Filter Content
Dear Parents and Carers
“Transform jealousy, anger, bitterness and hatred rather than give them back in kind.”
Ronald Rolheiser, Sacred Fire
Continuing our theme of Rolheiser’s ‘10 Commandments for the Long Haul’, his third commandment is quoted above. He goes on to write, “Any pain or tension that we do not transform we will transmit.” We know this intuitively to be true. We can see it play out in the pattern of some of our own actions and no doubt in the actions of others. We have all met angry, bitter people and wondered what it was in their life that left them that way. Perhaps we have had moments of reflection where we fear we are heading the same way. I marvel at the many people I have met who seem to defy conventional wisdom and not seek to repay hurt with hurt; or anger with greater anger; or who can forgive when our broader culture encourages revenge. The Australian philosopher Raimond Gaita touches on a similar theme when he writes of love and mercy offending reason. And yet it is love and mercy that provides space so that we change and grow, as difficult as that can be.
Sport
Despite the fact that COVID-19 has put restrictions on a great deal of life, fortunately some things are still able to go ahead. I have written of netball and soccer happening, courtesy of the good will and time of many parents. Coming up in two weeks, we have two teams from Sts Peter and Paul attending a touch football gala day. This is a great opportunity for the children to be involved in some sport at the level of competition and it will be good for the children to have an ‘extra-curricular’ activity. My thanks to Mary de Smet for organising the day and for Luke Gubler and Sarah Walsh for attending on the day and coaching and supporting the teams. We are also looking forward to holding our own modified Cross Country carnival later this term – details to follow. In one piece of unfortunate news, the Boorowa Touch Football and Netball carnival has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
Mental Health
You have probably been aware of news reports from Victoria concerning alarming spikes in mental health. These health concerns are not limited to Victoria of course, and although Canberra has been both prudent and lucky in its dealing with COVID-19, mental health can be a fragile thing and it is something we cannot take for granted. I encourage all families and parents, if I may, to remain aware and vigilant for any signs of mental ill-health. Isolation can lead to feelings of desperation and despair and if we are not careful, they can become habits of thought. Staying positive and keeping an eye on others requires, at times, a conscious effort, when the times are so trying.
https://www.lifelinecanberra.org.au/get-help/
https://www.wcs.org.au/services/mental-health
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
https://catholiccare.cg.org.au/
Please let me or school staff know if we can do anything to support you or your family.
Peer Mentoring
This term, all teachers are involved in a Peer Mentoring program. All teachers (including me) have been paired with a colleague, and each teacher sees the other teach a lesson and provides some feedback. Due to the busy nature of the profession, it can be difficult sometimes for teachers to see each other teach. Consequently, it can be hard to get feedback about our approach and, like all professions, teachers thrive on feedback. Teachers have a choice about the lesson they teach and when they teach the subject.
Have a wonderful week with your families.
Best wishes
Cameron Johns
Principal
Sunday Gospel: Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 15:21-28
This week’s gospel provides a fascinating illustration of Jesus’ response to those in need. Jesus has travelled to the area of Tyre and Sidon – part of modern day Lebanon. He was physically removing Himself from the place of His very active ministry and taking a break. When the Canaanite woman approaches Jesus and His disciples, she is an interruption; a nuisance. Jesus is very abrupt with her. He tells her simply that His ministry is to the house of Israel – the Jews – and is not for her. But the woman is persistent and again asks Jesus to help her. Jesus is even more abrupt and tells her that it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs. Through this use of metaphor, Jesus refers to the children of Israel (the Jews) and to the gentiles and pagans – sometimes referred to as ‘dogs’ to reflect their lowly status in the eyes of the Jewish tradition. Still the woman persists and turns Jesus’ metaphor back on Him, saying that even the dogs get to eat the scraps that fall from the table.
The woman’s persistence and faith pay off. Jesus is moved by her faith and through that faith heals the woman’s daughter. Despite His initial abruptness and reluctance, Jesus responds with compassion to the woman’s request. It is as though she needed to demonstrate that she was really serious and that she did in fact believe that Jesus could make a difference in her life and the life of her daughter. This is an important story in Matthew’s gospel. This gospel was written predominantly for Jewish Christians but this story reveals that the ministry of Jesus and the reign of God is open to anyone who believes. (Gospel Reflection by Greg Sunter)
Sacrament of Confirmation
Many of our Year 6 students and their families have begun the journey towards Confirmation. We all join in praying for them as they prepare for the Sacrament to be held at the end of this term.
Mass Has Returned!
