Dear Parents and Carers

Enrolment Period

The official enrolment period for systemic Catholic schools (which includes Sts Peter and Paul) is in May, and our Open Days are from 9am – 11am on May 7^th, 14^th and 21^st. Our Information Night is on Tuesday May 14^th at 6pm, in the school hall. Included in this newsletter are the slides that Luke Gubler used when presenting, some weeks ago, an Information Night detailing all of the amazing leadership opportunities that our school particularly offers from Grades 3 – 6. A reminder too that Marist, in conversation with CE, has guaranteed a place in Year 7 for all boys graduating from our local Catholic schools. I am very proud of the education Sts P & P offers all students from K – 6. I would welcome an opportunity to discuss this with any existing or potential Sts Peter and Paul parents. If you would like to meet, please email me directly at Cameron.johns@cg.catholic.edu.au, or contact the front office on 6281 1932, to make a time for a meeting.

WWVP Cards

As I have written in past newsletters, our parent volunteers are a vital part of school life and contribute greatly to the social and educational fabric of the school. I am deeply grateful to the many parents who volunteer their time and their gifts to the school. Parents who would like to assist with carnivals, excursions, the canteen, and so on, will need to acquire a Working with Vulnerable People card (WWVP). Parents can apply for a WWVP card through Access Canberra WWVP Cards.

Easter Liturgies

Friday week is Good Friday. Next week, as we do each year, grades are telling a part of the Easter account of the Passion of Jesus. On Tuesday, Year 1 are leading the school in celebrating and remembering Palm Sunday; on Wednesday, Year 5 lead us in remembering Holy Thursday; on Thursday, Year 6 lead the school in the Good Friday Stations of the Cross. When we return to school on Tuesday (after the Easter long weekend), Year 2 are leading the school in the Easter Sunday Resurrection celebrations. All liturgies begin at 12pm in the hall. All parents are warmly invited to attend.

Easter Celebrations

Easter is approaching rapidly, and as took place last year, the Community Council is sponsoring a Hat Parade and an Easter coloring-in competition (see notice in this newsletter). It is never too early to start thinking about an amazing Easter Hat! Parents support, again, is essential, and I would like to thank Katherine Jones and the Community Council for their great support and for making this possible.

School Disco

A reminder that our Term 1 School Disco is taking place on Friday Week 10, April 5^th, Kinder- Year 2: 5:45- 6:30pm, Years 3-6: 6:45-7:45pm. My thanks to the Community Council for all of their work and support.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

Please give generously to Project Compassion this Lent. 

TAPITAS- This year our school will be focusing on raising money for drinking water. We have a whole school display, where each class will receive a ‘water drop’ for every $5 raised. The children will be learning more about Project Compassion in class during Friday Prayer and at morning assemblies. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Home Groups

Home Groups will be starting soon (if they haven’t already). Please remember a Parent/Carer must attend these sessions with your child. A huge thank you to the Families who have offered to host a group, we are very grateful for your time. We look forward to seeing families of Reconciliation Candidates at one of the Masses this weekend. 

Any further enquiries relating to the Sacrament of Reconciliation can be directed to the Parish Office ( 6281 3999/ wodennorth@cg.org.au )

Upcoming dates to remember: 

• RETREAT AND PRACTICE FOR CHILDREN:

Holy Trinity School Hall 9.15am–2.15pm Friday 22nd March, 18 Theodore Street, Curtin. All Year 3 students are to attend the Retreat day (even if they are not a candidate for Reconciliation). Please ensure you have filled out the permission form via Compass. 

• SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION:

Holy Trinity Church, Curtin 6pm Tuesday, 7th May

SIXTH SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B

Gospel- Mark 1:12-15 

He was tempted by Satan, and the angels looked after him.

In the gospel passage, we have a picture of Jesus preparing himself for his public ministry. He takes himself out into the wilderness, away from all that he has known until this time, to reflect on his life so far and this next vital stage that he is about to enter. In the wilderness, Jesus is tempted. He has to face his own doubts and demons before he sets off on the road of his public ministry. When he leaves the desert wilderness and enters back into Galilee he immediately begins to preach and, in the first words accredited to him in this gospel, Jesus announces that the kingdom of God is at hand and it’s time to repent and believe. It’s a call to open your eyes and get with the program!

