1 March 2021

Principal’s Reflection

The first reading we had at Mass yesterday is one of those used as ammunition by folks who say that God is vengeful and nasty! It was the story of Abraham being prepared to sacrifice his son after being asked to by God. Who wants to throw their lot in with a God like that? I take this reading seriously, but I certainly do not take it literally. The ‘backstory’ here is that when Abraham was about, there was no Jewish religion – he was the founder of that. For all the religions at the time of which Abraham would have had some knowledge, the sacrifice of animals and humans would not have been uncommon. In the reading from Genesis we have Abraham in the desert with his very loved son Isaac when God appeared to him and asked him

to prove his faithfulness and sacrifice the life of his son. We’re told that Abraham was reluctantly ready to do that when the angel of God appeared to him and told him not to harm Isaac. This story tells us that God wanted worship to be different. It had to be loving and not harmful. It had to be different from so much else in the world. God wanted a loving and faithful relationship with humanity. This story culminated in the birth of Jesus. Some religious people have told the story of Jesus as being one about Jesus being sent by God to die for us. Jesus was not sent to die. Jesus was sent to describe to people a God of justice and compassion and forgiveness. Regrettably, this story was too confrontational for those religious figures invested in telling people about a God who was demanding and excluding and powerful. So, Jesus had to die. Lent calls us to re-connect with a God who wants us to do no harm, to be inclusive, to work for a more just world for everyone. The Easter we look forward to is the promise of a world, finally, created as God intended it to be.

Please, please, please, if anyone is able to volunteer an hour on Wednesday nights to assist with Bingo at the RSL on a rotational basis, we would desperately like to hear from you. My plea last week resulted in zero enquiries – I am glad I am not a salesman by trade! This would be a great way to assist the Shalom community.

Year 7 Enrolments 2022 – Wednesday 3 March at 7pm in the Performing Arts building will be our Year 7 Information evening. We have our Open Day on Friday 12 March from 9:15am -11:30am and enrolments must be submitted by 19 April. If you have a child in Year 6 now or you know someone who does and might be interested in securing them a place at Shalom, please take note of these dates. I make this clear every year but it still gets missed – if you already have a child at Shalom, you do not automatically have a place for one wanting to come into the College next year. The application must be received by 19 April to be considered for next year.

Mr Dan McMahon
Principal
McmahonD@shalomcollege.com

Newsletter Articles

Tutoring

Term 1 tutoring has begun, please refer to the updated tutoring timetable below.

Head Lice Alert

Head lice are a very common problem and not a sign of poor hygiene. They have no preference for hair colour, hair type or age. We have had a number of cases reported from the younger students and are requesting that all parents check their children and other family members for head lice regularly to help break the breeding cycle.

Qld Health advises that the most effective way to detect head lice is by using the hair conditioner and combing method. This method along with other treatment advice can be found on the Qld Health website at:

As well as following the treatment recommendations on the Qld health website, children should also be advised to

• Avoid head to head contact.
• Keep long hair tied back or in plaits.
• Do not share brushes, combs or pillows.

Thank you for your co-operation and action. It is very much appreciated.

Mrs Kim O’Shea-Hard
Assistant Principal – Staff
Kim_Hard@shalomcollege.com

Mission

Catholic Education is celebrating 200 years in Australia, marking the bicentenary of the first Catholic school established in Parramatta in October 1820.

The first Catholic school in Australia was founded in October 1820 by Irish Catholic priest Fr John Therry and run by convict and lay person George Marley. The school, which Catholic historians believe was in Hunter Street, Parramatta, taught 31 students. By 1833, there were 10 Catholic schools in the colony.

Over 200 years, Catholic schools have grown to become the largest provider of schooling in Australia (outside government) with one in five school age students attending a Catholic school.

This represents some 768,000 students in 1,751 schools across the country and employing 98,000 teachers and staff.

Nearly 40 per cent of Catholic schools are located outside of metropolitan cities in regional, rural and remote communities.

National theme

A national theme, “Faith in the future” has been developed for the 200 years celebrations. The theme reflects the core purpose of Catholic education to form students in their faith, and to provide an education that enables our graduates to make a meaningful contribution to the world. The theme reflects our commitment to build on the great work of those who have come before us and to provide a Catholic education for future generations of students in a world that is rapidly changing and poses new challenges for Catholic school communities. Yet, we have faith that we can face these challenges and continue to build on, and our strengthen, our mission of Catholic education.

