Principal's Report
Dear Parents and Carers,
Lord God, may the light of this wreath be a sign of peace and tolerance to all people, who prepare for your coming. Let the truth of your Word lead us all toward your kingdom, for which we long. We ask it in the name of the one born in Bethlehem, Jesus our Lord. Amen.
This weekend we enter into the second week of advent. No doubt your home is beginning to be filled with decorations that help to highlight the period of preparation that will bring us to the joy of Christmas. Maybe your decorations include a wreath. The circular shape of the Advent wreath symbolizes God’s infinite love for us – it is never-ending. The materials of the Advent wreath similarly lead us to reflect on the everlasting nature of God; traditionally, Advent wreaths have been made of evergreen leaves, such as pine or fir, which maintain their green colour beyond the season in which they are collected.
The four candles in the wreath are not random - they have their own special significance. One candle is lit each Sunday. The first, second and fourth are purple because the colour violet is a liturgical colour that signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice, and the third candle is pink and symbolises joy. Sometimes a fifth white candle is included to be lit on Christmas day.
If you don't have one already, an Advent Wreath is a special way of building up to Christmas with your children. Each Sunday you could light one of the candles and pray for something special.
Next Tuesday, we hope that you can join us for Carols Under the COLA as a way of preparing for Christmas. Details are included in the Newsletter.
The National Office for Child Safety has launched ‘One Talk at a Time’, a national awareness raising and behavioural change campaign on child sexual abuse.
One Talk at a Time aims to protect children and young people from sexual abuse by helping adults understand that child sexual abuse is preventable and encouraging them to have ongoing, proactive, preventative conversations with children, young people and other adults in their lives.
You may have already noticed or seen the campaign's 60-second advertisement. 'One Talk at a Time' was informed by a substantial research program to ensure it is effective, culturally-safe, accessible and trauma-informed. This research included research and testing with over 8,500 Australians, including the campaign's target audience, victims and survivors, child safety experts and the National Strategy's priority groups.
This campaign is a key measure under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030 and fulfils a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Paul Moroney
Principal