School News

Dear Families,

It's hard to believe there are only a few weeks left in Term 1. This term at Galilee has been busy, with many exciting activities and events that have helped build a vibrant school community. Many of these experiences have also allowed students to feel connected and engaged in a variety of learning opportunities.

St Patrick’s Day and Catholic Education Week

On Monday we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at Galilee. 

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Melbourne. He was an influential figure in the early days of the Catholic Church in Melbourne, with the city’s Cathedral named after him. Celebrations at Galilee included Irish Dancing lessons, Gaelic Football Lessons, learning about St. Patrick, writing prayers and lots of craft. Students and staff had lot of fun celebrating. 

St. Patrick’s Day also marks the beginning of Catholic Education Week.

Catholic Education Week is celebrated in Catholic schools across Melbourne each year. This year’s theme draws from the motto of the Holy Year, the Year of Jubilee, and the Australian Catholic Youth Festival’s theme - ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you (Is 60:1).

Harmony Week and Harmony Day celebrations tomorrow

This week we have been celebrating Harmony Week. We have a special day planned tomorrow with students encouraged to wear orange, the colour of Harmony Day or dress in an outfit that is culturally significant. 

Harmony Week is an important week in our school calendar as it celebrates the diverse population we have in our community. It is a week foced on inclusiveness, respect of each other's cultural diversity, and developing a sense of belonging for everyone.

Throughout the week students have been engaging in Harmony Week activities. Some of these activities have been highlighted on the “Around the School” page of this newsletter. 

Parents/Caregiver + Teacher Conferences for Students in Years 1-6

To promote strong partnerships between home and school, we would like to invite Parents/Caregivers of students of Years 1-6 to attend conferences with teachers on Tuesday 1st of April. Prep families had the opportunity to meet with teachers at the beginning of this term. 

The purpose of these conferences is to create a stronger partnership between home and school and ensure that families are on the same page as teachers and can work in a collaborative way to support student learning. It is one of the many opportunities for parents to receive feedback on their child’s learning. 

Discussion items at conferences may include:

• student achievement
• student progress 
• behaviour 
• work habits
• areas of future growth 
• ways students will be supported at school and may be supported at home

An Operoo request was sent to families on Wednesday 19/3/2025 so that bookings can be made. 

When booking, please indicate if you will be attending on site or would like to meet via an online link that will be sent to you prior to your meeting time.

Please note that all students will attend school for a full day on Tuesday 1st of April. 

Our teachers look forward to meeting with you during the conferences in the final week of Term 1.

Galilee Cross Country

Next Friday 28th March we will hold our Annual Galilee Cross Country at Murphy Reserve in Port Melbourne. Students are encouraged to wear a t-shirt that is the colour of their house. Please contact your child's classroom teacher if you are unsure which house colour your child is in. 

On the day, students will be bussed to and from the Reserve to compete in their Cross Country race. Each year level will be bussed down separately to run their race and then they will return back to school. A timetable with approximate race times will be shared on Dojo next week.

Please note, we are only handing out ribbons to the first three runners who cross the line. This is in line with Sporting Schools Victoria events. Every student is encouraged to participate and do their best. We will be encouraging students to support each other, cheer each other on and feel proud of their efforts no matter what place they come.

If you're available to volunteer to help marshal the students please email sgreene@gsm.vic.edu.au 

Bishop Tony Ireland visiting Galilee

Next Friday 28th March, Bishop Tony Ireland will visit Galilee. He will meet with members of the school leadership team, some of our Year 6 students and he will tour the classrooms. We look forward to his visit and the opportunity to connect with him. 

Galilee Movie Night

Next Friday 28th March, we are hosting an Easter Movie Night from 7:30pm.

We are inviting families to join us to watch the family favourite Ratatouille!

Gates will open at 7.30pm. Ice-cream and popcorn will be available for purchase

Tickets purchased for last year's movie night can be used for this event – new tickets can be purchased at $5 per person. New tickets are available on SCHOOLS24 App (Same App used to order lunch orders)

The Schools24 ID is 25475963

Run for the Kids

We are once again gathering together to participate in Run for the Kids. 

Run for the Kids raises much needed funds to support the Royal Children’s Hospital. The Royal Children’s Hospital is where a number of students from Galilee have needed to go to receive care for an extended period of time. 

Last year the community gathered together to Run for Tae Yoon. Tae Yoon is a Galilee student who sadly passed away in 2023 following a long health battle. Tae Yoon spent a significant amount of time at the Royal Children’s Hospital and his family are forever grateful for the care he received. It was a truly touching and overwhelming experience at last year’s Run for the Kids, where a large number of people from the Galilee community ran for Team Tae Yoon. Seol, Tae Yoon’s Mum and his sister Lea, cannot thank everyone enough for their continuous support and love.

Please come and join us if you are available for the day. A link to join Tae Yoon’s Team is attached below.

Registration for Team Entries closes on 23 March at 11.59pm.

https://raceroster.com/registration/c6cfaafe-4d91-43bb-82f8-8862fa3fe508/entry?team=778464

Semester One Events

We have so many events at Galilee. We thought it would be helpful to create a poster that lets you know what is coming up. 

2026 Prep Enrollments

We have almost completed interviewing all 2026 Prep applicants and their families. We hope to finalise our 2026 Prep enrolment soon. It has been wonderful to see the growing interest in Galilee. If you know of a family who is interested in sending their child to Galilee, please encourage them to complete an application form as soon as possible because space is limited and filling fast. 

Galilee Parents Association

If you would like to volunteer to help with events or activities that we have planned this year (Disco, Father’s Day breakfast, Christmas Evening etc.) please contact Seb Greene sgreene@gsm.vic.edu.au. No experience is necessary and we are keen to hear about different ideas and ways of running these events. Many hands make light work so if you would like to get involved, please contact Seb. 

Blessings,

Amy, Richard & Holly