Dear Parents and Carers

“It is authenticity as a withdrawal from unauthenticity, and the withdrawal is never complete and always precarious. The greatest of saints have not only their oddities but also their defects, and it is not some but all of us that pray, not out of humility but in truth, to be forgiven our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us.”

Bernard Lonergan SJ, Method in Theology

The late Jesuit theologian and philosopher Bernard Lonergan writes above of ‘authenticity as a withdrawal from unauthenticity.’ Where Lonergan uses authenticity, we could also use ‘health’, ‘wellness’, ‘redeemed or redemption’, and so on. His point, challenging as it is, is that all of us are in constant need to attend to that within us that contributes to disharmony in the world, in whatever form that make take. It is a journey that is lifelong. This weekend, our Year 3 students who are receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation, are being presented at one of the parish Masses, either on Saturday night or on Sunday. It is a public witness, by the children and their families, to the human need of sacrament of Reconciliation, and an ongoing step in their own lifelong journey of authenticity.

Executive Director Appointment

On Friday, the Archdiocese received the very pleasing news that David de Carvalho has been appointed as the next Executive Director of Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra/Goulburn. David has been the Chair of ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority) and more recently has been working at Notre Dame University, Sydney. David brings a wealth of experience and insight into education and will bring many gifts to the role. Please see the announcement, in this newsletter, from Catholic Education and the Archbishop.

Carline

The beginning of the school year always brings with it a period of transition and adjustment. A reminder please that the afternoon carline is designed for the smooth pickup of children, who are waiting in the carline. I would ask all parents please to refrain from parking in the carline and leaving their cars to collect their child from some prearranged part of the school. Again, for safety reasons, I would ask please all parents to not park on the nature strip outside the Church, on the curb of Wisdom Street. Cars who are exiting the carpark are having difficulty seeing oncoming traffic, as their line-of-sight is impeded. For the safety and wellbeing of all road and car users, please do not park on the nature strips. Thank you for your support.

Year 5 Camp

Today, our wonderful Year 5 students traveled by bus to Berry, for a 3-day camp. Joining our campers are the Year 5 teachers – Sam Stinziani and Sarah Cunneen – as well as Samantha Mance and Luke Gubler. My thanks to all of our staff for their efforts and care of the children on camp.

Principals’ Retreat

Next week, the annual Principals’ Retreat will take place at Bowral, N.S.W. Joining all 56 principals will be senior leaders within Catholic Education, including the Interim Director, Pam Betts, and the incoming Director, David de Carvalho. The retreat’s focus is on spiritual gifts and charisms, and the way they can be used in leadership. In my absence, Samantha Mance will very capably lead the school.

PT interviews

In Week 6, on Tuesday and Wednesday, parents will have the opportunity to attend Parent/Teacher interviews. A note will be sent home next Monday, via Compass, and will provide parents to make an online booking to see their child’s or children’s teachers. I encourage all parents to make a time to see their child’s teacher. Parents will also receive an Interim Report.

Finally, no doubt all parents have heard, through the news, of the illness of Pope Francis. I would ask all parents to keep the Pope in your prayers.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

First Reconciliation 

This weekend all families participating in the Sacrament of First Reconciliation will attend a Presentation Mass at Holy Trinity Church. This is a special opportunity to connect with the Parish and celebrate the children as they take this important step in their faith journey.  

The times include: 

6.00pm Saturday 1 March 2025 

OR 

9.30am or 5.30pm Sunday 2 March 2025

TIMETABLE FOR THE SACRAMENT OF FIRST RECONCILIATION PROGRAM 2025

Ash Wednesday Mass 

We warmly invite you to our Ash Wednesday Mass on Wednesday, 5th March, at 12:00 pm in the Sts Peter and Paul School Hall.

This significant occasion in the Liturgical Calendar marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a time of prayer, fasting, and reflection as we prepare our hearts for Easter. Ash Wednesday reminds us of our call to repentance and renewal, symbolised by the blessing and receiving of ashes as a sign of humility and commitment to our faith journey.

ALL families are welcome.

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C  Luke 6:39-45 A tree and its fruit

The call of today’s Gospel is beautifully captured in the Gospel acclamation verse from Philippians. Using the imagery of light, we are invited to ‘shine in the world’ in the way that stars light up the dark night sky. Our mission is not to be judges of others, assessing their behaviour. Instead, we are called to develop a clarity in vision through the guidance of trusted teachers. 

The wisdom which Jesus shares with us in this parable illuminates the pattern of our own psychological structure. That is, in being judgmental towards another we are often projecting something of the shadow side of ourselves onto that person. Jesus wisely advises us that before we cast judgement on another’s failings, we firstly examine the intentions of our own heart. Then with God’s grace we are empowered to draw from the store of goodness dwelling within us. 

From God’s Word, Daily Reflections, 2025

Yours in Christ, 

Andrea McQuirk 

Religious Education Coordinator

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Aaliyah B

Alexandra W

Poppy M

Mateo M

Lilah J

Liam T

 School-Wide Positive Behaviour (SWPB)

At Sts Peter and Paul we use a School- Wide Positive Behaviour Framework.. Both our students and teachers want our expectations for behaviour to be positively phrased and fair for all. 

At Sts Peter and Paul, we are all SainTS - Succeeding Together Safely.

Succeeding

Succeeding means trying your best, having courage, and embracing challenges.

Together

Together means welcoming, supporting, and valuing everyone.

 Safely

Safely means responding with respect.

These three expectations underpin everything we do here at Sts Peter and Paul Primary School.

PART-TIME PARISH SECRETARY, NORTH WODEN: 

Part-time position of 19 hours per week. 

Applications addressing the Selection Criteria with attached resume should be addressed to Parish Priest, Fr James Antony (james.antony@cg.org.au ) by Friday 28 February 2025. 

Please email wodennorth@cg.org.au or phone (02-6281 3999) for duty statement and selection criteria.

Yesterday morning, Year 4 student, Olive I, did the ‘Gift of Life’ walk around Lake Burley Griffin, in honour of her Nan who donated a kidney to her friend.

She also got to meet the Governor General Ms Sam Mostyn!

The walk raises awareness about organ and tissue donation, and encourages families to discuss with their loved ones their wishes about organ donation.

Call for volunteers please! 

We are so excited for our first ever Colour Run, on Friday 21 March. 

To help provide a safe and smooth event, we need volunteers for numerous roles such as; set up, activity stations, pack down etc.

You will need a current WWVP

 If you can help from 12:45pm on Friday 21 March, please jot your details down on the linked Google doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DEO37J2DPGzPazf0iwtX7JuEbK30HgSBL_WW20PARCE/edit?gid=0#gid=0 

Remember to register at www.myprofilepage.com.au and share your profile to family and friends to receive online donations.

Fundraise $10 to choose a prize!

I enjoyed camp! Camp was really fun. I loved the activities, especially the mud run, it was personally my favourite. I was thrilled to spend time with my friends! The food was amazing and I loved dinner the most! Night games were also so much fun, but when it came to bed time I started to feel home sick. I tried to stay calm but my tears came out. My lovely teacher calmed me down and then I went to bed. The next day breakfast was so good, it was pancakes! The activities that day were really fun! My favourite was rock climbing. Then the night came and I started to feel a bit homesick again, but I thought that I had pushed through the night before so could do it again. I woke up and felt so excited to go home but also sad to leave. There were only a few hours left, when we got home I was so happy but a tiny bit sad that I had to leave. So that was my camp experience. I am so proud of myself for pushing through my homesickness both nights. I’ve learned to calm myself down when I feel worried and this will help me as a leader in Year 6.

by Avah P

Year Six camp was full of surprises, good ones to be exact. By doing activities with different students in Year 6, I learned that sometimes stepping out of my comfort zone is a good thing and not bad. Camp has helped me to find out that I work well with other people and by being a teammate I can definitely get things done faster with a big smile on my face. My favourite activities were definitely the mud run and rock climbing (I was quite good at them, just saying). Now, don’t even get me started on the food, it was amazing, I tried foods that I would have never had tried without having them at camp, and yes, they did in fact taste delicious . The staff members were so friendly and inclusive, they were truly amazing people. Hanging out with my best friends made camp even better, although I didn’t get much sleep (whoops). Overall camp was such a fun experience, with thrilling activities and awesome people, it was spectacular. I’m glad I attended Year Six camp. I’ve made funny and wonderful memories, life-time friends and strong connections with my teachers. After camp I realised that I am ready for the year ahead and can’t wait to see what other leadership opportunities we have. Year Six is going to be amazing.

By Sofia ST

Year 6 camp gave me so many more memories, each and every activity provided me with a whole new experience. I gave everything a go and I have no regrets. Camp also unlocked a new section of my brain - Teamwork 2.0. This includes helping, caring and not slipping over in the mud run! When night came around, the teachers said “sleep” but is that even a word? At camp it definitely doesn’t exist. Other than that, everything was great. All my teachers, peers and educators gave me an even better experience at Borambola.

By Bentley B

Please ensure your child brings a library bag to borrow books (Kinder – Year 4).

Library Days:

• Tuesdays: 3M, 3W, 4W, KM
• Wednesdays: 5M, 5W, 1M, 1W, 2W
• Thursdays: 6M, 6W, 2M, 4M, KW

Lunchtime Library Hours:
The library is open for quiet reading and drawing after eating time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Chess Club:
Chess Club runs during recess on Tuesdays.

Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge – Starts Now!

Each year, tens of thousands of ACT students take part in the Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge (CMRC), discovering the joy of reading.

Sts Peter and Paul Primary is excited to participate once again! Every student is registered, and the challenge runs from:
Monday, 17 February – Friday, 4 July 2025

How the Challenge Works:

Students must read 30 books (class reading + individual reading).

Books can include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, eBooks (SORA), audiobooks, graphic novels, home books, and library books—as long as they are age-appropriate!
Students can read themselves, listen to an adult or sibling, or use audiobooks/online books.

Prizes & Awards:

• Winning schools will be invited to the National Library of Australia for the awards ceremony.
• Individual student awards will be given to those who complete the challenge.
• Raffle tickets & book club prizes will be awarded to participants.
• Class prizes for full class participation!

Thanks to our event sponsor, Paperchain Bookstore – Manuka!

How Sts Peter and Paul Primary is Participating:

Kinder – Year 2:

• Reading logs will be sent home in Week 4 inside reader bags.
• Parents should record each reading session (date & initials).
• Completed logs should be returned to the library.
• Small prizes will be given for completing the log.

Years 3 – 6:

• Students will update reading logs weekly during library time.
• Additional time will be given for reading.
• Small prizes will be given for completing the log.
• Each class will compete for a class prize.

Our school has proudly participated for over five years, and we’re excited for another great challenge!

Any Questions?

Please feel free to contact Mr. Washington or myself with any questions.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our library. This is a fantastic opportunity to inspire a lifelong love of reading!

Happy reading!
Amanda de Jongh

amanda.dejongh@cg.catholic.edu.au

Saints Peter and Paul Swimming Carnival Friday 14th March at the Lakeside Leisure Centre at the corner of Anketell Street and Athllon Drive in Greenway

We are very excited to have our Swimming Carnival this term for Years 3-6!

Parents with children in Years 3-6 should have received a link to a GoogleForm to nominate your child/children for races or to elect them as a non-swimmer. If your child is a non-swimmer, they will participate in Novelty Events.

We ask that you please fill this form out at your earliest convenience.

