Dear Parents and Carers

“As the child learns to speak, he moves out of the world of his immediate surroundings towards the far larger world revealed through the memories of other men, through the common sense of community, through the pages of literature, through the labours of scholars, through the investigations of scientists, through the experience of saints, through the meditations of philosophers and theologians.”

- Bernard Lonergan SJ

The late Jesuit priest Bernard Lonergan is not an overly familiar name outside the realm of academic theological circles, to the great loss of the wider community. Aside from writing on topics one would associate with theology, he also spent much of his writing life putting into words what happens when we think, know and understand. The quote above beautifully illustrates his own understanding of what it means to grow into intellectual and human maturity: we start our lives with the world mediated to us through our senses, and the journey of life can be described in such a way that the world’s deeper layered meanings gradually are mediated to us through our community, through the work of scholars, and the like. We well may add to Lonergan's list the teaching of educators and the love of parents.

Strategic Plan/Annual Improvement Planning Day

I begin the newsletter with the quote from Lonergan because it formed part of our thinking, and approach, when the Leadership Team gathered for the day on Monday, to begin writing our 2023 – 2025 Strategic Plan. Veronica Hall, our incoming REC from 2023, joined Anna Williams, Fron Garrett-Rumba, Stephanie Burns and me, as we spent a day identifying needs and planning strategic goals and strategies, to help our students learn to the best of their ability. CE asks all schools to choose 3 goals. One of those goals needs to be linked explicitly with the system agenda, ‘Catalyst’, and to that end, we have a another ½ day next week with two personnel from CE. They will help us write and refine our third goal. The Strategic Plan (and from it, the Annual Improvement Plan) are in the embryonic stage. They will be published before the end of the year to the school community.

Semester 2 Reports & Parent/Teacher Interviews

The Catholic Education Office has taken the step this Semester of removing the comment boxes from the Semester 2 reports. CE have asked all schools to include this text, from the office, in a letter or newsletter to parents:

‘Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn (CECG) has communicated to schools informing them that general comments will not be required on the Semester 2, 2022 reports. This is in line with other educational jurisdictions and systems. Given teacher workload at present, including staffing pressures across the profession, CECG’s position is to prioritise parent/teacher conferences occurring during Term 4. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, their strengths, challenges, and future areas of focus. A Semester Report will be sent home as in previous semesters providing A-E grading and attendance information’.

In summary, this means that a report will be sent home to parents, with a grade for all subject areas. General comments will not be included. In lieu of comments, Sts Peter and Paul will hold parent/teacher interviews in Week 8 of this term. A link has been sent home to parents, which will allow parents to book a meeting with their child’s or children’s teacher/s.

Class Lists – 2023

The students have submitted their requests for ‘Friendship Four’ and the teachers are in the process of compiling the class lists for 2023. Multiple factors are taken into account, including of course the friendship choices of the students. The school can only guarantee one friend for the students’ lists. Working dynamics, even split of gender and ability, and teacher knowledge, all needed to be factored into the final lists. If any parent has a particular reason why their child should not be in the same class as another child, please email me directly, if you haven’t already done so. Teacher requests cannot be entertained. The final decision regarding class and teacher placements rests with me.

BFIRM

Today, our Year 6 students attended their final leadership day for 2023, at BFirm. The days have been great successes for our students, and our teachers report great growth in the children. The students learn a great deal around resilience and grit and have enjoyed the program a great deal this year. My thanks to Sarah Kennelly and Luke Gubler for their organization and hard work.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

The Solemnity of Christ the King (Year C)

The choice of today’s gospel passage in the lectionary appears to be twofold. Firstly, the inscription above the crucified Christ reads, ‘This is the King of the Jews’, one of the scriptural references to Christ’s kingship – although that reference is more complicated than it first appears. Secondly, the feast of Christ the King marks the end of the liturgical year and the end of the year-long journey through the gospel of Luke. Given that the second half of the gospel is a physical and psychological journey towards Jerusalem and the death that awaits Jesus there, it is fitting that the final reading for the liturgical year is the crucifixion.

When the feast of Christ the King was first conceived by Pope Pius XI in 1925, its intention was to emphasise the majesty and power of Jesus Christ, King and ruler of the world. However, our understanding of ‘king’ as it can be applied to Jesus has changed significantly in the intervening years. Despite earthly notions of kingship and the role of the Messiah, Jesus completely rejected such expectations and assumed the role of servant to the poor and outcast. As we have seen throughout this year, the gospel of Luke depicts in great detail the emphasis and priority that Jesus gave to the lowly and marginalised.

