PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

This week we are celebrating Catholic Education Week in the Ballarat Diocese. We always schedule our Open Day and Subject Expo during Catholic Education Week, to provide an opportunity for prospective parents and students, as well as current families, to view our wonderful school and the breadth of curriculum available. We also take the time to pray together as a Catholic community when we gather together with the other Catholic Schools in our Parish and celebrate the annual CESH Mass.

The Open Day and Subject Expo were held yesterday and it was great to see so many families walking through the school and viewing our wonderful facilities and all of the amazing student work. The information sessions provided important details for students and parents to assist in completing the subject selection process for 2023. If you require further assistance, please contact Nathan Lane, Deputy Principal Teaching & Learning or Sally Looney, Pathways Coordinator and arrange an appointment.

Tomorrow is our CESH Mass and we are fortunate, while Fr James Kerr is on holidays, to have Fr Peter Hudson with us to celebrate the liturgy. Due to limitations on space parents and guardians have not been invited to this Mass. We hope to share many photos with you. After the Mass the students will enjoy a shared lunch, with hot dogs being provided for everyone.

Today is National Sorry Day and tomorrow begins National Reconciliation Week. National Sorry Day acknowledges and raises awareness of the history and continued effect of the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from their families, communities and culture, and National Reconciliation Week celebrates and builds on the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.

We recognise these important dates at our school through education and prayer.

Reconciliation Prayer

Holy Father, God of Love,

You are the Creator of all things.

We acknowledge the pain and shame of our history

and the sufferings of Our peoples,

and we ask your forgiveness.

We thank you for the survival of Indigenous cultures

Our hope is in you because you gave your Son Jesus

to reconcile the world to you.

We pray for your strength and grace to forgive, accept and love one another, as you love us and forgive and accept us in the sacrifice of your Son.

Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history so that we may build a better

future for our Nation.

Teach us to respect all cultures.

Teach us to care for our land and waters.

Help us to share justly the resources of this land. Help us to bring about spiritual and social change to improve the quality of life for all groups in our communities, especially the disadvantaged.

Help young people to find true dignity and self-esteem by your Spirit.

May your power and love be the foundations on which we build our families, our communities and our Nation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Wontulp Bi-Buya Indigenous Theology Working Group 13 March 1997 Brisbane, Qld).https://www.natsicc.org.au/

As we move into the second half of Term 2 we are feeling the effects of COVID-19 and influenza in our school community.  I encourage everyone to wear a mask when indoors.  We know that the precautionary measures of the past few years have assisted in stopping the spread of these viruses.  Whilst we are doing all that we can to ensure continued and consistent online learning, at times this becomes difficult.  Measures that we may be required to take in the future may include moving a year level to independent or remote learning. Families will be provided with as much notice as possible if this is to occur.

Thank you for your continued support.