Dear Families and Friends, 

Confirmation

Last Thursday, I attended the Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments. Some are well known, such as Baptism, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick.

Confirmation is like Baptism, but this time the students are the ones saying ‘yes’, whereas at Baptism it was their parents who said ‘yes’ on their behalf. In Baptism, children have Godparents. In Confirmation, it’s similar — students choose a Sponsor. Another special part of Confirmation is that students select a saint’s name. During the service, many students chose names like St Francis, St Mary MacKillop, and St Joseph, among others.

Archbishop Patrick O’Regan celebrated the liturgy and spoke to the students about the Holy Spirit being activated, as it was first received in Baptism. He used a great metaphor, comparing it to having a mobile phone and activating it with a SIM card!

Archbishop Patrick explained that the gifts and fruits received in Confirmation are not things that can be bought — gifts like patience, joy, wisdom, and understanding. He also reminded us that once we have these gifts, we should share them with others through our daily actions.

I take this opportunity to congratulate all those who made their Confirmation on Tuesday or Thursday.

Celebrating Music

I feel like I’ve been on a musical festival journey over the past two weeks!

Over five nights, we held our very successful instrumental performances. I was impressed with how accomplished and young some of our students are, and I felt proud and amazed by many who have been practicing for longer. They certainly loved the opportunity to perform – so brave!

At assembly, the Year 3/4 Choir performed a lovely and complex song featuring different parts, beautifully led by Mrs Pfitzner. It sounded amazing as they worked together in collaboration to produce a beautiful performance.

On Friday morning, the Year 3 Strings performance was a real highlight. With only six months of lessons, they put on a wonderful show! The students have learned many skills, and it’s clear they had a lot of fun along the way. Some Year 1 and 2 students came along to watch and were very excited about what’s ahead for them in Year 3! For many, this was a wonderful introduction to music.

“In terms of brain development, musical performance is every bit as important educationally as reading or writing.”
— Oliver Sacks, Neurologist and Author

SEQTA Engage – Online Academic Reports

We are very excited to launch SEQTA Engage for families as our new reporting platform. Thank you for following the instructions in the email to ensure you have access to your account.

We strongly encourage each parent who receives an email to create an account, as we will not be sending home a hard copy unless requested. This Wednesday, you will receive a digital copy of your child’s report on SEQTA Engage.

We are nearly at the end of a busy and rewarding Term 2. I thank our students, staff, and families for their ongoing support and commitment throughout the term.

I wish all families a restful, safe, and enjoyable break, filled with time to relax and recharge. I look forward to welcoming everyone back, refreshed and ready for an eventful Term 3, on Tuesday 22 July.

Kind regards,

Jodie Higgins