R.E. & Social Justice News

RE NEWS

By Fulvia Gerosolimo

Welcome Back to Term Three!

We hope everyone enjoyed a restful break. The weather was cold but hopefully, you spent some precious time with your children and family. 

As we enter this new school term, it's essential for our children to continue to develop resilience. As parents, it's important not to burden them with our frustrations over minor, ongoing issues. These challenges are a natural part of life and will occur not just in primary school, but also in their next school, at work, and beyond. Rather than defending or protecting them from every small problem, we should teach them strategies to build resilience, and we must be strong enough to manage our own frustrations. By constantly voicing our opinions, we may inadvertently escalate the problem. Instead, let's focus on helping our children by modeling calm,  constructive responses and a positive attitude. Reflecting on the teachings of Jesus, when He encountered problems, He often responded with patience, wisdom, and understanding. For instance, when faced with the challenge of feeding the 5,000, Jesus didn’t panic or complain. Instead, He calmly performed a miracle with the resources available, teaching us the power of faith and resourcefulness. By embodying these principles, we can better support our children in becoming resilient individuals.

Wishing every blessing to our family community for the term ahead.

Fulvia Gerosolimo

Grandparent/Special Person Mass

This Friday 26th July we celebrate the feast of St Joachim and St Anne. They were Mary’s parents and Jesus’ maternal grandparents. Their love for one another and for Mary is an example to us of how God calls us to live. They also remind us to honor our own grandparents/special people in our lives and to thank them for the blessings they have passed down to us in love.

We invite you all to attend our special mass celebration on the day. Mass will be celebrated at 9.15am followed by a fun activity in your special child/children’s classroom. After these activities you are invited to participate in a shared morning tea with your special child/children.

NAIDOC Week

Over the break, we celebrated NAIDOC Week, a significant event honoring the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week serves as a reminder of the importance of embracing and understanding the rich diversity within our community.

Our Term Three Social Justice Focus 

This term, our Social Justice focus is on our sister school in the Philippines, Loyo Elementary. We are incredibly fortunate to have so much readily available to us, while our Filipino friends at Loyo Elementary do not share the same level of resources. During my visit to Loyo, I was deeply moved by the resourcefulness and resilience of the teachers and students. The teacher would tear a single A4 piece of paper into four pieces, giving each child a piece for the day, and one crayon was broken in half to be shared between two students. It was heartbreaking to witness these limitations, especially when compared to the abundance of resources our children enjoy. This stark contrast served as a poignant reminder of the disparities in educational opportunities and the need to appreciate and support those who have much less.

This year the school is asking for our support with the following:

• exercise books
• writing pencils
• pens.

We encourage everyone to spread their kindness wings and extend support to the children of Loyo. Acts of kindness, no matter how small, can make a big difference in the lives of others. Let’s come together to give generously and show our solidarity with the Loyo community.

• Friday 26th July @9.15am   Grandparent/Special Person Day Mass followed by morning tea with your children - ALL WELCOME
• Thursday 15th August @9.15am Feast of the Assumption - Mass - ALL WELCOME

• Wednesday 28th August @7.30am - 8.45am Father’s Day Breakfast/Prayer/Blessing (muffins breakfast) in the Church gathering space. (Father/father figure and child/ren)