Principal's Message
Dear parents, students and families,
Last Friday Miss McKenzie, Mrs Winduss and 10 of our Year 6 leaders attended St Patrick's Day Mass held at St Patrick's Cathedral. The students I have spoken to said this was a very special and faith-filled day to attend.
On Monday we held our second Open Morning for prospective 2026 Foundation students. We had a big cohort touring including 15 new families. Most were there from word-of-mouth which was very rewarding to hear. We consistently strive to be the best school we can be for our students.
Today we have had representatives from the 6 building firms chosen to tender, from the 30+ expressions of interest that were received, visit to make their assessments for completing the refurbishment of the senior block. Works will incorporate the building to the right hand side of the school looking at it from Austin Rd. The new refurbishment will open up from the library doors to the current end of the building. It will not encroach onto the two large gum trees adjoining the oval. The building will become slightly wider on both sides as we turn a 4 classroom space into a 6 classroom space. Elements of the existing building will be retained, as they were at the junior end of the school during the refurbishment there, such as the existing stumps, some flooring and many of the uprights.
Key dates, at this stage, include the Tender closing on April 17th when the preferred building company will be selected and a potential start date of June 2nd, though this is fluid at the time. The project is lead by Crosier-Scott Architects who completed the junior end of the school and has to be authorised and agreed at all stage by MACS and their representatives on the building management team. A draft timeline for moving our resources and classes out of the senior end of the building is currently being discussed to enable the minimal amount of disruption possible in what will be a disrupted but exciting time for the school.
Tomorrow 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!!
Next week there is a Confirmation Information session Tuesday evening in the church and on Friday, the last day of term, we will be participating in the Stations of the Cross.
Term 2 commences on Tuesday 22nd April with a celebratory day for Easter, remembering the risen Christ, with Alleluia Day and our annual Easter Bonnet Parade.
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