Have you thought? Temptation?

When we adopt a view of Jesus as the Son of God, it is hard to imagine him even facing temptation, let alone the possibility of him giving in to it. However, when we see Jesus as also being fully human, we realise that he was just as likely to face temptation as we are. But what might have tempted Jesus? Was he tempted to simply go back to his life in Joseph’s carpentry business and not respond to God’s call? Was he tempted to display his power in flashy demonstrations for all to see? Was he tempted to despair at what lay ahead of him?

Living the Gospel – Change of heart

Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God is a call to live out God’s transformative dream of right relationship with one another and with our world. To accept this call requires a change of heart and mind (a metanoia) and the adoption of a new orientation, a new worldview based on living the kingdom of God. This is a challenge to be counter-cultural – to go ‘against the flow’ of the majority attitudes at times. It is certainly not an ‘easy option’ that we are called to live. Jesus’ call to ‘repent and believe’ is a very appropriate call to begin the Lenten season.

Link to school calendar

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Amelia M

Isabella M

This term we have been learning a lot about Japanese. This week, as part of the Harmony Day celebrations, we had a special visitor to teach us about the art of Japanese gift wrapping (furoshiki). We learnt how to wrap lunch boxes and bottles, a ball (or a watermelon), a laptop, and a book and we learnt to create an essential handbag with these items.

Now, let’s talk about the Stations of the Cross coming up. On Thursday 28 March at 12pm Year 6 will be performing this special Easter celebration, the Stations of the Cross. The Year 6 students will be performing an act of the story of Easter to give the younger kids a better understanding. This also shows why we celebrate Easter and what Jesus has done for us.

Last weekend one of our students, Indie G, and a friend raised money for brain cancer research. They raised $12,800 from a homemade earrings business using clay and resin. If you would like to donate to this very worthy cause please follow the link:

EASTER HAT PARADE

Thursday 28^th March at Morning Assembly

Easter is almost here!

To celebrate we invite children to create an Easter hat and join in the parade next Thursday morning. 

This will take place at the morning assembly from 9am.  

 We will also be announcing the winners of the Easter colouring competition and egg-guessing competition!

A reminder to return the colouring competition to teachers by Monday 25^th March. 

Parents are welcome to stay and watch the parade!

SCHOOL DISCO

It's disco time!!

 Friday 5^th April in the school hall

 Kinder- Year 2: 5:45- 6:30pm

Years 3-6: 6:45-7:45pm

Tickets are $5 per child and available to purchase on Qkr!

Children will receive a drink, snacks and glowstick

We thank Daniel Muller, our new school DJ!

We look forward to a night of fun and dancing

This year we will be taking part in Earth Hour as a school on Friday 22^nd March from 2-3pm.

We will do our best to turn off all lights, interactive boards, iPads and any other technology we have in the school.

 Earth Hour will officially be taking place on Saturday 23^rd March from 8:30pm-9:30pm.

Please follow the link below if you would like to find out any more information about Earth Hour.

https://www.earthhour.org.au/

This week we have been celebrating Harmony Week and exploring many different cultural activities during Japanese.

We have tried on traditional Japanese Happi coats. These coats are traditionally worn during festivals.

The children have enjoyed trying them on. We are grateful to the Japanese Embassy for allowing us to borrow them.

We have also explored manga drawing, perfecting the expression on the faces of different characters. 

Year 6 and Year 5 have participated in an online workshop, learning how the art of Furoshiki was developed. They spent time learning the different technique used to fold this traditional cloth, using it to wrap different items.

We have also explored origami and have made paper cranes.

It has been a fun and exciting week.

良い一日を

Have a nice day

We have over 200 overdue Library books! We would love to see these books back in the Library!

Book Club Issue 2 is open now! 

• Thank you to families who have placed orders already. Orders close Friday Week 9- 29th 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). 

