Dear Parents and Carers

At the time of this newsletter being sent out, our Year 6 students will be on camp at Borambola, outside Wagga Wagga. With COVID restrictions almost completely gone, it is good that the opportunities for school camps can come back. The camp at Borambola is run by NSW Sports and Recreation, and the children will have many opportunities to take part in a great many fun activities. I will join the students on camp, with Katie McGregor, Luke Gubler, Bridget Pigram, Olivia O’Donnell and Samantha Stinziani. My thanks to all staff for looking after our children, and to Luke and Katie for organising the camp. Anna Williams will very capably look after our school while I am on camp.

Opening School Mass and Parish Staff Commissioning Mass

Last Thursday, we held our opening school Mass for the year. Fr John Woods, our Parish Priest, is on leave for medical reasons. In his place, Bishop Pat Power celebrated Mass for our school community. It also saw our Year 6 receive their badges for the year and be commissioned as our School Leaders. It was a lovely Mass and a great way to start our school year, as a community. My thanks to Veronica Hall for organizing our Mass and to our Year 6 teachers and students for their pivotal role.

This weekend, our staff are being presented at our parish weekend Mass, at 6pm on Saturday night. It is our own commissioning, from the parish, of which we are a part. All parents are of course most welcome to attend.

School Community Council

Last night, the School Community Council held its first meeting for 2023. I would like to welcome back our returning members: Tegan Ingold (Chair), Stuart Baines (Deputy Chair), Ellen Hulbert (Secretary), Pat Salter (Treasurer), Katherine Jones, Natasha Fenton, Alison Winsbury, Mary Romaneous, Fr John Woods, Anna Williams and Sarah Kennelly. I would like to welcome our new members: Dimity Wynants, Tara de Smet, Will Frost and Lisa Martin, all of whom will make extremely valuable contributions. I would like to thank our CC members who finished at the end of last year: Thomas Mulligan (Chair), Maggie Lau (Secretary), Ben Sladic (Treasurer), Melissa Dingwell and Mark Spear. I would like to express my deep personal thanks to our departing members for their hard work, selfless contributions and dedication to our school. I thank our current Council, ahead of the year’s work, for their generosity of spirit and commitment to the school.

Ash Wednesday

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a Church season which focuses upon a sense of self-denial (traditionally comprising of some personal self-sacrifice, like giving up chocolate for Lent, for example). The school will hold a whole-school liturgy from K – 6, in the school hall, on Wednesday, at 12pm. My thanks to our Religious Education Coordinator, Veronica Hall, for coordinating the liturgy.

Chief Minister’s Challenge

Next week, the Chief Minister’s Reading challenges begins. Like previous years, our students will be enrolled in the competition and encouraged to participate to the best of their ability. It is a great competition that highlights the importance of reading, and helps all children to set themselves goals in their reading. My thanks to Amanda Basedow, our school librarian, for coordinating our involvement in the competition.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

Sunday Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A

Love your enemies

At times it seems we have rewritten the ‘Golden Rule’ to say: Do unto others before they can do unto you! In saying this we are not encouraging each other to do good, but to be defensive. Jesus tells us to go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, outdo ourselves in generosity and rise above the fray. He is not suggesting that we allow ourselves to be abused, but that we not perpetuate the antagonism out of which the mistreatment arose. He is not advocating passivity, but he is saying that we should not retaliate. Jesus is describing what we today would call active non-resistance, the attitude taught by Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

We are familiar with the answer to the question: Who is my neighbour? We usually interpret it to mean those we do not particularly like. It is important to love them, to be kind to them, to help them when they are in need. But these are not the people whom Jesus is talking about in today’s reading. He tells us that the neighbours whom we are to love are those people who do not like us. We are to love those who deliberately exclude us from their social circles, who talk about us behind our backs. We are to love those who make us feel that we are not good enough for them, those who resent us for our accomplishments. We are to love those who exploit us or do us harm. This is indeed a radical teaching. (Diana Bergant CSA)

Sacrament of Reconciliation

A gentle reminder that First Reconciliation enrolments for baptised students in Year 3 (and above) are open via the QKR! App North Woden Transfiguration.

To those families who have enrolled and have selected a family group, your child should have brought home their activity book. Please email me if you have any concerns or if your child has not received their book.

