PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to all parents and families to St Agnes’ School for the 2024 school year. I hope everyone is feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready for a year of learning, growth and community. It’s been a smooth but dynamic start; with our Year One to Year Six students starting yesterday, including many new faces, our senior students off on camp today and our Preps starting tomorrow.

The newsletter is the main communication tool used by the school to share information and celebrate student learning, improvement initiatives and community events. It is an online newsletter and distributed fortnightly on a Wednesday afternoon, via email. The newsletter also outlines the specific procedures and expectations in our school. From the newsletter, our Class Representatives distribute regular updates via email and/or WhatsApp. At St Agnes’, we aim to have clear and concise information distributed to the community to ensure all are aware of what is happening and when. Schools are very busy places and we are a tight-knit community, so if you ever have any questions, please ask a fellow parent or feel free to contact the school office. This newsletter is a long one, so get yourself a cup of tea, have your family calendar handy and make note of anything significant. There is a short description of all Term 1 events at the end of this newsletter.

Firstly though, I would like to thank our staff who have worked over the break and throughout the last week to prepare our school for the new year. There is much to organise from an administrative point of view to ensure the school is ready for commencement. This year, we have welcomed four new staff and one returning staff member:

• Melinda Phyland (Year 6)
• Levi Otto (Year 3)
• Rebecca Emmerson (Learning Support)
• Kristina Eterovic (Learning Support)
• Anthea Georgiou (Releasing role)

For our teachers and staff, the most important thing at this time of year is establishing relationships and routine with the students. Schools and classrooms are ‘communities’ in themselves and, to ensure a high level of productivity, it is vital that strong, positive and respectful relationships are fostered between students and with staff. At St Agnes’, we believe that if we set and communicate high expectations of learning and behaviour, students will rise to meet these expectations. This year, we continue working with the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) framework Respectful Relationships to assist our students establishing meaningful connections with their teachers and fellow students. The first area of focus is on Stress Management. Research shows that students who participate in rigorously designed and well-taught SEL programs demonstrate more positive social behaviour, are less likely to engage in risky and disruptive behaviour, and show improved academic outcomes. A part of this is building a large vocabulary for emotions to increase emotional literacy, strengthening self-awareness and empathy for others.

St Agnes’ School Fete - Saturday 16th March

The St Agnes’ School Fete is a big part of the culture of our school. The Fete Committee, made up of school parent volunteers, is busily preparing for this amazing biennial event. It is a day of teamwork, social interaction and fun, all in the interest of St Agnes’ students and local families. There will be rides, stalls, face painting and loads of other fun activities for the children to get involved in. Over the coming weeks, there will be calls for help and also for donations of items such as blocks of chocolate. It is a terrific opportunity for all school families to get involved and it really is a ‘whole school community effort’. We need all parents (and even interested grandparents) to sign up for a stall to help for a couple of hours. Many hands, makes light work. Please head across to the Fete page of the newsletter for more information. All funds raised from the Fete will go towards resurfacing the large asphalt area at the centre of the playground with astroturf.

Parking, entry and exit on school grounds

At St Agnes’, we are lucky in that our school gates are located on quiet suburban streets. However, at drop off and pick up times, these streets get busier. I urge all parents to please be patient and careful at these times please. It is important that all members of our community adhere to the road rules and parking restrictions. 

Entry to our school:

• There are two entry and exit points at our school for drop off and pick up: the gates on Peterson Street and Locinda Street.
• These gates are supervised from 8.30am to 8.45am and from 3.25pm to 3.40pm. After 8.45am, the only access to the school is via the main reception on Peterson Street. All other gates will be locked.
• I would like to remind families that children are not to play ball games or on the adventure playgrounds after school. This is a safety requirement and staff also need to get to meetings after school, so a prompt exit is appreciated. Friday afternoons are the exception to this rule, as we have icy-poles and barbeque after school.
• Peterson Street is a ‘Drop and Go Zone’ in the morning. This area is not for parking and entering the school with your children. If you wish to do this, please park in a neighbouring street.
• Parents/grandparents are asked not to drive through or park in the staff car park at drop off and pick up. This is dangerous with students/families walking through here.
• If riding a bike or scooter to school, the children are to dismount at the gate to ensure the safety of others.
• Please note, the speed limit on Spring Road is 40km/h as you approach the school.

Dogs on school grounds

For the safety of all students, staff and families, dogs are not permitted on school grounds at any time. If walking your dog to or from school, we ask that you leave it tied up outside of the school.

Absences

In the event your child is sick or absent from school, please ensure you contact the school by emailing your childs class teacher or contact the front office by phone. All unexplained absences will be followed up by our Admin team. For prolonged planned absences, please contact the Principal for approval.

