Term 1 Week 5 of 9
Friday, 1st of March 2024
This Week’s Newsletter Items:
● Acting Principals Letter
● Welcome to our New Staff
● Grade 6 Leader Badges
● Wrapper Free Wednesday’s
● Term Overviews
● 2025 Prep Enrolments – NOW OPEN
● Term 1 Fundraising Events
● Community News
● Lenten Reflections
● Sunday’s Gospel
● Understanding The Gospel
● Student Of The Week Awards
● Term 1 Dates
● Caroline Chisholm College
● Kindergarten Readiness
● Community Festival
Dear Parents, Students & Friends,
I write this Newsletter as my last in the role of Acting Principal. A role that I have had for the past 9 months. I would like to thank you all for your ongoing support, trust, confidence and understanding during this time.
It has been my pleasure to work alongside our staff in leading Resurrection during this time, supporting students, parents, staff and the Parish.
I feel very grateful for this opportunity and have learnt many new things during this time. I am very excited to return full time to the role of Deputy Principal: Wellbeing & Community.
Welcome to our new Speech Pathologist & School Counsellor
We are very excited to welcome two new staff members to Resurrection. Firstly, our new speech pathologist - Imogen Anton! Imgoen is employed by Resurrection two days a week (Thursday & Friday) and we are very excited to have her on board.
We have also employed Stephanie Farr as our school counsellor (Monday) and Mental Health in Schools Leader (Thursday). Stephanie is a qualified teacher who has a background in guidance counselling and play based therapy. Stephanie also joins us next week.
2024 Grade 6 Leader Badges
Last Friday, at our Senior School Mass our Grade 6 students were presented with a commemorative badge to recognise their final year at Resurrection. It also marks the role they now have as a school leader by modelling, through their words and actions, what it is to be a Responsible, Respectful and Resilient Resurrection student.
God Bless,
Jess Davis
Acting Principal
WRAPPER FREE WEDNESDAYS ARE BACK!
We are looking for students who are actively reducing their lunch wrappers at school! STUDENTS - can you make school lunch on Wednesday without any wrappers?
Last year we received feedback from many of our parents that they would like term overviews to be sent home so that parents can support the learning in the classroom at home. Therefore, this year we will be sending out term overviews each term, that lets you as parents and guardians know the different curriculum foci that your child/ren are learning as well as what you can do at home to support them.
Keep an eye out on Seesaw next week as these will be posted shortly!
Mrs Shannon Betham
Deputy Principal: Curriculum & Organisation
2025 Prep Enrolments Are Now Open
We are already receiving many enrolment applications from new families. which is a wonderful sign!
To assist us in our preparation and planning, we are encouraging our current parents to please collect an enrolment form and to return it as soon as possible.
If you know of a family who is interested in enrolling their child into Resurrection Catholic Primary School, let them know that EVERYDAY is open day and that School tours are always available.
The Resurrection Fundraising Committee are organising two fundraising opportunities this term. The first is a Hot Cross Bun order via Bakers Delight & the second an Easter Hamper raffle. The money raised will go towards resurfacing of the basketball courts near the oval. Last year we were able to raise a little more than $10,000 however the total cost for this renovation will be a little less than $100,000! The fundraising committee will donate a quarter of all the proceeds to the school’s charity fundraising efforts.
Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser
On offer this year for ordering will be
Traditional Hot Cross Buns ($10.00 per 6-Pack)
Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns ($10.00 per 6-Pack)
Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns ($10.00 per 6-Pack)
Orders can be made via the Square app http://resurrection-catholic-primary-school.square.site/ and will close on Monday 18th of March at 9.00am. The Hot Cross Buns will be distributed on Monday 25th of March to the eldest child in the family.
Please note there will be no cash payments accepted nor late orders accepted.
Easter Hampers
The Fundraising committee are asking all students to bring in donations of the following items:
Chocolate Easter Eggs
Hampers or Baskets
Ribbons / Cellophane
Anything else Easter related!
We will then be asking parent helpers to make up hampers as shown below.
Your child can bring these items into school from Monday 19th of March until Monday 25th of March.
This year we will be asking local organisations to donate gift cards and vouchers to make these hampers extra special! Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing the different types of vouchers that we will have included in the hampers
More details will also be included in next week's newsletter in regards to buying raffle tickets for the Easter Hampers.
