Dear Parents and Carers,

There is the small-time stuff, of course – how many of us have had a perfect run-through this morning, or, failing that, through the last week? But there is also the heavy-duty stuff, which can range all the way from things that steadily drain our energies to things that break our hearts. The first time I ever set foot in this University…a distinguished Australian poet and public intellectual told me that he thought I needn’t worry about going to find distress, because distress would probably come and find me.”

Peter Steele SJ, “She’ll Be Right”

The late Jesuit priest Peter Steele had a gift with words. It is no surprise that he was both a published poet and a lecturer in English at Melbourne University. In the paragraph quoted above, Peter Steele is writing about the fact that, given time, distress becomes a part of life, and almost always comes visited upon us, without us looking for it. He suggests that it might be helpful to remember that “…no one less or other than the Son of God lodges deep at the heart of our own personal distresses, whatever they may be.” What each of us does about that, and our own distress, is up to us – but Steele reminds us that “…all that is deathly in our experience can be made lively by his Father.” Easter itself reminds us of that fact. In these trying times, when for many of us, our resources can be strained, it can be a source of hope to remember that there is a larger canvas upon which our lives are lived. Gentleness with our own self and with each other is often a way to remember we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

Book Week

A reminder that one of the most exciting annual calendar fixtures is fast approaching: Book Week, which takes place next week. The theme for Book Week 2022 is ‘Dreaming with eyes wide open”. We have several activities planned (Competitions, Book fair) and our Costume Parade on Monday (August 22nd). It will be an exciting week. My thanks go to Mrs Cossettini for her coordination of the week.

https://cbca.org.au/cbca-book-week

BGA Update

Our Block Grant Authority Grant that was approved last year for the renovation of our Yr 2/3 block is on track. We have met architects and are finalising design choices next week. This project is on track to be delivered in 2023. I will keep you posted as new developments arise.

This week we have also submitted an application to the ACTBGA committee for an ELC to be built at St Francis. This exciting project will be reviewed in the coming weeks and members of the panel will attend to view the site to view plans and also discuss the application in greater detail. We are hopeful this project will be looked upon favourably and works can begin next year. If successful, we would look to have the first classes enrolled for T1 2024. Part of the application and future vision is an opportunity to redevelop the surrounding area around the kindergarten block and connect the two spaces via the shared garden and play areas to form an Infant’s Hub. I will keep you informed of the progress in the coming months.

Community Events and Fundraising

We held a successful community movie night last Friday night. A big thank you to Caroline Kontny who coordinated the event on behalf of the Community Council. We had a large number of families in attendance who enjoyed the movie and the food deals on offer. Thank you for coming along it was so nice to see you all there!

We also recently received delivery of our Cookie Dough drive last week. A huge thank you to all our families who helped us sell 525 tubs of Cookie Dough. Thank you also to Cecelia Reid who coordinated the Cookie Dough Drive on behalf of the Community Council.

These events and fundraisers are our major source of fundraising for the school this year with the cancellation of our school fete. We will have some more fundraisers spaced out over the next term and a half to raise money for our new Senior play equipment.

We also had a fabulous Athletics carnival last week that was well attended by the parent community. Thank you to all those parents who were able to volunteer some time on the day. Without your support, events like these can not be conducted. We were also extremely fortunate to be supported by students from Erindale College and St Mary MacKillop College, who undertook several roles on the day to support our teachers.

A shout out to our Yr 6 leaders who demonstrated outstanding leadership whilst working with younger students during novelty events. The Yr 6 students demonstrated qualities of patience, selflessness and service during the day. Well Done, Yr 6!

Also, a huge thank you to Mrs MacDonald, who coordinated the event for our school community. Next week some of our students will attend the Tuggeranong Region Carnival to represent our school. These students will be notified via the Compass Parent Portal.

Cyber Safety

In the last couple of weeks, we have had some reports of websites such as Omgele- Talk to strangers being used by students at home on personal devices. The school’s network blocks this app and website at school, but it can be accessed easily from home. The anonymous nature of the site and the functions available make it extremely unsafe for any student under the age of 13 to access. The eSafety commissioner has the following advice on their website Omegle | eSafety Commissioner.

We are also increasingly hearing about students using Snapchat on personal devices. A reminder this app is recommended for students 13+. The eSafety commissioner website has great advice on the use of Snapchat, including how to report abuse. Snapchat | eSafety Commissioner

Blessings and best wishes for the week ahead.

Kind regards

Sean Rutledge

Principal