Dear Parents,

Can you believe that we are half way through 2024! Welcome back to another term.

Since coming back this term, we have had another incident that is of concern around the school at home time. I would like to thank the parents who sensed that something wasn't right and called the police. I would encourage you to instruct your children to wait inside the school grounds until they see your car. Inside the school gates we can keep an eye on the children, outside of the gate this is much more difficult.

On Tuesday, I was given the wonderful opportunity to accompany the choir to the Vasey House RSL club. It was fantastic to hear our choir singing and the residents interacting. The children also enjoyed meeting and introducing themselves to the residents. I was speaking with the aged care facility organiser who pointed out a resident whose Alzheimer's had progressed significantly. To watch this person's face beam with joy as she interacted with the children was a truly beautiful sight. If we can add just a little joy to someone's day, we have made an impact and acted in the Holy Name way.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the choir for their dedication and Ms Rosa Zannoni for her organisation and enthusiasm. Both the children and Rosa give up their lunch times to prepare for such events.

Story Time

On Tuesday, I also met some of the children that will be joining us next year in Prep. Together, we read a story and then made our own sunflower. I hope that the children enjoyed their first story time and hopefully we will see them at the next one.

The next story time will occur on Monday August 5th at 9:15 am

Baby News

Throughout the last couple of weeks we have had a few babies arrive.

Leah and Jordan celebrated the arrival of Lennox during the holidays while Peter and Eleni also welcomed the arrival of Raphael last Sunday. I hope that all our new babies and their families are getting some sleep!

Casual Clothes Day

To mark the beginning of the Olympics tomorrow (Friday 26th July), we will be holding a casual clothes day. On this day, the children are free to wear casual clothes. This can take the form of a sporting outfit or just the colour combination matching a particular nation's flag.

P&F Cadbury Chocolate Fundraiser

Today, you should have received the box of chocolates that you said you would be happy to sell. Please look inside the box for the information letter. All unsold chocolates and/or money needs to be returned by Friday 6th September.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Our next Parent/Teacher interviews will be held on Thursday 29th August. On this day the children will finish at 1:00 pm to allow interviews to start shortly after. The idea of these interviews is for parents to get an idea of the progress their children have made, since the written report.

If you have not yet accessed your written report, I encourage you do so. If you are having difficulty accessing the report, please let us know.

Grandparents Day

On Thursday August 1st, we are inviting all grandparents or special friends to Holy Name. The day will start with a mass and be followed by an activity. Grandparents/special friends are invited to bring lunch to share with their special children (refer to the RE page for more detail).

Please explain to grandparents and special friends that they are not to share food with other children (I know this can be difficult), as some children have allergies that we need to be mindful of.

Whooping Cough Alert

Health Department Alert – Whooping Cough (Pertussis). The Victorian Health Department recently issued a public notice in relation to an increasing number of cases of whooping cough (pertussis) in Victoria, particularly among children aged 10-12. Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness known for causing a cough, and can lead to life threatening infections in babies. Many babies who get pertussis catch it from older children and adults who might not even know they are infected. Pertussis usually begins with cold-like symptoms, such as a dry cough (occurring in bouts), characteristic 'whooping' sound when breathing in, tiredness, runny nose, and low-grade fever. Please speak to your doctor (GP) and seek a diagnosis if your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms. Early identification and separation are crucial in preventing the spread to other children. Pertussis is mostly spread to other people by droplets from coughing or sneezing, so good hygiene practices and immunisations help prevent the spread. Immunisations are particularly important for infants and pregnant women. If pertussis is diagnosed, your GP will advise on appropriate treatments. If you have any questions, please speak to your GP. Read the full alert here: Increasing pertussis (whooping cough) cases in Victoria | health.vic.gov.au

Beanies

We are starting to see a myriad of multicoloured beanies. If your child would like to wear a beanie, please ensure it is either the Holy Name beanie or plain dark blue.

Just a reminder that the uniform shop also sells Holy Name jackets.

Please, please ensure that you mark each item of clothing with your child's name.

Canteen Helpers Needed

If you can spare a few hours on Fridays (or even Tuesdays) and you have a current WWC, we could really use your help in preparing the lunch orders, after morning drop off to 11am. It doesn't have to be every week; leave your details with Leanne at the office and we'll add you to the roster.

We have a Canteen Manager (Antonietta) who will show you what to do.

Unfortunately, due to safety considerations, you are not able to bring toddlers/babies with you.

E-SAFETY

We are often asked about safety online. Please refer to the e-safety commission website which is a wealth of information.

There are often concerns and questions about online safety. For more information

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents?utm_campaign=2406_parent_news_june&utm_id=81fb1036b2c1edcb7c0ca913a2cfc6eb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eSafety_edm

MAD EVENT

Please see below, the next MAD event for our dads. All dads welcome to join for a hit of indoor X-Golf, a drink or just a chat and catchup.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION & SPORT

Mr Derryn Ling and Mr Peter Koulaxizellis