Principals' Newsletter
Newsletter 21st November
We the staff of St Patrick’s acknowledge the traditional owners, the Kulin nations, of the land on which we learn and play.
We pay respects to the Aboriginal Elders, past and present, who are our teachers.
We thank them for taking care of children and country for countless generations.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
You say that I am a king.
‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’ ‘So you are a king then?’ said Pilate. ‘It is you who say it’ answered Jesus. ‘Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’
Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians,
In the Gospel this week, John’s trial narrative raises these questions in compelling ways. Although Pilate and the Jewish leaders may appear to be powerful, John presents Jesus as the one who exercises authority.
The charge of kingship is the central question of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. Jesus never answers Pilate’s question, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33), in a straightforward way. As in other parts of the Gospel, John communicates some of the most important messages about Jesus’ identity by enacting them in the story instead of stating them outright. Here, John uses the trial and crucifixion to display Jesus’ kingship and the faithlessness of those who reject him.
Jesus refuses to answer Pilate’s charge of kingship directly. He states that his kingdom is “not from here” (John 18:36), which Pilate interprets to be an affirmation that Jesus is a king. Jesus also puts the question aside as something Pilate claims, and instead offers the idea that he is a witness to the truth (18:37).
Today I am pleased to announce our school captains for 2025. Congratulations to Dot and Kuei who are Captains, and our 2 Vice Captains are Emily and Lawrence! A huge thanks to Rosa Mitchell and Shiny Antony for the preparation of the students for the presentation. Every student who made a speech is to be congratulated on their outstanding work and I am so humbled as a principal to have these students as my school leaders next year.
Tomorrow, we will be hearing the speeches for the House Captains. We wish them every success.
This week, our Year 1s and Foundation students have completed their swimming over at Splashes and they have been having a wonderful time. Thank you to our parent helpers who have assisted the teachers in walking the students across to the pool.
Next week, we farewell our Year 6s as they head off to Camp Coonawarra in Gippsland. A huge thanks to our Year 6 teachers, Belinda, Rebecca and Joanne. The students leave on Tuesday and will return on Friday. Please ensure that if you have a child heading off to camp, that you have read all the information required and to please be in communication with your child’s teacher if you have any questions.
It is important to keep an open discussion with your child/ren around their expected behaviour and work ethic as we enter the last few weeks of term 4. Even though the year is winding down, the staff of St Patrick’s will continue to insist that all 5 values of RESPECT, SAFETY, CO-OPERATION, COURAGE AND RESILIENCE will be adhered to both inside and outside the classroom.
God Bless
Meg