"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24). 

Dear Friends,

After celebrating the Feast of the Trinity last Friday with our school community, I began to reflect on the symbolism of the sign of the Cross and the Cross as a Christian symbol historically. Whilsts I was on my recent trip to the Holy land we spent time looking st the Jerusalem Cross, and I purchased one for our school to have. The Jerusalem Cross is rich in symbolism and meaning and goes by many different names, including the Crusader's Cross. It represents Christ's command to spread the Gospel around the world, a mission that started in Jerusalem. It was part of the coat of arms of the short-lived Jerusalem Kingdom (1099-1203 AD). It is a busy collection of five crosses and the most common interpretations are:

• A combination of the Old Testament teachings (the four Tau Crosses) and the New Testament teachings (the four Greek Crosses)
• The four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with Christ in the centre-  Christianity (central cross) broadcast by missionaries to the four corners of the world
• Five crosses representing the five wounds of Jesus on the cross (small crosses for the hands and feet, and the large central cross for the spear wound in His side.  

A HUGE thank you to Emily Capper and  our staff for organising such a wonderful feast day together last Friday.  Below are some great moments from the day: 

Finance Transformation: Notice of Finance System Changes

 In partnership with Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn CECGG), Holy Trinity Primary School is migrating to a new finance system, that will integrate with the Compass Parent Portal and Compass App. It is anticipated that Holy Trinity Primary School will begin to use this system in July, 2023. Please note,thatt all schools in our Diocese are rolling into this new finance system over this year. 

The move to the new system will increase the integration of the school finances into Compass, with parents/caregivers also having visibility of financial transactions within Compass.

There will be changes to the design of fee statements, which will include a newly assigned BPAY Biller Code and Customer Reference Number CRN), that will be issued to you once the system has migrated in July 2023 on your Term 3 fee statements.

The payment of school fees directly into a school bank account will no longer be possible in the new system, and the school bank account is being centralised across CECG.  If you make regular payment of school fees via Direct Debit, please note that these have been cancelled and you will need to ensure that you move to an alternative payment option.

From July 2023, BPAY will be the preferred payment method for the payment of student tuition fees and levies.  Most banks allow for regular recurring payment to be made via BPAY. For more information on how to enable ongoing payments using BPAY, please speak to your bank. 

Payments can also be made online utilising Compass Pay or directly at the school office utilising cash or EFTPOS.  The following payment methods will no longer be accepted: 

• Direct debit 
• Direct bank deposit 
• Qkr! 
• Please note that Qkr! will still be able to be used for other P and F payments such as canteen and uniform orders. 

To assist with a smooth transition to the new system, can you please ensure that our school is aware of any updated contact details for your family.

We appreciate your support during this transition. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, or Nikki at the front office. 

Tomorrow we will host our Confirmation Retreat Day at school, before our Parish candidates receive the Sacrament of Confirmation next Monday or Tuesday night in our Parish Church.  Please keep these children and their families in your prayers. 

Thank you for your participation in our parent teacher interviews/student conferences throughout this week.  This is a vital conversation and an important element of connecting and continuing our professional and warm relationships with our community.  In Week 10 you will be sent a Compass notification when Semester 1 reports are ready to preview on the portal for each of your children. 

Have a wonderful weekend and a peace-filled week ahead with your beautiful families. 

Philippa 

Last Thursday evening, our Confirmation candidates and families gathered to create their stoles in preperation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. This Friday, all Year 6 students at Holy Trinity and Sts Peter and Paul will partake in our Confirmation retreat day and are welcome to wear free dress. 

We look forward to celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation with Father John and Archbishop Prowse next Monday and Tuesday. 

Global School Partners

Today we had our second last fundraiser, COIN HEART! We will be announcing the winners tomorrow morning at morning assembly.

Emily Capper

Religious Education Coordinator

Preschool Learning Journeys

The ELC will be hosting Learning Journeys next week 19-23 June. This is an opportunity for families to view the classroom learning environment, child's learning portfolio, reflect together on the learning and create goals for Semester Two. There is no need to schedule your learning journey visit, but if you would like time to speak with your child's teacher, please contact them directly for a meeting.

July School Holiday Program

The ELC is now taking bookings for the July School Holiday Program which runs from 3-17 July (Monday 17 July is a system wide pupil free day). The holiday program provides a relaxing, fun and engaging space for Preschool and Kindergarten children. Please click here to book your child in for some or all available days.

Stay and Play

Stay and Play is a playgroup for pre-preschoolers and their carer each Wednesday in school term 9am-10am in the ELC Adventure Garden (weather permitting). All families and the broader community are welcome to attend.

Casual Preschool Plus, Before and After School Care Bookings

The ELC welcomes casual bookings for Preschoolers, Kindergarten and Year One children currently enrolled in the ELC. Bookings can be made by calling or emailing the ELC office. elc.holytrinity@cg.catholic.edu.au

The P&F is a forum for parents to provide input on parent priorities and suggest ideas, support the School Board and policies, raise money for student resources, and provide support for school programs and student services.  We also help to organise community events for our families to enjoy, spending time together! 

We look forward to sharing a Trivia night next Friday night-  please see below for details and how to purchase a spot via QKR! 

There are times in our lives when we are listening but not really hearing what is being said. The art of being present in conversations is a challenge. This week's article by Rachel Samson, demonstrates the importance of being a good listener and is  a reminder for us all.

Important Dates - Linked to School Calendar

*Please note that dates can change through out the term