“Breathing is made up of two stages: inhaling, the intake of air, and exhaling, the letting out of air. The spiritual life is fed, nourished, by prayer and is expressed outwardly through mission: inhaling and exhaling. When we inhale, by prayer, we receive the fresh air of the Holy Spirit.” (Pope Francis)

Dear SPP families,

The fresh air of the Holy Spirit in our lives is essential and an undeniable presence in our school community. On Monday and Tuesday evenings our community witnessed and celebrated the presence of the Holy Spirit in the most beautiful way: The Sacrament of Confirmation. As Pope Francis suggests, I invite you to breathe and pray:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.

And kindle in them the fire of your love

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created

And you will renew the face of the earth.

Lord, by the light of your Holy Spirit

You have taught the hearts of your faithful.

In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right

And always rejoice in your consolation

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

I congratulate our students who received this sacrament with such reverence. It was a very special occasion for you and your families and the culmination of weeks of prayer and preparation. I thank Father John, Amanda and Veronica for their inspired leadership and hard work, and of course I thank our Year 6 teachers, Luke and Katie for their dedication, care and support.

Rostrum Final

Tonight our finalist, Anna presents her speech at the regional finals. Good luck Anna, we are so proud of you!

SPP Community Events

I thank Katherine Jones and her industrious team of Community Council helpers for planning and hosting the popular Movie Night last Friday. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and I’m sure they slept soundly that night. These events are a wonderful way to meet other parents and connect with your child’s school. Thank you Katherine and team!

If you are interested in supporting future Community Council events, please consider reaching out to our amazing Community Council members via the front office or in person. Next term’s Working Bee: Save the Date (6 August) is another great way to meet others and connect with our community. Please RSVP and mark it in your diaries.

Semester 1 Reporting

Semester 1 Reports are grades only and will not have comments. Instead, all families are encouraged to attend Parent/Teacher Conferences next week. Our teachers have made themselves available to share your child’s school successes and areas for focus and are looking forward to seeing you. Compass bookings close this Thursday, June 22.

Families will receive the Semester 1 Report via Compass on Wednesday June 28 (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

Pick up and Drop off Arrangements

An increasing number of children are being left unsupervised on school grounds before 8:30am and being collected well after 3:30pm. One day last week there were 14 children in the foyer waiting for late families. Late collection puts an extra load on our teachers, requiring them to provide supervision long after their scheduled duty has finished. 

School begins at 9:00am and concludes at 3:10pm. Supervision is provided from 8:30am – 3:30pm. Please, if you need to leave your child to school outside of these times, contact OSH Club to book them into care. 

Retreat

This week I attend the annual Assistant Principals’ Retreat for 3 days in Manuka with some of my colleagues across the archdiocese. I look forward to participating in this ‘Spiritus’ retreat, which is a unique faith formation program for education leaders. The unstoppable and inspirational Mrs Hall will lead the school in my absence.

Thank you for your continued support,

Anna Williams

Acting Principal

Confirmation

Last night was the second of two Sacramental Masses for our Confirmation Candidates in Year 6. Both nights were wonderful celebrations for those present. 

My sincere thanks to Fr John Woods and Archbishop Christopher Prowse, as well as Veronica Hall, Katie McGregor and Luke Gubler for their work in preparing the students. I would also like to thank the parents for their support, particularly those parents who hosted other students and their families during the Home Group sessions.

Sts Peter and Paul Feast Day 2023

Next Thursday 29 June, we will be celebrating the Feast Day of Sts Peter and Paul. At 9:15am we will celebrate Mass as a whole school, and in the afternoon, the students will be participating in a range of fun, whole school activities.

Mrs Raccosta is organising a special lunch (at no cost to families) on the day, which includes a hot dog, drink and treat. 

If your child/ren has special dietary requirements, could you kindly fill out the google form by this Friday, 23 June, for catering purposes. 

https://forms.gle/y1HHyTKhZwdGhy357

 Sunday Gospel: Mt 10:26-33  Sunday in Year A

Those who acknowledge Christ will be known to the Father.

‘Do not be afraid’ is one of the most commonly repeated sentences in the Bible. In one form or another, the command to ‘be not afraid’ or ‘fear not’ appears several hundred times throughout the Old and New Testaments. Today’s gospel passage is part of the sending out of the Twelve that occupies all of Chapter 10 in the gospel. It follows a little later in the chapter from last week’s reading in which Jesus called the Twelve and sent them out as Apostles. The remainder of the chapter provides an extended teaching on what it means and what it costs to take the message of Jesus out into the world. Jesus teaches the Twelve that the message they bear will not always be well received and there will be those who will seek to silence the Apostles through violent means. But then the teaching comes to the section of today’s passage and Jesus commands the Twelve, ‘Do not be afraid’.

