Principal's Report 

Dear Families,

The Feast of All Saints

All Saints is a feast day in the Catholic Church. It’s a day to celebrate not only famous saints like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Teresa of Calcutta, but also ordinary Christians who lived good and virtuous lives. We pray for the intercession of the saints and reflect on the Christian calling to follow in their footsteps. At St Leonard's we are celebrating the feast day of our Parish Patron Saint, St. Leonard on 26 November.

Following All Saints Day, Catholics observe All Souls Day on November 2. This day is dedicated to praying for those who have died, especially those who have passed away within the past year. 

A prayer for Halloween Visits

God of ancient times and God of our times, 

Bless all the people we will be visiting tonight. 

May we be good news to them and may our visit bring comfort, happiness and laughter. As we celebrate this special Feast of All Hallows, God, the giver of hope, we trust in you and we give thanks for the faith, the hope and the courage of those we call saints. 

Fill us too with joy and peace, so that we may have a living hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

World Teachers Day  

St Leonard's has moved our World Teachers day to Friday November 8th. We will be celebrating the amazing work of our teachers. You may like to encourage your children to make a card, write a letter, draw a picture or pick some flowers from the garden to show their appreciation for their teachers. 

Halloween Disco 

The Halloween Disco was a huge success. I thank the students and parents for putting so much effort into the costumes. We danced and sang and played games to many songs such as the Ghostbusters theme song and the Monster Mash! I would like to sincerely thank the PFA and the parent volunteers in the photos Steph, Silvia, Helen, Joanne, Lisa, Michelle & Erica (as well as Christina & Jennifer) and the school staff who attended.

Prayer Focus

This week, we'll be reflecting on the theme: "Our gifts help us to truly see the world around us." 

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight  Mark 10:46-52

They came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 

“Jesus! Son of David! Take pity on me!”

Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, 

“Son of David, take pity on me!”

Jesus stopped and said, 

“Call him.”

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up!” they said. “Get up, he is calling you.”

He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

“Teacher,” the blind man answered, “I want to see again.”

“Go,” Jesus told him, “your faith has made you well.”

At once he was able to see and followed Jesus on the road.

To guide the student's reflections, consider these questions:

• What are your unique talents and abilities?
• How can you use these gifts to positively impact the world?
• How does your faith inspire you to use your gifts for God's glory?
• How can you overcome fear when sharing your talents?
• How can your gifts help you connect with diverse individuals?
• What actions can you take to make the world a better place?
• How can you share your gifts to inspire others?
• How can you express gratitude for the unique talents God has given you?

2025 Classroom Arrangements (Last Day Tomorrow)

Our professional staff make considered decisions in light of what is the best for each child with our available resources, in the context of the other children, not just in the context of an individual child. Such factors include the academic and social/emotional needs of each child, working relationships and friendships.

We would prefer it if you left these decisions to staff, but if you have anyurgent information regarding the placement of your child, please put your reasons in writing, addressed to me strictly before Friday, November 1st. You may receive a phone call to discuss the issues. 

Information received after this date cannot be considered as it will impact on decisions that will have already been made. Information about the placement of your child should be written in the context of your child’s needs, not your preference for a teacher, so please do not use teacher’s names. Requests for 2025 cannot be guaranteed due to the complicated nature of our processes.

The process of class placements includes an opportunity for each child to nominate three children they work well with and three different children they play well with. We guarantee that each child will be placed with one of these nominated children.

If your child is not returning to St. Leonard’s in 2025, I would appreciate you letting me know, by letter, before Friday, November 1st.  

Remembrance Day Poppy Appeal

The Poppy Appeal runs each year in the lead up to Remembrance Day to honour all who fell in times of war.  At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, one minute of silence is observed across the country to mark the end of hostilities on the Western Front during WWI after four years of warfare.  

The Red Poppy emblem is a symbol of those who have fallen in times of war.  During the First World War, red poppies were among the first plants to bloom in the devastated battlefields of Northern France & Belgium.  In soldier’s folklore, the vivid red of the poppy came from the blood of their comrades soaking the ground, making the poppy symbolic of the bloodshed in trench warfare.

Remembrance Day Poppy Appeal begins will continue next week.

The Liturgy Captains will walk around to each classroom selling items and before school outside the office from 8:30am.  Poppies range from $2 to $5 with selected metal pins for $10 and $20. Wristbands are $3.

So please donate as all money goes to the RSL to continue its welfare work supporting those current and former serving members of the Australian Defence Force and their dependents when in need.  The RSL encourages all of us to purchase a poppy and ‘Remember in November.’

As Remembrance Day falls during the swimming program, we are holding a school based service on Friday 8th November. An announcement will be made to pause for a minute's silence on Monday 11th, for the students and staff still at school.

Briefly

• Congratulations to Valerie from Year 1 / 2  who achieved a gold medal in the Victorian Acrobatic Gymnastics Championship for her L3 pair. The competition was held at the Geelong Arena on Sunday. We are proud of you, Valerie and encourage you to continue your wonderful work.

My best wishes for a very happy long weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone return on Wednesday. Our teachers will be busy writing reports on Monday.

Robert Horwood

Principal