Project Compassion Boxes
During our Ash Wednesday Mass we launched our participation in the Caritas 2018 Project Compassion Appeal and distributed a collection box and poster for each class and a collection box for each family.
Please return the boxes to school when you have filled them with donations.
Catholic Schools Week Launches Social Justice Initiative
This week we celebrate Catholic Schools Week. The theme this year is ‘Every learner, every day: TRANSFORMING LEARNING’, a theme strongly focused on learning.
Catholic Schools Week is about strengthening relationships between all those that have a stake in our schools – students, staff, families, priests, parishioners, and members of the wider community.
During our assembly on Monday and prayer on Tuesday we introduced the members of Justice League, our social justice group. They also launched our first initiative for the year - St Finbar’s Rice Day. The Justice League has recognised that there are some children and adults who do not have the same access to fresh, clean food and water like we do.
We would like to put ourselves into these peoples shoes. On Tuesday, 20th March, we will be hosting a rice day at school. Children and teachers will come to school with their regular crunch and sip and recess for the day. At lunch time, all the children and teachers will sit down together in their classrooms and think about the people who only have plain rice to eat and how that must feel. As we think of them, we too will eat a bowl of rice with our classmates.
This initiative aims to raise awareness about social justice and to get the children talking about how others who are less fortunate than us live on a regular basis. The children will reflect on this experience and how they felt, as they only had rice to eat for lunch. The rice for the children will be provided by the school. All we ask it that you talk to your children about the purpose of this day and how we as a community can reach out and help others in need.
Parish Mass every Tuesday
Throughout the term each class joins the St Finbar’s Parish community for Mass on a Tuesday at 9am. Year 4 will be going to Mass on Tuesday 13th March and Year 3 on Tuesday 20th March. We invite all parents and parishioners to join us. Parents are invited to sit with their children during Parish Mass.
Holy Week
Holy Week is the most important week in the Church’s year. It begins with Palm Sunday, on Sunday 25th March, and concludes with Jesus’ Resurrection on 1st April, Easter Sunday. The events of Holy Week recount the last week of Jesus’ life.
On Thursday, 29th March at 11.30am, in our Parish Church, Kindergarten, Stage 1 and 2 will lead us in a reflection about Holy Thursday. The reflection will follow the story of Holy Week.
Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday
At the conclusion of this reflection, Jesus will leave the church and lead the disciples to the Garden of Gethesmane to pray. This will take place in the garden outside the church. Students from Kinder - Year 4 will then return to their classrooms and reflect in their journal about Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday. Parents and carers are welcome to attend their child’s classroom and journal with them about the events we have just witnessed. This is an important time to quietly remember the significance of the Easter Season in our liturgical calendar.
Good Friday
After we have reflected on the events of Holy Thursday, Stage 3 will lead us through a contemplation of the events of Good Friday, the Stations of the Cross. The stations will be scattered throughout the school grounds and each stage will follow Jesus as he prepares for his final hour.
All students and teachers will then return to their classrooms and reflect in their journal on the Stations of the Cross. After this, the children will create a project that represents one of the events of Holy Week. This will be an open classroom and we invite all parents to come and reflect on the Stations of the Cross and help the children as they create their Holy Week event.
Easter Sunday - The Resurrection
Stage 2 will lead us in reflection and celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus on Friday 3rd April at 9.15am in the Parish Hall.
Following this we invite all parents to our open classrooms. During this time the children will present their Holy Week event project.
Dates For Your Diary
St Finbar’s Rice Day - Tuesday 20th March
Yours in faith,
Natalie Platt REC
