admidst the mundane, the average, and sometimes the downright painful experience we might have. The quote above illustrates a common theme of the Pope’s: that our yearning for greatness of spirit is often, paradoxically, to be found in the faithful attention to the small and everyday things. Mother Teresa, in her motto, ‘Do small things with great love,’ captures that understanding beautifully.

Tournament of Minds

Last weekend, four groups of students, made up in different combinations and versions of students from Years 3 – 6, participated in the annual Tournament of Minds competition. This competition sees children solve a problem from a category such as Maths, STEM, English or History, and present the solution in dramatic form. The children are required to work through the problem and come up with the solution themselves, and while adults can facilitate the group working together, an adult cannot provide the answer or solutions. I am very proud of our students. I am also very pleased to say that our Year 6 group got through to the next round. Congratulations to Harper, Chiara, Michael, Bentley, Massimo, Anwesha and Lilah. My deep thanks to Katie Birch, who facilitated and coordinated all four groups.

Fathers’ Day and Other Community Events

On Friday we are having a Fathers’ Day breakfast take place, to celebrate the fathers and father figures in our community. There will be a Fathers’ Day assembly in the school hall, following the 9am morning assembly. At the end of Week 9, on Friday September 19^th, we are holding our Trivia Night in the school hall, which promises to be an exciting night with the opportunity to win many prizes and raise some funds for the school. Both of these events are organised by the Community Council. My thanks to the Council for their great work. Another initiative of the CC is the creation of 2025 Sts Peter and Paul Tea Towels, which will feature every child and staff member, with a self-portrait. Also a fundraiser, these tea-towels are an excellent memento of the year. My thanks to the Community Council and Sarah Walsh, for their great work and coordination.

Have a wonderful week with your families. Congratulations to all Raiders fans!

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. 

In Week 8 the students will attend a Retreat Day at Holy Trinity for further preparation. Please keep an eye out for a COMPASS note over the coming days. 

Timetable for First Eucharist 

Grandparents Day 

On Thursday the 25th of September Week 10 we are celebrating Grandparents/ Grandfriends day. All are welcome to attend class visits at 12:15 followed by a BYO picnic at recess. 

Year 1 Retreat – God’s Plan for Creation - Reflection from Julia 

This semester, the Year 6 Youth Ministry Team has been working hard in their weekly meetings, learning how to lead prayer, write and share testimonies, run small groups, and guide younger students in their faith. All of this preparation came to life on Monday afternoon, when they led the Year 1 students in a very special retreat exploring the theme “God’s Plan for Creation.”

The retreat began with an activity called “I Trust You”, which encouraged the Year 1 students to think about how God is always there for them, reaching out with love and care. The students also enjoyed a short drama called “Crumbs”, which highlighted the importance of the Golden Rule, a key scripture that Year 1 students have been learning this year: “Treat others just as you want to be treated” - Luke 6:31

Through games, prayer, and reflection, the retreat helped the younger students understand that each of them is special, loved by God, and part of His wonderful plan for creation. It was also a wonderful opportunity for the Year 6 students to put their skills into practice as young Catholic leaders, guiding their peers in faith. At the same time, they contributed meaningfully to the religious learning of the Year 1 students.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - The Cost of Being a Disciple  Luke 14:25-33

The language in today's Gospel from Luke certainly packs a punch. It looks like we are being asked by Jesus to hate our family, take up our cross and to give up everything we own if we want to be his disciples. Jesus was using strong language to make a fundamental point about Christian discipleship - that in our life we must put nothing before God - not even our family or the things we own. Everything and everybody we have in our life is a gift from God, to be stewarded well for the sake of the kingdom, not clung to for personal comfort. Most of us won't be asked to give up all our possessions (although some in religious life voluntarily make this vow of poverty), but rather we are asked to recognise them as God’s gifts and not place them on a pedestal above God, turning possessions or even family relationships into idols. When we prioritise God and follow Jesus we are ordering our lives rightly. But there is a cost to discipleship, and that is the cross. The cross, at its heart, is a radical self-giving in love and at various points in our life that cross can feel heavy, but if we keep our eyes on Jesus and conform our life to his, then the cross will not only guide and sustain us in this life, but lead us to life everlasting. 

From God’s Word, Daily Reflections, 2025

Yours in Christ, 

Andrea McQuirk 

Religious Education Coordinator

FATHERS' DAY BREAKFAST

 All fathers, grandfathers and other special carers are invited to attend a breakfast with their children on 

Friday 5^th September 

7:45 - 9am in the school grounds 

A light snack will be provided for all 

A coffee cart will be serving hot beverages for the adults 

We look forward to celebrating with you all!!!

This will be followed by... 

FATHERS' DAY STALL

 Children are invited to purchase a small gift for their father, grandfather or other special person! 

Friday 5^th September during school hours

All gifts are $8.00 

Children will use a voucher to 'buy' gifts at the stall- Please purchase now on Qkr! 

Vouchers will be handed out to the students by teachers on the day

PURCHASES CLOSE 12 NOON ON THURSDAY 4^th SEPTEMBER

TRIVIA NIGHT – Friday, 19th September 2025

Get ready for a night full of fun, laughter, trivia & prizes! Parents, teachers, family, and friends — gather your crew and book a table for an unforgettable night out.

What’s in store:
A professional trivia host to keep the energy high and the laughs flowing
Over $10,000 in raffle prizes & silent auction items
Adults-only night of community, connection & guaranteed fun.

Your $20 ticket includes a shared platter of nibbles. BYO food and drinks (yes, including alcohol!) to enjoy at your table.

