Dear Parents,

Welcome back for Term Four!

I trust you all enjoyed the school holiday break and found some quality time together as a family. I hope it wasn’t too difficult to wake up on Monday morning last week with the change to daylight saving hours!

We seem to have hit the ground running and are quickly back into the school routine. Term Four is the longest term for 2024, with a total of 11 weeks. However, our students in Year 6 will finish on Friday 13th December at 3.30pm, with Years Prep-5 finishing on Tuesday 17th December at 1pm. The Year 6 students traditionally finish earlier than the rest of the students following Graduation and various end of year activities.

As always, please refer to the dates on the calendar section of this newsletter for all school events. I would also like to encourage all families to check out our School Blog on a regular basis. This platform, also accessible in the newsletter, provides a snapshot of what is happening at school. The blog is updated on a regular basis by our staff and students - check it out!

There has been a lot happening at school during our school holiday break. Spring is the ideal time for school maintenance, particularly outdoors. Carpet cleaning, air conditioner servicing and garden maintenance, just to name a few. We also had a new phone system installed which is great news, as the previous system contained a few gremlins! At our Monday morning assembly our SRC reps reminded students of the importance of looking after our school environment, both inside and out. We take great pride in all aspects of our school, keeping it safe, tidy and litter free. Could I also remind parents to clearly label all school uniform items, including hats, to reduce the number of items finding their way to lost property. It is much easier to return a school uniform item when it is clearly named.

Prep 2025 Transition

This Friday we will welcome our Prep children for 2025 for the beginning of their Transition Program. We will provide three transition sessions as an opportunity for the children to familiarise themselves with the school environment and to meet the Prep teaching team. More than half of our Prep enrolment are new families to Holy Trinity, so the program also allows our new parents to ask lots of questions prior to our Parent Information Night in late November.

As part of the transition process we will begin visiting kindergartens / early learning centres and facilitating some PSGs for students who may require additional support in transitioning into school. These important visits and meetings ensure we are better prepared to meet the needs of each and every student. Essentially it is the beginning of a home / school partnership which is critical throughout the primary years for the development of the spiritual, academic and social needs of all students.

Showcase of learning - Thursday 24th October (3.30pm - 5pm)

We are planning an open classroom visit for students to showcase their learning. Please save the date - all welcome. The students are very excited to be able to share what they have been learning. You don’t have to stay for the duration of the afternoon so feel free to take your child home for a snack and return before 5pm.

KABOOM Sport Incursion and Family Picnic - Wednesday 30th October (4.45pm-7.30pm)

This community event will take place on the school oval and will be an opportunity for families to gather and for the students to participate in some fun activities. Feel free to bring along a picnic dinner or purchase a sausage or a hamburger from our BBQ stall. A SIMON / PAM permission has been sent to indicate your child’s attendance for planning and catering purposes. Times are as follows:

4.30pm - 5pm - Set up BBQ (volunteers required - a separate form will be sent)
5pm - 6.15pm - KABOOM Incursion (arrive in time for a 5pm start)
6.15pm - 7.30pm - PICNIC on oval

Colour Fun Run - Friday 15th November (2.15pm - 3.30pm)

Our Parents’ Association have been busy planning this much anticipated event. Further details to follow. Due to the popularity of the event, Friday the 22nd November has been set aside as a backup date if needed.

Christmas Family Night - Thursday 5th December (6pm-7pm)

This year we will conduct our annual Carols Night at St Judes Church - the great news is that this event will go ahead rain, hail or shine! Details to follow.

Ready to be Sun Smart!

As we begin Term Three, we are mindful of our responsibilities in line with our SunSmart policy. Between the months of September and April, we understand that the UV Index Level regularly rises above 3, in which case we need to implement sun protection measures. These measures include sun protection clothing, including our school hat, maximising the use of shaded areas and application of sunscreen. School hats are now required to be worn by all staff and students. Please don’t forget to clearly name the hat! Staff are unable to apply sunscreen to students so you may like to remind your child how to apply their own sunscreen.

Robyn Hunter - tribute service - Thursday 21st November 4pm

In December last year, our Riddell Road Crossing Supervisor, Robyn Hunter, passed away after a very short illness. Robyn was an important member of our broader school community, keeping our students safe and taking a great interest in each and every person she met.

To acknowledge Robyn’s contribution to our school community, we have purchased a park bench seat and memorial plaque. The seat will be installed near the footpath outside the St Marys gate, the most appropriate location as it looks directly out to the school crossing where Robyn served the community for many years.

Robyn’s husband John is extremely grateful for this acknowledgement and has been invited to attend a short service on Thursday 21st November at 4pm. All members of the community are invited to attend.

As some families have indicated that they would like to contribute to an acknowledgement of Robyn’s service, we have set up a CDF Pay for donations towards the seat. These donations are completely voluntary.

As part of the short service, we would like to present John Hunter with a memory book on behalf of our school community. I would like to invite families, both past and present, to write a short message to include in the book. The message can include your family name or be anonymous. Please feel free to pass on this message to previous members of our school community.

If you would like to assist with the collation of the messages and the creation of the memory book please let me know.

Please add your messages to the following Google Form. The form will close on Thursday 31st October to allow time to create the book. Robyn Hunter - memory book messages

2025 return to school dates

Please note the following dates regarding the return to school for 2025

- Tuesday 28th January

Staff officially return for the 2025 school year (no students)

- Wednesday 29th & Thursday 30th January

Prep 2025 students begin (9am - 1pm both days)

Years 1 - 6 - Assessment days (details to follow later in the year)

- Friday 31st January

All students in Years Prep - 6 (full day 9am - 3.30pm)

School Blog - check it out!

I would like to continue to encourage parents to access our school blog to see what’s happening around our school, particularly specialist classes and extracurricular activities. Our students contribute to the posts on a regular basis - I strongly encourage you to `like’ a post of leave a comment. The students get a real buzz to know that parents are appreciating their posts!

http://blog.htws.catholic.edu.au/

Warm Regards.

Adrian Scutt

Time to eXcel

Community News

Avila College

Aus Kick

Tennis Coaching

Cricket - Knox Falcons

Little Athletics

Cricket Clubs

Upper Ferntree Gully Baseball Club

Ferntree Gully Falcons Basketball

Tee-Ball

Swimming Program

Australian Girls Choir

St Mary's