God of all wonder, We pause in the busyness of our days to listen deeply to the wisdom of this land and those who belong to it. May our minds be open to dialogue, May our hearts be open to transformation and May our hands do the work of reconciliation. Amen 

Dear Friends,

Welcome back for Term 3!  This term we welcome 10 new students and their families to our community; Arnhem (KR) McCormick R (1R), Rose and Penny H (2G and 5R), Alexander H (2G), Austin and Eva M (2W and 4G) Cormac C (4G) and Zac and Madeleine M (4G and 5G).  We will also be celebrating with our students, families, and representatives from our Reconciliation Action Plan Committee, (RAP) NAIDOC week Mass at the Cathedral on Friday. Please see below an article from Year 4 outlining some more activities celebrated at school for NAIDOC week.

We also welcome this term some new staff to Holy Trinity:

• Wendy Jolliffe, who is teaching in 6 Green whilst Lisa Binutti-Wilson is on Long service leave and Courtney Crivici is on maternity leave
• Brianna Gray- a new Classroom support assistant replacing Catherine Cusack, who will now be working as an educator in the ELC. 

At the end of last term we also shared together a Trivia night, organised by the  P and F, and parents from Year 2 and Year 6.  A special thank you to Lisa and Mark Bauer, Michelle and Paul Cain s and Justin and Rhianna Webb, who gave a significant amount of time and effort to ensure this night was a great gathering for our community.  

Congratulations to our week 10 award winners!

Finance Transformation: School Fees and Billing System Changes

Holy Trinity,  in partnership with Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn (CECG), has now migrated to a new finance system to generate efficiencies that works alongside the Compass parent portal and Compass mobile application, giving parents/caregivers visibility of their financial transactions within Compass.

Additionally, changes will affect the way you pay student tuition fees, levies, and other payments.

School Fee Statement Changes

School fee statements will have a new look.  A new Customer Reference Number (CRN) has been created and payment methods have been updated. A statement will be sent out shortly that will contain an updated BPAY Biller Code and CRN that will need to be utilised going forward.

Statements will be emailed to financially responsible account holders each month, so it is necessary to ensure that your information is updated in the Compass parent portal, including your address and current email address. 

Payment Methods

To support the changes in the school finance system BPAY is now the preferred payment method.  You will receive your new statement shortly, which will contain the new BPAY Biller code and your new CRN

Utilising these new unique codes will ensure that any payments made will be accurately assigned to your account. 

BPAY payment scheduling is supported by most financial institutions.  Please contact your bank for further details if required.

If you already have scheduled BPAY payment in place, it is important that you ensure these details are updated to use the new BPAY Biller Code and CRN. 

Payments can be made through Compass, but this does cost the school transactional fees, reducing the funds available to support the school.  Where possible, please pay school fees via BPAY or directly at the school office via cash or EFTPOS.

How to use BPAY 

Your new fee statement will display a distinct BPAY logo which includes your BPAY biller code and Customer Reference Number with an example is pictured below.

Please Note: The current School Bank Account is Closing    

The current school bank account is closing.  Please cease any automated or manual payments to the previous school bank account. As Direct Debit will no longer be accepted, all existing direct debit arrangements have been cancelled. 

Accordingly, if you make regular payment of school fees via Direct Debit, please ensure that you work with the school to ensure that another payment method is in place. 

Changes to the Compass Portal

The Compass Portal will have an additional feature under the My Payments area. In addition to being able to view any Compass event payments, families will also be able to view their fee statement history, including any payments made.

Under the Tools wheel, go to My Payments

Under the History tab, fee payers can view their account balance and transaction history. Please allow up to 24 hours for BPAY payments to appear on your account.

Thank you for supporting the school with these system changes and should you have any concerns please feel free to contact Nikki at the front office. 

We do have a family using the incorrect BPAY number -  some transactions have been made to pay a school fees account, however because the BPAY number is incorrect, we are unable to account this to a family.  If you think this is you, please contact the front office as soon as possible. 

Please keep in your prayers the Babic family Katia), the Vrabics, Ilijaa, Ivan and Luka) and the Day family ( Audrey) who have all experienced family loss in the last few weeks.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

This term we will be facilitating both the Seasons For Growth Program for students in Year 1-6 who have experienced loss and also the Cool Kids Program for children in Year 3-6.  Unfortunately our Tuning Into Kids program to be offered by our school  Counsellor Kate Worthington and a colleague has now needed to be postponed until Term 4.  Kate will be in touch again with interested parents towards the end of this term. 

Congratulations to the Griffiths family (Audrey KG) on the arrival of a beautiful baby daughter, Lucie. 

On Wednesday and Thursday of next week, our school will be visited by a panel of representatives from Catholic Education for our 5 year Registration process.  We look forward to sharing the wonderful successes of our community with them and receiving some important feedback to help us continue to grow.  In the newsletter next week I will share with you feedback from our Archdiocesan School Survey that some of you completed last term.

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

Philippa

In the Reconciliation performance Chaydin, his dad and brother taught us some dances. We were being different animals in the dances like emus, kangaroos and more. We also did a dance around a bush fire. Most kids liked getting their face painted by Chaydin with ochre.

After everyone did dances all Aboriginal kids at school stayed and they got to choose a friend to stay with and we talked about our culture and our relationship with family and friends. It was fun to learn about everyone's culture and touching, learning and having fun 

Ella 4 Green:

I liked being able to touch the different artefacts and being able to crush ochre and play around with it.

