St Roch’s School theme 2025:

Dear Families,

Welcome to Issue 12 of our iNewsletter! We hope this newsletter continues to keep you up to date with all the news, events and learning that happens at St Roch's.

What a great week we have had this week culminating in amazing events to celebrate the Feast of St Roch, our Patron Saint. On Friday we began the day with the Blessing of the Dogs, then followed the Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. After the break out students had so much fun being active during the Kaboom incursion and the icy pole was a lovely treat for them. We ended the day with a lovely liturgy to complete the celebrations for St Roch's Feast Day. Thank you to Father Gallacher, Louise Bolton and all our students and staff for making the day so special. Sincere thanks to all families who participated in all the activities and for your support of our programs.

St. Roch, a devout pilgrim from the 14th century, exemplified the virtues of faith, hope, and love throughout his life. We can become better people by following his example and making good choices inspired by his actions.

St. Roch's faith was unwavering. He believed in God's will and dedicated his life to serving others. When he encountered a town suffering from a plague, he didn't turn away. Instead, he stayed to care for the sick, relying on his faith to guide his actions. Even after contracting the disease himself, his faith in God's providence did not falter. He retreated to a forest to die alone, accepting his fate with a deep sense of trust. We can emulate St. Roch's faith by trusting in a higher purpose and having the courage to serve others, especially during difficult times.

St. Roch's life was also a testament to hope. Despite the dire circumstances of the plague, he brought a glimmer of hope to the afflicted. He not only tended to their physical needs but also offered them spiritual comfort, reminding them of God's love and mercy. When he was sick and alone in the forest, he was miraculously saved by a dog that brought him food every day. This unexpected act of kindness reinforced his hope and showed that even in the darkest moments, there is reason to believe in a better outcome. We can foster hope in our own lives by remaining optimistic in the face of adversity and by being a source of encouragement for those around us.

Above all, St. Roch embodied the virtue of love. His love for humanity was so profound that he gave up his worldly possessions and risked his own life to care for strangers. He saw the face of Christ in every sick person he encountered and treated them with compassion and dignity. His ultimate act of love was his willingness to sacrifice his own well-being for the sake of others. This selfless love is the most powerful lesson from his life. We can practice love in our daily lives by showing kindness and empathy to everyone, by helping those in need without expecting anything in return, and by making choices that benefit others as much as ourselves.

By embracing St. Roch's legacy of faith, hope, and love, we can strive to be better individuals. His story reminds us that true virtue lies not in grand gestures but in the simple, selfless choices we make every day.

Creating Safer Schools

We are grateful to Daniel Joyce and Jellis Craig for sponsoring the purchasing of the 'Act Kindly Activity Kit' to enhance our existing Wellbeing Program. More information can be found on the Student Wellbeing page. Thank you to Alex Keisler and Nadine Bolton who head this area along with our most capable staff who have introduced our student to the "Be Wise. Think Carefully. Act Kindly" program.

Elevate and Engage

We are delighted to invite parents of Years 3, 4 and 5 (any interested parents) to a special event, Elevate and Engage - Senior Hub, on Wednesday, September 3rd, at 7:00pm where we will unveil our newly refreshed Senior School Program.

This is a unique opportunity for current St Roch's parents to gain an exclusive insight into the exciting updates and enhancements we have made to our Year 5 and our Year 6 programs.

We look forward to sharing our vision for the future in our Senior School and discussing how these changes will benefit our students, your children.

We also look forward to sharing our excellent NAPLAN results that demonstrate our staff and students' commitment to learning.

Your presence will make this event truly special. Please RSVP via CDF Pay.

Sincere thanks to our Grandparents and Special Friends from Carmel Rozario (Library Technician)

On behalf of St. Roch's school library, I wish to thank all the Grandparents and Special Friends who contributed to our library book collection.

Together you purchased 85 books which have now been catalogued and covered ready for the enthusiastic children to borrow.

It was an amazing effort of your time and generosity and together with the children we thank you very much.

They are very keen to start borrowing and reading!!!

Thanks for all those who attended the lovely morning, the children were thrilled to share their learning with you.

St Roch's Major Fundraiser – A Night to Remember

We’re thrilled to be celebrating 95 incredible years of St Roch’s – our little school with a big heart. And we can’t wait to share this special evening with you!

Behind the scenes, the fundraising committee Hayley Thomas, Jess Whelan, Monique Ireland, Jess Mount, Jess Nichols, Karen Crew and Maria O’Driscoll have been busy bees, preparing what promises to be a truly unforgettable night.

A huge thank you to the generous businesses and families who have contributed to our silent auction. This year, the auction will be online only, so please keep an eye out for the link on Wednesday – and feel free to share it with your family and friends.

Every dollar raised goes directly into resources for our students, and we’re incredibly proud of the amazing items on offer.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our wonderful school community, some of the highlights include:

As well as stunning artwork created in collaboration with our children and our talented Art Teacher, Jo Boers.

Tickets are now available via https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1423493

RSVP is essential by 11th August.

The Great Gatsby awaits – let’s make it a night to remember!

Warmly,

Kate Phillips

Major Fundraiser Committee

St Mary's and St Roch's Netball and Footy Games

Reminder Annual Netball & Football Game

This year’s St Mary’s vs St Roch’s annual netball and football matches will be held on:

Saturday, 30 August 2025

Netball: 1:00pm at St Roch’s

Football: 3:00pm at DW Lucas Oval

It’s always a great community day come down, cheer on the teams, and enjoy the fun.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead as I head to Cairns for the 2025 Australian Catholic Education Conference with fellow Principals. I look forward to sharing my learning with you when I return.

Warmest regards,

Angie Mastoras

Principal

St Roch’s Parish Primary School

Glenvale Road, Glen Iris 3146

Telephone: 9885 7704

Email: principal@srgleniris.catholic.edu.au

Website: www.srgleniris.catholic.edu.au

Performing Arts

Percussion in Performing Arts