Holy Saviour School Bulletin 

Dear Families,

Happy New Year to all our families, we are all looking forward to a very exciting year at Holy Saviour in 2024. Our first newsletter for the year will be published next week, in the meantime, here are just a couple of important reminders and dates to start the year.

Congratulations!

Mrs Kelly Van Veen, our JLC Teacher on Tuesdays, has announced that she is expecting her third child later in term two. Congratulations to Kelly and her husband Tom, and to older brothers William and Max, who will grow as a family by plus one.  It is anticipated that Kelly will move to parental leave in the middle of  Term 2.

Welcome Back Morning Tea

Thank you to all the parents who were able to stay back yesterday morning and join us for a cuppa & chat. It was wonderful to speak to each of you and catch up on all that has been happening over the holidays. 

I was also very lucky to welcome the JLC class into my office yesterday for a sticker and a chat!  We welcome our new preps and wish all the children  a happy and productive year ahead! 

Curriculum Evening & Welcome BBQ

All families are invited to attend our Curriculum Evening & Welcome BBQ on Wednesday 7th February. The evening will begin at 6pm and there will be 2 x 20 minute sessions in your child's classroom. These sessions will be followed by a BBQ in the undercover area behind the church. To help with catering, please respond with your intention to attend and how many will be coming via the form on Audiri, or emailing office@hsvs.catholic.edu.au. We hope you can all make it!

Beginning of Year Family Mass

On Sunday 11th February, we invite all families to attend the 10am mass in the Church to begin our new school year. We will commission all the staff, introduce the School & House Captains, and welcome everyone back. The mass will be followed by a BBQ organised by the Parish Pastoral Council. This year, the Parish of Holy Saviour celebrates its 50th Anniversary and this mass will be one of many events throughout the year that we would like to share together as one Holy Saviour Community, it would be wonderful to see all families in attendance.

Uniform ~ House Tops

At the beginning of 2022, we introduced our new House Sport polos, and with it, a two-year ‘phasing in’ period. As we begin 2024, the expectation is that all students will be wearing the new House Polos this year. The uniform policy can be found here. We also remind parents that term 4 has a ‘No Hat – No Play’ Sunsmart policy. It must also be a proper Holy Saviour hat, normal caps with other logos are not our school uniform and children will not be allowed to play unless it is the proper hat. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Grade 6 Jumpers

Just a reminder to Grade 6 families that the special Grade 6 jumpers have arrived and are in the office ready for collection upon payment.  

School Supervision Times

It is a requirement that families are informed of supervision hours. As stated in the parent handbook, student supervision is from 8:40am until 3:45pm (M/Tu/Th/Fr) and 3:30pm on a Wednesday. For legal reasons, we clearly stipulate these times, and encourage parents not to have children on school grounds before or after these times unless required for specific school activities. We offer before school care in conjunction with Weeden Heights PS, as well as after school care onsite to help accommodate families. If you have any concerns regarding any of the above information, please make an appointment to see me so that we can discuss it further.

Parent/Teacher “Getting to Know You” Chats

These will be held on Tuesday 13th February.  Parents of children in Grades Prep - 6 will be asked to to make an appointment with your child’s teacher. School Interview booking details will be communicated next week.

School Photos 

School photo day is on Tuesday 27th February. 

Children will be required to attend school that day in Full Summer Uniform. 

Photo orders and payment may be arranged  either online or via the photo envelopes that will be distributed next week.  Anyone wishing to order sibling photos can do so online or collect a sibling order envelope from the office. Please ensure all orders are submitted by Monday 26th February.   Please refer to the below instructions for further details. 

School Drop-Off Procedures

A reminder to all that the Weeden Drive entry is closed in the morning so that we can ensure all children are entering safely into the school and supervised accordingly. The front gate on Highbury Road will be open in the morning, the Parish entrance on Sherwood Rise will be open to foot traffic only. If you wish to park in the school grounds to walk your child/ren to class, you may park in the top carpark, otherwise we ask you to follow the procedures below for our “Kiss & Drop” loop: 

Please don’t drive through any of the carparks, head straight to the top of the driveway and around the roundabout outside the church.

All afternoon procedures will remain in place as children are supervised at all pick-up points.

School Gate

Please note that the school gate (Highbury Road Entrance)  will be closed from 11am - 2.30pm on school days for Child Safety. If you need to access the school during those times then please contact the office.  

Specialist Timetable

This year children will have specialist learning times on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Mondays will be Art and STEAM, Wednesdays will be Library and Mandarin with Meg Languages, and Thursdays will be PE.  Please refer to the below table for further details.  

Please remember that ALL students will be required to wear their sports uniforms on Thursdays.   Children will also be required to wear their sports uniforms for Classroom games and sport on Tuesdays for JLC & MLC and Fridays for SLC. 

Specialist Timetable

School Fees 

Just a reminder that 2024 fee statements have been emailed to all families as well as "2024 Payment Commitment & Authority" forms. Please check both parents emails and spam folders for these. If you haven’t received it, please let the office know.

Please complete the "2024 Payment Commitment & Authority" form and return it to the office at your earliest convenience. If you choose to pay your fees before 28th March (last day of term 1) you will receive a 5% discount ($135) off the family fee.    If you have a health / concession card or are eligible for CSEF funding, please contact the office.

Financial Assistance - Information For Parents

Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. It is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government’s commitment to breaking the link between a student’s background and their outcomes. Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply.

For more information about the CSEF and to access an application form,click here. 

Mobile Phones

I take this opportunity to remind students and parents of our rules and regulations regarding the use of mobile phones and other personal devices. In our Holy Saviour Acceptable Use of ICT Agreement, it states that students will, “give my teacher a written ‘BYOD consent form’ from my parents/guardians before bringing my own devices to school. Otherwise I will leave my equipment at home.” I take this opportunity to remind parents that if you have an urgent message to get to your child, this is to be done via the office, even if your child is offsite at an excursion or interschool sport event. If you cannot get through on the phone, an email to office@hsvs.catholic.edu.auis always promptly responded to. This is important for the care and safety of all children at Holy Saviour. 

Happy 50th Anniversary – Holy Saviour Parish

The land on which the Holy Saviour School and Church now stand was, when purchased by the Archdiocese in 1960, a nine-acre block overrun by blackberries. In the 1970s as the population of the area grew, Father Foynes – the Parish Priest of St. Leonards, Glen Waverley - suggested that the northern section of his parish become a separate entity.  Statistical predictions compiled by John Owens (then a St. Leonard’s councillor) supported this growth. A submission to the Archdiocese highlighted the growth potential and the development of the area between Springvale Road, Dandenong Creek, High Street Road and Burwood Highway. It was predicted that St. Leonard’s facilities would be unable to cope with the influx of Catholic families to the area, evidenced by people already travelling elsewhere to mass. 

The submission was accepted, and Cardinal Knox established the Parish of Glen Waverley North in his letter of 3rd January 1974 and (officially effective 19th January 1974) Father Eric Hodgens was appointed the first parish priest. In his letter of 22nd January 1974 (see below), Father Hodgens advised his potential parishioners of the Parish’s formation.  Until the land was developed Mass would be held elsewhere. The first Mass was celebrated on Sunday 27th January, 1974 at St. Thomas More (now Emmaus) College, Vermont South.  Whilst not within parish boundaries, the college was the only facility large enough and near enough to accommodate the numbers.  Two Sunday Masses were regularly held at this location.

Communication with Staff

I wish to remind you of our Staff communication practices. In an effort to assist in the wellbeing of all staff, I am encouraging staff not to answer emails from anyone after 6pm and before 8am. Staff will endeavour to respond to you within 48 hours. If it is an urgent matter, I encourage you to phone and leave a message with the office. Please support our changed practices and speak to me if you have any concerns regarding this change. Naturally if there is an emergency, please contact me.

