Dear Families,

Over the past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of joining 23 Principals walking the last 120km of the Camino in north-western Spain from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. In my “Final Thoughts” section this week, I have included a reflection on the journey and some photos too.

I wish to thank Jenni Kilkenny for taking on the role of Acting Principal in my absence for the past month. She has had to navigate her way through many events and experiences, including the beginning of our building program. Jenni has done all this with great enthusiasm and professionalism every step of the way.

Welcome Emma Piesse

Last week we welcomed Miss Emma Piesse to our school staff. Emma has joined our wonderful Learning Support Officer team and will be working predominantly in the junior class Monday to Friday for the remainder of the year. Emma is currently studying Primary Education at university, and has a great passion for learning and teaching. If you see her around, be sure to introduce yourself and welcome her to our community.

Whole School Excursion ~ Scienceworks

Exciting news, we are having another whole school excursion! On Friday 8th November, we will be taking the whole school to Scienceworks and the Planetarium as part of our learning around Earth and Space Science this term. Please keep an eye open for the Operoo form for all details and to grant permission for your child to attend. We are able to take limited volunteers so please nominate your availability via the form and we will contact you. Only those with valid WWCC will be eligible to attend.

World Teachers’ Day ~ Friday 25th October

Next Friday 25th October, we acknowledge and celebrate the amazing teachers in our school. Every day, teachers at Holy Saviour, and across the country, are making a positive difference - creating opportunities for their students, empowering the minds of young people and proudly teaching our state's future leaders, innovators and influencers. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers and support staff at Holy Saviour for the passion and dedication you bring to work each and every day. I am proud to say that I work with you, and the children and families are blessed to have you as part of their lives. Thank you.

Term 4 School Closure Days

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 4th November (day before Melbourne Cup Public Holiday): staff will be working on our Assessment & Reporting Documentation and our PLP’s for NCCD students
Friday 29th November: staff will be coming together to work on our 2025 planning documents and professional development.

Holy Saviour Art Show

It’s back for 2024! The Holy Saviour Visual Art Show will be showcased on the afternoon and evening of Tuesday 29th October. Please add this date to your diaries. The children are very excited to be able to showcase all their amazing creativity from the year featuring a variety of artwork, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, and mixed media projects. We hope you can all make the time to come and celebrate your children’s accomplishments.

Holy Saviour Production - Turn Back Time

Also back for 2024 is our school production! Come and join us on a trip down memory lane as we celebrate 50 years of Holy Saviour Parish (& 47 years of our school!). This year, our production will be held on Thursday 5th December at the Emmaus College Performing Arts Centre. We are very excited to be able to present a production this year. The main roles have been cast, and all the students have begun rehearsals. All students will be involved in the production again this year, so please make sure you can make it!

Prep 2025 Enrolments

We have had great interest in Prep for 2025, as well as other year levels, and we’ve had a good number of enrolments come through already. If you have a child who is eligible to start Prep in 2025, please submit your enrolment at your earliest convenience. This will enable us to develop a clear picture of classing and group sizes for 2025. Enrolments for 2025 are to be made through the Emmaus portal.

Catholic Secondary School Enrolment Applications

Key Enrolment Dates for Year 5 Students in 2025 starting Year 7 in 2027

The key enrolment dates for students in Year 5 in 2025 who will be starting Year 7 in 2027 have been agreed after consultation with the Executive of the Principals Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (PAVCSS).

The timeline of events and dates are as follows:

Tuesday 28th January 2025 – Applications open for students commencing Year 7 in 2026.

Friday 15th August 2025 – Applications will close.

Friday 17th October 2025 – Offers will be posted to prospective Year 7 applicants.

Friday 7th November 2025 – Final date for parents/carers to accept an offer made by a school.

Parents of Year 5 students in 2025, please diarise these dates so you don’t miss out.

Final Thoughts ~ Camino de Santiago

The Camino de Santiago, or Way of St James, is a pilgrimage that many Christians have made over the centuries to head to the Cathedral of St James. St James was one of the Apostles of Jesus, and was responsible for the spread of Christianity throughout Spain and the wider region. The pilgrimage to the Cathedral has been made by tens of thousands of Christians over the years who wish to venerate St James and/or wish to put their past behind them and begin a new chapter in their life. Our purpose of walking the Camino was to learn more about our faith and traditions and to challenge ourselves in a way similar to the pilgrims who have previously walked the journey.

Throughout each day, there were times of walking alone reflecting on the thoughts in my head; right through to walking with other pilgrims, some of whom had been on the trail for many more days than us. We had sunshine (a little) and torrential rain (a lot), we built great connections across our network of Principals, as well as reconnecting with God and our faith along the journey.

It was an experience that I will be eternally grateful for being able to experience and one that I can highly recommend to any.

Kind regards,

Steve Evans

Principal

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