The message to not be afraid is as much for the original intended audience of the gospel as it was for the apostles. The community for whom this gospel was written were on the verge of being ‘squeezed out’ and forced into secret. The passage reminds them to have courage and to have the courage of their convictions; to shout from the house-tops their message, not whisper it in darkness. It is a reminder of the abundant love of God who cares for them and sees all their efforts to continue to live out the message and ministry of Jesus.

It is equally a message for us, today. We are called to continue the spread of the gospel message; continuing the work of those early Christian communities, the Twelve and Jesus himself.

Adapted from reflection by Greg Sunter

Blessings for the week ahead,

Amanda Basedow

Acting Religious Education Coordinator

Due to our Feast Day festivities on Thursday, 29 June, there will be NO Awards Assembly next week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Ryan G

Abigail W

Ayverie C

Henry C

Declan H

Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge

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

Year 3- Hamish H

Year 4- Audrey I, Avah P, Ryan G

Year 5- Dushan D, Finn B, Claire H, Eliana B & Zoe K 

Year 6- Carmelline T

Remember to return your overdue Library books!

Please have a look around home to find any overdue Library books so that they can be returned to the Library. We have A LOT of outstanding books!

Students will be able to keep books borrowed in Week 10 over the holidays. Remember students Kinder- Year 4 need a Library Bag to borrow books. 

Happy reading! Mrs Basedow amanda.basedow@catholic.edu.au

Year 6 parents - Join Us for an Evening of Connection and Community!

Dear Year 6 Parents,

I hope this message finds you well and that your journey through the academic year has been fulfilling so far. As we approach the year’s midpoint, it's the perfect time to come together and strengthen the bonds that make our school community thrive.

We are delighted to invite you to a special Year 6 Parent Dinner, an evening dedicated to fostering connections and sharing our experiences as parents of the incredible students at Sts Peter and Paul. This event aims to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere where we can get to know one another better, exchange stories, and support each other in this exciting journey of parenthood.

Details of the event are as follows:

Time: 6:30pm

Date: Saturday, 15 July 2023

Venue: Mustang Nepalese Restaurant, Farrer (themustangcanberra.com.au)

We firmly believe that a strong parent community is a cornerstone of a successful school. By fostering a network of support and camaraderie, we can work hand in hand to create a nurturing environment that benefits not only our children but every one of us.

Please mark your calendars and RSVP by 8 July to ensure we can accommodate everyone. Please indicate any dietary restrictions or preferences when confirming your attendance so we can make suitable arrangements for everyone.

To RSVP, or if you have any questions, please contact me at 0419 237 977 or denis_odea@yahoo.com.au. I appreciate your prompt response, as it will assist in finalising the arrangements for the event.

We sincerely hope you can join us for this special occasion and look forward to celebrating the spirit of our wonderful school community. Together, let's create connections that will support and inspire us all.

Regards

Denis and Kim O’Dea (Parents of Claire O’Dea)

0419 237 977

Sts Peter and Paul Athletics Ribbons Assembly

We will be handing out ribbons from our Athletics Carnival this Friday 23rd June after our morning assembly. Ribbons will be handed out to the 8-12 year olds who participated in track and field events. We will also announce the Junior, 11 years and Senior Age Champions at this time. You will be contacted if your child is Age Champion. We hope you’re able to come and support our athletic superstars!

Boorowa Touch Football/Netball Carnival Friday 20 October

Sts Peter and Paul Primary School will be sending teams to compete in the Annual Boorowa Touch Football and Netball Carnival. The carnival is for children in Years 2 – 6 and is open to both boys and girls. Boorowa is a small country town located 112 kms west of Canberra. This carnival is the main fundraiser for St Joseph’s Primary and Boorowa Central School. 

Please have a talk to your child to ascertain if they may be interested in this event. Information about this will come home to students who are interested this week.

Let us know!

What sports would you like to see more of at Sts Peter and Paul? We are looking to fine tune our 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!

This week in the kitchen and garden, we made cheesy muffins using carrots, cheese, milk and eggs as we continued to learn about healthy eating. We played “muffin relay” in order to prepare and cook them and the children grated, stirred and chopped.

In the garden we spent a lovely lunch break weeding, watering and mulching. Our plants are growing beautifully, and we will be able to use strawberries, leeks and Asian greens in our cooking next term.

We had some newcomers to garden club who were most welcome and had a great time.

If you have any questions email katherine.birch@cg.catholic.edu.au

The Garden Club

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 3?

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

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

https://stpandp.schoolzineplus.com/Canteen Roster Term 3

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 uniforms, 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

Next Tuesday 8.30am - 9.30am

All second hand Jumpers $5

 DO YOU HAVE SPARE COAT HANGERS AT HOME WHICH YOU DO NOT NEED? 

THE UNIFORM SHOP IS IN GREAT NEED OF SOME COAT HANGERS AND WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS. 

THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE.

 Please visit the schools website for the Uniform price list.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au