Leadership & Management

Week 7 Term 3

Dear Parents and Carers, 

I hope you had a lovely weekend and enjoyed the sunshine! For those who follow football, the excitement of finals season is here!

Faith Pilgrimage

I am excited to share with you that I will be attending a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi in Italy. Over the past year, our Principals Network has been deeply engaged with Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si, focusing on his call for ecological change, care for the environment, and care for the poor.

During this pilgrimage, we will explore the lives and teachings of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. Our goal is to draw connections between these saints, their orders, and the modern-day world. As Catholic principals, we aim to reflect on how we can bring these important themes into our communities, making a positive impact on our students and families.

This journey is an important step in our ongoing commitment to deepening our faith and understanding, and I look forward to sharing my experiences and insights with you.

My last day will be September 5th, and I will return in Term 3. Vira Pirrotta will be the acting principal, Annette Gasbarro will be the acting deputy, and Mick Jennings will be the support for the leadership team. I thank them so much for stepping up in my absence. 

School Start Times

Thank you to all parents for ensuring your children arrive at school on time. Your efforts have made a noticeable difference, and we appreciate your support in fostering these crucial habits.

As a gentle reminder, our school gates open at 8:30 a.m., allowing students to enjoy passive games in the Hawthorn Yard. The Learning Space doors open at 8:45 a.m., where students can begin their day by unpacking their bags and following their classroom routine. At 8:50 a.m., teachers will take roll call and lead the class in prayer, marking the official start of our learning day, which begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.

For your child’s safety, if you arrive after 8:50 am, please accompany your child to the office to sign a late pass. This ensures they are safely signed in and ready to start their day.

All late arrivals are recorded on your child’s School Report.

Again, Thank you for your cooperation in helping us create a positive and productive start to each school day.

Pupil Free  Day -Tuesday, August 27th

This is a reminder that the school will be closed on Tuesday, August 27th, as our staff will be participating in a Spiritual Development Day focused on Mary MacKillop at the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre in East Melbourne. 

This day allows us to deepen our faith journey better to support the children's learning of the Catholic faith. There will be no school for students, but full-day care through TheirCare will be available. Please make sure to book in if needed.

https://theircare.com.au/

Special Visitors to St. Fidelis: Japanese Delegates

We are thrilled to announce that on Friday, August 30th, St. Fidelis will welcome International LEGO Education managers from Japan. Our school has been nominated by MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools) to showcase our integration of LEGO kits and resources in STEM education.

During their visit, the delegates will spend approximately an hour with our team, observing our students engaging with the LEGO Spike Prime tools. 

We have carefully selected a group of students from various grades to participate in this demonstration, highlighting how they use the equipment during their lessons. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our innovative approach to teaching and learning.

Blessing of the Northern Region Office

Mr Frazzetto and I will attend the Blessing of the Northern Region Office in Moonee Ponds on Thursday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. We are honoured to have been invited because our artwork was chosen from this year’s Creative Art Exhibition during Catholic Education Week and will be displayed in the new offices. Congratulations to Joe for his wonderful work in beautifully integrating our faith with art!

Happy Fathers' Day 

To all the wonderful fathers & special men of our St. Fidelis community, we wish you Happy Fathers' day for this Sunday September 1.  We look forward to celebrating with you on Friday morning at the Fathers' Day Breakfast and assembly.

School Fees 2024: Accounts emailed last week 

ALL SCHOOL FEES ARE TO BE PAID IN FULL BY SEPTEMBER 13TH UNLESS YOU HAVE A DIRECT DEBIT SYSTEM OR A PRIOR AGREEMENT WITH THE PRINCIPAL

Thank you to all the families who have fully paid their school fees. As mentioned previously, the school has paid for all of your children's stationary upfront, and prompt payment would be most appreciated. 

If you would like to pay in person, the office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. 

If you prefer to pay by direct debit, please use the bank details below. If any families need to discuss alternative arrangements for the payment of fees, please contact me directly.

Included are the Bank details for your ease of payment:

Please note once you have made a payment can you email Ann Russo 

annr@sfmoreland.catholic.edu.au   with the amount you have deposited.

Have a great week, and enjoy the sunshine,

Manuela 

Child Safe - Standard 9

The learning community of St. Fidelis is committed to the well-being and safety of all children. Our interactions with our community are founded on respect for each person. Within a Catholic community, this respect for each individual is rooted in the belief that each person is made in the image and likeness of God.

Child Safe Standard 9: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

At St. Fidelis Catholic Primary School, our physical and online environments promote safety and well-being for all our students in many ways. Our Wellbeing and Learning Diversity leaders work with teachers, students, and parents to promote our Child Safety and Student Behaviour Policy. Students and teachers follow our ICT Acceptable Agreement Policy. The school has parent and student sessions about Bullying and Cyber Safety through organisations such as Bully Zero, E-Safety Commission, Life Education Van, and the Police Proactive Unit. 

ST. FIDELIS MACS SCHOOLS POLICIES INCLUDE

• Student Behaviour Policy 
• AntiBully Policy (including Cyber Bullying)
• ICT Acceptable Agreement Policy 
• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy 
• Child Safety and Wellbeing Procedure 
• Child Safety and Wellbeing Record Keeping Policy.
• All of the schools' well-being and child-safety policies are available online for all community members to access freely.