Education in Faith
Refugee Week 2023
This week our students have reflected and
prayed on a theme very close to our hearts at St Anthony's school. Refugee week aims to raise awareness for all of the issues refugees face across the globe. It promotes harmony and togetherness, something we know also comes directly from the messages of the Lord.
This years theme is Finding Freedom, something which is detailed on the Refugee Council of Australia website;
"To live without the fear of war, to have your basic human rights upheld, to live in equality and without the fear of persecution are just some of the examples of what freedom can entail. Every day millions of people across the world embark on dangerous journeys for the sole purpose of finding safety and freedom."
Further resources about this wonderful concept can be found on the Refugee Week website here.
Each class in our school has reflected and prayed on the theme of Finding Freedom this week, and we can take the time to pray once again below:
St Anthony of Padua Feast Celebrations
Thank you to all members of our community for our recent celebrations, including all families that were able to attend Mass in celebration of St Anthony. You will have seen the stunning work that our students produced in study and reflection about the life of St Anthony of Padua on our church walls.
These will be moved from the church back to our school and still proudly displayed. We also thank members of the Church Parish Staff for working so beautifully with our students and school to ensure the Mass was a lovely time full of student voice and song.
A Culture of Prayer
This term Year 3 and 4 students have closely analysed the important messages of Jesus, including his commandment to Love One Another. This has included students thinking about the different ways we show love, and how this might appear in different contexts.
Students were able to state that we may treat our family and friends in a different way to those we do not know, but that a smile, a nice comment, letting someone go first in line and asking if someone is ok are all excellent examples of love in our modern world.
Students closed this unit by constructing prayers from this theme, thanking God but also asking for the strength to show love even when we may feel frustrated or stressed. Please see some examples of this wonderful student work below.
Rest and Recover
I wish all of our families a safe and enjoyable school holiday break! This is a fantastic opportunity for our students and staff to recharge their batteries and prepare for another successful second semester.
Term Three will be another busy one! We have further Feast Days to celebrate, a Winter Appeal and preparation for the important sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation. Information about all of these events will be shared with families next term. As always we greatly appreciate the support and engagement that is shown with all of our initiatives and actions here at school.
May the warmth and love of the Lord be with you,
Tim O'Mahoney
Education in Faith Leader