Principal News

Dear Members of the St Raphael's school community,

The end of term two has come around so quickly, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents for your extraordinary efforts to continue the children's learning through the disruptions of intermittent lockdowns this year.

The children have adapted so well to these changes, and we congratulate them on their efforts to date. We pray for an end to these lockdowns and that we can all return to some sense of normality.

We have seen some tremendous growth in some of the children this year. Our focus has always been on continuously improving student outcomes; however, lockdowns have impacted us on fully realising our ambitious goals at the commencement of the 2021 school year.

There is no doubt that the disruptions of the COVID-19 restrictions have impacted children's learning throughout the world. However, we must remember that this is a global pandemic not isolated to Melbourne or our local community. With support, the children will catch up over time. We all need to exercise patience and provide the children with the appropriate resources and strategies to realise their full potential.

A reminder that we all need to maintain social distance when on the school grounds. At pick up time, there are a number of parents who are not observing this rule. We want to keep everyone in our school community safe. We have made the decision that any adult must wear a mask if entering the school grounds. Whilst the current restrictions state that adults no longer need to wear a mask when outside, I have a duty of care to maintain a safe environment for all children, parents and staff. Therefore, all parents must wear a face mask when on the school grounds until further notice. If parents fail to comply they will be asked to leave the school grounds immediately.  

Next term, the whole school will have a strong focus on reading and maths. We encourage all parents to read with their children at least four nights per week. The children will have access to library books and other literature resources that they can bring home. 

Reading is such a lovely time for a parent to spend with their children. Regardless of their age, children love being read a picture storybook by an adult. Chapter books are also a great family activity. So next term, let's all turn off our TVs, shut down our devices at night and read for 15 - 20 minutes at least four times a week.

Maths games and activities are also a great way to engage your children in maths. Shopping lists and budgets are practical ways children can learn about maths. Next term, we hope to look at developing the children's knowledge and understanding of financial literacy.

We trust that you will enjoy the next two weeks with your children. Stay warm, and we look forward to the second half of the 2021 school year.

Staffing News

Carmel Pitt (1/2P) has announced to the staff and students that she is expecting her third child and will be taking maternity leave from early August until the end of the 2021 school year. Carmel's replacement teacher will be announced in the coming weeks. We wish Carmel all the very best for the safe arrival of her baby later this year.

Mrs Belinda Mercuri has been a Foundation - Year 2 Education Support Officer (ESO) for the last two years. Belinda has been excellent support for the teachers in Foundation - Year 2, especially with Investigations. Belinda has decided to return to her previous profession as an architect and has been seconded by a large construction company. We congratulate Belinda on this new position and wish her every success for the future.

Ms Lucy McNaughton has been working as an Education Support Officer in our school over the last few years. Lucy has announced that she will be resigning from her position as an ESO at St Raphael's at the end of this term to focus on her university study. Lucy is currently studying to be a teacher, and we wish her all the very best with her future career. We thank Lucy for her work assisting teachers and children throughout the school. We have advertised for ESO replacements and are interviewing this week.

Parent-Teacher Interviews  Week 1, Term 3 

Parent-teacher mid-year report discussions will be held for Foundation to Year 6 between Monday 12th July- Friday 16th July. Information on how to make an appointment will be sent out via email/Skoolbag this Friday.

Bookings will open at 4pm on Friday 25th June. Meetings will be of 15 minutes duration. 

We will be sending home all mid-year school reports on Monday, 12th July. The teachers have taken an enormous amount of time writing personalised comments for every child throughout the school. We believe that this year's mid-year reports will fully reflect every child's academic, emotional, physical and spiritual growth. The parent-teacher interviews will provide an opportunity for a face-to-face discussion on your child's report and what the teacher will put in place to support your child for the remainder of the 2021 school year.

Marvellous Mathematics Day

Today the children were involved in a fantastic immersive Marvellous Maths Day, coordinated by our leading mathematics teacher, Emma Sbizzirri. The children had lots of fun as they participated in many fun and engaging maths activities.

School Pick Up Gates Term 3

As for the start of this term, the pickup locations will change for all children with surnames A-K (Cooper Street Gates) and L - Z (Breen Street Gates. Changing the pickup location next term is in response to multiple parent requests at the end of Term One. These parents felt that the pickup points should alternate for all families to ensure that it was fair and equal. Drop off will continue to be at the Breen Street gates between 8:30 am - 9 am.

School fees reminder that school fees will be due by the end of next term.

 We ask all parents to reconcile their 2021 school fee accounts. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, I encourage you to make a time to come and meet with me to discuss alternative arrangements.

Digital Technology Resource

The following link is a fabulous resource for all parents. I encourage you to visit this website and use these resources to assist with the implementation of digital technology use at home.

https://www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/families/learning-at-home