Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn eNewsletter

Congratulations to three of our Catholic primary schools who have been featured as WIN News Canberra’s ‘School of the Week’.

St John the Apostle Primary School, Florey

At St John the Apostle Primary School, Florey, students and staff take great pride in their Kitchen Garden. Each week, eager students participate in special kitchen garden lessons, where they learn to grow and cook their own food.

“This has been a really important program for helping children understand where their food comes from and develop their own tastes,” said Principal, Matthew Garton.

The initiative has been widely supported by the St John the Apostle Primary School community, whose fundraising efforts contributed to the construction of the garden and the bright, new playground space surrounding it.

St Monica’s Primary School, Evatt

Despite the challenges of COVID-19 and remote learning, the Social Justice Team at St Monica’s Primary School, Evatt, were determined to help vulnerable people in their local community. As part of this year’s Vinnies Winter Appeal, the group coordinated the collection of socks, scarves and beanies to be donated to those most in need.

“We recognise issues in our society and we try to donate and fundraise for them. We make sure we get the whole school involved”, said Giselle Santosuosso (Year 6).

“It’s an opportunity for action,” said Haley Stonham, Social Justice Coordinator. “When they see a social justice need, we talk about it and try to discuss ways that the students can effect change.”

St Bede’s Primary School, Red Hill

At St Bede’s Primary School, Red Hill, STEM is a very important part of the curriculum. Each week, an entire day is dedicated to STEM and students enjoy the opportunity to get creative, building their own inventions and learning about robotics.

Ben Macintyre, STEM Coordinator and Year 5/6 teacher, loves sharing his passion for science and technology with his students. “I hope that the students take away a real passion and enjoyment for science,” said Ben. “Hopefully, it will inspire them to take that into future pathways.”

Lumen Christi Catholic College, Pambula Beach, have officially named its music room the ‘Mary Beswick Music Room’ in honour of a local philanthropist. Mary Beswick generously donated $20,000 to purchase musical equipment in the early days of Lumen Christi.

The official naming ceremony was conducted by Acting Principal, Shane Giles with Father Pale in attendance to give the Blessing. Stories of Mary’s life were shared in tribute to Mary and her generosity.

Mary Beswick and her husband, George, were benefactors for the Catholic Church, the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick and several other charities and causes.

In 2000, when Mary heard that a new Catholic school was being planned for Pambula Beach, she wanted to help in any way she could. It was Mary’s generous donation that helped begin Lumen Christi’s musical legacy, allowing the school to purchase amps, keyboards and string instruments.

Acting Principal, Shane Giles, said it was an honour to name the music room after a woman whose kindness and charity has benefited so many.

“Lumen Christi is incredibly proud to pay tribute to Mary Beswick and her legacy,” he said.

Mary and George’s legacy lives on through their son Peter and daughters Maria and Judy. The George and Mary Beswick Fund continues to support charities, hospitals, women’s shelters and the homeless.

Year 6 students at St Mary’s Primary School, Young, have raised $2000 for the Water for South Sudan charity organisation by replicating the journey young girls in Sudan make every day to fetch water for their families. Students carried up to ten litres of water at a time as they completed laps of a 500 metre track set up around the school.

They were inspired to complete the challenge after reading the novel, ‘A Long Walk to Water’ by Linda Park Sue. The novel is based on the true story of Salva Dut, who fled his home during the civil war in Sudan. Salva now runs the Water for South Sudan charity, that helps to build and repair wells and educate Sudanese villagers on the importance of clean water.

“We’ve come to realise in Year 6, just how important something as simple as clean water can be to others not as fortunate as ourselves,” said Year 6 student, Marli Shipp.

Kym Connelly, Year 6 teacher at St Mary’s, said that the day was an opportunity to understand the difficulties faced by many in third world countries.

“We think that sometimes you really do have to walk in another's shoes to truly understand,” she said.

Principal, Andrew Casey, commended the students on their efforts.

“We are so proud that our students took on this initiative and want to be an example of service to others,” he said.

Members of the St Matthew’s Primary School, Page, Year 6 Youth Ministry Team, held a Faith Formation retreat for Kindergarten students. The morning, led by the Year 6 team, provided an opportunity for reflection on Faith and the students’ journey in coming to know Jesus.

The Youth Ministry Team at St Matthew’s consists of 28 Year 6 students who felt a call to Ministry within their school. In preparation for the event, students spent time learning different Youth Ministry skills to help them in preparing Prayer, exploring Scripture and asking questions.

The team demonstrated admirable leadership throughout the retreat, expertly applying their newly acquired skills to guide the Kindergarten students through Prayer, Godly Play and reflection.

The Kindergarten students enjoyed their time with the Year 6 Youth Ministers agreeing that it was “the best morning ever!” They loved hearing the story of Noah’s Ark and the shared reflections of their classmates.

The Year 6 Youth Ministers found the experience very rewarding. They found it fulfilling to see how engaged the students were and how much they enjoyed participating and learning.

Each year as part of their Feast Day celebrations, Ss Peter and Paul’s Parish Primary School, Goulburn, hold a winter appeal to raise funds for the St Vincent de Paul Society. The event was organised and run by the Year 6 Mini-Vinnies social justice group. Collectively the school community raised over $300.

Students enjoyed a non-uniform day and were encouraged to contribute a gold coin to support the winter appeal. Students enjoyed participating in games such as a football skills obstacle course, sack races, charades and a mini catapult launch.

Year 6 Mini-Vinnies leaders, Sophie Smithers and Bailey Cockburn, said that the event was very different to previous years where it was held as a joint ‘sleepout’ with St Joseph’s Primary School, Goulburn North and Trinity Catholic College, Goulburn. This year they had a lot of fun planning and organising the event.

“Planning activities was a challenge because we had to take into consideration social distancing,” said Sophie. “We were unable to offer our favourite activities such as colouring each other’s hair and serving food. We had to plan fun new activities that followed COVID-19 guidelines.”

“It was a bit confusing at first, but we learned new managing and organising skills,” Bailey said.

Louise Seaman, Religious Education Coordinator at Ss Peter and Paul’s, said she was very impressed with her Year 6 organisers.

“They were so creative and really rose to the challenge of putting on an event like this in our current circumstances,” said Louise. “They kept our focus on having fun in a safe and responsible way.”

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After decades of hard work and dedication, a Dhurga Dictionary and Learners’ Grammar Book has been published. The book was compiled by teachers, Patricia Ellis, Kerry Boyenga and their brother Waine Donovan. Patricia currently teaches Dhurga at St Bernard’s Primary School, Batemans Bay and Carroll College, Broulee. Kerry teaches the language at St Mary’s Primary School, Moruya where she is also the Contact Teacher for Aboriginal Education.

The dictionary was officially launched at the Moruya Library by renowned author, historian and ecologist, Jackie French.

Dhurga is one of the languages of the Yuin Nation, spoken on the South Coast and Southern Tablelands of New South Wales; from the south of Nowra to Narooma and west to Braidwood and Araluen.

The dictionary is the first of its kind, containing over 730 words and was designed for all literacy levels and readers. The book will support the teaching and learning of the Dhurga language to all people of the south-east coast of NSW.

“One of the hardest things to do is teach language without a dictionary,’ said Patricia. “I extracted the Dhurga words, the South Coast Language words and the Yuin words from previous documentation. I then cross-referenced these with word lists that Kerry, Waine and our niece had compiled.”

“We know that this dictionary is an authentic recollection of our language.”

The publication of the dictionary was supported by linguists from ANU, local Yuin people and the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).

In honour of NAIDOC Week 2020 Catholic Education came together as a community to create a ceremonial Cross. To symbolise the connection between our 56 Catholic schools, the Cross has been decorated with hand painted message sticks. Each school contributed a painted message stick featuring symbols and colours unique to their location in the Archdiocese.

Director, Ross Fox, also painted a message stick on behalf of the Catholic Education Office.

“Traditionally message sticks were passed between different clans and language groups as a way of communicating and sharing information and messages,” said Katrina Cambridge, Aboriginal School and Community Officer at the Catholic Education Office.

“When a message stick is handed to you by another person, you become the messenger. They were often used to invite neighbouring groups to corroborees and initiation ceremonies and as a right of entry to Country and invitation to religious rituals,” she said.

The Cross was designed by Kerry O’Callaghan, Aboriginal Education Specialist at the Catholic Education Office. It was generously crafted by Tony Robinson, Applied Technology teacher at St Francis Xavier College, Florey, and is made of beautiful Camphor Laurel wood. Tony Solari, Trade Training Centre Officer, and Neil Dykes, Industrial Technology Assistant at St Mary MacKillop College, Tuggeranong, shaped the message sticks for the schools to decorate. It will be featured in future NAIDOC celebrations.

Archbishop Christopher Prowse blessed the Cross at the Catholic Education Office.

Liliana Russell, sight impaired Catholic Education Office Diversity, Wellbeing and Inclusion Officer and her faithful guide dog April, participated in PAWGUST 2020. PAWGUST is a fun, yet challenging event that encourages physical activity while raising funds for Guide Dogs Australia.

“PAWGUST is an opportunity to raise awareness of an exemplary organisation who assist visually impaired people, like myself, in a life changing way,” said Liliana.

Liliana and April walked 30 minutes every day, for 30 days, raising over $3000 for Guide Dogs Australia. Liliana feels blessed to have April in her life and this was her way of paying it forward.

“April, my gorgeous 3 year old guide dog and I were united through Guide Dogs Australia when my sight started to deteriorate rapidly in 2018,” said Liliana. “April gives me mobility, independence and confidence to continue being active at work, with my family and socially. This has been a life changing experience for me.”

It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise and train one Guide Dog pup to enhance the mobility and independence of vision impaired Australians. Guide Dogs Australia provides a range of services that ensure people with vision loss remain active and involved members of the community.

“April and I participated in PAWGUST to say thank you to Guide Dogs Australia for bringing us together and for their ongoing support,” said Liliana. “They are truly a wonderful organisation that I feel very privileged to be involved with.”

Lumen Christi Catholic College, Pambula Beach.

Kindergarten students at Lumen Christi Catholic College, have celebrated their first 100 days of school with a special day of festivities centered around the number 100.

Students proudly wore ‘100 days smarter’ crowns complete with individualised messages of encouragement from their teachers.

Throughout the day, children took part in exciting maths activities and wrote about the things that they have learned in their first 100 days at school. A highlight for many was the 100 cup stacking challenge and personalised cupcakes.

In their short time at Lumen Christi, the Kindy kids have taken bushfires, remote learning and COVID-19 in their stride. Kindergarten teachers, Natalie Radonovich and Amy Chester, have been impressed with not only the progress students have made, but the resilience they have shown this year.

St John Vianney’s Primary School, Waramanga

At St John Vianney’s Primary School, Waramanga, students have marked their first 100 days of school in style with a day of fun and celebration, centred around the number 100.

The children came to school dressed as 100 year old’s while Kindergarten teacher, Mary Dietz-Mullamphy showed them what people wore 100 years ago. It was great to see many creative costumes and smiles on their faces.

The children spent the day completing different 100-themed activities. Deciding what they would do with $100 highlighted the children’s innocence. Together they created a class book filled with ideas about what would and wouldn’t be awesome, the theme of the book was of course 100.

“So much fun was had by the class, in what has been a very tumultuous year,” said Kindergarten teacher, Sharee Thomas. “This day will surely be remembered as a highlight.”

“Naraganawali gawar, dambaliny, murring - Nurturing Hearts, Minds and Spirits”

Sacred Heart Primary School, Pearce, unveiled stage two of its Aboriginal garden, a native learning space created to help students develop a greater understanding of Aboriginal spirituality and identity.

Stage one, ‘Murring’, launched late last year and focused on the creation of the garden’s spiritual element and the blend of Aboriginal and Catholic culture. A conscious effort has been made to reflect this quality again with the second phase, ‘Gawar Dambaliny’.

The design of ‘Gawar Dambaliny’ is based on a campsite theme and featuring four circular garden beds. The new section of the garden symbolises the school’s motto, ‘Nurturing Hearts, Minds and Spirits’ and is a space for communal gatherings and the sharing of stories.

