Dear Parents and Carers

Kindergarten Orientation and Information Night

Yesterday we held our Orientation Morning for our 2022 Kindergarten cohort. It was a wonderful opportunity to welcome our new students to the school and to give them an opportunity to get to know the school a little better. The students had a very good morning and settled in well, in the time they had, to school life. Last night at 6 p.m., we held an Information Night for Kindergarten parents. The Kindergarten team spoke, as did the Leadership Team. It was one step towards what I hope would be, in the future, a return to normal school practice, regarding having parents on the school grounds and attending meetings.

2022 Planning Day

Today, the Leadership Team met for the day to focus on and plan for 2022. Our preparation involved reading some recent education articles that CE have provided to Principals and Assistant Principals. We also reread some Church documents on Catholic education and revisited our current Annual Improvement Plan and 2020 – 2022 Strategic Plan. Our work, thinking and conversations led to asking the question, ‘What is the biggest need in our school?’ This question will lead to the further refining of three goals for 2022, which will in turn inform our Annual Improvement Plan. I look forward to sharing the plan with the Community in the near future.

Please see a link to an interesting and thought provoking article written by Natalie Wexler for ‘The Atlantic’ magazine, which helped inform our thinking:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/08/the-radical-case-for-teaching-kids-stuff/592765/

Reports and Class Lists

With only 5 weeks left until the end of the school year, necessarily the thoughts of the school and the teachers turn to the tasks that are essential for a smooth transition to the following year. The teachers are currently preparing class lists for 2022. Like this year, we will have 13 classes next year, with two classes for each grade and three classes for Grade 3/4. The teachers will prepare the class lists keeping many factors in mind, ensuring the classes are as balanced as possible. Importantly, as part of this process, students will be consulted and asked to name three friends with whom they would like to be placed, for 2022. The school guarantees one of the friends. More friends than one may be included. If you have any concerns over friendship dynamics, please email me, or your child’s teacher/s. Requests for individual teachers will be unable to be met.

Teachers are also in the process of gathering assessment and beginning the report writing process. Reports will again be delivered online via Compass, as they were last semester. Due to COVID and Remote Learning, there has been a disruption to the normal amount of assessment that can be managed. Teachers will report on Maths, English and Religious Education, with one other subject included. Spanish and The Arts will also receive a grade. There will be no comments this semester. In place of comments, there will be Parent/Teacher interviews in Week 10, on Tuesday and Wednesday of that week. Reports will be made available on Compass in Week 11.

Community Council

Next week, our Community Council is meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. It will be the final meeting of the year. The year has proven to be difficult in terms of planning whole school events for families and parents (e.g., Trivia Nights and the like), due to COVID and its impact. Nonetheless, the Council has made numerous attempts at different times to plan community-building events, and we look forward next year, as school restrictions should ease, to providing some afternoon and evening events for parents and families.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

Gospel Reflection

Mk 12:28-34

Why does the Gospel include such an extended description of the collapse of the world as it was? Because that’s exactly what was going on around the community of this gospel writer! This Gospel is understood to have been written somewhere in the period 70-75 CE. In the year 70 CE the city of Jerusalem was besieged by Roman troops who stormed the city and destroyed it. As a sign of complete disdain for the people of Jerusalem and a mark of overwhelming victory, the Romans burnt and completely destroyed the Temple in the heart of Jerusalem. For the entire Jewish community, this was absolute devastation. The destruction of the Temple surely marked the coming of the end times – the day of judgment and completion of this world. The community gathered around this gospel writer were no less affected. On top of this, the Roman Emperors were reaching new heights (or depths) in their persecution of the followers of Jesus.

In the midst of this despair and fear, the followers of Jesus are challenged to remember the teachings of the one they follow. This passage is written for them as an encouragement to not give up in the face of what appears to be overwhelming odds. It is a call to hope. Although we can understand the context in which it was originally written, we are also challenged to apply its message of hope and perseverance to our own lives.

Adapted from Greg Sunter

 Is a weekly online child-friendly reflection of the coming Sunday’s Gospel.

Sunday  30th October, 33rd  Sunday in Ordinary Time

http://www.prayingwithchildren.org/l1f315unsu3.html

 Upcoming Dates

• Vinnies Christmas Appeal Commencing Week 8
• Year 6 Graduation Mass Friday December 10th

Blessings,

Fron Garrett

Religious Education Coordinator (Acting)

Power of Prayer Mini-Retreat

On Thursday of Week 8 the Youth Ministry team will lead a Power of Prayer retreat.

The team have been planning, organising and preparing to run this retreat around the theme of prayer with God through all times in our life.

The retreat will be pre-recorded. Each class will do the retreat in their classroom with the retreat video at 12:30pm on Thursday. It will go for 30 minutes.

The team is very excited and glad that they get to share and be a witness for the young students of the school community.

I really appreciate your support for Youth Ministry in the school and we are very much looking forward to learning, sharing and having fun with you all (virtually).

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Maddie Greenwood 

Youth Minister

maddie.greenwood@cg.org.au

The sun has shone and the Socktober Shoot Out was finally held today.  Thank you for your generous donations.  To date, $596 has been raised for Catholic Mission.  If you haven’t yet donated, there is still time - please make your child's donation on the Qkr! App under the School Payments section / Payment / Socktober Shoot Out / Select amount.  Thank you for your generosity with this fundraiser.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students celebrating their birthday this week.

Gabriel M

Zander H

Principal's Awards: Charlie H, 2W; Danny H, KM

Learning Support Awards: Joshua V, 2M; Hanshika M, 1M; Ned S, 3/4M; Luka G, 3/4B

Book Club Closes tomorrow!

