Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Friends, 

On February 7th we celebrated our Opening of the School Year Mass. Father Dishan and our new Assistant Priest, Father Samuel, prayed for our students and the school community that we remain faithful and always strive to reach our full potential. Congratulations to our students for their prayerful behaviour at mass, to our readers who read so well and to Mrs Milan and the choir, who always sing so beautifully! Congratulations also to our Year Six Student Leaders, who were presented with their leadership badges after our mass. 

Parent Teacher Conversation

Parent teacher conversations will take place tomorrow, Tuesday February 20 and school will finish at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow. Please note that OSHClub will be open from 1.00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. if you need to book your child in. www.oshclub.com.au

• All interviews will take place in your child’s classroom
• Please be on time for your appointment
• The purpose of this catch up is for you to meet your child's teacher and for you to talk about your child, their strengths, challenges and any other points of interest or concern that may be necessary for the teacher to know so that in partnership with you they can support their learning
• Teachers won't be reporting on student progress

There is a terrific article in our Wellbeing section that I encourage you to read about the importance of building strong relationships with teachers. 

Ash Wednesday

Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday which marked the beginning of Lent. All students attended mass celebrated by our new assistant priest, Father Samuel.  Father reminded us that through prayer, fasting and giving, we develop a closer relationship to God.

Lent is a special time before Easter when Christians try to be more like Jesus by doing good things and making positive changes. The Ashes we received remind us that we are God’s children and part of God’s creation. Lent is a time for personal reflection and a time to turn back to the ways of God.

Family Mass

Yesterday was our first family parish mass with our Year 6 students and their families attending. It was great to see so many there and congratulations to our excellent readers! All school families are always welcome to attend our 9:00 a.m. Parish mass at St Carlo’s.

Parent Education Series

Last Thursday and today, some of our Prep parents joined our Literacy Leader, Nella Fimiani for our reading workshop. Thank you to Nella and to the parents who attended. The feedback has been extremely positive, and I know parents really appreciate learning strategies to support their child at home. 

Unfortunately, our Prep Parent Mathematics Workshop was cancelled last week due to the power outage.  We have rescheduled this presentation and it will now be held on Tuesday February 27th, in the afternoon between 2:15 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. Booking information will be sent via Audiri. We strongly encourage all Prep parents to attend. At this meeting, parents will receive a special math's pack to use at home with your child. 

Protecting your child online

St Carlo's has organised an online webinar for parents: Protecting Children Online.We strongly encourage all parents from Prep to Year 6 to register and participate.  This webinar is designed to empower families with the knowledge required to safeguard children from the risks they face online. In a fast-paced digital landscape, adults have access to children online through gaming and social platforms, bringing about the necessity for robust protective strategies. Please see all the details in today's newsletter and register to learn how to protect you child online.

School Photos

A reminder that School photos will be taken next Tuesday, February 27. Children wear their full summer uniform for photos. Students do not need to wear the school jumper or hat for the photos. Girls may have their hair out for photos, but it should be tied back afterwards. If your child has PE on Tuesday, they will do it in their school uniform. Please send their runners in their bag and they will change into them prior to their lesson.

Curriculum Overviews

Last week you received a curriculum overview from your child’s teacher via the Audiri app. We feel it is important that you know what’s happening and exactly what your child is learning across the curriculum areas so that you can work with us in supporting their learning. Our wonderful teachers and staff at St Carlo's do a fantastic job providing an engaging curriculum for our students.

Road Safety

Please follow the road rules around the school. Residents have complained to the council about cars double parking and parking illegally. Police and traffic infringement officers have been at the school over the past week, issuing fines to drivers who are illegally parked. They regularly patrol the school so please obey the traffic rules and do not park illegally or near the school crossings. Please do not double park as this is unfair on other drivers and disrupts the local traffic flow. You cooperation ensures the safety of all.

Parents and Friends

Our school canteen opens this week. The canteen is run by volunteer parents and we’d love you to help out when you can. Please contact Tina on 0400 055 975 if you can assist.

This Thursday February 22 we will have our first Parents and Friends Meeting at 2:30 p.m. in the staffroom. Everyone is welcome. Please see the P&F section in today's newsletter for further information. 

The P&F do an amazing job organising many events throughout the year such as:

• Canteen 
• Icy poles and Zooper Dooper sales
• Special morning teas and lunch days
• Raffles
• Mother’s and Father’s Day stalls

We are extremely lucky to have a wonderful group of parents who work so hard. All parents are encouraged to help when you can. You are not only supporting the school, but it is a great opportunity to meet other parents. Fundraising events raise much-needed funds for our school. With your support, last year we were able to purchase new sports equipment, additional readers, STEM resources and extra iPads. All funds raised are used strategically and go directly to your child’s education.

Better Buddies Meet and Greet Picnic

We look forward to seeing all families of Prep and Year Six attend our annual picnic which will take place on Wednesday March 13 from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.  More information will be shared soon. 

2025 Prep Enrolments

We have already had considerable interest from families wanting to enrol their child in Prep next year. I encourage families who have a child they wish to enrol for next year to submit an enrolment application.  

• Enrolments for new families open on March 1 
• Existing families are guaranteed a place, but please remember to submit an enrolment form. Please download an enrolment form from our website or collect an enrolment pack from the school office. 
• School tours for new families will take place next Thursday

School Closure Days

Students do not attend school on school closure days. Closure days allow time for staff to engage in professional learning and student assessment and reporting. Please note that there will be no school on the following dates:

• Friday March 8 
• Monday March 25 
• Friday April 26
• Monday May 13
• Monday August 26 
• Monday November 4

Today’s newsletter is full of information about the many wonderful things happening at our great school. Please take the time to read through each page. 

We ask St Carlo Borromeo to continue to bless our wonderful Parish and School Community. Have a great week!

Kevin Gleeson.

Prayer for the new school year

As we begin a new school year, we all have many hopes for the year ahead.  Let us invite God to be with us now and in the coming months, giving thanks for the blessings we received during our summer holidays and to ask the Lord’s continuing blessing on this new school year. With open hearts we pray;

• For the Church, that the Leaders continue to spread the good news and encourage us all to praise the words of Christ.
• That our school will always be a place of welcome, where all students, staff and parents feel valued and included.
• For all students, that they will fulfil their potential and become a witness to the message of Jesus.
• For our families, and the friends of St Carlo’s community, that we are strengthened through your love and work together.
• For those who are less fortunate than ourselves. ay they find peace, love and support.
• For all those who are sick. We also remember their family and friends and we ask God to give them strength and comfort at this time of need.
• For all those in our school community who have lost loved ones. We pray that the Lord will comfort them in their loss.