About the logo

The Christian cross is the central element of the logo and represents the faith dimension of Catholic schools and our mission of service in Christ. The Southern Cross and outline of Australia represents the Great South Land of Australia. Dots are used as a key design element connecting to the traditional custodians of the land – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The colours – burnt red and yellow – represent the desert in the heart of the Australian outback, contrasting with the deep blue representing the Southern sky and ocean surrounding our continent.

Mrs Mary Taylor
Assistant Principal – Mission
TaylorM@shalomcollege.com

Year 7 2022 Information Night

WEDNESDAY, 3 MARCH 2021 7pm-8:30pm

For prospective parents and students for 2022 enrolments.

Hear from the College Principal Mr Dan McMahon on the high quality and very affordable education offered at Shalom College.

RSVP is not required to attend the Information Night. Attendees must sign in on the night via QR code/paper form (COVID19 protocols).

Students and Parents welcome!

Year 7 2022 Open Day

FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021 9:15am-11:30am

For prospective parents and students for 2022 enrolments.

The College Principal Mr Dan McMahon will introduce the morning, then you will receive a personalised tour of the school from Shalom College’s Year 10 students.

All students will receive a complimentary goodie bag on arrival. The morning will conclude with a sausage sizzle for all guests.

RSVP is not required to attend the Open Day. Attendees must sign in on the day via QR code/paper form (COVID19 protocols).

Please arrive at 9:15am for a 9:30am start at the Shalom College Performing Arts Precinct.

Students and Parents welcome!

Year 7 2022 Applications Close MONDAY, 19 APRIL 2021

All applications receive an interview

May - June 2021 - Appointments for interviews allocated & interviews commence
By 31 July 2021 - Notification sent to advise of acceptance outcome

Student Drivers

Parents and Carers of Year 11 & 12 Students

If your child has obtained their Provisional Licence and wishes to drive to and from school. You, are required to fill out a Permission to Drive Form and return it to Student Reception for approval by Mrs Elizabeth Austin-Campbell. Once approved the details will be placed on our School Register.

Thanks to those Parents who have already completed this form for their child.

Mrs Amanda O’Mara
Executive Assistant to the Principal/ Enrolment Officer
amanda_omara@shalomcollege.com

Absentees

FOR ALL ABSENTEES

Preferred option is Email absentees@shalomcollege.com or Phone Absentee line 41558181

ALL student absentees should be notified to the office by 9am each day. If no notification has been received, an absentee text message will be sent out to parents to advise of the student’s absence.

2021 College Calendar

Please note the change below that is incorrect in the printed calendars;

Year 10 Immunisation Date Change

• Old date (cancelled) 19 April (Day 1 Week 1 Term 2)
• New date (add to your calendar) 12 July (Day 1 Week 1 Term 3)

Shalom College P&F AGM

All parents, carers and guardians are welcome to attended Shalom College P&F AGM on Tuesday 9 March at 6pm. The meeting will take place at the Shalom College Staffroom – see map below.

ALL WELCOME!

Shalom College P&F
Secretary - Nicole Heinz
pandf@shalomcollege.com

Boys Formal Socks

Boys formal socks are now a compulsory part of the College Uniform. These socks are available now at the Uniform Shop, 2 pairs to a pack $21.

2021 Immunisation program for Year 7 and Year 10

Shalom College is participating in Queensland Health’s annual School Immunisations Program. All Year 7 and Year 10 students will be offered free vaccinations as recommended on the National Immunisation Program to protect against vaccine preventable diseases. In 2021, Year 7 students will be offered human papillomavirus (HPV) and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination. Year 10 students will be offered meningococcal ACWY vaccination.

The vaccinations will be conducted by a team of authorised and registered nurses from OzCare.

The consent cards have now been distributed to all our current Year 7 students via House Coordinators/PC Teachers. Participating students are required to return the completed forms by Friday 5 February, any late forms will need to be returned to Ozcare directly. Only students with a signed and completed consent card, indicating ‘Yes to Vaccination’ will be vaccinated.

Shalom College 2021 Clinic dates

Round 1 - Year 7 HPV1 & Year 7 dTpa – Monday 8 March and Tuesday 9 March

(note, due to the large number of students this clinic is over two days)

Round 1 - Year 10 Meningococcal ACWY – Monday 12 July (moved from 19 April) Consent forms will be distributed closer to date.

Round 2 - Year 7 HPV2 and Year 10 Catch up – Monday 18 October and Tuesday 19 October

Parents are encouraged to ensure their children have breakfast on the morning of the vaccination.

Missed Vaccinations

Ozcare will contact all guardians directly if a student (with a completed and returned consent form) did not attend the Shalom clinic session.

Year 7 students from 2020 still requiring vaccinations will be contacted by Ozcare and offered an appointment at a Catch-Up clinic to be held at Ozcare, 73 Woongarra Street on Wednesday 5 May 2021.

Year 10 students from 2020 still requiring vaccinations will be offered an appointment at a Catch- Up Clinic to be held at Ozcare on Thursday 6 May 2021.

For further information about the School Immunisation Program please call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or visit the link below.

The Public Health Act 2005 requires the school principal to disclose student and parent, legal guardian or authorised person information for eligible year 7 and 10 to the immunisation provider if requested.

2021 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection

Student residential addresses are collected annually by the Australian Government and used to inform school funding calculations.

The Government has announced that the 2021 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection will open on Monday, 15 February 2021 and will close on Friday, 12 March 2021.

Please find attached the 2021 Student Residential Address and Other Information collection notice distributed by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. This data is routinely used to inform Commonwealth school education policy, and to help ensure that Commonwealth funding arrangements for non-government schools are based on need, and are fair and transparent.

Could you please ensure that your address and contact details are up-to-date through the Parent Details tab in Parent Lounge to ensure accurate collection of this data?

Mr Brendan Maher
Assistant Principal – Administration
MaherB@shalomcollege.com

Pathways

Exploring Occupations and Work Experience

When you are preparing to make choices and think about your future course and career options, it is important to clarify what you already know about yourself and to engage in activities and experiences that will lead to greater self-understanding. Key questions to consider are:

What am I good at?
What do I enjoy?
What occupations and courses do I have the abilities to succeed in?

Knowing your career interests helps you identify occupations and courses that you are likely to enjoy. Knowing your abilities helps you think about occupations and courses that you have the ability to succeed in and helps you to identify the type and level of postschool education and training required or career areas that may be suitable for you. Together, knowing your career interests and knowing your abilities means that you can look for occupations and courses that you will enjoy and that you can do.

The My Way Employability website is full of great resources and has a simple but informative Career Exploration tool to help you understand your top career areas, strengths and determine post-school pathways. The site is free however you will need to register to gain access.

Once you identify your interests and abilities, taking part in work experience is great for reality testing an occupation that interests you. It is a valuable opportunity for students to explore their passion and understand what is expected in the workplace, while developing skills outside the classroom. It is also an opportunity to understand what you may need to do to prepare for the future. Adding your work experience to your résumé can help you stand out from the crowd.

Shalom students who have undertaken work experience have provided us with their feedback

Year 11 student

I absolutely loved my work experience placement at the Mon Repos Turtle Centre. I was able to make great connections which allowed me to get into volunteering. I met wonderful people who were very helpful and welcoming and made me feel part of the team. This placement made me aware of the options open to me and helped with my decision making of where I see my future.

Year 10 student

Work experience gave me the opportunity to learn so many skills and gain a new perspective. I initially didn’t know a lot about butchering but was keen to find out more so I thought I would give work experience a go. I found out that it was quite different to what I expected and I ended up absolutely loving it and ultimately gained a school-based apprenticeship. My advice to other students is to just give it a go, you never know where it will take you and it could open up amazing opportunities that you have never thought were possible.

Employer feedback on our students

Year 11 student: Working alongside our designers, the student produced work of a standard well above expectation to a point where the work produced has now progressed into office production. We all found him to be courteous, useful, professional and he has represented Shalom College wonderfully. We have no doubt he has a future in the design profession should he choose to do so.

