Dear Parents and Carers

“My Lord, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not necessarily mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you…I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk and one of the great spiritual masters of our time. He had a unique ability in being able to convey the mysteries of the spiritual life in a language accessible to all. He was inclusive and all embracing, with a very generous view of the human person, while also not shying away from the messiness of the human condition. In this short piece, he beautifully captures the confusion we can all face, particularly in midlife. His call to trust mirrors Jesus’ final moments when He too had nothing left to do but trust in His father. Perhaps Merton’s words speak to you in some way this week, within your own life journey.

Ash Wednesday

Merton’s words provide an excellent introduction to Ash Wednesday, which is next week. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a period where we are called to, metaphorically speaking, stand before a mirror and ask ourselves how things stand with us and with God. Developing this sort of ability to reflect is essential I believe to developing a strong inner life, and of course it is not just for this reason we do it: it also develops our relationship with God. Our Mass next week begins at 12pm.

Reconciliation Information Night

A reminder for parents of students in Year 3 who are making their First Reconciliation that an information night is being held next Tuesday at 6.30pm at the Parish Centre at Curtin. One of the blessings of being part of a joint parish is sharing the Sacramental journey with students from Holy Trinity at Curtin, whose parents will also join us for the Information Night.

Swimming Carnival

Next Thursday we will be having our Swimming Carnival, for students in Years 2 – 6, at the Tuggeranong Leisure Centre. It promises to be a fun day. Volunteers are always needed; if you can volunteer some time on the day, please contact Mary De Smet via the front office. My thanks to Mary for her all of her organisation and great work in preparing the carnival.

School Community Council

Last night we held our first Community Council meeting for the year. Liesl Centenera has stepped down from the Council and the position of Chair and I would like to thank Liesl for all of her work and service to the Council, and through the Council, the school. Liesl has contributed a great deal – thank you. Also stepping down from the Council are Maggie Grove and Michael Gately. My thanks too to Maggie and Michael, for their years of service and dedication to the Council and school. We welcome to the Council Katherine Jones and Natasha Fenton, who will make invaluable contributions. Finally, I would like to welcome Thomas Mulligan to the position of Chair and Tegan Ingold to the position of Vice-Chair. 

Census Data

Included in this newsletter is a letter from the Federal Government concerning census data. Please read the letter and let the school know if you have any concerns.

Strategic Plan and Annual Improvement Plan

Finally, I am happy to advise the parent community that the Strategic Plan (until the end of 2022) and the Annual Improvement Plan (for 2020) are fast nearing completion, and will be available for viewing on the school’s website in the very near future.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal

Religious Education News

Sunday Gospel: Matthew 5:28-48, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A

The following is a reflection written by Greg Sunter on the subject of this Sunday’s Gospel. I thought it was a particularly interesting lens through which to view this often quoted Scripture.

The first part of today’s Gospel passage is perhaps one of the most misunderstood of Jesus’ teachings. The notion of turning the other cheek usually brings up notions of non-violence, submission, or even sometimes a victim mentality. It seems an odd teaching to tell someone who is being hit to simply stand there and present the other cheek to also be hit. It’s odd because we generally fail to understand the cultural context that is the setting for this teaching.

In the first century, a master would discipline a servant by striking them with the back of his hand. Assuming the master is right handed, a back-handed strike would be delivered to the right cheek of the person he faced. If the servant were to then present his left cheek to the master, it becomes impossible for the master to strike with the back of his hand and forces him into using an open-hand slap or a closed-fist punch to the left cheek. Not much of an improvement, you might think. However, servants were disciplined with the back of the hand and only equals fought in such a way that would deliver blows to the left side.

What Jesus is saying to those who are oppressed is to offer no resistance but at the same time stand up for yourself and make your oppressor recognise you and treat you as an equal, not an inferior.

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

On Friday of last week, we celebrated our Opening School Mass. At the conclusion of Mass, Fr John blessed the Year Six Leadership badges, and the students were presented with their badges in front of the school community. Congratulations to our new leaders, and thank you to all who were able to come along to be a part of this celebration.

Ash Wednesday – Wednesday Week 4, 26^th February

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, and the whole school will be attending Mass at 12:00pm. All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend also.

Sacrament of Reconciliation 2020 – FINAL CALL!

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

Parents, please read the attached letter from the Federal Government concerning census data.

SCHOOL FEES

Fee statements were emailed yesterday. Please check your inbox. 

If you didn’t receive your statement or have any questions in regards to it, please email office.stpandp@cg.catholic.edu.au. 

Term 1 fees are due on the 20^th March, 2020. 

Thank you.

Our next assembly will be on Friday, 28 February at 2.15.

Awards

Principal's awards:  Marcus A 5/6M;  Elise L 3/4B

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

Ten read-aloud commandments

1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud. From birth!
2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read. Or the same story a thousand times!
3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.
4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners
5. Read the stories that your child loves, over and over, and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations and volume and speed, on each page, each time.
6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games
7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short.
8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game.
9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.
10. Please read aloud every day because you just adore being with your child, not because it’s the right thing to do.

This year, we are looking at expanding the Seasons for Growth Program in our school. It is an education program that builds the resilience and wellbeing of children who have recently experienced some BIG Life Changes. 

Many factors can cause change such as:

• Friends moving away

• Loss of someone or something you love

• Parents and families separating

• Moving to a new place

• Impact of illness

• Family work-life changes. 

Change affects everyone differently, as does grief. It’s the impact of the change, not the event itself that Seasons for Growth focuses on.

Seasons for Growth aims to support young people to understand their feelings, help them develop skills for coping with change and restore self-confidence. It is designed to assist children in meeting others who may feel the same way about change and reassures them that their feelings are normal. The program is underpinned by evidence about resilience, emotional competence and identity.

If you feel your child may benefit from being part of this program or would like more information, please contact Melissa Neit, our School Chaplain, at Melissa.neit@cg.catholic.edu.au or your child’s Classroom Teacher.

Book Club catalogues were sent home last week. 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.

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/.

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

Saints Peter and Paul Swimming Carnival
Thursday 27^th February at the Lakeside Leisure Centre
Thank you to all the families who have children in Years 2-6 that have already filled out the consent, medical and event nomination forms on Schoolzine. If you are yet to do this, please have these completed by next Monday 24^th February.

Thank you also to the parents who have offered to assist us on the day with timekeeping and novelty events. If you are able to help out but haven’t yet filled in this information on Schoolzine, please do so by next 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. I’m sure it will go live in the very near future.
Hopefully I will have some clarity in regards to the issues that they are facing after attending the ACT Sport Coordinator meeting today. 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 this Friday 21^st February for all students from K-6
Please send your child to school in their sport clothes this Friday.

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!

Week 4, 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 Evenlyn B, 1W.  Congratulations Evenlyn, you have won a $2.00 voucher, to spend at the canteen. Please see Mrs R at the canteen to collect your voucher.

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

Now selling HOUSE COLOUR T-SHIRTS.

Cost $10.

Are you having trouble finding a plain t-shirt?

We sell plain house colour t-shirts ready for the swimming carnival.

With 100% breathable soft cotton and UPF rated sun protection for year round.

Sizes range from 4-16.  Now available on Qkr!