DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - Lize Privitera
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Celebrating the Easter Season
As a School we began the Term with an Easter reflection via Google Meet allowing the Easter joy overflow into the 50-day season which extends from Easter to Pentecost.
How can your family sustain this “Easter spirit” of celebration all the way to Pentecost? Here are a few ways to celebrate the fifty days! Just pick a few ideas that seem right for you.
- Use a special candle at family meals to recall the light of Christ
- Add an “alleluia” song—or three alleluias—to your grace before meals
- Make a poster of a life-giving cross. Add paper flowers and leaves to it throughout Easter
- Keep fresh flowers around
- Talk about baptism. Tell stories of family members’ baptisms
- Plant some seeds
- Read Acts 2, the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. Read it in all the languages family members speak! (See the Bible translations at www.biblegateway.com/languages)
ANZAC 2021
Every year on the 25th of April, Australia remembers the service and sacrifice of our men and women who have served in conflicts around the world.
While there will be a significant change to the way Anzac Day ceremonies and events are delivered across the country, the nature of the commemorations will remain the same.
Our School will gather on the small oval near the Lone Pine tree for an ANZAC Day service on Friday 23rd April beginning at 2.30pm.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
(L. Binyon, “For the fallen”, 1914)
To mark this day, the members of the MacKillop Kids group will be making commemorative products available for purchase. Please help us continue supporting veterans. Wearable lapel pins and wrist bands $2.00-$5.00 All sales go directly to Berwick RSL supplying the items.
School and Class Mass and Reconciliation Celebrations will resume this term. Parents and friends are welcome to join students during liturgical celebrations. Adherence to COVID safe plans applies when assembling. Current restrictions apply as per announcements by Victorian Government and guidelines directed by DOSCEL.
For the month of April and May the following celebrations are planned:
- 2EM & 3AM – 29/4/21
- Senior Level – 6/5/21
- FSL & 6RJ – 13/5/21
- Whole School Mass celebrating Catholic Education Week 27/5/21
The three Parish Schools celebrating together during Mass on Saturday 22nd May 2021, 6pm at OLHC Church. Please mark this event in your calendar. We would like to see many Mary MacKillop school families attend. More details to follow.
First Reconciliation
Celebrations begin this weekend. Please keep all students from across the Parish in your prayers.
Congratulations to the following children receiving the Sacrament of First Reconciliation during the next two weeks:
Tylane (4HF) Jonathan C(4HF) Amelia C(4HF) Xavier (3AS) Antonia (4HF) Jayden M(4HF) Taylor N (4HF) Keira J (3AS)
First Eucharist Enrolment and Parent only workshop
This will be held on Wednesday 28th April and Thursday 6th May at 7.00pm in the Church. Parents are required to attend only one enrolment workshop. Attendance is mandatory if you wish to prepare your child for the Sacrament of First Eucharist. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we request only one parent attend the workshop. This is a parent only workshop and children are not required to attend. If for any reason you miss the enrolment night, or cannot make it to any other meeting/workshop, we request you to wait until the following year, as the parish is unable to offer any catch up workshops for those who are unable to attend. An enrolment levy of $50 is payable via CDFPay www.olhc.cdfpay.org.au which will be available from 18th April 2021. Please bring your receipt number to the enrolment night. For more information please refer to the Sacrament Program Booklet 2021 on the parish website www.olhc.org.au.
Gospel Reading John 10:11-18
In next Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says he is like a shepherd who wants to care for his sheep because he loves them. Because he loves the sheep, the Good Shepherd will do anything to keep them safe.
Jesus is really saying that he loves us so much that he did all he did while on earth—not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Everything he did, he did out of love for us.
In your prayers, ask God to help us want to serve others as Jesus did. As a family prayer the Lord’s Prayer.
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS PARISH NEWS
Mary MacKillop Primary School is one of the three Parish Primary Schools belonging to the Parish of Our Lady Help of Christians, Narre Warren within the Diocese of Sale. Fr Brendan Hogan is our Parish Priest and Fr Isuru Weliwatte is our Assistant Priest. We are grateful for their ongoing prayers, involvement and support of the students, families and staff of Mary MacKillop School.
PARISH BULLETIN - Click on the link to download the weekly newsletter Parish-Bulletin
WELLBEING
Webinar for parents of children and young people with anxiety (free 90-minute Webinar)
Saturday 24th April, 10:30am-12pm
Catholic School Parents Victoria (CSPV) is presenting a free webinar for parents of children in primary and secondary school.
Supporting parents of children with anxiety
Are you struggling to support your young child or teenager with anxiety?
CSPV provides this opportunity for you to learn from leading anxiety speaker and educator Dr Jodi Richardson.
Jodi is the best-selling co-author of Anxious Kids and a regular media commentator
on issues related to anxiety, wellbeing and parenting.
This free 90 minute Webinar will provide you with strategies to know how to respond,
how you can help, when to seek professional help and much more.