Ilaria 4 Green:

I liked how we got to smash/make ochre. I also liked being able to talk about our cultures. 

Neve 4 Green: 

I liked how at the start we got to talk about each others cultures and how we got to smash the ochre and put it on other people.

Written by Neve I-G 4 Green. 

Global School Partners

WOW! What a way to finish our fundraising for Evaland Hekima. Thank you to all who donated over the past term. I am proud to announce that Holy Trinity raised $4000! 

Finally, CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of our Lolly Jar Competition!

Feast of Transfiguration 

On Friday Week 3, Holy Trinity and Sts Peter and Paul will gather to celebrate the Feast of the Transfigutation. The Feast of the Transfiguration, recalls and celebrates Jesus’ revelation of his divinity to three of his friends—Peter, James, and John—on a high point on Mount Tabor. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus took the three disciples onto the mountain to pray. While they were praying, his appearance was changed by a brilliant white light that radiated from him and his clothing. Moses and Elijah, the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, appeared with Jesus, and a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

Each year we mark the occasion by gathering together as a Parish Community, this year it is Holy Trinity's turn to host. We will be providing all students from Holy Trinity and Sts Peter and Paul a sausage sizzle lunch.

I am looking for any volunteers to help with the BBQ and be available from 9:30 - 11:30am to help cook and serve students. If you are able please send me an email - emily.capper@cg.catholic.edu.au

Sacrament of First Eucharist

The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated in our Parish this Term. Children who have already celebrated their First Reconciliation may be enrolled.

To enrol your child, please

1. Download the Qkr! App
2. Search for ‘Woden North Transfiguration Parish’
3. Click on ‘Parish Payments and Sacraments’
4. At the top, Click on ‘Sacrament’
5. Then select ‘First Eucharist’
6. Fill out the Enrolment form. and pay the $40 (This helps to defray the cost of a workbook, commemorative certificate, medal and administrative costs. If you have difficulty meeting the offering, please contact the parish office for a confidential discussion.)

Why a Family-Based Program?

The Parish Family-Based program affirms the participation of parents in their child’s faith journey with the prayerful support of the Parish community. The program compliments but does not replace the religious instruction given at Catholic schools or through a School of Religion. Parents have found the program to be a graced time with their child and that has made the celebration of the sacrament all the more meaningful.

Hosting a Family Group

The program is dependent on the generosity of some parents to host or to co-host a family group. A ‘Host Nomination’ form is enclosed for your consideration. The role of a host is not difficult, with session notes provided. N.B. Hosts will be required to attend an Information Session via Zoom 5.30pm, Tuesday, 25 July followed by the Parent Information Night via Zoom at 6.00pm.

All hosts must have, or have applied for, a Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) card. There is no cost involved in applying for a WWVP card for volunteers. Further information as to how to apply for a WWVP card is found on the ‘Host Nomination’ form.

What does the program involve?

The program includes:

• An Information Night for hosts of a family group via Zoom at 5.30pm, Tuesday, 25 July.
• An Introductory Night for parents to receive an overview of the family sessions via Zoom at 6.00pm, Tuesday, 25 July.
• Four family group meetings for parents and children following the Introduction Night.
• Presentation Mass. Each family to attend one of the following: Saturday 26 August 6pm or Sunday 27 August 9.30am at Holy Trinity Church, Curtin.

At the Introductory Night, you will receive notification of meeting options for home groups and you will be asked to nominate your preference.

Celebration of First Eucharist

You will need to nominate a weekend Mass (Sat. 6pm, Sun. 9.30am or Sun. 5.30pm) on the weekend of 16-17th of September for the celebration. There will be a limited number of seats available for candidates, their families and guests, mindful of the need to accommodate other parishioners at each of these Masses. This will be further explained at the Parent Introductory Night.

What next?

If you would like your child to celebrate First Eucharist this year, you must register via the Qkr. Meanwhile, enquiries can be directed to the Parish Office (6281 3999 / wodennorth@cg.org.au ).

Emily Capper

Religious Education Coordinator

New operating model from 2024

Welcome back to a new school term. I hope the holiday period was restful, however it looked for you.

Late last term, Catholic Education advised the Holy Trinity ELC that it will be adopting the Catholic Education Canberra & Goulburn Archdiocese (CECG) operating model in 2024.

The changes that will impact our current families are as follows:

• The ELC will close on Thursday 14 December 2023 and will be unable to offer the School Holiday Program over the December & January stand down period.
• The School Holiday Program and the Before and After School Care programs currently offered to Kindergarten children will not be available from 2024.

If you have a child attending the ELC in 2024 the changes that will impact you are as follows:

• The ELC will reopen for children booked into the 48 weeks on Monday 15 January 2024. Children booked into the 40 week program start school on Tuesday 30 January 2024.
• The ELC opening hours will be reduced and will now operate from 8am-5.30am daily.
• Families are required to commit to either 40 or 48 Week enrolment and Preschool Plus or Preschool preference prior to the end of 2023. The ELC will no longer be able to provide flexibility in booking Preschool and Preschool Plus, i.e. the booking will be one program or the other.

I apologise if these changes have an adverse affect on your family. Please contact me if you wish to discuss. cushla.sheehan@cg.catholic.edu.au

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.

Justin Coulson shares valuable ways to talk to your children when they are feeling anxious. He reflects that the quickest way to reduce the impact of strong emotions is to share them. When we allow our kids to share their anxiety with us, and we accept, affirm, and agree with them, their worries will begin to dissipate. Please enjoiy this short read on talking to your child about feelign anxious.