Principal's Newsletter
Thursday 23rd October 2025
Gospel of the Week
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
The publican returned to his home justified; the pharisee did not.
Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else, ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’
Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians,
The Gospel reading this week speaks of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector:
The Pharisee: Represents someone who is outwardly moral, follows the rules, and thinks very highly of himself. He sees himself as better than others because of his good behaviour.
The Tax Collector: Represents someone seen by society as corrupt or morally compromised (tax collectors were often despised in that time). But he’s aware of his flaws and sincerely seeks to become better.
Two people go to a place of prayer. One talks about how good he is and how he’s better than others. The other admits his faults and quietly asks for forgiveness.
In the story, it’s the second person — the one who acknowledges his own shortcomings
It is important to recognise that -
Humility is more powerful than pride - Pretending to be morally superior often leads to lack of self-awareness.
Sincere self-reflection matters more than appearances - You don’t grow as a person by comparing yourself to others or boasting about your goodness.
We’re all flawed - The parable encourages compassion for others and for ourselves — not judgment.
This week Meg has been on a well-deserved break and has left me in charge of the school. We have had a busy week beginning with our Year 4’s Monopoly Dreams excursion. The students worked on teamwork, critical thinking skills and problem solving. A highlight of the excursion was a 4D movie where the chairs moved and water was sprayed at them. As always, the student behaviour highlighted our school values, and they represented our school positively.
On Friday our Years 2s and 5s will be experiencing the Cosmic Dome incursion at school. A dome set up as a planetarium will inspire scientific learning about space and the world around us. We are looking forward to hearing about this experience.
Our Regional Athletics team will be competing in their qualifying events on Friday.
Hannah 4VR – Long Jump
Maluil 4MR – Long Jump
Aluk 4VR – High Jump
Srina 5SM – Shot Put
Faith 5SA – Discus
We wish these students all the best in their events and they enjoy their day
We keep the Urquhart family in our prayers as they grieve the loss of Aaron Urquhart. Much loved father to Lydia, Grace and Kobi, husband to Danielle. May he rest in peace
Take care and God Bless,
Lisa