Dear Community,

Thank you once again for your support surrounding COVID. We received new guidelines from NSW Health this week, which I communicated with you on Tuesday night. The new guidelines state that students or staff who are displaying flu like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, must be tested for COVID and not attend school until the test returns a negative result. This negative result must be sent into the office for filing. There is no directive that siblings of tested children stay at home. I am also no longer able to conduct face to face enrollment interviews, however, they can be held online. 

Year 3 are closer to moving into their new classroom. This should occur on Monday next week.  

On Tuesday night the School Community Council held its monthly meeting. The Council provides the opportunity for members of the school, parish and
Archdiocesan communities to support the mission of Catholic education in the school. Working with the Principal, Parish Priest and staff, the members of the Council and its committees provide leadership to the wider school community. We discussed holding an open meeting online in Term 4 and this will be announced closer to the date. I thank them for the work that they do.

Take care,

Grant

Sacrament of First Reconciliation

We are very excited that the Sacrament of First Reconciliation is going ahead this term. The dates and specific details of the new program will be sent out in a hard copy letter and via email tomorrow. Any children who are eligible to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Year 3 or above, are invited to join in this program. If your child is not currently in Year 3 and you wish for them to be involved could you please contact me at jacqueline.collins@cg.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible.

The main dates that you are asked to add to your calendar are the upcoming Parent Formation Evening on Monday 31st August at 6:30pm in the Sacred Heart Church. This change of venue is inline with the current COVID-19 protocols which we are directed by. Please note that this meeting is for parents only. If you require support with child minding please contact me via email to make suitable arrangements. Please note that there are some significant changes to the usual program this year (which will be explained further in the letter and in greater detail at the Parent Formation Evening).

The other important date to add to your calendar is the Sacrament of Reconciliation date on Wednesday 23rd August at 6:00pm in the Sacred Heart Church.

NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY by Mary Coloe PBVM

‘Yes Lord – BUT’

To understand this Sunday’s Gospel it is important to place it within its narrative context, within the structure of these recent Sunday readings.

Matt 14:13-21 – Feeding on the Western (Jewish) side of Lake Galilee (Mark 6:30-44)

Matt 14:22-35 – Miracle on the Sea (Mark 6:45-52)

Matt 15:21-28 – The Canaanite Woman (Mark 7:24:30)

Matt 15:29-31 – Jesus on the Eastern (Gentile) side, teaches the people (Mark 7:31-37)

Matt 15:32-39 – Feeding on the Eastern (Gentile) side (Mark 8:1-9)

Two Sunday’s ago we read the account of the first feeding miracle on the Jewish side of Lake Galilee. The words used in this episode are particularly Jewish and at the conclusion of the episode there are twelve baskets of leftovers. The miracle portrays the feeding of the Children of Israel as once they were fed by Moses in the Wilderness. Following this miracle Jesus crosses the Sea ‘to the other side’ (Matt 14:22) where the disciples experience difficulty.

In this weekend’s Gospel it is quite clear that Jesus has moved beyond the territory of the Jewish people, into the northern region of Tyre and Sidon. Here he encounters a Gentile woman – again very clearly identified as a Canaanite from that region. In Matthew this is the first explicit encounter with a non-Jew. From the evidence of the Gospels it seems that Jesus worked primarily within the land of Palestine and saw himself involved in a mission to the people of Israel. He rarely ventured beyond Israel to Gentiles.

When the Canaanite woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter Jesus states his understanding of his mission, ‘only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’. He then continues, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ This harsh reprimand makes use of an idiomatic way that Jews used when speaking of Gentiles, as ‘Gentile dogs’. The woman responds, ‘Yes Lord, but even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the master’s table.’ Keep in mind the larger context. The children of Israel have been fed (Matt 14:13-21) and there were twelve baskets of scraps left over. In response to the woman’s witty and faith-filled response Jesus accedes to her request and heals her daughter. In effect, Jesus changes his understanding of his mission to include Gentiles. Immediately following this episode Jesus returns to the Lakeside but now goes to the Gentile side and on this side of the Lake the number of loaves and the number of left-over baskets is seven. Within Jewish symbolism seven signifies completion or fulfilment. When considering all of these episodes and their sequence Matthew is presenting a view that Jesus’ mission is complete only when it includes the Gentiles. It is also worth noting that on this side of the Lake Jesus takes the bread and ‘gives thanks’ which in Greek is the word ‘eucharistein’. Now, when both Jew and Gentile can be fed at the table, there can be Eucharist.

At the time when the Gospels are being written this story would have been very important, for some disciples were taking the Gospel to the Gentiles, while others still thought of a mission primarily within Judaism. This episode would have helped the community to reach out beyond the narrow confines of Judaism as Jesus did on this occasion. We know from the Acts of the Apostles, that when Gentiles joined with Jewish disciples they had problems about eating together. Matthew’s Gospel in these episodes addresses this pastoral situation by indicating that real Eucharist is only possible when all are welcome to the Lord’s Table.

This Gentile woman, an outsider, is a strong character prepared to argue with Jesus as Abraham, Moses and Job once argued with God. She provides us with a good model of vigorous prayer.

We welcome Ron Arun and his family - Mum Aarya, Dad Arun, and sister Alena to our town and school community. Ron joins Miss Pope and the students in Kindergarten.

Parlez-vous francais?

In 2020 both Year 6 and Year 7 are broadening their world view and language skills by learning French!

