From The Principal

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that we are in March and have almost completed six weeks at school. Our children are busy completing their work and are now fully immersed in their learning. They are familiar with their class routines and expectations. Our Prep children are now at school everyday. We wish them all the best for the upcoming weeks as they adjust to five days at school!

Next week we celebrate Catholic Education Week. This annual event is held to promote the special ethos of Catholic schools and to highlight the great things that take place in Catholic schools every day. 

The theme is ‘In the light of Christ.’ The theme originates from the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) strategic plan, MACS 2030: Forming Lives to Enrich the World. Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and walk the way of the gospel to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing,life-giving members of society.

There are 331 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne that educate around 114,000 students and employ more than 16,000 teachers and staff, and most will celebrate Catholic Education Week in some way. 

Our school leaders and student RE team will be attending the Mass for Schools on Friday at St Patrick’s Cathedral

School Advisory Committee

Our SAC members will be meeting for the first time for 2024 this Thursday evening. Members of the Committee are;                                                                                                                Rachel Bingham, Simone Watson, PC Grobler, Kat Taylor, Rose Jelinic, Hayley Giuliano, Sarah Loversidge, Andrew O'Callaghan, Terri Hill and Kerryn Green.

One of their roles will be to familiarise themselves with the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy. The policy contains information about ways we can ensure our children are safe. The purpose of the policy is to demonstrate the strong commitment we have to the care, safety and wellbeing of our children. It provides an outline of the procedures and strategies we implement to ensure our child safe culture is always a priority. 

To ensure we are meeting the requirements of the policy we regularly review our practices to ensure we are committed to the safety and wellbeing of our children. We listen to our children and give them strategies to be empowered to know their rights and address any concerns they may have. 

The policy also ensures that we communicate openly and honestly with our parents about the safety and wellbeing of their children. We are open to listen to the views of parents about our child safety and wellbeing practices. 

Along with the SAC I encourage parents to provide feedback to the council members or myself. Your feedback will assist us to continually review and improve our systems to protect our children. 

Student Representative Council - SRC

Our SRC representatives were presented to our school last week. The role of the SRC is to be the voice for their classmates to present ideas and discuss ways we can enhance  the overall school experiences for everyone. This includes making suggestions for improving our playground and organising events.

Congratulations to;                                                                                                                         

Year One -    Pippa B 1B        Marni D 1W      Lucas C 1M                                                                     Year Two -    Sahana S 2B     Ben K 2W          Mia W 2M        Tilly B 2G                                             

Year Three - Evelyn S 3B      Chelsea R 3W  Willow H 3M    Ella G 3G                                             

Year Four -   Sadie J 4B         Nellie G 4W       Eden R 4G       Sebastian C 4M                                 

Year Five -    Jessica B 5B     Cooper N 5W   Sydney A 5M   Leo W 5G                                            Year Six -      Anthony M 6B  Lyla P 6W          Kwel L 6M        Ethan A 6G        

School Captains - Adele L   AlanaMc    Isla A      Ben    Eli O

Woodlands Division Swimming Carnival

On Tuesday, 5th of March, St Anne’s students who qualified during the Sunbury Swimming Carnival were able to compete in the next level at the Woodlands Divisional Swimming Carnival at the Broadmeadows Leisure Centre. A big congratulations to all the students who attended and made St Anne’s very proud with the responsible, respectful and resilient way in which they represented our school. 

The students were, in Year 6- Chloe B, Abbey M, Piper V, Scarlett M, Evie J and William R, in Year 5- Elena D, Gracie B, Nathaniel D, Aiden M and Leo W, in Year 4- Edward H, Taj O and Duvan H, and in Year 3- Mason S. 

It was a fantastic effort by all and there were some amazing individual and team relay successes achieved on the day. Students who have progressed to the next level will be competing in Greensborough on the 21st of March and will be notified in the coming days. A very special thanks to the parents and guardians who were able to attend and support these amazing students and athletes.

School Reports for Separated Parents

If you require a duplicate of your child's report please contact Emma at ecoulson@sasunbury.catholic.edu.au and she will mail you a copy of your child's report.

Positive Behaviour For Learning - PBL

A focus we have at St Anne’s is to encourage our children to use their manners. Teaching them to use manners is crucial for several reasons, as it plays a significant role in their social, emotional, and personal development. Here are some key reasons why instilling manners in children is important:                                                                                                                                    

Social Skills: Manners are essential for effective communication and positive interactions with others. Teaching children to say "please," "thank you," and "excuse me" helps them develop good social skills, making it easier for them to build relationships and make friends.     

Respect for Others: Manners demonstrate respect for others' feelings, time, and personal space. By teaching children to be polite, we are instilling a sense of empathy and consideration for the well-being of those around them.                                                                                  

Positive Impressions: Good manners create positive first impressions. Teaching children to greet others, make eye contact, and engage in polite conversation contributes to their ability to navigate social situations successfully.

At St Anne’s we encourage our children to use friendly language and use their manners - this could also be a focus for you at home. When we work together it is our children who benefit!

Please note: 

School Closure Day - Friday March 22 - Our staff will be participating in a professional learning day on Friday March 22. There will be no school for our children on this day. 

May God bless you and take care

Ms Noelene Hussey