Principal's Message
Dear Families,
What a wonderful start to the year for our Prep children! I cannot believe how well settled they have been this week, it’s almost like they’ve been here for a whole term! This is a real testament to you, their parents, in the amazing way you have prepared them for the start of school, so thank you! Welcome Hooper Sann, Daniel Yau, and Liam Moradmand!
As well as our new prep children and families, we welcome the following children in Year levels one to six: Rylan Miller (Yr1), Hunter Li (Yr1), Sarah Pemberton (Yr6)
We wish them and their families an enjoyable, faith-filled, community experience at Holy Saviour.
Shrove Tuesday and Pancakes at Holy Saviour
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. The name Shrove comes from the old middle English word 'Shriven' meaning to go to confession to say sorry for the wrong things you've done. Lent always starts on a Wednesday, so people went to confessions on the day before. This became known as Shriven Tuesday and then Shrove Tuesday.
The other name for this day, Pancake Day, comes from the old English custom of using up all the fattening ingredients in the house before Lent, so that people were ready to fast during Lent. The fattening ingredients that most people had in their houses in those days were eggs and milk. A very simple recipe to use up these ingredients was to combine them with some flour and make pancakes!
Traditionally at Holy Saviour, individual classes have prepared and cooked pancakes as part of our Shrove Tuesday celebrations at varying times during the day. This year, we will be cooking all the pancakes at 1:00pm for the children to come and share together as part of their lunch.
Parent/Teacher “Getting to Know You” Chats
Parent/Teacher “Getting to Know You” Chats are scheduled for Tuesday 13th February, 2.30pm - 6.00pm. This is an opportunity for you as parents to meet with your child's classroom teacher(s) and share highlights and concerns regarding your child's learning. Teachers are keen to share your insights into how your child best learns, their strengths and challenges, their likes and dislikes. Interviews will be 10 minutes in duration and conducted onsite. If you would prefer to meet with your child's teacher remotely, then please contact them directly to arrange a zoom meeting time. Dismissal on this day will be at normal time.
Bookings are now open. Please follow the instructions below.
- Step 1: Go to schoolinterviews.com.au
- Step 2: Click/ Tap on "Make a Booking"
- Step 3: Enter the code hvm4v
- Step 4: Follow the directions on the booking form
If you are unable to make it on Tuesday 13th February, please contact your child’s teacher to arrange an alternate time.
Beginning of Year Family Mass
On Sunday 11th February, we invite all families to attend the 10am mass in the Church to begin our new school year. We will commission all the staff, introduce the School & House Captains, and welcome everyone back. The mass will be followed by a BBQ organised by the Parish Pastoral Council. This year, the Parish of Holy Saviour celebrates its 50th Anniversary and this mass will be one of many events throughout the year that we would like to share together as one Holy Saviour Community, it would be wonderful to see all families in attendance.
School Sports and Family Picnic
Our School Sports are going to look a little different this year. They are going to be held on Friday 22nd March, beginning at 4pm with some traditional flat races (varying distances) and relays followed by Kaboom Sports from 5-6:30 pm which is a wonderful active fun social event. This event will be celebrated with the students and families of St Timothy’s, and held on the St Timothy’s school site. We ask that families bring along a picnic to enjoy a very special evening together. We are still co-ordinating/ finalising plans so final times will be confirmed in the next few weeks.
Year 5/6 Camp
As part of Holy Saviour’s Outdoor Education Program, students in Year 5 and Year 6 attend a residential camp. This year the venue for our camp is Stringybark Lodge Camp, Gembrook, it is a three-day, two-night experience. Students will be attending camp on the following dates: Wednesday 6th to Friday 8 March 2024. This year we will be attending camp with the Year 5 students from St Timothy's Primary School, Vermont. Permission slips were sent out via Operoo earlier this week. Please make sure these are completed by Tuesday 13th February.
