Dear Parents and Carers

Student Wellbeing Talk

Last night, Laura Lamerton, our School Counsellor, gave an excellent talk to interested parents about student emotional and social wellbeing. Laura focused on ways in which we can assist with children’s mental health and what we can do to ensure that they remain as healthy as possible. Laura also spoke about effective ways to manage emotional outbursts, and the like. My thanks to Laura for her very good work and ongoing support of our students. The school will look at making available her PowerPoint presentation.

Rostrum Public Speaking Competition

This week, we held our School Final for the Rostrum Public Speaking Competition. 7 finalists competed to see who would represent the school in the Regional Championships in June. The speakers were excellent and of a very high standard. Zoe Tran won the school competition with Edie Roff being our runner-up. Congratulations to Zoe and Edie – well done, girls! The regional championships are being held in June at Charles Weston School, with the winner of that competition going on to compete in the A.C.T. finals. My thanks to Luke Gubler and Sarah Kennelly, our excellent Year 6 teachers, and to Anna Williams, my fellow judge.

National Simultaneous Storytime Competition

Today, students in Grades 1, 2 & 6 travelled by bus to the National Library, to participate ‘live’ in the National Simultaneous Storytime. The author Josh Pyke, read to our Years 1,2 & 6 students, as schools all over Australia participated in the event, at 11am. It was an invaluable opportunity to be part of the occasion, and for many children, their first excursion in 12 months or longer, due to COVID. My thanks to our excellent librarian Amanda Basedow for coordinating our excursion.

Protected Action

This week, staff from across the A.C.T. and N.S.W. are participating in two days of protected action. Today sees staff have the opportunity to wear union badges and materials, promoting staff concerns, and Friday sees teachers and non-teachers participating in strike action. Sts Peter and Paul will experience minimal disruption to student care and supervision, as Friday is a pupil free day.

Pupil Free Days

A reminder that this Friday, May 27, is a pupil free day, as well as next Tuesday, May 31^st. The pupil free days are for all Catholic systemic schools in the A.C.T. Catholic Education is granting the days because staffing shortages have resulted in many teachers in schools not having their normal two-hours of release from face-to-face teaching. Public schools also have two pupil free days this term. OSH club are running a care program on both days, for parents who may require student supervision.

COVID Correction

Last week, I sent a note home via Compass concerning COVID arrangements. One part of my note was incorrect. I was mistaken when I wrote that children needed to return a negative COVID test before returning to school if they in fact had a case of COVID. To be clear, although children who have COVID need to isolate and get better before returning to school, they do not need to return a negative COVID test. My apologies for any confusion.

Athletics Carnival

A reminder that a note went home yesterday, via Compass, about the Athletics Carnival in Week 7. Please check your Compass app or site for details. It is being held on Thursday, June 9^th.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

This year at Sts Peter and Paul, we are all called to ‘Let Your Light Shine”

Confirmation – Year 6

As you would be aware from previous newsletters, the Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated in our Parish this Term. This Sacrament is for children in our parish who are in Year 6.

Here is the link to the Homegroups:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i8-3PGSXoMyacLuK5KGt9ITdj015z-g9WhX5eY4xV_g/edit?usp=sharing

The Sacrament of Confirmation:

The Sacrament will be celebrated in the Parish of the Transfiguration, North Woden, on Tuesday 21 June 2022 at 6pm and Wednesday 22 June at 6pm. 

Here is the link to the Mass Booking Sheet for the Sacrament:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iXHK5cAFCJcEAcFOJFVLaSOR-yxuVSFU61ij1yWVV1s/edit#gid=0

MacKillop House & CatholicCare Call for Assistance

CatholicCare are seeking financial assistance with their Canberra based ministry, MacKillop House. Mackillop House in Lyneham nightly accommodates some 20-22 women of all ages, as well as many mothers and their children in need. The ACT government has agreed to provide some funding towards the upgrading of the bedrooms and common lounge areas at MacKillop house, however more funding is needed to complete the project.

To read more about the lifechanging work that CatholicCare do through MacKillop House, click here

If you are in a position to make a small donation to CatholicCare and MacKillop House, please go to Qkr! and follow the links to ‘payments’/ ‘MacKillop House & CatholicCare’

The Ascension of the Lord, Year C

The author of the Gospel of Luke is also recognised as the author of the Acts of the Apostles. The works are regarded as originally being intended as a two volume single work sometimes referred to as Luke-Acts. Their separation occurred in the development of the canon of the Bible. In today’s Gospel and first reading we get the very end of the first volume and the very beginning of the second volume of the Luke-Acts work – the very point of intersection between the two books. The Gospel of Luke is the only one of the four canonical gospels that describes the Ascension of Jesus and, to reiterate it, the writer begins with the same event at the beginning of Acts.

