Dear SCA Families,

On ANZAC Day each year we look back on over a century of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice. We honour those who have died and suffered through the old and the new wars, and we thank them for all they have engrained in our nation's heart and way of life. May we as a nation continue to provide those men and women who have served us with the care they need.

During this season of Easter, we pray for peace and focus on the needs of others. As Jesus taught, serving others is a sure way to ensure the world becomes a better place.

My prayer for us and our world is reflected in the words of Chaplain Riley, who led the benediction to conclude this year’s Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial:

“…. help us to remember that freedom does not automatically perpetuate itself.

That we have to work at it, nurture it, protect it and pray for it.

Freedom, like faith, needs out attention and our cooperation.

So go out into the world in peace,
be of good courage,
keep hold of what is good,
render to no-one evil for evil.

In these times strengthen one another,
support the week,
help the afflicted,
love and honour all people,
seek to always be joyful,
and search for gratitude in all situations.

Amen.”

You are warmly invited to attend our ANZAC Day liturgy, this Friday 3^rd May, at 2.00pm in the school Hall.

Notes and Newsletters – All via Compass

The school newsletter is published EVERY Wednesday of the school year. The Compass App can be used to refer back to previous editions. Please also note that the school calendar is on our website.

If you find yourself speaking with a parent who is not aware of the newsletter, or events taking place at school, please ask them to contact the front office. Our friendly office staff will help them to set up their Compass access.

Photography at School

Please respect the rights of families to not have their child photographed or video recorded by other adults.

We absolutely love having parents and other family members at assemblies, carnivals and other school events. We also understand parents wanting to take photos or videos of their child. However, as it is almost impossible to not include another child, we respectfully ask that parents do not take any photos or videos of school events while other children or staff may be in the frame.

2025 Enrolments

2025 Enrolment Period is the month of May

SCA Open Days – all Thursdays in May

Please contact the school to arrange a time that suits you.

If you have a little one ready for school in 2025 or you know of anyone interested in looking at our fantastic school for their children, enrolment packs are available in the Front Office.

Mothers Day Celebrations

All mums, grandmums and mother figures are invited to join us for breakfast and a social gathering, next Friday, 10^th May, from 8.00am in the school Hall.

C’mon gents, give a hand!

It’s our turn gentlemen! The Mothers Day Breakfast is on at school on Friday 10^th May, from 8.00am. If you are able to help prepare, serve or clean up between 7.00am and 8.30am (even just for half an hour), please send me an email to let me know. (matt.egan-richards@cg.catholic.edu.au) Don’t let the team down. ☺

School Uniform

Out come the long pants, jumpers, shirts, skirts and ties! Thank you to the many families that make that extra effort to ensure that children are wearing correct winter uniform. All children should be wearing their winter school uniform from Week 3. A few reminders:

• Formal black leather shoes must be worn with the school uniform. No Lynx shoes, black runners or canvas shoes.
• A note of explanation from the parent must be provided if your child deviates from the expected uniform for a short period of time while correct uniform is being sourced.
• Jewellery, rubber charity bands and bracelets must not be worn to school. The only jewellery items which may be worn to school are a watch and plain small stud or sleepers. (No hoops, loops, dangles or sparkly earrings).
• Navy gloves, scarves and coats during winter.

A uniform dress code reinforces in students a pride in their appearance, instills recognition of themselves as an integral part of the school community, and assists in developing pride in representing their school. Our school uniform is available from our Lowes or Working Gear, Fyshwick.

It was once said…

Blessings to you and your family.

Matt Egan-Richards

Principal

matt.egan-richards@cg.catholic.edu.au

This Sunday’s Gospel is from the Gospel of John 15:9-17: Live on in Christ. Jesus’ command to ‘love one another’ is given twice in this short passage. As such, it needs be taken seriously and become the guiding principle in our daily lives. But, as Pope Francis once said, expressing Christian love means going beyond ‘words, words, words’.

‘First and foremost,’ the Pope points out, ‘it is important to realise that Christ’s love is not a superficial feeling.’ In this Gospel passage Jesus was not telling his disciples to be unflappably polite or overtly nice to each other. This was not a message about social conventions. Jesus is concerned with our attitude toward others, and those actions that flow from it. ‘Love,’ as the Pope points out, ‘is fulfilled in everyday life, in attitudes, in deeds.’

As the Pope has repeatedly stressed, loving another person often requires us to challenge our own attitudes. We are called to love everyone, with openness to, as the Pope puts it, ‘however they may be and whatever their situation.’

While sometimes hard, this is our Christian duty: We are called to love in response to being loved.

Which means it is not our place to judge or put conditions on the love we receive and share. ‘To love as the Lord loves us,’ the Pope says, ‘means to appreciate the people beside us, to respect their freedom, to love them as they are, not as we want them to be.’

Confirmation

This week our Confirmation program begins for the Year 6 students enrolled in the sacrament. Our Parish Sacramental Coordinator, Mrs Anne Gowen will lead two Parent Formation sessions this week. Details are as follows:

Wed 1/5/24  7pm Holy Family Church

Thurs 2/5/24 5:30pm Holy Family Church.

Please keep these students and their families in your prayers as they are guided by the Holy Spirit to receive this beautiful Sacrament!

Have a wonderful week

Rachel Kennedy

Religious Education Coordinator

Congratulations to the children who will be awarded white cards at the 8.45 am Friday Morning Assembly.

All dates are available on the School Calender 

https://www.sca.act.edu.au/calendar

Congratulation to the following children who will be presented with ribbons for the cross country this Friday morning at the 8.45am assembly:

Friday 10th May at 7.30am in School Hall

To assist us with catering please RSVP if you can join us.

Today on Compass  the Mothers Day Breakfast was opened for all families to RSVP. Logon to Compass (If using your phone please select Open in Browser which is under More - the three lines) you will see:

• Select Click here to proceed.

• Select Mothers Day Breakfast 

• Select number adults attending
• Select number children attending
• Select Save.
• See you there!

SAVE THE DATE

Thursday 13th June 

Please do not make any appointments on this day as make up photos are not taken for absent children.

Full winter school uniform to be worn, no sports uniforms please.

Eating disorders are thought to affect up to nine per cent of the population, affecting both males and females and people from all cultural backgrounds.

It is not known why someone gets an eating disorder. There is no single cause, but many factors may contribute such as genes and the environment that the young person grows up in.

While many young people worry about body image and will often try dieting and/or exercise to lose weight, these behaviours by themselves are very different from eating disorders.  Below are some great resources around eating disorders:

The Butterfly Foundation can provides a number of the resources that are free:

For schools - Butterfly Foundation

The National Eating Disorder Collaboration has created excellent resources which is attached below. This resource provides a comprehensive guide on Prevention, Early Identification, Response and Recovery Support.

https://nedc.com.au/assets/NEDC-Resources/NEDC-Resource-Schools.pdf

Our Eating Disorder Clinical Hub is available on 5124 1235 and chs.edch@act.gov.au if you have questions.

Where: Richardson Primary School
When: Wed 29th May 
Time: 5:30pm - 7pm 
Presenter:  Conflict Resolution Service 
Children Welcome: Yes 
Booking Method: Book Online Here. 
For more information please email Penny.Stott@wcs.org.au or call 6284 2644

COMMUNITY DIRECTORY

Join Our School's Community Directory!

Are you looking to connect with fellow businesses within our school community? Look no further! We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Parent Network initiative!

The Community Directory?

Our goal is simple: to bring together the diverse array of talents and services within our school community into one comprehensive directory. Whether you are a local bakery, a tutoring service, or a freelance artist, this network is your platform to showcase your offerings and connect with potential customers.

Why Join?

• Visibility: Gain exposure through the newsletter, the school Facebook page, Hyperlink on the school website the community and beyond.
• Networking: Connect with other businesses and professionals to explore collaborations and partnerships.
• Leverage: By the power of our community network, you are not just promoting your business – you're investing in the collective success of our community.

How to Get Involved: It's simple! If you own or operate a business within our school community, we invite you to submit your business information and email to to sca@cg.catholic.edu.au

You will then be featured in our directory and start reaping the benefits of community collaboration.

Spread the Word: Help us grow our network by sharing this initiative with your fellow business owners and encouraging them to join. The more diverse our directory, the richer our community becomes and together we can connect, grow, and flourish!

Ready to Connect? Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of our vibrant community network. Submit your business details today and let’s continue to build our fabulous community!

For submissions and inquiries, contact Karen Snowball at sca@cg.catholic.edu.au