Principal's Report
Holy Week
As we move in to Holy Week this year, we are exposed to the radical nature of God’s forgiveness in the manner in which Jesus accepts his crucifixion and death when he says,
“Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”.
The events of Holy Week remind us of our calling to be active Christians in the way we lead our own lives. If we are harbouring hurt within us, Jesus’ actions can encourage us towards forgiveness and away from grudges and bitterness.
We have all experienced hurt through the actions or words of another and this hurt we might have carried for years and deprived ourselves of the opportunity to embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy by being ‘unforgiving’.
Jesus’ example to us on Good Friday, clearly defined for us the extent of God’s forgiveness and the encouragement for us to do likewise in our own limited human way. But Jesus’ example has an after effect as well, for on Easter Sunday he rose gloriously to a new life.
How about us this Holy Week?
Is there ‘unforgiveness’ we still have to deal with, that overshadows our lives?
Stations of the Cross
Stations are places where people wait while they are going from one place to another. A school-bus stop is like a station. People wait at train stations or bus stations or airports. Stations are also places where people take time to think about Jesus as he went to die on a cross. They are “Stations of the Cross.” They show us how much Jesus loved us.
The ‘Way of the Cross’ is a popular Catholic devotion which commemorates the Passion and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Most Catholic Churches will have ‘Stations of The Cross’ mounted along their walls in chronological order. The styles used can vary from elaborate paintings to simple clay interpretations. Each of the fourteen stations depicts an important and significant event which occurred during Jesus’ Passion and death at Calvary on Good Friday. Praying the Way of the Cross- alone or with a group – is a Lenten tradition.
The ‘Way of the Cross’ is usually an ‘action prayer’. Moving from station to station and praying or meditating at each of one is usually the format used. This activity must always be underlined with respect and dignity called for by its very content.
The origins of the Stations can be traced back to Jerusalem during the early centuries after Jesus’ death and resurrection. On Good Friday, early Christians would walk the path that Jesus had walked carrying his cross. Gradually, churches were built along the way and Christian pilgrims would stop at them and pray, remembering Jesus’ last journey. In the 13th century when the Muslims took over Jerusalem, Christians decided to continue to remember Jesus’ journey to the cross in their churches. Over the centuries these came to be known as the ‘Stations of the Cross’ and the devotion of praying the Stations on the Fridays of Lent developed.
Senior Swimming Carnival
A fantastic day was had by one and all at our annual school swimming carnival last week. The swimming day gave the Year 4-6 students an opportunity to show off their swimming talents and a chance to compete against each other in a range of events. Students participated in 100m, 50m and 25m swimming races, novelty events and the relay event.
Huge congratulations must go to all the students who participated and all students involved should be proud of their efforts and attitudes throughout the event; it shows what a positive and co-operative community we have here at Infant Jesus School. Well done to all the Year 6 Leaders who assisted with organising their swimmers into races and co-ordinating the chants and cheers that occurred throughout the day. Thank you also to members of the the Wellness Ministry for the amazing assistance in organising the faction bays, marshalling the children for their events and assisting so competently in the water.
I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to the many parents who assisted with scoring, cheering, timekeeping and placings. A special Thank You and congratulations to to Mr Sheridan for his efforts in coordinating the carnival and making sure that it ran smoothly. Thank you also to the staff who assisted on the day.
