Dear Parents

Welcome back to Term 4! I hope all our Holy Trinity families enjoyed a relaxing and refreshing school holiday break, with opportunities to spend quality time together and recharge the batteries for the final term of the year.

It is hard to believe that we have already reached the final term of 2026! It feels like only yesterday that we were welcoming everyone back for the beginning of the school year, and now we find ourselves preparing for the many celebrations, milestones and special moments that come with the final weeks of school.

Term 4 is always a busy and exciting time at Holy Trinity, with plenty to look forward to. For our Year 6 students, it is a particularly significant time as they prepare to conclude their primary school journey and take the next step into secondary school. For all our students, it is an opportunity to celebrate their achievements, continue growing in confidence and independence, and finish the year on a positive note.

Our school theme for 2026, Make a Difference, continues to be a wonderful reminder that even the smallest actions can have a lasting impact. Whether it is showing kindness, offering a helping hand or including someone who may be feeling left out, we all have opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

As we begin this final term, I want to thank our families for your continued support and partnership. We are blessed to have such a wonderful school community, and I look forward to sharing the many celebrations and special moments that lie ahead.

Let's make these final weeks count, celebrate all that we have achieved and continue to make a difference each and every day!

Term 4 Closure Days & End of Year

Our Term 4 closure days are listed below, please be sure to add these dates to your diaries and make alternative arrangements for your children.

Monday 2nd November (day before Melbourne Cup Public Holiday)
Monday 30th November: staff will be coming together to work on our 2027 planning documents and professional development.

Our students in Year 6 will finish on Friday 11th December at 3.30pm, with Years Prep-5 finishing on Tuesday 15th December at 3.30pm. The Year 6 students traditionally finish earlier than the rest of the students following Graduation and various end of year activities.

Class Placements for 2027

As we begin preparing for the 2027 school year, our teachers will soon start the process of placing students into class groupings in line with our Class Placement of Students Policy.

As I’m sure you can appreciate, this is a complex and thoughtful process as we work to create balanced and cohesive classes. Teachers take great care in considering each child’s academic, social and emotional needs to ensure the best possible learning environment.

We understand that the announcement of classes in December can sometimes bring mixed emotions for students and families, particularly around friendships. I ask that you trust in the teachers’ professionalism and judgement as they make decisions that are in the best interests of every child. While we cannot guarantee that children will be placed with particular friends or teachers, every effort is made to ensure that each child is well placed for a successful year ahead.

If you have any relevant information that you would like considered when placing your child, please email me directly at principal@htws.catholic.edu.au to request a Consideration for Placement of Student Form 2027.

These forms must be returned directly to me (not classroom teachers) by Wednesday 21 October, 2026.

Please note that:

Any previous discussions with your child’s current teacher should now be redirected to me via this form.
Considerations submitted in previous years will not carry over, a new form is required each year.
Requests for specific teachers or friends will not be considered. However, information about social factors, for example, if children do not work well together, can be submitted and will be taken into account.

Finally, if your family is not planning to return to Holy Trinity in 2027, please notify the School Office as soon as possible. Accurate enrolment numbers are essential as we finalise class structures and teacher allocations for next year. Thank you for your understanding and support as we begin planning for another exciting year ahead at Holy Trinity.

Prep 2027 Transition

In a couple of weeks, we will welcome our 2027 Prep children as they begin their Transition Program. Across four sessions, the children will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the school environment and meet the Prep teaching team. With half of our 2027 Prep enrolments being new to Holy Trinity, these sessions also provide a valuable opportunity for families to ask questions, build connections, and begin feeling part of our community.

As part of this transition process, we will also begin visiting local kindergartens and early learning centres, and facilitating PSGs for students who may require additional support as they move into school. These visits and meetings help us to prepare thoughtfully for each child’s individual needs. This is, in many ways, the beginning of a strong home–school partnership, one that will be vital in supporting every child’s spiritual, academic, and social development throughout their primary years.

