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Dear Parents,
Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, a seven-day span that culminates the day before Easter Sunday. This year Easter is celebrated on the middle weekend of the holidays.
The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphant arrival in the city of Jerusalem for Passover, where he was greeted by a crowd of people laying palm branches at his feet. Jesus’ welcomers hoped that Jesus would overthrow the Roman government in Jerusalem. They shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” “Blessed is the king of Israel," and other words of praise.
Each year, palms are blessed and distributed, and many believers tie them into the shape of a cross. "Because the palms are blessed, they may not be discarded as trash. Instead, they are appropriately gathered at the church and incinerated to create the ashes that will be used in the following year's Ash Wednesday observance."
This week all students will be involved in Holy Week activities as we remember the special events that lead to Easter Sunday. Parents and friends are warmly welcomed to join us in the Church on Thursday afternoon at 2.30pm for a Liturgy depicting this most holy season.
Camps
Today the Year 5 students will be traveling to Portsea for their first camp experience. We wish them a safe and exciting adventure. All students in Year 5 are asked to complete a RAT before leaving for camp and again on their return. Staff attending camp include Thalia Kurzel, Steph Ovakimyan, Danny Maher, Susan Mitchell and Catherine Tammesild. The bus has arrived safely and activities are underway!
This will be the final camp for the year. Congratulations and thanks to Danny Maher who has coordinated all three camps in a very short period of time. Thank you also to the staff who attended the camps and gave up precious family time so that these events can happen. Thank you to the PnF who have welcomed our camping staff back with lasagna and a bottle of wine. The gesture was very much appreciated.
Harmony Day
Harmony Day was celebrated last week. The message for harmony day is 'everybody belongs' and aimed to promote respect for cultural and religious diversity throughout Australia.
Mothers Day Term 2
Mrs Saunders, the Visual Arts teacher, is inviting all mums or a special friend to attend their child’s Art class in week 2 of Term 2. The children will have a go at drawing a live portrait of their mothers or special friend in Art. It will be a fabulous way to celebrate Mother’s Day too. We do understand if you can’t attend, however, feel free to send a special friend or grandparent along. If no one is able to attend the class at all, you can email Mrs Saunders a photo of yourself and your child can draw a portrait from the photo. You don’t need to bring anything on the day, other than yourselves and a little bit of patience. It will be a very special and memorable experience.
If you have any queries, or if you cannot attend and need to email a photo, please email:
rsaunders@spbentleigh.catholic.edu.au
The class times are:
Monday 9-10 6HA; 10-11 6B; 11.40-12.40 3W; 12.40-1.40 3B
Tuesday 9-10 5O; 10-11 5K; 11.40-12.40 1W; 12.40-1.40 1M
Wednesday 9-10 4GL; 10-11 4C; 11.40-12.40 PB; 12.40-1.40 PKD
Thursday 9-10 2MA; 10-11 2H
From Mrs Saunders
Visual Art Teacher
We will be holding the Mothers Day Stall on Thursday 5 May and the Special breakfast on Friday 6 May. The Parents and Friends will also be holding a Mothers Day lunch on Friday 6 May.
Fete 23 October 2022
Wonderful news that the Fete will be back on for 2022! Many thanks to all the parents who attended the Fete meeting last week and congratulations to those who have volunteered to co-ordinate stalls. We are still looking for a fete co-ordinator - please contact Donna if you are interested.
A special thanks to Donna Campbell (who has taken on the President’s role) and Kate Densley for bringing everyone together. More news on the PnF page.
This Friday is a dress-up day for gold coin collections for the Fete. Students are invited to wear casual clothes with a touch of crazy socks, hair, or accessories and bring along a donation of gold coins to support buying items for the Spinning Wheel. A great way to celebrate our final day of Term.
A reminder that Friday is a 2.30 finish. Year 6 students will be at the gates to collect donations. Thank you for your generosity.
This year we will be fundraising to enhance and facilitate outdoor learning at St Paul's with landscaping, outdoor furniture, new line markings as well as soccer tops for the senior inter-school sports team and shade sails for the area outside the Canteen if the budget stretches that far!
Building Project
There was great excitement last week as the Yr 2 and Yr 3 students moved into their new classrooms. With the Welcome Picnic postponed last Term, we are looking forward to inviting parents into classrooms next term before an outdoor concert by the students and Andrew Chin in the Amphitheater. More information will be sent out next Term.
Prep Enrolments 2023
A reminder to all current families that enrolments for Prep next year are now being processed. Please contact Louise in the Office for a form. If you are unsure of your child’s readiness for school please fill in an enrolment form anyway and contact me via email. We have a strong number of applications so please give this matter your immediate attention.
ctammesild@spbentleigh.catholic.edu.au
Term 2 Calendar
The Term 2 calendar will be sent out to families on Thursday.
Covid-19
There have been a considerable number of absences this term among students and staff as either close contacts or those who have contracted the virus. As per CECV Guidelines, students and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 who have completed their 7-day isolation period and are subsequently asymptomatic do not need to undertake surveillance testing for eight weeks. We will continue to send out notifications of cases at school.
These holidays I ask you to pray for the people of Ukraine and the suffering the world is experiencing. I ask for God's blessings on each of you and your families this Easter.
We are optimistic that Term 2 will be filled with many blessings.
Happy Easter.
Catherine
We have accumulated a range of un-named containers and drink bottles in the office. If you feel that you are missing any item/s please come and have a look amongst the lost property or send your child down to check for any belongings they recognise - before we sadly have to throw them out at the end of the term.