Dates for your Diary:

Week 4:

Parish Mass: Commissioning Staff for 2023, Saturday 18th February 6:00 pm 

Ash Wednesday Liturgy, Wednesday 22nd February 12 noon

Blessings for the week ahead,

Veronica Hall

Religious Education Coordinator

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Matilda W (KW)

Grace W (3W)

Maximo A (6M)

Dominic M (2W)

Summer M (KM)

Sean O (2M)

Tomorrow, March 9th is the AUSTRALIAN READING HOUR. Australian Reading Hour is a national day dedicated to sharing the joys of books, reading and stories. 

We ask Australians to spend one hour on the day reading, sharing and enjoying the stories they love with others!

Lunchtime Library Club will look a little different as the only activity in the Library will be reading books together. Please head to the website for more information https://australiareads.org.au/australian-reading-hour/.

Why do we need Library Bags? 

I often get asked this question by students…. And it is for a few reasons: 1) It keeps books borrowed from the Library separate from other books that may be at home. 2) They are easy to find when it is Library day and 3)... they protect our Library books!

Last week a brand new book, only purchased and added to the Library at the beginning of the year, was found on the playground. As you can see it is completely ruined as it was left outside over a weekend in the rain. Please continue to remind your children that it is very important to care for any books borrowed from the Library. This includes keeping them dry, away from food and to treat them with care so the plastic covers and pages don’t get torn or damaged. 

As always, a massive thank you to all the families who do take care of our wonderful books and encourage Library borrowing! 

Book Club Issue 2

Scholastic book club will be running again this year. Issue 2 brochures will be coming home this week. Orders close WEDNESDAY 22ND March. All orders are placed online- please note we do not accept cash or orders at school as all orders are placed online. Click here to access an online version: https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/ 

You are encouraged to download the LOOP app which is an easy way for parents to order book club. Please note orders will take approximately 1 week to be delivered to school after the issue closing date (not when you place the order). 

• Please remember that 15% of all Scholastic Book Club sales go to our school Library. The money made will be used to purchase lots of new books for the Library, as well as prizes and awards for events during the year. Last year we were able to purchase over 500 books due to the amount of money raised from our Book Fair and Book Club sales!

Saints Peter and Paul Swimming Carnival Wednesday 8th March at the Tuggeranong Pool, at the corner of Anketell Street and Athllon Drive in Greenway

We are very excited once again have our Swimming Carnival this term for Years 2-6! Please keep an eye out on Compass for the Consent, Medical and Event Nomination forms for this day which will be sent out early next week. 

Parent Volunteers

Our carnivals would not be possible without fabulous volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering on the day, please email Sarah Walsh (see email below) with an image of the front and back of your valid WWVP card. If you do not have a WWVP card, unfortunately you cannot volunteer on the day, but are more than welcome to join as spectators on the day. Thank you in advance! We will have sign in and out sheets for you to use, so that we can have a school record of anyone in attendance on the day. 

If you think your child may qualify for the South/Weston Region Swimming Carnival, please have a look at the information below.

South/Weston Region Swimming Carnival Wednesday 5th April at the Stromlo Leisure Centre, Corner of Uriarra Road and, Dave McInnes Rd, Stromlo

All School Sport ACT regional swimming events are being held at the Stromlo Leisure Centre. If you have not been to this venue and would like to familiarise yourself with the space, please use the following link to do so https://www.stromloleisurecentre.com.au/. If your child is selected to represent our school at the regional carnival, they will receive information in relation to this soon after our school carnival. 

School Sport ACT

Please follow this link www.schoolsportact.org.au to access all information related to School Sport ACT. The current primary school sporting calendar can be found on this page. Please ensure that you visit this page regularly as dates sometimes change due to unforeseen circumstances. Thank you for your understanding of this. 

If you ever have any questions about anything related to Sport, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Luke Gubler (luke.gubler@cg.catholic.edu.au) and Sarah Walsh (sarah.walsh1@cg.catholic.edu.au) and hopefully we will be able to help you out!

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.

Ice creams are the only over-the-counter sales at lunch time in Term 1.

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

Lent Special - Fish Fingers

Available every Wednesday and Friday during Lent

 CANTEEN VOLUNTEER ROSTER

 ARE YOU ABLE TO HELP OUT IN TERM 1?

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 1 canteen roster

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

https://stpandp.schoolzineplus.com/CanteenRosterTerm1

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. 

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 schools website for the Uniform price list.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

This week in the kitchen and garden we learnt about vegetables. The Years 1 and 2 classes made potato chocolate cakes. Delicious!! Many children knew what type of vegetables we have in our garden and what they eat at home.

