Dear Parents and Carers,

As we move into this week and the first week of Winter, it’s been good to see our students continuing to settle into their learning. Classrooms feel calm and focused. Routines are taking hold, and students know what is expected of them. This gives everyone a steady start each day and helps children feel safe at school.

Clear routines matter. When children know where to be and what comes next, they can focus on learning. They are not spending time guessing or worrying. This is especially important for students who find school challenging or tiring. We keep working to balance strong care with clear expectations, so every child has the chance to learn and feel secure.

Thank you for the role you play in this at home. Simple routines, regular bedtimes, and clear expectations make a real difference. When home and school are aligned, children do better. They settle faster. They feel more confident.

School Closure and Long Weekend

A reminder that this Friday, 5 June, is a pupil-free day. Staff across the Sandhurst Diocese will be working together on the launch of a new Wellbeing Framework.

Monday, 8 June is the King’s Birthday public holiday. This creates a four-day weekend for students and families!

REMINDER: There is also another scheduled school closure day on Monday, 22 June.

Recognising Recent Events

Last week and this week we marked National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week. These are important moments in the life of our country and our school. They give us the chance to reflect, to learn, and to continue building respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We also had several of our students celebrate their sacraments over the weekend at St Killian’s Church. Congratulations to these children and their families. Thank you to Mr Wilkinson and the staff who supported this preparation. We will formally acknowledge these students at assembly.

Building Project Update

Our new classroom build is progressing well. Prep to Year 2 students will move into these new rooms in Week 9.

At that point, the current Prep to Year 2 spaces will be handed over for refurbishment. This work will continue through Weeks 9 and 10. Mrs Whiteacre’s office will also be part of this stage and will be unavailable for a period.

The full project is still on track for completion by October. Once finished, we will have all classes from Foundation to Year 6 located together in the main building. This is an important step for our school and will improve how we work together each day.

Partnership with BDAC

Last week, Mrs Whiteacre, Ms Hall and I met with representatives from BDAC, including Dean Wells and his team.

This is the start of a strengthened partnership. We are working together to support our Aboriginal students and families. This includes planning activities, building stronger connections, and improving how we support students as they move into secondary school.

Parent Forums and Community Engagement

Thank you to the families who attended our first parent forum last week. Around 20 families joined us to hear about upcoming changes and the thinking behind them.

Our next forum will be held on Tuesday, 2 June at 9:30am.

We know this time does not work for everyone. We will offer one or two after-school sessions soon so more families can attend.

School Advisory Council

The School Advisory Council meets again this evening. This is our third meeting for the year. We have also invited two new members to join the group. The council continues to play an important role in providing feedback and advice on the direction of the school.

Looking Ahead to Term 3

You will have received communication about new class structures and teacher allocations for Term 3. Staff have started talking through these changes with students.

There will also be some adjustments to our daily timetable from Term 3. Start and finish times will stay the same. The changes are within the day to bring more consistency with other schools.

Thank you for your continued support of the school. When we work together, things run more smoothly for children. They feel it. They benefit from it every day.

Warm regards,

Paul Bissinella

Acting Principal

Wellbeing

Kristy Dupille, Maddi Hall, Sherree Jorgensen, Karli Pricewellbeing@spbendigo.catholic.edu.au

Kids & Challenges, Dr Michael Grose

Fresh Fruit Friday

Kristy Dupille, Maddi Hall, Sherree Jorgensen, Karli Price
wellbeing@spbendigo.catholic.edu.au