Term 2 Week 2 2024
Prayer
A Blessing Prayer for Mothers
by Greg Sunter
Mother God,
You are the great Creator.
You gave birth to the world and through love brought all things into being.
You are our mother who feeds us;
our mother who comforts and consoles us;
our mother who defends us;
our mother who calms and cares for us.
Before you formed us in our mother’s womb, you chose us.
Before we were born you set us apart.
You have carved us in the palm of your hand.
Bless all women who bring life into the world.
Bless all women who cannot give birth.
Bless all women expecting the birth of their child.
Bless all women who mourn the loss of a child.
Bless all women who love and care for their children.
Bless all women who share their love and care with others.
Bless all women who tend the needs of their families.
Bless all women who tend the needs of the world.
Bless all women supported by a partner.
Bless all women who parent alone.
Bless all women of integrity.
Bless all women who struggle with who they are.
Bless our mothers and our grandmothers.
Bless our teachers and our carers.
Bless the dads who also mother.
Bless the mums we never knew.
God, our Mother and our Father, look with favour on all those we call ‘mother’. Bless them and keep them as they bless and keep us.
We make this prayer through Mary, who intercedes for us.
Amen.
From the Principal
Dear families and friends of St Anthony’s,
Welcome to Term 2. Although we are still enjoying some warm weather during the day, the mornings are cold. It is great to see some of our school beanies appearing and students making sensible choices with jumpers and even scarves and gloves. As I stand at the front of the school it is great to receive greetings from you all. This week our Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) focus is using eye contact and people’s names when greeting and speaking and it would be great if you could encourage this at home as well. We have seen a real strengthening of these welcoming behaviours due to the increased focus at school and I would hope that you are noticing it at home as well.
Fireworks
Normally by this time of the year we are well into preparation for Snap, Crackle & Pop. But, due to a few necessary changes, we have decided to postpone our Fireworks Night until April/May next year. We believe that changing the time of year will give us a better chance of fine weather and still provide a unique experience for the West Tamar community. Please watch out for further information throughout the year as well as other exciting fundraising opportunities for this year in lieu of Snap, Crackle & Pop.
ANZAC Day
During the term break, 27 of our students proudly represented St Anthony’s at the Launceston ANZAC Day March. We certainly stood out in our purple uniforms and it was great to see so many wearing the medals of family members. It was also great to see other members of our school community in the crowd or attending the Civic Service. I would like to thank our School Captains; Maddi, Baxter, Nick and Olive for carrying our school banner and for laying a wreath on behalf of the school. Thank you also to their parents for allowing them to do so.
Sincerely,
Jason Perry - Principal
Grade 5/6 Student Incursion:
At the end of Term 1, our Grade 5/6 students had the opportunity to view the short film, “Roadkill Warriors”. Led by Lara van Raay from Small World Documentaries, the film listed statistics for the students, including how an estimated 500,000 animals (roughly the entire population of Tasmania) are killed on Tasmanian roads every year. That is 45 animals every hour. As students of a Franciscan school with an ongoing focus on caring for creation, this was a shock for us!
Students were introduced to members of the community who have decided that ‘enough is enough’ and are tackling this important issue in unique ways.
Students were then invited to chat more broadly about ecology and what we can do to protect our local wildlife, especially on Tassie roads. The discussion was thought-provoking and inspiring, with our students now wanting to raise money to support our local wildlife. Stay tuned!
Car Park Safety
To model road safety for our children, when walking through the car park, please use the pedestrian crossing and footpath around the turning circle. Please DO NOT walk through the turning circle or across the driveway near the Kinder yard as this is not safe.
Project Compassion and our Zooper Dooper Fundraiser
Thank you to everyone who supported Project Compassion for 2024. St Anthony raised $521.45. With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to assist communities around the world through income generation, water and sanitation, food security, education and disaster risk reduction programs. Project Compassion 2024 reminds us that the good we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow.
On Wednesday 8th May, all students from Prep to Grade 4 travelled to the Princess Theatre to perform in the group speaking section of the Launceston Competitions. Grade 3/4 Ryan and 3/4 McCausland both performed magnificently in a section with 8 other groups, and 3/4 M received a very well deserved Highly Commended for their efforts. All students should be extremely proud of their efforts, particularly considering it was the first time performing at the theatre for our year 4 students.
Our Prep, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students performed in the Infant speaking section with another 7 school groups. It was a huge feat for such young students, especially when the majority had never performed at the theatre before. All students did themselves and our school proud with their conduct when on stage performing, and also backstage when sitting quietly and waiting. Each class was clear and confident and performed well. Prep were awarded with a Highly Commended for their performance and Grade 2 smashed it out of the park! Earning a very well deserved 2nd place!
Congratulations to all students for their performances and for representing our school with pride. We are very proud of you!
St Anthony’s Cross Country relies on the assistance, and appreciates the help of volunteers to run events.
If you are available to help out on the day between 9-1pm please contact Emma Marshall (emma.marshall@catholic.tas.edu.au) or the school office. More information will be provided closer to the day.
