Opening School Mass

Our Opening Whole School Mass is being held on Friday 28th February at 9:30am in our Parish Church. 

This is an important occasion when we come together as a school and parish community to ask God’s blessings for the year ahead. It is an important time to welcome our new students and staff to our community, as well as acknowledge our 2020 Year 6 leaders. Fr Ken will bless the Year 6 students and present them with their badges. At the conclusion of Mass, Year 6 parents are asked to pin a leadership badge onto their child’s uniform in the courtyard beside the Church. 

All parents, grandparents and families are invited to come and share in celebrating Mass with us. 

Following Mass the P&F have organised a lovely morning tea in the school hall to welcome everyone to our school community. 

Non - Perishable Items 

In service to the less fortunate of our community, we ask that each student bring a non-perishable item into their classroom before the opening school Mass on Friday 28th February. Thank you for supporting the St Vincent De Paul Society.

ASH WEDNESDAY

On Wednesday 26th February at 9:15 am, representatives from Years 4 to 6 attended the Ash Wednesday Mass in our Parish Church. 

Ash Wednesday begins the Season of Lent - time to prepare ourselves for Easter. Ashes on our forehead mark us as Christians, as people who carry Christ’s message in the actions of our lives. It is a time for refocusing and renewing our lives so that we more closely reflect our Baptismal promises. 

During Lent we are encouraged to pray, fast and give alms (money, food or clothing) to those in need. As we all know, Jesus retreated into the desert for forty days to prepare for his ministry. It was for him a time of reflection and contemplation.

Prayer - Mass attendance; family prayer; a visit to a church or chapel; reading the Bible; making the Stations of the Cross; praying the Rosary.

Helping others - special attention to someone who is poor, sick, elderly, lonely or overburdened.

Self-denial - not eating sweets or dessert; giving up entertainment to spend time with the family; limiting food and drink so as to give to the poor; not eating meat; (abstinence from meat and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday for people between 18 - 60).

Open Classrooms 

On Friday 6th March St Michael’s will celebrate our love of learning. We are inviting parents, families, and parishioners to spend the afternoon with us as we host a Celebration of Learning. 

Visitors are invited to join us at 1:50pm for a Celebration of Learning where visitors will have the opportunity to visit classrooms and engage with students in their learning. The Year 6 Leaders of the Learning and Innovation Team will greet visitors at the school front gate at 1:45pm. Following the Celebration of Learning, visitors are invited to join us for our Friday afternoon assembly where each class will share their Class Mission Statements. 

The afternoon assembly starts at 2:30pm. We hope you are able to come and celebrate Catholic Schools Week with us.

Project Compassion Launch

Bishop Brian Mascord will be launching Project Compassion at St Benedicts Catholic College, Oran Park. The theme for Project Compassion 2020 is ‘’Going Further Together”, which is based around giving in the name of hope. Mrs Hughes, Miss Groves and some members of the Living the Faith Team will represent our school at this event.  

Project Compassion Fundraiser

Caritas Australia is the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church in Australia, and is part of one of the largest aid and development networks in the world – Caritas Internationalis – working in over 200 countries and territories. 

Each year, Project Compassion runs during the six weeks of the Church season of Lent. We are raising money and awareness for project compassion by doing a CRAZY SOCK DAY at St Michael’s on Friday March 6 (same day as Catholic Schools Week open classrooms and assembly). Students are asked to bring in a gold coin donation and these donations will go to the most vulnerable women, children and men in Australian and around the world. Together, we can all help to break the cycle of poverty and injustice.

Mini Vinnies 

A speaker from St Vincent de Paul came to speak to our new Year 5 Mini Vinnies members. Lauren from St Vincent de Paul spoke about how Mini Vinnies started and the impact they can have as a Mini Vinnie. We have 28 students from Year 5 who have joined our Mini Vinnies this year! 

Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be conferred by Bishop Brian on Thursday July 2nd @ 7:30pm.  Enrolment Forms for the Sacrament of Confirmation close on Monday 11 May 2020. 

To download an enrolment form go to the St Michael’s Parish website (http://www.thirroulcatholic.org.au/) and return it to the Parish Office.         

Life Education 

The Life Education Van NSW will be visiting our school on: Thursday 5 March, Friday 6 March and Monday 9 March. The Life Education program addresses many of the components and objectives within the NSW PDHPE curriculum. 

Dates for your diary:

• Ash Wednesday Liturgy: Wednesday 26th February @ 11:40am (School Hall) 
• Opening school Mass and Morning Tea (each child brings in non perishable items before this date): Friday 28th February @ 9:30am (Church)
• Catholic Schools: Open Classrooms, Whole School Assembly & Crazy Sock Day (Donation for project compassion): Friday 6th March @ 1:45pm onwards (Classrooms, Hall) 
• Year 6 attending Mass - Friday March 6 @ 9:30am  (Church)
• Year 3 attending Mass - Friday March 13th  @ 9:30am (Church)
• Year 5 Liturgy - St Joseph's Day - Tuesday March 24th @ 2:30pm (Hall) - CHANGED DATE 
• Year 5B attending Mass - Friday March 20th @ 9:30am (Church)
• Year 5W attending Mass - Friday March 27th @ 9:30am (Church)
• Year 6 attending Mass - Friday April 3rd @ 9:30am (Church)
• Holy Week Prayer Services from Monday 6th April - Thursday 9th April @ 9:30am each day (Outdoor Prayer Space)

Miss Emma Groves - Religious Education Co Ordinator