Dear Parents and Carers

“I often think God might be too quiet for the noise of the world, just like the elm trees and my parish church. Pope Francis writes that we find God in those little things. We find him when we say thank you, please and sorry. In a world of bad manners and bad speech, those words are the “the keys that open the way to a well-lived life, to a life of peace”. In that peace we might find forgiveness, asked and given.”

Stan Grant, ‘Praying for Pope Francis’

In the weekend edition of The Saturday Paper, Stan Grant writes of the Pope’s illness and recent time in hospital. He refers to Pope Francis’ recently published biography, Hope, and uses it as a reflection on the passing of time and the changing of seasons. Pope Francis’ latest brush with illness reminds us all of the importance of relationships and what really counts in life. I would ask all our parents to keep the Pope in our prayers.

Year 5 Camp

Last week, our Year 5 students enjoyed a 3-day camp experience at Berry, N.S.W. The students had a wonderful time and enjoyed all the activities and experiences. They were joined by one of our neighboring Catholic schools, Sacred Heart at Pearce, which added to the enjoyment. My thanks to Sam Stinziani and Sarah Cunneen, and Luke Gubler and Sam Mance, for looking after our students so well.

Ash Wednesday Mass

A reminder that the season of Lent begins this Wednesday with Ash Wednesday. We will be celebrating Ash Wednesday with a Mass at 12pm in the school hall. All parents are invited. My thanks to our excellent REC, Andrea McQuirk, for organising the Mass.

P/T Interviews

Next week, our school is holding Parent/Teacher interviews, for all classes, from K – 6. Yesterday, Mrs. Mance sent home, via Compass, booking details for the interviews. I encourage all of our parents to make a time to visit their child’s teacher and touch base about his or her progress. At the interviews, parents will also be given their child’s Interim Report which details their work and behavior attitudes. Bookings close on Friday at 3pm. My thanks to all of our teachers for their support, and to Sam Mance, for coordinating the interviews.

NAPLAN

Next week, NAPLAN assessments begin for our students in Years 3 and 5. NAPLAN is an important assessment and provides a useful snapshot of both individual students and grade cohorts, and can also provide schools with useful information around the way that students are tracking over time. It is important to remember, too, that it is one piece of assessment on one day. To gain an overall and accurate picture of a student’s growth in learning, several assessment points are needed. A timetable was sent out yesterday to parents of Years 3 and 5 students. My thanks to our teachers for their support, and to Fron Garrett-Rumba, Sam Mance and Paul Jenkins, for coordinating the school’s involvement in NAPLAN.

Colour Run

A reminder that Friday Week 7 sees our inaugural Colour Run take place! All students are involved and participating. Parents may donate money if they would like. All funds raised will go towards new playground equipment for the senior students.

Principals’ Retreat

A reminder that I am away this week, from Tuesday afternoon to Friday, at the annual Principals’ Retreat, in Bowral. In my absence, Sam Mance will very capably lead the school. I look forward to seeing students, staff and parents next week, after the long weekend.

Have a wonderful week ahead, and excellent long weekend, with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

First Reconciliation 

Please continue to keep our First Reconciliation Candidates in your prayers in the lead up to the Sacrament on the 8th of April. All of Year 3 will participate in a Retreat Day at Holy Trinity on Friday the 28th of March to ensure they are prepared for this occasion. 

TIMETABLE FOR THE SACRAMENT OF FIRST RECONCILIATION PROGRAM 2025

The Season of Lent Begins

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. As we enter the sacred season of Lent, we are invited to reflect, pray, and renew our hearts in preparation for Easter. This 40-day journey is a time for spiritual growth, self-discipline, and acts of kindness. Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we deepen our relationship with God and open our hearts to His grace.

As a school community, we encourage our students to embrace this season with a spirit of compassion and generosity. Let us walk together in faith, seeking to grow in love and service to others.

Wishing you a blessed and meaningful Lent.

Project Compassion 

This Lent, our school  is proud to support Project Compassion 2025, Caritas Australia's annual initiative to help vulnerable communities create brighter futures. Through generosity, prayer, and action, we can make a real difference in the lives of those in need.

Students will learn about inspiring stories of resilience and hope while participating in fundraising activities to support this vital cause. Each class will have a Project Compassion Box in their classroom for students to bring in their donations to help support communities in need. We kindly ask that you help us work together to support this great cause. Every donation, big or small, helps transform lives.

Let’s work together to bring compassion to life this Lent! 

Help us help children like Toefuata’iga.

