Dear Parents and Carers

A PRAYER AT A TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC (COVID 19) ARCHBISHOP CHRISTOPHER PROWSE

CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF CANBERRA GOULBURN

Heavenly Father, We praise and thank you for your loving presence, especially in the Lent/Easter season. We offer heartfelt thanks, dear Lord, particularly for our recent rains. Once again, we come to you in our need.

As your children we are in need of your healing and protection. Just as we have been recovering from our dangerous bushfire summer, we have now been thrown into a fearful coronavirus (COVID-19) autumn. We are tired and frightened. We feel a sense of panic and future uncertainty on a global scale.

Be with us now, Loving Master. Without you all is nothing – only empty hearts and a total reliance on our own feeble resources. But with you “there is mercy and fullness of Redemption” (Psalm 130/7). With you there is “the loving mercy of the heart of our God (who) will give light to those who sit in darkness, those who dwell in the shadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1/79).

It seems that so many public gatherings are now postponed or cancelled. There is virus death, the sick, and the anxious. We are spending more time on our own, or with family or friends. We pray for the sick and those looking after them. Help us to offer practical help to those who struggle.

Let us use these times, O Lord, for your greater glory, especially during Lent and Easter. Let us pray more, and truly listen to you more in loving silence, stillness and simplicity. Almighty Father, you always journey with us in life’s challenges. Help us to meet you often in the scriptures and our sacraments. Increase in us faith, hope and trust. Protect us from this coronavirus.

Remove it from our common home. Heal those who are sick and dying. Mary, Help of Christians, as always we fly to you in our need. Be close to us and point out your Son, Jesus, to us in this pandemic. St Therese of Lisieux and her parents, Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us.

We make this and all our prayers through Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, AMEN

I would like to begin by thanking the parent community for their patience and forbearance during this period of confusion. I appreciate the many supportive emails and messages that the school has received. The students’ wellbeing and flourishing remains, as always, the school’s absolute focus. I offer this prayer from the Archbishop in the hope that it is a source of solace and hope for the entire school community.

Coronavirus

The last few days has seen both Sts Peter and Paul and the Catholic Education Office communicate with parents regarding the coronavirus. The school will email a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ sheet to all families tomorrow. I encourage all parents to take the time to read this, and all other recent communication. I acknowledge that the frequency of emails and letters can seem both overwhelming and bewildering. Nonetheless, I encourage all parents to strive to take the time to read the information we send, in order to stay abreast of the issues. Thank you all for your support.

Parent Thanks

In amongst all the attention that Coronavirus has received, life still goes on. I would like to take this opportunity to publically acknowledge and thank Sally Blacker, mother of Archie in Year 6 and Audrey in Year 4, for her great work in compiling the parent directory. This was by no means a small job and required of Sally many hours of her own time, which she donated generously. Thank you Sally. I would also like to thank Trish Collis who copied and assembled all the booklets. Many thanks Trish. We are indebted to you both.

St Clare’s Visit – Year 6 Girls 

Although almost all excursions have been cancelled, we are still welcoming two St Clare’s College girls and their teacher to our school this Thursday, to talk to our Year 6 girls about life at St Clare’s. High School visits (which take place under normal conditions) are an important part of life in Year 6, and they assist students in preparing for their lives in Years 7 – 12.

Enrolment Period

The enrolment period for Catholic Education begins in the second week of next term. We are hoping that conditions return to normal and that we can have groups of parents visit the school as well as run an Information Night. The dates for our Term 2 Open Days are May 5, 9-11am; May 13, 12-1.15pm; May 21, 3-6pm. Our Information Night is May 12 at 6.30pm.

Community Council Meeting

A reminder for our parents on the Community Council that we are meeting next Tuesday evening at 6.30pm. An account of each Council meeting is included in the following day’s Newsletter.

In conclusion, as many of our community would know, we have a high proportion of our parent community who work in the health or medical professions in one form or another. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their work, now and in the future, as the Canberra community deals with the circumstances that the Coronavirus has brought about in our homes and work places.

Have a good week with your children.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal