Reconciliation Sacramental Retreat
On Friday 1 March the students in Year 3 travelled to Carroll College to join Year 3 from St Bernard’s for the Reconciliation sacramental retreat day. The Year 9 Carroll College Youth Ministry students hosted the day and did a superb job as usual. We thank Mrs Belle Barling and Mrs Anna Smart from Carroll College for organising such a fun-filled day of learning.

Holy Week
St Mary’s students are invited to participate in the Palm Sunday Mass at 10am on 24 March and the Easter Sunday Mass at 10am on 31 March. A note regarding these Masses will go home shortly. If you are available to attend these special celebrations with your child/ren we would love to see you there.

Religious Education - learning snapshot
At St Mary’s we follow the Brisbane Curriculum as directed by Catholic Education Canberra-Goulburn and followed by all primary schools in our diocese. 

Kindergarten are learning about the goodness of God’s Creation, developing their understanding that Christians believe that God created the world.  They have been identifying parts of the world that God created e.g. plants, sun, and animals, as well as describing their thoughts and feelings about God’s Creation.

Stage 1 has been learning about God the Creator: that God was a forgiving, caring, compassionate, loving and listening Creator who made human beings in his own image, and that He created human beings to form a loving relationship with them.

Stage 2 Students have been developing their understanding of God’s relationship with people as individuals and as a community. They have been engaging with a variety of texts including Old Testament and New Testament stories. They are learning how scripture provides a foundation for living a moral life. They have also been learning about the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Stage 3 In their current unit “Unlocking the Texts”, the students in Stage 3 have been identifying the life experiences of the psalmists and their relationship with God, identifying features of a Synagogue, the importance of Jewish worship and the observance of the Sabbath. They have explored Psalm 23 and are learning about the history of Psalms and their significance in the Bible.

K-6 We are observing the Season of Lent across the school. In response to the call for almsgiving, the students are currently collecting money for CARITAS Project Compassion. 

Lenten Prayer
Almighty and Everlasting God,
You have given the human race
Jesus Christ, our Saviour, as a model of humility.
He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man
And giving His life on the Cross.
Help us to bear witness to You
By following His example of suffering
And make us worthy to share in His Resurrection.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son.
Amen.

Mrs Genevieve Schofield
Religious Education Coordinator (Acting)