The garden features a variety of native plants that were purposefully chosen for their medicinal properties and as examples of bush food. The building materials were sustainably sourced, with local trees and earth from surrounding building sites repurposed for the garden beds and soil.

“Through the creation of this garden, the students at Sacred Heart will be provided with tangible links to the surrounding Aboriginal culture of the region,” said Aaron Fox, Curriculum Coordinator.

“We hope that it will help staff bring life to the curriculum in a meaningful and contextual way that deepens the students’ understanding and respect for Aboriginal history and culture.”

Beth Lehmensich, Religious Education Coordinator at St Anthony’s Primary School, Wanniassa, bravely shaved her head in support of a cancer-free future, raising over $12,000 for the Cancer Council.

Family, friends, staff and students took turns cutting off Beth’s plaits before Brandi from Hair by Simona unveiled the final look. Due to weather conditions and COVID-19 gathering restrictions, the St Anthony’s school community joined in on the fun via a video link.

Beth felt that the cancer statistics for Australians were ‘mind-blowing’ with one in every two Australians diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85. Inspired by loved ones battling the disease, Beth decided that raising much needed funds for cancer research would be her best ‘counter attack’.

“In the past I have done fun runs, Relay for Life and Girls Night In events however this time I wanted it to feel more personal,” said Beth. “Some of my friends who have had cancer shared with me the impact of losing their hair in treatment, they felt it stripped away a part of them. That was one of the main reasons I chose to shave my head.”

Beth has donated her freshly chopped braids, to be made into wigs for those who have lost their hair while undergoing cancer treatment

“I was completely in awe of the generosity of family, friends and members of my school and Parish community,” said Beth. “Their beautiful messages of support and encouragement made this experience more heartfelt than I could have imagined, however, it was the stories of personal experience that made this event truly special.”

Congratulations Beth!

The community at Sacred Heart Primary School, Pearce, celebrated 50 years of nurturing hearts, minds and spirits with a 70’s theme dress-up day and disco.

Students and staff came to school decked out in 70’s attire including wigs, headbands, tie-dye clothing and colourful jewellery. It was an opportunity for fun and celebrations after a challenging start to the year.

The anniversary aligned with the beginning of National Science Week. In the ACT, the Australian National University organised a ‘Satellite Selfie’ to capture a special image of Canberra to be placed in a time capsule. ABC and WIN News Canberra were on hand to capture the event, interviewing students and staff about the anniversary.

Sacred Heart formed a love heart and the number 50 on their school oval for the satellite to capture from space. On the ground, there was lots of laughter and enjoyment as students and staff danced along to 70’s music.

“With everything that has been happening, it has been really difficult to do some things that the children would enjoy,” said Anne Staines, Principal of Sacred Heart.

“It was wonderful to see the bright costumes and smiling faces on the students as we marked our 50th anniversary. Science is a very important part of our curriculum and the satellite project gave the kids something to celebrate. We were very lucky that the dates aligned.”

Catholic schools across the Archdiocese immersed themselves in the world of science, participating in different activities designed to foster an interest in scientific pursuits as part of National Science Week.

This year’s theme, ‘Deep Blue: innovations for the future of our oceans’, encouraged the consideration of economic, environmental and sustainable solutions to generate healthy oceans, economies and communities.

As part of their Term 3 science topic, living and non-living things, Year 2 students at St Mary’s Primary School, Young, had fun planting lawn and snow pea seeds. They hypothesised how tall their plants would grow and learnt about the factors needed for growth such as sunlight, water and soil depth. Year 2 were excited to track the growth of their plants throughout the Term.

Over at Ss Peter and Paul’s Primary School, Goulburn, Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed designing and building their own oil rig that could withstand the elements of the ocean. They even got to test their prototypes against the elements.

Year 7 students at Hennessy Catholic College, Young, tried their hand at some code cracking in their weekly science classes.

Students at St Mary’s Primary School, Moruya, worked cooperatively in teams to share ideas and work through solutions as they designed and created their own eco-river systems in their school sandpit.

Some of the Catholic schools in the ACT participated in the Australian National University’s ‘Satellite Selfie’, creating giant displays on their school ovals that could be seen from space. Year 8 students at Merici College, Braddon, formed an ‘M’, while over at St Michael’s Primary School, Kaleen, students created a giant rainbow. St Joseph’s Primary School, O’Connor, chose to display a blue tree, symbolising the St Joseph’s school community and the theme of this year’s Science Week.

At St Thomas Aquinas Primary School, West Belconnen, students participated in a ‘floating challenge’. There was lots of fun and laughter involved as children crafted sail boats out of paper and natural resources, testing them on the water to see how they would float.

The school community at Good Shepherd Primary School, Amaroo, has generously donated three trailer loads of furniture to residents of Cobargo who lost their homes and businesses in the summer bushfires. In a combined effort with the Holy Spirit Parish in Gungahlin, over $20,000 was collected along with quilts that were hand-made by parishioners.

Diana Jones, coordinator and classroom support teacher at Good Shepherd, organised the deliveries of ladders, refrigerators, office chairs and bookcases to those in need. Diana has a special connection to the town of Cobargo, having grown up there on her family’s farm and experienced the devastation first-hand as the bushfires threatened their property on New Year’s Eve.

“Receiving cash and tangible provisions months on from that fateful night has helped the fire-affected folk of the Cobargo region move on with the strength and tenacity that is nearly a prerequisite for the postcode,” said Diana.

Brad and Gail Rayner, owners of Coolagolite Mechanical, were recipients of office furniture from Good Shepherd, as well as a donation of a Corghi Wheel Aligner and Tyre Changer purchased with the raised funds from the Holy Spirit Parish.

“It is rare that I am speechless but the generosity and support of Good Shepherd and the Holy Spirit Parish has been incredible,” said Brad.

“The support from wider communities, particularly Canberrans, has been constant and humbling,” said Diana. “Knowing that the community is still in the thoughts and prayers of many, despite COVID-19, means more than you can imagine,” she said.

“Nine months on, and yes the grass is greener, the town is cleaner, but the nights are long when you are reliving sheer fear,” said Diana.

“I ask that you keep praying for the wonderful folk of my little hometown.”

Rebecca Casey, Year 5/6 teacher and ICT coordinator at Holy Trinity Primary School, Curtin, has launched a school podcast, ‘Holy Trinity Highlights’.

Each week Rebecca interviews members of the Holy Trinity school community about the latest student inquiries, community happenings and news. So far, the podcast has featured a range of interesting topics including leadership, classroom projects and what it’s like to be a twin.

“I wanted to find a way to share student ideas, comments and inquiries,” said Rebecca. “A podcast seemed to be a vehicle where students could be authentic and share experiences while our community members could listen in their own time. It has also been a personal bucket list item of mine,” she said.

The podcast has been a fantastic opportunity for students to get involved, reflecting on their learning and accomplishments, sharing with the world the wonderful things that happen in Holy Trinity.

“The podcast is a good way to express your passion and what you enjoy learning the most,” said Year 6 student, Eliza. “I thought it was a really good experience for everyone that got a chance to have a chill chat about their Exhibition.”

Charlotte, also in Year 6, said that she really enjoyed doing the podcast with her friends. “The set up with Mrs Casey was really well done and when Felicia and I talked, we flowed through it.”

“Student voice has always been highly valued at Holy Trinity and we see it as an essential element of learning,” said Rebecca. “As a teacher, I enjoy sharing my students’ inquiries and questions with others. Students love to share their passions and inspire people of all ages to think outside the box,” she said.

There are currently six episodes available. Each episode lasts no more than five minutes, so perfect for the drive to or from work. Tune in and subscribe to hear the wonderful voices of Holy Trinity students on Podbean or Apple Podcasts.

The school community at Holy Family Primary School, Gowrie, has welcomed the installation of three beautiful mosaics, created by local artist, Kim Grant.

The mosaics depict the life of Jesus as a child: his birth; flight into Egypt and being lost in the temple. They are also symbolic of family, refugees and leadership.

“Last year, I was very fortunate to travel to Greece to be part of a pilgrimage ‘Walking in the Footsteps of St Paul’. While I was there, I admired the many mosaics and wondered how we might create some for Holy Family,” said Principal, Anne-Marie Marek.

The installation has been one of the highlights this year at Holy Family. The colourful mosaics have brightened up the playground and have brought joy to many.

“We really wanted to portray the mosaics in a modern setting that would connect with children in 2020. It has been wonderful to see the students interact with the artworks.”

Monsignor John Woods blessed the mosaics in a special liturgy that was organised by Tommy Seselja, Holy Family’s Youth Minister. During the liturgy, Monsignor Woods spoke about their beauty, how we need to be grateful for the beauty in this world and to keep bringing beauty into our lives.

Artist, Kim Grant, said she was very moved with how her artworks have been honoured and appreciated by the Holy Family school community.

The school community at Holy Family Primary School, Gowrie, has welcomed the installation of three beautiful mosaics, created by local artist, Kim Grant.

The mosaics depict the life of Jesus as a child: his birth; flight into Egypt and being lost in the temple. They are also symbolic of family, refugees and leadership.

“Last year, I was very fortunate to travel to Greece to be part of a pilgrimage ‘Walking in the Footsteps of St Paul’. While I was there, I admired the many mosaics and wondered how we might create some for Holy Family,” said Principal, Anne-Marie Marek.

The installation has been one of the highlights this year at Holy Family. The colourful mosaics have brightened up the playground and have brought joy to many.

“We really wanted to portray the mosaics in a modern setting that would connect with children in 2020. It has been wonderful to see the students interact with the artworks.”

Monsignor John Woods blessed the mosaics in a special liturgy that was organised by Tommy Seselja, Holy Family’s Youth Minister. During the liturgy, Monsignor Woods spoke about their beauty, how we need to be grateful for the beauty in this world and to keep bringing beauty into our lives.

Artist, Kim Grant, said she was very moved with how her artworks have been honoured and appreciated by the Holy Family school community.

Students and staff at St John Paul II College, Nicholls, recently took part in the Act for Peace Ration Challenge, eating the same rations as refugees for five days (or three days for Years 7-9 students). In just over three weeks, the school raised an incredible $9800, with funds going towards education, food and healthcare for refugees overseas.

Participants received a food kit containing small portions of food items such as kidney beans, chickpeas, rice and canned fish. Throughout the challenge, these were the only items that they were able to eat, providing them with insight into the difficulties faced by refugees on a daily basis.

Organising teacher, Alyssa Markmann said that the students were excited by the opportunity to help during uncertain times. “Refugees are not only facing the usual dangers this year, such as not knowing where they will live and how they will survive until they are granted a visa, but have to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic as well.”

“As we have not had many chances to engage in social justice this year, I felt it was incredibly important to raise money for this cause,” said Alyssa.

Zara Pathan in Year 7 said that while she found the experiencing enlightening, it was certainly a challenge. “I didn’t feel hungry on the first day, but by the third I was so tired. They were the longest three days of my life, but I will definitely support refugees more from now on,” she said.

“The Ration Challenge for me was very tough but empowering in a sense,” said Year 9 student Ashish Nair. “This experience has become very sentimental to me after experiencing the daily meals of refugees and how they manage to survive on such little food.”

Paris Morris in Year 9 thought that the experience was incredibly rewarding. “It gave me excellent insight into the daily struggles of refugees as I was able to empathise with people in our world who are most vulnerable,” she said.

Congratulations on a fantastic effort!

Mitchell Brown, a student from St Monica’s Primary School, Evatt, was selected to participate in a special Year 4 students-only edition of Sam Mac’s Virtual Quiz, live on Channel Seven’s Sunrise. Mitchell was one of eight children, one from each state and territory, chosen to be on the show.

From 5:30 and throughout the morning, the children had to answer different quiz questions on topics such as celebrities, sports and media. When Sam Mac asked a question, the first person to hold their sign up got to answer.

“I really enjoyed the experience, but I found it very nerve-wracking,” said Mitchell. “When mum asked me if I wanted to be on the quiz, I was so excited and nervous that I couldn’t get to sleep,” he said.

