Dear SPP families,

Welcome to Week 7.

Confirmation June 19 & 20

Many of our Year 6 leaders, supported by their families, parish, teachers and classmates, are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation later this month. 

Pope Francis explains that at Confirmation, “We are strengthened — ‘confirmed’ — in the grace of our baptism and in our mission of bearing daily witness to Christ and his love. (The) Spirit acts with strength within us, within all people and during one’s whole life. When we receive him in our hearts, Christ makes himself present and takes shape in our lives.” (January 29, 2014 General Audience)

It was wonderful to see our Confirmation Candidates presented to our parish at masses over the weekend. Please remember them in your prayers:

May they be filled with grace and courage

To proclaim their faith boldly and joyfully.

May the Holy Spirit guide and protect them

Throughout their lives,

Inspiring them to love and serve God

With all their hearts and souls.

May they be strengthened and empowered

To uphold the values of the Gospel.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,

Our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

SPP Community Events

Wasn’t our Athletics Carnival last week glorious? It was wonderful to see the skill and effort on display. The children all tried hard on the track, but the greatest success of the day was the outstanding way everyone worked together, helped out, and cheered on. I thank Sarah Walsh, Luke Gubler and their industrious team of parent and staff helpers for their champion effort. Our SPP community was the winner! 

Our Community Council are hosting another exciting event for our school: Movie Night on Friday June 16. Buy your $5 tickets in the Qkr! App and see here for details Movie Night: SING! I thank the amazing Katherine Jones and her team of helpers for putting this community event together. 

Semester 1 Reporting

Our wonderful teachers are currently collecting and carefully moderating student assessment data in preparation for the upcoming Semester 1 Reports.   

Families will receive their child’s Semester 1 Report via Compass on Wednesday June 28 (Wednesday Week 10). All reports, with the exception of Kindergarten, use an A-E reporting scale. Please view the short presentation explaining this scale. A-E Reporting Presentation

Semester 1 Reports will not have written comments. Instead, all families are encouraged to attend Parent/Teacher Conferences in Week 10. Our teachers have made themselves available to share and celebrate your child’s school successes and areas for focus and are looking forward to seeing you. Conference Bookings will open this Friday afternoon and close on Thursday, June 22.

Tell Them From Me 

Thank you to those who have completed this parent survey http://tellthemfromme.com/m7bfr 

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. It needs to be completed in one sitting. Please take the time to reflect upon and answer the survey questions. Based on this survey data, we can make changes to help improve our students’ experience at school. The survey window is open until Friday, June 9. 

Hats On: Cancer Council Update

In the past, in line with Cancer Counci’s sun protection policy, our students have been permitted to go without a sun hat during the winter months. This advice has changed. 

The Cancer Council now urges us all be guided by UV levels not calendars when determining levels of sun protection. Therefore, our SPP students are to continue to wear a school hat (or school beanie) all year round. 

Compass Notifications

You may notice a new attendance feature in our Compass App. If a child is marked absent on a class roll without explanation, parents will be sent an automated Compass notification seeking an absence approval. Class rolls are usually marked by 9:15am.

If your child arrives at school late, please sign them in at the front office on our Compass kiosk.

Thank you for your continued support,

Anna Williams

Acting Principal

Confirmation

We continue to pray for the Confirmation Candidates and their families as they prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation in June. It was lovely to see the Candidates presented at one of the three Masses at Holy Trinity Church, Curtin, last weekend. It was a wonderful opportunity to come together as a parish and celebrate the important step forward in the faith journey of these young people.

There will be a Stole Night tomorrow (Thursday 8th June) at 5:30pm in the Holy Trinity School Hall. On the Stole Night, each candidate and one of their parents will create a stole that the Candidates will wear during the Sacrament.

Next Friday (16th June), there will be a Retreat Day, held at Holy Trinity School for all Year 6 students. A permission note will go home with more information regarding this today via Compass.

