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Dear Parents and Carers
Thank you for Term 1
Well done on supporting your child in their start to 2021 in their new classes. It has been a short term but one packed with new initiatives, new programs and a number of new staff and students at the school. Our new staff and students have all settled in well and are making wonderful contributions to our school.
It has also been great to have parents attend some school events with the COVID restrictions being better this year to date. Of course we are all watching the latest COVID outbreak up north and the related clusters.
Thank you to parents and carers that were able to attend parent/teacher interviews this week. The students are off to a good start for the year and I hope that these meetings provided an opportunity for reflection on the term and goal setting for next term.
ELC Parent/Teacher Interviews
Congratulations to Michelle Woodward and the ELC staff on conducting their parent/teacher interviews last week. I believe everything went well and the conversations were very meaningful and informative. Well done. The ELC students are off to a great start in 2021 too!
Tara Galvin Leaving
Good luck to Miss Tara Galvin who has picked up a new role starting next term. Tara will be working outside of primary teaching and a new opportunity has arisen for her. I wanted to thank Tara for her work on Year 2P as well as a member of staff this term. We wish Tara all the best in her new endeavours. A new teacher will be appointed to the one day per week role in 2P soon.
Year 6 Holy Week Liturgy
Thank you to our Year 6 students and teachers Mrs Naylor and Mr Mc Devitt, for leading a very moving Holy Week and Stations of the Cross Liturgy today. It was excellent. The Year 6 students were very reverent. Throughout this week our students have really been immersed in the Holy Week story and have gained a deeper understanding of the lead up to Easter Sunday. Well done.
Significance of Holy Week/Easter - Jesus’ Great Act of Love and Ultimate Sacrifice for Us! This week marks the countdown to Easter and the most important part of the story that defines our Christian Faith. The celebration of Easter is truly great. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!
Many children commemorate Easter with egg hunts and pageantry. Whilst this is part of the joyful celebration of new life, we must not reduce the importance of the true meaning of Easter. Easter changed, and still changes, everything. It gives us a totally different view of the world, for death is not the end, but the beginning of new life. The resurrection is a symbol of hope and victory of death. Celebrating Jesus’ resurrection gives us the strength to overcome adversity and hardship and to be His witnesses in our world today.
During Holy Week, we recall the events leading up to Jesus' death by crucifixion and, according to our faith, his Resurrection. The week includes five days of special significance. The first was this weekend, Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus' humble entry (on a donkey) into Jerusalem to observe Passover. Holy Thursday marks Jesus’ institution at the Last Supper of the Eucharist, thereafter a central element of Christian worship. It is tradition that this Thursday is accompanied by the pope’s washing of the feet of 12 humble or poor persons (COVID permitting), in imitation of Jesus’ washing of the feet of his 12 disciples at the Last Supper. Good Friday commemorates Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross; it is traditionally a day of sorrow, penance, and fasting. Holy Saturday, also called Easter Vigil, is the traditional end of Lent. Easter Sunday is the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection, on the third day after his crucifixion.
Easter is the most important festival in Christianity, far more important than Christmas because it celebrates God's victory over sin and death. When Jesus rose again it was God's way of showing that he cannot be defeated. Celebrating Easter is the most important thing a Christian can do. A key indication of the importance of Easter is our weekly worship (mass) each Sunday. Every Sunday of the entire year could be described as a “little Easter”. Whether or not that Sunday falls in Advent, Ordinary Time, or Lent, each Sunday celebrates the Resurrection, the day of new creation.
The Catechism states the importance of this feast:
“Therefore Easter is not simply one feast among others, but the ‘Feast of feasts,’ the ‘Solemnity of solemnities,’ just as the Eucharist is the ‘Sacrament of sacraments’ (the Great Sacrament). St. Athanasius calls Easter ‘the Great Sunday’ and the Eastern Churches call Holy Week ‘the Great Week.’ The mystery of the Resurrection, in which Christ crushed death, permeates with its powerful energy our old time, until all is subjected to him.”
(CCC 1169)
Jesus suffered immensely during his passion and crucifixion. But because he underwent this freely, he knows exactly how we as humans suffer. Alternatively, since we have found ourselves baptised into new life, we now have a taste of that resurrection that Christ underwent. Jesus has prepared the way for us, and it only makes sense that we recognise Easter Day as the greatest of all feasts.
This Easter may we all be renewed in our baptism and faith. Through salvation we now have the chance to make a difference in life and be the best we can be and be the light of hope to others.
Thank you our REC Beth Lehmensich for Holy Week Reflections
Thank you to Miss Beth Lehmensich for her outstanding planning and preparation for our Holy Week reflections including the Stations of the Cross reflections journey held outdoors on Tuesday, Staff Prayer and Stations of the Cross Liturgy with Year 6 teachers. It is such a significant week and one that we should all take time to engage with prayerfully.
School Disco Thanks
Thank you to the P&F and Maree Alchin for organising a successful school disco last Friday night. This was our first school disco in over a year so it was a big turnout! The staff presence was appreciated by the students and parent volunteers too. The disco provides an opportunity for dancing, fun and a good social occasion to make a few new friends. Well done.
2021 Catholic School Pupil Free Days
Catholic Education Director, Mr Ross Fox, has scheduled two pupil free days for Catholic Primary Schools and Early Learning Centres in 2021.
These days have been allocated to allow staff to engage in professional learning corresponding to a new system wide initiative called Catalyst that will be rolled out over the next 3 years. Catalyst empowers teachers with evidence-based professional learning in High Impact Teaching Practice, Early Childhood Education, K-2 Literacy, quality curriculum resources and in-classroom coaching. It is a framework for united understanding of and practice in teaching ‘what matters most’ and ‘what works best’ based on soundly researched evidence.
The pupil free days are on:
- Monday 19 April 2021 and Monday 12 July 2021.
Each day has been added to the respective school holiday period i.e. end of the Term 1 and Term 2 breaks. This means that staff attend school but students do not. Our ELC teachers also participate in professional learning on these days and students do not attend their usual program.
However, our ELC and OOSCA will offer care as an extension of the holiday care program on both pupil free days. There is a fee for this service. Parents may book a place for their child/ren in the respective holiday programs by contacting the centre directly.
I am unsure of the arrangements in Catholic Systemic Secondary Schools, best to check their calendars or contact these schools.
Thank you for your understanding and your partnership to further improve the learning outcomes of our students.
Happy Easter!
Thank you again for an amazing term. You deserve a restful break and a Holy Easter period.
God Bless
Greg Walker
Principal
Harrison C, Marcus B, Norah F, Alexis C, Zane E, Eliza C, Riley E, Marvel P, Noah R-M, Saila J, Leighton S, Ethan J, Kishan H, Grace F, Jesse B, Keshav S, George B, Edwin J, Bianca B, Charlotte L, Husain A, Chelsea B, Mia V, Machok D, Daniel R, Laura N, Henryk H, Riley S, Samuel C, Samarth D, Chinmayishree H, Rosh J, Eugene S, Chloe D, Elda P, Jasleen R, Jack F, Kiara V and Asher D.