Dear friends, 

A Holy Week Reflection:

Christians attempt to comfort sufferers by touting the benefits of suffering. “Suffering builds character,” we say. “I don’t want character,” says the sufferer. “I want relief.” Then come the inevitable questions: “Why does God let bad things happen?” and “Where is God when it hurts?”

The care that parents give their children suggests answers to both questions. For example, suppose a seven-year-old girl is taking her first ride on a bicycle. Her father, running alongside her, sees that she is about to hit a rough spot on the road but restrains his impulse to reach out and steady the bike. The dad wants his little girl to learn how to ride with confidence, so he does not prevent her fall. When the bike bounces off the bump, the girl panics, tumbles to the pavement, and scrapes her elbow and knee. The dad scoops her up into his arms and comforts her. Then he carries her into the house, cleans and dresses her scratches, holds her on his lap, and tells her a favourite story.

God is like that dad. He lets us navigate our way, but he stays alongside us. He does not prevent bad things from happening because he wants us to learn to deal confidently with hardship. But when we suffer, God scoops us up and stays with us. He shares our pain, sustains us, and consoles us.

That’s the message of the cross, and signing ourselves opens us to hearing it. God’s only Son became a man in Christ. In his human nature, God himself suffered rejection, humiliation, ridicule, abandonment, buffetings, scourging, crucifixion, and death. He embraced suffering as a man so that he could comfort us in our suffering.

When we make the sign of the cross we invite the Lord to join us in our suffering. We touch our forehead and move down to our breast, telling the Lord with this gesture that we want him to bend down to us. Then we cross our shoulders in a movement that asks him to support us—to shoulder us—in our suffering.     From The Sign of the Cross by Bert Ghezzi.

This week we have spent much time gathering as a community to pray, remember and reflect on the source and summit of our Catholic beliefs-  the Easter story. Katie and I have also spent the weekend and the beginning of the week reflecting on our journey with the PYP Program, whilst attending the IB Global Heads Conference at Singapore.  I thank the School Board for committing to our attendance at this conference biannually-  this year was particularly significant as the International Baccalaureate turns 50, and over 1800 people came together from around Australasia and the world to share their learnings and implementation of this.  This was also pertinent for Katie and I as we prepare our school for Evaluation in March of next year and School Registration in August of this year.   Our three new teachers in the primary school- Lloyd Scroope, Campbell Sloane and Yvonne Solly and two teachers from the ELC- Maryanne Winchester and Justine Angus- will also be attending the Making the PYP Happen PD next weekend in Sydney.  We also congratulate Lloyd and Campbell on the graduation from ACU, to be celebrate next Thursday.

Last night the P and F met for the second time this year-  much planning is underway for two of our major fundraisers this year-  the Holy Trinity Cook book and the School Fete. Thank you to those parents who have volunteered their help for the fete- please note there will be a meeting called soon about this.  A HUGE thank you to Lisa Bauer who has recently offered to help coordinate the Fete-  please consider helping Lisa with this task, or perhaps shadowing the committee this year, to learn how to coordinate a fete for the next one in two years time.  Next Friday 6th of April we will also be having our first Working bee for the year-  this will concentrate on two main areas-  the Kindergarten courtyard where we are designing some new play spaces, and the ELC.  We will also need help with a general tidy up of the school.  The working bee will be between 3:30pm and 6:30pm-  if you are able to stay for a little while after pick up or drop in on your way home from work, your contribution would be very much appreciated.  The P and F and school will also be putting on a sausage sizzle and drinks for families who are able to stay and help.  I will send a flyer home about this to remind families early next week. 

I hope your Easter will be a time of rest and reflection with our Risen Lord,

For those travelling, stay safe, and to all families, enjoy this break with your loved ones, 

Philippa 

Holy Week Liturgies

Thank you to 3/4 White, Green, Blue and Red and our Year 2 classes and their teachers for leading us in our Holy Week Liturgies. An RE Staff Team will lead us in the Easter Sunday Liturgy on Tuesday at 2:30pm. Thank you to all the families and friends who joined us on our jouney through Holy Week. 

Project Compassion- Easter Raffle Drawn This afternoon

Thank you to the Year One families who donated Easter eggs to contribute to our delicious Easter eggs baskets. These baskets will be raffled this afternoon. Thank you to the Year 6 Leaders who have been selling tickets at Lunch and Recess this week. Good luck everyone.

ANZAC Day Liturgy 

5/6 Red will lead us in our ANZAC Day Liturgy on Friday 13th April at 9:30. I am asking that any Australian Services person that would like to be part of the liturgy to contact me via email. 

Holy Trinity Church Easter Mass times

Mass of the Lord’s Supper- Thursday 29^th 7pm

Commemoration of the Passion- Friday 30^th 3pm

Easter Saturday Easter Vigil- Saturday 31^st 7pm

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord- Sunday 10am & 5:30pm

STEM Launch The launch of the ELSA (Early Learning STEM Australia) occurred this week. The ELC is one of 100 pilot preschools participating in the program. The ELSA Pilot enables our children to explore STEM practices, these are the ideas, methods and values that underpin STEM. They are important because they help children develop strong skills and values that are useful later in life, such as problem solving, communication, creativity and curiosity. WIN news visited the ELC to film STEM in action. For Facebook users the clip is available here https://www.facebook.com/WINNewsCanberra/videos/1671924829539208/

School Holiday Program Booking are now being taken for Kinder and Year One students for the ELC School Holiday Program. Booking forms are available from the ELC office or by email request elc.holytrinity@cg.catholic.edu.au

ELC Working Bee Friday 6 April from 3.30-6.30. Drop by for 30 minutes or 3 hours, we would love your help in adding fresh sand to our sandpit, sorting toys and equipment and general cleaning. Add your name to the sign-up sheet in the classrooms.