Lunchtimes in the Library

The Library is open at Lunchtimes (after eating time) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for children to come and read, draw or play quietly.  

Library days for Classes

We have over 200 overdue library books! If you have some at home please return them to the Library- a reminder also to treat our books carefully! Many of the plastic protective covers are coming back damaged. It takes time and money to replace please…. Which means less time for me to get our new books onto the shelves. Thank you for your assistance with this! 

Library Request! 

Do you have any small blue items around your house? In preparation for the National Simultaneous Storytime next Term, I am asking families to bring in anything blue to create a display- similar to what is in the photo below. Please ensure items are clean eg. yoghurt tops. Thank you in advance. 

Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge

Every year, tens of thousands of students across the ACT participate in the Chief Minister’ Reading Challenge. The Challenge aspires to allow every young person in the ACT to discover the joy reading can bring. 

Sts Peter and Paul Primary is proud to have every child registered in the Challenge again this year! To complete the challenge, students need to read 30 books within the timeframe. The 30 books can be from class reading and individual reading. Fiction or non-fiction, poetry, EBooks (including on SORA), audio books, graphic books, home books and of course library books. As long as the books are age appropriate! Students can read the books themselves, listen to an adult or older sibling read to them, listen to an audio book or read a book online. 

The challenge runs from Monday 12 February until Friday 5 July 2024

Winning schools will be invited to the National Library of Australia to receive their School Awards. Students who successfully complete the CMRC will receive an individual award as well. When the challenge has finished I will hand out raffle tickets to those that have participated and prizes are given to each grade level from our book club funds. There will also be class prizes for the classes who have everyone participate!  The Challenge is also grateful for the support of the event sponsor, Paperchain Bookstore-Manuka. 

https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/additional-programs/chief_ministers_reading_challenge/winners-of-the-challenge

Happy reading!

Amanda Basedow 

Teacher Librarian

amanda.basedow@cg.catholic.edu.au

Carnival 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Ribbon Assemblies

All 8-12 years, 50m and 100m ribbons will be handed out at our morning assembly next Monday the 25^th March. The Junior, 11 years and Senior Age Champions will also be announced at this time.

Saints Peter and Paul Cross Country Carnival Wednesday April 3^rd at Eddison Park, Woden (Week 10)

This year our Cross Country Carnival is being held at Eddison Park. If you would like to help out on the day, and have a current Working with Vulnerable People Card, please email Luke Gubler with an image of the front and back of your valid WWVP card. 

As with the swimming carnival, we will also be welcoming any parents/caregivers/other family members as spectators.

Luke Gubler

Sports Coordinator

Hello everyone – garden club and cooking were fabulous last week.

In the kitchen and classroom Years 3 and 4 continued their journey, learning new skills and using our produce to cook. In the classroom they are researching the Five Food Groups.

In the garden, we did some seed planting and watering. Our Indigenous plants are also growing well after some much needed rain last week.

The Garden Club

SPINACH & BASIL PESTO

Ingredients

2 cups spinach

1 cup basil leaves

1 clove garlic

1 tbsn lemon juice

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tspn salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra if needed

Method

Place spinach, basil, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. 

Blend for 30 seconds. Add olive oil and process until smooth.

Add extra olive oil if needed to achieve desired thickness.

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 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.

CANTEEN VOLUNTEER ROSTER

Thank you, helpers; your assistance is very much appreciated!

Please contact me if you are unable to assist on your day.

TERM 1 CANTEEN 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.

https://stpandp.schoolzineplus.com/Term1Roster

 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.

Next Wednesday Easter Special!

(27 March)

Order our special Easter treat for $2.50 containing a fruitless hot cross bun and an Easter egg!

 Available next week on Qkr

DON’T MISS OUT!

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. 

It is usual practice for most schools to offer second-hand clothing at the uniform shop to families at a discounted price. Quality second-hand clothing can only be purchased during uniform hours.  We do understand that this may not be convenient for some families so please feel free to send me an email if you are unable to get to the uniform shop during opening hours and I will do my best to attend your needs.

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.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au