Dear St Agatha’s Community,

As we move into the beautiful liturgical season of Advent, we are invited to pause, reflect and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ at Christmas. Advent is a time of hope, peace, joy and love — each represented on our Advent wreath.

To honour this important season in our Catholic tradition, we will hold Advent Liturgies each week in the Hall. Parents and family members are warmly invited to join us as we gather together in prayerful anticipation of Christ’s birth.

Opening of Our New Building

We are delighted to share that our new Stage 3 building will be officially opened in a special liturgy and ceremony. Hon. Pauline Richards, State Member for Cranbourne, will join Father Antony to bless and officially open the new learning spaces.

Date: Tuesday 10 December Parents are welcome to attend; however we ask that you RSVP to info@stacbourne.catholic.edu.au for catering purposes. This milestone represents years of shared vision, consultation and commitment to providing high-quality, contemporary learning environments for our students.

Christmas Carols

A heartfelt thank you to all our families who joined us for our Carols Night this week. It was a truly beautiful celebration of community, joy and faith. Watching our children sing, drum and perform with such enthusiasm was a wonderful reminder of the light they bring to our school and to one another.

As we enter the season of Advent, our Carols Night calls us back to the true meaning of Christmas — the birth of Christ, who is our hope, our peace, and our greatest gift. Your presence, warmth and participation helped create an atmosphere that reflected this message so deeply.

Thank you to all the staff who prepared the students and stayed back to make this event come alive. Thank you to Mrs Burke for her guidance and leadership of the event. Thank you to our talented Choir Conductor - Natalie, who volunteers each week to train our choir of approximately 40 students who give up a recess playtime once a week. Thank you to our Taiko Drummers who continue to amaze and delight us with their commitment and to Andrews Sensei and Ashcroft Sensei for leading the children with their drumming skills. On behalf of the families, I appreciate you all!

Finally, thank you for your ongoing support, for sharing your children with us, and for being part of the St Agatha’s community where Christ’s love is lived out through simple acts of togetherness, kindness and joy.

Some photos of the Carols and our Choir singing at the Aged Care centers.

Class Lists for 2026

Teachers and leaders are currently finalising class lists, a process that involves significant professional judgment, consideration of student needs, friendships, wellbeing, academic balance, and learning data.

On Monday 8 December, your child will meet their teacher for 2026. We ask all families to respond with gentleness and calm, helping your child navigate any feelings they may have. Your reaction shapes theirs — thank you for supporting them with optimism and reassurance.

Semester Two Reports

Teachers are now preparing student reports. These provide a comprehensive summary of your child’s growth and learning this semester. We encourage you to celebrate progress, big and small, and use the report as a way to talk with your child about their learning journey and goals.

Please ensure you have followed the process to change your password to access the PAM website. A reminder that the SIMONEverywhere App is to be deleted and PAM can only be accessed via your internet browser. Please contact the office for assistance if you have missed the instructions for how to do this.

Changes to Recess and Lunchtime

Beginning next week, we will adjust our daily timetable to bring morning tea and lunch breaks earlier in the day.

Please note:

We continue to provide 5 hours of teaching each day
The length of play breaks remains the same This change will better support student wellbeing and concentration across the day with earlier eating times.

Time	Timetable
8:50am	Classrooms Open
9:00am	Learning begins (Literacy)
11:00am	Recess (10 mins of eating time)
11:45am	Learning continues (Numeracy / Religion)
1:45am	Lunch (10 mins of eating time)
2:30pm	Learning continues (Humanities / Science)
3:30pm	Classes End

A friendly reminder that all students are expected to be at school from 9:00am to 3:30pm each day. We ask that families avoid regularly collecting students early or arriving late, as entering or leaving during learning time disrupts their learning and the learning of others. Primary school is an important time for establishing positive routines and healthy habits that support success in secondary school and beyond.

Introducing CREATE – Our New Specialist Program

In 2026 we are excited to launch CREATE, which stands for: Critical & Creative Thinking dEsign, the Arts, Technologies and Ethics.

Students will participate in this hands-on, inquiry-led specialist program for 2 hours each week, guided by our talented Specialist teachers.

This program is designed to complement and enhance classroom learning, giving students opportunities to apply skills and knowledge from English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and more.

PE and Japanese will continue as standalone subjects for 1 hour per week each.

Staffing News

As we prepare for the year ahead, I would like to share several staffing updates with our community.

After many years of dedicated service, Angela (Joy) Andrews has tendered her resignation. Andrews Sensei has been an inspiration to generations of students and families, particularly through her passion for Taiko drumming and her commitment to cultural education. We are deeply grateful for her contribution to St Agatha’s. In her characteristic generosity, Angela has offered to continue volunteering next year to ensure the drumming spirit remains alive and well in our community.

We also farewell Natalie LeMière, who has resigned due to personal reasons. Natalie has contributed great energy, warmth and passion over the past seven years, and we thank her sincerely for the many ways she enriched our school community. We wish her every success in her future endeavours.

Emily Prince will be leaving St Agatha’s at the end of the year to take up a position at St Joachim’s in Carrum Downs. Emily has been a valued member of the Leadership Team in her role as Wellbeing Leader and MHiPS Coordinator. We thank her for her commitment to student wellbeing and for the many initiatives she has led with care and professionalism.

Celina Korcak will also be leaving us. Celina has been one of the art teachers at St Agatha's for the past three years. Celina is taking up more days at St Anthony's Noble Park where she already works on Mondays - Wednesdays.

Liz Lupeamanu is taking a year of leave at the end of 2025. Liz is following her calling to work through the Catholic mission with NET Ministries. We wish Liz well and look forward to her return.

Several staff members will be commencing parental leave in 2026:

Claire Nicol
Katia Picinali
Tess Robertson
Emily Baber

We wish each of them every blessing as they prepare to welcome their babies and look forward to celebrating this joyful time with them.

We are delighted to welcome three new teachers to St Agatha’s for 2026:

Jacky Merrey, joining us from St Patrick’s, Pakenham and will teach Year 2
Issy Simioni, joining us from St Patrick’s, Mentone and will teach Year 2
Rebecca Kollaris, joining us from St James, Nar Nar Goon. Rebecca (Bec) will bring with her a wealth of knowledge and will support St Agatha's in the area of Student Equity and Engagement, with a particular focus on Child Safety.

We look forward to the knowledge, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives they will each bring to our teaching team

Advent Prayer

Based on Luke 2:10–11

Loving God, as we wait in hope for the birth of Jesus,

open our hearts to your peace.

May we share joy with others and grow in love each day.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Please check the Dates to Remember page for the upcoming events as we end the 2025 school year.

Thank you for your ongoing support, trust and partnership. St Agatha’s is a special community, and it is a privilege to lead our school as we approach Christmas with faith, joy and gratitude.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Warm regards,

Michelle Bruitzman

VillageOSCH News