Stay and Play every Wednesday morning from 9-10am at the ELC playground. All families from the ELC, Primary School and broader community are very welcome.

Below are some photos from the last week from the ELC.

Helping children achieve sustained school success by Sharon Witt

The new school year is well and truly underway and thousands of kids (and their parents) across the country are settling in for a full year ahead. For some children, this year marks their first step into their school journey, while for others it is a chance for new opportunities, friendships and educational experiences. Here are some tips to help your child navigate the school year ahead:

1. Communicate with school

Communication with the school is important in aiding a successful school year for your child, whether they have just started at the school or have been there for several years. Familiarise yourself with your child’s class teacher. If your child has any specific learning or behavioral issues it is important to communicate these with their teacher early on in the year. Don’t assume that all relevant information will be passed on from previous teachers. It is well worth sending an introductory email to a new teacher outlining any information that would be helpful in relation to your child, including any strategies that have been successful in the past. Far from initiating ‘red flags’, this information is actually much more helpful for teachers than having to find out themselves.

Be sure to communicate any early concerns regarding your child’s experience at school to the class teacher as soon as you become aware of them. Teachers can only deal with information you share with them, so by all means, call or email the school and make an appointment to discuss any issues. Avoid trying to have a serious discussion with the teacher at the beginning or end of the school day as this is often the busiest time for teachers. Booking an appointment time is desirable unless it is an urgent matter.

2. Give organisational tools to support success

Children thrive on routine and being able to visually see what is happening in the school week ahead. Creating a family calendar, whiteboard or wall chart that is visible to your child is helpful. Include important events such as camps, sports days and excursions.

It is also helpful to set up a communication tub or tray in the home where your child can place any notices they bring home, forms that need signing or books that need to be checked or worked on for homework. When children have a place for things it creates an environment that supports them gaining organisation skills and increased independence. Having a place to put their school bag each afternoon and encouraging them to empty out their lunch box and unpack notices is important.

3. Provide support with homework

Homework can be a struggle for both your child and yourself as a parent, especially when you are exhausted at the end of a working day. To enable your child to complete any set homework, ensure your child has a well-lit space where they can complete tasks, with the correct tools on hand – pens, rulers, whiteout, paper, etc. (a stationery tub or set of small drawers is helpful for the home).

Prioritise time to sit with them and guide them through their homework. If homework is becoming burdensome in your home and causing extra stress to your child, communicate this to their class teacher.

4. Prepare for a successful day ahead

Ensure your child gets plenty of sleep. Children should be averaging around 8 to 12 hours of sleep each night. Make sure they have a regular bed time and stick to it wherever possible. Reading before bedtime can be a helpful way to end the day and set the scene for a good night’s rest.

The best way to set up a successful day ahead is for your child to eat a healthy breakfast and take a nutritious and balanced lunch with them, including plenty of snacks to keep their brain focused throughout the day.

5. Make time to chat about school

Keep the lines of communication open with your child. Ask them questions about their day and look for any signs that they might be experiencing any concerns, particularly social issues. Remind your child that you are always available to listen. At the end of dinner time each evening you could ask each family member: “What went well for you today?”

6. Assist with friendships

Making and maintaining friends is an important aspect of your child’s school life. Ask your child regularly about the friends they are making at school, who they are playing with and how they are interacting with others. Get to know your child’s friends where possible and look for opportunities to grow your child’s social experiences, particularly if you have a shy child. If there are social concerns at school, make sure you communicate these as early as possible to the class teacher.

(https://www.parentingideas.com.au)

Swimming

Results were announced last Friday. Green house were the Spirit Cup winners and Red House were the Competition winners. Thank you again to all the parents who assisted throughout the day.  17 students have qualified for the South Western meet to be held at the AIS on Thursday 5^th April. Congratulations to these students and good luck.

Cross Country

The Cross Country is being held next week 4^th April. Races will commence just after 12pm and finish by 1:30. A guideline of events is currently being developed and this will be posted on the school website. Parents if you are able to help with monitoring or collecting results can you please email me.

Catholic Schools Soccer Carnival

The Soccer Carnival is getting closer. We have two teams registered, good luck!  Draws will be out next week and I will email them to you, as well as have them on the website. Player and Manager Show bags will be delivered to you early next week.

Please use and share the Soccer Facebook Page.

https://www.facebook.com/catholicschoolssoccercarnival

Our website is http://www.holyspirit.act.edu.au/cgcs-soccer-carnival-2018/

TERM 1, WEEK 9 - WED 4 APR

Team Leader: Justin Irvine, Jason Van Ballegooyen, Nick Williamsm, Loretta Pabian, Tim Graham

Thanks to Pat the Dog who visited us from School Banking last week. 

Pat showed us the 2018 rewards and told us about the awesome competition

that students who make 15 or more deposits will be entered in.  

School Banking is also a great Fundraiser for our school with CommBank

making a Contribution to our Fundraising efforts.  

Banking day is every Wednesday and Students hand their books to the class teacher in the morning.

Visit:

www.commbank.com.au/schoolbanking for information on registering your child.

Have a super weekend…

Jo

Jo Whatman

School Banking Specialist

ACT/NSW Region