Clare's message........

Good afternoon Families,

We have had the perfect start to the past fortnight. Last week we got to welcome Leki in 1-2E who is joining us from Macau for just five weeks. We are loving getting to know him and his Dad, Felix. We already feel you are one of our St Luke's kids, you've settled in so well. This week, we also welcomed the HEER family to our community. Mekhi and Cillian are in Prep and Year 2 respectively and it's been great seeing them enjoy their new bunch of friends. We can't wait to get to know you all.

I was very fortunate to attend the MACS RE Symposium, Inspired by Faith last week with Nina Grieve and Fr Alex at the Melbourne Convention Centre. We listened to a host of keynote speakers who spoke on broad ranging subjects like The Gift of St Francis for Our Day and Catholic Women and Neuroscience- Ancient Wisdom for Healthy Brains, and Forming a Renewed Humanity. There were international speakers and some of Australia's leading faith-filled educators, researchers and clergy who spoke passionately about their chosen topics of expertise. We were moved as we contemplated our own personal faith through workshopping Catholic identity to education, scripture, prayer, mission as Church, and leadership. We shared tradition and our shared story and explored the Catholic world view. It was indeed a treat for the senses. 

It was also very timely that l sat in a workshop with Michael McGurr as he spoke about The Eucharist as a Call to Action.  He spoke about how when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, Catholics are called to action, to go out and spread the Good News and to live that eucharist in our everyday lives. This weekend, at Saturday's parish mass at 5 pm, our St Luke's parish celebrates the group of young candidates who will receive Jesus in First Eucharist for the first time. Congratulations to our Year 4 children who have prepared for this most special sacrament. May the joy you feel as you receive Him, fill your hearts and remain with you forever. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Monday was a very productive day for staff as we revisited Positive Behaviours for Learning (PBL) with Emily Roberts and myself facilitating the day. Our three values:

Be Safe, 

Be Responsible and 

Be Respectful have withheld the test of time and have been foundational to our ways of being here at St Luke's. It was really important that staff had the opportunity to revisit the principles behind PBL and how it connects with the MACS Vision for Engagement. In order for children to learn to their full potential, they need to learn how to fully engage in their day,  in the opportunities available and to the world around them. This takes structure, explicit teaching and school wide approaches. Watch this space as we explore PBL with staff, children and families.

Congratulations to our incredible Preps who celebrated 100 Days of Prep this week. I was gobsmacked when l saw them arrive on Tuesday. I'm not sure what their parents put in their weetbix over the weekend but they all looked like a bunch of 100 year olds! There was grey hair, scarves, moustaches and walking sticks to set the scene for the day. Mrs (Nanny) Dwyer did a great job decorating the room and planning a day full of activities. These children have shone since the day they walked into St Luke's and this was another day of joy for them. Check out the photos.

Emily Chlebica will be taking long service leave starting Monday through to the end of Term Three. I wish her safe travels, fun times and many opportunities for making memories as she travels to a much warmer part of the globe. 

And finally, how can l sign off without mentioning one of our favourite days of the year- Grandparents Day. It was such a lovely morning we shared with our very special guests. They came in big numbers and we joined them in the hall for a prayer liturgy to honour their presence in our lives. A pity there were a few technical glitches but the fun in the classrooms made up for it. Morning tea was ... loud, refreshing and scrumptious. Thank you to everyone who could make it and to those who couldn't, you were in our thoughts and prayers. Catch up with all the photos on the Wellbeing page and next week... the school display outside the MACSEye room

Have a lovely weekend. I look forward to seeing you next week.

Clare