Dear Parents and Carers

Often I start each week’s newsletter with a quote. This week begins with an image celebrating NAIDOC week, which is taking place ths week around the country. As we know, NAIDOC week celebrates our Indigneous citizens, this country’s first inhabitants, and their extraordinay connection to this land. 26 years ago I began my teaching career in a remote Aboriginal community south-east of Halls Creek in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The community was called Kurrurungku, meaning ‘Wallaby’ in the Walmajarri language of the area. My two years there were graced beyond measure. Last year during a period of long service leave I was fortunate enough to visit the community again, with my family. It was a great blessing to go back. Education is vital for all Australians everywhere. Education opens up horizons of possibility and understandings that otherwise we would never have access to. Education of the heart and soul, as well as the mind, is essential for any healing, personal or communal. NAIDOC week and the way we choose to celebrate it is a step in that direction. My thanks to Paul Jenkins for coordinating our NAIDOC week activities this week. https://www.naidoc.org.au/

Cross Country

Unfortunately, we had to cancel last week’s scheduled Cross Country carnival. This is the second time wet weather has led to the cancellation of the Carnival. We will not be deterred, however, and will reschedule the event ASAP. My thanks to Mary de Smet for her organisation and hard work. Next week, on Friday, we will hold our Athletics Carnival, which will be a great event for the children. The Athletics Carnival is being held at school.

Leonie Anstey

On Monday and Tuesday this week, we hosted (digitally) our Maths coach, Leonie Anstey. Over the two days, Leonie worked with all grades and ran our staff meeting. As always, Leonie was superb and offered a good balance of theory and practical suggestions and advice. Her focus for the two days was on number sense. All children sat a pre-test and we worked through the results with Leonie, who suggested creative and engaging ways of helping children deepen their understanding of concepts to do with number sense. It was an excellent two days. My thanks to Sean Rutledge for coordinating Leonie’s visit, and to all staff for their commitment and support.

Kindergarten Information Night and Orientation Day

A reminder that our Information Night for parents of 2021 Kindergarten students is on tonight at 6pm, in the hall. The hall will be set up for social distancing. A zoom link has also been sent to parents, for those parents who cannot make the evening in person or who would prefer to zoom the meeting. A reminder too that this Friday, the 2021 Kindergarten students have a ½ day orientation day, starting at 9am.

Parent Teacher Interviews

A reminder that parent-teacher interviews are taking place in week 8. I encourage all parents to attend. A note will be coming home soon, with details about how to book a time to attend. The meetings will take place over Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in week 8.

Have a wonderful week with your families.

Best wishes 

Cameron Johns

Principal

Sunday Gospel: Thirty-Third Sunday, Ordinary time, Year A

This week’s Gospel is a very familiar parable and one that is often used with students and young people. It is generally used as an encouragement to make the most of the gifts and skills that the listeners possess. It is rarely, however, placed in its context as part of the full Chapter 25 lesson about the time of waiting and preparation for the coming of the Lord and the Christian life.

Again, the story is presented as a parable of the Kingdom – a glimpse into the right order of things in the realised Kingdom. A very wealthy master entrusts his considerable assets to his servants to manage in his absence. The three servants were allocated money, ‘each in proportion to his ability’. The emphasis of the parable is on what each servant did with the funds they were allotted. They were charged with managing the money in the place of their master; acting in their master’s place to further develop his wealth.

Like all of Jesus’ parables, this one has a sting in the tail. Although the third servant has done nothing illegal or corrupt, he is very harshly dealt with. His crime is laziness! He was given a great opportunity to demonstrate his abilities and yet he shied away and returned to his master exactly what had been entrusted to him, unimproved. The author of Matthew’s gospel uses this parable to shock the audience out of complacency. They cannot rely solely on the promised return of the Lord, they must continue to act on Jesus’ message and work to bring about the Kingdom in their own lives. Those who fail to act, leaving everything to the work of God, are as bad as the lazy servant who failed to grasp an extraordinary opportunity.

(Gospel Reflection by Greg Sunter)

Sacrament of First Eucharist

Thank you to all of the parents and students who joined our Zoom First Eucharist Formation session last night. I hope it was a nice way to conclude your preparation for the Sacrament.

A reminder that all parents can now select a time and day for their child to receive their First Eucharist, please use the link below:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/146FLEi9zYXFb7-ORSpIEnyadSPXt4E8kAxxmC_2ORTM/edit?usp=sharing

Due to restrictions, only 4 children will be able to register for each Mass. Please remember to also list the number of family members/guests that will be attending (Maximum of 10).

Eucharist 2020 Preparation Mass

At 12pm today, Fr John came to Garran to celebrate Mass with Stage 2 and their teachers as a way of recognising and celebrating the students in Year 4 who are preparing to receive their First Eucharist over the next couple of months. Our prayers are with all of these students and their families at this very special time.

Children’s Liturgy

A reminder that Children’s Liturgy runs on the 2^nd and 4^th Sunday of each month during term time.

Below is a timetable with the remaining dates for Term 4.

Sunday 22^nd  November

Sunday 13^th December

God bless,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator

What is Youth Ministry? Youth Ministry is an engaging way for young people to come together and share the word of the Lord with other young people.