Mitchell had to wake up at 4:45am to be ready on Zoom at 5:15am. When he was off the air, Mitchell had the opportunity to learn a little bit about his fellow contestants, their hobbies, interests and pets. Sam Mac and his producer, Sean Flynn, told jokes and shared their most embarrassing moments on television with the children.

Each contestant had to create a colourful background that highlighted where they live. In addition to the St Monica’s school banner, Mitchell included the names of all his classmates in 4R and a sticker from Belconnen United Sharks, his football club. Mitchell came prepared to do a whip-cracking demonstration for the viewers, but unfortunately time got away.

Mitchell’s mother, Melinda, a Year 3 teacher at St Monica’s, said that the support they had received from friends, family and the school community had made the experience for Mitchell an amazing one. “His classmates at St Monica’s prayed for him to do his best. That just brought tears to my eyes, they are such beautiful kids,” she said.

Mitchell said that he would be interested in being on television again, but that next time he would try not to feel so nervous. He offered up some tips and tricks for other aspiring television stars. “You have to try to hold your sign up as quickly as you can,” he said. “Try to relax, smile and have fun.”

Carmel Maguire, Principal of St Monica’s, was thrilled that Mitchell had been chosen to appear in the segment. “There was a lot of excitement in the staff room before school as staff gathered to watch the show.”

“We are very proud of Mitchell, for representing not only his school, but the ACT, she said”

Congratulations to Sacred Heart Primary School, Pearce, who were recently featured on WIN News Canberra, as ‘School of the Week’.

At Sacred Heart, students have been learning about the importance of looking after Canberra’s waterways and the significance of local Aboriginal culture, participating in bush tucker workshops run by Aaron Chatfield from Dreamtime Connections.

Students had the opportunity to plant and taste Ngunnawal bush tucker in their newly finished Indigenous garden. The hands on experience gave the children a whole new way of seeing and using the land.

“Some of the bush tucker kind of tasted like potato chips,” said Year 1 student, Josephine Kitto.

Hudson Conroy, Year 1, said that he enjoyed learning about washing your hands in the bush. “You can get a certain type of leaf, then you wet your hands and rub them together really fast until you see bubbles.”

The workshops are part of the Ngadyung (the Ngunnawal word for water) Program, a series of educational workshops developed by Greening Australia in partnership with Icon Water, to encourage students to develop a living outdoor space.

Year 12 students at Lumen Christi Catholic College, Pambula Beach, have completed their formal schooling after what has been a challenging Higher School Certificate (HSC) year.

End of schooling formalities were adapted to align with COVID-19 restrictions, ensuring students had a positive experience in their final weeks at the College. This year, events were live streamed to allow family members the opportunity to join their children in celebrating this important milestone.

Dressed to impress, Year 12 students came to school in old, recycled and out of date formal wear, ready for a ‘Retro Prom’ themed lunch prepared and served by Year 11 Hospitality students.

During the lunch, the College captains gave their final speech to the Year 12 cohort. In his address, Ewan Piotrowski said that even though they couldn’t have the graduation they had dreamed of, they could still celebrate their efforts and achievements. “During COVID-19, we have come closer together as a year group, overcoming the various challenges it has presented, not as individuals, but as a group,” he said.

Lucy Little gave thanks to the teaching staff at Lumen Christi, “whose passions have equipped many of us with the knowledge that has inspired our futures,” she said.

After lunch, students who had completed a major body of work as part of their HSC studies showcased their work to their peers. This included an exhibition of art, woodwork and musical performances.

At a live-streamed Graduation Mass, students were presented with a graduation certificate and a parting gift from the College. On the last day of school, students were presented with awards for academic, service, sporting and cultural contributions to the College at a special Graduation Assembly.

Principal, Shane Giles said “Lumen Christi Catholic College is very proud of our graduating students. From their earliest days in Year 7, they have shown themselves to be a cohesive group, and over the many years, have made enormous contributions to the life of our school.”

“In the extraordinary circumstances of 2020, they did not falter, and seeing them all together at the graduating mass reminds me of their strong spirit. As they head toward their HSC exams in October, they take with them the very best wishes and wholehearted support of our College community” he said.

Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2020!