Harmony Day – Saturday 21 March
The theme for 2020 is ‘Picture a World in Harmony’.
Did you know our school is rich with over 30 diverse cultures: Afghan, African, Albanian, Australian, Chinese, Egyptian, English, Filipino, Greek, Indian, Iran, Italian, Korean, Lebanese, Maltese, Pakistani, Polish, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Sudanese, Taiwanese and Vietnamese.
On Thursday, 19th March our Year Four students will be spending the day with Year Four students from Pinnacle College here at St Francis of Assisi and embrace and engage in the differences and commonalities amongst them.
The students from Pinnacle College have sent us short introductory videos of themselves talking about their culture and some experiences. Viewing these prior to the visit is a great 'warm up' so the students can make the most of celebrating Harmony Day together.
All Year Four students will prepare questions regarding faith, culture, country of origin, food, clothing and interesting facts they would like to learn about and prepare what they would like to share. This event and partnership with Pinnacle College is one of many ways we will unite in 2020 to celebrate the positives of living in a culturally diverse country.
Becoming more like Christ - Second Week of Lent
The focus this week is on transfiguration! When something is transfigured, it simply means that it has changed. Through living perfectly the will of his Father, Jesus’ body took on the full glory of God. We too are called to follow Jesus and live God’s will for us.
This week Project Compassion introduces us to Phany, from Cambodia (pronounced Parn-ee) Phany who lives in rural Cambodia, undertook an opportunity that transformed her own perspective. Struggling to earn a living as a rice farmer, her family experienced food scarcity and she was forced to leave her young daughter behind to take up construction work in the city. Through a Caritas Australia supported program, Phany learnt a range of different farming techniques and small business skills so that she could generate a reliable income for herself and her family. Now Phany is reunited with her daughter because she can make a living in her home village. She now has enough food and income to support her family and send her daughter to school. These new skills also benefitted Phany’s neighbours through better management of water and the sharing of farming skills which has improved the wellbeing of the whole community.
Do you need to change your perspective so together we can go further, recognising that our responsibility for others goes beyond our immediate community?
What areas of your life do you need to change (transfigure) in order to follow Jesus more closely?
We pray for all those around the world who rely on farming to sustain their families. May we work as one human family to promote ecologically sound agricultural practices.
We pray for grace to overcome our blindness and see with clarity our responsibility for others.
Josie Cochrane
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