Year 9 student: Our team loved having the student working here and we would encourage him to apply for a job in the future. He was a great worker.

We would strongly encourage students to engage in work experience in the school holidays.

Steps for obtaining work experience

Students are encouraged to approach prospective employers themselves. Seeking work experience is a good way to practice your self-marketing skills. Self-marketing skills are very important in life and will need to be developed as you seek out your future career so it’s a great to start building on this now. It can be nerve-wracking, but preparation and practice will make all the difference.

The Work Experience booklet contains full instructions on how to approach employers, what to say and what to wear.

Be prepared with the dates and times when you are available and consider if you need to work around transport arrangements or other commitments.

Familiarise yourself with the paperwork in the Work Experience Booklet, what needs to be completed and when it needs to be returned. Full instructions are included in the booklet.

Students can let employers know that they will be fully insured while undertaking their placement.

Attached is the Student Work Experience Booklet, including the Work Experience Agreement (which acts as the insurance document). This needs to be fully completed and signed by all parties and returned to the Pathways Office before commencement.

The Host Employer Work Experience booklet is also attached which provides valuable information for the employer.

If you need any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact the Pathways team.

The Pathways Team
Mrs Liza O’Donnell, Mrs Kathy Laing & Mrs Julia Fox
Liza_ODonnell@shalomcollege.com
LaingK@shalomcollege.com
Julia_Fox@shalomcollege.com

Quiet Achiever

This week’s quiet achiever is Year 7 Hogan House student Max O’Brien, Max has thrown himself head first into Shalom College life and following his sporting pursuits and extracurricular involvement. All the while he has such a wonderful demeanour and attitude and is such a smiley, happy face to see around the place.

As a House Coordinator, I really appreciate the day to day contact with every student I come across and it is so refreshing to see younger students whom even though they still have their own pressures, can absorb this and take it all in their stride. Max epitomises this.

Max recently starred in the pool during the Championship Shalom Swimming Carnival and the Inter-House one as well as finishing in the Top 10 at the State Triathlon event, whilst competing for Wide Bay.

Keep up your fantastic start at Shalom College and all of your extracurricular involvement Max!

Mr Adam Knott
Hogan House Coordinator
knotta@shalomcollege.com

Chess News

On 23 February, Shalom sent three teams to compete in the Term 1 Inter-School Chess Tournament at Walkervale State School.

The Shalom Black team of Charlie Emms, Callum Macann, Seth Gayton and Vivian Blemings played some inspiring chess to earn second place on the day and the silver medal. Charlie Emms and Callum Macaan both finished with 5 wins from 7 games on the day showing some exceptional chess skills, each earning themselves a merit prize and a ribbon for their performances. Congratulations to these players on an outstanding effort

The Shalom Red team of Thomas Brandon, Kyan Kelly, Isaac Watson and Waylen Hu showed great promise as a team of the future competing against older players, each winning their share of games. The Shalom White team of Joon McMahon and Jacob Werchon also showed impressive skills. These players have demonstrated that they will be excellent players in the years to come.

Chess is a great game for people of all ages and experience. If you would like to have a game, or to learn how to play, Chess Club is on every Tuesday and Thursday lunch at 11.25am in Beerarlem. We would love to have you there!

Mr Brendan Maher
Chess Coordinator
MaherB@shalomcollege.com

Read Write Wonder

A place for English teachers to respond to texts they have encountered during the previous week.

Staff member: Wendy Davis

Text type: Film
Text name: Boy (2010) directed by Taika Waititi

For the second task in Year 11 Literature this year we will be engaging with a number of films with the common theme of “coming of age”. The often challenging journey from childhood to adulthood is a favourite of storytellers, and it remains a rich vein from which writers continue to mine fresh tales set in various backgrounds, cultures and historical settings.

In the case of Boy (2010) we are transported to rural New Zealand in 1984. The attractions of writer/director Taika Waititi’s film are many. Waititi is perhaps better known for his more recent work including Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Jojo Rabbit and as director of Thor: Ragnorok.

It is these successes which make revisiting Boy even more fascinating. Here we find the themes that recur in Waititi’s later films: lost parents, particularly fathers; boys seeking to make sense of the world; young people being cared for by fallible and sometimes misguided adults; the complex challenges facing Maori culture in contemporary New Zealand; the failures and successes of communities to care for those who are most vulnerable; the resilience of children and humanity.

