Term 1 Concludes - Thursday 28th March at 1.30pm

Term 2 Commences - Monday 15th April

Parent Teacher Child Interviews - Tuesday 26th March - 2.30pm till 7.30pm

Optional Early Dismissal - Tuesday 26th at 1.35pm - 3.15pm (refer below)

Dear Families,

Prayer for Harmony and Peace in our world

Harmony Week 2024 will take place from

18th March to 24th March.

21st March is the International Day for the

Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Harmony Week is always celebrated in the week that surrounds the 21st March and is focused on Australian multiculturalism

Good and gracious God,

who loves and delights in all people,

we stand in awe before you,

knowing that the spark of life within each person

is the spark of your divine life.

Differences among cultures and races are

multicolored manifestations of your light.

May our hearts and minds be open to celebrate

similarities and differences among our sisters and brothers.

Please send your healing and reconciling Spirit in order to bind

the wounds created by racism and racial hatred,

and to promote understanding, justice, and love.

We place our hopes for racial harmony in our committed action

and in your living presence in our neighbor.

May all peoples live in peace!

Amen.

- adapted from the Sisters of Mercy

Key Dates for the End of Term 1

Please be mindful of the many events taking place at St Andrew’s!

Friday 22nd	School Athletics Carnival - 1.00pm - 3.00pm - Parent welcome to attend
Saturday 23rd	School Open Day Tours - 9am, 9.45am & 10.30am
Monday 25th	8.50am - Prep Holy Week Liturgy - Palm Sunday - Hall - All welcome Optional Early Dismissal - 1.35pm - 3.15pm due to Interviews Parent/Child/Teacher Interviews - 2.30pm - 7.30pm in the School Hall
Tuesday 26th	School Open Day Tours - 9am, 10am, 4pm, 5pm 8.50am - Year 1 & 2 - Holy Week Liturgy - Last Supper - Hall
Wednesday 27th	Crazy Sock Day - $1.00 Donation Class Mass - 3/4H & 1/2V 8.50am - Year 1 & 2 Holy Week Liturgy - Garden of Gethsemane - Hall PBL Lunch - Lucky PBL Winners 1pm 2.45pm - Year 5 & 6 Holy Week Liturgy - Good Friday - Hall - All welcome
Thursday 28th	Mass - 1/2L & 1/2W 12.30pm - 1.00pm - Term 1 Prep to Year 6 Learning Celebrations - All families invited to drop in & discuss the learnings from the term 1.00pm - P&F Easter Raffle 1.30pm - Term 1 Concludes

Holy Week Liturgy Dates/Times

Families warmly welcomed

All families are warmly welcomed to join us in the Hall for our Easter Liturgies taking place next week.

Palm Sunday Liturgy, Prep, March 25th at 8:50am
The Last Supper Liturgy, 3/4, March 26th at 8:50am
Garden of Gethsemane Liturgy, 1/2, March 27th at 8:50am
Good Friday Liturgy, 5/6 March 27th at 2:45pm

Easter Egg Event - Donations welcomed!

Easter Egg Prize Draw - Thursday 28th March - 1.00pm

The St Andrew’s Parents and Friends Easter Egg Event is up and running for 2024. If you are able, we ask each family to donate an Easter Egg to this year’s event. The gifts will be used to create Easter hampers.

Raffle prizes will be drawn in the afternoon of the last day of term with all children a chance to walk away with an Easter surprise! The more donations we receive from our parent community equates to more raffle prizes which equates to more winning children!

All Easter Egg donations are required by Friday 22nd March. This will provide time for hampers to be created.

We thank all P & F members for organising this year’s Easter Draw.

All money raised from Parents and Friends activities this year will be directed to updating the school’s Performing Arts resources.

Easter Eggs Surprise

We will be handing all children an Easter Egg on Thursday 28th March as we conclude term 1. Parents with children with dietary issues registered with the school will receive an individual letter advising of an alternate egg that their child may choose to eat. We advise parents of this action as we are highly aware of our role to cater for children with allergies, whilst providing the opportunity for our children to receive a small gift from their teacher.

2025 Prep Enrolments

HAVE YOU ENROLLED YOUR CHILD FOR PREP 2025? If you have a child ready for Prep 2025, we encourage you to put your enrolment form in as soon as possible. This will help us with organisation purposes. To access an enrolment form:

Visit the enrolment section of our school website and download an enrolment form

Drop into the school office to collect and enrolment pack
Email office@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au

Prep - Year 6 Athletics Day on Friday 22nd March (1pm-3pm)

We look forward to welcoming families on Friday 22nd March to our annual School Athletics Carnival. The afternoon events will commence at 1.00pm and conclude at approximately 3.00pm. Children are requested to wear their St Andrew’s sports tops with their house colour.

We are again teaming with an external provider, Kaboom Kids Sports, to add an extra dimension to the the fun of the day for our children.

The Prep to Year 2 students will participate in Athletics events on the school oval from 1.00pm through to 2.00pm whilst our Year 3 to Year 6 children will spend 1.00pm through to 2.00pm at the front of the school with Kaboom Kids Sports. At 2.00pm the groupings will swap over the complete alternate activities.

All students will gather on the school oval at approximately 2.50pm for the presentation of the St Andrew’s House Athletics Shield.

We aim for the afternoon to be a chance for our students to demonstrate their athletic skills, enjoy the fun and excitement of working with an external sports company along with a chance for families to gather and enjoy an engaging fun family event.

1:00-1:50pm - Oval - Prep & Year 1/2 - Sprints & relays

1:00-1:50pm - Kaboom - Year 3/4 & 5/6

2:00-3:00pm - Oval - Year 3/4 & 5/6 - Sprints & relays

2:00-3:00pm - Kaboom - Prep & Year 1/2

2:50 - 3:05pm - Presentation of shield to winning team.

3:15pm - Dismissal from Classrooms

Sunsmart Protocols - All children will be encouraged to apply sunscreen prior to going out to the athletics event and children will be wearing hats. We encourage families to apply sunscreen to children prior to leaving home on the morning of the 22nd March.

Parent-Child-Teacher Interviews - Monday 25th March

We invite all families to attend the Term 1 Parent/Child/Teacher Interviews on the afternoon/evening of Monday 25th March. Parents can book for this event by clicking on the direct link below. The interviews will be 10 minutes and conducted in the School Hall.

Please note that the booking site is Now Open

Bookings close on Saturday 23rd March.

We remind parents that students are encouraged to be active participants in the interviews. Should it be necessary to have a private conversation with your child’s class teacher, we recommend that parents simply advise the teacher that they would like their child to remove themselves from the interview for a short period of time.

Interviews will run from 2.30pm through to 7.20pm.

Optional Child School Attendance – Monday 25th March - 1.35pm-3.15pm

Teaching staff will be released on the afternoon of Monday 25th March to commence ‘Three Way Interviews’. Children remaining at school for the afternoon block will be grouped in levels and supervised by staff not required at the Interviews. Parents attending interviews may collect their children from these level gatherings.

Parents do have the option of collecting their children for a shortened school day from 1.35pm. Collection of children assists staff by reducing the number of children being present in the afternoon block. Please inform your child’s class teacher in writing if you plan to collect your child from school at this early time.

Parents do not need to sign out from the school office on this day. Your written notification will be a record of student early exits.

Term 2 interviews will take place on Monday 24th June. These interviews will involve the presentation of each child’s Semester 1 Report.

Congratulations Reconciliation Candidates

We congratulate all candidates on their successful celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated last Thursday evening. Please refer to the attached images recalling this special celebration.

Last Friday's Cross Country Trials

We congratulate all children on the manner in which they participated in last Friday’s Cross Country trials. It was great to see children of all ages being fit and healthy and enjoying their sports.

The Bentleigh District School’s Cross Country event will take place on Tuesday 30th April. Further details will be provided to those children who will represent the school.

Please refer below to some images of a great morning!

Thank you Parents & Friends Bunnings BBQ Volunteers

We thank all volunteers who supported the St Andrew’s P&F Bunnings BBQ last Sunday. Parents are warmly welcomed to be involved in a number of P&F activities throughout the year.

Our thanks to Leang O’Brien for co-ordinating the event.

St. Andrew’s Open Days for 2024

For Prep/Foundation children and new enrolments from Year 1 to Year 6

School Open Tours will be held on:

Saturday 23rd March at 9am, 9.45am & 10.30am

Tuesday 26th March on the hour at 9am, 10am, 4pm & 5pm.

Tours are also available on any school day throughout the year by appointment.

We request that parents already with children in the school enrol as early as possible.

Year 5/6 Camp - Date for your Diary - May 6th to May 8 - Camp Arribri

Year 5 and 6 families please make a note in your calendars that the 2024 Year 5 and 6 School Camp will take place on Monday 6th May through to Wednesday 8th May.

The children will be attending Camp Arrabri - 450 Woods Point Road, East Warburton, Vic 3799

Further details, as published through an Operoo notice, was distributed to Year 5/6 families on Tuesday.

Icy Pole Sales - Friday Zooper Dooper Sales - 50 cents

Children can bring 50 cents to school to purchase a Zooper Dooper on a Friday - a maximum of 2 zooper doopers can be purchased.

All profits raised from the sales will go to our Kadasig Social Justice fundraising efforts.

‘No Hat - No Play’

Our school has a ‘No Hat – No Play’ SunSmart policy, therefore all children are required to wear their school hat to school, at all outdoor sessions and home from school.

Please note that with the additions of the blue shade structures outside the Prep classrooms and the church we now have greater capacity for children to play in areas providing shade.

2024 School Calendar

The 2024 School Calendar is available on the School Website. It can be found mid-way down on the front page under the heading ‘WHAT’S ON’. We will endeavour, where possible, to remain true to the dates on the 2024 calendar. We would recommend that parents make a regular visit to the school website to see updates on all school events.

Audiri School App– Please ensure you download the Audiri App to get alerts for weekly newsletters, important announcements and reminders.

Paul Wakeling

Principal

Classroom Helper's course