2023 Term 2 Week 6

From the Principal - Term 2, Week 6

This Friday we will celebrate Trinity Feast Day. This is a very special day for our school community as we take the time to reflect on the meaning and significance of our school’s name and celebrate the wonderful community that has grown over the past 23 years. Trinity first opened its doors in 2000 with an enrolment of 129 and a staff of 11, under the guidance of Fr John Allen and Principal Mary Howlett. Over the years Trinity has grown significantly not only in size but in its rich, diverse culture. With 508 enrolled students, 383 families, 58 staff and proudly representing over 40 nationalities, Trinity truly is a wonderful place to learn and grow.

I have had the privilege of being a part of the Trinity community both as a staff member and as a parent for many years now. I began my journey at Trinity back in 2003 as a young teacher after having taught in Traralgon for four years. I will always remember my first year at Trinity. I was teaching 31 enthusiastic year 3 and 4 students in a tiny portable classroom down the back of the school with no additional support. The classroom had holes in the walls, a door that got stuck most days and we only just fit all the desks in the room. The student’s bags had to be kept outside and every time it rained, we had to quickly bring them inside and pile them on top of each other to keep them dry. In winter the small heater would freeze over and the only way to keep warm was to wear extra layers. None of this mattered though as the resilience and determination of the students in the class enabled them to overcome any challenges thrown their way. They were courageous, inquisitive, flexible, and determined. They asked questions that I didn’t always have the answers too and shared their wonderings with each other. Laughter and a sense of belonging got us through the hard days, and we celebrated everyone’s successes together. We were a team, on a learning journey together. That is what made the difference. It didn’t matter that we didn’t have the “perfect learning space”, a positive attitude was all that mattered. Some of these students (young adults now) are still around today and even some families still in our school which is very special. These students will always hold a special place in my heart as well as all the other students I have been blessed to have either taught or met over the years. The days were never long when you were supported by wonderful students, colleagues and families.  

As a parent I was always keen for my boys to be apart of a school community that would not only help them achieve their educational goals but would nurture their faith and instil in them the gospel values, helping them to become the best version of themselves. My boys were typical boys and each of them had their own challenges. I’m sure some teachers even have a few extra grey hairs from them, but when I look at how far they have come, I couldn’t be prouder and that is due to the wonderful support they received from the amazing staff here at Trinity. The good times will always outweigh the challenges, and overcoming the challenges, will ultimately be what makes them successful in the long run. Thank you for choosing Trinity for your child’s education. I hope you value your time with us.

Celebrating the Day

The staff and students will acknowledge and celebrate Trinity Feast Day this Friday with a special Mass at 9am in the school hall, followed by a shared BBQ lunch. We warmly welcome all families to join us for Mass.

We will also celebrate Trinity Sunday with our parish family at Our Lady Help of Christians on Saturday night at 6pm. All families are welcome to attend, and many children have indicated that they would like to participate in the Mass. We look forward to sharing this special occasion with everyone.

What do we mean by Trinity?

Christians believe that God is revealed to them in three ways – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – yet remains one God.

The creed says:

We believe in one God, the father, the almighty, maker of heaven and earth …

This describes God as a creator. The image of God as Father has had a lasting significance to the Christian faith down the ages.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God ….

Christians assert that Jesus is both human and divine; this was the way in which God experienced what it was to be human.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life …

For Christians, the Holy Spirit is the power of God, whom people experience in their daily lives. He is ‘God in us’, God the sustainer and God the encourager.

THE TRINITY

God the Father

Who created the world and everything in it. Jesus taught us to call him our “Father”, when we pray. He loves us so much that he sent his Son Jesus to be our Saviour.

God the Son

Jesus was God made man, who was born as a human baby in Bethlehem. He came to teach and show us how to live as God’s children. He died on the cross and rose from the dead so that all who follow him could share his eternal life.

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is our invisible friend, the unseen person of God who lives with us and in us, helping us to live and love God’s children.

As we celebrate our Feast Day, we also focus on our school motto of: Faith, Hope and Love

Faith, hope, and love are umbrella terms under which are grouped much of what Christians believe.

The Apostle Paul listed faith, hope, and love as the “big three” in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Faith is being sure of something even though we cannot see it. We are sure that God loves us and that he sent Jesus to show us how to love each other.

Hope is the trust we have that God’s kingdom will be lived out on earth. We follow in Jesus’ footsteps to help this be achieved.

Love is companionship. It is the joy in our hearts and the smiles on our faces that keep us going every day.

                                                                         HAPPY FEAST DAY EVERYONE!

Trinity District and Divisional Cross Country

Last Monday 60 students in Years 4-6 proudly represented Trinity at the Cranbourne and District Cross Country. All students enthusiastically gave it their all and should be extremely proud of their individual achievement. Nine students progressed to the next stage (Divisional) which was held today in Pakenham. I was lucky to watch each of them run and they certainly did the school proud. Congratulations to Hunter, Zoe, Jessica, Ivana, Harper, Lucas K, Harry, Lucas P and Jye on their personal achievements. Good luck to Jessica and Lucas K who have progressed to the next stage, Regionals.

