The Year 4 and 5 students across our parishes have been preparing to receive the Eucharist for the first time. As part of their preparation, they participated in a Reflection Day which was hosted at Our Lady of Good Counsel parish school. Students spent the day exploring the sacrament through a range of engaging activities such as cooking, code-breaking, art, role play, and exploring symbols in the church. They were able to build on the understandings that they had learnt in class and reflect on scripture and the liturgy.

Several students shared what the day meant to them and their excitement looking forward to celebrating the Sacrament.

Matilda I feel very lucky that we got to do a Eucharist reflection day and I am looking forward to making my communion soon. One of my favourite things was doing code breaking with Miss Dustow. Our team struggled a little bit but we opened the safe just as the time ran out. When we opened the safe, all our faces lit up at the sight of seeing lollies. Another activity I enjoyed was practising going up to receive communion with Miss Kennedy. Baking the bread stood out to me because it was fun to be able to do cooking at school. I learnt about altar serving and that we can actually become one. I also got to wear the special robe that the altar server gets to wear. I would like to find out more about how to become an altar server, as I may be interested in possibly becoming one.

Chanel It was fun to learn more about the Eucharist. I’m looking forward to having the bread and wine-body and blood. It felt good to share my feelings and thoughts on communion.

Anki The learning activity in the church taught me a lot about what to do when the day finally comes that I can make my First Eucharist. When doing this activity, I learnt how to receive the bread from the priest and how to find a particular section in the bible. I would like to find out more about the things in the church like the tabernacle. The day was a wonderful experience!

Zoe I liked the code breaking because we had to figure out how to unlock the box. I learnt so much about the Last Supper. I learnt how you have to bow and what to do when you go up to the altar. I am looking forward to celebrating my First Eucharist with my family and friends. I feel more connected to God now because I learnt so much.

Juliette Spending a day learning about the Eucharist was amazing. I’m very grateful for the teachers who organised the day, it was something that really stood out to me. We did a lot of thrilling things which made the day even better, like going across the park for lunch, getting free morning tea, getting to wear free dress and the best part was that we had our playtime when no one else was there. When we were making the bread we got to set up little tables just like the last supper. At the end of the day, some of our mums and dads came to have a cup of tea. It was really fun.

Anika All the activities were very fun and we learnt from all of them. We learnt all about Jesus and the meaning of the Eucharist. The activities that I enjoyed were code breaking, making bread and learning about Eucharist in the church. Code breaking was all about working as a team and figuring out all the clues to get inside the box. It was very challenging but I found it nice how all the clues were related to Jesus and the Bible, and I also loved when we cracked the code and got the lollies! I also enjoyed making the bread, as my group and I could relax and talk. We learnt about the bread as a symbol and that Jesus gave it out at the Last Supper. After making the bread, we got to set up the table and later got to eat together as a group at the table. My other favourite activity was the church activity because we learnt about how to be respectful and reverent in the church and how to go up for the bread. The things I learnt were how to use the bible and all about Jesus and how to grow closer to him. I really enjoyed the day and think it was a valuable experience for all the children that are preparing for their First Eucharist.

We wish them well in their upcoming celebrations.

By Hayley Dustow
RE Leader