We had another massive clean up in the garden with the help of our new Environment Leaders, who are brilliant! Our seedlings are growing well and we are looking forward to harvesting pears and strawberries soon

For more information about what we do in our Kitchen garden program email Mrs Katie Birch katherine.birch@cg.catholic.edu.au

If your child would like to join us, we will see them at lunch time on Friday.

The Garden Club

AWARD WINNING STRAWBERRY JAM

Our kitchen's jam has won a prize at the Canberra Show every year. It will be entered again this year.

Ingredients

3 kg strawberries, hulled and halved

3 kg white sugar

1/2 lemon, juiced

Method

Wash and sterilize 6 jam jars and lids (jars - 330g).

Place strawberries in a large saucepan and stir in the sugar.

Leave for 1-2 hours off heat while the sugar softens the fruit.

Add the lemon juice and place saucepan on stove top over medium heat. Stir constantly until fruit is soft.

Remove 1/3 of the fruit and set aside. Cook the remaining fruit until fruit is dissolved and jam coats the back of the spoon.

Divide the reserved fruit between the jars then fill each with the jam mixture from your saucepan.

Allow to cool to room temperature then seal with lids.

We have been working hard at Abilities Unlimited Australia (AUA) to build our programs behind the scenes and work to ensure we have the strongest team of passionate allied health professionals, teachers, specialist coaches and support workers to support you and your children in a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment. We are hoping you may be able to share this information with families that may benefit. Note, we do have a scholarship fund for families in financial need.

https://www.abilitiesunlimited.com.au

To celebrate the new year, we have opened some additional slots in AUA programs with the aim to provide opportunities for childred of all abiliites to 

• Learn with targeted, intensive, individualised support
• develop social skills and make friends
• feel part of a community
• increase confidence and self-esteem
• develop physical skills, fitness, balance, coordination, and strength 
• develop self-control, self-discipline, resilience, persistence, and patience
• increase wellbeing
• build decision-making and strategic thinking through learning various physical and sporting skills and game plays
• learn social skills, sportsmanship, and teamwork
• improve connections between the brain and body
• demonstrate courage and experience joy and pride, realising their own personal potential to truly thrive

To support home based learning every registration for our January holiday program and/or term 1 program will be entered into a draw to win a $250 adaptive, therapy-based family sporting gift pack tailored to your family sporting need and AUA program interests.

Our January Intensive Holiday programs run for 4 days in the weeks of:

• 9-13 January AND
• 16-19 January 

Our Term 1 programs commence 

• week 2 of school term with the Saturday program starting the 4th February.

AUA Programs Available:

How to register:

To meet demand, we have opened some new slots for programs. Please book in quick to not miss out. All bookings need to go through the website at https://www.abilitiesunlimited.com.au/register

You can register and pay, and we will send you through a receipt with information for NDIS (if required) within seven days.  Alternatively, if you would like to book and be invoiced. To do this:

1. Fill in registration
2. Select REDEEM COUPON button
3. Type in INVOICE
4. The amount will change to $0, and you will be send an invoice to you (or your plan manager if requested) within seven days.

Sponsored places:

We have a goal that each child, of any ability, has the opportunity to develop the skills and confidence to participate in active recreation and community sport in a safe way. Our scholarship program help children kids enjoy the positive outcomes of AUA programs. 

AUA scholarships provide access to one term of an AUA program. To nominate for a place please fill in the online form at www.abilitiesunlimited.com.au/scholarships

Why AUA?

AUA is a non-profit community organisation providing inclusive, family focussed, allied health and education developed sports, active recreation, and personal development programs.

AUA exists to offer children of all abilities a chance to take part in active recreation and/or communities sport within their communities inclusively and meaningfully.

All AUA programs provide intensive, targeted support and are especially designed for children and teens of all abilities including a wide range of special needs including physical, developmental, sensory, and learning disabilities. Our programs provide opportunities for all to participate and promote unified physical activity, promoting family involvement and athletic skill development through a warm and encouraging environment. 

Need more information?

Contact us at info@abilitiesunlimited.com.au

Happy New Year!

Your AUA team.Your AUA Team

Abilities Unlimited Australia (AUA)

E: info@abilitiesunlimited.com.au

W: www.abilitiesunlimited.com.au

F: https://www.facebook.com/AbilitiesUnlimitedAustralia