Dear Parents and Carers

“The claim about Christ has been, from the first, that he is our nourisher: that he is like mothers’ milk, he is like dates in the desert and, more, like water in the desert.”

Peter Steele SJ, ‘Bread for the Journey’

We are closing in on the end of Lent. This Sunday is Palm Sunday and it marks the beginning of Holy Week, culminating in Good Friday and Easter Sunday, where we see the triumph of love over death. Easter falls in the middle weekend of the holidays and so throughout the course of this week at school, we are celebrating, and dramatising, the events of Easter. Today, our Kindergarten children presented the story of Palm Sunday. Tomorrow, our Year 5 students retell the events of the Last Supper and on Friday, Year 6 dramatise the crucifixion of Jesus. At the beginning of Term 2, we complete the Easter cycle with Grade 2 enacting Easter Sunday. We are still unable to gather as a school, for the remainder of the term, so all grades are recording and sharing their work. My thanks to our REC Steph Burns for coordinating the week and to all teachers for their work.

COVID Arrangements – Term 2

The beginning of Term 2 will see some slight modifications in restrictions. Most of these will be internal to school practices and therefore will have little direct impact on parents. The two main changes, for the beginning of Term 2, are:

• Schools will be able to gather for assemblies. This is very good news. This means that our morning assemblies can begin again and our fortnightly Thursday assemblies can take place. Unfortunately, we are still unable to allow parents back onto the school site. This includes assemblies. My hope is that this will change in, or by the end of, Term 2.
• Parents will be able to join school events, in large numbers, if the event is off site and outdoors. For example, we have our Cross Country carnival at the end of Week 1. Parents will be able to join us at the carnival, as it is at Edison Park, across the road from the school.

These are the two main changes to our current practices. All other current Term 1 practices remain in place for Term 2. This includes the wearing of masks indoors, grade cohorting at recess and lunch, and the carpark arrangements we currently have will remain in place. Parents are still not allowed on site at school in large numbers. One off arrangements are possible e.g., if you have arranged to meet with your child’s teacher. In this matter, as is the case in all matters, I appreciate very much the support of the school community. I understand that it is has been a very difficult time for parents and not without strain or difficulty. I am confident that we will see a gradual easing of restrictions, so that the usual flow of relationships – including parents being on site in a normal manner – will be able to take place, unimpeded. For the moment, however, the current restrictions will largely need to continue, with the exceptions noted above. Thank you for your support.

Pupil Free Day

A reminder that the Monday April 25 is a public holiday. The following day, Tuesday April 26^th, is a pupil free day for all students in Catholic schools in the ACT. The staff will be focused on the system educational initiative, ‘Catalyst’. The first day back in Term 2 for students is Wednesday April 27^th. Please contact me at school if you have any questions.

Thank You

Last week, the parent community via the school’s Community Council bought the staff at Sts Peter and Paul lunch on one day and a very nice morning tea on another day, as a way to say thank you for their work over the last term. I would like to thank the parent body for their very generous act. The staff received it very well and they were very grateful. The ongoing uncertainty around COVID as well as the fatigue from restrictions have placed an extra strain on all of us in the community. I would like to thank the parent body for their kindness and for their ongoing support of the school and the staff. Your support has been essential and I appreciate it very much. I would like to add my own thanks to that of the parents’, and congratulate the staff on their excellent work this term. I am most fortunate in being able to work with the staff at Sts Peter and Paul. They are a pleasure to work with. I would particularly like to thank Tegan Ingold, from the Community Council, and our REC Steph Burns, for coordinating the lunch and morning tea last week.

Enjoy the holidays and I hope, in particular, that the Easter period is a time of great blessing for your families. I look forward to seeing all our families again on Wednesday, April 27^th.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal