Dear Parents & Friends,

2021 is off to a great start! We have had over 200 new students join us along with approx. 20 new staff and the start of the year whilst busy, has been settled. Many thanks to the parents and carers who have exercised patience as we transition new families to our school community. We certainly are not a little school anymore with student numbers exceeding 1060 and staff numbers exceeding 100. The good news is that our building program is on track with our next two permanent buildings (Middle Years Block and Community Hall) to come online in Term 3.

On Monday, we were blessed with great weather and enjoyed our annual Swimming Carnival at Prairiewood Leisure Centre. It was an excellent day where students showed great house spirit. We have some outstanding student swimmers, some of whom will go on to represent the College at the upcoming Diocesan Swimming Carnival. Congratulations to Chisholm House (Blue) who were the overall winners on the day, narrowly defeating MacKillop House (Yellow).

No doubt, you are aware that the Easter season is coming. Since mid-January, the presence of colourful eggs and chocolate bunnies in supermarkets has steadily been increasing. People like to buy them early in preparation for their Easter celebrations.  However, for us as Catholics, our preparation for Easter goes much deeper than that. Over the next month or so, teachers will be explaining the importance of the season of ‘Lent’ to all students.

The Season of Lent is a time in which we reflect on our relationship with God and the way we are living our lives.  It is the season in which we are called to be better disciples of Jesus Christ.

I have included the following information on Lent to help you and your family understand the meaning, customs and traditions of Lent more fully. We hope that you will work with us to prepare students for the coming Easter Season.

• The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (Weds 17^th February this year) and concludes before the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday (1^st April).
• Lent is a forty-day liturgical season (not including Sundays) that prepares us for the most sacred part of the Christian year, Easter.
• During Lent we renew our hearts and mind through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
• Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence. This means we only have one main meal during the day (fasting) and we do not eat meat (abstinence).
• The traditional colour of Lent is purple.

Students will be learning more about the season of Lent and will participate in a liturgy on Ash Wednesday.

Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement. I look forward to work with you and enjoying a great 2021.

May God continue to bless you

Mr Simon Abernethy
College Principal