Principal's Report 

Dear Families,

We sincerely thank the PFA for coordinating the Father's Day Breakfast, last Friday, particularly the PFA Executive, Verina and her team and Baz for preparing the delicious food. It was fantastic to see so many fathers and grandfathers enjoying their time with the children and chatting with other families. In my welcoming speech I thanked the fathers for being positive role models for their children and for instilling manners, values and attitudes to equip them to be successful male members of society both now and into the future. Since Sunday, I have been happy to hear of the many ways families spent quality time together. At times like this is it important to stop and remind ourselves that, as parents, it is our presence that makes the biggest difference to the lives of our children and families.

Emerald Dreams Art Show

The passion, energy and talent of Suzan Atyimas is undeniable. Suzan has led the students to create visual art works that communicate, challenge and express their own and others’ ideas. Preparation for Emerald Dreams has taken a great deal of thought and I am excited to reflect that the students have worked alongside Suzan to learn of the thinking processes from initial concept to the finished art show. Suzan has helped the students learn about the relationships between the viewer and artworks and how artworks can be displayed to enhance meaning for the viewer.  They have learnt about the role of the artist, craftsperson and designer and their contribution to society, and the significance of the creative industries including the roles of critics, curators and commentators. Learning in the Visual Arts leads students to become increasingly confident and proficient in achieving their personal visual aesthetic, appreciating and valuing that of others.

Having witnessed two of the previous art shows, I can guarantee you that Suzan has staged the art to provide a most enjoyable, fun and thought provoking exhibition. We sincerely thank Suzan for going the extra mile and for investing so much of herself into the show. We also mention the assistance of Melanie and Justin Harper, Hamish Wood, Janina Pereira Mok and the St Leonard's staff, who have spent many hours setting up the art work. We also thank our PFA for providing refreshments. 

It will be exciting to hear the Junior Choir sing and to hear from our special guests, 

Carina Garland (Labor MP for Chisholm) and Richard Welsh (Liberal member of Victorian Legislative Council for the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region.)

The VCAA Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0. 

The Visual Arts curriculum aims to develop students’:

• conceptual and perceptual ideas and expressions through design and inquiry processes
• visual arts techniques, materials, processes and technologies
• critical and creative thinking, using visual arts languages, theories and practices to apply aesthetic judgment
• respect for and acknowledgement of the diverse roles, innovations, traditions, histories and cultures of artists, craftspeople, designers, curators, critics and commentators
• respect for visual arts as social and cultural practices, including industry practices
• confidence, curiosity, imagination and enjoyment and a personal aesthetic through engagement with visual arts making, viewing, discussing, analysing, interpreting and evaluating.

https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/the-arts/visual-arts/introduction/rationale-and-aims

Timetable for Opening Night (All times are approximate)

6.00pm Opening of the Show. Cutting of Ribbon

6.30pm Speeches and Presentations

6:30pm Choir members (wearing school uniform) meet Ms Ellis near the Yellow Brick                        Road, to collect a vest and hat. 

6.45pm Year 1/ 2 Choir to sing.  The students will stand on either side of the central                             Yellow Brick Road display. They will sing for about 15-20 mins.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Celebrating our Learning Support Staff and Office Admin Staff

On Tuesday we celebrated the amazing work of our Learning Support Staff and Office Administration Staff. We thank these valued staff members for all they do to assist the students, staff and parents. We appreciate all that they bring to their daily work, including bucket loads of patience, empathy, intelligence, kindness, generosity and friendship. Their support of our students gives the students a greater understanding of themselves as learners and enables the students to access the curriculum that all students are entitled to. We acknowledge all their dedication to looking after our students in the classroom, out on the playground, when they are having learning or social difficulties, or when they just need some extra TLC after a fall on the yard. Much of the work of the LSS and Admin Staff goes unnoticed but it all contributes to the building of strong relationships and highly effective processes and systems within our school.

Thank you so much to Maria, Nalika, Oosha, Jo, Vicki G, Des, Andrea, Maddy, Kayleen, Vicki H, Yvette, Aylsha and Jane. We value and appreciate everything you do for our students and school. 

 Prayer 

This week’s prayer focus is "Walking in Your Footsteps". 

Gospel Reading:

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their food with hands that were ritually unclean — that is, they had not washed them in the way the Pharisees said people should.

(For the Pharisees, as well as the rest of the Jews, follow the teaching they received from their ancestors: they do not eat unless they wash their hands in the proper way; nor do they eat anything that comes from the market unless they wash it first. And they follow many other rules which they have received, such as the proper way to wash cups, pots, copper bowls, and beds.)

So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked Jesus, “Why is it that your disciples do not follow the teaching handed down by our ancestors, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?”

Jesus answered them, “How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you! You are hypocrites, just as he wrote:

‘These people, says God, honour me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me. It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were God’s laws!’

“You put aside God's command and obey human teachings.”

Then Jesus called the crowd to him once more and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand, there is nothing that goes into a person from the outside which can make him ritually unclean. Rather it is what comes out of a person that makes him unclean.

For from the inside, from a person’s heart, come the evil ideas which lead him to do immoral things, to rob, to kill, commit adultery, be greedy, and do all sorts of evil things; deceit, indecency, jealousy, slander, pride and folly – all these evil things come from inside a person and make him unclean.”

Reflection Question to consider this week:

• What does it mean to "walk in Jesus' footsteps"?
• What are some examples of Jesus' actions that we can follow?
• What are some obstacles that might prevent us from following Jesus?
• How did Jesus overcome obstacles in his life?
• How can we overcome the obstacles in our own lives?
• What does Jesus say about the importance of a pure heart?
• What steps can we take to purify our hearts?
• How can we seek guidance from Jesus as we walk in his footsteps
• What role does prayer play in following Jesus?
• How can we develop a deeper relationship with Jesus?

Prayer:

God of all, 

As we try to be kind and generous, to share with others and to show our love for you, 

give us strength when it is difficult, courage to keep trying and hope that through our actions we may make a difference to the lives of others. 

Amen.

MACSSIS Surveys 2024

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS) are conducted annually for schools in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. This year’s MACSSIS window is from Monday 2 September to Friday 20 September 2024. MACSSIS produces perception data. This data tells us about what different people in the school community think and feel about their learning environment. We invite all families to complete the family survey using the link and pin that was sent via Operoo/email. All students in Year 4-6 will complete the student survey during class time. If you do not want your child to complete the survey, please contact the office before the 30th August. Our staff will also complete the survey. St Leonard's views MACSSIS as a positive opportunityfor gathering feedback and engaging the community in ongoing school improvement efforts.

STEM MAD Showcase- The Healthy Bird House

We wish our school representatives every success as they present their Healthy Bird House project for this year’s showcase  on Tuesday 10 September 2024 at the Catholic Leadership Centre. as part in the STEM MAD Showcase. It will be an opportunity for students and staff in the Catholic sector (primary and secondary) schools to showcase projects in STEM created by students that are “Making A Difference” (MAD) in our world. The STEM MAD showcase is designed to acknowledge and promote STEM learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate how students in Catholic schools take action that matters. 

At last year’s STEM MAD Showcase, Executive Director of MACS, Dr Edward Simons, reflected: ‘Each one of the projects that I’ve seen is designed to help others, and to help the natural world and the natural environment – and that’s extraordinary. So, what we’ve got in this room are hundreds of students answering the call Pope Francis gave in Laudato Si’ to make a difference.’

More information will be shared next week.

School Review 2024

The School Improvement Framework (SIF): Growing Effective Schools recognises the distinctive nature of Catholic education. Focusing on the full flourishing of each student, this evidenced-based framework is designed to highlight the priorities and practices that support student outcomes through school improvement and effectiveness.

The SIF of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has two purposes:

1. to assist schools and teachers to improve student outcomes
2. to satisfy legitimate expectations of government and sector authorities.

2024 marks a school review for our school. This occurs every 4 years and ensures that we are compliant as a Victorian Registered school and that we aspire to achieve high standards across all Catholic Education Spheres of Improvement, including an assurance that our school adheres to the 11 Child Safety Standards and policies. The quality of teaching and learning in all capabilities will be subject to self- assessment and reflection and this will assit us to set new priorities and goals for the next 4 year School Improvement Plan. Each School Improvement Plan is broken down into an Annual Action Plan, containing more specific goals. Our progress in working towards these annual goals is discussed at the School Advisory Council.

We have completed:

19th August- preliminary visit to check policies and child safety standards to ensure we comply with VRQA requirements.

The remaining dates of our school review are:

9th September- Day 1 at the school with meetings of key stakeholders, students, staff and  parents.

13th September- Day 2 at the school with meetings of key stakeholders, students, staff and  parents.

24th October- Dialogue and engagement day.

Briefly

• ICAS results are starting to become available. Some results are available now and other results will be released over the next few weeks. Parents and students can access their own results using their TAP-ID and PIN: Students that have sat ICAS at St Leonard's before can find their TAP-ID and PIN on the back of a previous year's certificate. Students that have sat ICAS at St Leonard's for the first time this year, can request their TAP-ID and PIN via this form. 
• The 2023 Annual Report to the School Community is now available on our website at: https://www.leonardsgwav.catholic.edu.au/our-school/annual-report-to-the-community/ 
• I encourage you to read the learning in 5 / 6 I page of this newsletter for information about the camp and the upcoming Sacrament of Confirmation. On Wednesday 11th of September we are holding a Confirmation Reflection Day. Bishop Tomlinson visiting for morning tea with staff and meeting with Year 6 students.

Best wishes for a very happy week ahead. 

Rob Horwood

Principal