Dear Families,

I am writing this whilst on Grade 5/6 Camp in the City. We have had a wonderful first
day and it has been fantastic watching the children enjoy all of the things Melbourne
has to offer. For some children, it has been their first time on a train or tram, for
others, they are navigating two nights away from home, eating food that is different
to what they usually eat and trying new things in general. Myself and the other staff
members here are incredibly proud of the way that they have conducted themselves
and the resilience that many of them have shown.

Today is also a significant day in the Catholic Church calendar. We observe Shrove
Tuesday today, which traditionally was when Catholics used up all of the surplus
food in their homes before the season of Lent and preparations for Easter come.
Shrove Tuesday is better known as “Pancake Day” and I hope that the children have
the opportunity to have some pancakes at school with their teachers and friends.

On Wednesday, the children will celebrate Ash Wednesday at school and we will
hold a liturgy at school which Mrs Szkwarek has prepared for us. Ash Wednesday
signifies the beginning of Lent, which is the forty days and forty nights before Easter.
Traditionally, Catholics might “give something up” for Lent and has been a time of
fasting from certain foods. Instead of giving something up, we might instead try to do
something extra for others. One way that we do this at school is through the Project
Compassion boxes – our children and families are always so generous. During Lent,
we donate money through Project Compassion to help others in countries where
they may not have everything they need to thrive in the world. Catholics call this
“Social Justice” – where we look after others in need.

Remember that Friday is our Athletics Day – families are very welcome to attend.
Please come along and support all of our children, it is always such a great day and
we love having our families there with us.

Have a wonderful week ahead,

Sally