Newsletter Address ~ Term 2, Week 5

~ Prayer for National Reconciliation Week ~

Reconciliation Prayer

Holy Father,

God of Love You are the Creator of this land and all good things

We acknowledge the pain and shame of our history

And the suffering of our peoples.

And we ask your forgiveness.

We thank you for the survival of Indigenous cultures

Our hope is in you because you gave your son Jesus

To reconcile the world to you.

We pray for your strength and grace to forgive,

Accept and love one another,

As you love us and forgive and accept us

In the sacrifice of your Son.

Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history

So that we may build a better future for our nation.

Teach us to respect all cultures.

Teach us to care for our land and waters.

Help us to share justly the resources of this land.

Help us to bring about spiritual and social change

To improve the quality of life for all groups in our communities,

Especially the disadvantaged.

Help our young people to find true dignity

and self-esteem by your Spirit May your power and love

be the foundations on which we build our families,

our communities and our Nation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Friends of St Mel’s

As Principal of St Mel’s, I was immensely proud to spend time with prospective families during our Open Day last Wednesday showcasing our school. Thank you particularly to our Year 6 Leadership Team who led families on tours. They were amazing ambassadors of our school and I’ve received many compliments on their manners, confidence and the way they proudly spoke of their primary school. Well done, Abbey, Dakota, Michael M, Stejsi and Lidija. If you are considering or know of someone who is considering schooling options for 2024, please call St Mel’s and we will gladly show you around. Enrolments for 2024 are open and any enquiries are most welcome.

We pray for our sacramental candidates as they make their sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist this Sunday. Sacraments are a beautiful celebration of an ongoing journey of faith and love. We thank the staff of St Mel’s and St Anne’s for helping to prepare our students especially Danae Napier, Sarah Maloney, Jaquie Avard and our parish representatives Mel Shiels, Sr Pam and Fr Peter for their guidance and support.

During National Reconciliation Week (Friday 26th May – Friday 2nd June), Reconciliation Australia invites all Australians to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, to share knowledge and help us grow as a nation. This year’s theme ‘Be a Voice for Generations’ urges the reconciliation movement towards being a positive voice in thinking and action. Several of our students attended the Sorry Day ceremony at Monash Park where they laid a wreath of ‘Sorry Hands’ in solidarity to all indigenous people. For more information about National Reconciliation Week please visit:

https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/

Our swimming week this week has been a huge success with all students being able to attend swimming classes every day. Swimming safety skills are an essential part of student learning and development.

Our lost property box is filling up fast. Please make sure you name every item of clothing your child wears to school. We have lots of unnamed jumpers, coats, shirts, and swimming gear. Unclaimed items will be donated to our second hand uniform shop.

It has been a particularly difficult fortnight, with staff and student illness. On average we have had 40 students out each day and 3 or 4 staff members. Thankfully we have managed to keep interruptions to student learning to a minimum. Your understanding and support has been greatly appreciated.

It is with sadness we farewell the Saldua family from our community. Arman and Kathlyn are relocating to Orange for work opportunities, and we will dearly miss Ashton and Clinton at school. We wish Arman, Kathlyn, Clinton and Ashton all the best in their new chapter of their lives.

REMINDER: SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY FRIDAY 9th June. ~ Staff PD Day

All children should now be in full winter uniform. Thank you, parents, for making sure that your children come to school each day dressed in correct uniform. Our uniform plays an important part in setting the culture of our school and I really appreciate your support on this. Several items are available in our second-hand uniform shop and a full list of our winter school uniform can be found on our website.

Do your best. Respect our school. Help others succeed.

Have a wonderful fortnight everyone.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL SORRY DAY ~ The first National Sorry Day was observed in 1998, a year after the first “Bringing Them Home” report — the result of a government inquiry into the child-stealing of the 20th century — was brought before the Australian Parliament. Among that report’s recommendations was the idea of an unreserved apology and the proposition that a portion of the national budget should be put towards reparations.

The formal apology came in 2008, when Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister. The best former Prime Minister John Howard had done, in 1999, was to put forth a “Motion of Reconciliation” that expressed regret and sympathy, but no admission of culpability. In the meantime, there was a motion to rename the day “The National Day of Healing,” which passed in 2005.

It was really Prime Minister Rudd’s unreserved apology that really struck a chord in the hearts of Australians. It was his Parliament that adopted the goals of the “Closing the Gap” movement, which focused on the health and equality of indigenous peoples of all generations. Closing the Gap was run by Oxfam Australia between 2009 and 2019, and then was handed over to Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR), who still produce an annual report.

National Sorry Day is a day to acknowledge the strength of Stolen Generations Survivors and reflect on how Australians can all play a part in the healing process for the people and nation. While this date carries great significance for the Stolen Generations and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it is also commemorated by Australians right around the country.

