Term 4 Week 3 of 11
Friday, 25th October 2024
Message From the Principal
Dear Parents/Carers,
Thanks for your understanding with us having to close the school down on Monday. With all the rain and wind last Friday afternoon, water began to flow under our Year 1/2 area and spread throughout the night. When I arrived early on Saturday morning, most of the area was covered in water and the water had gone into our power points on the floor that are used for charging computers. I contacted our insurance and a storm recovery company to begin the process of making the room safe. As I write this newsletter, the fans and humidifiers are still operating in the room and I’m waiting for the experts to come and tell us our next step. We will also have to do some work to stop this from happening again. My guess is that all the carpet squares in this area will need to be replaced. I definitely will not let your children back until the area is totally safe for them. In the meantime, our Year 1/2 students are doing well in their makeshift classes. I want to publicly thank our staff for their hard work on Monday in helping get our school ready for Tuesday. Please see some photos of our students in their new learning spaces!
Grade 2B & 2C in the Hall!
GRADE 2A in the Japanese Room
GRADE 1A & 1B in the Performing Arts Room
Below are all the dates for 2025. These dates include starting dates and finishing dates, school closure dates, professional learning dates for our staff and parent teacher interview dates and times. You will notice that on the two parent teacher interview days the school will close at 12pm allowing the interviews to take place over one night in Term One and Term Three. If there are families that cannot pick their children up at 12pm on these two days, the teachers that do not do parent teacher interviews will be able to look after your children. Just like 2024 Preps will not come to school on Wednesdays at the beginning of the year. The first Wednesday that Preps come to school will be Wednesday March 12.
2025 Dates
Thursday January 30 -First Day of School Year 1-6
Monday February 3- First Day for Prep
Thursday February 13 - School Finishes At 12 PM- Parent Teacher Interviews from 12.30-8pm
Monday February 24- School Closure Day Staff Professional Learning
Friday April 4 -Last Day of Term 1
Monday April 21 - First Day of Term 2
Monday May 19 - School Closure Day Staff Professional Learning
Friday July 4 -Last Day of Term 2
Monday July 21 -School Closure Day
Tuesday July 22 - First Day of Term3
Wednesday August 6 - School Finishes at 12pm - Parent Teacher Interviews from 12.30-8pm
Monday August 18- School Closure Day Staff Professional Learning
Friday September 19 - Last Day of Term 3
Monday October 6 School Closure Day
Tuesday October 7 - First Day of Term 3
Monday November 4 -School Closure - Day before Melbourne Cup Holiday
Tuesday November 5- Melbourne Cup Holiday
Tuesday December 16- Last Day of School 3.15pm finish
God Bless,
Deputy Principal: Wellbeing & Community
This week we got to see the Resilience skills of our students and staff in action as we navigated moving 5 of our junior school classrooms into other locations throughout the school. Resilience is defined as “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.”
Adapted from the APA Dictionary of Psychology
As a The Resilience Project Partnership school, Resilience is a key focus of our wellbeing program. It is also one of our PBL values. On Tuesday morning, it was wonderful to hear many of our students using Gratitude and Empathy strategies highlight that it could have been a worse situation and what an opportunity to experience something different. Well done to our Junior school students for modeling such amazing Resilience!
As a The Resilience Project partner school, our students in Grade 4-6 undertake the Resilient Youth Wellbeing survey yearly. Resilient Youth is an organisation who aim to measurably improve the mental health and resilience of young people with science-backed surveys and evidence-based programs.
Late last term our leadership team was presented with our Resilient Youth data. As we have been part of The Resilience Project for a number of years, we are now able to triangulate our data sets from year to year to track our student’s group in the area of wellbeing and mental health.
Please find some of these data sets as listed below from the 2023 school year to the 2024 school year.
Our students were also asked the following question: “If you could magically do anything, what is one thing that you would do to support the wellbeing of young people?” Here are a handful of their responses
“I can support young people by helping others, being kind and forgiving people that do bad things.”
Female, Year 4
“Take away device charges so they will eventually go flat and they will not be able to use them.”
Female, Year 6
“I would just want them to know that there will always be a person who will understand you and to open up if there is a problem you can't fix.”
Male, Year 6
“Bring them to school to have education”
Male, Year 5
God Bless,
Deputy Principal: Learning & Organisation
Art & Cultural Show
It is that time of year again where we look forward to our Art & Cultural Show which will be held next Wednesday 30th October at 4pm - 6pm. Due to the relocation of classrooms in the Junior building and the hall, we have relocated the exhibition to the main building, beginning at the front reception. From here, you will be guided through our hallways which will be filled with our amazing displays created by each of our artists in Prep all the way to Grade 6!
