Education in Faith

FINAL CALL FOR SACRAMENTS 2024

To assist us with the administration and preparation of Sacraments for 2024, we ask you to fill in the Operoo form, to indicate if your child will be receiving a Sacrament next year in 2024.

Junior and Senior parents ACCEPT or DECLINE this invitation ASAP.  

Dates for Sacraments will be published in our school newsletter.

Reconciliation: baptized Catholics in Year 1, 2 and 3 or above.

Next year in 2024, children in:

• Grade 2 and Grade 3 will receive Reconciliation.
• Grade 3 and Grade 4 will receive Eucharist.
• Grade 6 will receive Confirmation.

Reconciliation: baptized Catholics in Year 2 and 3.

Eucharist: baptized Catholics in Year 3 and 4 or above who have celebrated their Reconciliation.

Confirmation: Year 6 Catholics who have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation and Eucharist.

If you have any further questions regarding your child receiving these Sacraments, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school.

News from St Kevin's Parish Church

ATTENTION - SFS needs Altar Servers 

If your child has received their First Holy Communion, you are requested to kindly enrol them at St. Kevin’s Parish to support our school community when celebrating mass during school hours.

ENROLMENT FORMS - please note that there are new enrolment forms available in the foyer. As part of our Safeguarding Review and Risk Assessment and to comply with the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne Safeguarding Guidelines, all current Altar servers will need to complete the new enrolment forms and return them to the Parish Office. Completed forms may also be sent by email to HamptonPark@cam.org.au

First Sunday of Advent - Year B

Have you thought? Beginning Advent

The season of Advent begins this week and continues through the four Sundays of Advent and ends at Christmas Eve. 

The first week of Advent focuses on the return of the Lord and the following weeks focus more specifically on the anticipation of the birth of Jesus. Rather than simply commemorating an historical event, Advent is a time of preparing our hearts to ‘receive’ Jesus into the world each year. 

Advent is traditionally marked by the colour of violet – the same colour as used in Lent. In recent years, some parishes have moved to a more blue/mauve colour for Advent to try to distinguish it from the season of Lent.

Living the Gospel – Stay Awake!

By the time the Church begins to celebrate Advent as a period of preparation towards Christmas, the stores have been filling with Christmas paraphernalia for weeks. It starts out small with a few decorations and wrapping paper and eventually takes over every retail outlet. In the midst of this excess of Christmas consumerism, it is often difficult to draw attention to the season of Advent and the need to prepare spiritually for the celebration of Christmas. It is important to stay awake, as we are cautioned in this week’s gospel. Awake to what is happening around us in the world and awake to what is happening within us.

Gospel Focus – The Doorkeeper

The image of the doorkeeper from this week’s gospel is an interesting one. It is not unusual to hear references to people being ‘gatekeepers’ today in relation to projects or groups working together. The role of the gatekeeper, or the doorkeeper, is to maintain a watching brief – to be alert to dangers or distractions and to ensure that everyone who is important to the process is invited to participate. Today’s gospel reminds us that as believers we are to be the doorkeepers, or gatekeepers, of the Kingdom, watching for dangers and welcoming in all those who wish to enter.

Discussion Starters

• What are some things you look forward to?
• How do you get ready to prepare for them?
• Today we begin Advent – what are we preparing for in Advent?
• Jesus asks us to watch out and be ready as we make our preparations to celebrate Christmas.
• How can we make Advent a time of preparation this week?
• In what ways does our society need a call to ‘Stay awake’?
• How is it possible to challenge attitudes of complacency in society?
• How can you demonstrate that faith is an important aspect of life?
• How do you nurture your spirituality and faith?
• What does the call to ‘Stay awake!’ mean for your life?
• What appear to be the things that challenge the importance of religious belief in society today?
• How do you nurture your spirituality and faith?
• During this time of Advent, how can you encourage others to properly prepare for Christmas?

Yours Sincerely,

God Bless

Rozeta Ambrose

rambrose@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 5/6 SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM – MINI VINNIES

COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD POINTS

House points for this term so far are:

Well done to Bosco who got the most points last week, 241! 

Remember we have the rest of this term to go so one of the other houses may take the lead. Students can get points for demonstrating our PBL Values especially Kindness: encourage and support others in the Learning Space, which is our focus at the moment. 

Students can also get points for the Christmas gifts and hamper items they bring in.

MINI VINNIES CHRISTMAS APPEAL

This year once again Mini Vinnies have organised our Christmas Appeal. Mini Vinnies

 were busy getting ready. Hamper baskets were decorated in Christmas colours and tags for the Christmas tree were prepared with house coloured ribbons. As well as sheets informing students what hamper items they can bring. I would like to say a huge thanks to the Mini Vinnies who have given up their lunchtime on Wednesdays to enable these activities to happen.

Our Giving Trees have gone up with gift tags that have children ages and whether they are female or male. We hope you will be able to buy a Christmas present for those children who may otherwise not receive a present this year, especially with the cost of living. We are asking that you write a note in your child’s diary allowing them to collect a gift tag and the Mini Vinnies or staff will assist them each morning or afternoon to collect a tag. 

Your child has also come home with a food/toiletry/Christmas item to purchase for their Home Group’s Christmas Hamper. Once again we hope you will be able to assist us in gathering food/Christmas items to help those less fortunate celebrate Christmas. Please ensure all items are non-perishable and within the used by or best before date.

This year all of the items we collect will go to the St Vincent de Paul Society Hampton Park, which is based at St Kevin’s, who will then distribute the items to people in need within our community. 

All items are due at school by Tuesday December 12th as the St Vincent de Paul Conference will be at school to collect the items on Wednesday December 13th.

On behalf of the Mini Vinnies I would like to thank you for your support. SFS always donates kindly to any of the appeals the Mini Vinnies organise. And remember House points will be given which will go towards the House Community Spirit Award, which will be presented to the House that has demonstrated their willingness to assist others less fortunate.

Giuliana & SFS Mini Vinnies