Religious News Term 1 Week 5

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

YEAR 6 / PREP ‘BUDDY’ MASS
We warmly invite all Prep and Year 6 families to join us for a very special Buddy Mass on Wednesday, 4th March at 9.30 am in St Bernard’s Church. This is a milestone occasion for our Preps as they experiance their very first school Mass, supported by the care and guidance of their Year 6 buddies. We would love to see you there!

SACRAMENT of RECONCILIATION
Year 3 students and their parents / carers are invited to join us for our Reconciliation Family Faith Evening which will be held on Wednesday 4th March at 6.30pm in St. Bernard’s Church. This informative, faith-filled evening is dedicated to exploring the Sacrament of Reconciliation Our
guest presenter, Sarah Smith, will guide us through shared experiences and insights to deepen our understanding of this Healing Sacrament. It is an important part of the student’s preparation, and ask that at least one parent is in attendance with their child.

Important reminders
● Complete child’s registration through the parish website HERE
● Order a Stole with your child’s Christian name and symbols of Baptism and Reconciliation.
Recommended stole service is Gracious Glymphs
● Please notify your child’s class teacher if your child is not taking part in the Sacrament.
● Refer to notes sent out via email for further information.
● Thursday 26th March - Sacrament of Reconciliation- 12 - 2pm St. Bernard’s church.

LENT
Last week, our school community recognised the beginning of the Christian season of Lent with reflective prayer services on Ash Wednesday. You might have noticed the colour purple appearing in our prayer spaces - this is the colour of preparation and waiting. Lent is a time for us to prepare our hearts for the great joy of Easter. It is a season to slow down, reflect and grow
a little closer to God and one another.

During Lent, we are inspired by the teachings of Pope Leo, who reminds us the our faith isn’t just something we feel - it is something we do. He encourages us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus by having a ‘preferential option for the poor.” For our students, this means:

● Keeping those who have less at the front of our minds
● Turning our faith into tangible service (helping others in need).
● Looking for ways to be kind, compassionate and stand up for others.
By doing small things each day, we turn this season of preparation into visible action in our Clairvaux School community.

PROJECT COMPASSION
This Lent, our school is proud to support Caritas Australia’s Project Compasion . For 40 days, we join thousands of others across Australia to Unite Against Poverty and make a lasting difference for vulnerable communities worldwide. Our Year 5 CSC ‘Social Justice’ students will be promoting this campaign throughout the school.
How we will be participating:

● Donation boxes: Each classroom has a Project Compassion box for students to donate small amounts of spare change (with parent permission)
● Weekly Collection: Our Yr 5 CSC students will collect and count these donations each week, keeping us updated on our progress.

HISTORIC GEELONG CATHOLIC SCHOOLS PILGRIMAGE
On Wednesday 18 March, our Year 5 CSC students will join other primary school students from across Geelong for a historic pilgrimage to Queenscliff. Our students will trace the footsteps of those who have helped to build our rich local Catholic heritage within the community of Queenscliff . The pilgrimage will visit the following significant landmarks that each tell the story of faith and service:

● St Aloysius Church : 10 am mass
● Santa Casa: Hearing from Sr. Lizzie on our Mercy heritage
● Swan Bay and Rail Trail: Reflecting on God’s creation
● Queenscliff Town Hall: Shared lunch with guest speaker Adam Wake (CEO Cottage by the Sea)

We look forward to hearing about their experience.