Dear Parents and Carers

Book week

Yesterday, we celebrated Book Week, and as we do each year, staff and students alike were invited to dress up for the occasion and come to school dressed as a book character. We held a parade yesterday morning after assembly, which was a wonderful and happy affair, and all children subsequently participated in special book week activities. An excellent day was had by all, and one that celebrated books and the power and gift of reading. My thanks to Amanda De Jongh for organising and coordinating the day, and to all staff for their excellent work. My thanks as well to the parent community for supporting the children with their costumes and enthusiasm.

PSSA Regional Athletics Competition

This Thursday, we have approximately 30 students attending the South Western Athletics Competition. They will be accompanied by Luke Gubler, Cathy Shepherd and Sarah Cunneen, my thanks to them for their support of the children. I wish all of our competitors the very best, as they compete on the day – it is a great achievement to get this far. 

First Eucharist Presentation Mass

This weekend, our students in Year 4 who are making their First Eucharist this year will be attending one of the Presentation Masses at the Parish of the Transfiguration, in Curtin. These Masses acknowledge and celebrate the fact that children and their families belong to the wider parish, and through the parish, the universal Church. Parishioners will be asked to pray for the students. We will be joined by Year 4 students from Holy Trinity, who are also making their First Eucharist. My thanks to our REC, Andrea McQuirk, and to our Year 4 teachers, for their support and teaching of the children. My thanks as well to Fr James Anthony, our Parish Priest, for his support of our school and its families.

Tournament of Minds Competition

The annual Tournament of Minds competition, appropriately held at the ANU, is being held the weekend after next. This year, we have a number of teams, comprising of grades 4 – 6 students. The teams are required to solve a problem of their choice, and to present the solution in the form of drama, complete with homemade props and costumes. The children are required to entirely create the presentation by themselves. It is a wonderful opportunity to think creatively and collaboratively and is very much a team effort. My thanks to Katie Birch, who has done a towering job in coordinating the teams’ practices and generally supporting them on their journeys. I look forward to seeing them present their amazing work.

Community Events

A reminder that two weeks from this Friday, we are holding our Fathers’ Day Breakfast and assembly. Dads are invited to attend the breakfast, which will include pastries and a coffee van. Children will also have an opportunity to buy a small gift for their father. My thanks to the Community Council for their great work in preparing and organising the morning. In 4 weeks, we are holding our Trivia Night, which was a great success last year and promises to be even more amazing this year! Parents are invited to make table groups of 8 people. Teachers will also be joining the parent community on the night. There are any number of opportunities to win prizes, and all money raised goes towards the school and its fundraising efforts. Again, my thanks to the Community Council for their tireless work.

Have a wonderful week with your families, and may the Wallabies repeat their unexpected but utterly welcome success last weekend!

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

First Eucharist 

The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated at Holy Trinity, Curtin, on Saturday 20 September and Sunday 21 September 2025. 

This weekend, the 23rd and 24th of August, all students completing the Sacrament are asked to attend a presentation Mass at either 6pm Saturday, 9:30am or 5:30pm Sunday. 

I look forward to supporting your child through their faith journey. 

Timetable for First Eucharist 

Catholic Inquiry program – An Invitation …

Sometimes people wonder about what Catholics believe and how they live their faith. Sometimes they feel shy about asking these questions. At Holy Trinity Church we are starting an inquiry group for people who are not Catholic but who are searching for answers. This inquiry group will start on Tuesday 19th August 7.30pm in the Parish Centre and will go for 4 weeks. This opportunity may be for you, or someone you know, and may pave the way to the Rite of Christian Initiation Adults (RCIA) program. For further information, please contact Peter at the Parish Office 0459 394 813

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - The Narrow Door  Luke 13:22-30

One of the most important and deep-seated questions humans ask is, ‘Will I be saved?’ This is expressed in other ways, like ‘Is heaven real? How will I enter it?’ In fact, almost all religions speak of offering salvation. 

