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Dear Parents and Carers,
“Prayer is the breath of faith.” – Pope Francis
Our school community holds Pope Francis in our thoughts and prayers as he faces illness. Throughout his papacy, he has been a source of wisdom, compassion, and faith, continually reminding us of the power of prayer and unity.
Taking his name from St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis has always had a special connection to our school community, inspiring us through his leadership and dedication to service. As a Catholic school, we are called to support one another in prayer, especially in times of need.
We invite you to join us in praying for Pope Francis' health and strength, asking God to grant him comfort and healing. May our prayers bring him peace, just as his words and actions have inspired millions around the world.
Community Events – PIN & Opening School Mass
We had an excellent turnout at our Parent Information Night (PIN) last week. My thanks to all the parents who dedicated time to visit the school, tour classrooms, and meet our staff. As always, sharing a meal together as a community was a blessing.
We celebrated our Opening School Mass on Wednesday, where we presented our Yr 6 leaders with their leadership badges in front of the school community and blessed the beginning of our school year. Thank you to everyone involved who made this celebration so special.
MiniLit and Maths Mastery Intervention
This week, we have launched our MiniLit Literacy intervention groups in Years 1 & 2 and our Maths Mastery lessons in Years 3 & 4. These programs provide targeted support to help students build their skills in literacy and numeracy.
A heartfelt thank you to Mrs Lauren Macdonald, Mrs Kelly Delaney, and the CSA team for their dedication in preparing resources and coaching the delivery of these important initiatives. Your expertise and commitment ensure that our students receive the best possible support.
I also want to acknowledge and thank our parent community for your engagement in last week’s parent information sessions. Your involvement plays a vital role in supporting your child’s learning, and we appreciate your partnership in this journey.
BTN News Story
Some of you might have seen the BTN news story involving some of our Yr 6 leaders last week. If you haven’t, check it out here. I am so proud of the students and the way they engaged with this opportunity. They were thoughtful and reflective, collaborating on some really important questions that they asked the Prime Minister directly during a press conference in the ‘Blue room’. Today a longer 15-minute story has been released on ABC iView you can access it here
New School Counsellor
We welcome our new school counsellor, Bianca Breen who will be working on Thursdays, Fridays, and Mondays of even weeks. School counselling referrals can be made via this link: https://catholiccare.force.com/housing/s/school-referral-form
If you would prefer to contact Bianca directly to discuss your child, you can email her via bianca.breen@mccg.org.au
Year 6 Camp
Last week, our Year 6 students embarked on their camp at NSW Sport and Rec in Berry. They had a fantastic time, making lasting memories with their peers and embracing new adventures that helped strengthen their bonds as our 2026 leadership group.
Camps are a valuable part of our school calendar, providing students with opportunities to build resilience, develop independence, and challenge themselves in ways they never thought possible.
A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated teachers who took time out of their busy schedules and spent time away from their families to support this experience. Your efforts are truly appreciated and make these opportunities possible.
Our Yr 5 students will attend camp in Sydney later in the year.
Blessings and Best Wishes
Sean Rutledge
Principal
OPENING SCHOOL AND LEADERSHIP MASS
It was so wonderful to gather as a community on Wednesday at Holy Family Church to celebrate the beginning of the school year as well as commission our new 2025 School, House SRC and Choir leaders. It was also the first Mass we had with Fr Simon and Fr Mark. The children participated in Mass so reverently and sang like angels- we really are very proud of our school community!
Congratulations to our 2025 Leaders
SACRAMENTS
A reminder that any child who wishes to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation (Year 4) Eucharist (Year 5) and Confirmation (Year 6) need to be registered for the Sacrament via the Parish QkR! App. This process MUST be completed before the 4th April. Any questions about the Sacrament, please contact Orla, our Sacramental Coordinator via email TuggeranongSouth.Sacraments@cg.org.au or Fr Simon at the Parish tuggeranongsouth@cg.org.au
Sunday Gospel Reflection
The radical teaching that was begun in last week’s gospel as the beatitudes and woes is continued in this week’s challenge to be forgiving, compassionate and generous in the same way that God expresses abundant love. As with the blessings and curses of the Beatitudes passage, this teaching continues the challenge to act against cultural and social expectations. Who would be surprised if you were to express hatred for an enemy or for someone who hates you or treats you badly? But Jesus tells his disciples to love their enemies and to do good to those who hate them. His instruction is contrary to the ‘normal’ way of doing things – and that’s exactly the message Jesus wanted to convey! Rather than a spiteful, vengeful God who keeps score and punishes wrongdoing, Jesus presents a compelling image of a God of unbounded compassion and abundant generosity.
In this passage we find one version of the Golden Rule that appears repeatedly throughout the gospels (as well as most other religious traditions): ‘Treat others as you would like them to treat you.’ It is followed up with a comment that it takes no effort to treat well people whom you like – anybody can do that. The challenge is to treat people you don’t like as you would like to be treated yourself. In a society that had very strict rules about the way to treat different people and clearly established boundaries between different groups, this was a tough ask by Jesus.
This week as a family talk about how you can show love to people you don't like and commit to an action to show this love for others.
Have a great week!
Sharee Thomas
REC
We are delighted to invite you to two upcoming parent engagement sessions, hosted by the school in partnership with the Community Council.
We understand that your time is precious, so these sessions have been thoughtfully designed to provide you with valuable, practical strategies to support your parenting journey.
Session 1: Online Safety
Thursday, March 13th | ⏰ 6:00 PM | School Hall
Navigating the digital world as a parent can be challenging. ySafe delivers practical, evidence-based cyber safety education to equip parents with the knowledge and tools needed to guide their children’s online experiences. This session will offer actionable strategies that you can implement right away to create a safer online environment at home.
Session 2: Building Resilience at Home
Tuesday, March 25th | ⏰ 6:00 PM | School Hall
Presented by The Resilience Project, this session will explore ways to nurture resilience and wellbeing in your family. Learn about the TRP program, discover strategies for supporting your child’s wellbeing using the GEM principles (Gratitude, Empathy, and Mindfulness), and gain practical tips for enhancing your own personal wellbeing. Enjoy the webinar, connect with fellow parents, and relax with some light refreshments.
To register your interest, please scan the QR code on the attached flyer.
We hope to see many of you there!
The StFA Team / SfFA Community Council
