Term 1 Week 7 of 10
Friday, 14th March 2025
Message from the Principal
Dear parents and carers,
In today’s newsletter I want to highlight the wonderful work of St Vinnies. The Resurrection parish, St Vinnies group are a wonderful example of our faith inspiring us to take action in our local community.
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is an international voluntary organisation in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for its members to live their faith by personal service to the needy. The St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria has more than 10,000 members and volunteers plus various programs and services providing help to people whose daily struggles include putting food on the table, clothing, paying energy bills and ensuring their children remain at school to obtain an education.
Our local St Vinnies group is very active in our local community offering great support and care. St Vinnies supports families in our school and is always there to help when needed. Members of this this group put in countless hours of volunteer support to make a difference in people’s life. With respect to the work St Vinnies does I’m asking our staff and families to support the appeal listed later in this newsletter.
School Canteen
Last year our school brought back a school canteen. I would really like your feedback on how the is going for your child and your family. Please fill out the survey attached to this newsletter to help in future planning for the canteen by Friday March 21.
Best wishes,
Deputy Principal: Learning & Organisation
Naplan Update
We are so proud of our Year 3 and 5 students for their efforts this week in completing the NAPLAN Writing and Reading assessments. They demonstrated perseverance, resilience and great effort on both days and we know that they will continue to do this in the upcoming Conventions of Language and Numeracy tests.
The dates for the remaining assessments are listed below:
Monday 17th March: Conventions of Language
Tuesday 18th March: Numeracy
If your child is absent on the day:
We will have a make-up session on Monday 24th March for students to complete any tests in the case of absence.
Year 6 Camp - Wednesday 19th to Friday 21st March (Week 8)
A reminder that our Year 6 Camp will take place on Wednesday 19th to Friday 21st March. Students should arrive at school at normal starting times and will depart after some pre-camp activities at school. Please complete your normal school drop off on the morning of Wednesday 19th as the buses will not be departing until 10:30am. Information about the camp has been shared with the Year 6 families as well as a packing list. Please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher if you have any questions.
Wellbeing, Child Safety & Community Leader
Strengthening Home and School Partnerships
We are starting up the RESURRECTION CUPPA CREW for any parent who would like to gather and enjoy a cuppa, the company of other parents and at times become part of a discussion on a ‘hot topic’.
Why come along and join the Cuppa Crew?
meet other parents
chat to your friends
learn something new
feel involved in school life and up to date with what's going on
have some time just for you and feel great!
We are opening the staff room with refreshments every 2nd Tuesday (fortnightly)
Tuesdays @ 2:15 to 3 :15 for parents & carers Term 1:
Tuesday 18th of March
Tuesday 1st of April
New dates will be released for Term 2.
Look forward to seeing you there!
It’s Harmony week
What does Harmony week mean?
We celebrate and show respect to all the different cultures that come together in Australia and bring many things with them: different foods, ways of dressing, languages, customs and beliefs.
On TUESDAY the 18th of March, we ask everyone to wear a touch of orange to celebrate all the cultures at Resurrection. Let’s make everyone feel welcomed and valued.
At Resurrection we are RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE & RESILIENT
Start a Gratitude conversation with your family…
What’s the best thing that happened today?
What are you looking forward to today/tomorrow?
What are three things that went well for you today?
What made you smile today?
Tell or write a letter to someone in your family telling them why you appreciate them!
Use these phrases:
It was really kind of you to …
It really helped me out when you …
You did me a big favour when …
Thank you for listening when …
Thank you for being there when …
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 following link: http://resurrection-catholic-primary-school.square.site/ and will close on Monday, 24th March. The Hot Cross Buns will be distributed on Wednesday 2nd April.
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 are asking students to bring these items into school by Monday 31st of March. The raffle will be drawn after Mass on Friday 4th April.
Learning Diversity Leader
Parent Support Group (PSG) Meetings and NDIS Support
Thank you to the parents and carers of students funded under the Substantial and Extensive categories for booking a PSG meeting. These meetings are scheduled for the 11th, 12th, and 13th of this week and on the 18th next week. I look forward to seeing you there as we continue to work towards developing individual and personalised learning goals with your child’s teacher.
Additionally, I have been receiving a few requests from Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapists to begin NDIS support for children on site. While we are happy to support this, I kindly request that ANY reports you have obtained for your child be emailed to me at vkulkewycz@rskingspark.catholic.edu.au. These specialist reports are essential for helping your child’s teacher better understand their specific needs and effectively shape their learning goals.
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
We were thrilled to welcome our local firefighters for two special visits! They taught the Preps about fire safety, how firefighters help protect our community, and the importance of having a family meeting place at home in case of an emergency.
The highlight of the visit was exploring the fire truck and even getting a turn to use the hose! It was an exciting and educational experience, helping the children feel more confident about staying safe. A big thank you to our firefighters for their time and dedication!
App of the Week: Messenger for Kids
Facebook Messenger Kids is a child-friendly messaging app designed for kids under 13, providing a safe and controlled environment for them to chat with family and friends. Unlike regular Messenger, this version allows parents to manage their child's contacts, set usage limits, and monitor conversations through the Parent Dashboard. It includes fun features like filters, stickers, and video calls while prioritizing safety with strict privacy controls and no ads. Messenger Kids helps children stay connected in a secure way while giving parents peace of mind through supervision and control.
Messenger for Kids is a fantastic application for students to use to contact their friends and family, due to the following reasons:
Parental Control – Parents can manage contacts, monitor messages, and set screen time limits through the Parent Dashboard.
Safe & Secure – No ads, no in-app purchases, and strict privacy settings to protect children’s information.
Kid-Friendly Features – Fun stickers, filters, and GIFs make messaging and video calls engaging for kids.