Orders close tomorrow Thursday 18th November. All orders are placed online. Please place orders through the LOOP App. Please also remember that 20% of all sales go to our school Library to purchase new books! It is a great way to get organised with Christmas gifts! 

Book Week and Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge

We are having a special assembly coming up before the end of the year where we are going to draw prizes for participating in the Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge and hear from Mr Andrew Barr. The Teams link will be sent out so parents are able to watch as well. Our school were winners in the K-2, Years 3 & 4 and Years 5 & 6 Categories and I am so proud of the Sts Peter and Paul’s students for being such a wonderful community of readers! We received $300 in gift vouchers as prizes and a few lucky students are going to be chosen at random to accompany Mrs Armstrong and Mrs Basedow to Paperchain Bookshop in Manuka to get wonderful new books for the Library! More information to come soon!

Library Book Returns 

We still have A LOT of outstanding books! Please return them if you have any at home :) Stocktake is commencing in Week 10 and next week is the last week for upper primary to borrow books, Kinder-Year 2 have finished borrowing due to COVID restrictions. 

Story Time Picnic

Wanting to do something fun on the weekend? The Book Cow Bookshop in Kingston is hosting a story time picnic with author Amelia McInerney! Register to join in at the Book Cow’s website! 

Please contact amanda.basedow@cg.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions regarding the Library or borrowing.

Keep reading and as always thank you for your support! Mrs Basedow

This week in the kitchen and classroom Years 5 and 6 were learning about the Fruit Group. Each year discovered different facts and that all fruits are not the same.

Year 5 were learning all about why we should eat fruit and what it can do for our bodies and Year 6 were learning about how much fruit they should actually be eating. Fun fact - we should eat more vegetables than fruit.

Both years had a fun time in the kitchen revising cooking skills and making pastries with - you guessed it- fruit filling.

As always email Mrs Katie Birch at Katherine.birch@cg.cathoic.edu.au with any questions you may have.

The Garden Club

THE CANTEEN IS CASHLESS

Families are required to make all canteen payments via Qkr!

 Due to current restrictions and limitations, the Canteen Menu will be reduced.

We apologise for this but hopefully the full canteen menu will be up and running again in no time!

All over-the-counter sale items (snacks & treats) must be ordered in your child’s lunch order via Qkr! which will be delivered to them at lunch time.

There will be no over-the-counter sales at lunch time at this stage.

Thank you

 Lauretta Raccosta,

Canteen

Lauretta.Raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

Healthy Kids, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Canteens

8.30 – 9.30AM

 The Uniform Shop is a service for the parents and children.

 We sell New & Quality Second-hand school clothing, and all money raised goes back to the school to provide resources for the children.

The Uniform Shop is ONLY available via Qkr!

Tuesdays - Fridays, orders will be delivered to your child’s classroom. Orders need to be placed before 8.45am. 

Due to current Covid restrictions, the Uniform Shop is not open for counter sales. If you require a fitting, please email me at lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au directly to discuss sizing options.

STARTING SCHOOL IN 2022?

PURCHASE A STARTER PACK ON QKR! NOW

 Step 1: Download the Qkr! app

Step 2: Register - follow the steps

Step 3: Find our school - Sts Peter & Paul Primary School

Step 4: Register your child/ren - select “new enrolments”

Step 5: Purchase a starter pack for pick up at the front office between school hours.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

If anyone has spare empty 4 litre icecream containers can you please send them into Mrs de Smet in Year 2. They will be used as compost bins.

Thank you

GRANDMA'S FRUIT AND COCONUT SLICE

Ingredients

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup coconut

125 g butter

1 tbs golden syrup

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup dried fruit of your choice, chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 180C and grease a lamington tin.

Place flour, sugar and coconut in a medium bowl and make a well in the centre.

Melt butter and golden syrup together and add to the dry ingredients.

Add the beaten egg to the mixture, mix through, then fold in the dried fruit.

Press mixture into prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Ice with a lemon icing (lemon juice and icing sugar mixed together) and cut into small squares while slightly warm.

Variations

Apple Slice: replace dried fruit with 1 cup of grated apple and add 1 tsp of cinnamon and ground ginger to the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the slice with cinnamon sugar prior to baking.

Chocolate Raspberry Slice: Add 2 tbs of cocoa to the dry ingredients and leave out the dried fruit. Press frozen raspberries into the slice prior to baking and ice with a basic chocolate icing.

Visit the Belconnen Arts Centre

https://www.belcoarts.com.au/

Exploring the Universe of Graeme Base

26 November 2021 – 6 February 2022

Launch into Other Worlds: Exploring the Universe of Graeme Base with extended opening hours on Friday 26 November 2021. To celebrate the long anticipated exhibition, you can visit from 10am-8pm and enjoy Late Night by the Lake with drinks and music by the Monica Moore Trio from 5pm.

Bring the whole family and get up close and marvel at original illustrations from the book, “The Worst Band in the Universe” by Australia’s favourite children’s author, Graeme Base.

Feeling inspired by Base’s thrilling and detailed works? Local artists byrd and Hanna Hoyne certainly have been – see how they have responded to these otherworldly themes in fantastical, large-scale murals in our Generator Gallery. And don’t forget to keep your eye out for aliens hiding around the Centre – can you find them all?

As per current health directions in the ACT, visitors to the exhibition will not be required to wear masks while in the centre. Free disposable masks will be available to wear if desired.