Teams:

• Tables seat 10 — one person from your group please email parentcouncilstpandp@gmail.com with your team members’ names.
• Don’t have a team? No worries! Select “allocate me to a team” when booking and let us know your child’s grade — we’ll match you with others.
• Can't get a babysitter?? How about one parent come along as ambassador for your family and we will allocate you to a table full of friendly faces!!

Special Silent Auction Highlight
Thanks to Jane Macken at LJ Hooker Woden/Weston, one lucky bidder will win a commission-free property sale — a saving worth thousands!

What’s included:
✔️ Full real estate service from one of Canberra’s top-performing agents
✔️ Marketing strategy, expert negotiation & proven results
✔️ Option to sell to a friend/family member
✔️ Valid for 12 months

Conditions: Property must be in Woden Valley, Weston Creek, or the Inner South. Marketing costs payable by the seller (approx. $4,000). Reserve price: $1,000.

This is a rare opportunity to access premium real estate expertise with zero commission fees — all while supporting St Peter & Paul’s fundraising efforts!

Date: Friday, 19th September 2025

Venue: School Hall, Sts Peter & Paul, 59 Wisdom St, Garran
Time: 6:30 pm start
Cost: $20 per person (includes nibbles) via QKR
BYO: Food & drinks welcome
Ticket Sales Close: 12 pm, Wednesday 17th September

Don’t miss this chance to connect, compete, and celebrate while raising funds for our school!

All money raised goes towards the upgrade of our outdoor play equipment. 

We can’t wait to see you there,
Sts Peter & Paul School Community Council

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Michael W

Winter B

Maite GV

Cormac B

Grace B

Tyler H

Isabelle J

Awards will be presented at our assembly on Thursday, 11 Sept at 2.15pm.

Principal's Award: Aaleyah H, 5W; Ethan P, KM

Learning Support Awards: Abel BT, 5M; Shafin R, 5M

A busy weekend was had by four fabulous teams as they competed in the Tournament of Minds competition.

Each team performed their solution with excitement and enthusiasm. Our Year 6 team impressed the judges so much they got through to the regionals in two weeks time. They will compete against three other schools over a day of problem solving.

Well done to all the teams and good luck to Team 6.

In spelling extension this year, we have been learning about root words and etymology of words. Our lessons extend our vocabulary and deepen our understanding of spelling rules. When we explore words each day, we build our own word list and are then given the opportunity to write using our words in context with our paragraphs. This week Mrs McGregor challenged us to use our list words to construct a paragraph about our school musical, Dare to Dream Jr! We hope you are captivated by our exceptional application of spelling.  

By Lilah J and Anwesha K

By Chen An

By Cormac B

Yesterday Year 2 had an excursion to Questacon and judging by the happy faces when they returned, it was a wonderful day!

Here are some quotes from the students about Questacon:

Yesterday we went to Questacon. I tried lots of different things. I saw a thing that has slime in it and you spin it around. There was also a chair on a rope. You had to pull the rope to make the chair go up. I loved Questacon! - Daniya

My favourite thing at Questacon was the pulley chair. Questacon is very fun! - Zeus

The lightning display was so cool. You had to watch the timer. Everyone was so excited when it 'hit 3, 2, 1 Go!'  Isobel S

I got to do lots of fun things. I really liked playing the Quad Air Hockey game.  Zach

 At the free fall activity I felt confident at first. I have to admit that it was kind of scary. When I was hanging on, I felt scared, but at that point I jumped.  Jack

Coffee, Chat & Cover – Volunteers Needed! 

We’ve just received a huge batch of new novels for our CE Novel Study program, and we need some extra hands to get them covered and ready for eager readers.

When: Wednesday, 24th September
Where: Library – Book Covering Centre (open all day)

Drop in whenever you can — stay for half an hour, or longer if you like. We’ll have coffee, tea, and plenty of good conversation while we work.

No experience needed, just a willingness to help out (and maybe enjoy a laugh or two while sticking down contact).

If you’re interested, please contact Amanda de Jongh - amanda.dejongh@cg.catholic.edu.au by Monday, 15th of September, so we can get an idea of numbers.

Your time will make a big difference in getting these books into students’ hands sooner.
 

We’d love to see you there!

Keep reading

The Library Team

Amanda de Jongh & Michael Washington

Japanese Incursion

The children had a wonderful time at last Friday’s incursion. They were entertained and enthralled as Aiko-sensei had them jumping and weaving to avoid the ninja star, teaching clever ninja tricks, and even guiding them through a beautiful, gentle Sakura dance.

You have no doubt heard about the antics of Tairo, her cheeky companion! The incursion was a fantastic way for students to experience Japanese culture. They were also able to understand and use some of their Japanese language skills, which was both affirming and encouraging.

We hope Aiko-sensei will be able to return next year!

みんなでイベントを楽しみましたね！

Our gnomes have arrived! This year Sts Peter and Paul will again be competing in the Gnomeville competition at Floriade. Watch this space to see the gnomes transform.

In the garden last week the mint was pruned and some garden beds weeded to make way for some spring veggies to be planted this week. Our seedlings are also coming along very well.

Garden Club will be on this Friday at lunch after the eating bell. Let me know if you have any questions at Katherine.birch@cg.catholic.edu.au

The Kitchen Garden Club

Mrs Birch & Mrs Moore

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 8 TERM 3, CANTEEN VOLUNTEER ROSTER

Thank you, helpers; your assistance is very much appreciated!

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 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 opening hours and I will do my best to attend 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