Dear Parents and Carers,

Lent is a time for both reflection and action. It is by entering into stillness, silence, and solitude that we are able to peel back all the distractions that impact our lives, and listen to the whisperings of God in our hearts, calling us to serve the community in compassionate action. The practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during Lent encourage us to both reflect and act as we focus on strengthening our relationship with God, others, and our world. Lent is also a time of joy. As we know, children have a great capacity for joy. We only have to look to the playground to see the sheer joy our students demonstrate in the mud kitchen, on the jumping pillow, or as they fill their buckets at the water pump. From children, we learn that we must cultivate small moments of joy in each and every day. It doesn’t have to be a lot, or anything fancy or complicated. That’s the thing about joy: it can be very simple. As Pope Francis reminds us, ‘We have good reason to be joyful and that joy is a gift from God that fills us from within and cannot be held at heel, it must be let go’. 

During this Lenten season, what brings you joy, and how can you share your joy with others? 

It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying the Milton Show last weekend. Our students walked proudly in the Grand Parade on Friday and participated in many events over the weekend. To name a few, the Saunders’ family goat ‘Rain’ won Best Listener, Most Loyal, Best of its Kind, and Molly S won Best Trainer.  Jemima C, Molly O, and Parker G entered the Poetry recital competition and made St Mary’s incredibly proud. Fleur won 1st Prize for felting and in the 9 and under Craft section, and Ben WG came 1st in the Whip-cracking competition. What talented and creative students we have! We are all very grateful to Mrs. Emily McGregor for being our in-school coordinator of the Show and for assisting the students with Artwork and beautifully painted banners. Thank you also to the Milton Show Society for the many volunteer hours of planning and work that went into staging such an event. 

On Tuesday 7th March, 21 of our students attended the South Coast Regional Swimming Carnival at Corrimal. A big congratulations to all students who competed on the day and demonstrated excellent team spirit and received a bevy of ribbons and PBs. Please read Mrs Reid's segment for more details. Thanks as always to Mrs Reid for preparing and supporting our team on the day, and to the many parents who transported children to the carnival and assisted throughout the day. 

Our Sacramental program will begin next Thursday at 6pm with the Sacramental Meeting. The sacraments are such a special and sacred rite of passage for all Catholics. If you have a child who is eligible for making Reconciliation, First Communion, or Confirmation this year, please ensure that you attend this session to receive information for all sacramental programs.

Attached to this Newsletter is a Flyer for our P&F Annual General Meeting on Monday 13th March. All Parents and Carers, particularly those interested in meeting other parents and assisting in the decision-making and fundraising for the school, are very welcome to join us. Our P&F are always looking for ways to connect our families and continue to build on our community spirit. To this end, the P&F have organised a ‘Barefoot Bowls & Pizza Afternoon at Mollymook Bowling Club on Sunday 26th March. Please refer to the flyer for more information, including RSVP details. Please show your support for our P&F and attend one, or both, of these events. 

We welcome back Lindy Nelson this Friday, and Gab Peters next week. We are all looking forward to hearing about their learning and adventures in the USA. 

Go joyfully about your week,

Kind regards,

Julie Valentini