St Mary's Bulletin

Term 4 - Week 7 (27 November, 2020)

From the Principal

Dear St Mary's School Community

Advent

This Sunday, we begin the season of Advent, a period of preparation extending over the four Sundays before Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin advenio, "to come to," and refers to the coming of Christ.  The Advent season is a time of preparation for our hearts and minds for the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas.

The use of the wreath and candles during Advent is a longstanding Catholic tradition that was originally adopted by Christians in the Middle Ages as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas.

The wreath and candles are full of symbolism tied to the Christmas season. The wreath itself, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life we find in Christ.

The candles also have their own special significance. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent, and one candle is lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple because the colour violet is a liturgical colour that signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice.

The first candle, which is purple, symbolizes hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

The second candle, also purple, represents faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The third candle is pink and symbolizes joy. It is called the “Shepherd’s Candle,” and is pink because rose is a liturgical colour for joy. The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday and is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent.

On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Savior. This final candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” symbolizes peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

Advent Liturgies

The Year Five/Six Class led us in the first of our Advent liturgies this morning.  The remainder of the liturgies are as follows:

Year 4/5 Liturgy 9am on Monday 30th

Year 2 Liturgy 9am on Friday 4th

Year 3 Liturgy 9am on Monday 7th

Please note that the Year Three and Year Two liturgies have been swapped around.

School Concert

The students have all been working hard preparing their items – I have been fortunate to hear and see glimpses of it from my office as each class rehearses.  A reminder that the Kindy to Year Two concert will begin at 9.30am and the Year Three to Six concert at 11.15am.  Refreshments will be provided for those families who are staying for both concerts.

AGM

Thank you to those families that were able to attend the AGM on Monday night.  The 2021-2023 Strategic Plan was unveiled (a published copy will go home to all families in the new year), the St Mary’s Vision for Learning was shared (this will be placed on the website), class structures and teacher allocations were announced (these will be placed in the Week Eight newsletter), the 2021 Budget was also presented and it was reiterated that school fees will remain unchanged for next year.  I also shared with those present that as of 2021 the School Board will be known as the Catholic School Advisory Council to reflect CEWA Ltd’s new governance structure.  The existing Board Constitution, which is currently under review, to ensure appropriateness and consistency with the new governance structure is due to be implemented in 2022.  Therefore, 2021 is a year of transition.  The existing Board Constitution remains in place with some modifications to reflect the new governance requirements.

Congratulations to the newly nominated members of the St Mary’s School Advisory Council for 2021 – Marie Bartlett, Dave O’Neill and Luke Growden. 

The P&F Executive for 2021 was also announced and congratulations go to:  Daina Sutherland (President), Kristy Sharpe (Vice-president), Naomi Thomas (Secretary) and Meg Gethin (Treasurer).


God Bless and have a lovely weekend with your families, 

Ms Adriana Coniglio

Principal 

Let us Pray

Lord Jesus,

you came to us in a humble stable.

Help us to prepare a place in our hearts for you.

Amen.