Term 1 Week 5 - Thursday 6 March 2025

Principal's Message

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar. It marks the beginning of a 40-day period of fasting, penance, and reflection leading up to Easter. The day is observed by many Christian denominations, particularly Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and some other Protestant groups.

On Ash Wednesday, individuals often attend a church service where ashes are applied to their foreheads in the shape of a cross. This tradition is symbolic of repentance and humility, as the ashes are a reminder of human mortality and the need for spiritual renewal. The ashes are typically made from the palms used in the previous year's Palm Sunday service, burned and consecrated for this purpose.

The phrase "Remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return" is often spoken as the ashes are applied, emphasizing themes of repentance and reflection.

Ash Wednesday is a solemn day, and many Christians use it to reflect on their faith, seek forgiveness, and prepare spiritually for the challenges of Lent.

School Fete

The countdown is on! Our much-anticipated School Fete is just around the corner, and we are in the final stages of preparation. It promises to be a fun-filled day with fantastic entertainment, delicious food, exciting activities, and wonderful community spirit.

How You Can Help in These Final Days

• Volunteer: We still need extra hands on the day. If you can assist at a stall, help with setup, or lend a hand with pack-up, please sign up at the front office.
• Donations: We are accepting last-minute contributions for the cake stall, lucky dip, and raffle prizes. Every little bit helps!
• Spread the Word: Tell your friends, family, and neighbours about the fete. The more, the merrier!

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated volunteers, sponsors, and school staff who have worked tirelessly to make this event possible. Your support means the world to us!

Looking forward to seeing you all at the fete for a day of fun and celebration.

Cyber Safety

Here is my latest read from raising children. It is definitely worth a browse https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/media-technology

Thank you for your continued support

Cameron

Important Dates

Birthdays

School News

Late arrival

A reminder that if your child arrives anytime after 8:50am they will have to be singed in at on the Compass Kiosk at the front office.

School Camp 

Our campers are having a wonderful time enjoying the sand and surf. 

School Fees 

School fees have now been sent out. If you have not received them please contact the office. If you are setting up recurring BPay payments please ensure all is paid up by 5 December.   

RE News

Yesterday we marked the beginning of Lent with our Ash Wednesday Mass. K-4 attended mass with the parish and our 5/6s paused at camp to lead a reverent prayer and distribute the ashes. Well done to the Prayer and Youth Ministry team for their preparation and leadership shown during camp.

While Ash Wednesday is not a day of obligation, it is a significant day for Catholics to mark the beginning of Lent through a sign that they are working to spend the next 40days placing prayer, almsgiving and repentance as a priority. At St Jude's we teach students the importance of acknowledging our mistakes and saying sorry to mend our relationships with each other and bring us closer to God. Our Prayer and Ministry team will be leading a Lenten prayer during these next few weeks and organising our fundraiser for CARITAS.

ELC News

ELC NEWS

Happy Birthday to Winslow S and Luca W

This week we are learning about the season of Lent. On Shrove Tuesday we made pancakes to share.  On Ash Wednesday Mrs Leighton placed a cross on our heads with ashes.  Throughout Lent, we will focus on the importance of prayer and doing kind things for others, and we will be participating in Project Compassion to help people living in poverty.  ELC families are invited to donate.  Project Compassion boxes are located on the prayer table in each classroom and children will be able to contribute during morning class prayer.

We have begun the ReadY to Read literacy program and have focussed on strengthening listening skills and awareness of different sounds, including sounds from musical instruments. We explored the different parts of a book, including the title, front cover, and back cover.

ELC Mystery Readers Wanted

We’re launching our Mystery Reader program, and we’d love for parents, grandparents, family and friends to be part of the fun. Sign up sheets are on the classroom doors. Bring along a favourite book to read to the class and remember not to tell your child that you’re coming —they love the surprise of having a loved one as the mystery reader!

ELC Healthy Harold Excursion –Tuesday 11 March

The Stingrays and Turtles will catch the bus to St John Vianney’s on 11 March to meet their SJV buddies and participate in the Healthy Harold program.  The cost of $21.50 has been added to your fee statement.

St Jude’s Fete – Saturday 15 March

Our school fete is a great family day out and a wonderful opportunity to connect with the school community. We are currently seeking donations for the Plant Stall and Trash and Treasure. See the Fete section of this newsletter for more information.  Donations can be dropped in the tub in the ELC foyer.

