Dear Families,
This week we have begun the ‘season of Lent’. This is the time in the church year that leads up to Easter. On Tuesday of this week we celebrated Shrove (Pancake) Tuesday. This is the day when we remember that Jesus went out into the desert to fast and pray for 40 days, so traditionally people use up all their eggs and milk so that they do not go off. Immediately following Shrove Tuesday is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. On this day, in our Catholic tradition, we are usually marked on the forehead with the sign of the cross, using ashes collected from burning the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. This cross, done with ashes, reminds us that we are all just simple human beings and that we need to care for each other. Covid-19 has meant that our Ash Wednesday Liturgy was held in classrooms via a ‘Teams’ meeting and each student had an ashes sticker to wear and display rather than the usual ashes. Thank you to Melissa Musolino for planning our liturgy and organising pancakes for everyone (they were certainly delicious).
The whole season of Lent is a time when we are encouraged to change our lives for the better. We used to be encouraged to give something up for Lent, like chocolate, seafood or other niceties. This is okay as long as we donate the money we save to charity. However I think it is far better and more challenging to reach out to others, to repair broken relationships and reflect on how we live our lives each day. How do you treat those people you encounter each day? Is there a difference between those who you know and those you don’t? Do you judge others? Do you make comments that you think afterwards that you shouldn’t have said that? I invite you to think about these things. Are there any things you can work on this Lent to help you be a better person?
The colour for the season of Lent is purple. This is a serious colour. It was traditionally reserved for royalty, for kings and queens. In the church year, when we see the colour purple, it means that we are leading up to something really big and important. In the case of Lent it means that we are preparing for Easter, the most important time in the church’s year.
I would like to thank everyone for continuing to wear masks whenever they enter the school grounds and for not entering any classrooms. We have had a number of families who have (or have had) Covid-19 and I thank them for isolating and notifying us immediately when they receive a positive test result. As restrictions continue to ease we will let you know of any changes that arise and are pertinent to schools. As always we encourage everyone to do the right thing: masks, social distancing and sanitising regularly.
Please remember that the speed limit adjacent to a school, at any time when children are present, is 25kph. While on duty either before or after school I have noticed a number of cars travelling at much higher speeds than that. I encourage you to continue to observe the local government’s bylaws as they pertain to speed and parking in the vicinity of a school. The safety of our children is our highest priority.
Each term all students from Reception to Year 12 in Catholic Education SA participate in a wellbeing survey known as the ‘Classroom Pulse Check In Survey’. This survey is to help us ‘check in’ and discern how our students are travelling. It enables us to track how they are feeling over time and provide extra support and pastoral care if required. This survey is usually conducted across Week 5 and Week 6 of the term.
This has been a challenging start to the school year for everyone. However, the staff have done an amazing job to help the children feel welcome, settled and ‘at home’. With things looking like they might be getting back to normal over the next few weeks I have been reflecting on what we have achieved to date. I want to acknowledge the part parents have played in getting their children back into the school routine but especially want to thank our teaching staff and co-educators for their hard work and positive energy that they bring to our school each day.
Working in Partnership
Peter Mercer
Acting Deputy Principal
Head of Campus
Social