Principal's Message
Dear parents, students and families,
We held our annual student Disco last Friday night. I have heard from the Parents and Friends team that orgnised it that it was a great night. Well done to everyone who attended and for sharing a great community event together. Thank you to the team who organised this for our families.
This week is Catholic Education Week. St Anne's is governed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS). This organisation was established by Archbishop Peter Comensoli to be responsible for the governance and operation of approximately 300 Parish Primary Schools and Regional and Archdiocesan Secondary Colleges in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Tomorrow is a celebration of all the great things that happen across our system culminating in the St Patrick's Day Mass held at St Patrick's Cathedral on Friday 21 March with a celebration in the gardens afterwards. We will be sending Miss McKenzie, Mrs Winduss and 10 of our Year 6 leaders to be part of this great day. May they return even more inspired to help lead our faith development within the school.
Yesterday was our annual school photos session. Thank you to families for ensuring the students came looking their best. We finished all formal photos before first break which was a bonus as a play break is not always good for uniforms and hairstyles.
The annual NAPLAN assessments for our Year 3 and year 5 students are completed, bar a few catch up sessions. Well done to the staff for overseeing these, the LSO's for their support of individuals and of course to our students who will I know have tried their hardest.
Mr Sullivan began a period of Long Service Leave yesterday and has returned to Japan with his family to spend time with relatives and friends. We wish him all the best on this well-deserved break and look forward to his return in late April. Mrs Chiodo and Mrs Winduss will be driving our curriculum forward in his absence.
Next Monday is our second Open Morning for prospective 2026 Foundation students. We again have a big cohort touring including 15 new families at this stage. We currently have 28 applications received or are siblings we are aware of and expecting to enrol. This is very promising in terms of having two full Foundation classes for 2026.
Next Friday we will be holding our House Country. Mrs Ary has it all organised and it will be held during the middle block commencing at about 12.15pm. Good luck to everyone!!
God Bless and have a great week.
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 details of your child’s name and class with areason 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.
If you are running late, (after 9:00 am) please attend the office to sign your child into school and collect a late pass.
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