Calling Volunteers!

Many hands make light work and a great community.  To volunteer an hour or so of your time, please go to https://volunteersignup.org/FLHJM and go the ELC Hairspray stall (or any other stall you would like to volunteer for).

Calling all Bakers (and non-bakers)!

Please help make our Fete Cake Stall a success by contributing home baked goods.  If you’re not a baker, no-bake slices are very popular. Remember no fresh cream or items that require refrigeration. Please label all items with a list of ingredients and package items ready to sell.  See the fete section of the newsletter for more information.

Library News

Scholastic Book Club orders are due by  27 March 2025. Orders can only be made on the LOOP app.

Ordering from Book Club supports our school library. Many thanks for your support!

Overdue Notices

My first attempt at emailing overdue notices went out today. Please don't be alarmed if there is a cost on the notice - it is just the original purchase price of the book. I will remove it for next time. My intention is that our notices can help families keep track of their library books. I am always happy to renew books for students

Sora App

Sora is an app and web-based platform that allows our Year 4-6 students to access thousands of e-books, e-magazines and audio books at school and at home.  Our Year 4-6 students have had time during library lessons to become familiar with Sora. They can access Sora on devices at home, with parent's permission. 

The website is https://soraapp.com/welcome or you can download the Sora app for free from the App Store.

Students will need to search for Australian Catholic Education Network instead of St Jude's. They will need to input their school username and password to access Sora.

Let me know if you have any issues.

Happy reading!

Mrs Hind

Sports News

Athletics carnival - Monday 24 March

Keep an eye on Compass for the event information. 

Mulleyduds Uniform Shop

Uniform shop will be next open, Friday 28 March from 2:45pm-3:15pm.

For second hand requests please email to: uniform.stjudes@gmail.com. Please include your child’s name and classroom for us to deliver to. **Please do not make payment for secondhand items, until we reply to your request confirming stock is available.

Mulleygrub Cafe News

Athletics' Carnival Meal Deal - Monday 24 March

The Meal Deal consists of a sausage, packet of chips and a juice box for $6.50. Extra sausage $1.50. 
Orders close on Thursday 20 March at 12noon. No late orders will be accepted. 

Canteen Volunteers week 6

Wednesday 12 March - Renee, Mark & one more volunteers please

Community Council

As we approach the much-anticipated school fete, we’re reaching out to all families to lend a helping hand. The fete is just around the corner, and we urgently need volunteers to make this event a success! Whether you can spare an hour or more, your time will be invaluable in ensuring the day runs smoothly and is enjoyable for all. There are a variety of tasks to help with, so no matter your skills or availability, there’s a role for you. 

Please take a moment to check out the fete section and sign up to volunteer. We truly appreciate any time you can offer — together, we can make this event one to remember!

Thank you for your continued support and generosity!

Fete News

St Jude’s Fete is the biggest event on our Community Calendar and a great day out for all ages!

Saturday 15 March 10am - 2 pm. 
See Compass for further details. 

Sponsors

Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor who has made our amazing Raffle possible – Team Burke at Luton Properties

Luton Properties are well known for their ongoing support for small business, charities, sporting clubs and local schools, and Team Burke at Luton Properties Weston Creek and Molonglo Valley are no exception to this. They have long been a supporter of the St Jude’s community returning once again this year as our Platinum Fete Sponsor. 

If you are looking to buy or sell your first home, upgrade or downsize your existing one, or just looking for a change then look no further. Professional, meticulous, responsive and supportive are just some of the amazing things that people say about the team. They have an honest approach and ability to understand and work with you to achieve the best possible outcome in any market condition – you can be assured that from the word go you are in very safe hands.

https://luton.com.au/staff/tim-and-justine-burke/

Thank you to Enhanced Plumbing and Gas who have sponsored our Fete as Gold Sponsor for another year!

Enhanced Plumbing & Gas is your go-to plumber for quality workmanship and competitive pricing in Canberra. Andrew, the owner and director is a licensed plumber and gas fitter with over 15 years’ industry experience. Using the latest plumbing technologies and materials, offering a range of plumbing services to both residential and commercial premises – call them today to talk through your job – big or small. They are also great in an emergency available 24/7. Reach out to Andrew at 0422 671 019.

Camp Australia