We would like to know about when your community groups are celebrating special events or when your child/ren have sporting wins, dance exams, language school awards etc. We would love to be able to publish these celebrations in our newsletter (with photos of course) to acknowledge all the different communities and groups that our families are part of.
Please note that this is not an opportunity to advertise for local sporting groups or businesses providing a community service but more a celebration of all our all the community groups, clubs and organisations who make up our Resurrection community.
If you have an item you would like to share with our school community please email
Lenten Reflections
The 3 Pillars of Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving
In Athens, the Parthenon is an ancient structure, which still stands today. It’s distinctively known by the pillars which hold it up in place. As we see through this example, a pillar is an important part of infrastructure, giving support to what may be a heavy load by setting a solid foundation.
As we continue our Lenten journey, we think of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving as exactly this, the three strong posts that support how we navigate this important season of Lent.
And so, to support our Year 3 and Year 4s in their understanding of this, they were given a problem solving activity with the intention to recognise the importance of a strong foundation. In pairs, students were given a few straws and the same amount of sticky tape, to create a structure that could hold a large die cube without crumbling. It was a fun introduction activity that allowed the students to appreciate that our Lenten journey could not be managed without the pillars that hold this journey together!
Here are some students from 3B completing the activity:
In Faith,
Erica Aclan
Religious Education Leader
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 2: 13 - 25
Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
During his stay in Jerusalem for the Passover many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he gave, but Jesus knew them all and did not trust himself to them; he never needed evidence about any man; he could tell what a man had in him.
Gospel Reflection
The Temple in Jerusalem was (and still is) a powerful symbol of holiness and a symbol of the connection and relationship between God and the Hebrew people. It is often assumed that Jesus’ anger was directed at the traders and moneychangers because their business had infringed on and desecrated the temple precinct. But the reality is a bit more complicated. The Temple was the holiest site for sacrifice to God. The tradition dictated that sacrifice made by a priest on the altar was the highest form of worship. The best animal to sacrifice was a healthy, properly formed creature. Rather than walking a lamb all the way from somewhere like Galilee to Jerusalem, the faithful would purchase their sacrifice animal at the Temple itself – thus the presence of the people selling cattle, sheep and doves. However, to further complicate matters, the Temple traders would not accept Roman coins to purchase the sacrificial animals as they bore the image of the deified emperor. Therefore, money changers were required to exchange Roman currency for acceptable coinage – so the money changers were also playing their part in the prayer life of the Temple.
Jesus’ outrage is not so much with the traders and the money-changers as with the whole religious practice and hierarchical structure that has developed to a point where the only way a person can pray in a ‘valid’ way is to purchase an animal and hand it over to a priest who goes behind a screened wall to sacrifice the animal. The only way to seek God’s forgiveness and mercy was to ‘buy’ it at the Temple. This was what outraged Jesus. He could not stomach the injustice nor the barriers that had been erected between the people and their God.
Scriptural Context
This episode of outrage in the Temple is recorded in all four of the Gospels. Interestingly, the three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke place the event in the final days leading to Passion events while the Gospel of John places the event in the very early days of Jesus’ public ministry. While the three synoptics are likely to be more chronologically correct, the Gospel of John uses the event very deliberately to make the point that Jesus is the new Temple – the new focus of God’s presence in the world; the Word made flesh.
Have you thought?
In Jewish tradition, the Temple marked the point of physical connection between God and humankind and between the past and the present. It was where God’s story and humanity’s story met. However, in the year 70 C.E. – some 40 years after Jesus – the Temple was destroyed by the Romans. The gospel of John is written another 20+ years later and so the reality of the Temple’s destruction is still trying to be absorbed by the people. It was a very powerful image for the gospel writer to suggest that Jesus was the new Temple – the new point of connection.
Different View - Just Like Jesus!
This gospel passage must be one of the most commonly misused passages in the Bible. So often it is used as justification for someone losing their temper, or worse, an outrageous temper tantrum, or ‘dummy spit’. People will declare in their defence, ‘Well, Jesus lost his temper and got angry in the Temple!’ They fail to appreciate the difference between their own hot-headedness and the outrage against injustice that was being expressed by Jesus. They also seem to miss the significance of the fact that this was a ‘one off’ for Jesus!
Student of the Week Awards
PA - Ric Martin
Elsie B - For being a risk-taker with your learning and sharing your answers during whole class discussions.