Term 1 Events

The following whole school events are scheduled for the first five weeks of Term 1:

Wednesday 7th February: Parent Information Evening @ 6pm, followed by a BBQ

Sunday 11th February: Beginning Year Mass @ 10am, followed by a BBQ

Tuesday 13th February: Parent/Teacher “Getting to Know You” Chats

Wednesday 14th February: Ash Wednesday

Tuesday 27th February: School Photos (all students in Summer Uniform)

Tuesday 27th February: School Advisory Council Meeting (7pm)

Lunch Orders

This term we have 3 great lunch time options for the children. Baker's Delight (Tuesdays),

Classroom Cuisine (Wednesdays),  and Subway (Fridays). 

Baker's Delight - Tuesdays

Bakers Delight lunches will now be offered on Tuesdays instead of Thursdays. Choices include Pizza and a Drink ($7) or a Savoury Roll/Bite and Drink ($6). Children are also welcome to also order extra pizza ($4 each) or extra savoury roll / bite ($3 each). All lunch orders must be submitted by 12pm on the Monday for all Tuesday orders. Please use CDFpay to place your orders.

Classroom Cuisine - Wednesdays

On Wednesdays lunches can be ordered online through Classroom Cuisine. This is an online service which provides fresh and healthy lunches for schools. Parents can order online using credit card payment and lunches are delivered to the school. Orders are accepted up until 8.30am on the day of delivery from their varied menu. To do this please register and order through www.classroomcuisine.com.au. 

Subway - Fridays

On Fridays, children are able to order Subway lunches. Children are able to have their choice of subway roll with a cookie and a drink. These can be ordered via CDFpay. Orders need to be in by 12pm Thursday morning for lunch on Fridays. 

Excel Music Lessons At Holy Saviour

 Excel Music will once again be offering music lessons at Holy Saviour. All children enrolled in 2023 will automatically be re-enroled in 2024. Excel Music will contact you directly with any additional information.  

If your child is interested in music lessons, Excel Music provides private or group music lessons in guitar, keyboard or drums during school hours. 

If you would like to see an example of what they do, Excel Music Teachers will be doing a short presentation to students at the school assembly next Wednesday 7th February, 2.30pm. Parents are welcome to come along.

 If you are interested in music lessons for your child, please complete an enrolment form and return it either to the office or email it directly to music@excelmusic.com.au. More information about Excel Music can be found here.

Second Hand Uniforms

Second hand uniforms are currently set up in the office. If anyone is interested in purchasing a second hand uniform, please either come in and speak with either Sherridan or Kerry oremail the office with your request and sizing requirements and we will check to see if the item is available. If it is, we will notify you. All we charge for second hand uniforms is a gold coin donation.  Please note however that not all sizes and items will be in stock.

Catholic Secondary School Enrolment Applications

Key Enrolment Dates for Year 5 Students in 2024 starting Year 7 in 2026

The key enrolment dates for students in Year 5 in 2024 who will be starting Year 7 in 2026 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:

Monday 29 January 2024 – Applications will open for students commencing Year 7 in 2026.

Friday 16 August 2024 – Applications will close.

Friday 18 October 2024 – Offers will be posted to prospective Year 7 applicants.

Friday 8 November 2024 – Final date for parents/carers to accept an offer made by a school.

Parents of Year 5 students in 2024, please diarise these dates so you don’t miss out.

Open Days

At Holy Saviour, every day is Open Day and we welcome all new families, friends and neighbours to come along and visit the school at any time this year. We ask you to please let your friends and neighbours know about our school, the best advertising for our school is YOU! Feel free to pick up a few fliers in our office to give to neighbours with young children, Catholic or not, they are welcome to visit, or email office@hsvs.catholic.edu.au and we will send some home to you. We are looking for walkers too who would be happy to take fliers out to our community. We distribute to ALL kinders and childcare centres but it’s always good that they go into letterboxes as well. 

Enrolments open for 2025

Yes, we are already taking enrolments for next year! If you have a younger child who turns 5 before 30 April 2025, please come and see Sherridan or Kerry in the office for an enrolment form. Also, if you know of anyone else in the community with a child the same age, pass on our contact details– we would love to give them a tour of our fabulous school! At Holy Saviour, every other day is Open Day!

Kind regards

Mr Steve Evans

Principal