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Dear Parents, Guardians and Community,
We now enter the last weeks of Lent in the lead up to Easter. This is a special time in our church and brings us together as a community. Let us all pray for peace within our community and hope that we all have time to be thankful for the joy that is in our lives.
Naplan. We have now finished our Naplan testing which is a bit of a relief as there is quite a bit of organisation that goes into it with rooms being set up, passwords, computer checks and so forth. Thank you to Laura Graham who manages all this and well done to our students for their efforts.
School Closure Days: We have two closure days coming up, One at the end of term and one at the beginning of Term 2. It was not planned that way on purpose, it just worked that way with the availability of speakers. We are trying to move our closure days to the start of terms as we have noticed are quite often sick in that last week, which does not go well when we are planning very intensive days of future planning. Next Thursday we have a Spirituality Day working with Denise Arnel, who is quite well known in Catholic education. Our day at the start of term is dedicated to Mathematics, which is another area we are working on. It is a bit of a strange start to the Term 2 with the closure day, Monday with Anzac Day Tuesday, meaning the students start Term 2 on the Wednesday.
Staffing News: Sadly I need to let the community know that Ebony Puopolo, our School Psychologist will be leaving us at the end of the term to return to private practice. Ebony has supported many in our community and she has been a great asset. We wish her well for the future. We will advertise for a new psychologist to start as soon as possible.
2023 Enrolments: Just to remind any existing families that we will start sending out our offers for 2024 in early May. If you have not completed your enrolment form, please do so as soon as possible.
Last Day Of Term. Next week the last day of term for students is Wednesday April 5th. School will finish at the normal time of 3:30pm.
God Bless
Anthony
St Mary’s Faith News
School and Parish Connections
Gospel – Sunday 26th March 2023
John 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45
The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
He became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?”
So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”
Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.
Project Compassion
‘Working together for justice and dignity. Walking together in hope. Building together a thriving future for all.’
ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO!!!
The new school target as of last week was $500.00.
As of Friday we have raised $967.00.
Patrick gave a very convincing address on behalf of the Charism team at last Friday’s assembly asking for everyone to dig a little deeper in this the final week and see if we can make it to the $1,000 mark.
Please help us do this.
Thank you for your continued support.
Ways the children can contribute are:
- Put some of their pocket money into the box.
- Choose to donate icy pole money.
- If the children have given up a treat - try and donate the cost, so the children can see their abstaining is benefiting someone else.
Lenten Liturgies
The last Lenten Liturgy will be held this Friday afternoon in the school hall at 3:00pm. It will be led by the Year 6 students.
The Liturgy will be followed by the school assembly, where Student of the week and birthdays will be celebrated.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing as many of you at the last Liturgy/assembly for the term.
Stations of the Cross
On Wednesday the 5th April the school will be open for Stations of the Cross.
This year each class will have a Station on their classroom door.
Parents are welcome to visit the stations at 9:30 am. Station 1 will be at 6B.
Follow the stations to 6D and 5C before moving to the upstairs classrooms and then down the Prep classrooms for stations 12 and 13.
Station 14 will be at the Church steps.
The Church will then be open for quiet refelction at the end of the journey. The Charism Team will be posted around the school to direct parents and students to the next station.
Important information for year Four Families
There will be an information booklet coming home with information about The First Eucharist before the end of term.
I hope that the booklet will answer any questions you may have about preparing the children for the Sacrament and what to expect on the day.
This information will be sent home as a hard copy and as an email so that everyone receives the information.
Sacramental Program 2023
All dates and times for the Sacrament Masses are outlined in the table below. Year 4 and Year 6 students will be making their Eucharist and Confirmation as a class this year. Early in Term 2 we will open the ‘booking online’ for parents in Year 3 to make a time for their child to make their Reconciliation.
Sacrament |
Term |
Date |
Where |
Notes |
Reconciliation |
2 |
Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st, Friday 23rd June Time: 4:00-6:00 and Saturday 24th June Time: 10:00-12:00 am |
Church |
Will need to book a time early in Term 2 |
Eucharist - Year 4RM |
2 |
Sunday 28th May 10:30 am |
Church |
No booking required |
Eucharist - Year 4H |
2 |
Sunday 4th June 10:30 am |
Church |
No booking required |
Confirmation - 6D |
3 |
Tuesday 22nd August - 6:00pm |
Church |
No booking required |
Confirmation - 6B |
3 |
Wednesday 23rd August - 6:00pm |
Church |
No booking required |
Information Sessions for the Sacramental Program
Sacrament |
Date and Time |
Location |
Presenter |
Reconciliation - Students and parents |
Wednesday 24th May 7:00 pm |
School Hall |
Maria Forde |
Eucharist - students and parents |
Wednesday 10th May 7:00 pm |
School Hall |
Denise Arnel |
Confirmation |
Thursday 20th July 6:30 pm |
School Hall |
Fr Elio Capra |
Altar Servers
Any student in Years 3, 4, 5 or 6 who would like to train as an Altar server, please contact with Fr Greg at greg.trythall@cam.org.au or Mrs Lipnicki at clipnicki@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au.
Training will be organised by Fr Greg. Fr Greg will also put together a roster which he will share with families.
Reconciliation, Easter and Holy Week at St Mary’s Church
Harmony Week
On Friday 24th March the students participated in Harmony Day. It was wonderful to see the students dressed in their cultural colours or symbols. The students engaged in buddy activities that promoted the message that everyone belongs.
Produced by the Sustainability Team
Did you know it is so important to recycle?
Some things like cardboard, can be recycled up to 7 times but nappies take over 150 years to dissolve.
The more we recycle, the less garbage winds up in our landfills and incineration plants.
By reusing aluminum, paper, glass, plastics, and other materials, we can save production and energy costs, and reduce the negative impacts that the extraction and processing of virgin materials has on the environment.
Recycling also reduces the need for extracting (mining, quarrying and logging), refining and processing raw materials all of which create substantial air and water pollution.
This helps to save energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping to tackle climate change.
Recycling at Easter
Easter is a time for indulging in chocolate eggs and other delicious things, but the treats we enjoy at this time of year bring with them more than their fair share of rubbish! The good news is that you can have a waste-free Easter by recycling as much as possible. Here are seven of the top things you can recycle at Easter.
- Easter egg foil
- Easter egg packaging
- Gift basket wrapping and sweet wrappers
- Easter cards
- Easter Food
- Hot cross bun packaging
- Flowers
So when you’re at home putting something in the bin have a think about it couldn’t be recycled.
Your future relies on it!
Mount St Joseph Girls' College
Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College Altona invites you to explore our faith and learning community at one of our Open Events in 2023
OPEN DAY
Join us for our vibrant and interactive Open Day on Sunday 7 May from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Explore the College on a guided tour led by our student ambassadors and participate in all the fun educational activities that we have to offer. As part of the carnival atmosphere, listen to our talented musical acts and enjoy a snack from the BBQ. Meet our Principal and teaching staff and see why Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College is the best choice for your child’s education.
Register to attend by visiting our website HERE.
OPEN MORNINGS
Open Mornings provide an opportunity for families to witness learning in action on a regular school day. Our Year 9 student ambassadors will give you a personal tour of the College. Visiting families will have the unique opportunity to ask questions of our ambassadors and gain an honest insight into our programs and what it is like to be a student at Mount St. Joseph Girls' College.
Register to attend by visiting our website HERE.
Thursday 8 June - 9:15am – 10:30am
Thursday 20 July - 9:15am – 10:30am
Thursday 3 August - 9:15am – 10:30am
Thursday 7 Sept - 9:15am – 10:30am
ENROLMENT APPLICATIONS
A reminder that enrolment applications for Year 7 in 2025 close on 18 August 2023. Apply online HERE or contact the College Registrar, Mrs Sherri Collins for further information.
Contact details: registrar@msj.vic.edu.au or phone 8398 2007.
It is hard to believe that we are already in Week 10 of Term 1. As always there is lots happening at Emmanuel. At Notre Dame, our Year 11 and 12 Theatre Studies and Year 10 Drama students went to the Princess Theatre to watch the magical performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. At St Paul’s, Year 7 Lego Masters have been working hard demonstrating their creativity in designing and building model animals.
Last Friday, 275 Year 5 students from Lumen Christi, Queen of Peace and Stella Maris Primary Schools attended Tabloid Sports at Notre Dame. There were fun activities that were supervised by Year 12 VET Sport and Recreation students followed by a BBQ lunch which was provided by our Vocational Major (VM) students. It was wonderful to see our students interacting so positively and with such enthusiasm with our primary school visitors.
Our next major event is the College Open Day on Sunday 21 May 2023, where you will hear from our College Principal, Dr Janine Biggin and join in a college tour, the times are below for each campus:
St Paul’s Campus 10:30am to 1:30pm
Notre Dame Campus 11:00am to 2:00pm
Bookings are essential and can be made under the College Tours and Events tab on the right-hand side of the homepage on the College website, www.ecmelb.catholic.edu.au or by following this link: Open Day registration here
Year 7 2025 applications
If your child is currently in Grade 5, it is a requirement to submit an application if you wish to be considered for a place in Year 7 2025, even if you already have an older child who attends the College. Applications close on Friday 18 August 2023.
A Prospectus Pack containing an application form can be requested from the Enrolment Information tab, also on the right hand side of the homepage of the College website, by emailing enrolments@ecmelb.catholic.edu.au, calling the College Registrar on 8325 5119 or visiting our friendly staff at reception of either of our campuses.
We hope to see you at a school event soon.
Kind regards
Jenny Hendricks
Community Connections