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Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students
This week marks the beginning of Lent. This year Pope Francis reminds Christians to continue to do good in the world. His reflection is based around St Paul's letter to the Galations;'Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up' (6:9-10).
It can become very difficult to be the one always trying to do good. Especially if those we are trying to help are not particularly appreciative or responsive.
Our students are wonderful examples of living this message. Daily we see a dedicated team of Environmental activists who seek to tidy the yard and remind others to use the rubbish bins. We see children who continue to forgive and re-engage with other children who have not yet learned how to play consistently in a safe and respectful manner. We see children who offer help to their peers in the classroom and playground.
We can be more like the wonderful children in our school by living and engaging with the people around us. Pope Francis calls us to step off digital media and into human connection, where things can be messy and uncomfortably real.
If you have a practice of giving something up during Lent perhaps it could be some of the time spent on digital media. Instead we could invest this time in doing something good for others. This could be a local charitable organisation or effort, or reaching out to someone in person to see if they need help or just a listening ear.
Lent is also a time of prayer and reflection. Pope Francis asks that we specifically pray for the people involved in the conflict in Ukraine. Please join me in praying for those impacted by the events in Europe and for those in our Eastern states impacted by floods.
May your Lent be a time of peace, reflection, prayer and action.
Kind regards,
Kate
Moment of Silence
A new initiative for us at St Thomas the Apostle PS, is the Moment of Silence that will occur every week. Prayer is very important to us this year, as we are focusing on the Prayer Pillar in 2022. The Prayer Pillar is one of the foundations of this school, where we recognise the importance of prayer in our lives.
The Moment of Silence is one of the ways we intend to strengthen our prayer muscle. Every Wednesday at 3pm for one minute we will stop, be silent, reflect on the things we are grateful for and let the Spirit say something to us. Being quiet and prayerful will help us hear what the Spirit is saying. Lent is the perfect time to kick this off.
The Church bells ring across the school to let us know when this time happens. Every class, every staff member and every visitor is invited to take this moment together. It is a beautiful expression of faith to enter into dialogue with our God, through prayer. And just like lifting weights to strengthen our muscles, our moment of silence with God will help strengthen our prayer life.
Lent Begins!
Ash Wednesday is the day that waves the flag on the season of Lent. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so we are trying to do small things each day to be the people God intended us to be. Just like the Moment of Silence, students are encouraged to learn about how we can change and adapt to be the best we can – inner change, not external change.
Father Denis discussed with the Damascus Community on Ash Wednesday that we can do small incremental changes but there can be two types of changes – things to give up and and things to do more of. You can give up lollies for Lent, but you can also think about giving to the poor. To support this, Caritas have supplied each family with a ‘Project Compassion’ box. These can be brought back to school before the end of Term 1 so that we can deposit the fundraising. Last year was an amazing effort with our Project Compassion effort. Please consider what you can do at home to make it a special part of your family’s Lenten journey.
And on the topic of Project Compassion, we have additional information regarding Caritas Australia’s response to the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. School communities may have questions about the situation in Ukraine and will want to know what they can do to assist those impacted. Caritas Australia is one of the few NGOs in Australia with a direct partner on the ground in Ukraine. Caritas Ukraine is currently providing emergency support to internally displaced persons. This means that Project Compassion is also currently focused on providing support to Caritas Ukraine as they work tirelessly in tremendously difficult circumstances to provide essentials to vulnerable and displaced people in Ukraine, including:
- Emergency food and water
- Shelter
- Hygiene kits
- Psychological counselling
First Reconciliation Update
Well done to all the families who have been working diligently on their share sheets, preparing for their First Reconciliation. Remember to come along to one of the Parent/Child Workshops next week as part of the program. Continue to work on the share sheets until the end of the program when it is time to celebrate the sacrament. Father Denis and Sister Julie will collect the share sheets and give you the next week’s worth of material at each Mass.
Parent/Child Workshops:
Tuesday 8th March 7pm or Wednesday 9th March 7pm are the sessions to choose from.
Please welcome to the school community Mrs Jelita Jaison and Ms Crystal Krytenberg
Hello.. Lovely people,
My name is Jelita Jaison. I am the new teacher who joined the grade 2 team in the Bethlehem Community. This is my first year at STTAPS. I have been enjoying my first few weeks at STTAPS and looking forward to a wonderful year of learning and friendships.
I am married with two children, a 6 year old daughter and a 2 year old son. My husband is a music teacher and he teaches piano and keyboard.
I enjoy spending time with my family and my hobbies are travelling with my family, we enjoy day trips on the weekend and are always finding new places to explore.
My newest obsession is looking after plants. My favourite plant is ‘Monstera Deliciosa’. And I love animals too, as I have 2 dogs, 5 parrots, 1 bunny and 5 fish tanks.
Kind regards,
Jelita Jaison
Hi I’m Crystal Krytenberg (Ms K) and I’m a new ESO working within the Ephesus Community! I am on my third year of uni studying towards my Bachelor’s degree in Primary Teaching. I have 3 children: Paige, Harper and Noah. During my free time I love to go for long walks and my favourite place is the beach.
“Children and young people have experienced an incredibly difficult two years due to the pandemic, and now they are faced with an even more uncertain world with the threat of conflict and war."
To find out further information to further assist on how best to support children who are anxious about the current situation, please click on the link .
https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/supporting-children-manage-anxiety-over-war-conflict-and-crises
Parent Notified Absences
Parents should notify the school of any absence by 9.00am. This can be done via PAM or alternatively by contacting or emailing the school.
If you are unable to access PAM please contact the school for further assistance
Uniform Reminders
Hats are compulsory until the beginning of May and then from the 1st of September.
Please note that due to government health regulations the school cannot provide spare hats to the students.
NB: Please clearly label your child's items of clothing with their full name so they can be returned to your child if handed to lost property.
Our Senior students are getting very excited as we draw close to their swimming program. Each class will have 8 lessons and they will be sure to make some great progress and develop their water confidence. Please help them to have their swimming gear, a towel and goggles for each of the following dates!
7,8,9,10,15,16,17,18 March
Spills and accidents happen at school.
Please provide a change of underwear and socks in your child's bag.
In our sick bay we do have some spare clothes for these needs. We politely remind families to wash and return them as quickly as possible, for other children to use.
Our wonderful Foundation students will commence attending school on Wednesdays starting next week (9th March).
Thanks to our Foundation teachers for completing all the baseline assessments!
We know the children will embrace this next step in their school journey.
Melbourne Gang Show is one of Melbourne's longest-running amateur theatre companies, and among the most successful Scout Shows in the world.
Tige C - GR 6 will be participating in this wonderful show on Friday June 17.
If you would like to attend and support Tige and the Scouts and Guides of Melbourne, please refer to the attached flyer for further details.