Galilee School News

Dear Families,

With winter now upon us and Term 2 nearing its end, it’s a great time to reflect on our achievements. We look forward to celebrating the term’s highlights and finishing strongly as a school community.

Year 6 Camp

School camps provide a wonderful opportunity for students to connect with one another outside the classroom. Fun activities, team challenges and shared experiences help students build new friendships and strengthen existing ones.

Our Year 6 students enjoyed an unforgettable adventure at Camp Jungai in Rubicon last week. Surrounded by nature, they embraced every activity with enthusiasm, courage and teamwork.

A special highlight was the cultural learning session with Aunty, who generously shared her knowledge and helped students understand the deep connection First Nations peoples have with Country. Students explored Indigenous perspectives, learnt about the meaning behind Aboriginal symbols and were taught how to throw boomerangs under Aunty’s guidance. The cultural evening, filled with art, stories and reflection, gave students a richer appreciation of Aboriginal culture as a living, ongoing tradition.

They also enjoyed warm, cosy cabins, team‑building experiences and close encounters with kangaroos. It was a week filled with laughter, growth and memories that will last a lifetime.

We extend our sincere thanks to Amy Burns, Paddy Edwards, Harvey Bidmade, Becky Kavanagh and Holly Evans for taking time out of their personal lives to attend camp and care for the students.

School Disco

Our School Disco on Friday 29 May was a fantastic night filled with music, dancing, glowwyness and plenty of fun! We are so grateful to everyone who helped make it such a memorable event for our students. A huge thank you to our parents/carers, Amelia and Julie who organised the event and the many parent volunteers who rolled their sleeves up to take part. Thank you to James Nicololou Real Estate for donating our Glow Station equipment. Also thank you to the staff who organised the evening - Anna Petrarca, Rebecca McCormack, Fiona Allan, Brian Kelly and Shane Gethings. Your time, energy and enthusiasm helped create a wonderful experience for our school community.

Staff Professional Learning: Power to Kids

On Tuesday, Galilee staff participated in a whole‑school closure day facilitated by the Mackillop Institute, where we engaged in professional learning focused on trauma‑informed practices. This day was an important investment in the wellbeing, safety and success of every student in our care.

We appreciated your support as we dedicated this time to strengthening the skills and knowledge that help our school remain a nurturing environment for all children.

Trauma‑informed practice recognises that many children and young people have experiences that may affect how they learn, behave and connect with others. These experiences may include grief, family stress, illness or other challenges.

During the training, Yvonne from the Mackillop Institute guided our staff through:

• How stress and trauma affect the developing brain
• Why some behaviours are signs of underlying needs 
• How to respond in ways that build trust and emotional regulation
• How to build strong relationships with students through empathy and curiosity

Looking After Our Wellbeing 

At Galilee, we believe that caring for one another is at the heart of a strong, connected community. We encourage students, families and staff to look out for each other, be respectful, speak up when something doesn’t feel right and to reach out for help when it’s needed. Alongside the support we offer here at school, there are also many free, confidential services available across Australia. Organisations such as Beyond Blue, Lifeline, Kids Helpline, headspace, 1800RESPECT, MensLine, QLife and 13YARN provide counselling, crisis support and guidance for children, young people, adults and families. Many operate 24/7 and can offer immediate help, referrals and someone to talk to during difficult moments. If there is ever a concern for immediate safety, please call 000 or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.

Book Fair

Get ready, the Scholastic Book Fair is arriving soon! From 15th June to 25th June, we will be hosting the annual Scholastic Book Fair! It’s a wonderful opportunity for students and families to explore a fantastic range of books, from exciting stories to fun non-fiction, all available for purchase. The book fair will be open before and after school from 8.35-8:50am and 3:25-3:40am. 

Maths Games Club!

Started this week with a soft launch was our Maths Games Club for Years 3-6. This will be held every Wednesday, 1.40-2.10 in the library for Years 3-6. This week’s focus was problem solving: How do you identify what the question is asking? All through the topic of the 2026 Football (Soccer) World Cup!

Lightning Premierships 

The Soccer and Netball Lightning Premierships gave selected Year 5 and 6 students a wonderful opportunity to represent Galilee and compete with pride. These events encourage teamwork, sportsmanship and resilience, as students challenge themselves and support one another. Congratulations to all who took part, we are so proud of you! Tomorrow is the AFL Lightning Premiership, we wish those students the very best of luck. Thank you to Charlotte Drake, our Year 5/6 teaching staff and our encouraging parent/carer community for supporting our students.

Looking Ahead – Weeks 8, 9 and 10

Week 8

• Friday 12th June: AFL Lightning Premiership for select students. No assembly

Week 9

• Monday 15th June- Friday 19th June: Book Fair opens 8:35-8:50am, 3:25-3:45pm.
• Wednesday 16th June: Maths Game Club! 1.40-2.10, Years 3-6, library,  Mr Harding
• Thursday 18th June:  Confirmation Information Night, Year 6 students and families, 6-7pm. 
• Friday 19th June:  Assembly 8:55am: Year 5 presenting. 

Week 10

• Monday 22nd June-Thursday 25th June:  Book Fair open 8:35-8:50am, 3:25-3:45pm.
• Wednesday 23rd June: Maths Game Club! 1.40-2.10, Years 3-6, library,  Mr Harding
• Friday 26th June: World Cup 2026 Australia vs Paraguay, on the big screen in the stadium. Students can wear green and gold for the day (or Paraguay colours if that is your background!) and choose to go to the stadium to watch the game. 
• Friday 26th June: Last Day of Term. Students finish at 1:30pm. Aus vs Paraguay will be played on the stadium screen if you would like to stay and watch (you will still need to collect your children at 1:30pm)

In the spirit of soccer,

Amy Burns (Principal), Richard Harding (Deputy Principal) and Holly Evans (Deputy Principal)