After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
There he was transfigured before them.
His face shone like the sun,
and his clothes became as white as the light.

Matthew 17:1-2

Last Sunday’s gospel of Matthew’s story of the transfiguration of Jesus, is as dramatic as it is mysterious. The notion of being transfigured has remained one that has challenged people of faith ever since the story was recorded in all three synoptic gospels. We are called upon during Lent, to examine ways in we can be transfigured, and ways in which we can transfigure the world around us. 

Foreshore Program

Caring for the natural environment is one of the ways in which we can respond to this call. In the Foreshore Program, Year 8 students work alongside the City of Kingston Foreshore and Coastal Management Group on the management and conservation of the foreshore and recreational areas.  Students explore the relationship between Kingston Foreshore and Port Phillip Bay and participate in pollution control, propagation of indigenous plants and revegetation.

The following girls successfully applied to be part of Foreshore in Semester One:

Amelie Baker	Alice Davies	Olive Davies
Taylah Devenport	Matilda Exton	Matilda Exton
Madeline Gill	Matilda Harrison	Emily Hickey
Isla Kouchakdjian	Sophie Matthews	Jaime McCabe
Indianna Norton	Maddi Russell	Samaira Saiga
Ruby Shield	Rosana Smyth	Zara Solomon
Niamh Wilson	Verity Winthrop

Under the leadership of Dr Sarah Avitabile, these Year 8 students participate in different activities including revegetation works, weed removal, litter removal and they go on a walk and talk to discuss different plants along the foreshore.

Project Compassion

During this Lenten season, all Year 8 students and their families are invited to support Project Compassion. Project Compassion is Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal. Millions of Australians come together in solidarity with the world’s poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. For more information, or to donate online, see https://lent.caritas.org.au/ .

Each Year 8 Homeroom has its own Project Compassion Collection Box, so I will be able to announce early in Term 2 with pride which of the seven Year 8 Homerooms raised the most money this year.

We pray that everyone in the Year 8 community will be people of transfiguration during this Lenten season, and beyond.

Bill Fitzsimons
Level Leader: Year 8