Student Leadership
At assembly this week, we presented our School and House Captains for 2024 to the student body. I am pleased to inform the community that Captains for 2024 are:
School Captains: Bethany De Silva and Tom Greene
Blue House (Biggs): Thomas Eddington
Red House (Hodgens): Alex Sujansky
Green House (Orchard): Daniel Inguanti
Yellow House (More): Theresa Pynadath
We congratulate all these children and look forward to an exciting year in 2024 with them as our student leaders.
Level Information Newsletters
Each Level (JLC, MLC & SLC) will be sending home electronically a Level Newsletter next Friday. It contains important information for the term. Please take the time to read and note.
2024 Sacramental Program
All the dates for the 2024 Parish Sacramental Program have been set. Please add the following dates to your diaries if you are wanting your child to receive either of these sacraments. All sacraments will be celebrated at St Christopher’s in 2024.
First Reconciliation
Presentation of Candidates: Sunday 3rd March, 10.30am
Family Evening: Thurs 7th March, 7.00pm
Reflection Day: Wed 13th March, 9.00am-3.00pm
Sacrament of Reconciliation: Wed 20th March, 7pm
First Eucharist
Presentation of Candidates: Sunday 5th May, 10.30am
Family Evening: Thurs 23rd May, 7.00pm
Reflection Day: Wed 29th May, 9.00am-3.00pm
Sacrament of First Eucharist: Sunday 2nd June, 2.00pm
Sacrament of Confirmation – Celebrated again in 2025
Catholic Secondary School Enrolment Applications
Key Enrolment Dates for Year 5 Students in 2024 starting Year 7 in 2026
The key enrolment dates for students in Year 5 in 2024 who will be starting Year 7 in 2026 have been agreed after consultation with the Executive of the Principals Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (PAVCSS).
The timeline of events and dates are as follows:
Monday 29th January 2024 – Applications open for students commencing Year 7 in 2026.
Friday 16th August 2024 – Applications will close.
Friday 18th October 2024 – Offers will be posted to prospective Year 7 applicants.
Friday 8th November 2024 – Final date for parents/carers to accept an offer made by a school.
Parents of Year 5 students in 2024, please diarise these dates so you don’t miss out.
Open Days
At Holy Saviour, every day is Open Day and we welcome all new families, friends and neighbours to come along and visit the school at any time this year. We ask you to please let your friends and neighbours know about our school, the best advertising for our school is YOU! Feel free to pick up a few fliers in our office to give to neighbours with young children, Catholic or not, they are welcome to visit, or email office@hsvs.catholic.edu.au and we will send some home to you. We are looking for walkers too who would be happy to take fliers out to our community. We distribute to ALL kinders and childcare centres but it’s always good that they go into letterboxes as well.
Enrolments open for 2025
Yes, we are already taking enrolments for next year! If you have a younger child who turns 5 before 30 April 2025, please come and see Sherridan or Kerry in the office for an enrolment form. Also, if you know of anyone else in the community with a child the same age, pass on our contact details– we would love to give them a tour of our fabulous school! At Holy Saviour, every other day is Open Day!
Final Thoughts - Press the Rewind Button
When watching our favourite movie or TV show, or we have missed a highlight, we often rewind to view it a second time. And, very often, when we rewind we see it in a different light.
So, when our day comes to an end, we can spend forty seconds rewinding it to pick out a highlight. It’s amazing, if you spend 40 seconds, how much you can remember. Each day there is a gift for you and it is only upon rewinding the day that we can spot the gift of a smile, a compliment, an encouraging word or being helped by someone.
When we do rewind our day, and get in the habit of it, we have the value of that analysing gift of hindsight, and perhaps we might say, “Well, I won’t do that again.”
Jesus is in each day, but we need to press the rewind button to see him acting through people, scenery or events in our lives. At the end of each day, try to find the gift in your life. Use 40 seconds on the rewind button, and look for God Moments in your life. There are 86, 400 seconds in a day, we are conscious for at least 43, 200 of these! It is certainly a good use of 40 seconds to reflect on your day. We get twice the benefits of our day by replaying it!
A day is wasted when you don’t reflect on it.
Kind regards,
Steve Evans
Principal