Parent Volunteers

Our carnivals would not be possible without our volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering on the day, please email Luke Gubler (see email below) with an image of the front and back of your valid WWVP card. Thank you in advance!

Fabulous news!!!!!

If anyone went to the Canberra Show you may have seen our award winning jams, lemon butter and potatoes!

All three jams all won first prize! The lemon butter won second prize and we won first prize in the three potatoes category. We also won 'Most successful exhibitor - junior jams, spread and preserves'. What a fantastic acheivement!

The children receive certificates, prize money and a wonderful yellow sash which will be displayed in the school. A huge congratulations to Mrs Moore, Year 3 and Year 4 and garden club for their hard work preparing for the show.

Another fun filled Friday at Garden Club. The garden crew planted beans after weeding the whole garden – way to go! We planted carrots too. The watering gang made sure everything was settled in nicely. We are also building up a seed collection for next year.

In the classroom, the children are learning about how food is processed and how it can start with our Healthy Food Guidelines and then change into a different food such as a muesli bar or a roll up.

Garden club is on every Friday after eating time at lunch. We will be planting and watering and checking on our new seedlings this week.

Please email katherine.birch@cg.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions or would like to help in any way. Everyone is welcome.

The Garden Club

Mrs Birch & Mrs Moore

COCONUT SLICE

Ingredients

3/4 cup self raising flour

3/4 cup plain flour

1 cup sugar

125 gr butter (or margarine), softened

4 eggs

4-5 tbs raspberry jam 

3 cups coconut

Method

Preheat oven to 170 degrees, grease a lamington pan and line with baking paper.

Place flour, half the sugar, butter and 1 egg in a medium bowl and mix well.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan, press down and smooth top.

Mix the coconut, 3 eggs and remaining sugar in a separate bowl.

Spread base with the jam, pour over the coconut mixture.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

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 5 TERM 1,  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 OUT IN THE CANTEEN?

 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 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.

https://stpandp.schoolzineplus.com/CanteenRoster2025

 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. 

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 its’ 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.

Please note, the uniform shop is unable to accept donations during Term 1.

The uniform shop is limited with space.  Donations will be accepted again in Term 2.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

50th Reunion - Class of 1975. 

A reunion will be held on the weekend of 18 October 2025 for students from Catholic Girls High School Braddon and Daramalan College, who finished Year 12 in 1975 (including those from that group who finished before Year 12).

Several activities are planned over the weekend, with the main event on Saturday evening 18th.

To RSVP, please use one of the event channels:

Email: CGHS.Dara1975@gmail.com or

Facebook: Daramalan College Alumni group; Merici College Alumni group; or Dara - Braddon 1975 group

Spread the word to your classmates!

Robogals is excited to launch a new drop-in tutoring initiative! 

We will be offering free personalised tutoring from Robogals volunteers who have a wide range of expertise. 

We welcome studenta Zoom.

Students are welcome to register through the Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/drop-in-tutoring-by-robogals-tickets-1256915852149?aff=oddtdtcreators of all ages to bring whatever questions they may have to an inclusive space for learning. 

We invite any of your students to drop-in if they need some extra support with their studies. 

It will be held in-person at ANU or online vi

Please feel free to share this link with parents, or incorporate it into your newsletter. 

If members of your school community are interested but unable to attend. We'd be happy to discuss hosting a tutoring session at your school!

Thank you for your time, please don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like to discuss this more or have any other inquiries.

Kind regards,

Annalise Fitzsimons

Secretary | Robogals Canberra

School Student Broadband Initiative (free NBN service)

The Federal Government's School Student Broadband Initiative provides a free NBN service to eligible families with school age children. Please share the link below with families through your usual channels.

Link: School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI)

Contact: jane.kilmartin@cg.catholic.edu.au or 0400 380 925 (Consultant to the Executive Director)

Service area leader: Executive.Director@cg.catholic.edu.au