If we regard the two volumes of Luke-Acts as a single work, we see the events as all part of the one story. The life and ministry of Jesus is only the first half of the story. The story continues through the Book of Acts as the disciples and believers enter into a new way of witnessing to the ministry of Jesus – attempting to take on that ministry themselves and spread the message even further than Jesus was able to do in his life. Seen in this light, the gospel account of Jesus’ ministry establishes a model and a pattern for the ministry that the followers of Jesus seek to emulate in their own lives after his Ascension. The Ascension is the pivotal event between the two volumes but it was also the pivotal event in the ministry of Jesus. The Ascension, and the subsequent events of Pentecost, was essential for the shift in emphasis from the ministry being carried on by Jesus to the same ministry carried on by millions of people throughout time.

(Reflection by Greg Sunter)

Blessings for the week ahead,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator

Principal's Awards: Amelie S, 6W; Abby D, 1W

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Ciara F

Lorenzo L

Joseph S

Ethan N

Bethany T

Selene A

Grace B

Sofia STM

National Reconciliation Week is beginning this Friday the 27th of May and runs through until Friday the 3^rd of June. This year’s theme is “Be Brave, Make Change” which challenges all Australians – individuals, families, communities, organisations and government - to ‘Be Brave’ and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so that we can ‘Make Change’ for the benefit of all Australians. As our part, our school’s commitment to this, we will be focussing on conversations in class with students, about how positive change begins when we open the exchange of ideas and build shared understanding. In class, students will engage in Yarning Circles to unpack the term ‘Reconciliation’ and talk about what it means to them. They will also take time to reflect and share their own commitment, by making a pledge for Reconciliation in a ‘Sea of Hands’ activity. Students will display their commitments proudly in the front hallway of the school for all to read and learn.

National Reconciliation Week encourages all Australians to take action, not just during this week but every week of the year. Sts Peter and Paul is committed to ensuring our actions ‘Make Change’ in our ongoing reconciliation journey with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures – Always was, always will be.

Kind regards,
Katie McGregor

WOW~ Thank you to everyone who supported our BOOK FAIR! 

We are beyond thrilled to announce that the Book Fair was a tremendous success… we had a whole school goal of 310 books and we ended up selling over 580 books, kits and diaries! 

We made just under $10,000 in sales and we will receive about $3000 in Scholastic rewards to spend on books and resources for the Library!

I am overwhelmed by the generosity and support of both Parents and staff of our school. Thank you to the wonderful school staff who helped out with running the fair… and for everyone’s patience during the busy hours of the fair when the lines to purchase were long! 

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did diving into reading!!

Congratulations to our colouring competition winners!

Mr Johns and Mrs Williams had a very hard time judging the fantastic entries for our Book Fair Colouring in competition! Congratulations to the winners who received a voucher to spend at the Book Fair and to our Runner Up students who chose a book from my Book Prize Box. 

National Simultaneous Storytime

The NSS happened this morning at 11am! The National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Our students were part of over 1.5 million children who participated in the event. 

It was very exciting for the Year 1, Year 2 & Year 6 students to represent our school at the National Library of Australia, where we went on an excursion to listen to author Josh Pyke read his story Family Tree. It was a wonderful experience to be right at the centre of the NSS! A special thanks to Stuart Baines (Father of Grace Baines in Year 1) for inviting us to the NLA.

Well done to Kinder, Year 3/4 and Year 5 students who participated in the NSS altogether in the Hall. 

Thank you to all teachers who assisted with our participation in this wonderful event! 

Congratulations Sts Peter and Paul on a fantastic couple of weeks in the Library! 

Please contact amanda.basedow@cg.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions regarding the Library or borrowing. Hopefully all books that were ordered through the book fair have been delivered to your children- should there be any issues please email me.

Keep reading and thank you again!

Mrs Basedow

Our Walk Safely to School Day was such a great way to start the day. So much fun! Thank you to all that participated.

Fun in the kitchen last week making vegetable pizzas! It's even better when you can make a face and then eat it. We even got to use spinach from the garden which makes very good hair!!

Our Year 1's worked their magic on the garden in our club on Friday. We cleared two garden beds ready for planting and watered our carrots. Thanks helpers!!

For more information please email Mrs Katie Birch katherine.birch@cg.catholic.edu.au

The Garden Club

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.

CANTEEN VOLUNTEER ROSTER

Thank you helpers; your assistance is very much appreciated

Please contact me if you are unable to help out on your day.

Are you able to help out in the canteen in TERM2?

If you have any spare time and would like to help out in the canteen, PLEASE feel free to contact me through email at lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

 Term 2 canteen roster available now

Click on the link below to add your selected time to the roster.

https://stpandp.schoolzineplus.com/canteenrosterterm2.

All volunteers must have a WWVP card.

 Lauretta Raccosta,

Canteen

Lauretta.Raccosta@cg.catholic.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 Winter Uniform price list.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au