From the Principal

~Do all that you do with love~

Dear Families,

Whoops - it looks like we forgot to press publish on last fortnight's newsletter. I am so sorry that some of this edition seems a little out of date!

Welcome BBQ

Our Welcome BBQ was well attended and it seems like a great evening was had by all. The teaching team loved spending time chatting with you all, catching up with existing families and getting to know new families a little better. We were all so busy chatting, meeting new faces, reconnecting with familiar ones, and serving sausages that we completely forgot to take photos. It was a wonderful way to start the year together. Note to self - delegate photography duty to someone next year!

A special thank you to Mrs O’Connell and Mrs Johnson for teaming up with Emma and I on the barbeque. You cooked up an absolute storm, and we truly couldn’t have done it without you.

i sea i care - Environmental Leaders

Our Environmental Leaders have already taken part in their first excursion for the year and what a fantastic start they’ve had. They spent the day with the  team from the Dolphin Research Institute, learning all about the incredible creatures that call Port Phillip Bay home.

Together, they began rehearsing an exciting lesson they’ll share with our junior grades later in the year. They did a great job teaching it to their trial class at Hillsmeade Primary School and Mrs Essa, one of our Environmental Team Teachers, was so proud of them. We are looking forward to the amazing things this group of leaders are going to work on this year.

On Tuesday 19th February, the Environmental Team went on an excursion to Hillsmeade Primary School for a workshop. We got to meet i sea i care ambassadors from different schools who were very welcoming and kind. When we were there we got to look at old items from the ocean. One of the items was a sea sponge that was created 900 million years ago- older than dinosaurs! 

We got to go outside for playtime which was very cool to experience what a different school was like. When playtime was over we got to learn about animals and practise for a lesson twice, which was nerve racking but the more times we practised it, the easier it got. Nate’s role was explaining what the decorator crab does and Aiden’s was talking about the sea glass that was originally broken glass shards but now it has formed into smooth, and not sharp, glass pieces. 

We then had a class of year 1s and 2s to share our lesson with. All of the ambassadors had a part to play in the lesson. When the year 1s and 2s arrived everyone looked scared about performing, but we knew we would get through it. When we finished our parts one of Nate’s jobs was to blow bubbles over the crowd. It was fun for us and for the junior classes who were laughing and clapping. 

It was an unforgettable moment we will never forget and we look forward to sharing this with our junior students later in the year.

Environmental Leaders - Nate and Aiden

The big message of the day was simple but powerful: when we truly understand and appreciate the amazing marine life around us, we’re far more inspired to protect the environment we all share.

Blessing and Opening Mass

Thank you to the many parents and friends who joined us for our Blessing and Opening of the School Year Mass last week. It was a special moment for our Grade 6 leaders, who proudly received a blessing from Fr. Antony along with their leadership badges. With two whole‑school Masses already shared this term, our students have done a wonderful job guiding us in prayer. We look forward to many more meaningful and prayerful moments together as a community.

NAPLAN

Next week, our Grade 3 and Grade 5 students will be completing their NAPLAN tests. We aim to keep this as low key as possible at school whilst still encouraging the students to do their best. Keeping routines calm and predictable helps students feel grounded, so aim for early nights, healthy meals and a little extra encouragement in the mornings. Remind your child that NAPLAN is simply one way for teachers to understand how they’re learning, not a test of their worth or potential. Instead of asking lots of questions about how they think they did in the tests, relaxed conversations about their day can ease nerves and build confidence. Most importantly, reassure them that doing their best is all that matters and that you’re proud of their effort, not just the result.

Canteen

Our upgrades are almost complete and Mrs Beshara is looking forward to moving out of the hall kitchen back into the canteen. Lunch orders are proving extremely popular at the moment and we are now reaching out to ask for some assistance. If any of you would be interested in volunteering to help out on a Monday or Wednesday, please complete the Google Form here. Please note, all volunteers are required to complete our Volunteer Induction process. This is currently under review and we are aiming to make it easier for you!

Harmony Week

Harmony Week is celebrated annually during March to highlight our diverse cultures and help us better understand each other’s experiences and backgrounds. Harmony Week is an opportunity to recognise Australia's multiculturalism, which embraces people from all over the world, especially Indigenous Australians. As a nation, we are encouraged to promote respect, understanding and appreciation for all cultures. Harmony Week reminds us to appreciate everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances.

We are now preparing to celebrate Harmony Week. We will kick off the week with a visit from Kaboom Sports and activities in our family groups - more information on this new initiative to follow! We will end the week with our special Harmony Day. The children are invited to wear cultural dress or something with a splash of orange. We will start the day with a parade, complete an activity in family groups and then enjoy a special morning tea. Last year, we introduced our  Harmony Day morning tea and invited families to bring a dish that represents their culture. This was so popular we have brought it back for this year. If you are available on the morning of Friday 20th March and willing to volunteer in the school hall assisting with the morning tea, please email Emma Davies edavies@sttcbourne.catholic.edu.au . 

We have a really busy time ahead of us, the children are certainly going to be ready for a rest by the end of term.

Kind Regards,

Felicity Broughton

principal@sttcbourne.catholic.edu.au