Dear Parents and Carers

“His final winter recalled King Lear reflecting on what matters most in governing: human beings, each of equal high value, whom rulers serve, and particularly those most hidden and most in need. Attending to the value of each human being dispels fear and builds solidarity…”

Andrew Hamilton SJ, ‘The Winter of our Discontents’

In a very recent article for ‘Eureka Street’, the Jesuit priest Andrew Hamilton writes of the season of winter, which we have just entered, as being a metaphor for struggles and disappointments. He suggests that at times, such disappointments can spill over to our view of our leaders, both political and otherwise. He also suggests that such views ultimately do not help the common good. He concludes with a reference to King Lear, with a reflection on what leadership can and should accomplish. The link to the article can be found here: The content of our winter (eurekastreet.com.au)

Reconciliation Week

This week we celebrate Reconciliation Week. Katie McGregor has provided all teachers with reference materials to assist in the teaching of themes related to Reconciliation Week. Many of our Indigenous brothers and sisters could fit into the category described by Andrew Hamilton, in the quote above: “…hidden and most in need.” In 1994, I began my teaching career in a Kimberley Indigenous Community named Kurrurungku (Wallaby) in Walmajarri, the local language. My experience there, which was profoundly formative, left me in no doubt that there is more than one story we can tell, about almost any aspect of the narrative of this country. Reconciliation Week honours those stories that are most hidden and in need of telling. Please see here for a link to the ACARA Australian Curriculum, with reference to Indigenous perspectives. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-cross-curriculum-priority/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-histories-and-cultures

Student Social and Emotional Wellbeing

Last week, we were fortunate to have Laura Lamerton, our School Counsellor, present a talk to parents on social and emotional needs of students, with specific reference to wellbeing post COVID. Attached to this newsletter is a copy of the PowerPoint which Laura used. I have also included the electronic referral form, should you wish your son or daughter to undertake a counselling session or sessions, with Laura. https://catholiccare.force.com/housing/s/school-referral-form

Student Achievement

At the recent PSSA Swimming Championships, several our students did very well, and were equally supportive of each other. Congratulations to Stella Holm, Ava and Zoe Tran, Lucas Sloan, and Will Salter, all of whom swam personal bests, with Lucas coming second in his 50m backstroke event and Will Salter coming first in his event. Congratulations Stella, Ava, Zoe, Lucas and Will: I am very proud of you all.

PSSA Cross Country and Athletics Carnival

Still on the theme of sport, the South Canberra PSSA for Cross Country, was due to take place today. It has been postponed until next Wednesday, June 8. Cathy Shepherd and I will also attend and look after our competitors. Thursday next week sees our annual Athletics Carnival take place. My thanks to Sarah Kennelly, for all her work in coordinating these events.

Confirmation Presentation Masses

Presentation Masses are taking place this weekend for all our Year 6 students who are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this year. The students and their families may attend one of the parish Masses at Curtin this weekend and be presented to, and prayed for by members of the parish. My thanks to our REC Steph Burns; Sarah Kennelly and Luke Gubler, our Year 6 teachers; and Monsignor John Woods, for their great support and help.

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.

Presentation Masses will be held this weekend at Holy Trinity Church, Curtin. Candidates are welcome to attend any of the Masses this weekend. (6pm Saturday, 9:30am Sunday or 5:30pm Sunday.) These Masses will give our Parish Community the opportunity to pray for the Candidates as they near the conclusion of their preparation

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

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal

As the weather has cooled down this week, it’s a timely reminder to turn our minds to those around us that are not as fortunate. The Vinnies Winter Appeal is upon us! Vinnies is committed to a more just and compassionate Australia where no person nor child should have to wonder where they will sleep each night. The Vinnies Winter Appeal is all about providing emergency relief to those at risk of/or experiencing homelessness. All donations are then distributed through their many homelessness and community services to directly support those in our local community who are most impacted.

Your family can be of assistance by donating the following items between now and Wednesday of Week 10 (29th June):

• Gloves
• Socks
• Jackets
• Beanies
• Blankets
• Sleeping Bags

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’

Pentecost Sunday, Year C

The feast of Pentecost celebrates the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples and energising them to set about their mission of continuing the ministry of Jesus. The gospel reading is one of the post-resurrection appearances by Jesus when he breathed the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. The actual events of that first Pentecost are recorded in the book of Acts and are recalled in this week’s first reading. The use of this post-resurrection gospel account is a reminder that Jesus had already imbued the disciples with the Spirit but, as so often throughout his ministry, they were a bit slow to catch on to the significance of what he had done. It seems that they needed a more tangible experience to jolt them into action and Acts records the very physical experience of the Spirit entering their midst as a roaring wind before settling upon them as tongues of flame. Jesus had breathed the Spirit upon them but it took the roaring wind to make a real impression on the disciples. There are frequent references in the gospels to Jesus being ‘filled with the Spirit’. It is this Spirit with which he was filled that he breathed upon his disciples; it is that same Spirit that we receive sacramentally in Confirmation.

