Dear Parents and Carers

“The NAIDOC week call to keep the fire burning is also a call to respect the ancient wisdom that respected the environment and the delicate relationships on which human flourishing depends. It invites us all to enter a culture of participation and leave behind one of exploitation.”

• Fr Andrew Hamilton, SJ

Welcome back! I hope the holiday period has been a time of rest and renewal, not only for your school-aged children, but for your whole family, as well. This week we celebrate NAIDOC Week. The Jesuit priest Andrew Hamilton writes above of the shared nature of pride and the call to enter into relationships more fully and in a spirit of participation. All Catholic schools are invited to attend the archdiocesan NAIDOC Mass which is being held this Friday morning at St Christopher’s Cathedral, Manuka. Katie McGregor and I are attending with some of our Indigenous students. My thanks to Katie for coordinating our involvement.

NAIDOC Week - Shared Pride

First Communion – Information Night

Next week, on Tuesday at 6pm, parents of students in Year 4 who will be making their First Eucharist this term are invited to attend an Information Night, online, via Teams. Sarah Walsh, our Acting REC, will email a link to all families and invite them to attend. As is custom, Sts Peter and Paul will celebrate the Sacrament with Holy Trinity students, and parents from both schools are invited to attend the meeting next Tuesday night, in order to learn how to best support their son or daughter, as they take this important step in faith.

Upcoming Events

Over the coming weeks, our students have some exciting opportunities. We have two more snow trips planned for our older students, Year 5 begin their squash lessons soon, we have students participating in the Tournament of Minds competition mid-term, and next week, our Kindergarten students celebrate 100 days of school. In Week 3, we also celebrate the Feast Day of our Parish – the Transfiguration of Jesus – and as we do each year, we celebrate the day by joining with Holy Trinity staff and students for a combined Mass and collective activities. This year, we are hosting Holy Trinity at Garran.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

This year at Sts Peter and Paul, we are all called to ‘Flourish’ 

Welcome to Term 3 2024, and an extra special welcome to all the new families in our community this term. Our theme for 2024 is “Planted in the House of the Lord, they will flourish” Psalm 92:13. Throughout the year, we will be looking at the ways we can flourish, individually and as a school community, and help those around us to flourish. 

NAIDOC Week

In recognition of NAIDOC Week this week at school we include the Aboriginal Lord’s Prayer.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl7PgGP9iNI&ab_channel=KevinTemplestowe)

You are our Father, You live in heaven,

We talk to You. Father You are good.

You are our Father, You live in heaven,

We talk to You. Father You are good.

We believe your Word, Father,

We are Your children, give us bread today.

We believe Your Word, Father,

We are Your children, give us bread today.

We have done wrong, we are sorry,

Teach us, Father, all about Your Word.

We have done wrong, we are sorry,

Teach us, Father, all about Your Word.

Others have done wrong to us,

And we are sorry for them, Father, today.

Others have done wrong to us,

And we are sorry for them, Father, today.

Stop us from doing wrong, Father,

Save us all from the evil one.

Stop us from doing wrong, Father,

Save us all from the Evil One.

Sacramental News

SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION: First Eucharist

The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated at Holy Trinity Church, Curtin, on Saturday 21st September, and Sunday 22nd September 2024.

Families of Year 4 students who have celebrated their First Reconciliation may enrol in the Parish's Family-Based Sacramental Program for First Eucharist.

 Enrolment by Friday 26th July must be completed online using the Qkr! App.

To enrol:

• Access or download the Qkr! app. 
• Tap on ‘North Woden Transfiguration Parish’
• Tap Sacrament of First Eucharist
• Complete the form and make your online payment.

KEY FIRST EUCHARIST DATES

Friday 26th July: Enrolment on Qkr! to be completed

Tuesday 30th July:    5:30pm - Information night for Family Group Hosts via Microsoft Teams

6:00pm - Introductory Information Night for all Parents of students making their First Eucharist 

August-September (various dates): Family Group meetings to be held before the First Eucharist Retreat Day

Saturday 24th August 6:00pm and Sunday 25th August 9:30am: Candidate Presentation Mass at Holy Trinity Church, Curtin

Friday 6th September 9:00am-2:15pm: First Eucharist Retreat Day at Holy Trinity for all children in Year 4

Saturday 21st September 6:00pm: Sacrament of First Eucharist at Holy Trinity Church

Sunday 22nd September 9:30am or 5:30pm: Sacrament of First Eucharist at Holy Trinity Church

If you have any questions, please contact Catherine Grinsell Jones at the Parish Office on 6281 3999.

