Dear Parents,

It has been a relatively smooth start to Term Two, with our school timetable back in full swing. I hope families have also enjoyed a return to the daily routine.

It has been great to see the students return to school with a smile or a story to tell. I have said this on many occasions, but I will say it again - it is an absolute delight to welcome your children to school each morning and you should be extremely proud with the way so many of them confidently return my morning greeting. The children at HT and SMC exhibit beautiful manners! It is also lovely to greet the parents as well of course!!!

As always, the school calendar is full of events so please keep an eye on the key dates.

Of particular note is the fact that we have a closure day this Thursday 25th April (ANZAC Day) and Friday 26th April (staff time in lieu day). We also have a school closure day on Monday 6th May for staff professional learning.

District Athletics - Wednesday 24th April

Following our Years 3-6 HT Athletics Day last term, 54 students have qualified to represent HT at the District Athletics Day tomorrow. We wish them well and hope they can achieve their PB (personal best)! Good luck!

ANZAC DAY

Tomorrow we will commemorate ANZAC day, one of our most important national days of commemoration, with a whole school service outside at 3pm. In the event of wet weather, we will move into the Great Space. Parents are welcome to attend. We will remember and honour all those who have served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations around the world, including the first ANZACs who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I.

A Litany of Remembrance for Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

In the morning and the evening,

We will remember them.

In life’s comings and goings,

We will remember them.

In the tears and the memories,

We will remember them.

In the stories and the letters,

We will remember them.

In the photos and the medals,

We will remember them.

In the laying of wreaths and the praying of prayers,

We will remember them.

In the silence and the stillness,

We will remember them.

School Camp

At Holy Trinity, our students have the opportunity to attend three camps. These camps are

available to students in Years 4, 5 and 6. Our Year 4 students recently attended an overnight (2 day) camp at ADANAC, Yarra Junction, in the last week of Term One. Next week our Year 5/6 students will attend a two night (3 day) camp at Alexandra Adventure Resort Camp, Alexandra. The aim of our camp program, as outlined in our Camp Policy, is as follows:

To provide educational experiences which enhance and enrich classroom teaching
To provide a program that promotes self-esteem, knowledge, independence, leadership and cooperation
To develop skills and confidence in various activities and settings
To choose a campsite and program which is inclusive of all students in the group
To provide shared class experiences and a sense of group cohesiveness

At Holy Trinity and St Mary’s all students are encouraged to attend and participate in school camps. This promotes the best interests of the student’s education, personal development, general wellbeing, and collegiate participation. The school camp is part of the school curriculum.

For some of our students, this will be the first time they have been away from family for an extended time. Some students can become anxious and, in some cases, the parents can be even more anxious! In preparation for the camp we reassure the students that these feelings are very normal and we will ensure that they feel comfortable and supported at all times. Having attended camp for many years, I can assure all students and parents that they will have little time to worry and think about home. Attending camp is a wonderful experience and achievement for our students and will provide some great memories for years to come.

I would like to thank our staff in advance for their commitment to attend camp and their flexibility in making personal arrangements for the care of their own families. At Holy Trinity we are never short on staff volunteers to attend camp, which is testament to the enthusiasm of our staff and the excellent relationship with our students.

I would also like to thank our parents for the trust you place in our school staff to care for, educate and engage your children.

Cross Country - Prep - 6 - Tuesday 7th May

ALL students will participate in our annual Cross Country event. Students are welcome to walk or run. This year, due to the unavailability of Egan Lee Reserve (upgrade works), this event will happen on school grounds. All students are to wear their House Colours for the day. Parents welcome to attend.

Event times are as follows (subject to change due to weather)

9am - 10am: Year 5/6

10 - 11am: Year 3/4

12-1pm: Prep - 2

Mum’s afternoon - Thursday 9th May - 2.30pm - 3.30pm

We will celebrate our amazing mums with a special afternoon of activities on Thursday 9th May. Mum’s will be invited to arrive for a 2.30pm start, with school gates to open at 2.15pm. We will begin the afternoon with a short liturgy in family groups (Mum’s with all their children together in a designated area in the school), followed by visits to classrooms. Details to follow.

Mothers Day Stall - Friday 10th May

Thank you to our hard working Parents’ Association for coordinating our annual Mother’s Day Stall. See the PA page for details.

National Walk Safely to School Day - Friday 10th May

Students are encouraged to walk to school on this day - see details in this newsletter.

Catholic Secondary School Enrolments - Yr 5 students in 2024 starting Yr 7 in 2026

Applications for students starting in 2026 are now open. Parents of students currently wishing to apply to secondary catholic schools with a view to their child commencing Year 7 in 2026 are required to submit their application to the school of their choice by Friday 16th August, 2024

Government Secondary School Applications for Yr 7, 2025

Information regarding the Government Secondary School application process was emailed to Year 6 parents yesterday. Please look out for the relevant email and application form. Applications are to be submitted directly to Government Secondary Schools and the closing date is Friday 10th May.

Prep 2025 Enrolments

Following our three school open days, we are currently receiving applications for enrolment for Prep 2025. If you have a child due to start school next year, could you please complete our online Enrolment Application Form to secure enrolment and to assist with planning. Enrolment offers will be sent to families following our Prep 2025 interviews in mid May.

House Sports Day

Many thanks to all the parents who assisted with the BBQ on House Spo Day in the last week of term. We had more than a dozen volunteers who contributed to the success of the day.

A special thanks also to Luke, father of Billie and Frankie, for bringing along the police car for the students to explore. A great afternoon all round!

School Closure Dates - Term 2

The following dates will be school closure days in Term 2:

Thursday 25th April (ANZAC Day)

Friday 26th April (time in lieu day for staff - EBA)

Monday 6th May (Assessment & Reporting Staff Professional Learning Day)

Monday 10th June (King's Birthday Holiday)

Emergency Contact Details - IMPORTANT - SIMON / PAM

As communicated last week, the next important step for all parents is to provide up to date Emergency Contact details via the SIMON Everywhere APP.

Could ALL parents please do the following:

Access the SIMON Everywhere App on your device
Select the `HOME’ icon
Select a child (if you have more than one child)
Under the profile menu, select the `Medical Profile’ drop down option
Select `Edit Details’
Under `Medical Contacts’ select `add contact’
Under `Contact Type’ select `Emergency’
Add the contact details of all Emergency Contacts (other than parents)
Please update any other relevant medical details at any time

These emergency contact details (other than parents) are extremely important as they will be used in the event that we cannot get in contact with a parent.

If you need to update additional details such as home address, email address or phone number, please provide this information via the following link. This information will be updated by our school admin staff. This form is available in PAM. SIMON / PAM update details

Have a great week!

Warm Regards,

Adrian Scutt

Principal

Time to eXcel

Walk to School Day