Principal's Report

We've had a very "Maths-y"  week this week, following on from our Prep 100 Days celebration (please see our Maths News page for a rundown of the day). On Tuesday, 81 students from Years 3 to 6 took part in the Australian Mathematics Competition, and today eight Year 5 students attended a Maths Games Day at St Patrick's in Mentone. These two events are both an opportunity for highly able students to compete against other like minded students in mathematics. Thanks to our Maths leader Mrs Jo Fraser who has organised these events. 

School psychologist 

Our school counsellor Rochel Baker is finishing up with us next week as she takes parental leave.  With her departure, we made the decision to move away from the CatholicCare agency and instead have employed our own psychologist. I'm pleased to announce our new psychologist is Michaela Hughes and she will be working with us on Wednesdays. Thank you to Rochel for supporting our students for the past two years and we wish her well as she prepares for the birth of her third baby. 

Science Week 

Our students are about half way through their Science units this term, and are ready to show off the great work that has been happening in their classrooms next Friday morning at our Open Morning. This has been deliberately timed to coincided with National Science Week. There are also a series of lunchtime activities, organised by Mr Mills that will be running throughout the week. 

Swimming 

Please see the swimming timetable below to get an indication of when your children's lessons will be. Our swimming lessons will run from 26th August to 5th September. 

ResourceSmart Biodiversity Star

St Finbar's has just been awarded our second ResourceSmart Biodiversity star. Congratulations to our Sustainability Leader Lisa Douglas who has put in a lot of work behind the scenes to get this certification.

Social Emotional Learning at St. Finbar’s (written by Laura Zeeng)

Our students are currently engaged in Topic 5: Stress Management; from the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships curriculum. Students across different year levels will learn to identify and understand what stress is in an age-appropriate manner and begin to explore strategies to manage stress.

Prep students will explore simple ways to calm down when they feel upset or worried. They will discover fun activities like deep breathing and stretching to help them relax. Students will also talk about their feelings and learn how to ask for help when they need it.

The Year 1/2 students will practice identifying different feelings and understanding what causes stress. They will explore techniques like counting to ten, taking deep breaths, and practicing mindfulness to help manage their emotions. Students will also learn the importance of talking to trusted adults when they feel overwhelmed.

Throughout Grades 3/4, students will learn to recognise signs of stress in themselves and others. They will practice strategies like journaling, physical activity, and relaxation techniques to manage their stress effectively. Additionally, students will understand the value of seeking support from friends, family, and teachers when feeling stressed.

Our Year 5/6 students will delve deeper into understanding stress triggers and stress management techniques, while also learning the importance of seeking support from peers and adults. Through these lessons, all students will gain essential skills to maintain their emotional well-being and resilience.

MACSIS Survey 

Our annual Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Improvement Survey (MACSIS) is approaching; the official window for completing the survey is from September 2nd to 20th. There is a bit of a time commitment involved, as the survey may take up to 30 minutes, but it is our main form of feedback from parents, staff and students each year. You can find some more information here. Within the next few weeks, you will receive an email with a link to complete the survey.

Parish Lunch

Although the RSVP date has already passed, I'm sureit is not too late to attend the parish lunch this Sunday. This is an opportunity to celebrate our newly named Emmaus Parish. 

Request from Anna

We have a request from Anna, as she is short staffed at the moment.  If anybody is available to help out in the Healthy Hut on the next four Fridays, it would be very much appreciated. Please speak to the office if you are interested. 

Around the Classrooms

This week I was lucky enough to visit the Year 1 classrooms as they made their own fairy bread, and followed up with a written procedure of the steps needed to make fa.  The Year 2s were learning a song in Creole, and the Year 6s were investigating electrical circuits. 

Take care and God bless. 

Michelle Hill,

Principal