Community Engagement

Year 3 and Year 4 Working Bee

A very big thank you to all the families from Year 3 and Year 4 who attended the Working Bee on Sunday 23 February.  Despite the heat and wind, it was a great morning.  I am always amazed with how much is achieved.  We are very grateful to all of the families who were able to attend. It’s a great community building opportunity. I think the students enjoy catching up with each just as much as the parents.  It was great timing just before our Open evening on Tuesday night.  

The sand from the sandpit was shovelled back into the sandpit, the bubbler sinks were cleaned, all of the garden beds were mulched, the Outdoor Classroom was tidied and the veggie gardens too.  The Prep staircase which collects lots of sand, was swept.  The front entrance looks incredible. And there were lots of leaves collected.  As always the blow vacuums were working hard against the wind. Thanks again to everyone who came along. 

Huge thanks to James Bawden & Will Cheang for their fabulous coordination of the working bee. 

Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations  

Last Tuesday night we held our first Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations for the year. The hall was a buzz with conversation as teachers and parents exchanged information. This is an important opportunity for our parents and teachers to continue to build the strong partnerships between home and school. We greatly value parent input as this supports staff to provide the best learning environments for all students. 

Open Evening  School Tours 

Our leaders enjoyed some extra coaching before the Open evening on Tuesday night after the Learning Conversations. Thank you Rasad,  your tips were very much appreciated!  It is an honour to tour prospective families around our beautiful school with our School Captains Ethan and Kora and Vice School Captains Will and Grace. The leaders were really excited to be back at school at 7.00pm last week.  With our focus on Wellbeing where each student is known by all staff and our academic achievements, the prospective families walked away impressed. Angie Mastoras shared that St Roch's is in the top 7% of the state across all primary and secondary schools.  This is the result of many years of building the structures and processes to ensure that all students are challenged and engaged in the classroom and in intervention and extension opportunities all the way from Prep to Year 6.  Thanks to our leaders who led the tours so confidently. Please feel free to join any tour and hear our Year 6 students share what they love about St Roch's! We

Future Open Day Tours 

Wednesday 19 March 9.15am

Wednesday 30 April12pm

Friday, 23 May 2025 9.15am

Debating & Public Speaking Workshop at Salesian College 

Our Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed a great day developing their debating and public speaking skills at Salesian College Chadstone. Salesian College partnered with Life through Speech to facilitate this experience for primary school students in Year 5 and 6. 

The workshop complemented our Speaking and Listening program within the English Curriculum, supporting our students to participate in formal and informal debates throughout the year and during the Debating Program. 

Here's a summary of the day from Elliana, Will and Lachie. 

On February 19th the Year 5/6s went by bus to Salesian College, for a workshop on debating and public speaking. We went to the Jennings Room where we stayed for the day. We were given booklets to fill out over the day. 

At the start of the day, the Salesian College boys presented a debate to teach us and give us tips about debating. We were paired up in groups with the St Michael's Ashburton students, who we worked together with over the day on our worksheets. The topic was ‘homework should be banned’! 

Throughout the day, we also worked on paragraphs for each of our speeches so that we could perform in front of everyone at the end of the session. At the end of the day we had a big debate. We all learnt a lot and had a great experience. 

Elliana Cetrola, Will Bawden and Lachie Dodd 

(Year 5/6 students)

We are are very excited to be collaborating with our local kindergartens and Child Care Centre's. We are planning shared experiences across both settings with our Year 6 leaders and staff throughout the year. 

Art Club, Gardening Club, Chess Club, STEM Club and Dance Club 

We have lots of students engage in the lunchtime clubs available each week at St Roch's. These clubs provide options for students during break times. 

Chess Club is open for students who are interested in learning to play chess and develop chess skills and strategies.  Chess for Schools run weekly sessions each Wednesday at lunchtime. See flyer below. 

Gardening Club is held every Wednesday at 1.50pm and is open to all students from Prep - Year 6. Mrs Meseha has a real 'green thumb' which is rubbing off on our students who love helping her keep our veggie gardens looking amazing! 

Dance Club with Maddie from Dance Fitness Victoria is held every Thursday at lunchtime. Dance Club is open for all students from Prep to Year 2.

Art Club is being run by our very own Arts Leaders Michael and Evie and our Art Specialist teacher Ms Boers. This week their will be a special activity especially designed for students in Year 3 - 6 and their will be art activities on offer for students in Prep to Year 2. There is always a lot of fun being had in the Art Room. 

Icy Pole Friday

Icy poles are on sale every Friday after school at 3.30pm. Thanks to out school and vice captains and to Miss Allen and Mr Pinchbeck for supporting the leaders.  They have been the best treat after a hot day at school! 

Nadine Bolton 

Deputy Principal, Learning Diversity Leader and Wellbeing Leader