Congratulations, finally, to Calaroga Faction for finishing first in the faction competition. The results were:
1st Calaroga 664
2nd Aquina 586
3rd Lima 521
4th Siena 503
Champion Girls and Boys
Yr 4 Girls Champion Ella Delpero &
Aurelia Leach
1st Runner-up Madison Mertens
Champion
2nd Runner-up Emily Poat
Champion
Yr 4 Boys Champion Jack Oakley
1st Runner-up Lucas Rossi
Champion
2nd Runner-up Simon Tran
Champion
Yr 5 Girls Champion Victoria Mok
1st Runner-up Krystelle Marion
Champion & Jennifer Le
2nd Runner-up
Champion
Yr 5 Boys Champion Taig Mulvey
1st Runner-up Ruben Dewitt
Champion
2nd Runner-up Marcus Colonico
Champion
Yr 6 Girls Champion Layla Firns
1st Runner-up Hayley Placzek
Champion
2nd Runner-up Jiada Olivieri
Champion
Yr 6 Boys Champion Cronin Mulvey
1st Runner-up Declan Ryan
Champion
2nd Runner-up Daniel Gianatti
Champion
Congratulations to all of the children who competed at the carnival. Your enthusiasm, effort and sportsmanship were fantastic!
MINI STEAM FAIR
During the last week of Term One, Year One - Year Six participated in a Mini STEAM Fair during their Innovation and Technology session. Each class rotated through a variety of timed STEAM tasks and completed different challenges. Some of the tasks included:
Amazing Architecture – Constructing the tallest tower possible out of marshmallows and spaghetti.
Strong Bridges – Building a bridge out of straws and cups that is strong enough to hold a cup of marbles.
Pyramids - Building a pyramid of cups without using your hands!
The Mini STEAM Fair was a great success and all students were thoroughly engaged and demonstrating wonderful collaborative and group work skills.
STEAM PARENT NIGHTS
Next term we have organised two STEAM Nights – just for parents on Thursday 18 May from 6.30pm–7.30pm for parents of children in Years 4–6 and Thursday 25 May from 6.30pm– 7.30pm for parents of children in Years 1–3. There will be more information in the newsletter in the first week next term.
ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day is a national public holiday and is considered by many Australians to be one of the most solemn days of the year. Marches held in cities and towns nationwide by veterans from all past wars, as well as current serving members of the Australian Defence Force and Reserves, with allied veterans and the Australian Defence Force Cadets and Australian Air League and supported by members of Scouts Australia, Guides Australia, and other uniformed service groups as well as schools and community groups.
ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. ANZAC Day remains one of the most important national occasions of both Australia and New Zealand, a rare instance of two sovereign countries not only sharing the same Remembrance Day, but making reference to both countries in its name.
As a school we will be commemorating ANZAC Day on the the first day of school next term, Wednesday 26 April, at 11am.
All are welcome to join us for this special event.
Best Wishes & Welcome
We take this opportunity to acknowledge Mrs Lauren Jenkins who leaves us at the end of this term to prepare for the arrival of her second child. We wish Lauren and her family all the very best at this exciting time, and look forward to meeting the second Jenkins child!
We also wish Mrs Sue Bonomi all the best for her Long Service Leave next term. Sue will be returning to school on 6th June.
We welcome to the the Infant Jesus School Community:
- Mrs Jessica Lucas who will be working in Year 1Blue from the beginning of Term 2
- Mrs Mary Tampalini who will be replacing Mrs Jenkins in Maths support
- Mrs Claire Grabski who is returning from leave
- Mrs Claire Dada who will be teaching Physical Education and Health in the lower grades for the remainder of the year
Winter Uniform Changeover
Next term, all students are required to be in Winter Uniform. To assist parents and students in this transition, a two-week change over period will be permitted. However, all students are required to be in full winter uniform by the commencement of Week 3.
Parents' Corner
The holidays are upon us again and it’s time to rest and relax. Families always enjoy the break from the routines of school life and the opportunity to spend time together and to do the things they don’t have time for during term time. Parenting educator, Michael Grose warns us however, that some children can feel a little lost when familiar routines are abandoned on holidays. He suggests gradually easing students back into routines as the return to school comes closer so that children are prepared for going to bed earlier and getting up at earlier times.
To achieve a balance of activities during the school holidays, Michael Grose suggests three different types of activities that children want with their families – i.e. rituals and celebrations, including family mealtimes; one-on-one activities where you spend some time alone with each child; and unstructured, impromptu activities such as playing simple games, story- telling and walks around the neighbourhood. These are important relationship-building activities that bind families together and enable you to build up emotional collateral with kids as they move into adolescence.
