Dear Parents and Carers

Thank you all for your ongoing support of Sts Peter and Paul, and our current COVID restrictions. I appreciate this very much and hope, like all of you I am sure, that they will not last longer than this term.

Feast Day – Transfiguration

On Thursday, we celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration. This deserves special mention, as it is the feast day of the parish to which we belong: the Parish of Transfiguration. Our parish takes in two schools: ours, and that of Holy Trinity, at Curtin. For both schools, Thursday’s feast day is normally a time when we come together and celebrate being a part of the parish. This week, both schools celebrated independently, with Sts Peter and Paul celebrating with Mass in the school hall, with Fr John Woods. The children enjoyed a free lunch, followed by some afternoon art activities.

Pupil Free Day

Today is the first of the two-extra pupil free days that CE has granted all schools in the archdiocese. Teachers spent the morning in some school led PD, on our PAT Maths assessment data (which is rich and multilayered), and the implications the data has for our teaching. My thanks to Fron Garrett-Rumba, who led us so well in the session. The afternoon was given over to teachers for planning time. My thanks to the parent body for their ongoing support.

The Cancer Council says "August means 'Hats On' for ACT schools"

Following the Cancer Council's advice, school hats are once again part of the Sts Peter and Paul school uniform. See here for this season's media release  Cancer Council Media Release

For the remainder of the year, we will all be following the 'Hats On-Go Play' policy. Students without a school hat (or navy beanie) will be directed to play under the shade shelter to ensure they are protected from the sun.

Please remind your child to pack and wear his/her school hat every day. They are still permitted to wear a navy beanie on cold days.

School Board and Community Council Review

A working group has been established to review various aspects of the Archdiocesan School Board and Community Council models. This Issues Paper details the review: School Board and Community Council Review Issues Paper

The Working Group is seeking to draw on the experiences, expertise and perspectives of parents and carers, school staff and members of school communities through a process of general consultation. Sts Peter and Paul School parents are encouraged to complete this survey by September 2nd 2022: Discussion Questions for Parents

My Body, My Life

Next week, on Tuesday, we have members from Catholic Care present ‘My Body, My Life’, to our Year 6 students. This is a program designed to help students become more aware of the changes that their bodies go through as they get older. My thanks to our Year 6 teachers, Sarah Kennelly, and Luke Gubler, for coordinating the day.

Canteen Special Lunch

A reminder too that next Wednesday, 10 August, we have a canteen special lunch for all students.

2023 NAPLAN - change in date

One of the National Assessment Program improvements announced by the Education Ministers earlier this year was the moving of NAPLAN from Term Two to Term One in 2023. By bringing the test forward, schools will be able to access and use this valuable data to inform teaching and learning programs and to provide parents with timely and purposeful student performance information.

In 2023 the NAPLAN test window is from Wednesday 15 March to Monday 27 March.

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”

Transfiguration Feast Day

Yesterday, we celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration. The staff and students gathered together to celebrate the unity of our parish, its strong faith, generous acts of service and dedication to being followers of Jesus, just as those present at the original Transfiguration were.

The original Transfiguration event is the guidepost for all we are and do as a Parish: Jesus Christ, shining atop Mount Tabor in His glory to Saints Peter, James, and John, gave them a vision that would strengthen their faith when they saw Him suffer on a different hilltop, the Mount of Calvary.  None of us is perfect, all of us have our sins, our fears, our doubts, and our crosses, but with the grace of God we’re on the way, together. 

Sacrament of First Eucharist

Who is eligible?

Children in Year 4 or above who celebrated their First Reconciliation may be enrolled in the Parish’s Family-Based Sacramental Program for First Eucharist. 

The enrolment form and associated fee must be received ASAP. Enrolment can be done online using Qkr! App

To enrol online:

Access or download the Qkr! app. 

Tap on ‘North Woden Transfiguration Parish’

Tap Sacrament of First Eucharist (second option)

Complete the form and make your online payment.

The requested offering per family is $40. This helps to defray the cost of a workbook, commemorative certificate, memorial gift and administrative costs.  If you have difficulty meeting the offering, please contact Fr John for a confidential discussion.

Hosting a Family Group

The program is dependent on the generosity of some parents to host or to co-host a family group. A ‘Host Nomination’ form is enclosed for your consideration. The role of a host is not difficult, with session notes provided. 

All hosts must have, or have applied for, a Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) card.  There is no cost involved in applying for a WWVP card for volunteers.  Further information as to how to apply for a WWVP card is found on the ‘Host Nomination’ form. 

What does the program involve?

The program includes:

• Four family group meetings for parents and children following the Introduction Night.
• Presentation Mass. Each family to attend one of the following:  Saturday 27 August 6pm or Sunday 28 August 9.30am at Holy Trinity Church, Curtin.

This is the link to the homegroups sheet. Please add your child to a group once you have registered. If there is no group that suits your family, please consider hosting a group.

Celebration of First Eucharist

You will need to nominate a weekend Mass (Sat. 6pm, Sun. 9.30am or Sun. 5.30pm) on the weekend of 17-18 September for the celebration.  There will be a limited number of seats available for candidates, their families and guests, mindful of the need to accommodate other parishioners at each of these Masses.

What next?

If you would like your child to celebrate First Eucharist this year, you must register via the Qkr! App ASAP.  Meanwhile, enquiries can be directed to the Parish Office (6281 3999 / wodennorth@cg.org.au ).