Like Hunt for Wilderpeople and Jojo Rabbit, Boy combines whimsical humour, moments of true sorrow, quiet tragedy and glimmers of hope. Waititi is expert at drawing his audiences into the innocent world of his young lead characters. In Boy, this is Alamein, otherwise known as Boy – a young Maori living with his little brother Rocky, his cousins and his grandmother. Boy mourns the early death of his mother and longs for the return of his wayward father.

The most biographical of Waititi’s films, Boy evokes the 1980s in New Zealand. The landscape is vast, harsh, yet beautiful. A popsicle at the local milk bar is a major treat, and a generation of parents are lost in a cycle of poverty. Their kids survive by bringing themselves up way too quickly.

Yet, judgement is never passed on the fractured families in Boy. Rather by the end, thanks to Waititi’s skilful and empathetic writing we marvel at the capacity of the main character to soldier into the future with his erratic father. Just who is the boy in this father-son relationship is something to ponder.

As I revisited Boy in preparation for teaching it, I was reminded that great film-making does not require CGI, special effects or eye-poppingly large budgets. Sometimes all it needs is heart, a sense of the human spirit and a desire to tell a personal story that is timeless and universal.

Five stars.

Ms Louise Hume
English Learning Area Coordinator
Louise_Hume@shalomcollege.com

Music Department

The Instrumental & Vocal program is now in full swing. Choirs and Strings and Bands, oh my!

Music students and ensemble directors are already preparing for our first concert of the year happening Sunday 21 March in the Performing Arts Precinct at Shalom College commencing at 2:00pm. Parents, grandparents, friends, colleagues and greater community, this is a great opportunity to support our music students; all are welcome.

The Music Department would like to invite any student that wishes to learn an instrument or take vocal lessons to please come and see us at any time in the PAP. We would love to help you discover your musical potential and the wonderful opportunities music education has for you. For information on our department, Instrumental Music Teachers, ensembles and the myriad of other opportunities, please peruse our comprehensive website.

Finally, there is a great opportunity for all community members. On Saturday 1 May, The James Morrison Quartet is playing at the Moncrieff. For those of you who may not know, James and his Jazz Quartet are some of Australia’s finest musicians. It is guaranteed to be one of the most enriching musical experiences Bundaberg will host in 2021. Get your tickets now!

Mrs James Belluz
Instrumental Music Teacher
James_Belluz@shalomcollege.com

Shalom College Swimming Carnival 2021

Age Champions

Champion House

1st HOGAN
2nd LINGIARI
3rd MACKILLOP

Records:

Jaime Krueger (Adams) broke the 17yrs Girls 50m Backstroke record of 38.84secs that was held by Olivia Zunker in 2020. Jaime set a new record of 34.40secs.

Benjamin Wood (Hogan) broke the 18yrs Boys 50m Breaststroke record of 42.88secs that was held by Thomas Pascoe in 2020. Benjamin set a new record of 40.35secs,

Mr Simon Gills
Sports Coordinator
GillsS@shalomcollege.com

Wide Bay Trials – Tennis Success

Shalom should be extremely proud of their representation in the Bundaberg tennis team. Of the eight players who made the Bundaberg tennis team, six were from Shalom. The Shalom players who represented Bundaberg at the Wide Bay trials were : Zain Ali, Lachlan Campbell, Taj Wilson, Matilda Gourlay, Caya Akasaka Marshall and Katie Maher. Each of these students are talented tennis players who should be proud of their efforts in making this team.

Particular congratulations go to Matlida Gourlay, Katie Maher and Caya Akasaka Marshall who subsequently gained selection in the Wide Bay Girls Tennis Team – 3 of the 4 places available. All three boys were on the cusp of making the team and played some impressive tennis. These boys have a number of years left to gain selection and will be hard to keep out of the Wide Bay team in years to come.

Matilda once again displayed her exceptional skills and consistency to gain the number one spot in the team to lead the Wide Bay charge at the State Titles. Katie and Caya gained second and fourth place respectively, showing some impressive skills that will certainly add to the strength of the Wide Bay team.

