Dear Families,

As we reach the end of Term 1, we would like to sincerely thank our entire school community for such a positive and successful start to the year. It has been wonderful to see our students flourish this term, particularly our Prep students, who have completed their very first term of primary school, and our Year 6 students, who have embraced their leadership roles with enthusiasm and responsibility.

This term has been filled with many wonderful achievements and experiences, including the Year 4 and 5 camp, our Year 3 and 5 students completing NAPLAN, the whole school Cross Country and our Dendy swimming program. We would like to congratulate our students on a wonderful term and we would like to thank our families for their support. We would also like to extend an extra special thanks to our dedicated staff for the important role they play in making Galilee a place where students thrive.

As we enter the Easter season, may this time of hope, renewal and reflection inspire us all to continue supporting one another and nurturing the strong sense of community that makes Galilee so special.

Loving God,

We give thanks for the gift of the Easter Season and for the joy and hope it brings to our school community.

Guide us to share kindness, joy, and the promise of new beginnings with all whom we encounter, as the Easter message teaches us.

Inspire us to follow Jesus’ example of compassion, forgiveness, and peace throughout this Easter season.

Amen

Holy Week & Stations of the Cross

On Monday, we marked Holy Week, a sacred and significant time in the life of the Church, with a whole-school Stations of the Cross Assembly. Each class reverently presented a different station, and together we journeyed through the final moments of Jesus’ life. This powerful experience helped deepen our understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice and the meaning of Easter.

As a school community, students engaged thoughtfully and respectfully, bringing each station to life through drama. It was wonderful to see the care and reverence shown by all involved, as well as the way students supported one another in sharing this important story.

As we continue through Holy Week and look towards Easter, we are reminded of the message of hope, renewal and new life that Easter brings. It is a time to reflect on compassion, forgiveness and love, and to carry these values into our daily lives.

Cross Country

Yesterday we held our annual Cross Country at J.L. Murphy Reserve. It was fantastic to see all students proudly wearing their house colours and challenging themselves to complete the long-distance course.

There were some outstanding results on the day, and it was especially pleasing to witness so many students giving their very best effort while encouraging and cheering on their classmates. The strong sense of participation, perseverance and team spirit was evident throughout the event.

Thank you to Charlotte Drake for organising and running the event. Thank you to classroom teachers, learning support officers and parent volunteers for making the day possible and ensuring that everything ran smoothly.

Practice Emergency Evacuation Drill

Last week, we held our first practice emergency evacuation drill for the year. It is important that we take time each term to practise emergency procedures so that we are well prepared in the unlikely event that an evacuation is required.

We would like to congratulate all students and staff on their excellent response. All classes reached the assembly point in under five minutes, following directions calmly, quietly, and efficiently.

Next term, we will conduct another practice drill towards the end of Term 2, focusing on a different emergency scenario. Further information will be shared closer to the date.

Playground update with more to come…

The playground updates have been buzzing with happy faces and busy hands as the students eagerly explore the new additions and make the most of every break. Anticipation is building for the cubby houses and mud kitchen on the way, two additions we know will inspire endless adventures.

2026 School Fundraising

What an egg‑cellent effort from our school community! Thank you for donating so generously to our Easter raffle, snapping up raffle tickets, and enjoying plenty of hot cross buns. Together, you’ve helped raise an impressive $2,300 for our 2026 fundraising goal: the Maguire Hall Flexible Learning Studio. We’re so grateful for your continued support.

A very big thank you to our Year 1 teachers and parent/carer volunteers for organising, packing and distributing the hot cross buns, and to our Year 5 teachers and parent/carer volunteers for sorting and wrapping our Easter raffle prizes. Your time, energy and support mean so much to us and make fundraising activities like these possible.

With funds raised this year we are hoping to give Maguire Hall a much needed facelift. We are hoping to turn Maguire Hall into the Maguire Hall Flexible Learning Studio where our students and wider community will be able to access the Hall for a range of activities from Family Faith Nights, year level incursions/presentations, year level assemblies, dance rehearsals, early years playgroup program… the sky’s the limit!

Student Leadership

Our student leadership teams have made a strong start to the year, already showing initiative, responsibility and a genuine commitment to improving our school community. Our Social Justice Leaders have begun their work with Mr Page, exploring ways they can support others and contribute to a more caring and inclusive school. Meanwhile, our SRC Leaders met with Mr Booth to share ideas for both quick wins and longer‑term improvements at Galilee. Their early plans include increasing student use of the library while promoting care for the shared spaces and developing a more organised approach to lost property.

Our Year 6 Leaders have also been highly visible around the school. They have been training as peer mentors and are already supporting younger students in the morning and during play times. Harmony Day provided a wonderful opportunity for them to further develop their leadership skills as they planned, prepared and presented lessons celebrating cultures from around the world. Running school tours has also allowed them to grow in confidence as they represent Galilee to visitors and share what makes our school such a welcoming and vibrant community.

While we are proud of the work of our formal leadership teams, we also recognise that every student at Galilee is a leader. Leadership is shown not only through roles and badges, but through everyday actions like kindness, responsibility, teamwork and the way students care for one another.

Staffing update

We would like to share with our school community that our wonderful Art teacher, Mrs Linda Florenca Grillo has been on leave following a cancer diagnosis in Term 4 last year. Since that time, Linda has been undergoing treatment and focusing on her recovery.

Linda is very much missed by both staff and students. She has shared how much she misses being at school, teaching Art, and connecting with the Galilee community.

At this stage, Linda is hopeful that she will be well enough to return to Galilee in Term 3, and we look forward to welcoming her back when she is ready. Miss Niamh McCage will continue teaching Art in Term 2 while Linda focuses on her recovery.

We ask that you keep Linda in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Today marks the final day for Ben Sutton, a wonderful Learning Support Officer who has been with us for the past six months. Ben has supported many of our students and staff and has been a valued member of our school community.

As Ben returns home to England, we thank him for the outstanding contribution he has made to our school and wish him every success in his next adventure.

Improving the Teaching and Learning of Reading at Galilee

This term at Galilee, we have focused on implementing a more structured and consistent approach to the teaching of reading. Each reading lesson now follows a clear and predictable routine to support student learning and maximise engagement.Lessons begin with a brief review of previously taught content, followed by an explicit teaching focus where the teacher introduces, explains, models and guides new learning. Students are then given opportunities to apply this learning through targeted reading tasks, either independently or in small, teacher-led guided practice groups.

Reading instruction at Galilee is underpinned by the Five Pillars of Reading, ensuring a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to literacy development. In Term 2, teachers will engage in professional learning modules developed by Australian Catholic University to further strengthen their knowledge and understanding of each of the Five Pillars. This ongoing learning will support teachers to meet students at their point of need and ensure every student is supported to thrive in their reading journey.

Positive Behaviour Learning at Galilee

Our first term on our PBL journey has been incredibly rewarding. Over the past weeks, we have focused on introducing and revisiting school‑wide expectations each fortnight. Students, families and staff have worked together to shape our school values, ensuring they reflect who we are and who we aspire to be. This collaborative effort has also supported the development of our draft behaviour matrix, which will guide consistent, positive expectations across all learning environments. We look forward to sharing our values and draft matrix in Term 2 with our community.

Inquiry Term 1: Stories of Country

This term, all students engaged with the unit of Inquiry, Stories of Country, learning that:

‘Stories, languages and traditions connect First Peoples to Country and shape the identity of their communities.’

It has been wonderful to see and hear the engagement in this unit. Each year level approached it slightly differently, developing growth in our students’ understanding of Australian indigenous peoples and cultures, to help foster their respect and appreciation for indigenous Australians and all people from diverse backgrounds.

eSmart Week!

This week is National eSmart week. In recent weeks, our students engaged with Inform and Empower Cyber Safety and Digital Wellbeing webinars, appropriate for their age range. During eSmart Week, we wanted to reach out to families to let you know about the recognised information providers out there so that you too can be informed and empowered.

eSmart Week is presented by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.

The eSafety Commissioner has helpful pages related to gaming, watching, controls families can put in place and the recent age restrictions placed on social media. This is a valuable resource that can help parents navigate conversations with their children.

Inform and Empower is our partner when working with students using age appropriate language and discussing the digital space.

School Uniform

Next term we will slowly transition into our winter uniform. In the first two weeks of Term 2 students will be able to wear either the full winter uniform or the full summer uniform. From Monday 4th May all students will need to wear full winter uniform. Please note, hats are not required in Term 2 and if you are replacing school shoes over the holidays please make sure they are black leather shoes without branding.

Please see our uniform policy: Galilee Uniform Policy

Looking ahead to Term 2

We are very excited about what we have coming up in Term 2.

We have Year 6 Camp, Year 5&6 Interschool and Community Sport, Year 4 Sacrament of First Eucharist, Mothers Day, Grandparents Day, the School Disco, Luna Park Fundraiser, a closure day on Tuesday … of June where staff will work with MacKilliop… our Year 4-6 students will participate in the Calm Youth program based on Leadership in Sports Program and there is so much more!

Thank you for the part that you played in making Term 1 a very successful start to the 2026 school year. We hope you all have a wonderful Easter and a fabulous school holiday. We look forward to seeing you all back at school on Monday 20th April for the start of Term 2.

Term 2 Week 1

*students can wear either full winter uniform or full summer uniform this week

Monday 20th April

-All students and staff return for Term 2

-Running Club at 8am (all welcome)

Tuesday 21st April

Wednesday 22nd April

Thursday 23rd April

Friday 24th April

-Running Club at 8am (all welcome)

-8.55am Assembly (ANZAC Day Focus)

-Year 5&6 Interschool and Community Sport

Term 2 Week 2

*students can wear either full winter uniform or full summer uniform this week

Monday 20th April

-Running Club at 8am (all welcome)

Tuesday 21st April

-Year 4 First Eucharist Family Faith Night at 6pm

Wednesday 22nd April

-Calm Youth Leadership in Sport Program for Year 5&6

Thursday 23rd April

-Dendy Cross Country for select students

Friday 24th April

-Running Club at 8am (all welcome)

-Year 5&6 Interschool and Community Sport

We hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter and two week holiday. We look forward to seeing you all back at school on Monday 20th April, 2026.

We wish you every blessing in the coming weeks.

—Amy Burns (Principal), Holly Evans and Richard Harding (Deputy Principals)

GOSH