First Sunday in Lent, Year C  Luke 4:1-13 Jesus is Tested in the Wilderness 

The Gospel for the first Sunday in Lent recounts Jesus alone in a stark desert landscape. He personifies the journey of his own people, the Israelites, who were tested in the desert yet, in context, all relate to compromising his mission. There is an inherent subtlety at play as each lure has a certain attraction. Satan, the tempter, proposes seemingly good alternative choices to Jesus. 

The desert encounter testifies to the humanity of Jesus. It is an inevitable part of being human to struggle with the spirits of both light and darkness. The human heart is not neutral territory but instead a space that is frequently contested with our choices between good and evil. St Ignatius of Loyola clearly identified this in his spiritual practice of discernment of spirits. He noted that the devil comes to us especially in our good deeds, cloaked as an angel of light. We enter these six weeks of Lent within the backdrop of this desert scene. It is in this context that we experience a heightened sensitivity in discerning the subtle ways in which spirits of light and darkness compete for the holy ground of our hearts. We ask that we may have the clarity and strength of Jesus to remain faithful to choosing all that is anchored in and springs forth from the source of the true light. 

From God’s Word, Daily Reflections, 2025

Yours in Christ, 

Andrea McQuirk 

Religious Education Coordinator 

 School-Wide Positive Behaviour (SWPB)

At Saints Peter and Paul our students are supported by a School- Wide Positive Behaviour framework that was developed by our school community to develop a positive, safe, and supportive learning culture.

The framework improves the social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for our students. 

Our three expectations, Succeeding Together Safely underpin everything we do here at Sts Peter and Paul Primary School.

Our goal for Weeks 6 and 7 is

Self-Control

• Pause and Think: Stop before you act or speak to make a good choice.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Sophia B

Luke B

Alexa Y

Patrick C

Addison B

Sadie W

Ari A

COLOUR RUN

A reminder to parents/carers that if your child would like to participate in the Colour Run on Friday 21 March, they need to wear a plain white t-shirt, shorts and runners to school.

Remember to bring a dark towel for pick up as your child may have coloured, wet clothes (it does wash out!).

If your child would not like to participate, please let their teacher know.

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

Awards will be presented at our assembly on Thursday 13 March at 2.30 in the school hall.

Principal's Award: Michael W, 6M

Community Council 2025

The community council has met for the first time for the year and as always we are full of enthusiasm for the school and our community. For those of you who are new to the school, the community council is a way for the parent body to connect with the school and particularly the school's leadership team. Our role is to bring messages to the school from the parent body, to advocate for the school and to support Mr Johns and the whole teaching body as best we can. Part of the role is to bring parents together to build support and community around the school.

The community council are a great bunch of dedicated people who run a variety of activities. Some are just for a bit of fun and some to raise money for the school. Please find below some dates for the diary. We will send out more information on each event closer to the time as well as a call out for volunteers!

Thank you all for your continued support of our events.

Our Year 5 students recently went on camp near Berry. 

Year 5 camp food review 

Day 1: Wednesday 26 February 

Lunch: Wraps - 4.9 stars. Very yum, good chicken and toppings.  

Dinner: Pasta Bolognese - 4.8 stars. The side of garlic bread was a bonus. 

Dessert: Custard with fruits - 3.9 stars. 

Day 2: Thursday 27 February 

Breakfast: Cereal with toast - 5 stars. My favourite breakfast. Also on offer was an English breakfast, including scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, grilled tomato, and mushrooms. 

Lunch: Burgers - 4.8 stars. Yum

Dinner: Butter chicken and naan - 4 stars. Good chicken.

Dessert: Ice cream - 5 stars. I wish we could have had seconds

Day 3: Friday 28 February

Breakfast: Pancakes and cereal - 4 stars

Lunch: sandwiches - 3 stars

Cookout snack: Damper cooked on the fire with golden syrup - 10 stars

Service - 2 stars

After dinner my friend asked for one more ice cream and Zac the instructor said yes but when she opened the ice cream there was rice and vegetables in it, it was pretty hilarious. After we ate, one group always had cleaning duty. It was not fun and so boring but if you had cleaning duty at dinner you could have the extra stuff unless you don’t want it.

By Inaara M

I enjoyed Year 5 camp, it was so fun! I learned that being in a group with none of your friends isn’t the end of the world, and instead of worrying about people in your group or cabin, you should just enjoy the time at camp while it lasts. This year the theme was: communication and collaboration. My favorite activity was biscuits, not the food biscuits, big round inflatables that you go on with a team of 4 people. The dark maze was the scariest because it’s pitch black inside and it’s a very tight space.

