From the Principal

~Do all that you do with love~

Dear Families,

Welcome Back!

I trust you all enjoyed some family time with the children and had a blessed and restful Easter long weekend. I certainly appreciated the break after a long and busy term, some camping and sunshine with my family was enough to leave me feeling refreshed and ready for the term ahead.

The term began on a solemn note as we gathered in prayer following the passing of Pope Francis. Whilst his passing wasn't a complete shock due to his ill health, the fact that we had seen him greeting the crowds on Easter Sunday made the news difficult to receive. The reverence of the children as we prayed a decade of the Rosary was commendable, especially in our junior classes.

Alleluia Day was once again a huge success. Our Senior students led our liturgy and then the school gathered in multi-age groups to complete a range of activities celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus. Each teacher had a group of students from prep to grade 6 and the school was buzzing with excitement and creativity. Walking through the rooms to see teachers engaging with students they may not normally teach and to observe our senior students supporting the younger members of the school was beautiful. An energetic session Luke and the team from Kaboom sports rounded off the day and our student leaders did an amazing job of leading their groups around each of the activity stations. The staff, and students, certainly deserved the long weekend to recover after and exciting and tiring day.

Monday saw our Middles have their turn at leading the school in prayer as we gathered for our ANZAC liturgy. Once more the reverence and prayerful nature of our students impressed us all, staff and families in attendance.

I hope as the term continues, more of you are able to join us for our Masses, Liturgies and assemblies. It is always wonderful to see family members joining with us to pray and celebrate.

Mothers' Day

More information will come home shortly but please ensure you have blocked Friday 9th May off on your calendar. All mums, grandmas and special ladies are invited to join us for our Mothers' Day Liturgy and Morning Tea. We will also share information for our Mothers' Day Stall on Thursday 8th May.

Attendance

At the end of last term, following an attendance audit, letters were shared with parents of those children who were identified as having low attendance for the term. I'd like to take a moment to remind you all that every day counts at school. Whilst I certainly encourage you to keep your child at home if they are unwell, especially as we enter flu season, your child's education is impacted significantly if their attendance is low. 80% attendance is the equivalent of only attending 4 out of 5 days a week. Some of our students did attend school for 100% of the school term and this is certainly a cause for celebration - well done to those children! As attendance is monitored this term, we will be celebrating those who show growth in their attendance percentage.

Volunteer Induction Workshops

Calling for any parents, carers or family members to come along to a Volunteer Induction Workshop on Monday 5th May at 2:30p.m. With so many school events happening such as the Mother's Day Stall or even an excursion, it would be great to have as many helping hands as possible. Please ensure you have a current Working with Children Check Card when you attend the workshop as this is a major compliance requirement. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email Michelle Hinds - mhinds@sttcbourne.catholic.edu.au

Felicity Broughton

principal@sttcbourne.catholic.edu.au