Dear Families,

Working Together in Mission

The MACS (Melbourne Archdioscese Catholic Schools) Working Together in Mission charter, 2021, outlines the roles and responsibilities of all involved in Catholic education have been brought together in a single statement. It can be found at www.macs.vic.edu.au/Our-Schools/Working-Together-in-Mission.aspx

"It is especially when gathered at the altar of the Eucharist that Christ’s Church is made visible and unity is expressed. School and parish therefore jointly strive for an animated sense of community, above all in the shared celebration of the Sunday Mass.

The various forms of prayer and ritual celebrated in the school serve to familiarise students and their families with communal parish worship, with the parish priest leading the school community in liturgy, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist along with Reconciliation.

Key responsibilities:

• The sacramental and liturgical life of the Church is a distinctive and central aspect of Catholic life and practice, shared by everyone, and in which all leaders have a responsibility to uphold and invest their time and energy.

• Priests and principals work together to ensure that sacramental and liturgical opportunities are provided for the students of that school and their families.

• Parish priests, canonical administrators and principals will encourage students and their families to attend Sunday Mass by invitation and be involved in the wider life of the parish or association of parishes."

Father John Dowling is our spiritual guide and mentor in the parish, which includes the school community. Father and I work together to ensure that the Sacred Scriptures, the sacraments, liturgy and prayer, doctrinal teaching, and the witness of the saints and the Christian community are given a significant profile for students and parents enrolled in the school. Father John and I meet weekly in a collaborative relationship and meet with the School Advisory Council throughout the year. Mass times are advertised weekly in the St Leonard's Parish page of this newsletter and Father John welcomes your attendance. After the 10am mass families are welcome to join parishioners in The Yarn (room across the driveway for the church) for tea/coffee and morning tea to form connections within the community.

We warmly welcome our new Year 2 student, Betsy, and her family, to our school. Betsy is in 1/2 C. Here, Besty is pictured on the right with her new friend, Charmaine.

Parents' & Friends' Association (PFA) Annual General Meeting

Thank you PFA Executive

The 2024 PFA worked tirelessly and are the driving force behind many of the achievements of the school. As principal, forming good relationships with members of the PFA Executive provided me with support and guidance and we worked together to achieve our work. I know that the incoming executive and PFA will support Angela Foale in her role as Acting Principal and will support the new Principal when they are appointed.

I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to all members of the PFA and particularly the executive members, Christina Paone, Erica Madgin, Melanie Harper and Stephanie Lombardi.

I would like to particularly thank our PFA President, Christina for her positive leadership and for her efforts to consult with the community and to gain consensus, where possible. As a fellow educator, Christina knows the working of schools and the importance of the relationships with the Parish Priest, school staff and wider community. I thank Christina for sharing your passion for sustainability and the environment through introducing the Container Deposit Scheme and for having a vision of inclusion and increased parent participation. Nothing was ever impossible because of Christina's tireless work in putting the children first and making their experience of school fun and engaging. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Christina, and a gift of appreciation will be presented at the Welcome BBQ.

On behalf of the students, families and staff, I thank the PFA for organising the many events that keep our community feeling connected to the St Leonard's family. The innovations in 2024 being the Grandparents & Special Friends' Day morning tea, the Halloweeen Disco and the BBQ at the Twilight Sports. We also thank you for funding:

Ongoing contribution to Year 6 Graduation
Ongoing support paying for transport to and from inter school sporting event finals eg. tennis
Oval Maintenance (paid for by Zooper Dooper sales)
Contribution to interactive screen in Performing Arts
Netball rings
Soccer goals

I welcome the 2025 PFA Executive, Class Representatives and General Members.

President- Melanie Harper & Vice President- Erica Madgin

Treasurer- Iggy Pok

Secretary- Stephanie Lombardi & Vice Secretary- Christina Paone

Communications Officers- Helen Paone & Lina Dell’Aquila

Please read the PFA page of this newsletter for more information.

Class Contact Lists

Ihave been explaining to our students the importance of feeling that they belong to their class and school families. Class contact lists are an invaluable resource for school families to enable children and parents to network with each other. The lists include the children’s first names only, their parents/guardians’ names and their contact number.

In accepting the St Leonard’s Privacy Statement, school families have given permission for their contact numbers to be included in the class contact lists. If parents DO NOT wish their telephone number to be included, they must contact the school office before Thursday, 20th February. After this date we will send a copy of your child/ren’s class lists home.

The PFA Class Reps are keen to start communicating with each grade using WhatsApp.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE CONTACT DETAILS PROVIDED TO THE SCHOOL ARE ACCURATE.

6 Ways to Build Community in February & March

Commissioning Mass and Open School 10am Sunday 23rd Feb (school open afterwards)
Open Day Tours for Prep 2026 Wednesday 26th Feb
KidsROAR parent zoom meeting on 26 Feb at 7:30pm
Welcome BBQ Friday 28th Feb (Information & RSVP in today's newsletter)
Year 3 Reconciliation Workshop 5:30-7pm Tuesday 4th March
Ash Wednesday Mass 9:15am Wednesday 5th March

As advised previously, all students will have their class photos taken on Thursday, 20th February. All order should be made online as no cash orders will be accepted. Please note that orders close 2nd March.

Order online at www.advancedlife.com.au

Online Code: 6CC 9CZ KYM

All students are expected to be in correct summer school uniform on this day. Hair ties and clips must be in matching school colours.