For the weeks following the death of Jesus the disciples had lived in fear and confusion, not fully understanding what had happened and not really knowing what to do. When they realised that the Spirit Jesus had breathed upon them was really present and urging them to action they finally had the courage to begin the mission that Jesus had entrusted to them: to spread the Good News of Jesus and continue to realise his message in the world.

(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

Laura V

Archie T

Olivia F

Daniel H

Mia SR

Edie R

Student Social and Emotional Wellbeing

Last week, we were fortunate to have Laura Lamerton, our School Counsellor, present a talk to parents on social and emotional needs of students, with specific reference to wellbeing post COVID. Attached to this newsletter is a copy of the PowerPoint which Laura used.

Congratulations to James O'M (5W) who has been selected to represent the ACT at the Baseball 2022 Australian Little League Championships (ALLC). The ALLC will be held in Sydney from Monday 6 June 2022 until Monday 13 June 14 June 2022.

We are proud of you James!

National Reconciliation Week began 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.

Today, as part of our STEM program, Ngunnawal Nation, the students of Years 3,4 & 5 considered ways fire has helped humans in the past and how it helps us today. They learned about the essential components of fire, heat insulators and conductors, and, importantly, how to keep safe around fire. Pleasingly, many of the students readily recalled the firefighter messages they received back in Kindergarten and knew to ”Get down low and Go! Go! Go!”

Mr Marsham was an amazing fire marshall for us all. He built us a small campfire on the blue gravel in the Sustainable garden. It was lovely to sit around the campfire on such a cold Ngunnawal morning and learn about the importance of fire. Thank you Mr Marsham.

Regional Cross Country

Due to the ground water on the course, today's Regional Cross Country has been postponed until Wednesday the 8th of June, 2022. The program of events will run the same on the day. Thank you for your understanding with this last minute change.

Athletics Carnival

This is a friendly reminder that the Athletics carnival is on next Thursday, the 9^th of June.

We are still in need of quite a few volunteers for our Athletics Carnival.

If you are available to assist, can you please email Sarah Kennelly the following information: 

• Your job preference: Time keeper, marshal, long jump assistant, shot put assistant.
• Your name, phone number and email address 
• Your Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) number/ WWVP expiry date 
• Eldest child’s name and class (e.g. ¾ B)

Thank you to the K-2 novelties volunteers. We have enough now. 

Please note that if you do not have a WWVP card you will not be able to assist on the day. If you have not presented your card to Mrs Collis in the Front Office, please do so before the day of the carnival. This will enable her to make a copy of your card to keep on file at the school.

Thank you for all of your support. We couldn’t run the carnival without the help of our volunteers. 

Many thanks, 

Sarah Kennelly 

sarah.kennelly@cg.catholic.edu.au

This week in the kitchen and garden was as busy as ever, although as Friday was a pupil free day, there was no Garden Club. However, all this lovely rain will have kept our garden growing!

In the kitchen Kinder enjoyed another week cooking up some pasta bake as they learnt about the Grains Group. Foods in this group give us energy to GO! The Kinder's found out that if they eat food from this group they can run, walk, think and lots of other doing activities which are all verbs.

Year 1 learnt about the same Group and they also spent some time in the kitchen garden getting their garden bed ready for planting. They will be planting their creation plants (broccoli seedlings) which will be growing in the classroom initially so the children can watch them sprout.

Year 2 have planted their seedlings after our wonderful garden club crew prepared their garden bed last garden club day.

For more information of The Kitchen Garden Program 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

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

Thursday 9 June

The Canteen facilities WILL NOT be available at Woden Park however a set menu has been designed for the students.

Order “Athletics Carnival Set Menu” on Qkr! NOW for a lunch order which will be provided to the children at Woden Park.

Cost $7.50

 Menu: sausage roll or party pies or spinach roll (v) (extra 50c) each meal comes with a water, a pkt of chips and a cookie. 

 Orders can be made via Qkr!  FOR CATERING PURPOSES, place an order now!  Orders close THIS FRIDAY 9am (Friday 3 June)

Please note: the above set menu is the only food available for students on that day. Pre-order is mandatory if you would like a lunch order. 

 The canteen is cashless and will not be having any over the counter sale items.

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 School Uniform is available via Qkr!
Tuesdays - Fridays, orders will be delivered to your child’s classroom. Orders need to be placed before 8.45 am. 

 The Uniform shop is stocked up with second hand uniform, please visit on a Tuesday morning to purchase second hand uniform.

The uniform shop is limited with space, so if you wish to donate pre-loved items, as a guide, please only donate clothes that are washed and in perfect resalable order.

Please DO NOT DONATE old white sports tops.  Thank you

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

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au