Due to the recent easing of restrictions, Fr John is now celebrating Sunday Masses once again. All Mass times will remain the same, but due to social distancing measures, all Masses will be celebrated at Holy Trinity, Curtin for the time being. There is a limit of 100 people that can attend each Mass, and the Parish will accept booking online (Trybooking.com, search Transfiguration Parish), or click here or via a phone call to the office.
God bless,
Stephanie Burns
Religious Education Coordinator
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fnBzKdqrnfKfvXEUkykYeR4C9kG78ue0ogPb4wsU5Qc/edit?usp=sharing
Book Club is underway!!!
The Sts Peter and Paul Book Club met for the first time last week. We met in the Library on Thursday during our lunch time.
It was a group of very enthusiastic readers.
We enjoyed the time sharing our favourite books and spending some precious time reading in a quiet spot.
Mrs Armstrong is looking forward to meeting the Book Club again next week. Everyone is welcome to join, so come along and share your love of reading.
Thanks
Mrs Armstrong
Thank you for your recent orders to the latest Book Club catalogue.
The books have started to arrive at school and are being distributed to the children. Hopefully all orders will be delivered throughout this week and next.
Please be sure to look out for your exciting new things. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Mrs de Jongh.
Cool Kids Anxiety Program
In the coming weeks ‘The Cool Kids Anxiety Program’ will be implemented at Sts Peter and Paul. It is a structured 10 session program run over 8 - 10 weeks that teaches children (ages 7-17 years) and their parents how to better manage a child’s anxiety.
The Cool Kids Anxiety Program is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), with a focus on teaching practical skills. The program has undergone continual scientific evaluation and development to include the latest understanding of anxiety and its treatment. Current results indicate that most young people who complete our programs show significant improvement. Following treatment, there are marked increases in school attendance, academic achievement, confidence, number of friends and involvement in extra-curricular activities and decreases in worry, shyness, fear and family distress.
Topics covered within the Cool Kids Anxiety Program include:
- Learning about feelings and anxiety
- Learning to think more realistically
- Parenting an anxious child
- Fighting fear by facing fear (stepladders)
- Learning other coping skills such as building social confidence or learning to solve problems
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a basic emotion – common
Core feature – expectation of threat (social or physical)
Normal – purpose is to protect
Anxiety as a disorder
Chronic
Generalised
Severe
Interferes with life
Common Symptoms
Repetitive worries
Reassurance seeking
Avoidance as primary coping strategy
Overly well behaved in public
Distress from routine changes & new situations
Perfectionistic
High need for control
Easily overwhelmed
Difficulty sleeping
Limited friendships
Poor participation
Physical symptoms
If you believe that your child would benefit from participating in this program, please do not hesitate to contact me on Melissa.neit@cg.catholic.edu.au
Melissa Neit
School Chaplain
SCIENCE DAY – Friday 18th September, 2020
Sts Peter & Paul will be celebrating our ‘Annual Science Day’ on Friday 18th September. In class groups, students will participate in a variety of engaging science activities. Keeping with tradition, the Year 6 students will lead the experiments with teacher support and supervision.
The theme for this year is ‘The Deep Blue’. Students are invited to dress as scientists/inventors for the day.
Activities include:
- Glove Bagpipes
- Rain Cloud in a Jar
- Shrinky Shapes
- Air Cannons
- Plastic Bag Parachutes
- Slime
- Make a Bouncy Ball
IMPORTANT: In preparation for Science Day, we need your help to send in recycled materials for the activities we will be conducting. If you have any of these materials that you were going to throw out anyway, could you please send them to school with your child.
Here is a list of materials that we will need to make our annual Science Day a success: plastic shopping bags; clean small soft drink bottles without labels (coke, fanta, lemonade, etc); jars without labels and cardboard cylinders/rolls.
Students are also invited to enter our Science Fair. The Science Fair is a new addition to our Science Day Activities. Each student will be able (if they want to) to complete a science experiment and create a poster for the Science Fair. Entries will be displayed around the school. There will be prizes for each Stage within the school. Please refer to the Science Fair Information Sheets for details.
For ideas and activities to try at home, please see Questacon’s activity page
https://www.questacon.edu.au/outreach/programs/science-circus/activities
We look forward to an exciting day of science! Keep an eye on our Facebook page and newsletter for photos and student reflections.
Science Week Coordinator
Paul Jenkins
STS PETER & PAUL SCHOOL 2020 SCIENCE FAIR
We are very excited to announce the second Annual Sts Peter and Paul Primary School Science Fair! The Science Fair is a new addition to our Science Day Activities. Each child will be able (if they want to) to complete a science experiment for the Science Fair and present it to the school. There will be prizes for each Stage within the school.
Parents are welcome to support their child with help, but the student should do as much of the work on the project as he/she is able to.