Feast of the Transfiguration

Sts Peter and Paul with Holy Trinity Primary School Curtin will come together to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration on Tuesday 6th August. The Feast of the Transfiguration recalls and celebrates Jesus’ revelation of his divinity to three of his friends—Peter, James, and John—on a high point on Mount Tabor. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus took the three disciples onto the mountain to pray. While they were praying, his appearance was changed by a brilliant white light that radiated from him and his clothing. Moses and Elijah, the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, appeared with Jesus, and a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

Sts Peter and Paul will host the students and staff of Holy Trinity on this day. The day will involve buddy activities with a class from Holy Trinity, a shared lunch, and the celebration of Mass as a Parish. All families are warmly invited to join us in Mass, at 10:00am for Kindergarten-Year 2 students, or 12:00pm for Year 3-Year 6 students. 

Gospel - John 6:1-15 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

Jesus feeds five thousand

Today we are reminded of God’s providence. We live in a world that feeds us and shelters us and supplies us with everything that we need to grow and to thrive, and all of this comes to us from the hand of God. It is usually when we are in desperate straits that we become painfully conscious of our dependence on God, but this dependence is always there. God does not merely intervene when we are helpless; God's providence operates in our lives at all times.

Living in a society that promotes individualism, we sometimes undervalue the communal dimension of life. God certainly cares passionately for each of us (not even a sparrow falls without God knowing it), but God's concern is for the whole people. We are first and foremost members of a people. We would never have seen the light of day, we would not endure or develop, without others. As unique as we may be, we are a unique expression of a communal reality. God created a race; God formed a people; Jesus died for the world. By the grace of God, we belong to the community.

As members of the people of God, we are called to a way of life that is noble, not selfish. We are to live with each other in humility and gentleness, with patience. We are to bear with one another in love. Through baptism we all live by the same Spirit of Jesus; we are all united through the bond of God's love. The bread that we receive from the hand of God is the bread of full life, life in all its dimensions, life in Christ.

Adapted from Dianne Bergant CSA

Blessings for the week ahead,

Sarah Walsh

Religious Education Coordinator (Acting)

‘RENEWING OUR PARISH TOGETHER’

Time moves on. Trite but true. True for each of us and true for our parish. 

I arrived in the parish in January 2018.  In June that year we had a Parish Assembly. The aim was the formation of a new Parish Pastoral Council and renewal of the Parish Finance Council.  Those aims were realised and good things happened. 

Then in 2020 COVID hit.  After consultation, we consolidated all parish liturgies at Holy Trinity and more recently we leased Ss Peter and Paul Church to the Latin Mass Community of Canberra.  For some years the Parish Finance Council have been in discussion with Marymead-CatholicCare (the Archdiocese’s social welfare arm) to construct, with the support of the ACT Government, 50+affordable housing units on the site of the presbytery and parish office.  The hope is to commence construction in 2026; the location of the presbytery and parish office are yet to be determined. 

Meanwhile, in 2021 and 2022 the Australian Church held the two sessions of the Plenary Council, the decrees of which will be ratified next year following the second session in October of the international ‘Synod on Synodality’ (‘Walking Together’) called by Pope Francis.  Archbishop Christopher is keen for the discernment model foundational to ‘synodality’ to permeate all aspects of Church life in our archdiocese.  He called for a ‘Year of the Holy Spirit’ which will culminate in an in- person and online Archdiocesan Assembly from 18-20 October. 

Locally, your Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), under the title of Renewing Our Parish Together, will seek to engage with you by way of conversations and a parish expo prior to the Archdiocesan Assembly and then a Parish Assembly of our own on Sunday, 17 November.  The PPC will be assisted by Philomena (‘Phil’) Billington, a native of the archdiocese and a nationally recognised pastoral consultant and educator. 

In view of these proposals, today’s Gospel could not be more appropriate.  Jesus fails to evoke a response of faith in those from his home town.  Jesuit Scripture scholar Brendan Byrne comments: “The episode shows that the greatest enemy to faith can simply be “familiarity’: a refusal to believe that God’s presence and God’s power could come to us in so familiar a form as the person next door”.  Or next to you in the pew.  To be clear Nazareth was an insignificant town (cf. John 1:46), but here the Son of God became human.  “Perhaps we have to identify and name “the Nazareth” in our own selves” (ibid).  

I invite you to join me in praying for a deeper awareness of God’s presence in our lives.  There is much graced experience and wisdom in our parish.  The PPC will seek to build on that at the end of this month.  More to come! 

                                                                                                                                 Fr John                                                                               

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Aaria G

Amelia J

Riyan G

Eve R

Kirstyn L

Vanessa B

Massimo M

Awards will be presented at our assembly on Thursday, 1 August at 2.15 in the school hall.

