Deputy Principal's Report

St. Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal

We are currently collecting donations for the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal and warmly invite families to contribute if they are able. A huge thank you to our wonderful Year 6 Social Justice Leaders, Harry, Sam, Layla and Allegra for their leadership skills and initiative in supporting such an important cause through their leadership role.

Items can be placed in the tubs located in classroom spaces or delivered to the front office foyer. Your generosity is deeply appreciated, as all donations go directly to support individuals and families within our parish and school community who are experiencing hardship and living without the essentials many of us take for granted. Thank you for your continued compassion and support of this important appeal.

Whole School Focus: Respect

Across our school, from Prep to Year 6, we are placing a strong focus on respect. Respect for each other, for our adults and for our learning environment.

We understand that all students, at every age, have moments where they find it difficult to focus or need some time and support to regulate their emotions. This is completely normal and something we actively support in our classrooms. A student who is feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or dysregulated may need access to tools and strategies to help them get back on track and our teachers are here to help with that. This might look like a student needing a movement break, some quiet time, or a calm conversation with a trusted adult.

However, it is important that we distinguish this from disrespectful behaviour, which is something we are addressing as a whole school. Disrespectful behaviour includes:

Talking back to or arguing with teachers and other adults on duty
Using rude or unkind language
Ignoring reasonable instructions or walking away when being spoken to
Making negative comments or being dismissive in class or on the yard
Eye-rolling, huffing, or other dismissive body language directed at adults

These behaviours impact not only the learning environment, but also the culture and tone of our whole school community.

We ask that families support us by having conversations at home about the importance of speaking respectfully to adults, even when students disagree or are feeling frustrated. We always encourage students to share how they are feeling, and are encouraged to do so in a respectful and appropriate way.

Our staff will continue to respond with care and consistency, and we appreciate your partnership in helping every student at our school feel safe, respected, and ready to learn.

Year 3/4 Legoland

This week, our Year 3 and Year 4 students visited LEGOLAND for an exciting excursion linked to their current Science unit. Throughout the day, students engaged in hands-on activities that deepened their understanding of forces and motion. They designed and built spring launcher models and cars, then tested how different wheel sizes and varying weights impacted speed and distance. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to apply their learning in a fun, practical setting, working collaboratively to investigate and explore scientific ideas in action. Shout out to the wonderful Parents who volunteered their time and our fantastic Year 3 and 4 teachers for their time on the day.

Year 1/2 Science Unit

Through the Science unit in Year 1 and 2, students were given the opportunity to create their own musical instrument at home in collaboration with their families. It was fantastic to see the wide range and creativity of instruments that were brought into school. Thank you to our wonderful Year 1 and 2 parents for their time, support, and involvement in their child’s learning. Students have been exploring how vibration and energy create music through actions such as drumming, banging, strumming, and other forces that produce sound. Shout out to our wonderful Year 1 and 2 teachers for their planning as well!!

StoryBox Library

We know that many of our families and students are currently enjoying reading at home, which is wonderful to see. Narelle, our librarian, would like to share an online website that families can access together to listen to and watch some of your favourite stories. Using the link and login details provided below, you can explore a wide range of engaging and high-quality books. We encourage you to take some time as a family to enjoy these stories together and continue building a love of reading at home.

The login details for parents are :

Username: STFINBARS

Password: brighton

There are many excellent stories for families to share, including longer stories for older children, and many non-fiction topics. We hope you enjoy!!

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Peggy McDonald & Laura Zeeng