Dear Families,

At our first Open Day for the year, our School Captains Indie and Patrick stepped up to assist with leading school tours, and they did so with confidence and maturity beyond their years.

With very little notice, they warmly welcomed prospective families and began guiding them through the school. While myself or Andrea were on hand to support when needed, Indie and Patrick took genuine ownership of the experience. They spoke clearly and enthusiastically about our school, answered questions thoughtfully, and represented our community with pride.

Opportunities like Open Day provide an authentic platform for our students to develop and demonstrate leadership skills. Indie and Patrick embodied the values we strive to nurture, confidence, respect, initiative, and a strong sense of belonging. We are incredibly proud of the way they represented our school and look forward to seeing them continue to grow in these leadership opportunities throughout the year.

With more Open Days to come, as well as additional school tour bookings throughout the term, there will be further opportunities for our Year 6 leaders to promote our school. If you know anyone considering enrolment for 2026, we encourage them to attend one of our upcoming Open Days on Monday 16 March, Monday 27 April, or Tuesday 26 May, or to contact the school office to arrange a personalised tour.

World Hearing Day

This morning we celebrated World Hearing Day bringing to life this year’s theme: “From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children.” The event brought together students, staff, specialist teachers, audiology experts, and past students to highlight the importance of hearing health in every child’s learning and wellbeing. We were delighted to welcome representatives from Hearing Loop Australia, and former SMC students who generously shared their experiences.

The morning focused on raising awareness about:

The prevalence of undiagnosed hearing loss in young children.
The impact of unaddressed hearing challenges on communication, social development, and educational outcomes.
The importance of early screening, identification, and intervention in schools.
Everyday strategies to protect hearing.
The strong partnership between Holy Trinity teachers, SMC specialist staff, and Australian Hearing audiologists.

Students participated in a range of engaging activities, including:

An immersive Hearing Loop experience with Ian Riddle from Hearing Loop Australia.
Hearing and ear‑care sessions for Prep–2 students with Amanda Purcell.
Auslan learning for Years 3–4 and a whole‑school Auslan performance of “The Greatest Showman.”
A Q&A session with past students Amy Perkins and Myisha Lim, who shared their journeys as deaf mentors.

The event reinforced a simple but powerful message: Good hearing helps us learn, connect, and feel included. It was a vibrant and meaningful morning of learning, celebration, and community connection, one that showcased the value of collaboration and the importance of hearing care for all children.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN begins next week for our Year 3 & 5 students. The NAPLAN test schedule is detailed below, please ensure your children are at school on time.

Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. Some familiarisation and explanation of NAPLAN is useful to help students understand and be comfortable with the format of the tests. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance.

Long Service Leave

I will be taking 3.5 weeks of Long Service Leave (in addition to the 2 weeks school holidays) from Monday 23 March to Wednesday 29 April. Together with my wife Nola and children Abbie and Bodhi we will take this opportunity to spend time together traveling the west coast of the USA. I feel blessed to be able to take this time knowing that the school will be in the capable hands of Andrea Dowling as Acting Principal who will be strongly supported by the Leadership Team.

Twilight Sports

We’re excited to welcome everyone to our annual Twilight Sports next Thursday, 12 March. This event celebrates participation, teamwork and school spirit as our Prep–Year 6 students move through a variety of fun activities. Every student’s involvement helps earn points for their House toward the 2026 House Cup.

Our Houses:

Red – Dominic
Green – MacKillop
Yellow – Bunurong
Blue – Mackay

Twilight Sports - PA BBQ

Twilight Sports is also one of the special moments in our calendar where the whole school community comes together. Families are invited to relax with a picnic (no alcohol) or enjoy the PA BBQ. A big thank you to the parents who have offered to help, extra assistance on the night is always welcome and a great way to meet others.

Schedule:

Picnic/BBQ from 4.15pm

Sports events from 5.00pm–6.45pm

Students should wear: House colours, sunscreen and a hat.

Students should bring: A small snack, labelled water bottle, and asthma puffer if needed.

More information about the BBQ can be found further in the newsletter.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

Following discussions with the School Advisory Council, we are pleased to share an updated Parent/Teacher Interview and Reporting schedule for 2026. To strengthen communication and support student learning, interviews will now take place towards the end of Term 1 and Term 3, with written reports provided in Term 2 and Term 4.

This change ensures families have regular opportunities to connect with teachers, celebrate progress and discuss next steps in learning. We will provide further details and booking instructions closer to each interview period. The Term 1 Interview dates are Tuesday 24th March (3.30pm-7pm) and Thursday 26th March (3.30pm-6pm).

School Camp Dates

Please note the following dates and venues for school camps next term:

Year 4 Camp - 9th & 10th June (Camp ADANAC, Yarra Junction)

Year 5/6 Camp - 4th, 5th and 6th May (Alexandra Adventure Camp)

Details regarding camp will be sent to families via SIMON soon.

Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF)

Applications for the CSEF fund are now open. If you hold a valid, means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. If you are the holder of a concession card and would like to apply please click below to obtain a CSEF application form and hand it in to the school office for processing.

If you applied in 2025 and were successful with your application there is no need to submit a form as an application will automatically be submitted on your behalf. Please see the Community News Section of the Newsletter for more information.

Joke of the Week

Junior had just received his brand new drivers license. The family trooped out to the driveway, and climbed into the car, where he was about to take them for a ride for the first time. Dad immediately headed for the back seat, directly behind the newly minted driver.

"I'll bet you're back there to get a change of scenery after all those months of sitting in the

front passenger seat teaching me how to drive," said the beaming boy to the ol' man.

"Nope," came dad's reply, "I'm gonna sit here and kick the back of your seat as you drive, just like you've been doing to me all these years."

Final Thoughts - Words of Wisdom from Pope Francis

I stumbled upon a speech from Pope Francis this week which speaks about seeking happiness and never giving up on it. The following is an excerpt from it, with the full article linked here.

To be happy is to let live the creature that lives in each of us, free, joyful and simple.

It is to have maturity to be able to say: "I made mistakes".

It is to have the courage to say "I am sorry".

It is to have the sensitivity to say, "I need you".

It is to have the ability to say " I love you".

May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness ...

That in spring may it be a lover of joy. In winter a lover of wisdom.

And when you make a mistake, start all over again.

HT Facebook Page & Instagram

Remember to follow HT on Facebook & Instagram so that you can see our students learning and be kept up to date with community announcements as they are shared.

https://www.facebook.com/HolyTrinityPS/

https://www.instagram.com/holytrinityprimaryschool/

Kind regards,

Steve Evans

Principal

PBL - Positive Behaviours for Learning