Welcome Back to Another Exciting Year at St Brigid’s!

A Community of Hope – Pilgrims of Hope

This year, as the Church marks the Jubilee Year, we reflect on what it means to be Pilgrims of Hope — people who walk forward with faith, courage, and trust in God’s plan. At St Brigid’s, our school theme of Hope will guide our learning, relationships, and daily interactions, encouraging our students to embrace kindness, resilience, and a deep sense of belonging in our community.

As we embark on this new school year together, we wish all our families a wonderful start filled with joy, growth, and shared moments of faith and learning. Looking forward to a fantastic year ahead!

As we settle into the new school year, we’d like to share a few important reminders and updates to ensure a smooth and positive start for everyone.

"Loving God,

As we begin this new year,

we come before You as pilgrims on a shared journey -

seeking Your guidance, strength, and hope.

Grant us the wisdom to nurture our students with love and patience,

the courage to face challenges with faith,

and the joy to celebrate each step along the way.Bless our school community,

that we may be a source of light and encouragement for one another.

Help us to walk together in unity, bringing hope to all we encounter.

We entrust our hopes and dreams for 2025 into Your loving hands,

confident that You walk with us every step of the way.

We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen."

Exciting School Updates

We are thrilled to share that major renovations and upgrades took place over the holidays! Check out our new glass doors, two additional learning spaces, and refreshed facilities.

Our new Prep students started their journey with us yesterday, bringing smiles and enthusiasm to their first day of school. A special welcome to our new families—we’re so excited to have you as part of our St Brigid’s community!

We also extend a warm welcome to our new staff members:

Kate Jackson (Year 3/4)
Genetta Arthrell (Year 5/6)
Ashley Hill (Prep)

General Reminders

For any messages regarding your child — such as an early pick-up or late arrival — please contact the school office directly. The office team will ensure that the roll is updated and will support the process efficiently. When notifying us about absences or changes, please include both your child’s teacher and the office. You can also use Operoo for absentee notifications.

Drop-Off & Morning Routine

Supervision begins at 8:30 AM, and we kindly remind families that students arriving before this time are not supervised. In the event of an incident, parents remain responsible for their child’s wellbeing before staff are on duty.

Our morning routines have now begun, offering students the opportunity to either engage in a quiet activity in their classroom or play outside on the basketball court. At 8:47 AM, music signals the start of the day, and students in Years 1–6 will gather with their class for morning meditation and prayer. Family members are welcome to join this reflective time, but we ask that you do so quietly and respectfully to maintain a calm and focused transition into the day. Families not joining their child's class are encouraged to leave the Learning Street by the time the music finishes, continuing any conversations outside, as this gentle start to the day is an important part of setting students up for success.

For our Prep students, the transition looks a little different. During the first few weeks, they will begin their day with play-based activities in the Prep Hub before moving into structured learning.

At 8:50 AM, the foyer doors will close, and students arriving after this time will need to wait until morning meditation has concluded before entering their classrooms.

As of week 2, Monday 3rd February, all classes will be dismissed from the grass area for safety considerations of both students, and those needing to access the office at the end of the day. We kindly ask you to refrain from waiting in the foyer or blocking the front entry to the school.

Specialist Timetable for Term 1

Uniform

Students wear their formal school uniform on Mondays and days when they don’t have a PE lesson in the timetable.

Sport Uniform is worn on their allocated PE day.

On Fridays it is optional for students to wear their formal or sport uniform.

Teachers will advise what to wear for school excursions via Operoo forms.

150th Celebration of St. Brigid’s Church

Please see below additions to our newsletter outlining both the installations of the pavers and details of the day. An Operoo has also been sent out this afternoon asking for a rough estimate of numbers for catering purposes. Our parishoners are so excited to share the history of our church and parish with you all at this milestone event so we hope you can come along for some portion of the day to help us celebrate.

Upcoming Events & Important Notices

📌 150th Celebration of St Brigid’s Church – Join us next Sunday, 9th February for a special Mass at 11am, and activities and sausage sizzle between 12pm and 4pm, with an opportunity to learn about St Brigid and the history of our church.

📌 Before & After School Care Coming in Term 2

We’re pleased to announce that onsite before and after-school care will be available in Term 2. More details to come! In the meantime, staff are rostered to walk students to the Gisborne Primary gate to meet the Camp Australia group.

📌 Gisborne Bus Service

If your child will be catching the new Gisborne bus service from the front of St Brigid’s, please notify us so we can support them in safely crossing the busy service road at the end of the day.

📌 Parking & Drop-Off Reminders –

Angled parking at the front of the school is designated for families who wish to walk their child in.
Curbside parking along the front is for quick drop-offs only.

📌 Stay Connected –

Operoo – For event permissions and important safety notifications.
Newsletter – For dates, general updates, and key school information.
Seesaw – For class reminders and teacher updates.
Social Media – For highlights and moments we love sharing with our wider community.

Introducing Auslan at St Brigid’s in 2025

As part of the Victorian Curriculum, all primary schools must teach a language. Following recent feedback from families and staff, there was a strong preference for Auslan, and we are excited to introduce it as our school’s language program in 2025.

To support this, we will implement staff training days, employ a language assistant, and establish a partnership with Salesian College, which has a school for the Deaf onsite. This collaboration will enrich our learning community and foster greater inclusivity.

Learning Auslan not only builds connections between the hearing and Deaf communities but also opens doors for future career pathways in fields like education, healthcare, and community services. A co-learning approach means our teachers will model curiosity, empathy, and resilience—values we aim to instill in our students.

We are currently working with MACS to implement next steps, with formal instruction, assessment and reporting beginning in 2026.

Canteen Feedback

Thank you to families who provided canteen feedback—this has been shared with our provider, and we now offer three days of canteen on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Counter sales will be on a Friday only. Information has been shared with families via the Flexischools App, or alternatively download the Flexischools App and search for our school using the word Gisborne and you will find St Brigid’s in the list. If you have any questions or need help with the app please contact Nicole on 0410 029 243.

We also appreciate your input on birthday celebrations at St Brigid’s. Your feedback will help shape how we acknowledge student birthdays in a way that reflects our school values and community expectations.

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