God bless 

Principal's Award: Leo S, 1W

Learning Support Award: Austin J, 1W

Grace W in KW wrote a lovely tribute booklet to her dad. Good work Grace!

Follow the link to help promote your child’s love a reading.

https://australiareads.org.au/

Saints Peter and Paul Cross Country Carnival and Athletics Carnival (Yes you read that correctly)
Friday 20^th November (Week 6)

It may sound crazy, but we’ve looked at the weather and it’s saying it’s going to be a beautiful day next Friday, so we thought we should strike while the iron’s hot and make next Friday a combined Cross Country and Athletics Carnival.

We’ll have our Cross Country Carnival in the morning and then participate in some Athletics activities for the rest of the day.

In relation to Cross Country, as previously mentioned, we are encouraging all students to wear their house colour shirt with their sport uniform. I will be meeting any interested students up on the oval next Monday and Thursday (16^th and 19^th November) at 8.40am for a bit of a practise run. It won’t be the full course, but something is always better than nothing! The rough distances for each age group are included below.

5, 6 and 7 years (1 shorter lap)

8 years 1000m (1 big lap)

9 and 10 years 1500m/200m (2 big laps)

11 and 12 years 3000m (3 big laps)

After Lunch, the students will rotate through a variety of athletics activities with their class including: a 70m race, field events, relays, tug of war, parachute, ball games and some other novelty events.

Unfortunately, due to current restrictions in place, we will be unable to have any parents in attendance next Friday.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about any of this information. mary.desmet@cg.catholic.edu.au

K-2 Gymnastics Clinics Wednesdays

These clinics will continue to run each Wednesday until December 9^th (Week 9.)

There are still overdue books that need to be returned to the library.

 As an incentive, Mrs Marsham is offering house points to students who return their overdue books.

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” via Qkr! for your child/children to go to the canteen to collect something at lunchtime.

   Do you want to win a $2 voucher to spend in the canteen? Simply purchase fresh or frozen fruit from the canteen and be in the weekly draw to WIN!!!

Fruit incentive ticket WINNER for last week was Nicholas V, 1W.  Congratulations Nicholas, 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 6, Term 4

Lauretta Raccosta,

Canteen

Lauretta.Raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

Healthy Kids, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Canteens

FRIDAY ONLY

Have a lunch order on Friday 13th and receive a special treat from Mrs R in your lunch order!
 
Happy Friday 13th!

                                
DON’T MISS OUT!

Next week, we will be celebrating CANTEEN WEEK. 

This is an annual event, created to promote, recognise and celebrate all the great benefits of having a school canteen. 

We will be promoting this vital school service.

 To help celebrate CANTEEN WEEK, any child who orders a lunch order next Wednesday or Thursday (18 & 19 November) will receive a surprise in their lunch order. 

 The week will be filled with fun competitions and prizes so make your way down to the canteen!

 For the younger students – (Kindy, Years 1 & 2) there is a colouring-in competition.

Printouts can be found at the Canteen.   Return your colouring-in to Mrs R at the canteen for the winner to be selected.

 For all students - there is a creative fruit/vegetable competition. Draw, make or take a photo of your most creative way to eat a fruit or vegetable. Check out some ideas below.  Bring or email your creation to Mrs R at the canteen for the winner to be selected.

 All Competitions close on the 27 November. Canteen volunteers will select the student winners. 

The winning students will receive a free junior meal deal of their choice.

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 Summer 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 uniforms to Mrs R in the canteen, Thank you.

Lauretta Raccosta

Uniform Shop

Lauretta.raccosta@cg.catholic.edu.au

CHOCOLATE POTATO CAKE

Ingredients

125 g butter

2/3 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup mashed potato

1 1/4 cups self raising flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk

Icing sugar, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a cake tin with baking paper.

Beat butter and sugar in a bowl with electric beater until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs one at a time until all combined.

Stir in the mashed potato and flour, then add the cocoa powder and milk and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Turn the cake onto a wire rack to cool and dust with icing sugar before serving.

When asked about their favourite recipe that they have cooked with Mrs Moore, Eli L and Oliver L in Year 2, instantly nominated this yummy cake.

The recipe is on page 113 of our 50th Anniversary Cookbook.

The cookbook, full of recipes from either Mrs Robyn Moore (fab cooking teacher) or donated by our school community, can be purchased for only $20 via Qkr! or eftpos (No cash please). Books can be collected from the front office. 

Riding bikes seems to have become even more popular lately, as it is something we can do while maintaining a social distance from others. So grab a pushbike, a BMX or a mountain bike (thanks Charlie G for the suggestion) put on your helmet and head on out. There are so many bike paths around Canberra as well as dirt trails etc. Have fun!

A chance to get together for a night to remember…in a year we would rather forget!!

Our annual SPP Parent’s Social Function looks a little different this year…

Barefoot Bowling @ The RUC!

Friday 20^th November

6pm for 6:30 start- onwards into the night

54 McCaughey St, TURNER, ACT

Tickets $25! Includes canapes

If you haven't already purchased your tickets, please pay on the night.