Dau D - For being an inquirer and asking questions about the text during reading.
PB - Jacinta Polh
Gabriel M - For being a risk-taker and demonstrating resilience as he shares his thinking during class discussions.
Abuk Y - For being an effective communicator when you ask questions to help clarify your learning.
PC - Carla Tirotta
Aguak W - For being an inquisitive learner when asking questions to learn more about new topics. Keep up the amazing learning!
Hayden P- For being a risk-taker with your learning when attempting to write new words. Keep up the amazing effort!
1B - Matt Galea
Akot L - For being open-minded when collaborating with his peers to create a role play that focussed on different ways our health and safety can be impacted.
Ayom M - For being an effective communicator when sharing her thoughts and ideas during whole class discussions in all curriculum areas.
2A - Belinda Collins
Noah V - For being a great inquirer and asking questions in class.
Madeline B - For being a great inquirer and asking questions in class.
2B - Annette Lee
Ava P - For always completing her work to an excellent standard; you are a knowledgeable and balanced learner! Well done!
Miranda N - For being an awesome communicator when you share your ideas and thinking with the class - well done!
2C - Dorothy Hall
Harlow M - For being a knowledgeable learner when creating and ordering different sets of three-digit numbers.
Cungbawilian L - For being a thinker when using a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast two different crayons from the story, “The Day the Crayons Quit”.
3A - Ella Nowak
Brian N - For being a communicator when sharing his learnings about how to solve various number patterns. Keep up the amazing learning Brian!
Moses T - For being a balanced and principled learner in all areas of his learning, your attention to detail and motivation for learning is amazing!
3B - Kurt Caguin
AJ A - For being a risk-taker when taking on challenging tasks. Good job in having a go with a positive attitude!
Liela M - For being reflective and taking time to think critically before writing and speaking. Keep it up Liela!
3C - Joss Coaley
Nathan Z - For his communication in planning and creating a narrative involving a King and a Lion with some amazing word choice. Well done Nathan!
Liam D - For being a risk-taker and challenging himself in Maths, including accomplishing the first 100 score in his Multiplication Grid. Congratulations!
4A - Natalie Donevska
Emma N - For being an inquirer and a reflective learner by asking questions about her learning and applying the feedback and skills learnt to all areas of learning. Amazing effort Emma!
Bailey M - For being a principled learner and an effective communicator by sharing her experience about receiving a consequence and the importance of being an honest and a responsible learner. Fantastic effort Bailey!
4B - Enza La Rosa
Isla H - For being a reflective learner in identifying a goal with the feedback from the teacher and applying it to her narrative writing. Well done Isla!
Giselle J - For being a risk taker in applying all her ideas to create a narrative story with beautiful joined handwriting. Excellent Giselle!
4C - Brittany Davidson
Vihaan K - For being a reflective learner when seeking and applying feedback during writing tasks, and consistently demonstrating responsible and respectful behaviour. Well done Vihaan!
Emily K - For being a risk taker when sharing her thoughts in reading groups and for always being respectful towards her peers and educators. Well done Emily!
5A - Lavina Stewart
Noah S - For being a reflective learner by showing honesty and fairness towards others and takes responsibility for his actions. Well done Noah!
Charlotte T - For being a risk-taker by independently attempting to compare smaller and larger decimals. Keep it up Charlotte!
5B - Malae Suaesi
Hugo M - For being a thinker during spelling by recognising and using contractions in his sentences. Well done!
Austin J - For being a resilient learner by accurately ordering decimal numbers from smallest to largest. Great learning!
5C - Rosie Nojdek
Maci W - For having effective, clear and engaging written communication. Maci, you wrote an amazing persuasive piece using interesting language and strong arguments.
Solomon M - For always being courteous, respectful and caring. It is amazing to see you taking more risks with your writing. Keep it up Solomon.
6A - Katherine Salloum
Rayyann N - For being a risk-taking learner by seeking support to further his understanding of how to convert units of length and mass. Keep up the great dedication!
Eli H - For being a communicator by responding in whole class discussions to answer questions that have been posed to the class, which has helped further his peers’ understanding. Keep it up Eli!
6B - Lena Aloi
Jerry J - For being an open-minded learner and contributing in class discussions and group activities. Your ability to work well with others is fantastic to see. Well done!
