Dear Parents and Carers

Last night we held our Parent Information Night. I would like to thank the staff for their work and commitment and I would like to thank the parent community for their support. A large number of parents attended and enjoyed the opportunity to meet their child or children’s teacher/s. I would particularly like to thank Maryanne Armstrong and Kerry Marsham for cooking the sausages for our sausage sandwich. Teachers gave parents a term overview and letter. If you were not able to attend last night, the overview and letter will be sent home via your child or children. Thank you for your support.

Swimming Carnival

Thursday February 27 sees our Swimming Carnival take place. A note will be sent home shortly for all students who are participating (grades 2 – 6). As with many school events, we need some parent volunteers who can help on the day. If you are in a position to help, please contact Mary de Smet, our Sports Coordinator, via the front office.

Opening School Mass

This Friday we are holding our 2020 opening school Mass. This is, of course, a very important occasion as it will be our first Sacramental celebration as a school community for the school year. The Mass will also see our beautiful Year 6 students be commissioned as leaders, an important milestone in their school year. The Mass begins at 12pm and all parents are invited to attend.

CE Induction

Still in the spirit of induction, this Friday our three early career teachers – Sarah Walsh, Luke Gubler and Bronte Dunn – will be attending an Early Career Teachers’ Day at Catholic Education offices, Manuka. Part of the day will involve a commissioning of the teachers, to which all principals are invited (if they have an early career teacher on staff). I will be attending. It is good that CE holds this ceremony. A commissioning is an important psychological and spiritual blessing and they empower the recipient. They acknowledge and bless that which the inductee is commissioned to perform – in this case, teach children. It will be a privilege to witness the ceremony.

School Community Council

Next Tuesday sees the first of our School Community Council meetings. SCC meetings are held twice a term, on Tuesdays in weeks 3 and 8, at 6.30pm. They are important events as the council provides advice to the Principal and school leadership in areas pertaining to school life. Essentially, it provides an effective forum for school leadership and the parent body to work together to continue to help Sts Peter and Paul flourish. We are lucky to have a large number of parent representatives on the SCC. If you would like to be part of the council, please contact me directly at Cameron.johns@cg.catholic.edu.au

Carline and Car park 

As you may be aware, access to our school site can be challenging. To maximize the number of cars driving into the school zone and to make drop-off and pick-up as quick as possible, the carline is designed as a drive-through drop-off or pick-up zone. To ensure that traffic flows as smoothly as possible through the school site, please ensure that you do not park in the carline. 

Parents and carers are also reminded not to double-park in the staff car park at any time. Often staff members need to leave school during the day and between 3.00 pm and 3.30 pm to attend meetings off-site. 

Parents are welcome to park in the staff car park at any time if there are vacant spaces.

School Pedestrian Crossing

I would like to thank the many parents who make use of the Pedestrian Crossing each afternoon during pick-up time after school. This week I have reminded several parents of the importance of using the crossing. Use of the crossing is crucial, both from a safety point of view and as a means of modelling and reinforcing responsible road safety behaviour to our children. Thank you all for your support.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron

Sunday Gospel: Matthew 5:17-37, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A

This Sunday’s Gospel describes the way in which we are called to live our lives. What is referred to as the ‘Law’ is generally describing the Torah – the first five books of the Bible – which explain the history of the relationship between God and his people. By declaring that He has come not to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to complete – or fulfil – them, Jesus is making it clear that His ministry and teaching is in alignment with, and in accordance with, the historical tradition. In fact, Jesus repeatedly calls the people to be true to the teachings of old and to live them with integrity and dedication. Jesus consistently criticises those who live by the letter of the Law and ignore what we would call the spirit of the Law.

It can be easy for us today to look at something like the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes and dismiss them as irrelevant. Taken literally, they can have fairly limited application to our modern lives. However, Jesus points us towards the importance of looking beyond the surface, and finding a deeper meaning that can be applied to our lives.

Opening School Mass – 14th February, 12:00 pm

On Friday 14th February at 12:00 pm, we will be celebrating our Opening School Mass for 2020. All classes will be attending Mass and the badges of our Year 6 leaders will be blessed and presented.  All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation 2020

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated in the Parish of the Transfiguration, North Woden on Thursday, 2nd April at 6:00 pm at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Curtin 

There will be a Parent Information Night on Tuesday 25th February at 6:00 pm at the Parish Centre at Curtin.

Who is Eligible?  

Children who have been baptised, and are in Year 3 or above may be enrolled.

How to Enrol

To enrol your child, please access or download the Qkr! App. 

• Search ‘North Woden Transfiguration’. 
• You will then create a profile. One your profile is completed you can click into Parish (2nd collection, Sacraments) and follow through to Reconciliation. 

Please note that all enrolments must be finalised by Wednesday 19th February 2020.

Dates for your Diary: 

Blessings for the week ahead,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator 

Please note: Our Assembly time has changed.  Assemblies will now be held on Fridays, in even weeks, at 2.15.

NAPLAN Online will occur in our school between 12 and 22 May 2020.

NAPLAN Online is a more engaging assessment that adjusts questions to each student’s achievement level. It also delivers more precise results to schools and parents more quickly.

NAPLAN provides valuable information to schools and parents about literacy and numeracy achievement. It supports school improvement processes by enabling teachers to monitor student progress over time and to identify areas of strength and development.

All eligible students are encouraged and supported to participate in NAPLAN testing. Visit www.nap.edu.au to see interactive versions of the test and for more information

Action Plans and Medication

As it is the beginning of a new school year, we ask that all parents have their child’s Anaphylaxis and Asthma Plans up to date and that all medication has been provided to the office.  If your child’s medication has expired please send in new medication as a matter of urgency.  Thank you.

