Dear Parents and Carers

“Never be deluded into thinking that if you have contrition for your sins, if you are sorry for your sins, God will come and forgive you—that he will be touched by your appeal, change his mind about you and forgive you. Not a bit of it. God never changes his mind about you. He is simply in love with you. What he does again and again is change your mind about him. That is why you are sorry. That is what your forgiveness is. You are not forgiven because you confess your sin...You do not come to confession to have your sins forgiven. You come to celebrate that your sins are forgiven.”

• Herbert McCabe, OP

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the annual Principals’ Retreat, which was led by the English Dominican priest Fr Timothy Radcliffe. It was an excellent retreat and there were many fruits from the experince. He spoke, at one point, about one of his fellow Dominicans, the late Herbert McCabe (quoted above), who was himself a brilliant scholar and preacher, and a friend to Timothy Radcliffe. I have used the quote above, from McCabe, as it speaks to the journey our Year 3 students are on at the moment. Many of our students will be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the coming weeks. Far from being a dour sacrament that highlights our flaws – as so many of us have come to think of it – it should be seen as a reason for celebration and joy, for it speaks to the graced reality that we already live. We are already unconditionally known, loved and forgiven.

Swimming Carnival

Last Friday, we held our Swimming Carnival, for students eligible in Year 2, and all Years 3 – 6 students. It was a great success and my thanks to Luke Gubler for his excellent work in coordinating the carnival and ensuring its success. My thanks too to the many staff who assisted Luke, and to the many parent volunteers as well, without whom such events would be impossible. I would also like to thank Natasha Kapantais, who organised the K – 2 Water Fun Day, at school. My thanks to Natasha for doing an excellent job and ensuring our younger students also had a lot of fun. My thanks too to all K – 2 staff for their support.

WWVP Cards

As I have written above, parents were an essential part of the success of the Swimming Carnival. This speaks to a larger reality: that our parent volunteers are a vital part of school life and contribute greatly to the social and educational fabric of the school. I am deeply grateful to the many parents who volunteer their time and their gifts to the school. Parents who would like to assist with carnivals, excursions, the canteen, and so on, will need to acquire a Working With Vulnerable People card (WWVP). Parents can apply for a WWVP card through Access Canberra WWVP Cards.

Car Line Etiquette

Many new parents or visitors to the school speak of the school’s very warm, welcoming and friendly culture, exhibited by staff, students and parents, alike. Like all good relationships, I believe it can never be taken for granted. A reminder please for patience and good will in the carline, as those qualities, and others, sustain the life of a community. Thank you for your support. Please see me if you have any questions around processes and procedures.

Parent Thanks

We are approaching the start of the Netball Season, and I would like to acknowledge and thank Lucy Webb, for her excellent work in volunteering her time in organising the teams and their participation in the South Canberra Netball Association competition. Lucy’s support is invaluable.

Easter Celebrations

Easter is also approaching rapidly, and as took place last year, the Community Council is sponsoring a Hat Parade and an Easter coloring-in competition. Stay tuned for details around the dates of these events, however, it is never too early to start thinking about an amazing Easter Hat! Parental support, again, is essential, and I would like to thank Katherine Jones for her great efforts and for making this possible.

NAPLAN – Years 3 & 5

Today, Thursday and Friday, our Years 3 and 5 students are sitting the annual NAPLAN tests, which assess children’s progress in Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation, and Maths. I wish all of our students the very best, and thank them, and their teachers, for their participation. Special thanks to Sam Mance and Sarah Kennelly, for coordinating the exams, and to Paul Jenkins too, for coordinating and managing the IT component.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal