Issue 5, 3 April 2023

As a Christian community we are nearing the end of the Lenten season.  This week is Holy Week.  This special time will allow us to fully prepare for the miracle that happens on Easter Sunday.  The culmination of our Lenten season begins on Holy Thursday when we remember the Last Supper before the most solemn holy day of the year, being Good Friday.  On this day, we remember that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  Let us use this Holy Week as an opportunity to deepen our faith before we experience the joy of Easter Sunday when we celebrate the Resurrection of our Saviour.

Several new staff have joined our college community over the last few weeks.  Miss Kelsey Woodards is teaching primary music and also working in Year 3 Blue.  Mrs Amali Samaranayake has been appointed to the role of Education Support Officer and is also working across the primary years.  I am pleased to announce that Mrs Jessi Nickolai and Miss Emma Colebrook will also join our college community in Term 2 to work in the primary school.  All these people bring a range of knowledge and skills into our college community, adding value to the experiences of our students.  I know that our community will make them feel welcome at Caritas College. 

Well done to our Year 7 students who recently ventured on a 3-day camp to Wallaroo.  The camp focussed on teamwork, communication and resilience building activities.  From all accounts, it was a positive experience for students and teachers.  We are pleased to facilitate and support these types of extra-curricula activities to ensure that our students learn about themselves and build positive relationships at school and outside of the school environment.

We have been informed by our local bus service that a number of issues have been occuring on the bus.  The issues include students moving around on the bus when they should be seated, not following instructions from the driver and not adhering to road safety rules when getting on and off the bus.  Furthermore, it is disappointing to hear that the bus has been left in an untidy state with students leaving rubbish for the bus driver to clean up.  Consequently, the bus service has implemented that no food and drink is allowed on the bus (except water bottles).  We ask all parents/caregivers whose children access the bus service to support us in making sure that everyone is being safe and respectful on the bus.

We would like to remind everyone that energy drinks and sports drinks are not permitted at school.  These types of drinks contain high levels of sugar and caffeine, which can have a negative impact on student's learning and wellbeing at school.  We encourage students to bring water or other healthy beverages to school instead.  Staying hydrated is important for maintaining focus throughout the school day.  Energy drinks, potentially, have the opposite effect.  Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school a healthy and safe environment for all students. 

Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week - a time of reflection and remembrance of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  During this solemn and important week, Christians participate in various traditions and ceremonies such as Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday.  As we journey with Jesus throughout this week, take some time to reflect upon what these events mean to us.

The Passion of the Lord, also known as Palm Sunday, was celebrated yesterday, Sunday 2 April. This marks the beginning of Holy Week - the final week of Lent.  Palm Sunday reminds us the journey that Jesus made into Jerusalem, on a donkey, to celebrate the Jewish Feast of the Passover.  People welcomed Jesus by shouting and waving palm branches and throwing them down onto the road in the path of the donkey.

Throughout Holy Week, students across the college will come together in year levels to commemorate the Stations of the Cross.  Since the earliest centuries of the Church, Christians have made pilgrimages to Jerusalem in order to walk in the footsteps of Jesus during his suffering, death and resurrection.  During the fifteenth century, Christians began the practice of prayerfully meditating on the Passion of the Christ by reproducing the pilgrimage in what we now know as the Stations of the Cross.  By walking with Jesus, we join our personal suffering with his, knowing that he will lead us to new life through his Resurrection.

We are now almost at the end of the season of Lent, the time of preparation for the season of Easter.  As Catholics, we remain in Lent and Holy Week until Easter Sunday, celebrated on 9 April.  The themes during this time are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  On Easter Sunday, we move into the joyful season of Easter which is 50 days of celebrating.  In honouring the significance and this wonderful tradition, the giving of Easter eggs is encouraged to happen only after the Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday.

If you are looking for a way to enjoy your Easter treats that support ethical and sustainable practices, consider purchasing slavery-free certified chocolate Easter eggs.  This sends a message to chocolate companies that consumers care about social justice and responsibility, connected to our Catholic Social Teaching of Dignity of the Human Person.