Who will be saved? Through parabolic teaching, Jesus, in today’s Gospel, warns those who think that entry into the kingdom is through ‘ascription’, that is, the assignment of status through kinship ties. The Jews may be the chosen people, children of Abraham, but their salvation is far from assured. Jesus’ parable of the Narrow Door emphasises that entry into the kingdom is based not on ascription but on performance. The authentic response to Jesus’ teaching entails both hearing and doing. The true disciple is one who hears the word of God and puts it into practo=ice, bearing the fruit of repentance and good deeds. 

To the question of whether only a few will be saved, Jesus pictures a multitude ‘from east and west, from north and south’ reclining at the banquet in God’s kingdom. Luke refers to the ingathering of the Jews from the diaspora in the eschatological times (Isaiah 43:5, Zecheriah 8:7) and adds the ingathering of the Gentiles to stress the theme of universalism. The coming of the Gentiles is not a rejection of the Jews. But Jesus disabuses the Jews, especially their religious leaders of the idea that they can rely on their status as children of the kingdom. Salvation is God’s gift freely given to the Israelites, and now to the Gentiles. The Jews should welcome the kingdom with gratitude and humility, and not as something due them because of their ties with Abraham. 

From God’s Word, Daily Reflections, 2025

Yours in Christ, 

Andrea McQuirk 

Religious Education Coordinator

Respect Teachers and Helpers: Follow the rules and listen to the people who help you learn.

Microskill- "When your teacher is talking, it's your turn to listen, so you can learn new things!"

FATHERS' DAY BREAKFAST

 All fathers, grandfathers and other special carers are invited to attend a breakfast with their children on 

Friday 5^th September 

7:45 - 9am in the school grounds 

A light snack will be provided for all 

A coffee cart will be serving hot beverages for the adults 

We look forward to celebrating with you all!!!

This will be followed by... 

FATHERS' DAY STALL

 Children are invited to purchase a small gift for their father, grandfather or other special person! 

Friday 5^th September during school hours

All gifts are $8.00 

Children will use a voucher to 'buy' gifts at the stall- Please purchase now on Qkr! 

Vouchers will be handed out to the students by teachers on the day

PURCHASES CLOSE 12 NOON ON THURSDAY 4^th SEPTEMBER

 TRIVIA NIGHT – Friday, 19th September 2025

We’re so excited to be hosting a night packed with FUN, TRIVIA & PRIZES!
Parents, teachers, and friends—come along, bring your favourite people, and book a table for a great night out!

Tickets available on QKR
We’ve booked an amazing trivia company to keep the energy high and the laughs flowing.
There’ll be fantastic raffle prizes and incredible silent auction items up for grabs.

This adults-only night is open to teachers, parents, family, and friends in our school community.

Your $20 ticket includes a shared light platter of nibbles, and you’re welcome to bring your own food and drinks (including alcohol).

Teams:

• Organising your own team? Tables seat 8 people. Please have one person from your group email parentcouncilstpandp@gmail.com with your team members’ names.

• Don’t have a team? No problem! Select the “allocate me to a team” option when booking, and let us know your child’s grade so we can group you with other parents.

Prizes & Auction Items You Could Win!

Here’s a sneak peek at just some of the amazing raffle, lucky door, and silent auction prizes up for grabs on the night:

• 3-month gym membership – Fitstop Woden

• 3-day sports camp voucher – Australian Sports Camps

• 10 swim lessons valued at $225 – Southern Cross Club

• $200 Funlab voucher

• $100 Power Kart Fyshwick voucher

• Family pass – Questacon

• 3-month family pass – Canberra Martial Arts

• iPlay Play Packs

• 2 tickets – National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025 (National Portrait Gallery)