Important Confirmation Dates:

8 June - Confirmation Stole Night, 5:30pm- Holy Trinity School Hall 

16 June - Year 6 Confirmation Retreat - Holy Trinity Primary School

Monday 19 June - Sacrament of Confirmation 6pm - Holy Trinity Church

Tuesday 20 June - Sacrament of Confirmation 6pm - Holy Trinity Church

Social Justice - Vinnies Winter Appeal -  Weeks 7 & 8- Be a ‘Souper Hero’

The Vinnies Winter Appeal is upon us! The Vinnies Winter Appeal is all about providing emergency relief to those at risk of/or experiencing homelessness. All donations are distributed through St Vinnies to many homelessness and community services to directly support those in our local community who are most impacted.

During Weeks 7 and 8 we invite families to ‘Be a Souper Hero’ by donating cans of soup. ‘Be a Souper Hero’ will culminate in Dress up as a super hero Donate Day on Wednesday 14 June. Donations can be dropped off at the school foyer in the labelled tubs or dropped off in the classroom. Thank you for your support in this worthy cause.

 Sunday Gospel: John 6:51-58  Sunday Year A

My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.

Meals are very important events. Not only do we physically need food and drink to keep ourselves alive, but we use meals to mark occasions and celebrate events: birthdays; weddings; dates; achievements; disappointments; reunions. There is a sacredness about gathering with friends and family and sharing a meal together. Stories are told; memories shared; the food is appreciated and more often than not there’s a drink to accompany the meal. Treating such occasions with gratitude – as blessed moments of grace – is living out the Eucharistic reality of welcoming Jesus into our lives and seeking to be more like him.

In the gospel passage, Jesus speaks a number of times about his followers eating his flesh and drinking his blood; ‘For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.’ In the Eucharist, we celebrate the ‘real presence’ of Jesus, understanding that bread and wine is changed into the body and blood of Christ. This change does not occur in a physical, observable way. The Church teaches that the ‘substance’ of bread and wine (what makes them bread and wine in essence) is changed but not the physical attributes. This is known as ‘transubstantiation’ – change of substance.

Adapted from reflection by Greg Sunter

Blessings for the week ahead,

Amanda Basedow

Acting Religious Education Coordinator

Whilst sibling putdowns are a normal part of life, parents can certainly aid in disrupting and disapproving harmful and unkind behaviours between siblings. Oftentimes when the younger sibling begins to be perceived by the elder as encroaching on their special areas of expertise and acclaim (academics, sports, popularity), the older sibling will attempt to reaffirm their specialness by attacking the younger’s most vulnerable spots. Often these attacks can seem out of the blue and intense without any warning, but there are some things that parents can be on the look out for when attempting to disrupt this pattern of behaviour early on.

Drawing on research from acclaimed pioneers and researchers of bullying intervention and prevention, Ken Rigby & Dan Olweus’ work highlights the importance of often the unnoticed first phase in a siblings’ escalation of conflict between each other. Whilst sibling conflicts become most alarming at the point of heightened tension and aggression, the initial stage whereby an exclusive body language message is communicated is often critically unnoticed by adults in order to intervene. As approximately 70% of communication is portrayed through body language, these messages are easy to transmit between siblings and peers and can open the door towards ongoing conflict. Unspoken body language messages such as body curtaining to protect toys, an eye roll, etc, can be difficult to pick up and if parents aren’t able to identify and disapprove of it, Rigby and Olweus explain that often this will escalate into verbal micro-aggressions, and finally full-blown aggressions between siblings, which can become habituated if not addressed by adults and parents.

Whilst the key opportunity for disrupting sibling conflict and aggression would be at the point of unspoken and unkind body language, being able to intervene at any point along the escalating road to conflict is important and necessary in order to improve sibling and peer relationships. Silence by an adult or parent is always presumed as agreeance and permission to escalate the behaviour. When seeking to disapprove and disrupt conflict, Rigby guides parents, with an energy of warmth, kindness and clarity, to affirm, connect, disapprove and invite. Elaborating on these principles further, Rigby encourages parents to initiate the parent-child conversation with a strengths-based focus, drawing on positive experiences the child has had in the past related to getting along with their sibling. As the parent seeks to connect and let the child feel safe, they can then clearly disapprove of the aggressive behaviour using phrases such as, “in this family we try really hard not to----, even if it’s really hard.” Finally, the parent can invite the children who are putting each other down, to sort it out themselves or ask a parent for help working it out. This opportunity to problem-solve and repair social issues can be of great use and experience to the young child. This step still often requires a parent to supervise and ensure harmony is attempted and may still need a parent’s guidance in facilitating reconciliation at times.

