Fruitful Gift

2nd World Day of

Grandparents and the Elderly

Sunday July 24, 2022

Bearing Fruit…

... through Time

Generally, the elderly have more time than in their younger years, time that can be spent fruitfully ... helping children to read, in play, and to pick them up from school. They have more time to plan special outings or make an extra fuss about birthdays, or special events.

... through Presence

Just ‘being around’. We could call it ‘silent love’ (but it’s often anything but silent!). There’s nothing a child appreciates more than the reassuring presence of someone familiar who loves them. Even when separated by distance, ‘tech-savvy’ grandparents can be a presence in their lives.

... through Memories

Most elderly people carry memories of five generations – their own, that of their parents and grandparents and the two generations following them. Their vast reservoir of stories from a bygone era are beyond the imagination of many young people – not just before the internet but before TV! But more important are the stories of their family, and especially of the childrens’ own parents when they were young.

... through Tenderness

The Pope calls the elderly to be ‘Artisans of a Revolution of Tenderness’ – to foster a compassionate recognition of others as our brothers and sisters. He calls them to see others with the same love and caring that they have for their own grandchildren.

It is counter to the universal presence of anger and division which even spills over into war. “Dear grandparents, dear elderly, let us do this by ... frequent and better use of our most valuable instrument, the one best suited to our age: PRAYER.” We can always pray!

... through Blessing

Along with old age and white hair, God continues to give the elderly the gift of life. Trusting in him, we find the strength to praise him still and to see that growing old is more than the decline of the body, but the gift of a long life. “Aging is not a condemnation, but a blessing!”, says Pope Francis. And he should know!

Saints Joachim & Anne

Grandparents of Jesus

Feast Day 26th July

According to Church tradition they were a deeply faithful Jewish couple from the line of King David. Strong devotion to them dates back to early Christianity. While we know very little about Sts Joachim and Anne we can assume that Mary was raised in a faith-filled Jewish home, which led her to respond wholeheartedly to God’s request with faith, “Let it be done to me as you will”.

In Australia, a first class relic of St Anne is held ather shrine in the Parish of St Anne in Bondi where pilgrims are always welcome.

Saints Joachim and Anne,pray for us.

Pray for our grandchildren who are so

dear to us.

GRANDPARENTS DAY

Due to Father Duane being away our celebration of Grandparents will coincide with the St Therese Feast Day Mass on 23 September 2022. ALL grandparents will be welcome to attend our school Mass, explore our new learning spaces, enjoy a morning tea and attend our our End of Term Awards Assembly.

New Logo

This term we have launched our new logo which was developed in conjunction with the parish. Fr Duane and the Parish Pastoral Council were keen to see our school and parish share the same logo in a display of unity in our faith and mission. The new logo depicts a more 3D image of the crucifix and flowers, the addition of white to the image of St Therese and a modern font. You may notice a roll out over the coming months as signage and other branding starts to adopt the change. I will be meeting with Lowes in coming weeks to discuss uniforms but as always, any change would be phased in over time. We have a commitment with Lowes that current stock will continue to be sold before the new stock will become available. Depending on current stock levels, this may take quite a while.

 

Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing, and providing some background, on our new Vision and Mission Statements as well as our School Values.

 

Cyclic Review

As mentioned last week, our school will be involved in a process called Cyclic Review next Wednesday (3 June). This day will involve discussions with the School Leadership Team, some parents and some students. The review panel will also visit classes. This review will seek to provide positive affirmation for improvements over the past 7 years (since previous review) as well as provide suggestions and support for initiatives moving forward over the next cycle. Parents will be informed of the key elements of the review once the report is finalised later in the year.

 

Brown Jumper

Traditionally, St Therese always had a jumper with our logo however a number of years ago, Lowes stopped supply as they were holding stock that no one was buying. The preference coming from students, and supported by parents, was to go with the jacket. With the onset of some quite chilly days, the question has been raised regarding the purchase of a school jumper as opposed to students wearing layers underneath their uniform. I support this initiative and thank the group of parents who have done some research to find a jumper in a similar colour to match our uniform. We currently have a few children, particularly in the younger grades who are looking quite smart wearing the jumper. These were purchased online via the following link:

 

https://www.marksandspencer.com/au/2pk-unisex-pure-cotton-school-jumper-3-18-yrs/p/P60168338.html?dwvar_P60168338_color=N0&pid=P60168338&quantity=1

 

LOWES Price Rise

This week we were notified by Lowes that due to inflationary pressure, they will need to increase prices for various uniform items from Term 4. Most items will incur an increase of between $1 and $3. The biggest price increase will be on the boys tie which will increase by $5.95.

 

EXCURSION NEWS

Year Four Excursion to Port Kembla 22^nd July

 

On Friday 22^nd July, Year 4 were invited to the NSW Port Tour. We were picked up at school by their bus and driven to the Visitor’s Centre, where we were met by Brett our tour guide.

We went to different places that weren’t open to the public. We drove past the grain terminal that stores grain, barley and wheat in large yellow drums. These supplies are transported all around Australia and the world. We also saw the Flying Shoebox, which is a car carrier, that holds thousands of cars.

 In WW2, tank traps were built to stop enemy tanks from coming into the port. We  saw these at Heritage Park near MM Beach.

Next, we went to Hill 60 and saw the Five Islands from afar. The Five Islands has a Dreamtime story about their history.

There were lots of other places that we visited and facts we learnt. We recommend this tour as a fun and educational experience!

Year 4 Excursion

Next Wednesday, Year 4 will participate in The Rocks walking tour to deepen their understanding of the early British Settlement in the area. They will also visit the Museum of Contemporary Art.

WONDER RECYCLING REWARDS