Dear Parents and Carers

“Unfortunately, our natural instinct is trying to fix pain, to control it, or even, foolishly, attempting to understand it. The ego insists on understanding. That’s why Jesus praises a certain quality even more than love, and he calls it faith. It’s the ability to stand in liminal space, to stand on the threshold, to hold contraries, until we are moved by grace to a much deeper level and a much larger frame.”

• Richard Rohr, ‘Stay Where the Pain Is’

Fr Richard Rohr is describing a lifetime’s work, in the passage quoted above. Building on the back of our reflections last week about ‘distress coming to find us’, in this week’s reflection, Rohr writes about the ideal (but never easy) response, once distress does find us: stay with the pain. In this age of distraction, with multiple social media platforms and numerous opportunities to be taken away from where we are needed, Rohr’s advice sounds alien. Yet I am convinced of its truth. It is the only real path to depth, character, and ultimately, to healing. Our world is sorely in need of healing. Jesus’ life and death – and resurrection – shows that pain and distress never have the final word.

Feast of the Assumption

Last Monday, we celebrated a whole school Mass, in the school hall, for the Feast of the Assumption. This feast celebrates Mary being assumed into heaven, body and soul. It highlights and celebrates the gift of Mary in Jesus’ life, and the gift of Mary, and all mothers, in our lives. My thanks to our excellent REC, Steph Burns, for coordinating the Mass; to all staff for their support and coordination, to our Grade 1 students for helping to lead us in a hymn, and of course Fr John Woods, for celebrating the Mass.

PSSA Athletics

On Tuesday, Sts Peter and Paul participated in the Regional South Canberra Athletics Carnival. We had 32 students from Grades 2 – 6 participate on the day, with all of our students trying their absolute best, and a number of Under 12s students progressing to the ACT carnival, including: Zoe T, Ava T and Ethan N. Callum R aced Under 13s long jump. My thanks to Sarah Kennelly, who coordinated our involvement, and to Cathy Shepherd, with whom I worked on the day, in looking after our students.

Student Wellbeing

Our Annual Improvement Plan includes a focus on student wellbeing, especially, but not only, in light of the lockdowns we have experienced over the last two years. We have recently completed a survey with our students, which we are working through. At our recent Leadership Team meeting, we also looked at this website from renowned child psychologist Andrew Fuller, whom I was lucky enough to hear in person, some years ago. https://andrewfuller.com.au/

Fuller’s website contains a number of free resources that are suitable for homes and schools and we will be using his work as a support and a resource, as we continue to refine our understandings of the most pressing needs of our students. I have included a PDF article called, ‘Ten Hints for Creating Resilient Families’. https://andrewfuller.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/ten-resilience-hints.pdf

Staffing News

We welcome to our Sts Peter and Paul school community two new Classroom Support Assistants, both of whom will work fulltime in our school: Mrs. Maria Anthony, who started this week, and Mrs. Decki Wangmo, who will start next week. I welcome and congratulate both Maria and Decki and I am looking forward to the contribution they will both make to our school.

Book Week

Next week, we celebrate Book Week. The staff have a number of excellent activities and the week culminates with our Book Week parade on Thursday. My thanks to our librarian, Amanda Basedow, for her excellent work.

Morning Drop off

A reminder that morning duty begins at 8.30. Please refrain from dropping off your child before 8.30. There is no supervision until 8.30am.

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”

Assumption

On Monday we celebrated Mass as a school in honour of the Assumption of Mary. Thank you to Year One and Year Five for enhancing our Liturgy with their song.

Celebration of First Eucharist

Parents that have enrolled their child in the Sacrament of First Eucharist 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.

Please click here to nominate your child for a Mass.

Enquiries can be directed to the Parish Office (6281 3999 / wodennorth@cg.org.au ).

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Gospel Reflection

This week’s gospel passage picks up one of the major themes that runs throughout the Gospel of Luke: the message of salvation is not reserved exclusively for the Jews, but is for all people; Jew and Gentile alike. A number of times in this gospel, the writer makes a point of having Jesus relate this controversial and fairly unpopular message to his audience. Today’s gospel makes clear that to gain salvation, you have to do more than just show up! Like those knocking on the locked door and claiming friendship, we can’t just turn up at the last minute and expect to be received. Salvation – entrance into the kingdom of God – belongs to those who accept the message of Jesus and act on it for the rest of their lives.