Upcoming Dates

June 1                                Level 6 Hoop Time / Level 2 Hosting Assembly

June 2                                Trinity Feast Day Mass and Shared Lunch

June 3                                Trinity Sunday Parish School Mass @ OLHC 6pm

June 6                                School Closure Day – Assessment and Reporting Staff Day

June 12                              King’s Birthday Public Holiday

June 13                              Level 1 Design and Technology Incursion

June 21                              Reports available to families through SIMON

June 23                              Last Day of Term 2

July 10                                School Professional Development Day - No students

July 11                                 First Day of Term 3

Kind regards

Kathryn Pepper

Term 2, Week 6 -- Religious Education

Dear Families, 

This Friday we celebrate our Trinity Feast Day. A week filled with opportunities to gather as a community to celebrate the mystery of the Trinity. Although most school’s feast day commemorates a saint, we instead are given the privilege to reflect upon God’s presence in our lives as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In preparation for our Parish Family Mass this Saturday, some of our students have been joyfullying singing of the Trinity “3-in-1”. Together we reflected on God the creator, Jesus our saviour and The Holy Spirit living in us. The idea of The Holy Spirit often perplexes them. If The Holy Spirit is living in us, why can’t we see it? How do we know it’s really there? 

This is when we reflect on the wonderful, everyday things that we experience. Seeing a child helping a friend in need, students excitedly putting their hand up to help clean up our playground, bringing in cans of non-perishable foods to support St Vincent De Paul. The Holy Spirit is driving each of us, we just need to look around to see it. 

I hope that this upcoming feast day inspires us to grow in faith and celebrate as one community in Christ. 

Emily Rogers
Acting REL 

Important Reminders
Trinity Feast Day
We encourage all families to bring an item of non-perishable food as a donation for our Trinity Feast Day Mass on this Friday 2nd June. All donations are going to St Vincent De Paul to support members of our local community. Students can bring their donations to their classrooms to be collected. 

Parish Family Mass - OLHC 
We warmly invite all families to attend our Trinity Feast Day Parish Family Mass on Saturday 3rd June at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish.

Planning night for First Eucharist Masses
Parents of students preparing to celebrate their First Eucharist must attend one of the following Planning Nights; 

• Wednesday 7th June at 7pm (for those celebrating Eucharist in June or July)
• Thursday 8th June at 7pm (for those celebrating Eucharist in August or October)

Student Support - Term 2,Week 6

At Trinity, the school community has access to a resource called School TV. School TV is a platform which provides schools with an extensive range of wellbeing resources for parents, so they can work together in partnership to ensure better wellbeing for all students.

This week's article discusses the importance of understanding and teaching children about their digital footprint. Social Media plays a big part in many childrens' lives and students often speak to their teachers regarding incidents which have occured at home online with their peers. It is important that we work together to support them to understand how images and words can be misinterpreted and altered as they are easily and quickly shared around. Once information is shared online it can be difficult to remove. 

"Social media has become such an integral part of a teenager’s life that it can cause anxiety and lower their self-esteem. Modern teens are learning to do most of their communication whilst looking at a screen instead of another person. They are missing out on very critical social skills.

And dependant on what they are communicating online, it can affect their digital reputation. Friendships, relationships and even future job prospects are all at risk. As a parent, It is very important that you are aware of what picture they are painting of themselves online.

Once information makes its way online it can be difficult to remove. Images and words can be misinterpreted and altered as they are easily and quickly shared around. Privacy settings on social media sites need to be managed in order to protect your child’s digital reputation". 

Visual Art-Term Two-Week Six

 VISUAL ARTS

Well Done to the Grade Three students who have created these paper sculptures inspired by the artist 'Charlie McGee' 

Congratulations to a group of Grade Five and Grade Six students who have been chosen to display their work at The Zart Gallery in Box Hill. This is an amazing opportunity for the students to show their work to the general public.

The following students in Grade Five have been chosen.

Isaac, Simon, Saanvi, Chante, Xander, Sara, Aariel, Zoe, Atthisda, Violet, Lucas K, Jerusha, Sienna

Lincoln, Claudia, Lucas P, Mia, Abbey,Miranda and Caitlin

The following students in Grade Six have been chosen.

Zoe, Jasmin, Haylee, Hunter, Joshua D, Chaz, Joshua O,Harper O, Joel, Jai, Grace, Sky,

Noah, Levenia, Lily, Nivedya, Seth, Maya, AJ, Annelle, Jessica, Luca, Tazanna,Claire and  Jayden

The work is exhibited for the whole of Term Two so if you have a free day after the holidays or on a Saturday, it would great if you could go visit the Gallery to support these students.

The address is -4/41-43 Lexton Rd, Box Hill North-The supply shop is downstairs and the exhibition is upstairs.

AWARDS & BIRTHDAYS

STAFF REPORT