Dear Parents,

We are now entering the second week of our Lenten Journey. In this coming weekend’s Gospel you will hear Luke’s account of the Transfiguration.

 “He took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. ²⁹ As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.”

Lk 9 28:36

The word 'transfiguration' comes from the Latin roots trans- (across) and figura (form, shape). It thus signifies a change of form or appearance. This is what happened to Jesus in the event known as the Transfiguration: His appearance changed and became glorious. Luke mentions several details about the event that the other writers do not:

• He notes that this happened while Jesus was praying.
• He mentions that Peter and his companions "were heavy with sleep, and when they wakened they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him."
• He mentions that Peter made his suggestion to put up booths as Moses and Elijah were departing.

The Transfiguration was a special event in which God allowed certain apostles to have a privileged spiritual experience that was meant to strengthen their faith for the challenges they would later endure. But it was only a temporary event. It was not meant to be permanent. Peter, James, and John could not understand everything about Jesus overnight. Having experienced the Transfiguration they began to see more clearly that this man they were following had a very special relationship with God. Maybe they were taking him for granted, or seeing him as a miracle worker, but Jesus wanted them to see him as a man who knew God, a man who was proclaiming the truth about God in his very life. In the same way, at certain times in our present lives, God may give certain members of the faithful, special experiences of his grace that strengthen their faith. We should welcome these experiences for the graces they are.

CONGRATULATIONS - Congratulations are extended to Chaise A who has been chosen to represent the Wollongong Diocese at the MacKillop Under 11 Rugby League trials, which will be held early next Term. Well done Chaise.

VALUES AWARD WINNERS - Congratulations to the the Values Award Winners at Last Friday's Yea 6 Assembly.

MARK TAYLOR SHIELD CRICKET - Last Thursday the Mary Immaculate Cricket Team played St John’s Dapto in their first round match in the Annual Mark Taylor Shield Cricket Competition. Unfortunately the team was defeated by a much more experienced team. The children should be very pleased with their efforts and both teams are to be congratulated on the spirit in which they played the game. Thank you to Mr McInerney for coaching the team, Mrs New for supervising the team on the day and to all the parents who transported the children down to Dapto and supported the team. Special thanks to Mr Morris, Mr McMillan and Mrs Bastoli for officiating on behalf of our school.

SCHOOL PROCESS FOR DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS - From time to time, parents may have an issue with something that occurs in the classroom or within the school community. Initially concerns should be addressed with the child’s class teacher directly, however, if not able to be adequately addressed at this point, it is recommended that the concern be addressed through a member of the School Leadership Team. In the case that a satisfactory outcome is unable to be achieved, a formal process is available for complaints handling. Our school has aligned its approach to complaints handling using the model proposed in the Diocesan Complaints Handling procedure. For details please consult the following website for the policy: http://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/

LATE ARRIVALS & EARLY DEPARTURES - It is important children arrive to school by 8.25am and leave on the dismissal bell at 2:30pm. Late arrivals and early departures are disruptive to the children and to their class. Please avoid interrupting children's learning time and where possible make appointments after school. A child who arrives 10 minutes late for two mornings a week throughout the school year would miss the equivalent of 2.5 days of schooling. Punctuality is a trait we need to model and encourage. Thank you for your support and understanding.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
At Mary Immaculate the staff has an ongoing commitment to professional learning. The staff benefits from attending inservices, in curriculum areas, that assists them in providing quality learning opportunities for the students in their class. The following staff have or will attend professional learning and hence will be away from school. 

ENROLMENTS FOR KINDERGARTEN 2020 - Application forms are now available for collection from the School Office. Enrolment forms can also be downloaded from our school website.

Have a great week and let Christ be our way and life.

Don Spencer
Principal