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Dear Parents and Carers,
Every year at this time we hold Holy Week and Easter liturgies aligned with the sequence of events of Holy Week. We are certainly missing this opportunity to reflect on Palm Sunday (last Sunday), the Last Supper and Jesus’ death on the cross at Calvary with the children. Of course, we conclude with the triumph of the Risen Christ on Easter Sunday. We miss the Kinders waving palms, tea-towels on the heads of our crowds, and the students, staff and parents reflecting on the importance and prayerfulness of this time.
Holy Week is the most important period in the Church year though, given our commercial world, we might be forgiven for thinking it to be somewhat left in the wake of Christmas. This is particularly so when we compare the joy of Christmas with the events of Holy Week where the story of betrayal, suffering and death dominates events. It is only at the end of the week when we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus that the focus turns to joy and hope.
God’s love for each one of us was perfected in the suffering and death of his son Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus was one of violence and cruelty – betrayed by a friend, deserted by followers and rejected by those he had tried to help. Yet we realise that God sent Jesus into the world to be the saviour of all, and by sharing in the human condition in its most distressing form, God’s love is manifest in a way which leads us to eternal life.
As we follow the events of suffering, death and resurrection this week, we look to them to recognise the love God has for us, in the knowledge that no matter how great our suffering or distress may be, God understands and is there as our silent companion. In Jesus we are given not the end but the path to eternal life.
We wish you a very holy and happy Easter with your families.
EASTER REFLECTION
In the northern hemisphere, Easter comes at a time when the earth is awakening from its winter sleep.
The greening of the tree, the budding plant, the gurgling of the brook recall new life, rebirth, an awakening from an apparent deadness.
Easter, for the Christian, is the community of the Last Supper;
the acceptance of suffering, not without meaning, but with focused faith;
the inevitability and reality of death;
but most of all the hope of resurrection, a new beginning,
a birth to eternal life.
In the life death and resurrection of the Christ, we have a letting go of what has been,
An acceptance of what is and a hope for what will be.
Thank you for your understanding and patience through this most extraordinary term. I wish you and your family best wishes for a Happy and Holy Easter.
God bless and stay safe.
Rachel Smith
Principal
End of Term Drive By – Tomorrow, Thursday 9th April
Tomorrow, Thursday 9th April, from 1pm to 3pm the St Benedict's staff will be holding a drive through candle and liturgy collection for families. We encourage all families to come to the school entrance, drive through and collect their candles and copy of the liturgy in preparation for the Children's liturgy on Saturday evening. This is a great opportunity for the children to see and wave at their teachers (and vice versa). Staff will be at the front of the school (at socially accepted distance) and would love to see the kids before Easter. I am sure the students would love to see them too!
Who empties your dishwasher?
Below is a link to an article that I love! Entitled How emptying the dishwasher can build independence by Michael Grose from Parenting Ideas. This article describes perfectly one of the goals of all parents: to develop independent and capable young people.
I encourage every parent to use 3 minutes to read it. Be affirmed in what you already do or let it affirm something you’ve been thinking of doing. The school holidays are a perfect time to help children develop new independent routines for the term ahead.
ANZAC Day Liturgy
You are invited to a special St Benedict's Children's ANZAC Liturgy Thursday 30th April 6.30pm in place of our traditional whole school ANZAC Liturgy. To allow for this liturgy to be interactive Fr Dan has created a ZOOM meeting.
To allow everyone to feel connected, each child is invited to collect a candle, rosemary and copy of the liturgy from the school (between 11am-4pm) this Thursday. Please email Nat Wright if you would like to collect a pack for your child/ren (natalie.zarb@cg.catholic.edu.au). Alternatively, you can use a family candle and access a copy of the liturgy via SZapp.
Prayer for those who serve
Loving God,
we pray for all those who serve in the Australian Defence Force,
and especially for those soldiers, sailors, airmen and women
serving overseas at this time.
Grant them meaning and purpose in their work,
may they know the support and respect of our nation,
and maintain their compassion, humanity and well-being
when confronted with traumatic tasks.
Watch over them and bring them back safe to us.
Keep their families and relationships strong in times of separation.
This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
A few important dates to note for this term are:
9 Apr Term 1 concludes
28 Apr Term 2 starts - Pending
All Friday afternoon assemblies will be cancelled until further notice.
The following notes have gone home this week and will be sent home via Schoolzine App.
- Letter regarding Term 2
Letter regarding term 2.pdf - Maths Online
MathsOnline Parent Reports.pdf - Liturgy - Letter from Priests
Priests letter pdf
Defence News
No matter what: We Will Remember Them !
ANZAC
Day is also an opportunity for us to remember in prayer, the current service men and women, some of whom belong to our school community.
In addition, it would be a wonderful craft project for your children to make a wreath to hang on your front door, and/or lantern to place on the letter box (there are some simple ideas on the internet/Facebook – e.g. a wreath made from an egg carton and a lantern made from a milk carton).
Music for mateship - anyone who can play an instrument is invited to take part in a dawn service on their driveway playing their instrument for the Last post, observing the minute’s silence and playing the Rouse. All instructions are on the following website: musicformateship.com.au Sheet music can be downloaded.
Please take photos of your family’s/neighbourhood celebration of ANZAC Day, as I would like to include some in next term’s newsletter and for inclusion in the Defence and Woden RSL magazines.
Happy Easter, have a safe and relaxing holiday.
Blessings of the Risen Christ.
Linda de Salis
Defence School Mentor
Dear St Benedict’s families,
We miss you and thank God for the opportunities we do have to connect. During this challenging time we are striving to provide different ways we can support personal and family prayer during Holy Week and at Easter.
Over the Easter period St Benedict's Parish will be streaming masses and the Stations of the Cross from our Facebook page.
On Saturday evening we will be holding a special Children's liturgy at 6pm, in place of the usual Easter Vigil. To allow for this liturgy to be interactive we would like to hold a ZOOM meeting. If your family would like to be part of this special occasion please send an email, displaying the email address you would like to use for the ZOOM meeting, to the following email address;
narrabundah@cg.org.au
We would love for this children's liturgy to be interactive and for the children to take a lead in the liturgy by doing the readings and prayers of the faithful. If your child/children would like to be a reader please add this to your email to the parish.
To allow everyone to feel connected, each child is invited to collect a candle and copy of the liturgy from the school. Even students who do not want to read. You can use a family candle and the liturgy can also be emailed to you.
Tomorrow, Thursday 9th April, from 1pm to 3pm the St Benedict's staff will be holding a drive through candle and liturgy collection for families. We encourage all families to come to the school entrance, drive through and collect their candles and copy of the liturgy in preparation for the Children's liturgy on Saturday evening.
May this week be sacred for you and your families, may we hear the Lord speak deeply to us and may many hearts turn back to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Love and prayers,
Fr Dan, Fr Rem, Fr Baiju and Br Bear
In term 2, Redgum will have an online version of our book club catalogue, we will not be sending catalogues to your school. We have made this decision due to the uncertainty and restrictions currently in place and with most students home-schooling.
St Benedict's will email the online catalogue at the beginning of term 2. As in previous terms, the catalogue will stay open for 3-4 weeks, with delivery to parent homes two weeks later. There will be a delivery fee for home deliveries of $6.99. The delivery fee stays the same if a parent orders 1 book or 10 books.
If you have any questions please let me know.
Thank you and please stay safe out there!
Regards,
Lesley Kelly
Account Manager
As we prepare to run a digital version of Book Club in term 2, we are busy working on ways to share the catalogues and help with parent communication. We want Book Club to be part of the normal routine of school life and we will once again be appealing for your support.
Together, we can provide the certainty, familiarity and value that Book Club is known for. We will connect children in your community with the access, choice and the reading practice Book Club provides.
We are passionate and determined to provide Book Club to Australian homes in Term 2, 2020. As we wait to see how schools will be asked to operate during the term, we are looking at all feasible options to keep Book Club available for Australian families.
We ask for you to stay passionate and determined with us and we look forward to sharing more with you as we prepare for next term.
Stay safe and well,
Scholastic Australia
ANZAC Essay Competition
Congratulations to Brigid N and Sarah D who entered the ANZAC Essay Competition. Brigid placed in the top three winners and Sarah, in the short list of eleven. Well done girls. You have done St. Benedict’s proud! Included below are Brigid’s and Sarah’s essays.
Happy Easter, have a safe and relaxing holiday.
Blessings of the Risen Christ.
Linda de Salis
Defence School Mentor
Rest on Arms Reversed
Rest on arms reversed is a military drill used at funerals, liturgies and times of sadness and mourning such as Remembrance Day and ANZAC Day. The service person’s weapon is faced down so as to not intend fire. When forces march in reverse arms, the service person’s weapon is held pointing behind them and is held behind their back. It is a symbolic form of respect, especially used in Commonwealth countries.
To me rest on arms reversed means respect and thankfulness towards the men and women who have fallen while serving their countries. My family and I have deep respect for those who have fallen to protect us. My father is a Wing Commander medical officer in the RAAF and he cares for many service personnel affected by their personal experiences of armed conflict. He recalls the deep sense of respect felt by all present during the ANZAC Day dawn service whilst he was deployed on operations.
The tragedy and impact of armed conflict is felt during the fighting and for years afterwards. Rest on arms reversed provides an opportunity for us to reflect on the impact of armed conflict upon those who serve, their families and the communities affected by the conflict. My great grandfather served as a bomber pilot in the RAF during World War ll. The war remained with him when he returned home. This affected his family, his relationships and his community.
Weapons faced down symbolise the cessation of hostility and the opportunity to rebuild. Relationships with our enemies can be restored, and can even flourish. It is so important to rebuild and make peace with the countries that we’ve fought with so we can make sure to have as little conflict as possible. The sacrifice of those fallen has contributed to peace and security in the world. The incredible losses nations have suffered help to ensure such conflicts never happen again.
