Education in Faith

Sacramental Dates for 2025

Sacramental Dates for 2025

Parents please check the following dates

• Grade 2 will receive First Reconciliation in Term 4 on Thursday, 20th November 2025.

Reconciliation: baptised Catholics in Year 2.

Confirmation

Congratulations, to the children who were confirmed this weekend! 

On Saturday, our teachers and families witnessed these children being confirmed and sealed with the fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spirit at St. Patrick’s Cathedral by Fr. Fabian.

We were so proud to watch them make this special commitment to God and to their faith with reverence. 

As they move forward, we wish and pray the Holy Spirit is always with them, giving them courage, wisdom, and strength.

May God bless you all as you continue to grow and use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to share your love with others. 

It was truly a special day! We wish you all the very best on your faith journey. 

Your Sacrament photos are now ready to view!

Families who have pre-registered will be notified when images are available for viewing in their gallery.

For families who did not pre-register attached is a newsletter graphic to register and view your photos.

If you have any further questions regarding your child receiving these Sacraments, please feel free to contact me at the school.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - Year C

This weekend we celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It is a Paradox of Glory in Suffering and a reminder for us that the Cross is not only a sign of suffering but also of victory, love, and hope. The Feast, invites us to look at the cross in a new light. We often see the cross as a symbol of suffering, pain, and death. But this feast encourages us to see it as a symbol of glory, victory, and life. This is the paradox of the cross: through the ultimate act of humility and suffering, Jesus achieved the ultimate victory over sin and death. He took something ugly and terrible and made it beautiful and redemptive.

At first, the Cross looked like defeat. Jesus suffered and died upon it. But through the Cross, God showed the greatest love of all. Jesus gave His life so that we could have new life in Him. What once looked like a symbol of pain has become a symbol of hope and triumph.

For us, the Cross is like a bridge between God’s love and our lives. When we face struggles, challenges, or sadness, we can look at the Cross and remember that God is always with us, helping us to carry our burdens. Just as Jesus transformed the Cross into a sign of life, He can also transform our difficulties into moments of growth, strength, and deeper love.

The Cross is not just something we wear as jewellery or see in church, it is an invitation to live with courage, forgiveness, and love in our daily lives.

Seeing the Cross Everywhere

The symbol of the cross is all around us, often in unexpected places. It is in the intersection of roads, the shadow of a telephone pole, or even the crossroads of a difficult decision. This feast calls us to recognise the cross not just as a piece of jewellery or a church decoration, but as a living symbol of God's love and a constant reminder that suffering, when offered up to God, can be a source of grace.

The Bronze Serpent and the Cross

For this feast day, the First Reading is taken from the Old Testament from the Book of Numbers. It tells us the story of the Israelites who were bitten by fiery serpents in the desert. To save them, Moses was told to make a bronze serpent and lift it on a pole. Those who looked at it were healed. This story is a powerful prefigurement of the cross. Just as the Israelites were saved by looking at the bronze serpent, we are saved by looking to Jesus on the cross, believing in his love, and trusting in his sacrifice.

Discussion Starters for Families

• What are some crosses you see every day? (e.g., in a church, on a necklace, on top of a building).
• Do you think the cross is a sad symbol or a happy symbol? Why?
• Jesus used the cross to show us how much he loves us. What are some ways you can show love to your family and friends?
• What do we mean when we say the cross is a paradox?
• How does the story of the bronze serpent help us understand the cross?
• Can you think of a time when something difficult or painful in your life eventually led to something good? How might that be like the cross?
• Let's find the shape of a cross in our daily lives. Where do you see one?
• What is one thing we can do as a family to show gratitude for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross?
• How can we use the cross as a reminder to be more loving and forgiving toward others?
• Why do you think the Cross is so important to Christians?
• Can you think of a time when something difficult in your life later brought something good?
• How does looking at the Cross remind us of God’s love for us?
• What are small “crosses” (challenges) you carry in your life, and how can you ask Jesus to help you with them?
• How can our family live out the message of the Cross this week—through kindness, forgiveness, or helping someone in need?

God Bless,

Rozeta Ambrose

Religious Education Leader

rambrose@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au

COMMUNITY SPIRIT HOUSE POINTS

The total House points for each House so far:

 These points also include the points the Grade 6s who are helping with the Junior Footy Day received for demonstrating community spirit. Bosco is still in the lead!! Well done Bosco!! Will they still be winning next week?? 

BUILDING HOUSES FOR THE HOMELESS

“As part of Homelessness Week (4-10 August 2025), dozens of Victoria’s leading community organisations came together to raise awareness about the urgent need for more social and public housing in Victoria. This year the focus is on awareness raising in our local communities: encouraging displays within schools, libraries, local business, local government, housing services and people’s homes. We need your help to fold 60,000 origami houses, representing the 60,000 additional social homes needed to meet current need in Victoria, and display them. Help us raise awareness and ensure there are enough appropriate houses for everyone in our community to live in, so together we can prevent people from becoming homeless.”

Mini Vinnies are asking SFS families to join us in folding origami houses for this great cause. Let’s support the statement being made to provide enough affordable houses for everyone in Victoria. There will be boxes in each Learning Space for students to place the origami houses they have folded. Mini Vinnies will then add the houses to our display on the window in the hallway facing the Yarning Circle. The number of houses we fold will be added to the total number of houses folded in Victoria. Let’s try to assist in reaching the State goal of 

60 000 houses!

Here’s how to fold your origami houses. Watch it together as a family and then help build houses for the homeless.

https://youtu.be/xghC-JgLZdY

FROM MINI VINNIES…

The Mini Vinnies action team have been making paper origami houses and we are asking families to take some time to make these origami houses to add to the tally so we can help the Houses of Parliament Program to reach the goal 60, 000 paper houses so that the Victorian Government get the idea to actually build 60. 000 real houses for the homeless in Victoria. 

By Kalyani and Rachael 

KEEP COSY AND HELP OTHERS KEEP CLEAN – THIS MONDAY!!

Remember to organise pyjamas for your child to wear to school Monday!! We’re so excited!! But please ensure your child bring in the toiletry item allocated to their Learning Space. Mini Vinnies will be collecting toiletries Monday afternoon and begin creating individual packages to donate to the Lynbrook Community Centre and to the Vinnies Berwick Soupvan.

FROM MINI VINNIES….

Keep Cosy and Help Others Keep Clean!

Monday September 15th

Just a reminder to all parents about the Keep Cosy Help Keep Others Clean Day on Monday. Please encourage your child to bring in the toiletry item as soon as possible allocated to their learning space and On Keep Cosy and Help Others Keep Clean Day your child can wear pyjamas! Don't forget that your child’s contribution to this will help the Lynbrook Community Centre and the Berwick Soupvan. 

By Moneesha and Leticia

Giuliana

Mini Vinnies Facilitator

gfaiola@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au