Please note that the Sausage sizzle will be held in the shared courtyard near the Visual Art room. Payment for the sausage sizzle, face painting and caricaturist will be CASH ONLY.
Payments at the coffee van can be made by EFTPOS processed using the square.
There will be plenty of signage and staff to guide you through the displays and we will finish the afternoon with the Cultural Parade which begins at 5:30 in the courtyard with over 250 of our students taking part and celebrating our rich cultural diversity at our school.
Year 5 Camp - Parent Information Night
In Week 9 of Term 4, our Year 5 students will be heading off to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat for their three-day camp on Wednesday 4th - Friday 6th December.
We will be holding a Parent Information Session in the hall at 5pm in Week 6 on Wednesday 13th November. An Operoo has been sent to all Grade 5 families. Please respond to the Operoo as soon as possible so that we can organise seating for the session.
Reminder Parent Parking
Drop Off & Pickup Procedures
We have a very orderly way of managing vehicles that enter the school for the purpose of drop off or pick up.
The following link provides access to a great little movie clip of just what this looks like
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GolnvrsidNptHMWXyvOkOpYeU6Cim8t/view?usp=sharing
Where Do I Park If I Have Made an Appointment to Meet with A Teacher?
Parents or carers who have made an appointment to meet or catch up with a teacher after school, are asked to park at the very back of the school carpark.
There is always a staff member on duty from 2.30pm in the car park. Signal to the staff member of your intention. You’ll receive a big smile in return as in doing so prevents the car park from getting clogged up when everyone else wants and needs to leave.
Please do not park in the staff car park to drop of your child/ren.
SUNDAY GOSPEL
This Sunday’s reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Mark (10:46 - 52)
Master, grant that I may see.
As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up; he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.
Gospel Reflection
This passage from the Gospel of Mark draws to a close a significant section of the gospel. It stretches from 8:22 to this passage, 10:52. Like other examples in the Gospel of Mark, the stories at the beginning and end of the section are related and shed light on what they surround. Like this passage, the event at the beginning of the section is an account of the healing of a blind man. Contained within the two healings of blindness, as we have seen over the last six weeks, is an extended lesson on discipleship. Within this section, Jesus speaks about his upcoming death on three occasions and each time the disciples display their own form of blindness when they fail to understand what Jesus is trying to tell them quite explicitly. In this section, we have heard that discipleship involves suffering and hardship; it means placing one’s own needs last and the needs of others first; and that discipleship is all about faith.
In this healing of blind Bartimaeus, we see all the hallmarks of what Jesus has been trying to teach the disciples in the preceding episodes. As a blind man, Bartimaeus would be regarded as ‘imperfect’ – incomplete – and consequently in a permanent state of uncleanliness. He would not be allowed to live within the bounds of normal society, nor have contact with people. So it is that Jesus encounters Bartimaeus on the side of the road, outside the city walls as he is leaving Jericho. Learning that it is Jesus passing by, Bartimaeus calls on Jesus to help him and the crowd tries to shut him up and remind him of his status. But Jesus calls Bartimaeus to him and, placing the needs of the other first, asks ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ When Bartimaeus makes his request, Jesus announces that it his faith that has saved him and his sight is restored. Bartimaeus, like a good disciple, then follows Jesus on the road.
Scriptural context - Blindness
Blindness is a powerful metaphor that is used repeatedly throughout scripture. It is almost always a metaphor for blindness of heart or blindness of mind rather than a purely physical affliction. There are multiple accounts of healing blindness in the gospel. Saul/Paul is blinded on the road to Damascus and only has his sight restored when he is baptised. The Pharisees are described as being ‘blind fools’ and there the prophets make numerous references to blind seeing as a sign of the Messiah’s arrival. It is a very powerful image of being ‘blind’ to truth and ‘blind’ to the teaching of Jesus.
Have you thought? On the side of the road…
When Jesus encounters Bartimaeus he is sitting by the side of the road – a reject of society sitting off to the side as the world passes him by. There are times in all of our lives when we feel like this: hurt; ashamed; unloved; rejected; cast aside. It is at these moments in our lives that Jesus really wants to ‘break through’ into our experience. If we allow ourselves to hear his voice calling us to him, then we too can ‘throw off our cloak’ – our old life – and join him on the road.
Living the Gospel – Bartimaeus, a model?
Bartimaeus is a man who has almost nothing in life. His blindness has made him outcast and he is reduced to begging on the side of the road. When he is called to Jesus he jumps up and casts off what may well be his only real possession – his cloak. Yet what he does have in abundance is faith and hope. When asked what he wants Jesus to do, his answer may seem obvious, but his desire to see goes beyond physical sight. He asks for the sight of one who truly believes and to whom the truth of Jesus is revealed. In this way, he is a model to all who would be disciples.