Although I am a child and have never served in the Defence Force, and although I don’t have a weapon to rest on, I can show my own respect in my own way. I can attend ANZAC day services and liturgies, read and educate myself about these wars and conflicts, and most importantly, show respect to those individuals who put the needs of their country before their own and lay down their lives for the benefit of others.
by Brigid N (Yr. 6), St Benedict’s Primary School Narrabundah.
Rest On Arms Reversed
Rest on arms reversed is the position defence people adopt to show respect for the people who had to go to war for our country that we are living in today. These people gave their lives for us so that we can have our freedom in Australia.
I have been to a military funeral and Anzac services and have seen this drill action done. When I see it I feel sad because it reminds me that innocent people had to go to war and leave their family and friends. People have fought and died at war for us and I feel so sorry for those people because they would have liked to spend their life with their family and friends. I also feel grateful because of what those people did for us.
The people who are doing the rest on arms might have a friend who went to war so they are sad because they are missing their friends and relationship with them. They are grateful for their friends who went to war.
Their family has also had to make a sacrifice to say goodbye to their son and daughters and then find out that they would never get to see them again. For families who lost a dad or mum they would also have to work harder than before so they have money so they can keep their home for their children.
If they didn’t go to war we would not be called Australia anymore, they fought for our country and commonwealth. So we would also like to thank the people who went to war to save Australia. They have saved Australia, thank you, but also those who they left behind; family and friends. So we should respect our homeland as much as possible so the hundreds of thousands of deaths wasn’t for nothing and those people who fought who are still with us don’t feel sad because they think we don’t appreciate them.
Rest on arms shows us to respect those who sacrificed and put their country before themselves. It tells us to be thankful for what we have today and give thanks for the safe world we get to live in. Rest on arms means that we are thinking of those who have died for Australia, and we also think about the loss their families endured when the soldiers didn’t come home.
by Sarah D (Yr. 6), St. Benedict’s Primary School Narrabundah.
Happy birthday to the children who celebrate their special day this week and throughout the holidays: Ria C, Mia N, Amelia C, Jayden L and Julian W.
Please let Mrs McRae know at the Front Office if you need something 
from the Clothing Pool, even if you are unable to make the opening times. Where possible we will always help.
Due to the Professional Learning for Staff during Week 10 (6th to 9th April) there will be no Clothing Pool.
Due to current circumstances all clothes in lost property will be emptied and clothing will be washed and returned to the clothing pool. All other items will be thrown out as charities are not accepting any donations at this time.
PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILD/REN'S CLOTHING IS LABELLED WITH THEIR NAME.
Tales from the TUCKSHOP
"If it starts with a T - It's Tuckshop day!
Due to the reduced number of students at school, some foods may not be available.
All students who have lunch orders will still be supplied with food if what they have ordered is not available.
CANTEEN WILL STILL BE OPEN THIS THURSDAY 9th APRIL 2020
A new menu will be available for Term 2.
St Benedict's Parish
Office Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9am to 12noon
Phone: 62957879
Email: narrabundah@cg.org.au
Web: www.cg.org.au/narrabundah
Parish Team:
Fr Dan Benedetti MGL
Fr Rembert Fernando MGL
Fr Baiju Thomas MGL
Monica Nulley-Valdes (Parish Secretary)
Dear St Benedict’s community,
Unfortunately there are no public Easter Services and St Benedicts parish is streaming our services online on our Facebook page: St.Benedict's Church and Mission Centre, Canberra.
Times are: Holy Thursday at 7.00pm, Good Friday 3pm, Easter Sunday 10am. Saturday childrens liturgy 6pm (see school for details)
Daily Mass from the Archdiocese is available online at https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/mass-online/ .
If you would like to have email updates from St Benedict’s Parish, please contact narrabundah@cg.org.au . Be assured of our prayers for the whole St Benedict’s community at this time. Please keep safe and if anyone would like to contact Father Dan, he is available through the Parish or through the school.
St Benedict, pray for us.
God Bless
Fr Dan Benedetti MGL PP
Parish Priest
St Benedict's Catholic Community Narrabundah ACT
As the ACT Government has just announced that ACT Government Schools will go pupil free from Tuesday 24/03/2020 due to COVID-19, Bellchambers Music School hasfore made the decision not to provide piano lessons at Schools tomorrow in order to allow the classroom teachers optimum time to prepare their class without disruption from music lessons.
We have informed all affected families, and will be in touch with each of them again in the next few days to arrange for the children to have their piano lessons online with their usual teacher and at the same day and time if possible, and their postponed lesson from tomorrow made-up.
This is a time of unprecedented and fast-moving changes any many unknowns for the near future. We at Bellchambers Music School want to assure you that whatever happens, we will be here making music with your school families. Our teachers are committed to providing music lessons to your children.
Depending on the situation with the schools, we will be continuing to offer our school families lessons in Term 2 in the school if they are open, or through the online environment, if they are closed. As with all small businesses, both the admin staff and the teachers at Bellchambers Music School are deeply concerned about the future. We want to be there for you and hope that you will continue to support us as we make music with your students in these very difficult times and into the future.
Many thanks,
Bronwen and Rachel
Bellchambers Music School
62816270
www.bellchambersmusicschool.com.au
