Principals' Newsletter
Newsletter 12th December
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.
Luke 3:10-18
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
What, then, must we do?
When all the people asked John, ‘What must we do?’ he answered, ‘If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.’ There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, ‘Master, what must we do?’ He said to them, ‘Exact no more than your rate.’ Some soldiers asked him in their turn, ‘What about us? What must we do?’ He said to them, ‘No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!’ A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’ As well as this, there were many other things he said to exhort the people and to announce the Good News to them.
Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians,
This week the Gospel introduces John as the messenger of the Lord and his work and interaction with people and Jesus. The chapter also presents the lineage of Joseph, the earthly caretaker of the beloved Son of God.
Luke 3:17 is a sobering verse. It's John the Baptist answering questions about whether or not he is the Christ. And he's saying, “No, I'm not. I'm pointing you to the Christ, to the one who will baptize you, not just with water but with the Holy Spirit and fire.
We learn that it is not enough to say that we need to make changes or to say that we love God. Our lives must reflect that decision. Our lives must show the change of mind that has turned toward God. This is what John is doing by proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Last week, we held our final Foundation transition which concludes the 5-visit process. We had some very excited students and nervous parents. Thanks to Geraldine Wilmann and Katherine Gronek for the work they have put in to make this a very special moment for the newest members of our community!
This afternoon we will be having our annual Christmas concert. Once again, we have been blessed with good weather as we have had in the past 2 years and the function can go ahead outside on the basketball courts. The concert will begin at 5pm, however we do encourage our parents to come as early as possible as it gets busy very quickly. This year we have a special guest who will be performing live from 4pm onwards, and this will be your opportunity to relax and enjoy some great music. Conor Bermingham is his name, and he can be found on Instagram. I look forward to a wonderful evening with you all. You are welcome to bring along a picnic dinner, snacks and/or drinks.
This is an ALCOHOL FREE EVENT.
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 days 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