Good luck to the girls at the State Titles in March which this year is played at Tennyson (ie Pat Rafter Arena). It should be a fun and challenging trip.

Mr Brendan Maher
Shalom Tennis Coach
MaherB@shalomcollege.com

Summer Interschool Sport

Cricket

Thomas Elphinstone produced a dynamic double but Shalom Red suffered their second straight fighting loss in the BDSSS Year 7-8 competition, going down to the older St Luke’s by just five runs. Thomas opened the batting and was retired on 42 in a total of 3-115 from our 15 overs, before also opening the bowling and claiming a double-wicket maiden in his 2-17 from three overs. Captain Lenny Henry, who had been our stand-out in our first round five-run loss to Shalom Black with 50 retired and 2-8, took an early wicket and effected a direct-hit run out, while Charlie Steele and Jack Bigg also picked up one wicket each, but St Luke’s scraped home with three balls to spare before finishing at 6-120.

St Luke’s 6-120 (Thomas Elphinstone 2-17, Charlie Steele 1-13, Jack Bigg 1-22, Lenny Henry 1-26) d Shalom Red 3-115 (Thomas Elphinstone 42ret, Charlie Steele 12, Phynn Boase 11no, Lenny Henry 10).

Mr Simon Gills
Cricket Coordinator
GillsS@shalomcollege.com

Ten Pin Bowling

Ten Pin Bowling Summer sport has got off to a great start in 2021. 18 students have joined and are demonstrating great sportsmanship in the interschool competition. Some stand out scores from weeks 1 -2 are:

Week 1: Darcy Cameron – 114/145, Alicia Nierla - 127/128, Zane Hargreaves – 83/138, Gia Vu – 105/125
Week 2: Alicia Nierla – 117/136, Darcy Cameron – 124/131, Lydia Stewart – 84/100, Ciaran Ryan – 105/98

Jack Meissner, Max Hore, Alexander Wilkinson and Cody Schubel

Mrs Debbie Bishop
Ten Pin Bowling Coordinator
bishopD@shalomcollege.com

Touch Football

Mr Peter Robinson
High Performance Program
After School Activities
Peter_Robinson@shalomcollege.com

Year 8 Camps 2021

Catholic Schools Race Day

Uniform Shop Opening Hours

MONDAY to THURSDAY - 8:00am – 12:00pm

FRIDAY - CLOSED

Mrs Leanne Barker
Uniform Shop Co-ordinator
barkerl@shalomcollege.com
Phone : 41 558 121

Term Dates for 2021

Term 1: Wednesday 27th January - Thursday 1st April (10 weeks)
Term 2: Monday 19th April - Friday 25th June (10 weeks)
Term 3: Monday 12th July - Friday 17th September (10 weeks)
Term 4: Tuesday 5th October - Friday 3th December (9 weeks)

Parent and Carer Tuckshop Volunteers

At the start of each school year we ask parents to indicate their availability for volunteering in the College tuckshop.

Life is busy and forever changing, so for this reason we have set up a booking system that will not only accommodate our very much appreciated regular volunteers, but also families who may not be able to commit on a regular basis and who may have a day here or there throughout the year to come along and lend a hand and support our students. The beauty of this system is that you can select your day and manage your booking, so if something comes up, you can quickly and easily go online to reschedule or cancel. Your booking will generate a confirmation email with links to manage your booking, it can be synched with your calendar and an SMS is sent the day before as a reminder. Of course, we are also here to help - simply contact Shalom College on 41 55 8111.

For those of you who are regular volunteers your shifts have already been added to the schedule for this year and you should have received an e-mail for each booked shift.

Shifts last from 2 to 3 hours (school drop off to around 11.30 am).

No experience required!

Tuckshop

Breakfast

Breakfast is now available in the tuckshop for purchase each morning 8:00am – 8:30am.

Items include

Bacon & Egg Muffins - $3.50
Ham & Cheese Croissant - $3.50
Porridge & Cereal - $3 (self-service option with milk and bowl & cutlery are supplied)
Fresh Fruit - $1 (seasonal fruits such as; Bananas, Apples, Mandarins etc.)

