Dear Parents,

As we come to the end of Term Two and reach the halfway point of the school year, students and staff are certainly looking forward to the break. The cold weather, illness amongst students and staff and a level of exhaustion sees the holidays as a chance to refresh and recharge before we head into the second half of the year.

It has been another busy term with students involved in a number of events and excursions away from the school. Our Year Three students had a very long day on Wednesday when they left school at 9am to visit the Botanical Gardens in Canberra as well as the Mount Stromlo Observatory. They returned to school at 10pm and we still have some very tired staff and students. Thank you to the teachers and parents who supported the students on this adventure.

This week the school has started to send out offers of place for students entering Kindergarten in 2024. If you know of anyone considering enrolling a child in Kindergarten for 2024 and they have yet to submit an enrolment form can you advise them to contact the front office and we can walk them through the process.

For those travelling over the holidays, please travel safely. 

So do not be afraid of them. Everything now covered up will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. 'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 'So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of human beings, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of human beings, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.

REFLECTION

Today Jesus shares many proverbs with his disciples. He talks about light and darkness, whispering and proclaiming. He tells his disciples that there is no need to be afraid. Everything will be revealed and all secrets will be made known. Jesus also talks about the body and the soul, the value of two small sparrows and even the hairs on their heads.

Jesus is making the point that God knows everything about us, down to the number of hairs we have on our heads. God cares deeply about each of us and God always will take care of us. We do not need to be afraid, even when life is difficult. The challenge for us is that when life is painful and difficult, most of us naturally become afraid. It is not that we don’t have faith in Jesus. Rather, we simply may be overwhelmed by the challenges and difficulties in our lives. And it may seem that there is no way out!

At these times, today’s Gospel is a reading worth returning to. Jesus tells us: “Even the hairs of your head are counted! So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Today I invite you to bring any worries or anxieties you have to Jesus. Simply place your worries or your pain in his hands (figuratively) and then sit quietly with Jesus for 5-10 minutes. May Jesus bless you with deep trust and deep peace! (Sr Kristine Anne Harpenau)

VINNIES  APPEAL WINTER

Last Friday, we were able to present members of our local Vinnies branch with $1213.60. This was thanks to your very generous donations and support of our Pyjama Day. We hope that our money is able to support and help the homeless here in Young this winter.  Thanks to everyone for your amazing generosity.

KINDERGARTEN LITURGY

Today, Kindergarten celebrated a beautiful liturgy about giving thanks. They shared many things they were grateful for and even explained how they could show thanks to God by living his greatest commandment, love one another. We would like to thank everyone involved in today's celebration and all of the families who were able to come along and celebrate with us.

CONFIRMATION

Confirmation registrations closed today and students will commence their preparation early next term. Thanks to all of the families who have decided to celebrate their faith through the commitment to this sacrament. There will be a parent evening on Wednesday 26th July at 6pm. A representative from each family is required at the meeting. If you have any questions regarding Confirmation, please see me and I will assist to the best of my ability.

THANK YOU

As we reach the half-way mark for 2023, I would like to thank everyone for helping to enrich the Catholic life of our wonderful community. I pray that everyone has a restful break, stay warm and I look forward to seeing you all next Term.

God Bless,

Warren Ziebowski

(Religious Education Coordinator)

MacKillop Rugby Union Trials

A big well done to Jesse Gault who travelled to Forbes on Monday to compete in the MacKillop Rugby Union Trials as part of the Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocesan Team. Jesse played halfback and had a fantastic experience until a shoulder injury ended his day a little early. It is an amazing achievement to represent our Archdiocese and we are very proud!!! 

Harden Trent Barrett Legends Gala Day - Year 3 & 4

Students in Year 3 & 4 are invited to participate in this Gala Day on Thursday 10th August (Term 3, Wk 4). This year’s draw will feature:

• Students from Years 3/4 Rugby League Tackle Division A (Experienced) and Division B (Inexperienced)
• Years 3/4 League Tag
• All Tackle & League Tag divisions will be 7 a side

Nominations for the day are now available via Compass. Students in Year 3 & 4 have been invited to attend. Please access the invitation via the Events page on Compass (click on the More button to access Events) please ensure you answer all the questions and confirm the permission by clicking the green button at the bottom of the page.

Nominations for this event will close at the end of Term 3, Week 1 - 21st July. We cannot accept late entries once the teams are full.

On Monday 26th June, the Year 3 students  travelled to Canberra for their excursion. They visited the Australian National Botanical Gardens and went on an Indigenous Plant Use Tour followed by an Australian Habitat Hunters Tour throughout the gardens.

On the Indigenous Plant Use Tour the students learned about the importance of country and culture to Indigenous  Australians. They  explored how they use resources from the bush around them to survive. The students examined the importance of looking after the land, plants, animals and traditional practice to maintain a living culture and country for future generations.

On the Australian Habitat Hunters Tour the students explored the different habitats of animals both big and small. They identified what makes a successful home for a range of animals. The students played with a number of animals made out of natural materials to investigate what different animals need from their environment. They even got to look inside some Kangaroo poo!

The students then rugged up and headed up the mountain to the Mount Stromlo Observatory for some star gazing. They were welcomed by astronomers and given a behind the scenes tour of the facility. This tour included viewing the laboratory where instruments for the Giant Magellan Telescope were being built, the Laser Space Debris Telescope, a 250kg meteorite, Professor Brian Schmidt's Nobel Prize and the world’s largest Wombat just to name a few. The night continued with a stargazing session using Mt Stromlo's outreach telescopes. 

Mr Ziebowski, Mrs Collins and Mrs Roberts would like to say a huge thank you to our parent volunteers, who attended the excursion. The students had a wonderful day!

This week in Korean, we cooked Korean Pancakes. We had pajeon 파전 (Korean Scallion/Green Onion Pancakes) and kimchijeon 김치전 9 Korean kimchi pancakes). In Korea, these are usually served as a side dish with your main meal. Most student agreed that they were 맛있어요 [ma-si-sseo-yo] (delicious!)

We used packet mix at school but if you would like to have a go at making them yourself, here is a simple recipe. 

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bunch scallions, green and white parts; halved lengthwise and cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

Soy sauce, or spicy dipping sauce, for serving

Method

1) Gather the ingredients.

2) In a medium bowl, mix the flour, eggs, salt, scallions, and water, and let sit for about 10 minutes. Check the consistency before cooking. The batter should be a little bit runnier than normal pancake batter, which allows the pa jun to cook quickly and evenly. Add more water if needed.

3) Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat it with the oil.

4) Pour batter to just coat the bottom of the skillet.

5) Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until set and golden brown on the bottom.

6) Flip the pancake over with the help of a spatula.

7) Finish by cooking 2 to 3 more minutes.

8) Serve with soy sauce or a spicy dipping sauce. Enjoy.