A message from our Principal

Dear St. Brendan's School Community,

Welcome back, everyone! We hope you had a chance to rest and recharge over the school holidays, even if the weather was a little wet! It’s been lovely hearing stories from students and staff who were lucky enough to chase some warmer weather during the break.

This week, we’ve kicked off Term 3 with our Parent-Teacher Learning Conversations, and it’s been wonderful to see so many families taking the time to meet with their child’s teacher to discuss progress and learning goals.

In this week’s newsletter, you’ll find important updates and reminders, including:

· Upcoming Parent Information Nights

· Using our school crossing safely

· Supporting your children at home

· Sport uniform expectations

· Before and After School Care

· Fruit Break

· And a look ahead at upcoming events

We’re looking forward to a productive and engaging Term 3 together!

Celebrating Excellence on the Field

We are thrilled to congratulate Daniel Yel on his incredible performance during the recent Diamond League Soccer Tournament held over the school holidays.

Representing the GV Suns, Daniel showcased exceptional skill, determination, and sportsmanship throughout the competition. His hard work and dedication were rightfully acknowledged as he earned two of the tournament’s highest honors; 

Top Goal Scorer and Most Valuable Player (MVP)

This remarkable achievement not only highlights his athletic ability but also serves as an inspiration to fellow students.  We are incredibly proud and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this rising star.

Well done on this fantastic accomplishment!

Parent Information Night with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath

Earlier this year, our staff engaged in a three-day professional learning experience with Educational Neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath. These sessions were incredibly transformative, offering deep insights into how people learn and exploring the impact that modern technologies have on both adults and most importantly the young people we support every day.

To further extend this learning to our wider school community, the Diocese of Sandhurst has invited Dr. Horvath to work directly with parents, carers, and students. As part of this initiative, Dr. Horvath has recorded three informative video sessions designed specifically for families, focusing on practical strategies to support wellbeing and learning.

To complement these recordings, we will be holding two in-person parent evenings to discuss and reflect on the content together:

Session Details

Session 1: Stress, Tech and Sleep Monday, 12th August at 6:30pm

Session 2: Surviving Study Monday, 26th August at 6:30pm

Location: School Hall, 143-149 Knight Street

We warmly invite all parents and carers to attend. These sessions offer valuable, research-based insights and practical tools to support your child’s development and learning in today's ever-changing world.

Please register your attendance here: 

New! Dedicated Learning Area Pages in Newsletter

We’re excited to introduce a new feature in our school newsletter dedicated Learning Area pages for our Junior, Middle, and Senior Years Learning Communities.

These pages provide families with a snapshot of what is happening in the core areas of learning across each part of the school. You’ll also find short activities and optional tasks that you may wish to explore at home to support your child’s learning.

If you have any questions or would like additional support, please don’t hesitate to speak with your child’s teacher before or after school. Alternatively, you can contact the School Office and we’ll be happy to arrange a suitable time to discuss.

We hope this new addition helps strengthen the connection between home and school learning!

Friendly Reminder About Using the School Crossing

To help keep our students safe, we kindly remind all families to use the designated school crossing on Barker Avenue.  This area becomes especially busy during drop-off and pick-up times, and walking children between parked cars poses serious safety risks.

Please take a moment to walk down to the crossing and say hello to Trish, our wonderful crossing supervisor, as you enter the school grounds. Shepparton City Council has provided us with helpful posters encouraging safe and respectful behaviour, including:

· Always using the crossing, even if it means a short walk.

· Treating crossing staff with kindness and respect.

· Parking legally and avoiding stopping in unsafe or restricted areas.

Let’s work together to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all our students and families.

Sports Uniform Days

Sports Days have returned to normal. Please refer to the schedule below and ensure students wear their tracksuits on the correct days:

· Foundation to Year 2: Monday & Wednesday

· Years 3 to 6: Tuesday & Thursday

Thank you for your support in helping students be prepared and comfortable for their school day.

Before and After School Care - Uniting

Did you know our school offers a dedicated Before and After School Care program? This service is a great option for families needing care outside regular school hours.

Before School Care runs from 7:00am to 9:00am, and any student arriving before 8:30am must be enrolled to ensure proper supervision.

To find out more or to arrange enrolment, please contact Uniting Early Learning: Email: earlylearning@vt.uniting.org Phone: 1800 183 103

We’re proud to offer this service to support our families and help make mornings and afternoons a little easier!

Fruit Break Updates

At 10:00 AM each day, students enjoy a short 5-minute fruit break. We kindly ask families to provide a suitable fruit snack for their children.

To help make this time efficient and smooth:

· Please ensure fruit is pre-cut or segmented if needed.

· Pack the fruit in a small, separate container (not in the main lunchbox).

We’ve noticed many students are bringing out their entire lunch during this short break, which is causing delays in transitioning back to learning. Your support in preparing a quick and easy fruit snack will help us make the most of our learning time.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Upcoming Events

Term 3

- Wednesday, 13th August- Staff Spirituality Day- Pupil free day

- Tuesday, 12th August- Parent Session 6:30pm in school Hall (Stress, Tech and Sleep).

- Friday, 15th August- Feast of the Assumption Mass Years 3-6 times TBC

- Friday, 22nd August- Book Week Dress up parade 9:00am Shelter shed.

- Tuesday, 26th August- Parent Session 6:30pm in school Hall (Surviving Study

- Friday, 29th Father's Day Morning Tea 8am-10am

- Friday, 5th September- Athletics Day (Weather Permitting)

- Thursday, 11th and Friday, 12th September- Year 4 Camp Alexandra

- Friday, 12th September, Year 3 Excursion- Murray Life Adventures

- Friday, 19th September – Footy Colours Day, 2:20pm finish.

Thank you for your continued support.

Joel Brian (Principal)