Uniform

As most parents would know, we have high standards for our school uniform and these standards are maintained by staff and leadership at the school. The children will wear school uniform three days per week and sports uniform two days per week. When wearing school uniform, it is expected that students will be wearing black leather school shoes, not black runners. The v-neck school jumper is also a compulsory part of the school uniform. Year 6 students are not required to have the v-neck as their Year 6 rugby jumpers will arrive soon and can be worn in place of this. The navy bomber jacket is to be worn with the sports uniform only, on PE and class sport days. Noone Imagewear on Hampton Street have all available items and the Second Hand Uniform Shop will be open fortnightly on Friday afternoons from Friday 16th February.

Girls’ hair - Girls must have their hair tied back if it is longer than shoulder length. The tiebacks should be predominantly the school colours please.

Boys’ hair - Boys need to make sure their hair is above their shirt collar.

School hats - Children are expected to wear the school hat (and no other hat) during Terms 1 and 4.

Student mobile phones and smart-watches

I would strongly encourage families to send students to school without their mobile phones. If they need to be brought, the phones must be turned off before they enter the gate and dropped off at the front office. Phones are not to be turned on again until they exit the gate at the end of the day. Parents who need to contact their child can do so by contacting the school office. If a phone or watch is found to be on or used at school by a student, that device will be confiscated. Those children who have watches that receive messages or phone calls need to either turn off the notifications or leave the watch at home. These devices can become a distraction in the classroom and we are seeking to minimise these distractions.

District Swimming Trials and Training

On Tuesday 6th and 13th February, our staff are running swimming trails and training for the School Swimming Team. This is for Year Three to Six students only. Interested students must attend both sessions in order to be eligible for selection to the swimming team and be able to swim 50 metres confidently. More information has been sent via Operoo, but if you have any questions, please contact our Sports Coordinator Mr Simon Kost (skost@sahighett.catholic.edu.au). 

Year Six Leadership Speeches and Roles

After they return from camp, our Year Six students will finalise their applications and speeches for their 2024 leadership roles. Their speeches will be presented to Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 students and staff on Thursday 8th February from 9am in the Hall. This is a special occasion for our students, so parents are welcome to come along and watch. All students have nominated their preferences and the student body will vote on School and Sports Captain, with remaining positions being allocated by school staff using preferences as a guide. The positions will be announced at Assembly on Wednesday 14th February. There will also be elections for SRC and Mini Vinnies leaders for each class in the next few weeks.

Parent Information Night, Class Newsletters and Parent/Teacher Exchanges

Over the next three weeks, we have a number of opportunities to establish clarity and open lines of communication between teachers and parents:

• On Tuesday 13th February from 7.00pm to 8.00pm, we have our Parent Information Night. We ask that at least one parent attends this important information sharing session around learning and routines for your child’s year level. This session is held in the classrooms and the Term One Class Newsletter will be distributed at this event.
• On Tuesday 20th February, we have our Parent/Teacher Exchanges. These meetings are an opportunity for you, as parents, to tell us about your child’s strengths, passions, social competencies and areas to be worked on. The website to access the booking is  https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/en3ak- Code en3ak
• The children will finish school at 1:00pm on this day to allow the staff to commence the interviews at 1:30pm. We prefer face-to-face meetings, but teachers can be contacted to organise a video conference should it be necessary.

Extra curricular classes

This year, we will continue with extra curricular offerings in the school, on the following days:

• Italian with Signora Talarico - Tuesday and Wednesday
• Physical Education with Mr Kost - Tuesday (Prep, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4) and Wednesday (Year 5, Year 1 and Year 6). Sports uniform is required on this day.
• Visual Arts with Mrs Murdoch - Thursday and Friday
• Performing Arts with Mrs Gugliuciello - Thursday and Friday

Classroom teachers will communicate Class Sports days with parents in the coming weeks. The children will also wear sports uniform on that particular day.

Cybersafety Use Agreement

This week, the Cybersafety Use Agreement was emailed to all families to be read, discussed and signed. It is an opportunity to revisit rules and expectations around device use in your family. Over the school holidays, the school purchased 90 new Chromebooks for use by our Year 3-6 students. The students spend time on devices at school and this agreement must be signed before students can use school devices. This continues to be an area of concern as there has been an increase in peer conflict between children that originates in online forums, as children are becoming active online at a younger age.

School photos - Monday 12th February 

This year, our school photos take place on Monday 12th February. Order forms (for cash orders only) will be sent home with the eldest child in the family by the end of this week.  Please see the instructions for online ordering in the Order photos Page.  Advanced Life are our school photos provider and orders can also be placed online. Students are to wear their full Summer school uniform on this day, including their jumper for the photos.