The theme that flows through the gospel is again captured in the account of the crucifixion. At this most critical point, it is a criminal, crucified alongside Jesus, who responds in faith to Jesus and asks to join Jesus when he enters into his kingdom. The criminal has a much better idea of the nature of the sort of king that Jesus really is than is revealed by the sign that Pilate has had nailed to the cross.

(Reflection by Greg Sunter)

2022 Graduation Mass and Candle Ceremony

On Monday 12th December at 12:00pm we will be celebrating the Graduation of the Year 6 class of 2022 with a Mass in our school hall. We will also be holding the traditional candle ceremony, where Year 6 Leadership in the Sts Peter and Paul Community will pass from the current Year 6 students, onto our upcoming leaders for 2023.

All families of Year 5 and 6 students are invited to join us for this very special occasion.

Have a blessed week,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Amy L

Amelia S

Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge

Congratulations to all of our award winners and students who won the book prize raffle. There were 6 prizes per year level! We also thank Paperchain Manuka for our school book prize vouchers - we received $100 for each category that we won (Preschool-Year 2, Year 3-4, Year 5-6)

Last Book Club for the year

Issue 8 is available now. Orders close 30th November and then it will take a week for orders to be delivered to our school. Thank you for your support with assisting our school raise money to purchase new books for the Library!  

Remember to order via the LOOP app.

THE CANTEEN IS CASHLESS FOR ALL LUNCH ORDERS

Families are required to place ALL lunch orders via Qkr! before 8.45am 

Please purchase over-the-counter sale items (snacks & treats) for your child in a lunch order.

Over-the-counter sales at lunch time are back for ice creams only.

Purchase a “daily counter sales voucher” via Qkr! for your child to go to the canteen to collect an ice cream at lunchtime.

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 TERM 4?

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

or click on the link below to slot a time in.

Term 4 canteen roster

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

https://stpandp.schoolzineplus.com/term4roster

All volunteers must have a WWVP card.

Qkr! TIP

Is your child sick and not going to school, and you have placed a lunch order on Qkr!?

You have till 8.45am that morning to cancel the lunch order - instructions on how to cancel lunch orders are below.

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. 

NEW TO THE SCHOOL? PURCHASE A STARTER PACK ON QKR!

Step 1: Download the app Qkr!

Step 2: Register - follow the steps

Step 3: Find our school - Sts Peter & Paul Primary School

Step 4: Register your child - select “new enrolments”

Step 5: Purchase a starter pack for pick up at the front office between school hours.

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. Thank you

 Please visit the school’s website for the Summer Uniform price list.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

This week in the kitchen garden, the focus was on dairy and caring for our strawberries.

The children learnt about why dairy is good for us and why our body needs the nutrients it provides. They also learnt that if you can’t have cow's milk there are alternatives.

In the garden our crew watered and weeded. They also made sure that our strawberries were coming along just fine. A taste test helped work that one out!

If you would like any information about the kitchen garden program please email Mrs Katie Birch katherine.birch@cg.catholic.edu.au.

The garden club 

BEST EVER MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients

400 g macaroni pasta

1 & 1/2 cups cream

3/4 cup milk

1 & 1/4 cups grated tasty cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Pinch salt & pepper

1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated tasty cheese (extra)

Pinch ground paprika, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees on the grill setting and grease a large oven proof casserole dish, then set aside.

Boil macaroni pasta in a large saucepan of salted water for approximately 10-15 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.

Heat cream and milk in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and stir in the grated cheeses, salt and pepper. Continue to stir until cheese has melted. Add the pasta.

Toss to coat pasta in the sauce, transfer to prepared dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, extra grated cheese and paprika.

Grill macaroni and cheese for 2 minutes, or until the topping is golden and crispy.

The recipes in the newsletter are from the Sts P & P 50th Anniversary Cookbook. The recipes come from either our wonderful cooking guru, Mrs Moore, or were donated by members of our community. This recipe was donated by Edwin ST.

Books are now at the bargain price of $10 (and you will receive a bonus tea towel), payable on Qkr!. Books will be sent home with your child once payment has been receipted.