A message from our Principal

Dear St. Brendan's School Community,

It has been a busy and productive fortnight here at St Brendan’s, with a number of opportunities for our students and staff to connect, learn and represent our school with pride.

Our school choir had a particularly busy and rewarding time, participating in a number of Reconciliation events. They proudly represented St Brendan’s at the Notre Dame Reconciliation Assembly and were also involved in the CESL Sandhurst Reconciliation Mass, which brought together many schools from across our diocese. The feedback from NDC students, staff, school leaders and CESL representatives about our choir was overwhelmingly positive. We are incredibly proud of our students for the way they shared their talents. Sincere thanks to Mrs Leanne Pellegrino, our Catholic Identity Leader, and Mrs Angela Collins for their dedication in preparing the students and supporting them at these important events.

Last Friday, our staff participated in the launch of the CESL Wellbeing Framework and engaged in professional learning focused on Positive Education. This approach supports students to build resilience, develop positive relationships and strengthen their overall wellbeing, alongside their academic learning. Staff also spent time reviewing our behaviour curriculum and the Child Safety Standards to ensure we continue to provide a safe, supportive and consistent environment for all students. I thank Johanna Baldacchino (Deputy Principal) and Ted Lindon (Wellbeing Leader) for their preparation and leadership in what was a highly valuable day.

Last week, our school hall was a hive of activity as the Book Fair rolled into town. It was a great success, and I extend my thanks to Michelle Black and Heather Woodman for their excellent organisation. We are also very grateful to our parent volunteers and Learning Support Officers who assisted with the before and after school sales. Every purchase contributes reward points that allow us to continue adding new books to our school library.

Tomorrow, we wish our Year 3 students all the very best as they head off to Billabong Ranch in Echuca for their day excursion. We look forward to hearing all about their experiences.

We also warmly invite families to join us for Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

Our Years 4–6 students will attend Mass beginning at 9:30am, while families of our junior students are invited to a special liturgy in the school hall at 9:00am.

Finally, I thank all families for their generous support of our Winter Meals Appeal. It has been wonderful to see so many donations coming into the school, all of which will be passed on to St Vincent de Paul to support those in need within our community.

School Uniform Reminder

All students are expected to wear their full winter uniform each day. This helps ensure students remain comfortable, warm, and presentable.

Please also note our Sport Days:

Foundation, Year 1 and Year 3: Monday and Wednesday
Years 4, 5 and 6: Tuesdays and Thursdays

We encourage all families to clearly label all uniform items with your child’s name to help us return any lost property promptly.

We also encourage families to check our full uniform requirements by clicking on the uniform list link provided in this newsletter.

For families needing support:

Second-hand uniforms are available from the school hall
If you require items urgently, please contact the school office. Please note that students are not to wear hoodies or other non-uniform jumpers in place of the school uniform.
The uniform shop is open most Thursdays after school

Thank you for your support in ensuring all students arrive at school dressed appropriately and ready for learning.

School Care Clinics Term 3 Dates Now Available

I am pleased to share that we have recently partnered with SchoolCare Clinics, a community focused GP service providing bulk‑billed healthcare for students across the Greater Shepparton area. SchoolCare Clinics offers child‑focused doctors who work with students from Prep through to Year 12, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing.

We are fortunate to have Dr Jimmy Tseng supporting our school community. Dr Tseng is a GP with a strong focus on children’s health. He trained for many years at the Royal Children’s Hospital and now works as a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne. He also leads nationally recognised asthma research based here in Shepparton.

As part of this partnership, Dr Tseng will be offering two morning clinics at our school on:

Tuesday 4th August
Tuesday 1st September

All appointments are bulk billed.

If you wish to make a booking, please contact me via email at principal@sbshepparton.catholic.edu.au, and I will provide you with an appointment time. Please note that places are limited.

Services available through SchoolCare Clinics include:

Flu vaccinations for students at no cost
Asthma action plans
Referrals for ADHD assessments
Allergy management plans
Mental health care plans, if required

We look forward to offering this valuable service to further support the health and wellbeing of our students and families.

Upcoming Events

Term 2

Friday, June 12 Year 3 Excursion Billabong Ranch Echuca
Friday, June 12 Feast of the Sacred Heart Mass and Liturgies
Friday, 26th June Last Day of Term 2 – 2:20pm Student dismissal

Thank you for your continued support.

Joel Brian (Principal)