News

From the Principal

05.04.17

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
This weekend we celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Lent, and then next Sunday Holy Week begins, with the celebration of Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord or Palm Sunday as it was called.

Father Dean discusses this in the Parish Bulletin:

“Our Masses will begin outside our churches with the Commemoration of the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem. The Gospel is read, palm branches are blessed and then we process into the church joyfully acclaiming Jesus as our Messiah, Saviour and King, as did the crowds who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem.

But the joyful mood of the procession soon changes as our readings concentrate on the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. Our Liturgy this day prepares us for the whole mystery of Easter. Jesus truly is our Saviour and Lord, but he saves us precisely by his suffering and death before rising to a new and glorious life. We are not passive bystanders to this mystery but are called to share in it in our own lives.”

You are invited to bring your palm branches to be blessed next weekend to begin the start of Holy Week.

Classes, year levels and staff groups throughout the school continue to prepare for Easter and the resurrection of Jesus through Lenten observances, class prayers, reflections on the Stations of the Cross, and liturgies.  The raising of money for Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion Campaign is also heartening. The school’s commitment to fundraising has been one rich expression of our community’s desire to "Love your neighbour” and assist those in need. The money raised will be a concrete expression of our support for people less fortunate than us. I thank parents for their support of this Catholic charity during the period of Lent and I trust our contributions will help many, so that they will have doors of learning opened for them. 

End of Term – Holy Thursday
I remind families that there will be an early school closure to conclude the term, Holy Thursday 13 April. As with past practices Junior School will conclude at 2:15pm and Middle and Senior School at 2:20pm. 

Catholic Identity – Over a Coffee!
I remind families about the critical Catholic Identity survey.

The survey will take parents 45-60 minutes to complete, and those parents who are able to complete the survey are also invited to present the survey completion slip at the Sugarloaf Café to receive a free hot drink and a muffin. 

The aim of the Project is to help us better understand how our Catholic identity is expressed within our school community and to develop strategies for moving forward in this critical area of school life. Further information about this project is available from Michelle Coote or myself, and please feel free to make contact with us if you have any questions in relation to this project.

Active Constructive Responding
What a great skill that supports the building of hope-filled mutual relationships. You can find out more at our free parent ResilienceWerks course, which is being offered as a result of our partnership with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and our aspiration to implement the PERMA+ model across our College community.

The course is being conducted this term Tuesday evenings, from Week 6, Tuesday 7 March, and then 14, 21, 28 March and finally 4 April, for one and a half hours per week for five weeks. Watch this space for further courses as the year unfolds. 

Parish Picnic – 2 April
Thank you to all the families who supported the parish picnic. The many hands, in a range of ways, made light work and a very successful day. Thank you to Tenison Woods College students and Harry van Eyk, who provided entertainment, that complemented the old style races and games for the young and young at heart; sausage sizzle for all for lunch including a cake, sweet and produce stall; coffee van; jumping castle and face painting.

All funds raised will support the Tension Woods College trip to Timor Leste and the Parish Youth Trip to the Australian Youth Festival.

Sports Carnival Successes
It has been a pleasure to see students involved in a variety of swimming and athletics carnivals this term, representing house teams and the school, pursuing personal best efforts or just having some fun with other students, staff and parents. Last Friday’s 3-7 Athletics Carnival was an outstanding example of a very successful sporting and community building event. 

Such experiences offer our students opportunities to shine beyond the classroom and teach them a great deal about life. I therefore thank our Sports Coordinators, Ciaran Buckley and Grant Lean with the support of our Sports Administration Trainee, Morgan Fisher, and the Health and Physical Education teaching team and staff across the school, for their efforts in developing such positive experiences for our students. 

Furthermore, I thank our committed parents for their support of these carnivals – I know students appreciate your presence and support even though some of our older students might not publicly acknowledge that to their peers. Finally, I acknowledge the way our student community has embraced these experiences and ensured that they have become excellent community building events. 

OSHC – Care, Fun and Learning
Sarah Seebohm and her committed Out of School Hours Care team are offering a fun, caring & professional before and after school program for our community. Don’t forget that OSHC offers before school care that is only $10.00 per child before the rebate is factored into the cost. OSHC before school care offers parents peace of mind in the morning, given that the school grounds are not formally supervised until 8:20am. For further information and bookings for our holiday program contact Audine or Christie on (08) 8724 4633 or email oshc@tenison.catholic.edu.au You can also visit the OSHC page on our Tenison Woods College website – www.tenison.catholic.edu.au

Parish Planned Giving Rebate
I remind families that parents contributing to the St Paul’s Planned Giving may claim a rebate from Tuition Fees of 50% of their contribution up to a maximum claim of $750. Official Parish receipts dated after the 30 June 2016 are to be presented to the Business Manager for a deduction to be made.

God Bless,
David Mezinec | Principal

 

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Tenison Woods College respectfully acknowledges the Boandik people are the First Nations people of the Mount Gambier South Eastern region of South Australia and pay respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, past, present and emerging.