Dear Parents
This week’s gospel is a wonderful example of the teaching style of Jesus. It even tells us that ‘he would not speak to them except in parables’. He used imagery that was familiar to his audience; parables about the everyday life of a rural community: seeds, planting, growing, harvesting. The image of the mustard seed parable in this week’s Gospel on the surface is about the kingdom of God starting from very small, humble beginnings and growing into something great. However, immediately prior to this kingdom parable, Jesus has reminded us that the community makes a living out of growing grain crops like wheat for bread, etc. His parable about the mustard seed describes a tiny seed that grows into a great shrub ‘so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade’. This parable in the gospel describes the unerring work of the kingdom. It is like the seed that almost magically transforms into a fully grown plant that may be harvested – apparently without any external forces. The kingdom of God works in our lives in a similar way – if we feed and nurture it, the kingdom will produce a great harvest. Even if we don’t pay it attention, the kingdom is present and acting in our world.-Greg Sunter
Each student today will receive their first semester report. Your child’s report is a summary of your child’s learning acknowledging their achievements and highlighting their learning challenges for the second half of the year. It is encouraged that you sit down with your child over the weekend and celebrate their achievements and discuss the identified areas for improvement. These challenges for next semester can be best formulated into several short term goals that can be jointly constructed by yourselves and your children. I would like to thank the teachers for the many hours spent over recent weeks marking assessments and writing student reports.
Over the next two weeks, teachers will be conducting parent teacher interviews. These interviews will be conducted either by phone or face to face at school Thank you to those parents who booked an appointment online. If you have not already booked an appointment, please contact the school office on Monday morning as the online booking facility has already closed. It is important that parents are punctual for their designated interview time. Each interview is ten minutes in duration. If you require additional time to discuss your child’s studies, please make an appointment with your child’s teacher for a follow up meeting. Your co-operation in these matters will be greatly appreciated by staff and other parent. Please note that all parents attending interview on site will need to use the QR codes available.- Thank you.
Congratulations to Mrs Monica Burley and her husband Myles on the birth of their second son Brody last Friday. Mum , dad , baby and older brother Rory are all doing well.
Congratulations also to those CTK students who over the last two months have attend various sessions of the Parramatta Eisteddfod. A special thank you to Mrs Danielle Atkinson who has been preparing and working with the students since the start of the year in preparation for their presentations. Well done to all concerned.
Thank you to families who are continuing the high standard of uniform compliance during Winter. There are however several children wearing sneakers and joggers with their winter school uniform. Children are to wear black leather shoes with their school uniform not runners or black sneakers. Several boys are failing to wear their school tie each day. This is an integral part of the boys winter uniform. Your cooperation in these matter will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Mr Ben Horne has made the decision to step down from his acting REC [Religious Education Co-ordinator] position effective from the end of this term. We thank him for his contributions to the Religious leadership of the school over the last eighteen months. Congratulations to Mrs Erin Wynne who has been appointed acting REC for the remainder of the year. We look forward to Erin contributing to our school community in her new leadership role. On another staffing matter, Miss Prue Excell our school counsellor will finish up at Christ the King at the end of term. Prue will take a new counselling position at K-12 school on the Northern beaches closer to where she lives. I would like to thank Prue for her contribution to the wellbeing and welfare of our students over the last eighteen months. We wish Prue every success in her new position. CEDP will appoint a new counsellor to our community in the next few weeks.
Have a great long weekend .
Tony Hughes
Principal