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Gospel Reflection

This week’s gospel passage carries with it the expectation of the late 1st Century as the early Christians awaited the triumphant return of the Christ (sometimes called the Second Coming or the Parousia). This is a familiar theme through the gospels and, in fact, across the gospels we can see that the communities were beginning to face the realisation that the promised return was taking longer than they had expected. In the gospel of Mark, it is clear that the community expects the Parousia at any moment, while by the time of the writing of the gospel of Luke, 10 or 15 years later, we can see that the language has taken on an aspect of uncertainty about the timing – it could be sooner or it could be later (‘It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third…’).

What began to emerge was an attitude that if we don’t know when the Parousia will come, then we need to live ‘in anticipation’ of it. We need to live as if the Parousia were imminent. So, rather than waiting for the kingdom of God to be delivered, we must live our lives in such a way as to bring about the kingdom; to draw the kingdom into the present. Jesus often spoke of the kingdom as both near and not yet. If we all live the values of the kingdom, by our very actions we bring the kingdom into being. This gives an incredible significance to the way we choose to live our lives. If we ‘invest’ in the kingdom by living out the values of the kingdom and living in expectation of the Parousia, then that ‘investment’ is its own reward.

(Reflection by Greg Sunter)

Have a blessed week,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who celebrated their birthday last week

Eve R

Vanessa B

Massimo M

Tendwai M

Lucy A

Elijah C

Anwesha K

and to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Abigail B

James O'M

Chloe U

Matthew S

Lady-Sapphire W

Principal's Award: Sean O'C, 1M; Claire de V, KM

Learning Support Awards

(please note that LS awards are given to any child in the school that the Classroom Support Assistants have noticed doing something wonderful): 

Madison H, KM; George W, 2W; William F, 3/4M; Sophia G, 6M

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS.......

Are your lemon trees heavy with more lemons than you know what to do with? Is there only so many Ways with Lemons that you can think of? We have a solution .........

Mrs Moore and Mrs Raccosta are making lemonade as part of our Book Week Special Menu and would be most appreciative of any donations.

Please give your lemons to Mrs Raccosta before next Thursday.

Thank you

Get excited for Book Week! 

Just another reminder due to COVID restrictions we will have to alter some Book Week plans but we will still have our Character Parade on Thursday 25th August (please note the day as it is different to what was on some term overviews). Students are asked to dress up as their favourite book character and to bring their favourite book (or a copy of the front cover). We will have our parade first thing in the morning, but unfortunately, due to restrictions, we are unable to have parents come and watch. I am hoping we can stream it online- similar to last year. It is one of the most exciting weeks of the year and I know the students are very excited!

Classes will then be completing a range of activities based on the CBCA Shortlisted 2022 books. 

In Week 7 we are excited to welcome Meerkat Productions, who will be performing 2 shows based on 2 of the shortlisted books. These will be in the Hall. 

Mrs Raccosta is also offering some Book Week themed treats during Week 6 so keep an eye out for some yummy book based delights! 

Library Lessons

Library lessons for Term 3 & 4 have changed! Please remember Library Bags! And please have a look for any books that need to be returned!

Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge

We have some wonderful readers at Sts Peter and Paul!! Congratulations to Year 2 Maroon for reading over 30 books together and completing the challenge! 

Well done to Jayden G, Ayla B, Lucy B, Ciara, F, Cameron B, Lexie W and Isabel W in Year 3/4 and Edwin A, Maximo A, Niamh D, Jessica G, Gabriel M T, Ned S, Eleanor S, Shivika A, Louis B, Anna S, Dipali S, Zara S and Mia T in Year 5 and Audrey B, Ruby B, Abby E, Anastasiia L, Nathan B, Manveer S, Ava T, Jordan G, Prabhjeet G, Jharnvi M, Freya D, Yezin D, Elise L, Edie R, Devanshi S and Amelia W in Year 6 for completing their individual Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge Record this week!! 

New Books!

There are lots of wonderful new books in the Library thanks to our Book Fair rewards! The support from our fundraiser has allowed us to purchase lots of recent releases in all sections - picture books, junior fiction, senior fiction, graphic novels and non fiction books! A few didn’t even make it onto the shelves, as students borrowed some today as soon as they were finished being covered! Thank you again for your support of the Library! 

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

Keep reading!

Mrs Basedow

In the Kitchen Garden we have been busy.

Years 3 and 4 made themselves busy by cooking with produce from our garden.

In Health they are learning about the Vegetable Group and why this is so important to their health.

They used spinach, tomatoes and potatoes to make chips and zucchini slice. We also had a first sustainability lesson where the children learned that vegetables don’t always look perfect and that we shouldn’t throw them away just because of this. They did this by looking at how different carrots can look but they taste the same!!

In Garden Club we watered and cleared some garden beds so that we are ready to plant some yummy produce.

For more information please contact Mrs Katie Birch Katherine.birch@cg.catholic.edu.au.

The Garden Club

Katie Birch

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 TERM 3?

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 3 canteen roster available now

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

https://stpandp.schoolzineplus.com/Canteenrosterterm3

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 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, 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

Girls Day Out in STEM – FREE online event!

Join Girls Day Out in STEM this National Science Week “Glass: More than meets the eye” for a BETTER happy ever after: Cinderella come into the 21st century and recycle those glass slippers.

Glass is moving from a passive role in bygone eras to a functional role now. This is the Age of Glass!

Are your kids interested in how technology and sustainability can be combined? Meet Courtney and Sophia, Software Engineers at Google, to learn about AI/ML and using it to sort your rubbish!

After all that fun with sorting, kids can be modern scientists and simulate glass recycling with a stained-glass cookie experiment!

The online event runs from August 13-21. Your kids can register now for a chance to win great Google prizes!