Family and Faith

Welcome to Term 2!

There is a lot happening this term and you are invited to many exciting celebrations and faith opportunities including Church SPaRs (Stop Pray and Reflect) and OLF Feast Day festivities both at school and the church just to name a few. Some celebrations have already occurred with the Sutherland Shire Relay for Life - an amazing community event that brought people from many walks of life together to support and fight for survivors of cancer and to raise much needed funds for research. The families who attended the Bunnings Mother’s Day Event had fun family time on Thursday evening with free activities and sausage sizzle. Thank you Bunnings for providing an opportunity for families to connect with each other in a positive, fun way.

I invite you during this month of May to live our school motto like Mary “To Love and Serve Under Your Protection”  Come and celebrate with us! 

Church SPaR (Stop, Pray and Reflect)

                 Celebrating Mary in the Month of May

Parents and carers are invited to come to a SPaR in the Church to pray to Mary with your child. Traditionally the month of May is dedicated to praying to Mary, Our Holy Mother. The Church has designated a special area in the foyer in which to pray to Mary. Children are encouraged to bring a flower or piece of greenery to place in front of her statue. The prayer session will take approximately 20 minutes. Each class teacher will be contacting you about the date and time of the Church SPaR.                                                           

Parents are welcome to meet us at the Church. 

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima -

You’re Invited to Celebrate at the Church Sunday 12th May 

Mother’s Day Craft Activity

Thank you to the families who joined me and some of the Year 6 Pope Francis Program volunteers to make beautiful pot pourri designer dress hangers for some lucky mums and mother figures. They are sure to be much admired and appreciated. Good job everyone!

Relay for Life 2024

Despite the rain this event was amazing! It did not dampen the enthusiasm of all the survivors, carers and supporters. Vital funds were raised for cancer research and for people suffering from the effects of cancer. I was lucky to run into a lot of our OLF school and parish community members including former students and their families. Although I didn’t quite catch up with all the OLF supporters (they were running so fast around the track!)  Here are a few photos.

National Families Week 2024 - How are you celebrating as a family?

This year we are celebrating National Families Week  (13-19 May) with our Feast Day on Monday 13th.  The aim of National Families Week is to celebrate the vital role that families play in Australian society.The theme for National Families Week 2024 is 'Celebrating Family Diversity & Connections'. Celebrating family diversity and connections is an essential aspect of fostering inclusivity and understanding within communities.

National Families Week is a time to celebrate with your family, make contact with your extended family and friends, and share in the enjoyment of family activities within the wider community. It is a time to celebrate the meaning of family and to make the most of family life. Why not plan some fun family outings, play games together, go to the park or a walk? Here are a few ideas!

Family Meal Times:

Some families enjoy dining together as a family most nights. In other homes, it will be less frequent due to children’s activities, parents travelling, etc. I invite you to take from this what is right for you and your family.  

• Turn off the TV and computer
• With the help of the children, set the table - maybe use the special cutlery or dinner set. Maybe some of the younger children can graduate to crockery instead of their usual plastic or melamine for these special occasions.  
• Ask the children to decorate the table with some flowers from the garden, remembering that ‘weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them’ (or so said Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh) 
• Parent/carer to  light a candle. “Jesus is the light of the world”
• Begin by saying grace. You might like to all say it together. You might choose to take turns leading it, even the very young members of the family.  You might like to use a prepared prayer or you might like to make up your own. Simply thank God for the things for which you are grateful.
• Wise people have various suggestions for debriefing the day across dinner. Such things as: 
  • What was the best thing that happened to you today? How did that make you feel?
  • What was one thing you learned today? Or What was one act of kindness that you did or noticed someone else do today? 
• The idea is to make sure everyone gets heard and to help children process their experiences

• Play a game of soccer, footy, cricket or bocce in the local park
• Make dinner together
• Go for a walk after dinner with the dog
• Play a board game or card game
• Watch a movie or read a book together
• Set up a family prayer space including some of your special things – flowers from the garden, favourite toys, rosary beads, pictures of family members.
• Go out for a meal and chat about the day’s happenings
• Plant a Mary Garden for the month of May
• Have a picnic in the backyard
• Go to Mass and pray as a family

Fatima Friends Invitation 

 Come and join in the fun! Most Friday's (check the parent calendar)                    

The damp rainy weather didn’t stop Fatima Friends celebrating the month of Mary last Friday.

We set up our prayer space dedicated to Mary and as it is still the Season of Easter we did some Easter craft and Mary prayer sheets. We are getting ready to celebrate our Feast day next week! 

Tracey Bowler | Family Educator

tracey.bowler@syd.catholic.edu.au