Principal's News
Dear Families,
A huge thank you to Suzanne, our incredible PFA leader, for her outstanding work in organising and coordinating our recent Bunnings BBQ. Suzanne and Laura generously gave up their Sunday to ensure the event was a success, and we are so grateful for their commitment and energy. It was a big job, and Suzanne worked tirelessly to make sure everything ran smoothly. Thank you also to the many parents and staff who gave their time to help on the day, your support made a real difference. Thank you to everyone who donated and assisted in their own way. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we raised over $1,300 which will go directly towards providing Literacy resources for our students.
Athletics Day 2025
On Wednesday 6th August, St Kevin’s Primary School held our annual Athletics Carnival. Students from Prep to Year 6 participated enthusiastically in a variety of athletic events, proudly representing their house colours in the race to become the St Kevin’s Athletics Carnival Champions. Thank you to Mr Montalto and Yr 6 leaders for setting up and running the event.
Students competed in both track and field events. The running events included the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1500m races, while the field events featured shot put, discus, long jump and high jump. Competitors were grouped by age: 9, 10, 11, and 12/13 years.
Points were awarded to the top four finishers in each event, contributing to their house’s overall score.
🎉 Congratulations to Fitzsimmons (Green house) for being crowned the 2025 St Kevin’s Athletics Carnival Champions!
👏 A special shout-out to Sheahan, who were awarded the Spirit Award for showing outstanding resilience, encouragement, and respect throughout the day.
Students who finished in the top four of their events may be eligible to represent St Kevin’s at the District Athletics Carnival in Term 3. We are incredibly proud of everyone’s effort, teamwork, and sportsmanship!
A huge thank you to all staff, and especially to Mr Montalto, for helping make today’s St Kevin’s Athletics Day run so smoothly.
Thank you also to everyone who supported and assisted with the event.
100 Days of School - Prep
Our amazing Preps have reached a huge milestone – 100 days of school! On Friday the 8th of August they celebrated by dressing up and participating in fun activities including an incredible ‘Magic Show’.
In just a short time, they’ve learned so much, grown in confidence, and made wonderful friendships along the way.
To celebrate, they had a fun-filled day with their classmates, sharing laughs, activities, and making memories.
What an exciting journey it’s been – and there’s still so much more to come!
Thank you to Miss Montalto for all the planning and ensuring all was fun and safe!
Whole School Performance
Our Whole School Performance is fast approaching and everyone is busily preparing for a showstopping performance. Please let the school know as soon as possible if your child/children will not be attending the Whole School Performance.
The St Kevin's Performance will take place on Wednesday the 10th of September (Matinee 11:45am - 1:15pm) and Thursday the 11th of September (Evening 6:45pm - 8:00pm).
The tickets for the St Kevin's Performance will go on sale Wednesday morning.
Trybooking link - St Kevin's Whole School Performance. You will be able to purchase tickets via trybooking using the link below from Thursday 14th of August, 2025.
The link to purchase tickets is https://www.trybooking.com/DEJVP
The venue for the performance is the Glendalough Stadium at St Kevin's Primary School. There will be 200 tickets for each performance with no allocated seatings. Information about pricing is available once you click on the link. Tickets will remain on sale till the 16th October unless sold out prior.
Any questions please email gleone@sktemplestowelr.catholic.edu.au or the school office.
Working Bee update
Thank you to Klara and Natalie for assisting with the tidying and sorting of books in the Library. We really appreciated your help! Grazie!
If any parents have any spare time (half hour or an hour) please let Gabee and Eva know.
International Students
At the end of this week farewell six of our visiting students: Eddie, Evie, Ariana, Ethan, Daisy, Beatrix, Vega, Jenny and Lion.
We sincerely thank them for their contributions to St Kevin’s over the past five or six weeks. It has been a pleasure having them as part of our school community, where they have embraced both learning and socialising with our students and staff.
We wish them all the very best in their future studies and hope they have a safe and pleasant journey home.
What is WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is a free messaging, voice and video calling app, owned by Meta, that uses end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp is used for: anonymous communication, encrypted, messaging/online chat, online relationships, photo/video sharing, screen capture, voice chat and video calling.
Even though it is free and used for many different reasons, users still need to follow guidelines outlined by the provider and the eSafety Commission. Being responsible online is a given in today's world and we need to be vigilant when we use such platforms so as to be an example to our children.
Using the platform to be harmful, inappropriate, to spread rumours or fake news can be reported to the eSafety commissioner and measures can be made by WhatsApp and the eSafety Commission to stop such behaviour if it is reported.