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden (SAKG) Updates:

See SAKG page in this newsletter

Our SAKG program for the junior classes has kicked off this term. Katie Ferrari, our SAKG specialist, is doing an amazing job running classes and small groups throughout the week, ensuring our kids are growing, harvesting, and cooking fresh produce from our garden and are experiencing the full benefits of the SAKG program. We are aiming to hold another information session regarding the program this term and will be looking for volunteers to help. If you have a current WWCC (Working with Children’s Check) and would like to volunteer your time in the garden and be part of the program, please contact the school.

About the SAKG Program

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation provides inspiration, information, professional development and support for educators to deliver pleasurable food education to children and young people in Australia.

Pleasurable food education is a fun, hands-on approach to teaching children and young people about fresh, seasonal, delicious food so they form positive food habits for life.

Delivered through a kitchen garden program, pleasurable food education has an array of health, well-being, education, and community benefits.

Stephanie Alexander AO, one of Australia’s most recognised cooks, food educators and authors, established the Kitchen Garden Foundation in 2004, following the success of the first kitchen garden program piloted in 2001. The motivation for this work came from Stephanie’s awareness of the growing childhood obesity problem in Australia.

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation supports early childhood services, primary schools and secondary schools across Australia, and our community is growing.

ICAS ~ Term 3 2023

We’re delighted to inform you that we will be participating in ICAS again this year, to recognise and reward students’ academic achievement. The assessments are now fully online and sitting dates will commence in Term 3. Learn more by visiting icasassessments.com.

School Uniform

It’s time to transition to our Winter Uniform. Correct uniform including footwear, hair ties, no jewellery, hair colour etc continue to be of importance and students will be warned and parents notified if this is not attended to.

GIRLS' WINTER UNIFORM

Winter Tartan Skirt (Grey/Green pinstripe) with bottle green tights.

Tartan slacks (Grey/Green pinstripe) with plain white socks or

Gold skivvy or Green/gold polo shirt, long or short-sleeved, with embroidered school logo.

School jumper or bomber jacket

GIRLS' SPORTS UNIFORM

Black sports skirt or black shorts/black tracksuit pants (Winter)

Green and Gold polo top [with the embroidered logo]

Plain white socks (micro socks not permitted)

BOYS' WINTER UNIFORM

Grey trousers or cords

Gold skivvy or green/gold long-sleeved polo top [with the embroidered logo]

School jumper or bomber jackets with embroidered school logo.

Plain grey socks (micro-short socks are not permitted).

BOYS' SPORTS UNIFORM

Plain black shorts/black tracksuit pants (Winter)

Green and Gold polo top [with the embroidered logo]

Plain white socks (micro socks are not permitted)

SCHOOL SHOES

Both boys and girls are to wear plain black shoes only

While plain, black leather runners are acceptable; ALL other sports shoes are acceptable only for sporting activities. Socks must be worn with shoes. "Blundstone" type work boots are not permitted.

WEARING OF HATS

During Terms 1 and 4 all children must wear a school hat. Hats are optional for Terms 2 & 3.

St Mel’s School Open Day ~ Wednesday, May 24th

Tour Times: 12:30 pm and 4:30 pm

Community Group Expressions of Interest to Join

Each year it is expected our school will commit to raising additional funds. All Catholic Schools have an obligation to raise additional funds to meet the capacity to contribute factor.

These funds will be put towards improving the educational needs of our students through hardware or programs and/or improving school grounds or facilities.

Please Note: Our Parents and Friends group are on the recruitment drive. If you know of anyone especially new parents who might want to be involved please encourage them to do so by contacting the school.

As a school, we are extremely grateful for the hard work and time our community members put into making our school the best it can be. We are especially grateful for contributions and donations made when we hold school fundraisers or campaigns to help maintain and beautify St Mel’s.

Committee Recruitment

St Mel's relies on the support of our parents to make sure we can offer the best learning opportunities for our children. We are grateful for the commitment of those who are already on our Parish School Education Council and Social Committee and ask anyone who would like to be involved to please contact the school. All new or existing parents are welcome!

Attendance Requirements

If your child is sick or absent, you are required to notify the school as soon as possible on the day of absence, by phoning or emailing the school.

Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfil your legal responsibility.

All Victorian schools are required to contact parents/carers as soon as practicable on the same day of an unexplained student absence. If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained.

This system also promotes daily school attendance. Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education, they learn new things every day – missing school puts them behind.

URGENT REMINDER!!! Medical Update ~ Asthma Plans & Anaphylaxis Plans

If your child suffers from Asthma or Anaphylaxis, please remember to send in an updated Asthma Plan or Anaphylaxis Plan. These MUST BE arranged through your family GP. Without an updated plan your children will not be able to participate in school functions

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