Dear SCA Families,

The Easter eggs on the supermarket shelves have been on display for a month now, so Easter must be soon, right?  Well, not quite yet. Lent begins today, so I share with you the following reflection.

Jesus retreated into the wilderness and fasted for forty days to prepare for his ministry. It was for him a time of contemplation, reflection, and preparation. By observing Lent, Christians join Jesus on his retreat.

Lent consists of the forty days before Easter. I didn’t know until recently that we skip over the Sundays when we count the days of Lent, because Sunday is always the joyful celebration of the Resurrection.

Early societies relied on wood fires for heating and cooking, which meant that keeping ashes under control was a major task. Then as now, if a person was preoccupied with something serious, they didn’t always tend to the housekeeping (at least that’s my excuse) — it’s the least of their concerns. Imagine that there is a death in the family. A friend stopping by to pay their respects might gently say, “Did you know you have ash on your face?”

So ashes became a sign of remorse, repentance, and mourning. Today someone might wear a black armband to signify they are in mourning; back then people put ashes on their foreheads.

During Lent, ancient Christians mourned their sins and repented, so it was appropriate to show their sincerity by having ashes on their foreheads. The custom has persisted in the Church as society has changed around us. It is most appropriate on Ash Wednesday, when we begin a period of reflection, self-examination, and spiritual redirection.

SCA School Community Council Activity Plan

Attached to today’s newsletter, please find a document from your School Community Council. It maps out the main events for the 2025 school year and lists the members of your Community Council Executive.

While the Cat’s Away…

I will be away from school today for a Catholic Leaders’ Day and on Thursday and Friday while I attend the annual CE Principals’ Retreat. (I had intended on remaining at school, but the Executive Director insisted I attend!) I also plan to take three days long service leave next week, following the long weekend. I will return to SCA on Friday 14^th March. Nikki Dwyer, supported by the rest of the Leadership Team, will hold the fort while I am away.

Swimming Carnival and Water Fun Day

Parents are welcome to visit us at the Swimming Carnival tomorrow. Queanbeyan Pool is a great venue and families are encouraged to spend some time enjoying the atmosphere.

Years 3 to 6, along with some Year 2 children will attend. Kindergarten, Year 1 and the majority of Year 2 will remain at school and participate in a water fun day.

Thank you to all of the staff and volunteers who have a role in organising and assisting with the swimming carnival.

NAPLAN Weeks – Years Three and Five

Next week (Week 6), our students will commence their participation in NAPLAN, the national literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years Three, Five, Seven and Nine sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students can undertake. Students sit assessments in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It doesn’t replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

All schools have transitioned from paper-based to computer-based assessments. All Year 3 students will continue to complete the writing assessment on paper. Online NAPLAN tests provide more precise results and are more engaging for students. One of the main benefits is tailored (or adaptive) testing, where the test presents questions which may be more or less challenging depending on a student’s responses. Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway.

See the types of questions and tools available in the online NAPLAN assessments at the public demonstration site. More information for parents and carers can be found here.

Kindergarten

We are pleased to have our Kinder students with us for 5 days a week from this week; no more Wednesdays off.

Colour Run

Friday was a fantastic day of fun, excitement, and most of all, colour. Thank you to everyone who contributed to make it a successful fundraiser for new ICT equipment in the school and to our worthwhile Caritas Project Compassion cause. I am pleased to report that we raised over $22,000, thanks to the support of so many people.

It was great to see so many parents join us to help out, cheer the kids on, or just share in the vibe of the day. Thanks to those of you who helped, and to the staff who all participated with good humour. A special thanks to Mrs Jo Thompson, who along with a band of helping staff and parents, organised this year’s event.

Parent / Teacher Conferences

It was wonderful to see parents and teachers walking away from interviews looking so positive last week. The parents I have spoken with have been full of praise for their child’s teacher and are looking forward to the rest of the year. Thank you to the parents for your support of all we do here.

Special thanks to the teachers for keeping a smile during the long days of the week on top of all the work involved in organising and preparing for the conferences. Thank you.

Year 6 Camp

Congratulations to the Year 6 student for your participation, cooperation and teamwork shown in Tathra on your camp last week. I extend a sincere vote of thanks to Mrs Ruzvidzo, Miss Moritz, Mr Purcell, Mrs Philippa and Mrs Dwyer for giving their time to ensure the children had a great time.

It was once said…

Blessings to you and your family.

Matt Egan-Richards

Principal