Controlled Contact List – Only approved friends and family can communicate with the child, reducing risks of unwanted interactions.
Educational & Social Benefits – Helps kids stay in touch with loved ones while learning responsible online communication.
Supervised Experience – Parents receive notifications about activity, ensuring transparency and safety.
No Phone Number Required – Works with a parent’s Facebook account, so kids don’t need their own phone number.
SOMETHING EXCITING IS COMING!
In the classroom, teachers have access to a program called Classwize. Class Wize is an app designed to help teachers monitor their students' laptop screens during class. It allows teachers to view what each student is doing on their device in real time, ensuring they stay focused on the lesson. Teachers can also send messages, lock screens, or guide students if they're off-task. This tool helps improve classroom management and keeps students engaged, while giving teachers a way to quickly address any distractions or issues.
In the coming months, we will be setting up Linewize to allow parents to monitor their child’s screen time at home! This app is called Linewize. In the coming weeks, we will be giving you information about what this application means for you at home and how you will be able to use it. This application will be a fantastic tool to assist with monitoring your child’s device usage and give you an idea of what they are doing on their devices at home.
SUNDAY GOSPEL
This Sunday’s reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 9:28-36
As Jesus prayed, the aspect of his face was changed, and his clothing became brilliant as lightning.
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed, and his clothing became brilliant as lightning. Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ – He did not know what he was saying. As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.
Gospel Reflection
In all three versions of this Transfiguration event that appear in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the context in which the event occurs is identical. That’s a little unusual with these three gospel writers who like to put their own spin on events and often play with the chronology or settings of events. However, in this case, all three writers report the Transfiguration event as taking place immediately after a particular sequence of events. Jesus has asked the disciples who they think he is and Peter has made his confession of faith by declaring that Jesus is the Messiah. This declaration is followed by Jesus teaching about the demands of discipleship and then the account of the Transfiguration. Furthermore, all three versions are directly followed by an account of a man who brings his possessed son to Jesus for healing after the disciples have tried and failed to cast out the demon.
When all three of the synoptic gospels use the same story with little variation and all three retain the same context around the event then there are some pretty clear signals that this was a commonly accepted sequence of events and their sequence holds significance. The core message of this sequence of stories is about the faith of the disciples. Whilst Peter declares Jesus to be the Messiah, he and the others don’t really yet know what this means. In the Transfiguration, they are given the clearest possible indication of Jesus’ identity and yet they’re half asleep and we’re told Peter doesn’t know what he’s saying when he starts talking about building tents. The following failure by the disciples to cast out a demon shows that they still haven’t understood fully who and what Jesus is. What a great reading for the season of Lent!
Scriptural context - Gospel Parallels
The account of the Transfiguration appears in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). The word, synoptic, means ‘seen together’ and these three gospels can be seen together because they have so much material in common. It is now accepted that the gospel of Mark was the first written as so much of it appears in the other two, while the gospels of Matthew and Luke both seem to have also drawn on another source of Jesus material (known as the ‘Q’ source). Despite the parallels, each writer uses the same story to convey the particular message of that gospel.
Living the Gospel - ‘Listen to him!’
God’s voice from the cloud claims Jesus as his Son, the Chosen One and then goes on to instruct those present – and we, the readers – to ‘Listen to him!’ For the disciples, this was a message not to get carried away with their own ideas about the Messiah but to listen to what Jesus was saying about the suffering he must endure and to what he was saying about true discipleship. Jesus tells us that to be a follower of his involves sacrifice, hardship and often unpopularity. It is this message we must listen to as much as the promise of salvation.
St Vincent de Paul
As we approach Easter, we ask again for your kindness by asking for shopping bags to be filled with non-perishable items to distribute to the families in our area.
These bags will be available from the Church on Ash Wednesday onwards and we ask for you to return them to the office or at the Holy Thursday Mass.
Please take home a Project Compassion box to support Caritas Australia this Lenten season and help support vulnerable people around the world, now and For All Future Generations.
Reminder: Reconciliation Grade 4
Our First Reconciliations have been scheduled for Friday, 28th March 2025, after the Middle School Year Level Mass.
Details for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation are as follows:
· Students will partake in their Middle School Mass at 9am, allowing them to reflect and prepare before their Sacrament
· Students will then have some quite meditation time in the church while students are having their first reconciliation
· Children will be called one at a time to receive their Sacrament with Fr. Gerard next to the fire pit (weather permitting)
TERM 0NE DATES 2025
Week 9
Monday - 24/3
Prep - Year 2 Assembly at 2.30pm
Tuesday - 25/3
Wednesday - 26/3
Thursday - 27/3
Year 5 Interrelate program session 3 of 3
Friday - 28/3
Middle School Year Level Mass 9am (Reconciliation focus) Reconciliation Grade 4
Saturday - 29/3
Sunday - 30/3
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Week 8
Monday - 17/3
Years 3-6 Assembly at 2:30pm
Tuesday - 18/3
Wednesday - 19/3
Year 6 Camp to Campaspe Downs
Thursday - 20/3
Year 6 Camp to Campaspe Downs
Year 5 Interrelate program session 2 of 3
Year Prep Level Mass 9am
Friday - 21/3
Year 6 Camp to Campaspe Downs
Saturday - 22/3
Sunday - 23/3
Third Sunday in Lent
Week 10
Monday - 31/3
Years 3-6 Athletics Carnival - Parents Welcome
No Assembly today due to the Athletics Carnival
Tuesday - 1/4
Wednesday - 2/4
Thursday - 3/4
Whole School: Stations of the Cross run by Year 5. Parents Welcome
Friday - 4/4
End of Term Whole School Mass at 9am
Last Day of Term 1 - Students finish at 3.15pm
Saturday - 5/4
Sunday - 6/4
Fifth Sunday in Lent