All projects are due by Week 8.
Projects will be displayed in the School Science Fair in Week 9.
PHILOSOPHY
The aim of the Sts Peter and Paul School Science Fair is to motivate students to discover how their world works, and is an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the Science Investigation and Reasoning skills. Students develop science literacy and critical thinking as they answer questions, solve relevant problems, and use evidence to defend their thinking. This type of systematic problem solving is essential for success in the 21st century world.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Sts Peter and Paul Primary School Science Fair is to support the learning goals outlined in the National Australian Science Curriculum.
Students are expected to:
- Ask their own questions
- Plan and implement investigations to answer those questions
- Consider safe practices and use of appropriate tools to support investigations
- Collect data through observation and/or testing
- Use critical thinking to organize, analyse, and evaluate their data
- Communicate their learning
Project Requirements
All projects should be completed on cardboard, any colour board is permitted. Make sure you can read the information clearly on the board.
Projects should be neat and organised. Projects can be typed or handwritten.
Projects should have correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Make sure you write your name clearly on your project.
No live animals, dangerous items or chemicals are allowed.
Science Fair Procedures and Guidelines
Step 1 Find an area of science that you are interested in learning more about.
Step 2 Do some research in that area. Use books, the internet, or interview an expert.
Step 3 State Your Question.
Step 4 Form a Hypothesis (a scientific question you want to answer).
Step 5 Develop and perform an experiment that can find an answer to your question.
Step 6 Record data, take photographs, make drawings, and keep careful records of the results of your experiment.
Step 7 Draw your conclusion after looking at the results of your experiment.
Step 8 Make an attractive and neat display board to show the steps of the scientific method in your experiment.
Step 9 Present your experiment.
Remember: The science fair is for experiments only. No models or collections are allowed.
For example: A model of a volcano, the solar system, or a tornado in a bottle is not permitted. A collection of birdsʼ eggs, rocks, or seashells is not permitted.
Your display needs to be freestanding so that it will stand on a table or be displayed on the wall. Your display can be a cardboard poster showing your science experiment. Your display should be brought to school at the beginning of Week 9. Your project will be displayed in the 3-6 corridor.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact or speak to Mr Jenkins as soon as possible.
Paul Jenkins
Science Coordinator
CANTEEN IS CASHLESS
Families can make contactless payment via Qkr!
Purchase over-the-counter sale items (snacks & treats) for your child/children in a lunch order via Qkr!
or
you can purchase a “daily counter sales voucher” for your child/children to go to the canteen to collect something at lunchtime.
Fruit incentive ticket WINNER for last week was Eloise H, 5/6M. Congratulations Eloise, you have won a $2.00 voucher, to spend at the canteen. Please see Mrs R at the canteen to collect your voucher.
Canteen roster - Week 5, Term 3
| Time | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 9-11am | Eleen B | E Binutti | Dannielle M |
Qkr! TIP - Are you having trouble ordering lunch orders Friday mornings?
Why not place your order the night before. It will save you time and make your Friday mornings run a little smoothly.
Lauretta Raccosta,
Canteen
Lauretta.Raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au
Healthy Kids, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Canteens
Thank you to all the students who participated in today’s Special Lunch Day!
Mrs R was so happy seeing all the children enjoying themselves chatting and sharing the same meal with their friends.
Pear and rosemary cake
Ingredients
1 1/2c plain flour
3/4c self raising flour
3/4c caster sugar
1 1/2tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 1/4c olive oil
1tsp vanilla essence
2 pears, peeled & grated
1/4c currants
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees, grease and line a round cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
Combine the flours, sugar and baking powder together in a bowl.
Combine eggs, olive oil and vanilla in a separate bowl then pour into the dry ingredients and mix all together.
Fold through the grated pear, rosemary and currants until just combined then pour mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake cake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through (test by lightly pressing the top to see if cake bounces back).
This term Year One are studying dinosaurs. Here is a selection of dinosaur related books, both fact and fiction, for dino buffs of all ages to enjoy.
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 SZapp for the Winter Uniform price list.
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 donations of white sports tops please.
Please give any used second-hand uniform to Mrs R in the canteen, Thank you.
Lauretta Raccosta
Uniform Shop
Spring Tennis Canberra coaching registrations are open!
Tennis Canberra's professional coaches are running junior tennis coaching programs at both South & North Canberra clubs this Spring. We welcome first time players and those who are ready to play competition tennis.
The 2020 Spring Season starts the week of August 24th however you are welcome to join at any time.
For more information and to book please visit www.tenniscanberra.com.au/junior-tennis or email play@tenniscanberra.com.au
Your Favourite Tennis Coaches
