Dear Families,

Twilight Sports 29 November is Going Ahead

School will finish at 1:30 pm

Twilight Sports will be held at Central Reserve tomorrow, 29 November at Central Reserve

All students are expected to be seated by 4:15pm for a 4:30pm start

and 6:30pm conclusion.

Advent

The first Sunday of Advent is this Sunday 1st of December.

At our Junior Family Faith Night we mentioned the themes of Christmas:

Faith - The Birth of Jesus Christ: The central theme for Christians, celebrating the birth of Jesus as the Son of God.
Peace, Love and Compassion: Emphasising the teachings of Jesus, which promote love, forgiveness, and compassion for all.
Hope and Redemption: Symbolising hope and the promise of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Joy: Family and Togetherness: A time for families and loved ones to gather, share joy, and create lasting memories.
Giving and Generosity: The spirit of giving gifts and acts of kindness to others.

Cultural and Secular Themes:

Festive Cheer and Joy: Embracing the festive atmosphere, with decorations, music, and joyous celebrations.
Santa Claus and Christmas Traditions: Enjoying the magic of Santa Claus, exchanging gifts, and participating in various Christmas traditions.

As the Christmas season approaches, we often find ourselves caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating, and gift-giving. While these traditions can bring joy, it’s important to remember the true meaning of Advent.

Advent is a special time of year for families to come together and focus on the spiritual significance of Christmas. It's a season of anticipation and preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. By focusing on the four themes of Advent—hope, peace, joy, and love—we can make this Christmas a time of spiritual growth and renewal.

At the faith night we explored practical ways to incorporate these themes into our family traditions and daily lives. It was a time to slow down, reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, and experience the joy of Advent

This term we are participating in two major social justice projects: the Vinnies Christmas Appeal and the Best Chance Toy Drive. Our hope is that these initiatives will inspire our students to embrace the true spirit of Christmas, focusing on giving rather than just receiving gifts.

Vinnies Christmas Appeal:

To contribute to this appeal, each class will be responsible for providing a specific item for hampers that will be assembled by the St Leonard's St Vincent De Paul Conferences distributed to local families in need. Mini Vinnies student leaders will speak to all classes and the collection date is Friday 6th December.

Best Chance Toy Drive:

We're aiming to collect 200 toys for 200 underprivileged children in the lead-up to Christmas. Last year, we had a fantastic response from the junior school, and this year, we're expanding the initiative to involve the entire school.

St Leonard's Staff 2025

As the year draws to an end we begin to reflect on the year that was 2024. I am extremely grateful to the St Leonard's teaching staff of 2024 for their passion, dedication and willingness to work as a team to aspire to and achieve excellence. The school staff are the heart of the school. Without their high expectations, compassion and strong relationships with the students, parents and staff, our school would not be the welcoming, thriving and innovative school that we experience each day. Our very high NAPLAN and other assessment results as well as our intervention and differentiation programs are a reflection of the staff commitment and passion to support all students to achieve.

I'm pleased to announce the staff for 2025.

ROLE	STAFF MEMBER
Prep A	Miss Bianca Campli
Prep B	Miss Mary-Anne Sammut
1/2C	Mrs Angela Foale (3 days) & Mrs Suzan Atyimas (2 days)
1/2D	Miss Chiara Pascuzzi
1/2E	Miss Mia Somerville (4 days) & Mrs Jessica Brophy (1 day)
3/4F	Mr Anthony Adaman (3.5 days) & Mrs Eska Ta (1.5 days)
3/4G	Ms Leanne Cairns (4 days) & Mrs Amanda Jolly (1 day)
3/4H	Mrs Carmel Wood
5/6I	Mrs Melissa Sedony
5/6J	Mr Daniel Cotesta
5/6L	Miss Lora Tomasiello
Religious Education Leader	Mr Anthony Adaman (1 day)
STEM Leader	Mr Anthony Adaman (2.6 hours/week)
Learning Diversity Leader	Mrs Patricia Zomer (3 days)
Wellbeing Leader	Mrs Angela Foale (1 day)
Care For Kids Leader	Mrs Tricia-Rose Robinson (1 day)
Junior Literacy Leader	Mrs Angela Foale (1 day)
Senior Literacy Leader	Mrs Amanda Jolly (1 day)
Literacy Intervention Teacher	Mrs Amanda Jolly (1 day)
Speech Pathologist	Ms Elaine Whitton
Junior & Senior Mathematics Intervention and Extension Teachers	Mrs Cathy Verbyla Mrs Eska Ta
Learning Support Staff	Mrs Jane Hall, Mrs Jo McKenzie-McHarg, Mrs Yvette Hernyak, Mrs Vicki Gentile, Mrs Vicki Hatzinkolaou, Mrs Kayleen McLean, Mrs Andrea Crossan, Mrs Despina Cerbone, Mrs Oosha Forster, Mrs Madelym Alvarez-Claridge, Ms Janina Pereira Mok
Italian Teacher	Mrs Toni Di Petta
Performing Arts Teacher	Mrs Cathy Ellis
Library Teacher/ Digital Technology Leader	Mrs Kaye Gregory
Art Teacher	Mrs Suzan Atyimas
Physical Education Teacher	Mr Frank Stokes
Deputy Principal/ Learning and Teaching Leader/ Mathematics Leader	Miss Aimee Gale
Principal School Officer/Bursar School Secretary	Mr Robert Horwood Maria D' Angelo
School Officer/ School Secretary	Nalika Thilakaratne

End of Year Reports will be handed to the students on Friday 6th of December. Reports contain personal information and must be opened at home. Instructions for accessing reports via our online portal will be sent to you via Operoo.

“Step Up Day” for 2025 class orientation will be held on Friday 6th December the children will spend some time in the morning with their 2025 teacher/s and classmates. Our 2025 Preps and new students will be in attendance too. Class allocations are final and will not be changed. Please model a sense of optimism and resilience when you find out your child’s teacher and their classmates as this will determine your child’s response and attitude to school in 2025.

Briefly

Congratulations to the Lom family. Alfie, Jackson and Ezra now have a new baby sister, Edie, born last Friday.
We thank the PFA for organising our delicious Sushi Lunch on Wednesday.
Nude Food Day: Congratulations to the 174 children who had nude food on Monday. Remember, our aim is to become a completely 'NUDE FOOD SCHOOL' by the end of 2025.
Please read the PFA page about the Christmas Stall on Thursday 12th December.

My best wishes for a wonderful week ahead.

Robert Horwood

Principal

OSHC