Open Days and School Tours

We are very grateful to all of our parents for advocating for our school in the local community. We have had a number of enquiries over the holidays for Prep in 2025, which is a really positive sign for our school. This year, we will be holding four Open Days, where prospective families can come and tour our school to see and hear from the students and staff. The dates for school tours are below:

• Wednesday 28th February
• Wednesday 27th March
• Tuesday 23rd April
• Tuesday 21st May

St Agnes’ Playgroup - Give your child a flying start!

Our Playgroup Returns in 2024 for all current and prospective children/families to get to know our school and community. All three and four year old children are welcome to attend and it is free to participate! Amanda Baker will be leading our playgroup this year. It will be held fortnightly on a Friday morning during school term, on the following dates:

Friday 1st March, 15th March, 26th April, 10th May, 24th May, 7th June, 21st June, 26th July, 9th August, 23rd August, 6th September.

Please register using the link below and feel free to share this with friends and family who have a child starting school in the next two years.

Sibling Enrolments - Prep 2025

We are asking those current families to complete the enrolment process for any siblings who will join our school in Prep in 2025. We need all families to enrol as soon as possible so we know how many places we have to offer new families. Forms can be downloaded from our website or you can pick one up from the office.

Parent Helper Course

This year, we again welcome the support of parents to assist in our Prep and Year 1 classrooms during the morning literacy block. You will enjoy participating in your children’s education – we are in partnership with you and your support is invaluable. All parents are welcome to help. We require that all helpers assisting in the classrooms are fully trained and have a current Working with Children Check, which must be uploaded to your child's Operoo profile prior to the commencement of the training sessions. We need helpers from 9am to 11am each day. There will be a compulsory training session (approximately 1 hour) for all new Prep parent helpers and any new helpers in Year 1. The training session will be run by Amanda Baker (Junior School Leader) in the Hall on Friday, 23rd February at 9.00am. Please contact Amanda (bakeram@sahighett.catholic.edu.au) to confirm your interest.

St Agnes’ Parents and Friends Welcome Picnic

The St Agnes’ Parents and Friends Committee warmly invites all families to join the Welcome Picnic on the evening of Friday 23rd February. More information is available on the Parents and Friends page.

Sacraments

Please see below, the dates for our Sacraments in 2024:

Sacrament of Reconciliation (Year 3)

Family Faith Night - Wednesday 28th February, 7.00pm

Reflection Day - Tuesday 12th March

Sacrament of Reconciliation Paraliturgy - Thursday 21st March, 6.30pm

Sacrament of First Eucharist (Year 4)

Family Faith Night - Wednesday 17th July, 7.00pm

Reflection Day - Tuesday 30th July

First Eucharist Mass - Saturday 10th August, 6.00pm

Sacrament of Confirmation (Year 6)

Family Faith Night - Wednesday 21st August, 7:00pm

Reflection Day - Wednesday 11th September

Sacrament of Confirmation Mass - Saturday 14th September, 6:00pm

Tuckshop

Tuckshop will commence on Friday, 9th February and orders can be placed online at https://www.salutecatering.com.au/tuckshop using the code: lunch2024 

Before and After School Care

Extend OSHC are offering before-school care on Monday to Thursday mornings (6.45am-8.30am) and after school care every day (3:25pm - 6:00pm). Please complete your enrolment and bookings via https://www.extend.com.au/school/st-agnes-primary-school/.

Kelly Sports - Dance

After some very successful holiday programs, Kelly Sports are offering a lunchtime Dance class to all students in Prep-Year 4. The sessions are $12 per week and are held in the school hall at lunchtime, with a specialist dance teacher. Bookings are essential. Click the attachment for more information.

Term 1 school fees

2024 school fee invoices will be sent out in the coming week. Please be on the lookout for these invoices and ensure payment is made promptly to avoid late payment fees. Please see Shannon in the office if you would like to set up a payment plan.

Newsletter distribution list

The school newsletter is emailed to all families on a Wednesday. Please respond to the Operoo form sent yesterday to provide email address/es for this to be sent.

St Agnes’ Dads’ Night - Pot and Parma - Thursday 14th March

After a very successful inaugural effort, the St Agnes’ Dads Pot and Parma night is back. We are aiming to establish a St Agnes’ group to strengthen connection amongst St Agnes’ fathers and father figures. Please register your attendance with Year 4 Dad Bart Carroll (bartscarroll7@gmail.com or 0421 877 991).

Assembly

Assemblies are in the Hall on Wednesday afternoons. Parents are welcome to attend. At assembly, there will be presentations from classes, student awards, birthday acknowledgements and special announcements from student leaders.

Wed 31st Jan - No class item

Wed 7th Feb - Year 5

Wed 14th Feb - Year 4

Wed 21st Feb - Year 6

Wed 28th Feb - Year 2

Wed 6th March - Year 3

Wed 13th March - Year 1

Wed 20th March - Prep

Wed 27th March - Year 6 - Leadership

Looking forward to a great year!

Kind regards,

Lachie