All Souls Day
All Souls' Day commemorates the faithful departed. It is a day of prayer and remembrance for the souls of those who have died. We will pray for all souls who have departed on 2nd & 3rd November during all Masses. Parishioners will be asked to come forward and place the names of their loved ones who have passed at the foot of the cross.
Remembrance Book
In our Remembrance Book we record the names of loved ones who have died so we can pray for them especially during November. If there is someone whose name you haven't recorded in the book, you are welcome to do so. The Remembrance Book will be brought up during the offertory possession at each weekend Mass, as a gesture of the whole community praying for them.
Student of the Week Awards
Week 3
Prep A
Sophie Duddington & Leesa Walsh
Dau-Athiei D - For showing such motivation in his writing by recording the sounds he could hear and attempting new, challenging words. Keep up the fantastic work Dau!
Prep B
Jacinta Polh
Victor VTP - For showing your determination when making 3D shapes using sticks and play-doh even when it was getting tricky. Well done, Victor!
Prep C
Carla Tirotta
Amayah J L - For working independently to write about the connections you made to the story we read as a class. You are doing a wonderful job having a go at writing unfamiliar words.
One B
Matt Galea
Bill B - For showing continued development in his learning, by ensuring he remains focussed, engages in classroom discussions and seeks support where needed.
One C
Thomas Pham
Dylan N - For being a risk-taker at Junior swimming and giving all the drills your best effort. Well done Dylan!
Two A
Belinda Collins
Jordan N - For being responsible and organised during swimming lessons. Keep up the great work Jordan!!
Two B
Liz Micallef
Mary C - For showing excellent effort in her recount writing. Keep up the good work, Mary.
Two C
Dorothy Hall
Amelia L - For being a responsible and organised learner both before and during swimming lessons.
Three A
Ella Nowak
Mia R - For being a risk-taker in her learning by working independently to solve division equations using a hundreds chart. Keep up the amazing learning Mia!
Three B
Kurt Cuguin
Isaac V - For being respectful and responsible, taking great care to keep his workspace tidy and being ready to learn. Keep it up Isaac!
Three C
Joss Coaley
Nathan Z - For your fantastic return to learning in Term 4, focusing on your tasks and asking for help! Keep up the incredible work!
Linda D - For your amazing efforts with your sustainability project, we cannot wait to see the finished efforts at the Sustainability Expo. Well done Linda!
Four A
Joy M - For being a resilient learner when challenging himself to create four and five digit numbers and applying strategies learnt to solve the equations. Amazing work Joy!
Four B
Isla H - For being a resilient learner when answering questions during class discussions! Keep up the great work Isla!
Four C
Kayla V - For demonstrating outstanding research and planning skills in preparation for the Sustainability Expo. Your passion is inspiring! Great work Kayla!
Five A
Lavina Stewart
Makur M - For showing enthusiasm and completing learning tasks independently about our Literacy study text ‘Convict Boy’. Well done Makur!
Five B
Malae Suaesi
Eunice Z - For being a risk-taker and reflective learner when asking questions and taking notes from an information report. Well done!
Five C
Rosie Nojdek
Selena H - For being an exceptional student role model, persevering, trying new things, listening attentively and sharing her ideas with others. Proud of you Selena.
Six A
Katherine Salloum
Achai M - For being an active member of 6A by responding to questions about our novel study ‘Once’ and actively participating in class conversations.
Six B
Lena Aloi
Adrienne D - For consistently demonstrating exceptional dedication to her learning and always asking for assistance when she isn’t confident in set tasks. Well done!
Alex L - For always having a friendly attitude toward all his peers and always showing support and encouragement to those in need. Well done!
Six C
Jake Moloney
Jasper H - For actively participating in class discussions and providing his thoughts and ideas in Literacy and Numeracy lessons
Tyesse P - For being a risk taker during Numeracy lessons by asking the teacher for assistance to further her understanding of multiplying decimals and giving them a go!
Japanese:
Yumiko Aiki
Elijah C (3A) - For being an exceptional learner in the Japanese class by using effective language learning strategies to memorise words and sentences. Well done Elijah!
Performing Arts:
Jody Banks
Moses T (3A) - For his consistently outstanding music skills, excellent recorder playing and exemplary behavior. Keep up the amazing musicianship, Moses!
Visual Arts:
Emma Lyons-Pell & Tosh Kaan
Monda Maniel (1B) - For creating a unique collage titled “The Mysterious Newspaper” using different shapes and colours. Well done Monda!
S T E M:
Matt Dalton
Kelechi O (3A) - For demonstrating resilience when learning new programming skills. Well done Kelechi!
