Dear Parents,

The tragic events of the past week in Israel and Gaza have dominated world headlines. The events that have taken place have been splashed across the media and, despite being what seems like a world away, have had a significant impact on the lives of many people in Australia. It is impossible to comprehend what has taken place, particularly in regards to the death of innocent civilians, including young children. It is rapidly becoming a humanitarian disaster. With the rise of social media, many of our young students are being exposed to these real time events with limited filters.

Of great concern is the capacity for young people, including adults for that matter, to cope with what they are seeing and hearing. With this in mind, I would like to encourage parents to monitor the news feed accessible by your child, including social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. When we were in primary school we could simply change the channel or turn off the news. The world is a different place now, so the role of the parent is more complex too. I would also encourage parents to respond to questions your children may have in an age appropriate manner. It is understandable that these events will cause a level of anxiety for some of our students so we need to ensure that both school and home provide the support that is required.

As a Catholic Community, I urge parents to continue to pray for peace in our world, particularly in the Israel and Gaza region. While we understand that we live in a world where there is ongoing conflict in many continents and regions, the current conflict is a reminder that the world is in fact not so big and the ripple effect can impact our own neighbours. May God listen to our prayers at this difficult time.

Showcase of Learning

Thank you for your support of our showcase of learning last Tuesday. It was wonderful to watch the students engage with their parents or grandparents and proudly share their learning. The afternoon was also an opportunity for parents to touch base with one another. The great weather was the cherry on top!

Mrs Jayme-Lea Jamieson - Maternity Leave

We will farewell Mrs Jamieson on Friday as she commences her maternity leave. We wish Jayme-Lea and her husband Declan well as they wait in anticipation of the birth of their second child. We look forward to sharing some exciting news towards the end of November.

Class placement 2024

In preparing for the 2024 school year, our teachers will soon begin the process of placing the children into class groupings for the 2024 school year, in line with our Class Placement of Students Policy (see attached)

As I am sure you can appreciate, this can be a challenging and tedious task as we work diligently and carefully to create a balance of classes. We understand that some students and parents can, at times, express their disappointment upon the announcement of classes in early December, particularly in regards to friendships. I ask you to trust the teachers’ judgment and professionalism in making a decision that is in each child’s best interest. This doesn’t mean, and cannot mean, that each and every child will be placed with their preferred friends or teachers.

If you have any relevant information regarding the placement of your child, please email me directly on principal@htws.catholic.edu.au to request a Consideration for Placement of Student Form 2024. This information will be taken into account when teachers are placing children in classes. The form needs to be submitted directly to me, not to the classroom teachers, by Tuesday 31st October, 2023. Any previous discussions with your child’s teacher/s, must be redirected to me via this form. Any considerations from previous years also need to be resubmitted using this form, as considerations from previous years may no longer be relevant. No forms will be considered after this time.

Please also note that the teachers are aware of the children’s friendships so requests for placing children with specific friends will not be considered. Social factors such as children not relating well together may be considered, but this reason must be submitted on the official form.

If you are not planning to return to Holy Trinity in 2024, please let the School Office know as soon as possible. We need to finalise our student numbers before establishing our class structure and allocating classroom teachers.

Twilight Sports - Thursday 26th October

Our annual Twilight Sports Carnival for all students from Prep - Year 6 is just over 1 week away. This is always a great school community event. Details are as follows:

Picnic / BBQ from 4.30pm.

Sports events - 5.30pm - 7.00pm

What to wear - Students are to wear house colours on the night, ready to be active. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen and wear a hat.

Please bring - A small back pack with a snack. Water bottle labelled with their name. Asthma puffer should they need one.

Thank you to the Parents’ Association for coordinating the BBQ on the night - details to come.

School Fee Statements

Thank you to all the families who have paid their 2023 school fees.

School Fee Statements have been emailed to parents. If you did not receive your statement please contact the office. Families are reminded that school fees for 2023 were due by Friday 15 September 2023 unless direct debits or special arrangement are in place. If you have not as yet finalised the balance of your fees for 2023 please phone Lorelle Clark in the office to discuss.

School Blog

Our students are responsible for a lot of the School Blog content, so please take some time to appreciate their posts. It is also a great way to find out about school events such as Camp, Production, Sports Events, the Arts …. And much more!

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

Warm Regards,

Adrian Scutt

Principal

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