Archery tag was the second best. You get a bow and 3 arrows, not pointy arrows, but squishy tipped arrows.

I also learned, don’t worry about the food, but also if you start to feel homesick, people in your cabin will support you.

By Vanessa.B

I loved camp in Year 5 as we had lots and lots of fun. We did biscuits where we went out into a river. We needed shoes because there were trees at the bottom of the river. We had fun when we went out in pairs and we did challenges that were really fun but not really easy and even though we all fell in the river we all had fun and we laughed. It was super fun. We also got to jump off the biscuits and into the river. I loved it.

We had a cookout and we all cooked something together and we got golden syrup in them and it was really good and I loved the cookout even though it wasn't easy to make it. We had to be careful with the fire. They gave us really good food and they also gave us some dessert.

We also went through a dark maze. We worked together and made it. We learned how to communicate, we learned how to work together and collaborate. It was a lot of fun and we faced lots of challenges.

By Parker B

Year 5 camp was wonderful. Actually, better than wonderful. We learned to cooperate and collaborate. The first activity that my group had was rock climbing. It was very fun, especially the abseiling bit. You might want to be a bit careful while abseiling. We learned how to cooperate with each other.

After that, we had dinner—pasta! For dessert, we had custard and fruit. My group was on cleanup duty that meal, so we got extra dessert. Next, we had games for our night activity. When it was lights out, we chatted a little. I couldn’t sleep and didn't fall asleep until after midnight. We had English breakfast the next morning.

Then, we had archery - my favourite. We got to shoot at windows, blocks and each other! We also had barriers for cover. We got to shoot gangster style, (bit like a crossbow) but shooting the normal way is better. Be sure to actually have a tactic that everyone agrees on before you start shooting blindly at the other team turbocharge. Dark maze was also fun. You get to crawl through oblivion! I think I may have done a loop at some point. We went in in pairs and we worked together to navigate through.

It was burger day that day which was the best lunch at camp. Next, we went biscuiting. We got to jump into the lake at the end. We learned how to communicate with each other so the biscuit would actually move.

That night, we had butter chicken with rice for dinner! Even better, dessert was… wait for it… ice cream! We played more games that night. Next morning, WE HAD PANCAKES FOR BREAKFAST!!! Then, we did a cookout (making damper). My damper was a bit burnt, but it was still fun. We learned how to start a fire to make damper. I loved camp. We also got to watch Paw Patrol in the common room (hey, don’t judge. It was the only good thing on! Well, that and Peppa Pig).

We learned about stepping out of our comfort zone. It was very fun. 

By Chen-An L

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!

This week in the kitchen and garden the students in Year 3 and 4 were busy using our prize winning jam and lemon butter to make yummy sometimes food. They made jam slice and coconut slice and both slices were delicious.

In the classroom the students are beginning to learn about healthy lunch boxes. 

In the garden we had a great turn out to water and finish planting our carrots and beans. We harvested the biggest zucchini ever!! 

All are welcome to join garden club any week.  It is on every Friday lunch time. I will make an announcement at Friday morning assembly. Please email me if you have any questions Katherine.birch@cg.catholic.edu.au. 

The Garden Club

Mrs Birch & Mrs Moore

CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS

Ingredients

1 lge cauliflower

1 cup frozen peas

1 & 1/3 cups plain flour

1 & 1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

3 eggs

Pinch salt & pepper

4 tbs vegetable oil

Method

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add cauliflower and cook for 4 minutes.

Add peas and cook for 3 more minutes.

Drain and place vegetables in a large bowl, mash together.

Add the flour, garam masala, turmeric, eggs, salt & pepper, mix to combine.

Heat oil in a frypan over medium heat, cook tablespoons of mixture for 2 minutes on each side.

Transfer to a paper towel lined plate before serving.

Variation

If, like we do, you have a lot of zucchinis you can substitute:

1 cup of zucchini (grated raw)

1/2 cup cheese

instead of the cauliflower and peas.

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 

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. 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.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

What is GPN?

The Girls' Programming Network is a workshop series for girls in grades 6-12.

It’s a community of women and girls interested in computer science, programming, and IT.

Workshops are led by GPN tutors and local women from industry, academia, and government.

Tutors will provide both basic and advanced guidance.

The Australian Signals Directorate has a long-standing relationship with the GPN and supports the Canberra node of this fantastic program.

Workshops are free, and no prior coding experience is required.

Lunch, snacks, and computers are provided.

Registration details:

Opens: 24 February at 10 AM

Closes: 8 March at 5 PM.

We look forward to seeing your students excelling in this amazing workshop.