Cung L - For being a risk-taker in your learning. Well done on completing all set class tasks and seeking feedback in your work. Well done!
6C - Jake Moloney
Bashar E - For being a resilient and reflective learner by asking clarifying questions to further his understanding during literacy and numeracy tasks. Keep up the great learning Bashar!
Tlae Men - For being a resilient learner by seeking support to better understand skills and concepts being taught and using these in class tasks. Keep up the great learning!
Specialist Awards
Japanese: Yumiko Aiki
Alexandra Z (6A) - For being a thinker by showing a considerate approach to her Japanese Valentine’s Day research task. Keep it up Alexandra!
Performing Arts: Jody Banks
Noah S (5A) - For being an inquirer when asking detailed questions about his ukulele playing skills and for being extremely focused during Performing Arts class. Keep up the excellent music learning, Noah!
Visual Arts: Tosh Kaan and Emma Lyons
Isaac C (3B) - For being knowledgeable and sharing his skills with his peers when creating a self portrait using lines and shapes. Fantastic work Isaac.
S T E M: Matt Dalton
Riley V (3B) - For being an effective communicator as demonstrated by her willingness to share her ideas and knowledge during STEM learning. Well done Riley!
P.E: Jen Barresi
Osten B (1B) - For demonstrating a caring attitude towards others during P.E and in the playground. Your kindness and willingness to help others is lovely to see. Well done Osten!
Colour Code Key
Blue = whole school events
Red = Public holidays or major events
Green = Mass/RE events
Purple = Parent advisory board etc
Orange = Interviews/PSGs/Parent helper training etc
WEEK 6
Monday 04/03
● Saint Casimir (commemoration)
● Exec Team 9.30 – 11.00am
● Whole School Assembly 2.30pm
● Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday 05/03
Wednesday 06/03
● Installment 1 - Family Fee & Student Levy Payment Due
● Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Thursday 07/03
● Saints Perpetua and Felicity (commemoration)
Friday 8/03
● Saint John of God (commemoration)
● Year Level Mass followed by morning tea: Grade 3/4
Saturday 09/03
● Saint Frances of Rome (commemoration)
Sunday 10/03
● 4th Sunday of Lent
WEEK 7
Monday 11/03
● Labour Day – School Closure
Tuesday 12/03
● Parent Support Group Meetings
Wednesday 13/03
● Parent Support Group Meetings
● Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30 pm
● Grade 6 Camp - PGL (Campaspe Downs)
● NAPLAN - Writing Grades 3 & 5
Thursday 14/03
● Parent Support Group Meetings
● Grade 6 Camp - PGL (Campaspe Downs)
● NAPLAN - Reading Grades 3 & 5
Friday 15/03
● Year Level Mass followed by morning tea: Grade 1/2
● Grade 6 Camp - PGL (Campaspe Downs)
Saturday 16/03
Sunday 17/03
● 5th Sunday of Lent
WEEK 8
Monday 18/03
● Solemnity of Saint Patrick (Dress In Green)
● Exec Team 9.30 – 11.00am
● Whole School Assembly 2.30pm
● Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30 pm
● NAPLAN - Conventions of Language Grades 3 & 5
● NAPLAN - Numeracy Grades 3 & 5
Tuesday 19/03
● Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
● Parent Support Group Meetings
● Parent Advisory Committee 7.00pm – 8.00pm
Wednesday 20/03
● Parent Support Group Meetings
● Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30 pm
● Eucharist and Confirmation Formation Evening 6.30pm
Thursday 21/03
● Parent Support Group Meetings
● First Eucharist & Confirmation Sacramental Sessions @ 6.30 pm
Friday 22/03
● Saint Turibius de Mogrovejo (commemoration)
● Year Level Mass followed by morning tea: Buddies (Grade Prep/5)
Saturday 23/03
● The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Sunday 24/03
● Passion Sunday
WEEK 9
Monday 25/03
● Exec Team 9.30 – 11.00am
● Whole School Assembly 2.30pm
● Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday 26/03
Wednesday 27/03
● Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30 pm
Thursday 28/03
● Holy Thursday (Whole School Liturgy)
● Last day of Term 1 & Student Dismissal 3.15pm
Friday 29/03
● Good Friday
Saturday 30/03
● The Easter Vigil
Sunday 31/03
● EASTER SUNDAY
