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Dear Parents and Carers,
Today marks the end of the most unusual term of schooling that our students have ever had and probably for you as well. I know I have acknowledged in the past the excellent job you are doing at home, as are the staff from the school, with most working from home as well. Although there have been many challenges, because of the communication between you and the school staff, many of the problems have been solved quickly. There is no doubt that working from home whilst supporting your child during Remote Learning has been exhausting and at times, bewildering. I, along with all the staff here, cannot thank you enough for what you are doing in these challenging times. You are amazing! I have spoken to many parents and carers over the past 5 weeks and have heard first hand about the day to day challenges but also the joys that people are experiencing. Your faith and positivity is inspiring along with your honesty and tears expressing how you are sometimes feeling. You will look back at this time in years to come and will remember the special moments that you have spent with your children as they are beside you day to day, in the ‘lockdown of 2021’.
As already announced, the ACT Government and the Chief Health Officer advised us this week, that we will be conducting Remote Learning for the first 4 weeks of next term. This is from Tuesday 5 October with an anticipated return to school date of November the 1st (week 5). I will be contact with you all in the second week of the holidays to discuss this further.
But for now, it is time now to take a break from Remote Learning. I know many of you will still need to be working over this period but hopefully the pressures of schooling will not be there. Our Student Representative Council have set a “Cup Cake Challenge” for the students over the holidays so hopefully that will be a fun time activity for everyone (see further in the newsletter).
As I sign off for the term there are a couple of particular thanks I would like to note. Thankyou Lauren Jameson for composing the words and singing so beautifully your song about missing our students and wanting to be out of lockdown. It can be viewed on our Facebook page and there is also a link to it here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RTIsyuZgW7-Nd1rM_j6hOPIbBQAd1fky/view?usp=sharing. To Victoria Town for turning the Canteen into a gourmet take-away restaurant. This has been a tremendous help to many families. I look forward to seeing the menu next term! Thank you to the many parents who have donated money for meals for families who have experienced hardship (of many different types) over the past 5 weeks. You are most generous. To the parents and carers who are so busy (and sometimes struggling) with the juggle of day to day life, thank you for your tenacity to keep going. And finally to my beautiful, hard working, talented and optimistic staff, you are making the difference in all our lives and I know you will continue to do so next term.
I am so proud to be the principal of this great school.
Have a restful and screen free few weeks.
Yours in partnersip,
Ursula Jamieson
Principal
RE Week 10 - Who do you say I am?
Collection for the Night Patrol Van
Once again, our community has shone through in difficult times. On Tuesday, I dropped our donations to the Night Patrol Team. They were overwhelmed, but not surprised, by the generosity of the St Thomas the Apostle community. The donations will provide a welcome treat for people sleeping rough in Canberra. More importantly, however, they will remind them that they are in our prayers and that they are not alone. We all need to hear this, particularly when the world seems different and our lives seem disconnected. We are not alone.
Sacramental Programs
Thank you for the patience you have shown towards the delay in our Sacramental Programs. We hope that in the next few weeks, we will be able to give you some idea as to a future timeline for the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation. We will be working hard to ensure that we do all we can to allow the children to receive these sacraments this year.
A message from Pope Francis
"Just as God told Joseph: 'Son of David, do not be afraid!' (Mt 1:20), so he seems to tell us: 'Do not be afraid!' We need to set aside all anger and disappointment, and to embrace the way things are, even when they do not turn out as we wish. Not with mere resignation but with hope and courage. In this way, we become open to a deeper meaning. Our lives can be miraculously reborn if we find the courage to live them in accordance with the Gospel. It does not matter if everything seems to have gone wrong or some things can no longer be fixed. God can make flowers spring up from stony ground. Even if our heart condemns us, 'God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything'(1 Jn 3:20)."
The words of God to Joseph echo for us today: do not be afraid! I haven’t counted for myself, but I’ve heard it said, “Fear not,” is in the Bible 365 times. Fear is a cause to pause. An invitation to stop and seek God’s way forward.
Think about the circumstances in scripture when The Lord says, “fear not.” These are pivotal times when His people have paused to ask for direction and courage. They are taking big risks; facing their giants; going into battle; saying unpopular things; traveling into unchartered territory.
Fear, stress, and confusion are all normal to the human condition. God is not asking us to erase these feelings from our lives, but to give them over to Him. He is calling us to embrace His love and not become imprisoned by these emotions. St. Joseph may have feared for his family’s safety and well-being, but he was not consumed by fear. Pope Francis calls him, “creatively courageous.” “In the face of difficulty,” he writes, “we can either give up and walk away, or somehow engage with it.” Joseph engaged. St. Joseph, teach us to give ourselves over to God.
Have a beautiful break. Hopefully we will be able to enjoy plenty of sunshine and fresh air.
Penny Vanzwol
REC
Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who will cebebrate a birthday this week and in the holidays
Henry Smyth
Oliver Smyth
Cameron Le
Dylan Anyon
Brooke Schatzman
Liam Kneeshaw
Noah Fotu
It is with great sadness we announce the School Fete will not be held this year due to the unpredictable nature of the current COVID-19 situation.
The Fete Committee would like to thank our cash sponsors Maliganis Edwards Johnson as our Platinum sponsor, Lloyds Constructions and Bull and Bear our gold sponsors and Isidore Consulting as our silver sponsor. We would like to thank them for their ongoing commitment to our School and Fete.
Together with the above, we will continue to work with other pledged sponsors and supporters to bring the Fete back bigger and better in 2022.
Thanks to Jupiter Kitchen’s, Little Theo’s, Canberra Containers, Blue Arc IT Solutions, Impress Printers, Shaw Wines, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, North Rocks, Deanne Calisthenics, BentSpoke a brewing, APlus Towing and Lonsdale Street Roasters.
Thanks
The Fete Committee
Our SRC invite you to take part in the Cupcake Challenge!
Please see the poster below for details.
Here is the link to upload your cupcake photos:
Canteen News - New Coop for Chickens
Our beloved feathered, egg laying girls are about to get a new coop, but they would love some nesting boxes.
I have ideas and specs, but haven’t got handy hands for anything but cooking!
We will naturally cover the material costs, and in these times also help get them, as I know this can be very difficult.
If you are able to make some for us, I would love to hear from you, Victoria.town@cg.catholic.edu.au or phone 0447 325 239
Victoria Town
Canteen Manager
The Awards were presented "virtually" in this morning's class meeting. They will be posted home to students.
Kinder |
Daniel Boban, Holly Keeffe |
Year 1 |
Caleb Earl, Baani Toor |
Year 2 |
Hannah Patron, Nick Griffin |
Year 3/4 |
Max Creber, Eva Rosette |
Year 5/6 |
Ashleigh Fuller, Caitlin Hackney-Britt |