Religious Education

Sacrament of Reconciliation 

Please keep our Year 3 students in your prayers as they prepare for their Sacrament of Reconciliation. An email was sent out on the 26th of February for families to make a booking. If you have not done so yet, please use the following link HERE to do so.

The Scarament will occur on the following dates in the school church. 

• Tuesday 18th March - Reconciliation Family Faith Night - 5:30pm at School (no booking required) 
• Monday 24th March - Reconciliation Ceremony 1 at 8:45am
• Tuesday 25th March - Reconciliation Ceremony 2 at 8:45am
• Wednesday 26th March - Reconciliation Ceremony 3 at 8:45am   
• Thursday 27th March - Reconciliation Ceremony 4 at 8:45am
• Friday 28th March - Reconciliation Ceremony 5 at 8:45am

Ash Wednesday and Shrove Tuesday

This week, we came together as a school community to celebrate Shrove Tuesday with a delicious pancake breakfast before school and to mark the beginning of Lent with our whole school Ash Wednesday Mass. Thank you to our staff, students, and families for your support and participation in these special traditions, fostering faith and reflection.  

Project Compassion 

This week, we have begun our Project Compassion journey, supporting those in need. Each child has brought home a small donation box with larger boxes in each classroom. We have already rasied $124.80 from the Pancake breakfast on Shrove Tuesday and our Year 6 Social Justice Leaders will collect the classroom donations every Friday.  They will keep a school-wide tally to track our collective impact and this will be displayed at school and in upcoming newsletters. We encourage students to contribute what they can, knowing that small donations can make a big difference. We understand that not all families are in a position to donate, and that’s understandable—there are many ways to show kindness and compassion throughout this lenten season. Thank you for supporting this important initiative! 

Gospel Reflection - Sunday 9th of March - First Sunday of Lent

Gospel Reading 

Luke 4:1-13

In the desert, Jesus is tempted.

Family Connection

In Luke's Gospel, the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert appears just after Jesus' baptism and before Jesus begins his public ministry. We can imagine this as a time of transition, a turning point in Jesus' life. Perhaps we can liken it to one of the important turning points in our own lives: the decision to marry, the birth of a child, the acceptance of a new job, or the decision to move to a new home. After the moment of decision, having reached the point of no return, we sometimes begin to wonder if we are prepared and ready for the task before us. Turning points can be times of doubt and insecurity. Jesus' response to the temptations were an example for responding in faith when our doubts and insecurities tempt us to distrust God's sufficiency. Jesus rebukes by quoting Scripture. Each citation is an affirmation of trust in God. We learn to trust in big things by practicing trust in little things. Our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving invite us to trust God in these small ways. They remind us that God will suffice for us. They prepare us to trust in God in all things, especially in moments of doubt and uncertainty.

As a family, talk about ways in which trust has been built among members of the family. Observe how being trustworthy in small matters enables us to trust one another in more important matters. Offer specific examples if possible (e.g., children who establish their responsibility in household tasks can be granted greater independence and freedom to choose how they perform these tasks). Today's Gospel shows us how Jesus trusted God in all things. Read aloud today's Gospel, Luke 4:1-13. Discuss how Jesus showed his trust in God when he resisted the devil's temptations. Invite family members to name times when they have trusted God in matters small or large. Write a family prayer together. You might write the prayer so that each line begins with a letter in the word “trust.” Pray this prayer together.

Thanks, 

Laura Zeeng 

Deputy Principal & Religious Education Leader (REL)