Dear Parents and Carers

“Advent is indeed a season of confrontation, a season to give us pause. It presses upon us the necessity to be genuine with God, and with one another, and with ourselves. It urges us to be less smoothly-flowing in our relationships, and in our prayers, and in our constant concession to ourselves.”

Peter Steele SJ, ‘Irony as Virtue, Cynicism as Vice’

So writes the late Jesuit priest Peter Steele. Last weekend, we celebrated the season of Advent. Like Lent, Advent is a season of waiting – in this case, we wait for Christmas and the birth of Jesus. Peter Steele’s words are bracing and take us away from the glitter and tinsel of Christmas. Tinsel and the trappings of Christmas add to the mood and the celebratory nature of Christmas, and that is a good thing. Peter Steele’s words ask us also to take things a little deeper and go below the surface – in this case, to ask ourselves how things stand between ourselves and others, and ourselves and God. Jesus’ birth reminds us that grace erupts into our lives gratuitously, and always when we least expect it – like that of a child born in a manager, who left the world forever changed.

Parent Teacher Interviews

A reminder that next week, over three days, we are holding our Semester 2 Parent/Teacher Interviews. Please book a time via Compass. The interviews are invaluable opportunities to talk with your child’s teacher about your child’s progress. Thank you for your support.

5/6 Play

Over the last three days, our students in Years 5 & 6 have been filming the play that they been working on since the beginning of Term 3. Remote Learning has hindered the performance of the play, and our performance of it – which normally would be in front of parents and students – has of course been hindered substantially. It makes the production of the play all the more remarkable, and I would like to thank all the students and their families for their support. Special thanks to the Years 5 & 6 teachers, as well as Anna Cooper and Alissa Pearson, for their amazing support and work. After the play has been videoed, it will be made available for parents.

Kinder Nativity

Equally impressive is the Kindergarten Nativity performance. Each year, Sts Peter Paul’s Kindergarten students perform a dramatised version of the story of Christmas. Like our Years 5 & 6 students, they are unable to perform the story in front of their parents. They are being filmed on Thursday and again, the video will be available to parents in due course. My thanks to the Kindergarten students and their families, to the Kindergarten teachers, and Alissa Pearson.

Step Up Day

Next Thursday, we are holding our ‘Step-Up’ day. All 2022 Years 1 – 6 students will meet their 2022 teacher, with their class cohort for next year. They will spend a little bit of time getting to know each other and their class teacher, and will bring home the class list at the end of the day.

Reports

A reminder too that reports will go home Friday week, on December the 10^th, via Compass. All reports will contain grades for Maths, English, RE, Spanish, Music and 1 other subject area, specific to each grade. Comments will not feature on this Semester’s reports.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal