Hello!

Celebrating Our Learning Support Officers

This week we celebrate LSO Appreciation Week – a time to recognise the incredible dedication, care, and expertise of our Learning Support Officers at St Finbar’s. Our LSOs play a vital role in supporting students’ learning and wellbeing every day, working closely with teachers and families to ensure that every child is given the opportunity to thrive.

We are so grateful for the way our LSOs bring patience, creativity, and compassion to their work. Their commitment to helping each student reach their potential is at the heart of what makes St Finbar’s such a supportive and inclusive school community.

As part of the week’s celebrations, families are warmly invited to share their gratitude by writing a special message to any of our LSOs. A Google Form link will be included in this newsletter – we encourage you to take a moment to send a message of thanks and appreciation. These words will mean so much to our LSOs, who give so much of themselves to our students each and every day.

Link to form - here.

Preparing for Year 5 Camp – Waratah Bay Surf Camp

Our Year 5 students are eagerly looking forward to their three-day camp at Waratah Bay Surf Camp from Wednesday - Friday of next week. This camp is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop independence, strengthen friendships, and build resilience while enjoying the outdoors.

To help families prepare, here are a few key reminders:

Packing List: A full list of what to bring has been sent home. Please ensure all items are clearly labelled. Warm clothing, a rain jacket, and comfortable shoes are essential, along with a hat and sunscreen.
Medication: Any student medication should be clearly labelled and handed directly to staff prior to departure, along with the completed medical form. Please note a Medical Authority Form must be filled in prior to attending the camp. This can be found on Operoo in the 'Forms Library' and must be signed by a doctor or pharmacist.
Departure and Return: Students need to be at school by 8:30am for a 9am departure will return around 3pm on Friday. More details will be provided closer to the date.
Positive Mindset: Encourage your child to look forward to the new experiences ahead—whether it’s surfing, team-building activities, time spent with friends or sleeping over away from home.

If you haveany other questions regarding the camp, please email your child's classroom teacher.

5B - Shannon Bourke sbourke@sfbrightoneast.catholic.edu.au

5H - Sigrid Happell shappell@sfbrightoneast.catholic.edu.au

Camp is always a highlight of the school year, and we thank families for their support in helping students prepare for this exciting adventure. We also thank Miss Bourke, Miss Happell, Ms. Zeeng, Mrs. Fraser and Ann for their willingness to support the students on this camp.

Swimming Program - Water Safety

Over the past two weeks, all students from Prep to Year 6 have participated in a nine-day swimming program at the Danny Frawley Centre in Moorabbin. This has been a fantastic opportunity for students to develop confidence in the water, strengthen their swimming skills, and learn about water safety in a supportive environment.

We are so proud of the way our students embraced each session with enthusiasm, persistence, and a positive attitude. From our youngest Preps taking their first strokes to our senior students refining their technique, every child has made progress and celebrated achievements along the way.

A big thank you to the staff at the Danny Frawley Centre for accommodating us at short notice, and to our teachers and leaders for ensuring the program ran smoothly. Most importantly, congratulations to all our students for giving their best effort across the program. You should all be very proud of your growth and resilience.

Swimming is such an important life skill, and we are delighted that our students have had this opportunity to grow in both skill and confidence.

Celebration of Excellence – Basketball Champions!

This week we are delighted to celebrate the incredible achievement of some of our talented Year 1 and 2 students – Nia, Jess M, Veronica, Callie, and Isadora – along with former St Finbar’s students Giselle and Adeline, who won their Under 8's basketball grand final last weekend at .

The girls showed great teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship throughout the season, and their efforts were rewarded with a fantastic win in the final game. What made the victory even more special were the reflections they shared afterwards:

Nia: The best thing about basketball is that it’s not about winning, its all about having fun. Even if you don’t get points, it’s ok because you can get points in the next games. I loved that everyone is getting better every day. I’m part of 3 teams.

Callie: I loved winning the grand final and being with my friends.

Jess M: I loved finally being able to win the grand final with my friends.

Isadora: I liked how everyone used their defense and focused on the ball and worked together.

Veronica: I loved shooting a goal and getting a medal.

Congratulations to all the girls on their success, and for being such wonderful ambassadors of teamwork, resilience, and joy in sport. We are very proud of you!

Sustainability in Visual Arts

This term in Visual Art the students have collaborated with our Sustainability goal of Water.

There are five modules in the ResourceSmart program that we currently run at St Finbar's which are: Core, Energy, Waste, Water and Biodiversity. All modules focus on building a whole-school approach to sustainability through school infrastructure and operations, the curriculum and engagement with your community.

Each module provides us with actions to undertake to increase sustainability at your school.

At St Finbars we have obtained our Core, Water and Biodiversity Stars and are now working towards our Water Star.

The theme for 2025 is ‘Water Heroes: Save Every Drop’, which highlights the important role we all play in using water wisely.

All classes worked on creating a poster with their water hero on it doing their super power with 5 from each class entering into the competition run by South East water.

Winners announced during National Water Week: 20-26 October 2025.

Enjoy seeing some of the fabulous art work that our students have completed in Visual Art.

Have a great week - May God Bless

Laura and Callum

Deputy Principals

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