Dear Parents and Carers

Student Achievement

We recently received the news that one of our past students is the Marist College School Captain for 2022. Congratulations to Hugo Blacker (younger sister Audrey is in Year 5), who attended Sts Peter and Paul from 2010 – 2016. It is a wonderful achievement and a great reflection on Hugo and his family. In an email, Hugo’s mum Sally wrote, “They [Hugo and his siblings] all thrived in this beautiful school community and had a wonderful experience. I am sure that Hugo developed his great leadership skills as a proud year 6 leader in 2016! Many of his close friends at Marist also attended our school until year 6 and have achieved leadership roles. It is such a joy to see them fly the flag for Sts Peter and Paul.” I have no doubt that Hugo will do an excellent job. One of the photos included shows Hugo giving his first speech at the Year 12 Valedictory Assembly. Congratulations, Hugo! We are very proud of you.

Power of Prayer Mini-Retreat

This Friday, the Youth Ministry team, made up of grades five and six leaders, will run the Power of Prayer retreat for the school. The team has been planning, organising and preparing to run this retreat, it is 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 Friday. It will go for 30 minutes. The activity we will do is a very simple prayer chain. As we move into Advent, this an excellent opportunity to prepare for the blessings that Advent and Christmas bring into our lives. My thanks to Maddie Greenwood, our School and Parish Youth Minister, to Fron Garrett-Rumba, our Acting REC, and to our excellent student leaders, for all of their hard work and preparation.

Catalyst

I have written previously of our Catalyst involvement, an Archdiocesan-wide professional learning initiative, informed by the science of learning. This Friday, our final Professional Learning day is taking place, and as well as members of the Leadership Team, it also includes our ‘Wave 1’ teachers, Sarah Kennelly, Anna Kain and Fron Garrett-Rumba. Participants will continue being coached in a particular pedagogical method, based on the principles of the science of learning, which involves a more direct teaching method. Our professional learning in this area will continue next year, with ‘Wave 2’ teachers participating in the program.

Kindergarten Nativity Play and 5/6 Play

Despite the interruptions of COVID and the shortened time left in the term, the school is putting on a form of the traditional Kindergarten Nativity play. Students have been busy preparing and practicing and it will see them sing carols in costume, with narration from the teachers, to connect to the story of Christmas, as told through the carols. My thanks to our wonderful Kindergarten teachers, Marie-Ann Barrett, Mel Neit, Mary Portolesi and Laura Williamson, and our Perfuming Arts teacher, Alissa Pearson, for their wonderful work and efforts. Our students in Years 5 and 6 have also been preparing their play, again modified due to the gap in practice times because of Remote Learning. My thanks again to Alissa Pearson, and our very supportive 5/6 Team (Paul Jenkins, Sarah Kennelly, Gayle Hunt, Nic Marsham, Fron Garrett-Rumba and Mary Portolesi), and to Anna Cooper too, one of our regular relief teachers, who has been employed specifically to assist with practice times. Both the Kinder Nativity Play and the 5/6 Play will be filmed and sent home to parents via the electronic recording.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

Gospel Reflection

Lk 21:25-28. 34-36

We are, perhaps, used to thinking of the season of Advent as a time of preparation for the celebration of Christmas. But this week’s readings, and the readings of the next few weeks, remind us that the notion of preparation extends well beyond the celebration of the birth of Jesus. We are reminded that we are, in fact, living in an ‘in-between time’. From this week’s first reading we are reminded that the expectation of a Messiah was a very long-standing hope for Israel. The coming of the Messiah would usher in a new prosperity and a divine reign of God. The earliest Christians began to see that the ancient prophecies could all be applied to Jesus and they began to regard Jesus as the promised Messiah – the fulfilment of prophecy. However, Jesus also promised that he would come again, and the expectation of the first followers of Jesus was that his return would be in their lifetime. In our second reading from the letter to the Thessalonians, we can see the growing realisation that perhaps Jesus’ return will not occur within the current generation. This realisation had a dramatic effect on the life and faith of the community. Imagine living with the belief that the end of time was going to occur not just in your lifetime but literally any day now. Slowly, they realised that Jesus’ words were not that specific and the time of return had not been identified. What Jesus had called for was a state of readiness, a state of preparedness. This didn’t mean he was coming immediately; what it meant was that there was need to get the house in order because he would be coming at some time. Advent is a time to remember that we still haven’t really got the house in order.

Walking Together

Walking Together is an online Advent resource from our local Archdiocese, designed to help parents, carers and grandparents prepare reflectively for Christmas. It will be available in 4 instalments – one each week - of a 10 minute video and downloadable discussion questions.  Use it whenever suits you, to reflect alone or with your family, or join an in-person or online group to discuss the contents with others. All information available at www.cgcatholic.org.au/ADVENT

Praying With Children

Sunday 28th November

1st Sunday in Advent  Year B

http://www.prayingwithchildren.org/phm3iny3t.html

Upcoming Dates

Christmas Appeal begins this week

Friday December 10th Year 6 Graduation Mass 12pm @ SPP Church

Wednesday 8th December Christmas Clothes Dress-up Day for Christmas Appeal

Blessings,

Fron Garrett

Religious Education Coordinator (Acting)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students celebrating their birthday this week.

Amelia S

Sarah M

Lucy B

Christian S

Oscar S

2021 ACT Virtual Track and Field Results

A huge congratulations to the following students who came first, second or third in these respective virtual races. What amazing achievements!

Girls 8 Year Olds 70m Sprint: Kiera S 1^st and Alice A 2^nd
Girls 9 Year Olds 70m Sprint: Maja G 3^rd
Girls 12 Year Olds Shot Put: Josie A 3^rd
Boys 9 Year Olds 70m Sprint: Xavier H 1^st
Boys 10 Year Olds 1500m Run: Lucas S 1^st and Hamish S 3rd

If you ever have any questions about anything related to Sport, please don’t hesitate to get in touch mary.desmet@cg.catholic.edu.au Hopefully I’ll be able to help you out!

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

Last week Years 5 and 6 got to cook with the Grains Group. ANZAC biscuits were on the menu. Yum!

They learnt about why the Grains Group is so important especially for their age group. The Grains Group is a Go food as it contains foods which have carbohydrates in them. This provides their whole body with energy, including the brain. If you don't eat Go foods then your body can get tired.

They also learned that the Grains Group foods have fibre in them and that white grains are more processed than whole grains so have less fibre.

The children watched a You Tube clip about OZharvest and how it was established by a lady who could see a problem with food being wasted and found a way to start changing this. Very inspirational.

If you have any questions about combining the curriculum with our kitchen and garden please email Mrs Katie Birch at Katherine.birch@cg.catholic.edu.au

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

OPEN TUESDAY MORNINGS

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

LEMON BISCUITS

Ingredients

175 g butter, softened

75 g castor sugar

175 g plain flour

75 g semolina

1 lemon, zested

1-2 tbs icing sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 165 degrees, grease and line trays with baking paper, set aside.

Beat butter and castor sugar until well combined. Add the flour and semolina and mix well. Add 3/4 of the lemon zest and knead the dough together.

Mix the remaining lemon zest with the icing sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Roll out small balls of the mixture and then place onto the prepared trays, flatten each slightly with a fork.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden, then dust with the prepared sugar mix and your biscuits are ready to eat.

The recipes in the newsletter this term are from the Sts P & P 50th Anniversary Cookbook. All recipes are easy to make and are great for lunchboxes or treats at home. Books are $20, payable on Qkr!, and available for pickup at the front office.

It's not too late to get your dinosaur fix at Majura Park

Jurassic Creatures, a realistic animatronics exhibition like no other, will capture the imagination of children and parents alike with over 30 Dinosaurs and spectacular activities that immerse you in a prehistoric time. 

Follow the link to book your tickets. Don't wait, the exhibition finishes this weekend!

https://www.jurassiccreatures.com.au/