Mix ‘me’ time with ‘them’ time. Plan a mixture of outdoor activities or trips with quiet at home activities where you can relax and recharge your own batteries. The holidays give you a chance to spend time as a family but you also need to take some time for yourself each day. It helps to let your kids know that you are having some timeout too.
Resist being your child’s home entertainment machine. Give children opportunities to keep themselves occupied or think of inexpensive, fun ways to keep themselves amused. “I’m bored” is an invitation for kids to keep themselves occupied rather than for you to keep them amused.
Team up with other families. Whether it is sharing celebrations with other families or just holidaying with friends, holidays offer the chance to broaden your child’s social circle. Parenting Ideas – Michael Grose
Infant Jesus Family
Our prayers and thoughts are with the Canoneo Family (Jules 5W, Kimberly PPB) as they say goodby to their beloved Grandfather who passed away recently in the Philippines.
We also pray for the Cosa Family (Emma 4W) as they farewell their beloved Grandmother who passed away this week.
And we hold in our hearts and prayers the Pelle family (Alessia 2B, Antonio 4B) who recently lost their beloved Grandmother who passed away in Italy.
May they all rest in the peace of God forever in heaven.
Prayer
Almighty and Everlasting God,
You have given the human race Jesus Christ our Saviour as a model of humility. He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man and giving his life on the Cross. Help us to bear witness to You by following His example of suffering and make us worthy to share in His Resurrection.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son.
Amen.
Parish Fun Run
The Infant Jesus School Fun Run has become an annual event supporting people in need. The Fun Run has typically been an event focusing on global events of natural disaster.
This year our school has committed to supporting the Infant Jesus Parish to purchase and upgrade the sound system. The close partnership between the parish and the school is highlighted by the words of Pope Francis. Pope Francis explains that the relationship between the family and the Church is so important. He said that the connection between the two is natural, because the Church is a "spiritual family” and the family is a small church. He added that "families and parishes are the two places where we encounter, in every age, that communion of love which has its ultimate source in God.”
The ‘Parish Fun Run,’ will be held tomorrow (Friday 7 April) at various times throughout the day. The children in Years 1-3 will run the event during their normal daily fitness times and Years 4-6 will run the event during the normal sport sessions on Friday afternoon. Pre-Primary children will run the event at a time convenient to them. Three-Year-Old Kindy and Kindy children will have a collection box for donations in their classroom. Children can run, jog, walk, skip etc around the track. Each child will receive a card to record the number of ‘laps’.
In preparation for this event, each student will receive a sponsor sheet that has been sent home. Please collect as many sponsors and/or donations as possible. Children can be sponsored per lap – or for a general donation. We hope that you are passionate and continue to support this worthy event. We hope you have been collecting!!!
We ask that parents be aware of who and where their children are going to collect sponsors and donations. Relatives and friends are the safest people to ask.
Mother's Day
On Tuesday, 9 May we will be taking time, as a school, to celebrate some very special women in our lives, our mothers. A whole school Mass will be celebrated in the School Hall commencing at 9:00am, followed by a morning tea, just for mums.
Mums, please put this date in your calendar.
Term Two Pupil
Free Days
Monday 24 April will be a Pupil Free Day where staff will be participating in a Professional development day on our whole school focus of Mathematics. Tuesday 25 April is ANZAC Day and is a Public Holiday.
School resumes for students on Wednesday 26th April
Thought for the Week
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.
Dr Martin Luther King (Jr)
Where did first term go? It has gone very quickly, but the children have learnt so much and everyone deserves a well-earned break. Fingers crossed we get some nice weather to go outside and to spend time with our children. I hope you all enjoy a happy and holy Easter with your families.
Have a GREAT Holiday - #ExpectGreatThings!
Paul Hille
Principal
