“Among the most powerful of human experiences is to give or to receive forgiveness. I am told that two-thirds of the teaching of Jesus is directly or indirectly about this mystery of forgiveness…When we forgive, we choose the goodness of the other over their faults, we experience God’s goodness flowing through ourselves, and we also experience our own goodness in a way that surprises us. That is an awesome coming together of power, both human and divine.”

• Richard Rohr

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back to another school term. I hope and trust that your child or children had a good holiday, and that your family found energy in the change of routine. It is great to have the children back and we have had a very calm and settled start to the term.

This term, we welcome 10 new or returning students. I would like to welcome the following families: Greene, McInnes, O'Dea, Bedell, Clark and Lu. It is wonderful to welcome you all to Sts Peter and Paul.

The above quote from Richard Rohr is a good one to use at the start of Term 4. Advent – the time of preparation for Christmas – is not far away. Rohr’s reflection on the role forgiveness plays in our lives speaks to the way in which it prepares us, in a sense, to be more open to the movement of grace. Forgiveness is an enlarging of the self and a source of healing. To forgive, and to be forgiven, is to experience grace at work in our lives.

COVID

No doubt all parents would be well aware of recent easing of COVID restrictions. This means, effectively, the restrictions that have been in place for the best part of the last 3 years are now gone. On a practical level at school, this means that:

• Parents can attend outdoor and indoor assemblies.
• Meetings can be in person.
• Parents can collect their children from the Kindergarten courtyard.
• Parents are allowed to assist in classrooms or attend excursions, or assist in the canteen, and be involved in the daily life of the school, in a way that has been inhibited since March 2020.
• Children are no longer required to isolate for 7 days, should they contract the COVID virus.

I welcome all of our parents back on site and look forward to their active involvement. It does mean, as well, that the following precautions are in place:

• Staff and parents can wear masks if they wish.
• If your child contracts COVID-19, please keep them at home while they are obviously sick (that is, displaying signs of being too unwell to be at school). While children and adults are not required necessarily to isolate for 7 days, adults and children who do contract the virus are required to be at home while they are displaying the symptoms of being sick, as they would for any other illness.

While it is very positive that restrictions have been eased, it is important to keep in mind that the virus has not gone away, and basic hygiene practices are still recommended – mask wearing where appropriate, hand washing, and the like. The aim of the school, like all places, is to try to be as COVID free as possible.

Grandparents Day

Today, we celebrated Grandparents’ Day, a very important event on our calendar and one that has suffered in recent years, due to COVID restrictions. The children had a wonderful time hosting their grandparents, all of whom enjoyed the visit very much. The students also shared tasty treats outside with their grandparents. Today was a great way to begin easing the restrictions of COVID. My thanks to Stephanie Burns for her excellent coordination of the day, and to all staff for their hospitality and generosity of spirit.

Year 6 Camp

Next week, our excellent Year 6 students will be going on their camp. The students will be attending Borambola, outside of Wagga, from Wednesday – Friday. They are very excited and will undoubtedly have a very good time. I will be attending the camp with the students, as well as Sarah Kennelly, Luke Gubler and Katie McGregor. Anna Williams will very capably lead the school in my absence.

Staffing – REC 2023

Next year, Stephanie Burns, who has done an excellent job being our Religious Education Coordinator for the last 4 years, is stepping down from the role. Steph has gained a new teaching role at Trinity Christian School. Steph has been a wonderful REC and a great support on the school’s Leadership Team. Steph has brought wisdom, insight and much in the way of practical skill to the role. We will miss her very much and I wish Steph all the best for the future.

We welcome next year Mrs Veronica Hall to Sts Peter and Paul, who will be our new REC. Veronica is a very experienced educator and is currently the REC at St Gregory’s, Queanbeyan. I know that Veronica will make very valuable contributions and will continue the excellent role that Steph has provided. We welcome Veronica next year.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal