Dear Parents and Carers

“We are, whether we like it or not, in a situation where transcendence has been reduced to a rumour.”

Peter Berger, A Rumour of Angels

This quote from Peter Berger comes from his 1969 book, A Rumour of Angels. The quote itself is part of a discussion paper that Catholic Education has provided to all principals, to promote discussion around Catholic formation – essentially, the mission and identity of Catholic schools. The stimulus paper is intended to contribute to the Principals’ Retreat, being held this week at Bowral, from Wednesday - Friday. The paper addresses the promise but ultimate failing of secularism, and goes on to say, “USA journalist and writer, Emily Esfani-Smith, in challenging our relentless pursuit of happiness, argues that we achieve meaning through four things: belonging, purpose, storytelling and transcendence.” The retreat will provide the principals of the Archdiocese of Canberra/Goulburn, and senior leaders from the Catholic Education Office, with an invaluable opportunity to explore such ideas and ensure that Catholic Education is better placed, and orientated, to address such challenges. During my absence this week, Anna Williams will very capably lead Sts Peter and Paul.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

This week, Sts Peter and Paul has held its Parent/Teacher interviews over 3 days, Monday – Wednesday. The interviews have provided teachers and parents with an invaluable opportunity to confer with each other and see how the students are progressing. While it is too early in the term to suggest what the semester grades might look like (at the end of next term), the teachers are nonetheless well placed to discuss the learning behaviours of the students and learning needs. Bookings for the formal interviews have closed. If you did not, however, make a time for an interview, I encourage you contact your child’s teacher to make a time to meet. The interviews serve a greater purpose – the education and flourishing of all the students.

School – Minor Works

Next week, the wooden fence that runs between the school and the nursing village is being replaced, and a colourbond fence will be installed in its place. This is a cost being borne by the village. There will be minimal disruption to the students or the life of the school.

Year 6 Leadership Day

Whilst COVID restrictions are still in place at schools, some things are going ahead, where cohorts can maintain their integrity. Friday week sees the Year 6 students have their first Leadership Day, at BFirm. https://bfirm.com.au/ The school trialled the involvement of the Year 6 students last year, with great success, and we are continuing the program this year. It provides the students with the opportunity to develop personal and collective skills and traits such as resilience, grit, teamwork and collaboration. My thanks to Sarah Kennelly and Luke Gubler for coordinating the day.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

Project Compassion 2022

Now that Lent has begun for this year, we are turning our focus to the Caritas Project Compassion fundraiser for 2022. The Theme this year is “For all Future Generations”. Our support of Caritas Australia this Lenten season will help support vulnerable people around the world, now and For All Future Generations. Each class has been given a Project Compassion box that will allow students to donate money to Caritas over the Season of Lent. We encourage you to discuss this with your child and consider allowing your child to make a donation to the box that is on their classroom prayer table.

Reconciliation 2022

The preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation continues. A big thank you to the parents who have very generously offered to host a home group.

For those parents who would like to see the home groups sheet, please click here.

You can also place your child’s name on the online booking sheet to receive the Sacrament here.

Parish Mass & Presentation of Reconciliation Candidates

Next weekend, at the Parish Masses (either Saturday 19^th at 6:00pm or Sunday 20th March at 9:30am or 5:30pm), the 2022 Reconciliation Candidates will be presented to the Parish community so that we can join together in prayer and support for these students and their families as they prepare for this important Sacrament.

Second Sunday of Lent Year C . Luke 9:28-36

In all three versions of this Transfiguration event that appear in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the context in which the event occurs is identical. That’s a little unusual with these three gospel writers who like to put their own spin on events and often play with the chronology or settings of events. However, in this case, all three writers report the Transfiguration event as taking place immediately after a particular sequence of events. Jesus has asked the disciples who they think he is and Peter has made his confession of faith by declaring that Jesus is the Messiah. This declaration is followed by Jesus teaching about the demands of discipleship and then the account of the Transfiguration. Furthermore, all three versions are directly followed by an account of a man who brings his possessed son to Jesus for healing after the disciples have tried and failed to cast out the demon.

When all three of the synoptic gospels use the same story with little variation and all three retain the same context around the event then there are some pretty clear signals that this was a commonly accepted sequence of events and their sequence holds significance. The core message of this sequence of stories is about the faith of the disciples. Whilst Peter declares Jesus to be the Messiah, he and the others don’t really yet know what this means. In the Transfiguration, they are given the clearest possible indication of Jesus’ identity and yet they’re half asleep and we’re told Peter doesn’t know what he’s saying when he starts talking about building tents. The following failure by the disciples to cast out a demon shows that they still haven’t understood fully who and what Jesus is. What a great reading for the season of Lent!

 (Reflection by Greg Sunter)

Blessings for the week ahead,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Sadie W

Ari A

Zoe K

Amelia W

Natalie T

Austin J

If anyone has spare empty 4 litre icecream containers can you please send them into 2 White.

They will be used as compost bins.

Thank you

We are officially underway with the ACT Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge. I am pleased to say that ALL children have already read at least one book (in class or at home) to add to their record! K-2 are keeping a whole class recording chart, Years 3-6 have an individual online recording sheet via the Library Google Classroom and Google Docs.

For Students

For the traditional challenge you may read any book of your choice (in paper or electronic form). This can include any genre in picture books, novels, comic books, graphic novels, poetry, or non-fiction books. If you read a book that you really enjoyed, consider writing a book review and sharing it with your teacher and class. 

How to choose the best book:

• look for topics that you are interested in
• look at the front cover and illustrations in the book
• read the blurb and the first page
• look for other books written by a favourite author
• ask friends, family or teachers for recommendations
• check out all the e-readers now available through your school and public library.

For Parents and Carers

Tips for reading with all children:

• visit the local library and enjoy spending time choosing new books and reading together, including e-books and audio books
• give books or book vouchers as presents
• ensure that your children see you reading, such as the newspaper, a cookbook, novel, short stories, manuals, or magazines
• identify online reading, such as online news, reviews, communications and e-books
• go to libraries or bookshops when authors are visiting - children and teenagers love meeting their favourite writers
• make sure your home is a reading home - with books and quiet, comfortable spaces to read
• encourage your children to read in any of the languages your family uses
• identify or schedule time for reading, such as before bed or between getting ready for school and leaving
• read books together before watching the film and then share thoughts about the two portrayals of the story.

Tips for reading with older children:

• encourage children to keep a book with them so they can read on journeys or in spare moments – this could include e-books
• support your child to search for books and read book reviews in interest areas, such as hobbies, sports, genres, favourite authors and biographies
• encourage children to join you as you read a recipe for you as you cook, or share a movie summary or review
• read books you can talk about together - ensure the talk is light-hearted, not testing or over-questioning
• encourage your children to swap books with their friends.

Tips for reading with younger children:

• read the books together with funny voices, or take turns to read different characters
• talk about your favourite parts of the books and which authors you like the most
• try reading in different locations like the backyard, coffee shop, or lounge room floor
• allow your child to choose how to read the book. They may like to do echo reading with you (parent reads and the child echoes back), shared reading with you (taking turns to read) or independent reading (read to you or to themselves).

Book Club- Issue 2 

Issue 2 is now available and brochures were sent home last week. Orders close Thursday 24th March. It will then take up to two weeks for the books to arrive at school and be handed out. 

All orders are placed online via the LOOP app- please note we do not accept cash or orders at school as all orders are placed online. Click here to access an online version: https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/ 

• Please remember that 20% of all sales go toward our school Library! 
  

Happy reading!

Mrs Basedow

THE CANTEEN IS CASHLESS

Families are required to make all canteen payments via Qkr!

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

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.

Lent Special - Fish n Chips

Available every Wednesday and Friday during Lent

CANTEEN REMINDERS

Due to the current situation, Qkr! orders are available a day at a time (no advance ordering). Orders must be placed by 8.45am each morning.

If a lunch order has been placed, and your child is not at school please cancel the lunch order in your Qkr! activities by 8.45am that day.

Thank you

Lauretta Raccosta,

Canteen

Lauretta.Raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

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 available via Qkr!

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

Please visit the schools website for the Summer Uniform price list.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

There has been more action in the Kitchen Garden this week with Years 1 and 2 cooking up a storm.

They were learning about the Meat and Alternatives Group this week. They discovered that this group has GROW foods in it. These foods help their muscles become big and strong.

To help them learn about how to eat foods in this group we cooked French Toast or Eggy Bread with cinnamon sugar – Yum! The kitchen smelt like cinnamon donnuts. The children then practiced writing the names of some of the foods found in this group.

The best thing about eating the bread is that we got to have it spread with our award winning jam from the Canberra Show and sharing it with classmates!!

In the garden this week our tomatoes plants continue to produce and our cucumbers and pumpkins are growing. Some maintenance jobs are on the to do list this week in garden club.

If you have any questions about the Kitchen Garden Program please email Mrs Katie Birch at Katherine.birch@cg.catholic.gov.au.

The Garden Club

VEGETABLE SLICE

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 cup self raising flour (gluten free if needed)

2 small zucchinis, grated

2 carrots, grated

1 large onion, finely chopped

400 gr can corn kernals

1 & 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese

3 tbspn vegetable oil

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees, grease and line a large baking tin and set aside.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add the flour and beat until smooth.

Add the zucchini, carrots, onion, corn, cheese and oil, stir until combined.

Pour mixture in prepared tin, bake for approximately 30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes.

Lift out of tin using the paper, cut into slices to serve.

Need a good spot to view the Canberra Ballon Festival ......... Go to the Arboretum!

This is the information blurb from the Aboretum website.......

Saturday 6 March - Sunday 14 March 2021

Spectacular by name, spectacular by nature – the Canberra Balloon Spectacular would have to be one of Canberra's most photographed and most loved festivals.

Over nine stunning autumn mornings, you can experience the visual thrill of hot air balloons soaring over the city's skyline.

We might be a bit biased, but we think there is no better place to soak in the sweeping views of Canberra as the balloons, with the right wind, drift overhead.

For early morning risers, the Arboretum gates open every morning at 6am, be sure to bring a warm jacket and a picnic rug!

A pop up coffee cart at the amphitheatre will make your early morning that little easier with hot drinks, muffins and bacon & egg wraps (weekends and public holiday) and the Café at the Arboretum will open from 8am (weekends only)*.

Arrive early to get the best spot and please, park in designated carparks only and not on the side of the road where trees can be damaged.

This event is weather dependent. Daily announcements regarding whether balloons will launch and fly are made at 6:15am and published on enlightencanberra.com and via the Enlighten Festival and Events ACT social channels.

Alternatively, please call Access Canberra on 13 22 81 from 6:00am for daily information.

Find out more about the Canberra Balloon Spectacular and the Enlighten Festival here.

* During the Canberra Balloon Spectacular only.