Principal's Report

Dear Parents,

Here we are at the end of Term 1, and I think everyone is looking forward to a well-earned rest. It has been a busy term...Year 6 camp,  Harmony Day and District swimming, just to name a few events.  

We concluded our term with our annual Colour Run. The Colour Run is such a happy event, and I love seeing the big smiles on the kids' faces as they run their laps. It also makes for a very photogenic event, especially when the weather cooperates, as you can see from the photos below. A massive thank you to the Prep reps who coordinated this event, and all the parents who helped out on the day.

VACPSP Conference

It was great to enjoy the collegiality of approximately 300 fellow Catholic principals last week at the biennial VACPSP Conference in Lorne.

A personal highlight for me was hearing from keynote speakers Peter Merrett and Gilbert Enoka, who spoke about building strong teams and the strategies that support performance and wellbeing. It was also a valuable opportunity to spend time together with colleagues, strengthening connections and sharing experiences.

Farewell to Nicholas  

We are sorry to be farewelling one of our Year 3 students this week. Nicholas M and his family are relocating to another part of Melbourne.  We've loved having Nicholas and his community as part of our community, and they will be missed around St Finbar's. Good luck at your new school Nicholas. 

Baby Congratulations 

Congratulations to the Willersdorf family on the birth of their son/brother Jasper Roland.  Jasper was born on Tuesday the 10th of March. Mila and Luna have been great big sisters so far. He will be attending drop-offs and pick-ups as of next term!

Parent Teacher Interviews

It was great to see so many parents take up the opportunity to meet with the teachers this week. End of Term 1 is a great time for these meetings; teachers have had the chance to get to know the students better and have been offered the opportunity for more meaningful conversations about each student's strengths and areas of development. 

Winter Uniform

We will be transitioning to Winter Uniform in Term 2. The holidays might be a good time to get organised and put in an order for any new winter uniform items that you might need since last year. As per previous years, we will allow a two-week period at the beginning of the term for students to transition from summer uniform to winter uniform. Just a reminder that we have navy socks and completely black shoes on school uniform days, and white socks and runners on sports days. 

Library

We are so fortunate to have such a well-resourced library here at St Finbar's, and many students look forward to their weekly visits. Narelle has a wealth of knowledge of children's literature, and I'm constantly amazed at how well she knows each student's reading preferences and can make personal recommendations. 

P & F Working Bee

A huge thank you in advance to our Parents and Friends Association who have planned a Working Bee on Sunday 19th April at 2pm.  Please see the P & F page of this newsletter for more information and a link to how you can sign up to help out on the day. 

Take care and God bless,

Michelle Hill

Principal