Communication Platform

As you are all aware, Skoolbag has been replaced by sZapp / Schoolzine as it’s communication medium.  To ensure that you don’t miss out on any alerts or messages, please ensure that you have this app downloaded on your phone and that you are subscribed.   Thank you

We realise that parents cannot always find time to contact the school when they might like. Therefore, in an attempt to increase the possible contacts between school and home, we have established a parent network. Volunteer contacts (arranged at the start of each year) will liaise between parents and the class teacher, to set up class-centred activities and an occasional social event. Our aim is to increase the mutual support available for all members of our school community. While no parent should feel obliged to take part in these activities, you are all warmly invited to take advantage of whatever events might be of value to you. This is not an onerous task, more a point of contact. It is also a great way to meet the parents of students  in your child's class.

Please contact Maryanne Armstrong maryanne.armstrong@cg.catholic.edu.au if you are willing to be the Parent Contact for you child's class.    

Kinder White

1 Maroon:  Erin Frost

1 White

2 Maroon

2 White

3/4 Blue

3/4 Maroon

3/4 White

3/4 Yellow

5/6 Maroon

5/6 White

This year the library has undergone a colourful transformation, complete with new cloud shape tables, rainbows and unicorns. The theme for our library this year is, ‘Over the Rainbow’ on an adventure over the rainbow and beyond.

There are lots of new and exciting titles on our New Books stand as well as additional titles of popular series, such as Anh Do’s Hot Dog, Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man and Liz Pichon’s Tom Gates, just to name a few. The library is open to the students at lunchtime on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, a great place to relax and read. 

The latest Book Club catalogue hopefully arrived home yesterday. If you didn’t receive a copy please visit https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/ and select Order 1. There are a number of fantastic titles below $5, so please take some time to look over the catalogue. An item for parents, which may be of interest is:

This book is “Simple and inspiring! All you need to help children become enthusiastic readers in an age of digital distractions”.  Certainly worth a look.

Finally, please note Book Club orders are due on the 21^st Of February, 2020. Please submit all orders online at Scholastic Loop Ordering  https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/.

Saints Peter and Paul Swimming Carnival
This year our Swimming Carnival will be held in Week Four on Thursday 27^th February at the Lakeside Leisure Centre (aka The Tuggeranong Pool, at the corner of Anketell Street and Athllon Drive in Greenway). Our Swimming Carnival is for all students in Years 2-6.

This afternoon we will be putting up all the information that you need to know about this carnival on Schoolzine. Please send all consent, medical and event nomination forms back to school by Monday 24^th February.

We are also asking for parents that can assist with timekeeping and novelty events on the day. If you are able to help out, please fill out this information and send this back to school by Monday 24^th February. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a Working with Vulnerable People number you will not be able to assist on the day.

Thank you so much for your assistance with all of this. We’re looking forward to a great day together at the pool.

School Sport ACT
School Sport ACT (SSACT) have a new website, which they are hoping will be up and running in the coming days. The new site is www.schoolsportact.org.au

I have still been trying to get on this week and at this stage am not having any luck, but I’m sure it will go live in the very near future.
There is an ACT Sport Coordinator meeting being held next Wednesday 19^th February, so fingers crossed we will have more information about where we are up to with the launch of this website. SSACT thank you for your patience while they iron out the glitches.

I will attach information from SSACT about their Online Registration Process for any families who would like to register their child/children to try out for ACT representative sport, once this is available to me.

Hockey Clinics
For your information, next Friday 21^st February all students from K – 6 will be participating in a one off Hockey Clinic run by Hockey ACT. Please send your child to school in their sport clothes on this day.

If you ever have any questions about anything related to Sport, please don’t hesitate to get in touch mary.desmet@cg.catholic.edu.au Hopefully I’ll be able to help you out!

Swimming Program 2020

In Term One, the students in Years 1 & 2 will participate in a 9 Week Swimming Program at Stellar Canberra Swim School.The lessons will run for 30 minutes every Thursday.  The Program will begin on Thursday 13^th of February and run until Thursday the 9^th of April.  

Lesson Timetable.

The cost of the Swimming Program is $72 per child and it will be added to school fees.

Thank you.

Kind Regards

Maryanne Armstrong

Coordinator

Week 3, Term 1

Thank you helpers; your assistance is very much appreciated.

 Please contact me if you are unable to make your shift or able to help, Thank you.  

Fruit incentive ticket WINNER for last week was Vanessa B, KW.  Congratulations Vanessa, you have won a $2.00 voucher, to spend at the canteen. Please see Mrs R at the canteen to collect your voucher. 

Do you want to win a $2 voucher to spend at the canteen?

Simply purchase fresh or frozen fresh fruit from the canteen and be in the weekly draw to WIN!!!

Thank you, Lauretta Raccosta, Canteen Manager

Lauretta.Raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au or 6281 1932

Healthy Kids, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Canteens

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.

You can place an order via Qkr! Order on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday and the item/s will be delivered to your child’s classroom. Orders need to be placed before 8.45am.

Please see the SZapp for the Summer Uniform price list.

School Hat’s and Beanies can be purchase at the canteen Wednesdays, Thursday & Fridays (CASH ONLY PLEASE)

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 limited with space, so as a guide, clothes should only be donated if washed and in perfect resalable order.

The uniform shop is asking for no more second hand donations of white sports tops please.

Please give any second hand uniform to Mrs R in the canteen, Thank you.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop Manager

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au