As kids cope with conflict, they also learn important skills that will serve them for life, including how to value another’s point of view, how to compromise and negotiate, and how to control aggressive impulses. In cases where siblings’ conflict escalates to severity in terms of disrupting daily functioning, or particularly affecting a family member’s emotional or psychological health, or self esteem, it can be useful to speak with a mental health provider. Parents of the school are also always welcome to contact the school counsellor via phone or email (Shandelle.steere@catholiccare.cg.org.au) should you have any questions concerning your child’s aggression or mental health.

The awards will be presented at our assembly on Thursday 15 June at 2.15 in the hall. 

Principal's Award: Anna S, 6M; William R, 6M

Learning Support Awards: Indie G, 5M; Kuna J, 6M;

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

Canteen Awards: Patrick C, 2M; Parker B, 3W; Henry C, 3W; Elijah C, 3W; Joel J, 5M

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to the student who is celebrating a birthday this week

Claire O

It is a great pleasure to introduce our Student Representative Council (SRC) for 2023. Congratulations to the following students:

Year 3 Representatives:

Angelo Scott (3M)

Kolbe Tantri (3W)

Year 4 Representatives:

Michael Wannell (4W)

Audrey Ingold (4M)

Year 5 Representatives:

Toby Tonge (5W)

Gabriella Spralja (5W)

Ava Goolagong (5M)

Issy Toth (5M)

Year 6 Representatives:

Maximo Andrighetto (6M)

Zara Stamatis (6W)

Kenzo Jago-Jesudass (6W)

Ciara Fry (6W)

Abbie Wawn (6W)

The SRC is a group of students elected by their fellow students to represent all students in the school. SRCs work cooperatively and democratically to represent students, and with support organise ways for students to participate in school life.

We are excited to invite all children (and families) to our very own Movie Night on FRIDAY 16^th JUNE!

 Movie: 'Sing'

Time: 5:45 to 7:30pm in the school hall

Cost: $5 each for students (parents and other siblings free) available for sale via Qkr!

This will include popcorn, lollies and a drink.

Students are invited to wear pyjamas, oodies, dressing gowns and bring along a pillow or beanbag!

Parents are more than welcome to join their children to watch the movie. There will also be an area for parents to mingle and enjoy a light refreshment.

 WE ALSO REQUEST SOME PARENT VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUT ON THE NIGHT

Last week our Year 4 classes experienced a Flamenco workshop guided by a flamenco teacher and Señora De Johnson in the Hall. The students participated in various cultural activities and Spanish games, which included the use of Spanish fans. They also learnt about a variety of flamenco rhythms. It was a source of much enjoyment for the children. 

Yesterday our Year 2 and 3 students were treated to a bilingual puppet show. Thank you to Carrousel Theatre for 'Aladino y la lampara magica'. The children really enjoyed the show. Thank you, too, of course, to our wonderful spanish teacher, Senora de Johnson for organising the show.

Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge

We are officially halfway through the ACT Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge. K-2 are keeping a whole class recording chart, Years 3-6 have an individual online recording sheet via the Library Google Classroom and Google Docs.

We have some wonderful readers at Sts Peter and Paul!! Congratulations to the wonderful Kinder White class who have successfully completed their CMRC!

Congratulations to the following students in Years 3-6 who have completed their individual CMRC: 

Year 3- Ari B, Cuyler B, Kade C 

Year 4- Anwesha K, Charlie H, Eleanor M, Eline T, Isla B and Ritishma S

Year 5- Olivia P

Year 6-  Dipali S, Stella H

For Parents and Carers

Tips for reading with all children:

• visit the local library and enjoy spending time choosing new books and reading together, including e-books and audio books
• give books or book vouchers as presents
• ensure that your children see you reading, such as the newspaper, a cookbook, novel, short stories, manuals, or magazines
• identify online reading, such as online news, reviews, communications and e-books
• go to libraries or bookshops when authors are visiting - children and teenagers love meeting their favourite writers
• make sure your home is a reading home - with books and quiet, comfortable spaces to read
• encourage your children to read in any of the languages your family uses
• identify or schedule time for reading, such as before bed or between getting ready for school and leaving
• read books together before watching the film and then share thoughts about the two portrayals of the story.