The gospel makes plain to the Jewish people of the time that unless they accept the message of Jesus and act upon it, they will get a terrible shock ('weeping and grinding of teeth') at the coming of the kingdom. Those who believe in name only will find themselves looking in from the outside and will see the greatest prophets in the kingdom while they themselves are denied access. To further make the point, they are told that people from east and west, north and south will be welcomed into the feast of the kingdom. References to people from the four points of the compass always indicate people from other lands – non-Jews. Jesus tells his audience that people who are faithful to his message, even though they may be Gentile, will gain salvation before anyone who thinks they deserve it because of their birth or title. The kingdom must be earned through faithful effort, not by just turning up and claiming to be a believer.

(Reflection by Greg Sunter)

Have a blessed week,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator

Principal's Award: Charlotte R, KM; Reeves M, 6M

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): 

Penny A, KW; Zara S, 5W

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Yvaine M

Ari B

Claire H

Chimi D

Imogen K

Stella H

Vijai V

Tom H

Noah B (6M) is raising money for cancer research through Variety and has made the decision to make a difference by cutting and donating his hair to be made into a wig for someone who has lost their hair due to cancer. He was inspired to raise money after recently losing someone in his family to cancer. The haircut is booked for Thursday, 8 September!!

If you would like to support Noah and donate to this worthy cause, please follow the link:

https://hairwithheart.variety.org.au/fundraisers/noahbutler/hair-with-heart

Stayed tuned ....... our newsletter and Facebook page will bring you updates!

Sts Peter & Paul will once again be celebrating our ‘Annual Science Day’ on Wednesday 14th September (Week 9). 

In class groups, students will participate in a variety of engaging science activities. Keeping with tradition, our Year 6 students will lead the experiments with teacher support and supervision. 

The theme for this year is “Glass: More than meets the eye.” Students are invited to dress as scientists/inventors for the day. 

IMPORTANT: In preparation for Science Day, we need your help to send in recycled materials for the activities we will be conducting. If you have any of these materials that you were going to throw out anyway, could you please send them to school with your child as soon as possible. 

Here is a list of materials that we will need to make our annual Science Day a success: plastic shopping bags; clean small soft drink bottles without labels (coke, fanta, lemonade, etc); and cardboard cylinders/rolls. 

Paul Jenkins
Science Day Coordinator

Book Week is NEXT WEEK and we are so excited!! 

Thursday is our dress up parade and book activities day. I know the students are very excited and so are the teachers! 

We have some wonderful readers at Sts Peter and Paul!! Every student who began the challenge in February has successfully completed the Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge which is the 2nd year in a row! A huge congratulations to all students and a massive thank you to the teachers who have supported this initiative. 

Well done to the following students for completing their individual Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge Record this week!! 

Year 3/4 - Indie G, Grace R, Reuben R, Mina H, Irena J, Christiano K, Annika T, Zoe K, Harrison E, Ryan G, David CL, Evie B, Nicholas V, Chimi P, Avah P, Angad S, Laura V, Palden W, Eline T, Xander H, Czarina L, Joshua V, Saleh A, Meshari A, Laura V, Neriah V, Khaled A, 

Year 5 - Olivia F, Daniel B, Jeremy D, Miranda C, Luka G, Lucas S, Claudia K, Evie M, William R, Kai R, Mya W, Sabine F, Felix G, Sienna G, Kenzo J, Hamish S, Lilia W, Aria N, Lady- Sapphire W

Year 6 - Charli R, Evie C, Cameron dJ, Sophie G, Neive M, Zoe T, Audrey B, James B, Ayman B, Millie G, Isabella M, Amelie S, Elke S, Samson T, Prabhjeet G.

Keep reading!

Mrs Basedow

Last week we learned about the Grain Group.

The Grain Group provides us with energy so that we can GO. The children learned that their bodies need these foods to help their brains learn and their bodies to be active. 

They enjoyed learning about this by making risotto. As you can see they cooked up a steamy storm in the kitchen.

It was also the last of the sustainability lessons and about carrots and the 3/4 harvested the carrots – which did not look all the same at all. They were asked the question: do we throw these away because they look different? They found their answer by cooking with them and eating them!

As usual lots of fun and learning in the Kitchen Garden.

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

The Garden Club

Peter Rabbit Bunny Bags

Max’s Jelly Boats

The Gruffalo’s “scrambled snakes”

 Willy Wonka’s chocolate treat

Mrs Moore’s homemade lemonade

 An apple

  Edmund’s Turkish Delight

  Hop on Pop (corn)

 You give a moose a (muffin)

  Cat in the hat (fruit sticks)

 You give a mouse a (cookie)

Three little pigs (with a blanket)

”Cheese touched crackers”

The Lord of the Rings (burger rings)

  Holy Guacamole! Corn chips with guacamole.

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