Ever-present God,

you gifted us with Mary MacKillop

whose life inspires us never to lose hope.

Build our confidence in your strengthening presence

especially in the darkest moments of our lives.

Be present with hope for those suffering trauma,

injustice, illness and despair

at this time in our world.

We ask this through Christ accompanying us.

Amen

On Sunday we celebrated the Feast of St Mary MacKillop, but long before Mary MacKillop was canonised in Rome on 17 October 2010, she was a saint. She knew that being a faithful follower of Christ meant living a holy life — a life filled with love. She wrote to her mother Flora in 1870: “Dearest Mamma, do you try now in real earnest to be a saint? You may smile at my question, but our dear good God wants you to be one.” Throughout her life, she encouraged her Sisters to make life better for people — with faith, education, hope and love. At Mary’s beatification, Pope John Paul II encouraged us all to “think of Mother Mary MacKillop and learn from her to be a gift of love and compassion for one another, for all Australians and for the world.”

Sacrament of First Eucharist

Please keep in your prayers our students and Parish members who this Sunday will be receiving the Sacrament of First Eucharist. The word communion means to be ‘united'. For Catholics, the Eucharist, or Mass, is the most powerful way we encounter the real presence of Jesus Christ. Thank you to Mrs Vuli, Miss Cawdron and Ms Paragalli for preparing the students at school and to all our parents and carers for preparing their children at home for this very special occasion in their faith journey.  

Microsoft Teams

Last Friday, Microsoft Teams logins and passwords were sent home for each student along with information on how to access Teams. Whilst Teams will only be used if Canberra were to enter a period of lockdown and remote learning was to commence, we do ask that you check as soon as possible that your child can log on to the platform. By ensuring all students can access Teams will allow for a smoother transition to remote learning if the need arises. Please contact your child’s classroom teacher if you are experiencing any difficulty.  

Staffing News

It is with great sadness that after over 20 years at St Joseph's, we announce that Mrs Parmenter will be hanging up her library bag at the end of this term. She will take Term 4 off as Long Service Leave, before retiring at the end of 2021. Catherine has held many roles in her time at St Joseph's including Acting Assistant Principal, Religious Education Coordinator, Classroom Teacher and of course as our beloved Librarian. We wish Catherine all the very best on her next adventure of retirement. You will be deeply missed by so many! During Term 4, we will of course find a fitting way to farewell her from her St Joseph's family. 

Father’s Day Breakfast: We are looking forward to hosting our Father’s Day Breakfast on Friday 3 September from 7:45 am to 8:45 am. Orders for your delicious bacon and egg rolls will be available soon. 

School Disco: The highlight of the school year is set for Friday 10 September (Week 9). Put the date in your diary to avoid any disappointed children! In the coming weeks, the P&F will be calling for volunteers to assist on the night.

It has been great to see the sun shining a little more frequently this week! As we are now in the month of August and ultraviolet levels begin to rise, it is time for students to wear hats when outside. We have had a transition week but now begin our “No Hat, No Play, No Fun Today” policy. Please ensure that hats (and all jumpers, drink bottles etc.) are labelled so that we can help reunite owners with lost property.