Tips for reading with older children:

• encourage children to keep a book with them so they can read on journeys or in spare moments – this could include e-books
• support your child to search for books and read book reviews in interest areas, such as hobbies, sports, genres, favourite authors and biographies
• encourage children to join you as you read a recipe for you as you cook, or share a movie summary or review
• read books you can talk about together - ensure the talk is light-hearted, not testing or over-questioning
• encourage your children to swap books with their friends.

Tips for reading with younger children:

• read the books together with funny voices, or take turns to read different characters
• talk about your favourite parts of the books and which authors you like the most
• try reading in different locations like the backyard, coffee shop, or lounge room floor
• allow your child to choose how to read the book. They may like to do echo reading with you (parent reads and the child echoes back), shared reading with you (taking turns to read) or independent reading (read to you or to themselves).

Library Days

Please take note of your child or children’s library days. Kinder- Year 4 must have a Library Bag to borrow books to take home. 

Should you have any questions please email me at amanda.basedow@cg.catholic.edu.au

Happy reading! Mrs BasedowLIBRARY NEWS

Sts Peter and Paul Athletics Carnival

What a great day! A huge thank you to all the parents and carers in our community who volunteered to assist on the day and who helped our carnival run so smoothly! We had exceptional weather and all students showed great enthusiasm and sportsmanship throughout the day in both track and field events. 

Please keep your eyes peeled for when we will be presenting ribbons to students aged 8-12, and our Age Champions for 2023.

Photos of the day will be up on our Facebook page soon.

South/Weston Region Athletics Carnival Thursday 17th August

If your child has qualified for the South/Weston Region Athletics Carnival, information will go home to you in relation to this early next term, so keep your eyes peeled!

South/Weston Region Cross Country Carnival

It is a busy time in our school sporting calendar. Yesterday, nearly 50 of our students in Years 2-6 participated in the South/Weston Region Cross Country Carnival. An exceptional display of skill was demonstrated by all who attended, and my thanks to Mrs Cathy Shepherd and Mr Luke Gubler for assisting our students in braving the rain for a great day.

ACT Cross Country Champions Thursday 15th June at Stromlo Forest Park, Opperman Avenue, Stromlo.

If your child qualified for the ACT Cross Country Championships, information will be sent home to you once it has come through to the school. Please note that there will be a $10 entry fee prior to the event. Thank you for your understanding of this!

Congratulations!

A massive congratulations to Lucas S in Year 6 who has been selected to represent School Sports ACT (SSACT) at the School Sport Australia 12&U Swimming Championships, 25th - 29th of August in Sydney. Sts Peter and Paul is extremely proud of you and your achievements! 

Let us know!

What sports would you like to see more of at Sts Peter and Paul? We are looking to fine tune the clinics run at school and offer assistance to classroom teachers to ensure that our students in each grade are participating in sports that will be of a great benefit to them. If you would like to have your input noted, please complete the below, short GoogleForm.

https://forms.gle/63vvfSNTxdRstiGP8

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,

or

Purchase a “daily counter sales voucher” via Qkr! for your child to go to the canteen to purchase (snacks & treats) 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 2?

Click on the link to add your name to the roster!

 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 2 canteen roster

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.

Special Lunch Day

Wednesday 14 June

 WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE the school will be holding its next special lunch day. 

In the spirit of Souper Hero Day the children will be able to order chicken noodle soup or salad box, drink and a treat for $6.50.

Orders available on Qkr! Now

Download the app on your mobile phone to place your order.

ORDERS CLOSE 9AM FRIDAY 9 June!

No other lunch orders will be available on that day.

YEAR GROUPS ARE HOSTING SPECIAL LUNCH DAYS AGAIN!

Mrs R is so excited to be having volunteers back into the canteen that we will commence having Year Groups host the special lunch days!  

Year 3 will be hosting our next special lunch day.

If you are a Year 3 parent/carer and can help on the day (even for a short while), we would love your assistance! 

No training required.

  Helping in the Canteen that day is a great opportunity to meet parents in your child’s class.

No doubt your child will get a buzz from seeing you at the school too! 

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