Remembering Annalise and Celebrating Her Life

Today, many in our school community will have watched the funeral and thanksgiving service for Annalise Roy. Last week families were provided the link in order to watch our own school memorial service.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the many people who worked together to create this reflection on Annalise’s life and her contribution to our school. This is a small insight into the involvement of many people.

  • Annalise’s friends and classmates were joined by Erin, Annalise’s Year 5 buddy, to share memories
  • Year 4 families looked through their family photos and submitted images of Annalise on play dates and at parties
  • Tilarni, Mr Hall and Mrs Kyne organised a virtual choir of students from Years 6 to 9
  • Staff members from across the school added their memories of Annalise in a shared document
  • Students from Prep to Year 6 contributed messages, drawings and poems
  • Families have posted messages on our condolences page

In this sad and challenging time, we have come together to honour Annalise in so many different ways. Amidst such tragedy, this has brought me comfort and I am very grateful to each student, staff member and parent who was involved.

My sincere and humble thanks.

Open Eyes, Open Hearts

Children have such a beautiful curiosity about the world. My son has just started saying, ‘What’s that Mummy?’ and by ‘that’ I mean he is saying it repeatedly, sometimes in the space of minutes.

It’s a cliché and yet it is true that looking at the world through the eyes of another changes the way you view the world. Ordinary, everyday things are now worthy of stopping for as we explore what ‘that’ is.

In this time of communal sadness and grief about so many things, it is also an opportunity to pause and to look more closely and to wonder, ‘What’s that in my life?’ ‘Is that what I want in my life?’ Perhaps also on our walks around our 5km limit we can consider, ‘What’s that?’ and look a little more closely at the emerging flowers and blossoms.

In this season of our lives—our lives in lockdown—it is tempting to close our eyes and hearts a little. It is understandable. Yet the beautiful symbolism of Spring is to be more open.

May you sense and respond to God’s invitation to see more, care more and love more.

May God give us the strength to do so.

Thoughts and Prayers for our CGS Community

As a school community, we extend our heartfelt and deep condolences to the Giampiccolo family, particularly Alyssa and Michael (Year 12) and their father Darren on the passing of their mother, Grace. They remain in our prayers as they prepare her funeral and remember Grace’s love.

We pray for Alyssa and Michael’s extended family and friends at this very sad time.

Monique Riviere-Pendle

Chaplain