We trust our community is doing the right thing when speaking online and that parents and guardians advocate responsible digital citizenship so everyone in our community feels safe and valued.
Con Tomazos
Numeracy & ICT Leader
What’s App - Parent Communication
As with all digital platforms, the effectiveness of WhatsApp depends on how it is used. Until now, there has been no need to clarify the expectations around this platform. However, it has come to our attention that some posts have not aligned with the ethical expectations outlined in the St Kevin’s Code of Conduct.
We would like to remind all community members of the appropriate use of WhatsApp within our school context.
✅ WhatsApp CAN be used to:
- Support one another with day-to-day matters related to school life
- Build positive relationships among parents within the cohort
- Ask questions and seek clarification on school dates, processes, and requirements
❌ WhatsApp is NOT to be used for:
- Making defamatory or critical remarks about any member of the school community
- Spreading gossip or inaccurate information
- Sharing inappropriate or offensive language towards individuals
We are role models for our children, both online and in person. It is vital that our communication reflects the values we uphold at St Kevin’s. Please remember that even a single incident may be considered cyberbullying, which is not tolerated under any circumstances.
There are clear defamation and confidentiality laws in place, and any breaches of our Code of Conduct are formally reported to MACS and MACS Legal. In cases where breaches occur action will be taken to ensure inappropriate content is removed, and formal processes are followed.
Let’s continue to work together to foster a respectful, supportive, and safe environment for all members of our school community.
Thank you for your cooperation.
St Kevin's School Uniform has landed at LOWES in Eastland
I am pleased to let you know that the uniform range will be available at Lowes Eastland.
The LOWES team has worked incredibly hard to make this happen ahead of schedule, and they are excited to have it ready earlier than expected.
Please note, online is still being developed and will still be a few more days.
Thank you to LOWES for acting quickly to get our uniform in their store at Eastland.
Attached is a Welcome, Rewards, Social Signs and Zero Card information.
Any questions please let me know.
Lowes Family St Kevin’s Reward
Lowes St Kevin’s Welcome social sign
Prep 2026 Interviews – A Wonderful Start
Our Prep 2026 interviews marked a fantastic beginning to welcoming new families into the St Kevin’s community. It was truly delightful to hear the strong and positive reputation our school holds in the wider community.
During the interviews, parents had the opportunity to share valuable insights about their children, and we were able to discuss key upcoming dates and events in the school calendar. The enthusiasm from families, both new and current, was heartwarming. Many expressed genuine excitement about becoming part of our St Kevin’s Family, while our existing families are looking forward to welcoming new additions with open arms.
We continue to be incredibly proud of the strong partnership between our Parish and School community, who remain our greatest advocates and passionate promoters of the wonderful work happening at St Kevin’s.
Out School Hours Care MACSEYE
(Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Education Early Years Education)
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) is in the process of streamlining YLV provision across all MACS schools by engaging a single provider—MACSEYE. As part of this initiative, St Kevin’s has been informed that we will transition to MACSEYE as our new before and after school care provider starting at the commencement of Term 4, 2025.
The first day of service with MACSEYE will be Monday, 6th October 2025.
Who is MACSEYE?
MACSEYE is a newly approved OSHC provider, established by MACS to deliver high-quality early childhood and school-aged care programs. Their vision is to see every child and family flourish through engaging, inclusive, and values-based care.
As a Catholic provider, MACSEYE will work in close partnership with our school and parish community, offering programs that nurture each child’s identity, health, and wellbeing. The service will operate in alignment with the National Quality Standards, ensuring a safe, supportive, and enriching environment for all students.
Thank You to OSHClub
We would like to sincerely thank YLV for their many years of dedicated service to the St Kevin’s community. Their care, professionalism, and commitment have supported countless families and provided a safe and welcoming space for our students before and after school. We are incredibly grateful for the role they have played in building strong relationships with our families and contributing to the wellbeing of our students.
Accessing the New Service
Enrolment details and further information about how to register your child for the MACSEYE program will be shared in the coming weeks.
Questions?
If you have any queries or would like further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly or reach out to MACSEYE via email at: contact@macseye.vic.edu.au
MiniLit Sage Update
MiniLit Sage is an evidence-based, small-group reading program designed for struggling readers in Years 1 and 2, with a strong focus on phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. It is targeted to support the bottom 25% of students in developing their early literacy skills.