• 5-session Lymphatic Drainage Body Roll – Dance Sculpt

• $100 dining voucher – Hellenic Club

• Two family passes – Cockington Green

• $200 Natural Nines dining voucher – Canberra Casino

• Organic Fusion Facial – Endota Spa Woden

• $100 in vouchers – Rebel Sport

• Hoyts family pass

• Family pass – Ninja Park Fyshwick

• Meat tray – Hoof N Hook Garran

• 2 Flip Out vouchers

• $400 Heartstory Photography Vouchers

• $100 Axxe Canberra Voucher

Plus, incredible gift vouchers and hampers generously donated by:
T2, Urban Cellars Curtin, Cream Real Estate, Friendly Grocer Hughes, Matriarch, Priceline Chemist, Dominos Mawson, Newsagency Mawson, Pillow Talk, BBQs Galore, Harry Hartog Woden, Latorta Fyshwick, and Ziggy’s Fresh Fyshwick.

We’re excited to announce another very special silent auction item prize thanks to the generosity of Jane Macken at LJ Hooker Woden/Weston.

One lucky bidder will have the chance to sell their property without paying any commission — a saving worth thousands of dollars!

What’s included:

• Full real estate service from one of Canberra’s top-performing agents

• Professional marketing strategy, expert negotiation, and proven results

• Flexibility to sell to a friend or family member

• Valid for 12 months from the date of purchase

Conditions:

• Property must be located in Woden Valley, Weston Creek, or the Inner South

• Marketing costs payable by the seller (approx. $4,000)

• Reserve price for bids is $1000

This is a rare opportunity to secure premium real estate expertise with zero commission fees — all while supporting St Peter & Paul’s fundraising efforts.

So much fun and excitement to be had so don't miss out!!

Date: Friday, 19th September 2025
Venue: School Hall, Sts Peter & Paul, 59 Wisdom St, Garran
Time: 6:30 pm start
Cost: $20 per person (includes shared platter of nibbles) available via QKR
BYO: Drinks and food welcome
Ticket Sales Close: 12 pm, Wednesday 17th September

We look forward to seeing you there!

School Community Council

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Fletcher K

Razma G-H

Frans-Leigh R

Sriamshu K

Jimmy P

Awards will be presented at our assembly on Thursday 28 Aug at 2.15pm in the school hall.

Principal's award: Carter B, 1M

THANK YOU!

I would just like to start by thanking everyone involved in making Book Week a sensational success! The children were wearing an amazing array of colourful creative costumes. I loved seeing the artistic flair and creativity on display. I especially loved seeing some children wearing their national dress. It truly was a celebration of adventure and travel.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about the wonderful activities the children participated in. Everyone had a fantastic time engaging with the many and varied stories and challenging themselves to create well-thought out, planned and imaginative responses to the activity challenges.

Hopefully you will see some of this flair on display via our FaceBook page.

ISSUE PREVIEW | Scholastic Australia

Book Club issue 6 will be coming home this week.

Orders close Monday 15th September. 

It will then take up to two weeks for the books to arrive at school and be handed out. 

All orders are placed online via the LOOP app- 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/ 

Our school is St Peter and Pauls when you are in the LOOP app. 

Please contact amanda.dejongh@cg.catholic.edu.au  if you have any questions regarding the Library or borrowing.

Keep reading!

Mr Washington and Mrs de Jongh

What a week of activity in the kitchen and garden!

Year 1 were lucky to get another chance in the kitchen to make muffins using fruit – lemons and strawberries.

They are learning about healthy eating in class so it was wonderful that they could make a sometimes food using fruit.

They had such as great time measuring and stirring and taking turns. Cracking eggs was a hoot for some as it was their first time.

In the garden we had four action stations: seed planting, bulb planting, watering and weeding.

The children planted beans and lettuce seeds which are growing in the 4W classroom and being lovingly cared for.

Hopefully in a few weeks they can be put into the garden.

If you would like to know more about what we do please email katherine.birch@cg.catholoic.edu.au.

Garden club is on every Friday after the eating bell at lunch – just listen out for Mrs Birch’s announcement at assembly.

The Kitchen Garden Club

Mrs Moore and Mrs Birch

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 6 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?

 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! TIPS 

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 opening hours and I will do my best to attend your needs.

 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