Showcase of Learning - Tuesday 20th October (3.30pm - 5pm)

We warmly invite all families to join us for our Showcase of Learning on Tuesday 20th October, from 3:30pm to 5:00pm. This will be a wonderful opportunity for students to proudly share their learning, celebrate their achievements and show families what they have been working on in the classroom. Our students are very excited to welcome you and share their learning journey! Families are welcome to drop in at any time during the afternoon and are not expected to stay for the full duration. You are also welcome to take your child home for a snack after school and return before 5:00pm.

Please save the date, we look forward to welcoming you!

Parents Association - Cadbury Fundraiser

Last week the PA launched a fundraising drive to raise money for Holy Trinity and St Mary's College. It would be great if you could support this fundraising activity by selling a box or two of chocolates. Please see the PA page of the Newsletter for more details.

If you are able to help sell a box please Click here to request a box!

Australian World Teachers’ Day ~ Friday 30th October

World Teachers’ Day is celebrated annually on 5th October, recognising the incredible contribution teachers make to the lives of children and young people around the globe. In Australia, as this date generally falls during the school holidays, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day on the last Friday in October.

On Friday 30th October, we take the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the wonderful teachers who make Holy Trinity such a special place. Every day, teachers at Holy Trinity and across the country make a positive difference in the lives of their students. They create opportunities, inspire curiosity, nurture young minds and help shape the next generation of leaders, innovators and changemakers.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all our teachers and support staff at Holy Trinity for the passion, dedication and care they bring to their work each and every day. So much of what you do goes well beyond the classroom, and the impact you have on the lives of our students is immeasurable. I am incredibly proud to work alongside such a dedicated and caring team, and I know our children and families are truly blessed to have you as part of their lives. Thank you for all that you do, and for the difference you make every single day.

School Advisory Council Vacancies

The School Advisory Council (SAC) provides a forum for discussion and discernment, where the parent/guardian voice and perspective are available to inform and support the decisions made by the Principal and Parish Priest for the good of School and Parish where the wellbeing and outcomes for students is paramount. The role is to give consideration to, and advice on, important School matters in order to support the Principal in the context of the MACS governance arrangements.

We are seeking new SAC Members for the 2027-2029 period, from a mixture of year levels and professional backgrounds. More information regarding the SAC can be found in its Terms of Reference. If you have an interest in being on the SAC, any of the existing members would be happy to be contacted and discuss the commitment involved. If you would like to be involved in the SAC, please complete your details in the attached form and we will be in touch shortly.

CDF Pay - FlexiSchools

Please see further on in the Newsletter for updates to CDFPay. Of particular note is the removal of surcharges, the introduction of a platform fee and a change to the minimum top up amount.

Jokes of the Week

Did you know referees are proven to be the happiest in their jobs all over the world?

They whistle while they work!

After dinner my wife asked me if I could clear the table.

I needed a run up, but I made it.

Why do chicken coops only have two doors?

Because if they had four doors, they'd be chicken sedans.

Final Thoughts ~ The 18 Summers

I came across an interesting thought recently that really made me stop and think. As parents, we often talk about having 18 years to raise our children. But another way of looking at it is that we have just 18 summers together before they reach adulthood.

Eighteen summers of family holidays, backyard cricket, trips to the beach, camping adventures, late nights and those wonderfully ordinary moments that somehow become our most treasured memories.

Of course, our relationships with our children don't end when they turn 18, but the way we spend time together inevitably changes as they grow older and become more independent.

It's a timely reminder, particularly as we approach the end of another school year, to make the most of the opportunities we have. Children don't necessarily remember how much we spent on a holiday or whether everything went according to plan. More often, they remember the laughter, the conversations, the adventures and simply being together.

Sometimes the most precious gift we can give our children is our time.

HT Facebook Page & Instagram

Remember to follow HT on Facebook & Instagram so that you can see our students learning and be kept up to date with community announcements as they are shared.

https://www.facebook.com/HolyTrinityPS/

https://www.instagram.com/holytrinityprimaryschool/

Kind regards,

Steve Evans

Principal

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)