Dear Parents and Carers

“Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change. In fact, God loves you so that you can change. What empowers change, what makes you desirous of change is the experience of love. It is that inherent experience of love that becomes the engine of change.”
― Richard Rohr

The wise American Franciscan priest Richard Rohr is a good friend to this newsletter and community, and he has appeared in the school newsletter quite frequently over the years. His quote above is one that I would regard as a Richard Rohr timeless piece of wisdom. As a school community, and as parents, the easiest way, perhaps, to come to the truth of his statement is through our own vocation as parents, and what we want for our children. None of us would wish our children to feel they have to earn our love; that is, perform tasks or meet KPI markers, in order to be able to prove themselves worthy of being loved. Love, as we know, and hopefully have experienced ourselves, does not work like that. In a biography I read once of the past Prime Minister Paul Keating, he said, memorably, that ‘…everyone needs someone to make the big investment in them. When the chips are down and your back is against the wall, you draw on that investment.’ Keating himself then said that his maternal grandmother, in particular, was a person who had made the big investment in him, which kept him going during many political trials. A simple summary of Richard Rohr’s quote is to say that God has made the ‘big investment’ in us, unchanging and unconditional, and that investment in us allows us to grow, change, and be a conduit of God’s love, for others.

Tournament of Minds

This weekend, we have 4 teams from school competing at the annual Tournament of Minds competition, held this year at Lake Tuggeranong College. The teams are comprised of students from grades 3-6. They are required to solve a problem in a subject area of their choice and to present their solution in dramatic form, complete with a written script and resources, all made by the children. My thanks to Katie Birch, who has worked with the teams over many lunchtimes, and to the students for all of their hard work, and to the parents, for their excellent support.

Playground Equipment

The new junior playground equipment has been completed, and an inspection and handover are taking place this week, with the expectation that the security fencing will come down in the coming days. We will be posting photos of excited children on our website over the next week or so, once the fencing has come down. My thanks to the school community for their patience and support of this project.

Community Events

We have a number of community events organised by the Community Council, coming up in the approaching weeks. Friday next week sees a Fathers’ Day breakfast take place, to celebrate the fathers and father figures in our community. There will be a Fathers’ Day assembly in the school hall, following the 9am morning assembly. At the end of week 9, on Friday September 19^th, we are holding our Trivia Night in the school hall, which promises to be an exciting night with the opportunity to win many prizes and raise some funds for the school. Both of these events are organised by the Community Council. My thanks to the Council for their great work. Another initiative of the CC is the creation of 2025 Sts Peter and Paul Tea Towels, which will feature every child and staff member, with a self-portrait. Also a fundraiser, these tea-towels are an excellent memento of the year. My thanks to the Community Council and Sarah Walsh, for their great work and coordination.

Vale Dennis Sleigh

In recent weeks, we learned of the passing of Dennis Sleigh. Dennis was the first lay principal of Sts Peter and Paul and was appointed in 1993. Dennis was an excellent principal and leader within Catholic Education for many years and went on to lead two other schools. He worked for a time in the Catholic Education Office. He was also a very respected academic and authored a number of books. On Saturday at 12.15pm, a Mass will be held at St Christopher’s Cathedral, Manuka. The Mass will be said for Dennis (the funeral has already taken place some weeks ago in Temora, N.S.W.) I will be attending the Mass, representing Sts Peter and Paul. I would ask that the community remember Dennis and his family in our prayers.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

First Eucharist 

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

Thank you to the First Eucharist candidates who attended Mass on the weekend to be presented to the Parish community. It was a great opportunity to connect the Sacrament with the members of the Parish, allowing them to keep your children in their prayers during this special time. 

In Week 8 the students will attend a Retreat Day at Holy Trinity for further preparation. Please keep an eye out for a COMPASS note over the coming days. 

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

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jesus at a Pharisee’s House Luke 14:1, 7-14 

A wedding banquet is an ideal opportunity to strengthen bonds of friendship, family ties, and neighbourliness. Jesus is certainly not opposed to inviting friends and relatives on such occasions. What is to be avoided is selfishness which excludes less fortunate people and invites only those who can ‘pay back’ the invitation in some way. 

Jesus urges his audience to extend their hospitality to new groups: the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind. These are the people who are on the fringes of, or outside the village community. People must go beyond the bounds of kinship and close alliance. 

The kingdom is not reserved to a select few. God prepares his banquet for everyone: the just and the sinners, the good and the bad, the learned and the uneducated, those on the margins and those rejected and scorned by society. 

In the end, the kingdom of Heaven is the only banquet that counts. To miss out on that banquet is the greatest tragedy that can happen to anyone. The people at the margins of society have a powerful patron: God. To include them in a table fellowship here on earth is to ensure oneself a place of honour in Heaven. 

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!"

Japanese Incursion – This Friday!

We are very excited about our upcoming Japanese Incursion this Friday!

The program will be delivered by Wasabi Kids and promises to be a fun, interactive, and engaging Japanese experience for our students. Throughout the session, students will have the chance to see Japanese language and culture come to life. We hope they will recognise some of the Japanese words they have already learned in class—and discover plenty of new ones too!

イベントを楽しみにしています！

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

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

Welcome to SPP Staff Spotlight!

Each fortnight, we will share fun facts about one of our wonderful staff members to help you get to know the people behind the whiteboard.

From hidden talents to favourite snacks, it’s our way of celebrating the unique personalities that make our school community so special.

This week, meet Mrs Mance — and find out what unexpected skill they have up their sleeve!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to those students who are celebrating their birthday this week

Chimi D

Imogen K

Indie S

Vijai V

DID SOMEBODY SAY TRIVIA NIGHT?!

We are so excited our Trivia Night is coming up on Friday, 19th September—a perfect chance to support the school while enjoying a fun-filled night of trivia, laughter, and connection!

Parents, teachers, and friends—rally your crew, book a table, and get set for a great night out!

What’s on:

• A top-notch trivia host to keep the laughs coming
• Raffles & silent auctions with prizes worth thousands
• BYO food & drinks (yes, alcohol too!)
• $20 ticket includes a small share platter of nibbles

Teams:

• Tables seat 10 people (please note the change!). One person from your group should email parentcouncilstpandp@gmail.com with team names.
• Flying solo? Choose “allocate me to a team” on QKR and we’ll seat you with fellow parents from your child’s grade.

Date: Friday 19 Sept 2025
Venue: School Hall, Sts Peter & Paul, 59 Wisdom St, Garran
Time: 6:30 pm start
Tickets: $20 pp (includes platter) or $180 for a table of 10 — via QKR
Ticket Sales Close: 12 pm, Wed 17 Sept

This is an adults-only night for parents, teachers, family & friends in our community.   

Did we mention there are plenty of incredible prizes up for grabs in our raffle and silent auction—over $10,000 worth?!

There’ll be plenty of fun, food, and friendly competition—so grab your tickets and don’t miss out!

School Community Council

Catholic Girls High School Braddon and Daramalan College

50th Reunion - Class of 1975.

Tickets are now available for the reunion of 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): https://events.humanitix.com/daramalan-college-class-of-1975-reunion

The main ticketed event is on Saturday evening, 18th October, with several activities planned over the weekend. For further information, please use one of the event channels:

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

email: CGHS.Dara1975@gmail.com

Ticket sales close on 6 October.