Principal's Award: Tobias T, 6W

Welcome Back to Term 3!

We're excited to welcome everyone back for Term 3, and we have a lot to look forward to in the library this term.

Our students will engage with many of the books shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) awards. These books, written by Australian authors, have been independently reviewed and recognised for their quality, with engaging stories and beautiful illustrations that entertain and inform readers.

Throughout the term, students will explore books from various categories, including Early Childhood, Picture Books, Younger Readers, illustrated books, and some non-fiction titles.

We'll also be celebrating Book Week, during which the winners of each category will be announced. At Sts Peter and Paul, we'll mark the occasion with a magical Book Week parade, fun activities, and a special themed lunch. So, start thinking about your costume for the parade! More information will be provided throughout the term. Be sure to mark your calendars for Thursday, August 29th.

New Library Days: Please note that some classes have a new library day. Check the updated timetable below.

Too Cold to Go Outside? Escape into an exciting adventure without leaving home by opening a book! Students are encouraged to borrow books weekly. Please ensure they bring a library bag on library days to protect the books and lighten their school bags.

Lunchtime Library Hours: The library is open at lunchtime on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Students are welcome to spend quiet time reading, colouring, or playing games available in the library.

Library timetable: 

We hope you enjoy a good book this week! 

Your Library Team

Our Performing Arts Teacher, the very cool Ms Gill, is running some wonderful clubs for Semester Two:

Tues: Lunch - Drama - run by some brilliant Year 6 students - working towards a performance.

Tues: Recess - Dance - open disco and the opportunity for students to teach their own dances.

Wed: Lunch - Mallet 

Wed: Recess - Choir

Thurs: Lunch - Performance - students can book in to perform for their friends.

Thurs: Recess - Pipes and Drumming.

This term we have Year 1 in the kitchen for cooking.

The garden continued to grow over the holidays. We spent the last day of Term 2 cleaning up, weeding and planting and it has certainly paid off. It looks great.

 Just a reminder – anyone can come to garden club. It’s on every Friday lunch after eating time.

The Garden Club

SCONES WITH INDIGENOUS SPICES

Ingredients

3 cups self raising flour (100g for dusting)

100g unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1 1/2 cups (375g) milk

1 tbspn ground wattleseed

Lemon myrtle jam, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and dust a 20cm baking tray with flour.

Mix the flour and butter in a bowl until well combined. Add milk and wattleseed, mix to make a sticky dough.

Dust a clean work surface with some flour and knead the dough until it is soft in texture, being careful not to overwork it.

With a rolling pin, roll out dough to a 4cm thickness. Use a round biscuit cutter to cut out 9 scones (if you don't have a cutter, use a measuring cup or thin glass like a wine glass). Place the scones on tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Serve warm or cold, traditionally with jam and cream. 

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.

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

WEEK 2, TERM 3,  CANTEEN VOLUNTEER ROSTER

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

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

 Are you able to help in the canteen?

 TERM 3 Canteen Roster OUT NOW

 Parent/carer helpers are most welcome in the Canteen. A lending hand is always required and very much appreciated. Helping in the Canteen is a great opportunity to meet new people and make a valuable contribution to the school.  No doubt your child/ren will get a buzz from seeing you at the school. 

So if you have any spare time and would like to help out 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 add your selected time to the roster.

Please ensure you have your WWVP card.

https://stpandp.schoolzineplus.com/Term3Roster

 

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.

Kitchen and Canteen “Stock Up” Drive

To help stock our pantries up for 2024, we are having a “Stock Up” Drive in Week 1 Term 3 on Thursday 25 July.

This is now not an uniform free day, please come to school in your school uniform.

Each class will be asked to bring in a different item and there will be prizes for the class that has highest percentage participation.

There will be a box in each of the classrooms to place the items.

We understand the cost-of-living crisis we are currently in, and we are not asking for expensive or branded items, generic brands are most welcomed!  The issue will be deciding which class wants the prize more!

Your class items are listed below.

KW - brown rice

KM – brown rice

1W - sugar

1M - foil   

2M - Baking Paper (not greaseproof paper)

2W - Baking Paper (not greaseproof paper)

3M - Self Raising Flour (white or wholemeal)

3W - Plain Flour (white or wholemeal)

4M - Dishwashing Liquid

4W - Dishwashing Liquid

5W – oil spray or Baking Paper (not greaseproof paper)

5M - paper towels or Baking Paper (not greaseproof paper)

6W – paper patty cases or brown paper lunch bags

Thanking you in advance,

Every little bit helps… much appreciated!

Mrs R & Mrs Moore

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