Dear Families,

Welcome to this week’s edition of our newsletter! Take your time this week to dig deeper into the newsletter and explore the pages further in, there’s a lot happening and plenty of updates buried within! Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Staff Professional Learning & Development Day

Just a reminder that the school will be closed on Friday 23rd August for a staff professional learning and development day. Please make alternate arrangements for your children.

Feast of St Mary of the Cross

Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of St Mary of the Cross, our first Australian saint. In 1866, as a young teacher in South Australia, Mary and her mentor, Fr Julian Tenison Woods, set in train their pioneering vision: to bring God’s love, learning and healing to children and places where it was lacking. She was a prodigious hard worker who put the needs of others before herself. Her commitment to the schooling of children from poor and rural communities established a model of Catholic education that continues to today. “Remember we are but travellers here” - Mary MacKillop (1873) Mary’s tomb bears these simple words. We read them, and we are reminded that we pass this way but once. Will the world be happier for our having passed through it?

Student & Staff Illnesses

Over the past two weeks, we have noticed a larger number of students coming to school unwell. This is having a flow-on effect on other students and school staff, with illnesses spreading quickly at this time of year. Please ensure your child stays home if unwell.

Renovations & Rubbish Removal

We are very close to the next stage of building renovations beginning which is extremely exciting for us all! A very big thank you to those parents who have been able to assist in removing the last of the rubbish from the Shared Area. These spaces are now clear and ready for the builders to come in and begin their work. We anticipate this work beginning in September but will have details confirmed within the next couple of weeks.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools - School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS)

Throughout each year, we pause to listen to our students, families and staff to gauge how our learning community is travelling. This feedback is invaluable to our progress as effective school communities and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices. I invite you to read the following letter which outlines the process for 2024.

School Tours & Open Days

Since the announcement of the Emmaus College P-12 beginning next year, I have been swamped with school tours! Our previously organised Open Days have now finished, but we have scheduled some new dates for Term 3. Please feel free to share the following with anyone you know who wishes to enrol at Holy Saviour/Emmaus College:

Tuesday 13th Aug - 9.30am
Wednesday 14th Aug - 4pm

Prep 2025 Enrolments

We have had great interest in Prep for 2025, as well as other year levels, and we’ve had a good number of enrolments come through already. If you have a child who is eligible to start Prep in 2025, please submit your enrolment at your earliest convenience. This will enable us to develop a clear picture of classing and group sizes for 2025. Enrolments for 2025 are to be made through the Emmaus portal.

Catholic Secondary School Enrolment Applications

Key Enrolment Dates for Year 5 Students in 2024 starting Year 7 in 2026

The key enrolment dates for students in Year 5 in 2024 who will be starting Year 7 in 2026 have been agreed after consultation with the Executive of the Principals Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (PAVCSS).

The timeline of events and dates are as follows:

Monday 29th January 2024 – Applications open for students commencing Year 7 in 2026.

Friday 16th August 2024 – Applications will close.

Friday 18th October 2024 – Offers will be posted to prospective Year 7 applicants.

Friday 8th November 2024 – Final date for parents/carers to accept an offer made by a school.

Parents of Year 5 students in 2024, please diarise these dates so you don’t miss out.

Final Thoughts ~ Teaching Children That Mistakes Are Okay

The following points come from Dr Justin Coulson, founder of happyfamilies.com.au. He holds a PhD in Psychology and is one of Australia’s most trusted parenting experts.

As our children grow, their fearlessness in the face of mistakes often gives way to a paralysing fear of failure. They become less willing to take risks, try new things, and broaden their experience because of the risk of not getting it “right” straight away. How do we help our kids overcome perfectionism and make friends with mistakes again?

Talk it through - putting words around fear can help minimise it
Share your story - kids want to know when you have tried & failed!
Resilience - making and learning from mistakes builds resilience
Reward the effort - Praise, praise, praise! Build them up to go again.
Practice makes perfect - Provide plenty of opportunity to give it another go.

Read the full article here.

Kind regards,

Steve Evans

Principal

Just For Laughs

Youth Humour