Prep 2026 Enrolments Play With Clay

It was lovely to see the 4 year olds involved in Play With Clay with Mrs Atyimas on Monday.

Our upcoming Prep Experiences are:

Storytime with the Principal - 24th March
Performing with Puppets with Cathy Ellis - 1st May

Commissioning Mass 23rd February

On Sunday 23rd of February at 10am we will be having our Commissioning Mass. We invite all families to attend. In addition to staff, students and parents being commissioned, badges will be presented to our School Captains, House Captains and Liturgy Captains. Our school will be open after mass and it has been a tradition for families to visit the school after mass and let their children proudly show them around the school. If you would like to come and bring a small plate of food to share with others, please feel very welcome.If you have any friends, neighbours or family wishing to enrol their child at St Leonard's in future years, they are most welcome to attend, too.

ROAR Parent & Carer Education Session

St Leonard's introduced ROAR 2 years ago as part of our commitment and obligation to ensure that all student feel safe and have the knowledge to talk to someone if somenthing is not right, no matter what it is. These are life-long skills and attitudes necessary for all students, parents and educators. I highly recommend that every parent and carer attend this zoom meeting on 26 Feb at 7:30pm. By attending the meeting parents will be able to understand and reinforce what the students will hear in their sessions at school, leading to more open channels of communication.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83792175580?pwd=QWla4d8m7ej0bXVn75belFxdPGuL9m.1

Meeting ID: 837 9217 5580

Passcode: 832662

School Advisory Council Welcome BBQ

Our welcome BBQ is on Friday 28th February at 6pm on our school oval. It's a great chance to meet the community. It will aslo be my last official event as the Principal of St Leonard's, so it would be lovely to see you there. It is essential to RSVP so that we know how many hundreds of people to cater for.

1. At 7pm all students from St Leonard's in attendance will be invited to sing our theme song ''Shine" to our community.

2. We are blessed to have a very rich, multicultural community and I'm excited to announce that The Melindo Dancers will perform a traditional Indonesian dance and then teach the students some dance movements.

3. Highvale Netball Club will run a Prep- Year 2, 30 minute clinic at 6:30-6:55pm and then a Year 3-6 minute clinic from 7:30-7:55pm.

Members of the SAC will be phoning all Prep and new families to the school to invite you to come and to check in with you

The basketball court will be closed to parking, so please find a parking spot further away and walk to school.

Please complete the following form by Friday 21st February to confirm your attendance.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSceWozSwSsjfxbFrDPCRU90K5bCqAHJglyl-VkJZd4bsoL5ng/viewform?usp=sharing

Year 6 Bomber Jackets

At yesterday's assembly we presented the Year 6 Bomber Jackets and I expressed the following words...

2025 Year 6s, I am delighted to present you with your final year school bomber jacket. Wear it with pride, as it signifies your special place in our St Leonard’s community. I look forward to seeing each of you wearing it proudly around our school.

This bomber jacket visibly sets you apart, marking you as one of our 38 Year 6 leaders. It's a symbol of your senior status and carries a clear identity. I believe this jacket sets a standard. By choosing to wear it, you are choosing to set a standard for others to follow.

I have been reflecting on what it means to receive your Grade 6 bomber jacket. In accepting it, you're also accepting the high standards we expect of our Year 6 students at St Leonard’s.

We are an inclusive Catholic community. We welcome all, regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity, or the unique gifts and talents each student brings. If, as a Year 6 student wearing your senior jacket, you witness behavior that contradicts our inclusive values, you have a responsibility to act. And when that time comes, we, the staff, are here to support you.

If you choose not to act, then “the standard you walk past is the standard you accept.” Think about the message that sends to others, to that individual, and ultimately, to yourselves. But by choosing not to walk past, you empower others. You send a powerful message of support, letting those affected know they are not alone. This is a crucial part of your role as a Year 6 student, and it's a skill that will serve you well as you transition to your various high schools at the end of the year.

Imagine the positive impact on our entire school if you all choose not to “walk past,” but instead choose to stand up, shine brightly, and truly of odemonstrate what St Leonard’s is all about.

I congratulate you on reaching your final year of primary school. On behalf of the teachers and parents, I wish you all a successful and fulfilling year ahead. Good luck.

Care For Kids Leader

Hello everybody!

This year I am continuing my role as the Caring for Kids Leader at our school. You can find me working from the Wellbeing Center on Fridays 10am-3:30pm.

Through this role I support individuals and small groups of students to build their social skills, self-esteem and confidence. I also engage with families navigating experiences of grief, changes in living circumstances etc. where additional support for our students may be required.

Students may easily find me on the yard at recess and lunchtime on Fridays - I wear a bright pink vest and am supervising and supporting students in addition to the teacher on yard duty.

If you have a concern about your child's wellbeing it's a great idea to first talk to their classroom teacher however you are more than welcome to contact me directly via email

tricia-rose.robinson@leonardsgwav.catholic.edu.au

How can you help?

I'd really appreciate it if one or two volunteers could make playdough for me to share with students. It's one of the most popular de-stressing and engaging activities we enjoy together! If you'd like to make a small batch for us to use, please put it in a zip-lock back and leave it at the office for me to collect next Friday.

Thank-you so much for your support

Tricia-Rose Robinson

The Year 3-6 Lifesaving excursion is on Weddnesday and therefore the planned assembly has been cancelled.

Have a great week ahead

Rob Horwood

Principal

OSHC