Dear parents, students and families,

Welcome back to our final term for the 2026 school year. In the next fortnight we have a very busy time and that will not stop until the end of the Term!

For sport, yesterday 18 of our students represented our District and our school at the Peninsula Championships at Mornington. We are very proud of their efforts in a variety of Track and Field events. Tomorrow our Year 5 and 6 students are at John Paul College for the local Catholic Schools Lightning Premiership. They will be playing a mix of football, netball and volleystars and we wish them a lot of fun for the day, thank our coaches and also John Paul College for hosting the event. Most of all I wish to acknowledge the efforts of Mrs Gilling who is only 6 months into her position at St Annes and has taken responsibility for organising the whole event. Thank you Bianca. Next Thursday 15th October our Interschool Cricket Team will be competing in the Northern Peninsula Zone at Mt Martha. Wishing them all the best after defeating Aldercourt PS in the local zone.

Next Wednesday the 14th October we will be holding our 2027 Foundation Welcome evening for the parents of our incoming students. Our students come from a wide range of kinders and childcare centres and just as our students are often nervous so are many of our parents entering our community and often knowing no one. Well here is a chance to begin to build the relationships that will support your children over the next 7+ years at St Anne's for many. The venue is Oliver's Corner and the event runs between 6-8pm.

On Monday 14th October our Fire Carriers will be going on an excursion with Mrs Briggs which should be very educational. Next week our delayed Scholastic Book Fair will be held and I'm sure Mrs Brooking will keep you all informed about that. On Friday 16th October we begin our Market Day preparations collecting Lucky Jars for sale at the Market. Students will also be allowed to wear casual clothes.

Our classes will continue with our weekly Liturgies and I thank staff and students for these faith-filled occasions. We do miss Fr Martin and our weekly Masses as he remains on leave until late November. As you would know October is the month dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. Through the Rosary we draw closer to Jesus and to the heart of his mother, so you may like to pray the Rosary more regularly as part of your family's prayer time this month.

We are receiving on-going interest from families moving into the area for enrolling their students at a number of year levels. Equally some families will be choosing to move on which is understandable. Can I please ask that you let the office know in writing if your child, who is not in Year 6 and you haven't already let us know, will not be returning in 2027.

In the next few weeks we will begin to place children into class groupings for the 2027 school year. Please advise the school in writing addressed to rshaw@saseaford.catholic.edu.au if you have any requests regarding the placement of your child for 2027. We will consider these requests as one of the many aspects of building classes for the next year. These requests certainly are not guaranteed. REQUESTS will be taken up to Thursday 22nd October and after this date no more will be accepted.

May God Bless You all

Rod Shaw

Principal

School Attendance and Unexplained Absence

Please contact the school if your child is going to be absent by leaving a message on

9786 4736 and press 1. Please give your child’s name and class with a reason for their absence such as: unwell, appointment, holiday or family reasons. Alternatively an email can be sent to office@saseaford.catholic.edu.au with cc to the child’s teacher.

Both of these options are available 24 hours a day.

If you are running late, (after 9:00 am) please attend the office to sign your child into school.

If you are picking up your child early you will need to collect them and sign them out from the office.

As per our policy this will be our morning routine for absences:

Parents will be contacted as soon as practicable on the morning a student is absent via a text message.

If parent does not contact the school after receiving the text message, the school will contact the parent by phone. If the parent is unreachable the emergency contacts will be contacted by the school.

If there is still no response, and the school feels that the child is in danger, the police will be contacted.

Ongoing unexplained absences or lack of cooperation regarding student attendance will result in a formal conference being organized. Unresolved attendance issues will be referred to D.H.H.S.

This is a legal requirement.

Democratic Principles

The six (6) principles of Australian democracy include:

(a) elected government; and

(b) the rule of law; and

(c) equal rights for all before the law; and

(d) freedom of religion; and

(e) freedom of speech and association; and

(f) the values of openness and tolerance

Wellbeing

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