Principal's Message
Dear parents, students and families,
Well we are all into the swing of things and it is only early February. All the classes have settled beautifully and look like they are learning and having fun.....the golden recipe for a happy and successful school.
With many parents having viewed our 'new' senior block I have been thrilled with the positive feedback. I believe our students and staff are very lucky to have such quality learning areas complementing a very modern junior block after its refurbishment in 2021.
Today is our eagerly awaited Colour Run. This should be a fun event that will raise further funds towards our new explicit phonics approach we are introducing in the juniors. Resources and training are quite expensive in moving towards a program such as this so any donations are appreciated. Evidently the family that raises the most will have the opportunity to cover me in slime. I wonder who that will be??? Thank you to our P & F team who have prepared the event so thoroughly.
Tomorrow is our Opening School Mass. Parents, as always, are invited to join us as we gather together in faith formally for the first time with Fr Martin for the year. Some of our students will also be competing in the District Swimming Trials at the Pines Pool before school on Friday and we wish them all the best with this.
Next Tuesday and Wednesday are very important days of our Liturgical calendar as we move into the Lenten period in preparation for Easter. Next Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday and I thank members of our parent community, under P & F direction, for providing pancakes to students and staff after school as we celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Next Wednesday of course is Ash Wednesday when we commit ourselves to the Lenten journey as we progress towards Easter.
Next week our Year 5/6 students are off to Bayview Adventure Camp in Grantville from Wednesday 18th Friday - 20th February. I thank in advance staff who will be attending and Luke Richardson for shuffling around their own home lives to provide this opportunity for our students.
Our first School Tour for 2027 enrollments will be held on Monday 23rd February at 9.15am. We have over 50 expressions of interest, inclusive of siblings that we know about, so far. I have sent our flier to all local Kinders and Childcare Centres that I am aware of this week. If someone you know is intending on choosing St Anne's for Foundation 2027 can you please ask them to email or phone the office if they have not already done so.
For those whose children are preparing to receive the Sacraments of either First Eucharist or First Reconciliation you will be aware that there is a requirement to attend weekend Masses as part of the preparation. Also as a requirement is the need to attend a First Reconciliation preparation evening in the Church on Wednesday 25th February as notified by the Parish.
In the next couple of weeks you will receive log in instructions for our yearly Teacher- Parent interviews which will be occurring on Wednesday 4th March and Friday 5th March between 3.40pm and 6pm. These will be for students from Years 1-6 and are an opportunity to share some more information about your child and for the teacher to let you know how they have initially settled.
God Bless and have a great fortnight.
Rod Shaw
Principal
School Attendance and Unexplained Absence
Please contact the school if your child is going to be absent by leaving a message on
9786 4736 and press 1. Please give details of your child’s name and class with areason for their absence such as: unwell, appointment, holiday or family reasons. Alternatively an email can be sent to office@saseaford.catholic.edu.au with cc to the child’s teacher.
If you are running late, (after 9:00 am) please attend the office to sign your child into school.
If you are picking up your child early you will need to collect them and sign them out from the office.
As per our policy this will be our morning routine for absences:
Parents will be contacted as soon as practicable on the morning a student is absent via a text message.
If parent does not contact the school after receiving the text message, the school will contact the parent by phone. If the parent is unreachable the emergency contacts will be contacted by the school.
If there is still no response, and the school feels that the child is in danger, the police will be contacted.
Ongoing unexplained absences or lack of cooperation regarding student attendance will result in a formal conference being organized. Unresolved attendance issues will be referred to D.H.H.S.
This is a legal requirement.
Democratic Principles
The six (6) principles of Australian democracy include:
(a) elected government; and
(b) the rule of law; and
(c) equal rights for all before the law; and
(d) freedom of religion; and
(e) freedom of speech and association; and
(f) the values of openness and tolerance