Dear Parents and Friends,

I cannot believe how quickly the weeks are passing - we are already halfway through Term 1 and into March! Our students have been working very hard, and I continue to be very impressed with the high standard of learning and teaching at St Carlo’s. I would also like to commend our students on their excellent behaviour and manners, and for consistently displaying our school values of being Safe, Respectful and Responsible.

At St Carlo’s, we always have so much to be grateful for, and we look forward to the many learning opportunities and celebrations still to come this term.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Miss Borg and her fiancé Peter, who were married yesterday! We wish you every happiness as you begin this beautiful new chapter together. May your marriage be filled with love, joy and many wonderful memories. Warmest congratulations to you both!

Year Six Camp

I was fortunate to join our Year 6 students and teachers last week at Mt Evelyn Discovery Camp. It was a fantastic experience, and the students thoroughly enjoyed the wide range of activities, including Archery, Crate Stack Challenge, Giant Swing, Swim Safety, Hut Building and the Mountain Bike Pump Track.

Many thanks to Miss Cauchi, Mr Troy, Mr Dundovic, Mr Cummins, Mrs Distefano, Ms Sardo, Mrs Meacco and Mrs Ruberto for their excellent supervision and care. Not surprisingly, the camp staff commented that our students were one of the best groups they have hosted! I know parents greatly appreciate staff generously giving their time to make camp possible.

Congratulations to our Class Captains

At our assemblies, we will continue to present leadership badges to our Class Captains and Vice Captains. As a community, we pray that our student leaders, and indeed all our students, will look to the example of Saint Carlo Borromeo as they fulfil their responsibilities this year.

School Open Day 2027 Prep Enrolments

Prep enrolments are now officially open for new families. St Carlo’s continues to be the school of choice for Catholic families in Greenvale, and places remain in high demand. I encourage families wishing to enrol a child for Prep 2027 to apply as soon as possible.

This Thursday is our annual School Open Day, where we look forward to welcoming prospective families. With approximately 120 families already booked for tours, it is always a pleasure to showcase the wonderful learning spaces and facilities St Carlo’s has to offer.

Existing families are guaranteed a place; however, an enrolment form must still be submitted via the website or collected from the office.

Fulltime School for Preps

This week our wonderful Prep students begin attending school full time. We are very proud of how well they have settled into school life. Thank you to our Prep families for your support and for the excellent work you have done in preparing your children for school.

Prep families are invited to support their child’s maths learning through the new Maths Home Learning Pouch, which includes tools such as counting charts, tens frames, a flip chart, playing cards and dice. Parents are encouraged to attend an optional workshop on Tuesday 3 March (2:10–3:15 p.m.) to learn how to use the materials at home. New families are especially encouraged to attend and should register via the eForm on Audiri. For those unable to attend, pouches will be sent home shortly afterwards.

School Attendance Reminder

Regular school attendance is essential for every child’s learning and wellbeing. Attending school every day and for the full school day enables students to fully participate in the school’s educational program and to develop the important social skills that come from learning and playing alongside their peers.

Consistent attendance helps students to:

Build strong learning habits and routines
Keep up with classroom learning and avoid gaps
Strengthen friendships and social confidence
Develop a sense of belonging to the school community

We understand that from time to time students may be absent due to illness or exceptional circumstances. However, wherever possible, we ask families to prioritise full daily attendance and punctual arrival to prevent your child's learning being impacted.

Better Buddies Meet and Greet Picnic

Our Better Buddies Picnic is always a highlight of the school calendar. We look forward to welcoming Prep and Year 6 families next Wednesday 11 March from 5:30–7:00 p.m. Please BYO picnic, chairs or a blanket. Coffee and ice cream will be available for purchase.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will take place for students in Years 3 and 5 from Wednesday 11 March to Friday 20 March.

NAPLAN provides a snapshot of the literacy and numeracy skills students are developing through the curriculum and helps parents see progress against national standards. It is important to remember that NAPLAN is just one part of our broader assessment and reporting processes and does not replace teachers’ ongoing professional judgements and assessments. Parents of Year 3 and Year 5 students received detailed information last week.

Parent WhatsApp Groups

In some year levels, parents have established WhatsApp or Messenger groups. These can be useful for sharing general school-related information between families. Please note that messages in these groups are posted in parents’ personal capacity, the school does not manage or monitor these platforms.

We ask families to please ensure:

Groups are not used to raise concerns about staff, students or families
Communication remains respectful and courteous at all times
Groups are not used for political commentary
Any inappropriate comments are screenshotted and forwarded to the school

Thank you for your cooperation.

Items and toys from home

We recommend that students do not bring valuable or precious items to school, as these can become a distraction or may be misplaced. If items are brought, they should be kept safely with the teacher and not taken into the yard.

Working with Children Checks

A reminder to all parents and carers (and Grandparents) to obtain a Working with Children Check before volunteering to assist at school. Once the bell goes at 8:50 a.m. any parent or volunteer on site must have a WWCC. This applies to excursions, incursions, Parent Helpers, volunteers etc. If you do not have one, please apply online using this link.

School Closure Days

Students do not attend school on school closure days. Closure days allow time for staff to engage in professional learning and student assessment and reporting.

Our school closure day this term will take place this Friday March 6

As always, if you have any feedback, queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher, a member of the Leadership Team, or myself.

We ask St Carlo Borromeo to continue to bless our wonderful Parish and School community. I hope you enjoy a relaxing long weekend with your family and friends.

Kevin Gleeson.