PREP

Wow week 9 and what an exciting week it is!!

Thank you to all our Prep families who came to a Learning Conversation. We are very appreciative of the time you took out of your day to celebrate your child’s amazing Prep year. The Preps were so excited after sharing their special books with you and we are sure they will love to show other special people in their lives.

This Friday (tomorrow) is our final Prep Prayer Gathering!! We have been practicing very hard for this and cannot wait to share it all with you!

In Numeracy, we have started looking at Money! We have been very busy exploring all of the different Australian notes and coins. We have completed coin caterpillars, money bingo and some pop up shops.

We are continuing our Daily Reviews for literacy and are so excited to start our Christmas themed LLLL writing picture prompts next week.

Move up day for the whole school has been changed. It is now on Thursday the 12th of December in the afternoon. This is when your child will find out which teacher/s they have and will be able to come home and tell you.

“I love playing with my friends and doing my weekend writing!” - Rosie Edwards

“I like playing with the toys and learning about money!”- Tate Congram

“I love my friends and my teachers!”- Jude Downard

“I have liked playing in the playground and being with my friends!” Connie Ackerley

Gemma Blake gblake@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Meg Knight mknight@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 1/2

Can you believe it’s already December? What a whirlwind year it has been! As we look back on 2024, we are absolutely beaming with pride over the incredible achievements of our Year 1 and 2 students.

We’d love to kick off today’s newsletter with the BIGGEST shoutout to Shae, Andre, and Hope for making our Active, Happy, and Healthy in Colac excursion a roaring success! From tackling challenges at One Movement that had our students motivated and engaged, to dancing up a storm at Shae’k’It Studios, and winding down with a beautifully relaxing yoga session with Kids That Grow – it was a day filled with fun, energy, and inspiration! We hope your children came away with a renewed excitement for staying active in our wonderful local community.

A heartfelt thank-you to all the families who joined us for Learning Conversations this week. These moments to reflect, share, and celebrate your children’s growth and achievements are truly invaluable. We love partnering with you on this learning journey!

Today, we also had our Bravehearts incursion! The students thoroughly enjoyed learning new strategies and life skills, and we’re so proud of the enthusiasm they brought to the session.

Looking ahead, here are some important dates to mark in your calendars:

Wednesday, 11th December – End of Year Graduation Liturgy Join us for a special evening at St Mary’s Church to celebrate this milestone.

Thursday, 12th December – Move Up Day Students will meet their 2025 teachers and find out their new classes!

Tuesday, 17th December – Carols on the Court Get ready to sing along as each class performs a carol! Families are warmly invited to join us for this festive event. More details will be shared soon on Dojo.

As the year winds down, please continue to keep an eye on Class Dojo for updates and extra information. Let’s make these last weeks of 2024 as memorable as the rest of the year has been.

"I loved going to Andre's gym" - Adelaide B

"I loved pulling Matt along on the weights for the tug-of-war" - Axel O

Judy Carr jcarr@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Jodie Hassett jhassett@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Paula Parish pparish@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Emma Roberts eroberts@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Matt O'Dowd modowd@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Amanda Delorenzo mdelorenzo@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 3/4

We are close to the finish line and what a year it has been!

Thank you for attending Learning Conversations. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase all the wonderful work our Year 3 and 4 students have done this Semester.

In Religion lessons we have been learning about the Origin story of Jesus which is appropriate as we have entered the Advent season. We used superheroes to show how they had their origin stories and how we can be our own everyday superhero that is shaped by the special people, places and events in our lives.

We have lots of fun activities coming up as a celebration of what has been a wonderful year of learning and growing together. Keep an eye out on PAM for for permissions for our bowling and movie days.

We asked a few students to see what the highlight of their year was:

'I loved going to Ballarat for the GWR athletics!' Alfie H

'My highlight this year was camp in Warrnambool' Frankie G

'I had the best time on our Bounce excursion!' Nyabiech G

'I loved going to Kangaroobie, the obstacle course was my favorite.' Paddy M

'Camp was my favourite and I loved the water games.' Jiya J

'I loved drawing pictures for my teachers.' Mia L-A

'We loved Bounce and sport's day!' Tom H and Finn H

Elissa Rodger erodger@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Deb Holland dholland@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Liza Alexander lalexander@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Kascha Blair kblair@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Matt Absalom mabsalom@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 5/6

With only a week and a half left of the school year, it’s been a whirlwind of activity, and there’s still so much more to come!

Winter Sport Catch-Up Day

Last week, we finally got to enjoy our catch-up Winter Sport day against Sacred Heart. The kids had a fantastic time getting out on the field, showing great teamwork, and making up for the missed matches. It was a day full of energy and smiles!

Intraschool Games

This week and next, we’re keeping the competitive spirit alive with intraschool games between the Grade 5 and Grade 6 students. It’s a wonderful way to bring the school community together and celebrate the skills and camaraderie of our students.

Move Up Day

Next week marks Move Up Day—a big step for the kids as they get a glimpse of their new classes for next year. If your child is feeling a bit nervous about the transition, please let us know. We’re here to support them and make the day as smooth as possible.

Important Dates to Remember

End of Year Liturgy/Graduation: Wednesday, 11th December at 6pm. It’s a special evening to reflect on the year and celebrate our students' achievements.
Grade 5 End of Year Celebration: Friday, 13th December. The Grade 5’s will be heading off to the pool and cinema—a well-deserved day of fun!
Grade 6 Adventure Park Trip: Monday, 16th December. Our Grade 6 students will wrap up their time with us by heading to Adventure Park for some thrilling memories.
Carols on the Courts: Tuesday, 17th December. This is always a highlight of the year, with lots of festive cheer and fun performances.

Thank you for all your support during this busy time of year. We’re looking forward to sharing these final moments of 2024 with you and your wonderful children!

Jade LoRicco jloricco@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Rachel Downard rdownard@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Leah Martin lmartin@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Dan Cannon dcannon@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Jess Montano jmontano@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Birthday Wishes