P.E:
Jen Barresi
Olivia G (6C) - Displaying empathy, kindness and compassion to others. Well done on continuously modeling this positive behaviour.
TERM FOUR DATES
Week 4
Monday - 28/10
Saints Simon and Jude
Exec Team 9.30 – 11.00am
Whole School Assembly 2.30pm
Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday - 29/10
Wednesday - 30/10
Grade 5 Interrelate Program (1 of 3)
Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Thursday - 31/10
Friday - 1/11
All Saints
Saturday - 2/11
The Commemoration Of All The Faithful Departed
Sunday - 3/11
31st Sunday In Ordinary Time
Week 5
Monday - 4/11
Saint Charles Borromeo
School Closure Day
Tuesday - 5/11
Melbourne Cup Day – Public Holiday
Wednesday - 6/11
Grade 5 Interrelate Program (2 of 3)
Semper Dental Van
Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Thursday - 7/11
Semper Dental Van
Friday - 8/11
Semper Dental Van
Saturday - 9/11
Sunday - 10/11
32nd Sunday In Ordinary Time
Year 1/2 Sunday Family Mass 10:30am
Week 6
Monday - 11/11
Saint Martin of Tours
Remembrance Day
Exec Team 9.30 – 10.30am
Whole School Assembly 2.30pm
Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday - 12/11
Saint Josaphat
Wednesday - 13/11
Grade 5 Interrelate Program (3 of 3)
Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Thursday - 14/11
Friday - 15/11
Saint Albert the Great
2025 Prep Transition Session 1
Year Level Mass followed by morning tea: Grade 1/2
Saturday - 16/11
Saint Gertrude
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Sunday - 17/11
33rd Sunday In Ordinary Time
Week 7
Monday - 18/11
Exec Team 9.30 – 11.00am
Whole School Assembly 2.30pm
Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday - 19/11
Wednesday - 20/11
Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Thursday - 21/11
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Friday - 22/11
Saint Cecilia
2025 Prep Transition Session 2
Saturday - 23/11
Sunday - 24/11
Solemnity Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King Of The Universe
Year 3/4 Sunday Family Mass 10:30am
Week 8
Monday - 25/11
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Exec Team 9.30 – 11.00am
Whole School Assembly 2.30pm
Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday - 26/11
Parent Support Group Meetings
Parent Advisory Council 7.00pm – 8.00pm
Wednesday - 27/11
Parent Support Group Meetings
Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Thursday - 28/11
Parent Support Group Meetings
Friday - 29/11
2025 Prep Transition Session 3
Year Level Mass followed by morning tea: Grade 3/4
Saturday - 30/11
Saint Andrew
Sunday - 1/12
1st Sunday Of Advent
Week 9
Monday - 2/12
2025 Student Transition Day 1 (Prep – Grade 5’s)
Exec Team 9.30 – 11.00am
Whole School Assembly 2.30pm
Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday - 3/12
Saint Francis Xavier
Parent Support Group Meetings
Wednesday - 4/12
Saint John Damascene
Staff Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Grade 5 Camp - Sovereign Hill (Ballarat)
Thursday - 5/12
Parent Support Group Meetings
Grade 5 Camp - Sovereign Hill (Ballarat)
Friday - 6/12
Saint Nicholas
2025 Prep Transition Session 4
Grade 5 Camp - Sovereign Hill (Ballarat)
Reports due to leadership
Saturday - 7/12
Saint Ambrose
Sunday - 8/12
2nd Sunday Of Advent
Week 10
Monday - 9/12
The Immaculate Conception Of The Blessed Virgin Mary
2025 Student Transition Day 2 (Prep – Grade 5s)
Exec Team 9.30 – 11.00am
Whole School Assembly 2.30pm
Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday - 10/12
Our Lady of Loreto
Wednesday - 11/12
Saint Damasus I
Carols By Candlelight 6.00pm - 7.30pm
Report changes completed
Thursday - 12/12
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Friday - 13/12
Grade 6 Big Day Out
2025 Prep Transition Session 5
Saint Lucy
Saturday - 14/12
Saint John of the Cross
Sunday - 15/12
3rd Sunday of Advent
Week 11
Monday - 16/12
Grade 6 Graduation Liturgy & Presentation Night 6.00pm
Reports sent out
Exec Team 9.30 – 11.00am
Team Leaders Meeting 3.30pm - 4:30 pm
Tuesday - 17/12
Whole School Mass 9.00am
End of Year Award Ceremony
Last Day Of Term (3.15pm Finish)
Wednesday - 18/12
School Closure Day - Handover Day
Thursday - 19/12
School Closure Day - End of Year Staff Lunch
Friday - 20/12
School Closure - Time in Lieu Day
Saturday - 21/12
Sunday - 22/12
4th Sunday of Advent