Plus, the already available items of Yoghurt Pots, Up n Go drinks & Flavoured Milk

Students who train before school need to consider utilising the breakfast menu to replenish energy lost during their training sessions, however must be dressed appropriately before entering the tuckshop and must not be late for class.

Shalom Sunday Markets

Shalom Markets will continue to operate (with restrictions) until further notice!

• Fresh food stalls fruit, vegetable & local food products
• BBQ and tuckshop are operating, social distancing practices are in place
• Social distancing to include gaps between stalls (all outdoors)

SHALOM MARKETS 6AM TO 12PM EVERY SUNDAY!

Markets Tuckshop Roster

We NEED volunteers for the Markets Tuckshop or BBQ, if you have any queries please contact Leanne via email – barkerl@shalomcollege.com

Markets BBQ Roster

Community Notice Board

Youth Support

Headspace

The Catholic Parish of Bundaberg

Catholic Parish Bulletin

Curent Roster (Term 1, 2021)

27/28th February 2021
2nd Sunday of Lent

FOCUS by: Fr Peter Tonti
Parish Priest

RAISING OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

The Lenten Season is a Springtime preparation for Easter. We can easily become indifferent to the various church seasons as they repeatedly just come and go. As the years go by we can simply go round in circles, travelling through the seasons and ending up where we started from.

How are you travelling through this Lenten Season?

The Lenten Season provides us the opportunity through Prayer, Fasting and Alms Giving to prepare for Easter.

PRAYER

Prayer can be described as the “Raising of our heart and mind to God”. So…how present are we:

Are we aware of God?

Do we attend to God?

Do we seek communion with God in a conscious way?

A little checklist on the focus of our mind, consciousness, our intellectual pursuits, our passions, feelings and our longings will indicate the truth of our prayer life.

Our Catholic Church offers many forms of prayer. The Eucharist is the source and summit but only when we consciously enter and participate. There are many forms of devotional prayer. The Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, Christian Meditation and the Holy Hour are just some of the many prayer-filled opportunities in our parish. If you are looking for something a little different you are more than welcome to participate in the Charismatic Prayer Group that meets every first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Novakoski Hall.

FASTING

We can become too attached to created things. We can make them god-like and of exaggerated importance. We need to actively detach ourselves from things like food, drink, entertainment, pleasure, cell phone, computer … (Name your own over-indulgence list!). We can be like little children, “I want, I want!” We become so preoccupied with things that we forget, “Only in God is the soul at rest” (Psalm 62). Fasting heightens the awareness of our senses.

Fasting also assists us to experience what far too many people experience everyday when they struggle to find food or clean water. When their children hunger. When they are desperate in their knowing and shame of not being able to provide the basics of life.

Our medical experts remind us of the many benefits of fasting. Please read the article “HOW TO FAST” in today’s bulletin written by a medical practitioner, Doctor Grace Lim, who is one of our parishioners.

ALMS GIVING

The benefits of giving to the poor are clearly seen when people generously give at the time of disaster. The beginning of last year saw such extraordinary generosity. It was the ‘giving of self’ by the many who walked with those who lost family members. their livelihoods and travelled their hard yards with them that deeply touched our hearts. Giving must be when we “Will the good of the other”. It is far more than a few spare coins from the pocket, purse or console of the car.

Genuine charity is warm and welcoming and comes from the heart. Such charity heightens our solidarity with our brothers and sisters no matter who they are or where they live.

Be creative in your giving this Lenten Season. You do not have to wait for a disaster. Reflect on the Caritas’ videos we have been watching before Mass. We have the real opportunity to make a difference and experience what it means to be the Body of Christ. “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

Let us take the time to prepare for Easter by raising our hearts and minds

"Enjoy reading this year's edition of the 'Good News Magazine: 2020 New Vision', a look at the year that was and how we adapted to a new way of doing thins."

Please click on the link to access the digital copy of the magazine.

Breast Screen Queensland

Triple P

The State Government is funding free access to Triple P, which is the world’s most evidence-based parenting program and has helped more than four million children and their parents around the world develop closer, more positive relationships.

Please click on this link, which will take you to the website where you can access information relevant to your situation.

This link will remain in our Newsletter with Triple P sending us regular updates and helpful tips.