What’s happened at St Michael’s over the past three weeks?

Section 2: Our Catholic Identity: Mrs Ronelle Peardon and Mrs Chelsea McLeod 

As we commence the new school year, it is with great privilege that we, Chelsea McLeod and Ronelle Peardon, assume the role of Acting Religious Education Coordinators for Term One. 

At St Michael's, our mission is to continue to cultivate a vibrant Catholic community that embodies safety, love, respect, understanding, and compassion. Rooted in our vision, 'Inspired by Christ,' we will strive for excellence in learning and foster an environment where every individual is valued. Beyond being just a school, St. Michael's is a place where community spirit thrives. Throughout this term, our commitment to dynamic and diverse faith formation experiences will highlight our dedication to living out the essence of our vision.

On Friday 2nd February, two students from each class attended a very special candlemas with Mr Bryce and Mrs McLeod. Candlemas is a religious festival held 40 days after Christmas to commemorate the presentation of Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem. Our students all participated in the Mass with reverence and respect. They brought along our School candle and class candles that were blessed by Fr Ken. It was a beautiful way to begin our school year. 

On Tuesday 13th of February, Our school captains, Maggie and Nate, along with Mahli, our Inspired by Christ leader accompanied Mr Bryce and Mrs Peardon to the Caritas Project Compassion Launch at John Therry High School, Rosemeadow.

Bishop Brian spoke at length at the launch about ‘it's more than just putting money in a box’. He encouraged us to think about what happens beyond the box. It’s about changing lives and making a difference and ‘For all Future Generations’. 

We are encouraged to continue to be inspired and led by Christ and His teaching to ensure that we focus on those who are most vulnerable. What does the value of compassion mean to us as a school community? How can we ritualise true compassion for others? Showing compassion as a school community involves fostering an environment where empathy, understanding, and support are actively practised and encouraged.

Once again, the theme for Project Compassion is ‘For all future generations’. Inspired by the Bible’s story of the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-20), this theme reminds us that the good that we do today will create a lasting impact for generations to come.

Project Compassion 2024 brings you the stories of three resilient women from different corners of the world. Though they face vastly different challenges in their day-to-day lives, they are all united by their dream of creating a better tomorrow for all future generations.

There is the story of Memory from Malawi, who trained to become a carpenter to support her family. She is now self-reliant and able to provide for herself and her family and she is able to work in a male-dominated industry, which is rare for women in rural villages. Her dream is to open her own carpentry workshop and provide employment to skilled carpenters in her area.

There are also the stories of Ronita, a mother of two living in a slum in the Philippines who went back to school to support her children and forge a path out of poverty. And Leaia, who through hard work and determination is building a better life for herself and her five children.

On Tuesday the 13th February we celebrated Shrove Tuesday in each classroom. Students engaged in an activity led by their classroom teachers to mark the day before Lent, a time of indulgence before the period of reflection and sacrifice. A big thank you to Bec Hay who cooked a mountain of pancakes for all the students to enjoy.

On Wednesday the 14th February we celebrated Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks  the beginning of Lent, a time of reflection and preparation for Easter. Our Year 6 students attended the parish Mass and the ‘Inspired By Christ,’ leaders then presented a liturgy in each classroom. During the liturgy, the Year 6 leader’s marked the start of Lent by sprinkling ashes on the student’s and teacher’s heads. This is  a symbolic way to reflect on humility and repentance. 

To commence the academic year, our school community will gather for a Whole School Mass on Friday the 23rd February, bringing together students from Kindergarten to Year 6, our teacher’s and parishioners. This longstanding tradition not only upholds our spiritual values but also creates a profound moment for reflection and connection among our students. At this Mass, our leaders for 2024 will be presented with their badges, marking the official start of their leadership journey. We warmly welcome all our St Michael’s family to attend this celebration. Students are asked to bring in a small non-perishable item for our offertory that will be collected by St Vincent’s De Paul for needy members of our community. Students are required to wear their full summer uniform on Friday the 23rd of February.

This term, we will also engage in a series of prayer services and liturgies led by different classes to mark important days in our Catholic Church's Liturgical year. These experiences will provide impactful opportunities for faith formation, enabling students to connect with their spirituality on a deeper level. Through prayerful reflections, engaging liturgies, and the communal experience of Masses, we aspire to create spaces where faith is not just observed but actively nurtured and explored.

We extend a warm invitation to all members of our immediate and extended community to participate in these prayer services, liturgies, and masses. We firmly believe that through collective engagement, we will authentically embody our vision and mission. Your presence will enhance the depth of these experiences, nurturing a spirit of unity and shared purpose. If you are interested in being an active participant in a range of different faith filled experiences this term, please let us know by sending an email to the school office and we will be in touch. 

We are looking forward to a term of spiritual growth and unity with all of you.

Mrs Chelsea McLeod & Mrs Ronelle Peardon - Acting Religious Education

Coordinators