Laffan Out Loud - 21.02.2012

22/02/2012

Dear Parents & Friends,

As you can see from our photo spread “a picture does tell a thousand words”.

In only one week our community celebrated Learning in a Catholic community in so many ways.

Our children’s learning experiences were enriched through specialist support in Research, Dance, String playing (cello) and Physical Education.

Slowly but surely our teaching team is working through the Mathematics Assessment Interview.

As described last week this interview is a tremendous moment providing teachers with exacting insights into what children are thinking when they attempt to solve a problem.

The real “high yield” gain is when teaching teams analyse the results and plan for future learning experiences.

At St Michael’s we strive to support Growth for all children.  In 2012 we all will need to put Mathematical thinking and language into focus.

This is our BIG year, our community spirit is alive and well already.  Our P & F have met and will be presenting some exciting activities to support our common growth.

I invite you to mark the calendar for:

ST MICHAEL’S DINNER / DANCE

Celebrating our 50 years on

Friday, 14th September 2012

Watch this space for more details.

Our second goal in 2012 is to “Grow our Spiritual Life”, allow ourselves to take time in celebrating our loving relationship with God.

One of the many writings we will refer to is Father Kevin O’Shea.  As we begin Lent, I thought you might like to take some quiet space and read Fr Kevin’s thoughts on what “Lent” is all about

Reflection

What is it all about?  It’s about realizing the implications of His resurrection for you.  It’s about realizing the freedom God has planted in you.  It’s about realizing that God loves you outright, whether you are a good or bad boy or good or bad girl by the book.  And God, each Lent, doesn’t even look at the book.  I think I could say that God puts the book away every Ash Wednesday and tells everyone not to dare read it for the whole time of Lent and beyond.  You don’t need a book.  You need God.  And you’ve already got God! Or better, God’s got you.  In a given love that lasts.  You’ve got a God who raises everyone from the dead….

I like to imagine the holy women who went in darkness to the empty tomb of Jesus, as on their way to an Ash Wednesday ceremony.  In a way, they thought they were.  They thought Jesus had become ‘just and ashes’.  And in no time, when they got there, they got the biggest shock in religious history.  He was there, he was alive, he was saying to them, get rid of all that silly anointing stuff, come with me and live, and all we need is one marvelous celebration.  When you receive the Eucharist on Ash Wednesday, you don’t get ashes from a dead Christ.  You get the living body of the risen Jesus.

John Laffan

PRINCIPAL

Posted by Lynne Campbell at 8:57 AM