APRE News
Dear Parents and Carers,
As I write this article, things are starting to unfold further, with tension building between Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world.....
A Prayer for Peace:
Loving God,
you are the source of all things good.
We pray for peace in the midst of violence and tragedy in this world.
May decision makers have the patience to be understanding, the strength to be forgiving and the grace to admit when they are wrong.
We pray to the Lord.
ASH WEDNESDAY and LENT: (Wednesday next week)
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, when we remember the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Lent is the 40 days, not including Sundays from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter. Christians around the world recognise these six weeks as time of reflection, penitence and spiritual preparation before Easter.
Fr Michael will be joining each year level throughout the day for an Ash Wednesday Liturgy. While ashes will not be distributed individually, they will be a part of the prayer service.
PROJECT COMPASSION 2022!
Caritas Australia is the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church in Australia and is part of one of the largest aid and development networks in the world –Caritas Internationalis –working in over 200 countries and territories.
Each year, Project Compassion runs during the six weeks of the Church season of Lent. People across Australia (including students at SSPS) are invited to help raise funds AND stand in solidarity with the millions of people across the world with whom CARITAS works. Everyone is asked to join with them in their aim of building a more just and fairer world: a world in balance, at peace and free of poverty.
Project Compassion, which we at SSPS focus on throughout LENT each year, is an opportunity for students to learn about life in different countries through the personal stories of people who have participated in Caritas Australia-supported programs. The notions of our interconnectedness as one human family are embedded throughout the content and suggested learning tasks. The Project Compassion units of work endeavor to offer compelling and interactive content that can be unpacked with high impact teaching strategies, higher order thinking and collaborative learning tasks aimed at capturing students’ intellect, compassion and their will to act for social justice.
Launch of Project Compassion this Sunday. This Sunday at the 9am Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral, several of our staff and school leaders will be joining with Bishop Robert and others from the Diocese to launch Project Compassion for 2022.
Project Compassion boxes will be in every classroom for the duration of LENT and we are encouraging all families, if they can, to support Caritas Australia this Lenten season and help support vulnerable people around the world, now and For All Future Generations. With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to support vulnerable communities around the world to tackle poverty, food security, education, water and sanitation and disaster risk reduction to build a better future for all.
Together with our parish community, we at SSPS, can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow For All Future Generations.
You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes, envelopes available from your Parish, or by visiting lent.caritas.org.au.
Thank you for your generosity.
Sacramental Program: Along with several students from other schools, 18 of our students in Years 4 and 5, with their parents, are participating in the 2022 St Patrick's Parish Sacramental Program. Over the coming weeks, we will be preparing for Reconciliation, with most of this happening at home.
We are asking those who can, to gather on Wednesday March 9 at 3:30 at the Cathedral to "walk through" what the actual Reconciliation Ceremony looks like and to discuss what the students have learnt through their preparation. Parents will be asked to nominate which date (March 18/19) is their preference for Reconciliation.
Each Tuesday, at 12:45 I have been and will continue to have a quick catch up with the students, just to see how they are going and to answer any questions.
All the best for the rest of the week,
Judy