From the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers
A warm welcome back to the school year for 2025. I hope the time over summer break has been restful and relaxing for you and your family.
Our St Simon’s staff gathered recently to reflect on our impact and role ahead the school year and this prayer reminded us of this. The prayer also highlights the role of family, parents and parish community has in forming the lives of our students and young people.
As we come together as a learning community centred around our catholic faith, I invite you to pray the prayer below as part of your family prayer time.
Loving God, We give thanks for the gift of education and the opportunity to learn and grow in the light of your wisdom.
May all staff of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne recognise that students are created in your image, each uniquely fashioned by your divine hands.
Grant our families, school staff, parishes and students the strength to face challenges with courage, the perseverance to overcome obstacles and the humility to recognise that true wisdom comes from you.
May our minds be open to truth, our hearts full of mercy and our actions reflective of the love taught by Jesus Christ.
Lord, as our school embarks on this academic year, let students flourish not only as learners, but as whole and compassionate individuals. May the seeds of knowledge planted in their hearts, bear fruits of virtue, wisdom and understanding.
We offer this prayer through Christ our Lord, who is the way, the truth and the life.
Amen.
Returning to School - Back into the Routine
The school is well underway, with teachers welcoming students back into the classrooms last week ready for an exciting and engaging year of learning.
Thank you for connecting with our classroom teachers through the “Meet and Greet” sessions before the students’ return.
These sessions are an essential part of teachers getting to know students through the insights that parents and carers have to share. Alongside the teacher transition meetings (from last year), the information shared at these appointments creates an environment that sets the scene for a positive start to the year.
Welcome to our Prep Students
Last Friday, we welcomed our new prep students and their families to St Simon’s. It's great to see all the work of Prep transition pay off when our students come to school ready to learn. Some nerves and a little bit of anxiety from students settling in are perfectly normal, and for the most part, our preps look very comfortable as they walk through the gates in the morning. Check out our school's social channels for pictures of all the actions of the first day of prep and the Snapshot of Learning - Prep section of the newsletter
On behalf of the parish and school we invite all our prep families to join us for Mass on Sunday 23rd February at 11:00am. There will be a welcome sausage sizzle after Mass hosted by the parish.
At this mass, all staff from St Simon’s will be attending as part of the school staff's annual commissioning for the year ahead.
All school families are invited and encouraged to attend.
Whole School Mass Friday 14th February 9:15 am - Beginning of the Year Celebration
All families are invited to join the staff and students on Friday 14th February to celebrate the Eucharist at 9:15 am in the Church.
After Mass, our Year Six student Action Leaders for 2025 will be presented with their leadership badges.
Exciting News - New Prep Playground
Works will begin over the next two weeks to install a new playground for our prep students. Thanks to the fantastic fundraising effort from the St. Simon’s Parents’ Association over the last two years, we have ordered this tremendous playground that will be a source of fun, excitement and learning for St. Simon’s students now and into the future.
Whilst this playground is specifically for prep students, we will work out ways through the school year for our year one students to use the equipment from time to time.
Below are some 3D model images of the playground design to understand what it will look like. During the installation time, temporary fencing will be erected around the work site to ensure students' safety.
Please be mindful of this at the beginning and end of day, coming and going from the school grounds.
Term 1 Year Level Newsletters
The termly year-level newsletter is an essential source of information about what is happening in your child\ren’s classroom for the upcoming school Term. This will be sent out this Friday and contains key dates and events that are applicable for your child, curriculum overviews in key learning areas, and contact details for your classroom teachers. Please take some time to digest this information.
School Assemblies in 2025
Term 1 assemblies will be held on Monday afternoons, on a fortnightly basis. Our first assembly will commence on Monday 10th February starting at 2:20pm with families invited to join us. Please note the following dates for assembly for the remainder of the Term.
24th February, 17th March and 31st of March
Save the Date: Upcoming dates
Please take some time to read the “Dates to Remember” Section of the newsletter.
Inform and Empower Parent webinar Raising Kids in Digital age - IMPORTANT
St Simon’s Socials
Check-in with Facebook and Instagram channels to see some of the latest activities within our St Simon’s community.