A message from the Principal

National Reconciliation Week (27th May – 3rd June)

National Reconciliation Week was celebrated last week throughout our school, including activities during break time. We will continue to celebrate it this week at St. Peter's. National Reconciliation Week is an important time to learn about and reflect on the significance of building relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.

Apologies for the confusion in last week's newsletter regarding this year’s theme. It is actually "Bridging Now to Next", which reflects the ongoing connection between the past, present, and future.

Today, we held a smoking ceremony at school in the afternoon to acknowledge this important week, with the help of Jason Kerr leading the ceremony for us.

School Nurse Visit This Week

This week, we are pleased to have our school nurse visiting to conduct routine hearing checks for our Foundation students. The nurse will also be carrying out some hearing and eyesight tests for several other students. If your child mentions having a test this week with the nurse, please be assured it is part of this routine screening process.

Boys to the Bush

We are excited to announce that St. Peter’s has once again been selected for the Boys to the Bush program. This incredible initiative focuses on fostering resilience, building positive relationships, and encouraging respect for self, each other, and the community. The program will run for five weeks, starting tomorrow, with a group of students from Years 4-6 participating.

The Boys to the Bush program has been running since 2017, and its aim is to support disengaged young males through preventative and early intervention strategies. It has had a positive impact on over 10,000 lives through activities such as mentoring, camps, and community engagement days. The students selected for this year’s program were chosen as part of the process, and we hope to continue our partnership with this wonderful initiative for future opportunities.

St Peter’s Feast Day Mass & Baptism

We will celebrate St Peter’s Feast Day Mass on the last day of term 2, Friday, 4th July. All families are warmly invited to join us for Mass at St Kilian’s Church, followed by a morning tea back at school.

Over the last five years, several families in our school community, have chosen to celebrate their baptism during this special event. We would like to extend the invitation again to any families who are interested in having their child or any family member baptised during the Mass. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Mr. Wilkinson. We look forward to celebrating this meaningful occasion with our school community! We also congratulate Annaleise for making her Sacraments of Eucharist & Confirmation on Saturday night at St. Kilian’s Mass. Several other students in our community will be receiving these sacraments later in June, and we look forward to celebrating with them as well.

Uniform Reminder

We would like to take a moment to remind families of the importance of our school uniform policy. Recently, we have noticed that some students are wearing items that do not align with our uniform guidelines, such as trackpants in the wrong colour or substituting shoes with crocs. While we understand that comfort is important, it’s crucial for safety that students wear the correct uniform, including shoes, particularly when outdoors. We kindly ask that all students wear the appropriate uniform and shoes while outside to ensure their safety.

We also understand that some families may be facing challenges in obtaining the correct, warmer uniform. If you are in need of support with this, please do not hesitate to reach out to our friendly admin staff. We are here to help and can assist with finding suitable options to ensure all students feel comfortable and ready to learn. Thank you for your understanding and support in maintaining our school’s uniform standards.

Assembly

This week, we are introducing a slight change to our Assemblies. From now on, each class will take leadership in leading the prayer, acknowledging the country, and sharing an update on the learning happening in their classrooms. To start us off, Year 5/6 Banya will be leading the assembly this week.

Upcoming King’s Birthday Long Weekend & School Closure Day

A reminder that the King’s Birthday long weekend is approaching on Monday, 9th June. Following that, on Tuesday, 17th June, we will have a school closure day for professional development as part of Sandhurst Magnify. Please mark these dates on your calendars.

Prayer for Reconciliation Week

Loving God,

We thank You for the gift of Reconciliation Week.

Help us to listen with open hearts and minds to the stories of Indigenous Australians.

Guide us in understanding, compassion, and unity,

As we work towards a future where all people are treated with respect and dignity.

Bless our efforts for reconciliation and healing,

And may we always strive to build bridges of peace and harmony.

Amen.

God Bless,

Jeremy Darmody

Principal

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