This term Year 6 is learning about the weather and have worked in pairs to deliver their own weather report. Meanwhile, Year 7 is currently studying sport and parts of the body. They have scripted and delivered their own dialogues in French discussing the sports that they enjoy playing, as well as the benefits they have on their body. Last term students learned about ‘la fête nationale’, France’s national day and celebrated by enjoying some croissants, pain au chocolat, cheese and pâté and of course trying on the beret!

Learning a language is a great way to improve confidence, develop collaborative skills, increase brain activity, expand student’s world views and foster tolerance of cultural difference.

Spirit River Dance Group

Last week all students from Kinder to Year 10 had the opportunity to learn about Aboriginal culture and dance. Students learned the Emu, Kangaroo and Brolga dances as well as their significance and the creation stories behind them. Students had the chance to handle some Aboriginal hunting and gathering tools such as a variety of boomerangs used for different purposes and coolamons which were used to collect food and even doubled as a baby carrier! Students also learned how to make and apply ochre and enjoyed the chance to have some applied to their face. The dance group held a small group workshop on dance and connecting to culture for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students too.

Week 3

Kinder - Archie Block Being able to make equal groups in Maths. Abby Wheeler Participation and work ethic across all areas. Ari Bryon Her kind and friendly nature.

Yr 1 - Nate Swanston Extra effort put into their work all week. Lucy Taylor Extra effort put into their work all week. Edie Bett Encouraging her peers to persist and work hard.

Yr 2 - Ayden George Fast recall of addition and multiplication facts. Elsie Keith Outstanding Spelling results. Angus Oliver Looking after and helping a classmate when they didn't feel well.

Yr 3 - Harry Swanston A great, focussed week. Hayley Kite A great attitude in class, even without her mate 'Roger'. Harvey Drumore A great role model in class.

Yr 4 - George Morton A keen learner during Maths. Charlie Cooper Consistently working at a high standard in all KLAs. Darcy Reardon Being a good sport and giving everyone a fair go.

Yr 5 - Isobelle Crawford Her hip shaking and disco dancing. Ethan Bett Great research in Religion. Annabelle Palmer Her thoughtfulness and caring disposition towards others.

Yr 6 - Harry Kelly Asking questions to help understanding in Maths. Geoffrey Gallagher Helping teachers solve IT issues. Jett Nguyen Being dedicated to his studies without being distracted by others. 

Week 3

Yr 7 - DJ Bowman-Cannon Putting in extra effort with Spelling in English. Josie Crawford Always trying her best in English. Olivia Mills Working hard on her Term 3 goal. Mitchell Dunstan Being a great role model and acting with integrity. Mathew Ibrahim Being a great role model and acting with integrity. 

Yr 8 - Bea Balon Excellent detail in her written responses in English. Sharn Ferguson Fantastic spelling in English and excellent application to classwork in Geography. Noah Harper Excellent involvement in Maths activities. Daniel Hirt Showing an excellent knowledge of 'Linear Relationships'. Hayden McGrath Having a positive attitude in Maths.  Jazzabella Nguyen Excellent detail in her written responses in English and having an excellent understanding of 'Linear Relationships'.

Yr 9 - Matthew Durham An enthusiastic approach to Maths.  Wilson Gaynor Contributing to discussions in English. Jordan Meyer Consistent application in all areas of Geography. Jed Reardon Great discussions in English and excellent application to Maths tasks.

Yr 10 - Kiara Balon Hard work in Religion. Charles Bent Detailed diagrams in Geography and excellent topic test result in Maths. 

Term 3 is gymnastics term in PDHPE! Due to the unpredictable weather in Winter, we move in doors and all primary students participate in a gymnastics (sometimes called ninja) unit. Gymnastics is an amazing sport that is essential in all primary schools. 

Data suggests that across Australia, children are becoming less flexible, have lower core strength and trouble lifting/pushing themselves up using their upper body. At St Anne’s, the students progress through the skills with Kinder completing basic movements that require limited equipment and focus on moving and manipulating their body. They continue onto using specialised gymnastics equipment such as balance beams and wedges to roll down, before putting on small group performances in Stage 3 with the addition of balls and ribbons. 

If you’ve noticed your child attempting handstands and cartwheels at home, by all means encourage them to continue, but please be mindful of their neck!

The Secondary students have been having just as much fun across a range of sports and activities. The Year 7 students are busy creating some amazing group dances and will shortly start advanced gymnastics. The Year 8 students are working on invasion games, with a focus on soccer, AFL, league tag and netball. The Year 9’s have been exploring and playing games from other cultures. There has been a lot of gaelic, along with modified kabaddi and buzkashi. They start presenting their chosen sports this week. The seniors of the school have recently finished a volleyball unit, with some incredible talents on show and will now start developing their softball skills in preparation to be beaten by the teachers in Term 4.

Secondary Feed Mi is on again this term and will happen on Tuesday of Week 9. All orders must be in by the end of Week 6 for ordering reasons. Meal ordering and payment must be made via QKR.

Monday 24th August - Team 4 - Lisa van Egmond, Kara Clydesdale, Lauren Block

Monday 31st August - Team 5 - Mai Pham, Kirsty Oliver, Liz Oliver

Monday 7th September - Team 6 - Angela Gilchrist, Kirushanthi Nirupan, Amber Crawford, Bec Reid

Monday 14th September - Team 1 - Meg Morton, Ali McCrone, Carissa Bett, Klara Kite

Monday 21st September - Team 2 - Sally Cassidy, Marna Crawford, El Warren