All potential students have been assessed using the Placement Test and the WARN assessment, with internal mid-year DIBELS data also considered. Discussions with classroom teachers have informed our planning, and possible groupings have now been formed. Further discussions with the leadership team will take place before students commence the program, which we hope to begin next week. Parents of prospective students will be notified within the next week before their child commences the program.
Volunteer Induction - Compulsory for all volunteers
At the most recent School Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting, it was agreed that all school volunteers, including current volunteers are required to complete the online Volunteer Induction modules. This forms part of our commitment to the Child Safe Standards and is a compulsory requirement for anyone volunteering in any capacity. We are confident parents will agree on the importance of ensuring all volunteers are equipped to contribute to a safe and supportive environment for our students.
Mrs Tomazos will be emailing the Induction Modules to all volunteers within the next week. Parents will have one week to complete the modules. Any questions can be directed to Eva Tomazos via email.
etomazos@sktemplestowelr.catholic.edu.au
Next Phase of the External Provider Process
We are now in the next phase of the process, which involves reviewing all requests for externally funded therapy to be provided on school grounds. This review process has already commenced, and once it is complete, the school will send a formal letter to all parents advising whether access has been granted or not.
If access is granted, the next step will be for the external provider to attend the school to complete two required documents:
Clinical Access Arrangement Form – outlines how and when therapy will be delivered at school, including supervision and location arrangements. The Learning Diversity Team from MACS has recently stipulated that external providers are not to conduct their sessions in classrooms due to the privacy and confidentiality of all students.
- Information Sharing Agreement – sets out how relevant information will be shared between the therapist, school, and family to support the student’s learning and wellbeing.
These documents must be finalised and signed before any therapy sessions can begin on school grounds.
This ensures compliance with Child Safe Standards, maintains the school’s duty of care, and supports a coordinated approach to the student’s educational program.
According to the VCEA Guidelines, an NDIS funded therapist attending meetings at the school should be funded from the student’s NDIS plan.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Eva Tomazos.
Parent Teacher Student Conversations Reminder
Thank you to all parents, carers and students who made the time to meet with teachers to discuss learning and goals for Semester 2.
If you have not spoken to teachers please email or call to make a time. Teachers will also ensure that they have spoken to all and I am sure they will be in touch with you soon.
Father’s Day Breakfast
We warmly invite all fathers (and father figures) to join us for a Father’s Day Breakfast in the Gathering Space on Thursday 4th September, from 7:00am to 8:30am.
Menu:
- Cereals
- Muffins & Croissants
- Juice
- Tea & Coffee
Each attending father will receive a small gift as a token of our appreciation.
We look forward to celebrating this special morning with you!
SeeSaw
Values
PBL: Positive Behaviour for Learning
Our PBL expected behaviour
I value the ideas and opinions of others.
(Connect to the performance)
Respect
Weekly Awards - We have moved to weekly awards with daily nominations in all areas of learning including the playground and during transition times. These awards will be announced over the PA on Friday afternoons.
Italian
Ciao a tutti,
I hope all students and families are having a great term 3! For the next couple of weeks students will be learning:
New vocabulary:
Cosa ti piace mettere? (what do you like to wear?)
Mi piace mettere ... (I like to wear...)
La maglietta (the tee-shirt)
Il cappello (the hat)
La giacca (the jacket)
Il maglione (the jumper)
Revising the following ...
I mesi - months:
Gennaio - January
Febbraio - February
Marzo - March
Aprile - April
Maggio - May
Giugno - June
Luglio - July
Agosto - August
Settembre - September
Ottobre - October
Novembre - November
Dicembre - December
Questions:
Quand'e' il tuo compleanno? (When is your birthday?)
Il mio compleanno e' in ... (My birthday is in ...)
Cosa ti piace? (What do you like?)
Mi piace ... (I like ...)
Non mi piace ... (I don't like)
Cantare in Italiano (to sing in Italian)
Parlare in Italiano (to speak in Italian)
I hope everyone has an amazing week!
Grazie, Chiara :)
Staff News
The North Eastern Principal Network will be attending the Australian Catholic Education Conference in Cairns from 18th to 22nd August.
I will be taking an extra week of Long Service Leave after the conference. During my absence, Eva Tomazos will be stepping in as Acting Principal, supported by the Leadership Team.
Please direct any urgent matters to Eva during this time.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Important Date to remember is that on the Monday the 25th of August is a CLOSURE Day for all Staff and Students.
This is a Day in LIEU for all Staff to cover all the extra work they do and have done in 2025.
I have let YLV know and hopefully they will soon confirm if they are operational on this date.
Every blessing, Gabee
