Principal's News

                                                                                                                                                              28/08/23

Dear Parents and Carers,

Staff participated in a day of learning entitled ‘Dialogue in Faith’ hosted by MACS staff Prue Vanstand and Loredana Guinane.  We explored increasing student voice and dialogue in our RE curriculum.  It was invigorating revisiting Harvard Thinking Routines in light of scripture and images.  The day concluded with a deep dive into learning about Mary and her birthday on the 8th of September.  The staff wrote beautiful prayers to Mary and these were shared in reflection time.

Here is mine -

Mary our Mother,

Thank you for your continued support and guidance. Mary share with me your strength and tenacity.

Help me as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, cousin, great aunty and aunty, leader, colleague and friend to hold your virtues and grace.

Mary pray for us.

     The staff will embed these new practices learned and revised yesterday and share them as ‘Illustrations of Practice’ during professional learning time.

St Kevin’s SUNSMART POLICY 

St Kevin’s Primary School SunSmart Policy has been developed to ensure that all students and staff attending our school are protected from skin damage caused by the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.  The policy will be implemented from the end of August and will go until the end of April next year when UV radiation is most intense. Too much of the sun’s UV rays can cause sunburn, skin and eye damage and skin cancer. UV damage accumulated during childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with an increased risk of skin cancer in later life. All children are required to wear the approved school uniform hats that protect their face, neck and ears (wide brim sun hat/bucket hat with the school logo are included on the school uniform list), whenever they are outside as of the 29th August. But we will give the students and staff one week to find hats and bring them to school.    

Sunscreen recommended on the SunSmart website will be issued to each learning space in the next few days.

The Felix Range of Winter Warmers (Uniform)

Last term Felix in Year 5/6CO approached me with an idea - he thought we needed a winter range of clothing for the winter months. I booked in Julie, from A Team and Felix shared his ideas during the meeting.  I will share this information with SAC and then hopefully launch into the Felix Range for winter next year.  This is an authentic example of a student voice - Love it! Good on you Felix!

Felix’s suggestions:

Play Therapy 2024 

Please note that from the 2024 school year, Playroom Therapy, which has been operating from our school site, will no longer be operating from our premises. This is a decision that has been made in accordance with Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Policy. Separate communication will be  provided to families who currently access this service, regarding how access can continue to occur from 2024 before the end of the year.

Our Term Three Social Justice Focus - Loyo Elementary 

Our Term 3 Social Justice focus is supporting our Loyo Elementary school community.

This year the school is looking at building a small library for the students to access some books.  

They are asking for our support with the following:

• exercise books
• writing pencils

So far we have collected 58 exercise books and 110 pencils.

We still require so many more of each as there are 245 children at Loyo Elementary. These donations may be left in your child’s classroom.

If anyone would like to make a monetary donation, this will be sent across for them to purchase some Filipino books to commence filling their library. 

Thank you to the many families who have already made such generous donations.

Working Bee  GOLDEN STAR   

Thank you to the parents who helped at the Term 3 Working Bee 2023 Massive thank you to Sahar Nahavandian, Vanessa White, Corothy Yip and Joseph Chou, Jo Harman, Gina Zammit, Fatemah Nasri.  Your assistance in cleaning out the rooms at the back of the stadium and spreading out the tan bark on the Adventure Playground was much appreciated.

Thank you to the students who helped at the Term 3 Working Bee 2023 

Liesel,  Alessandro, Armin (all from after school care) Kate and Renee.

MACSIS School Improvement Survey 2023

Each year MACS distributes School Improvement Surveys to each of its schools.  All St Kevin’s staff will be given a survey and all students in Year 4, 5, 6 will be surveyed.  I will be administering and supporting students in Year 4  2:30pm - 3:00pm, Year 5 & 6  3:00pm - 3:30pm on Tuesday the 29th of August.         

All St Kevin’s families will be surveyed. These survey results allow us to compare our standing against other MACS schools, compare it to past St Kevin’s survey findings, and illuminate areas where we have improved as a school and areas that we need to focus on.  Families please complete the surveys honestly and with good intention.  The survey results come back to the school as aggregated data and as such are anonymous in nature.  The surveys will close on Friday 15th September.

 Lunch time CLUBS 

The students have voiced that they would like certain lunch time clubs to recommence.  These clubs will be supervised by staff and student leaders. They will take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during the second part of lunch. These clubs will be supervised.

PBL (Positive Behaviour for Learning) Update

PBL Parent/Carers Information Session

Thank you to the three parents who have accepted the invitation to attend the PBL afternoon. 

We will explain the rewards and how they are being used to encourage positive behaviours in the school. 

Congratulations to the following Students  

Mascot Competition

This week our students design mascots or symbols to represent each of our school values: Respectful, Responsible and Resilient. 

This week we will be launching a competition where all students in the school will be invited to design original mascots or symbols for the values and then enter their ideas.  The mascots or symbols chosen, will then be used when displaying information about PBL.  Students will receive more information about this competition in class this week.

Communication to Admin - Office and Bursar

This is the new administration email address: stksecretary@sktemplestowelr.catholic.edu.au  if you need to communicate with the office please email this address and Selena, Fiona and/or Tina will respond to you.  

This email is not checked on the weekend or after office hours therefore please email me if you require immediate assistance.  gleone@sktemplestowelr.catholic.edu.au 

TECH CORNER

Seesaw Statistics for Seesaw from last two weeks

Congratulations Prep GS  and 3F on being TOP CLASS FOR TERM 3  WEEK  6 & 7 on Seesaw!    

Preps 2024 News

The ‘Preparing for Prep Night’ for all  2024 Prep Parents will be held on the 25th of October at 7:30pm in the Library.

Assembly  for Term 3 change of venue TRIAL IN THE CHURCH 

Term 3 Week 8 - Wednesday 30th of August 2:30pm in the Church.  Our assembly venue has changed to the Church to ensure everyone has enough room. Everyone is welcome!

Italian for the Term 3 Week 7 & 8 

In Week 7 Students extended their vocabulary with a couple of explanations of why they like/don’t like to do something. They made their sentences longer and more detailed. 

For example:

• Mi piace leggere un libro PERCHE’ E’ INTERESSANTE. ~ I like to read a book because it is interesting. 
• Mi piace disegnare un’immagine PERCHE’ E’ DIVERTENTE. ~ I like to draw a picture because it is fun.
  
   

In Week 8 Students will learn more adjectives to add to their sentences.

For example:

• Non mi piace cantare in italiano PERCHE’ E’ DIFFICILE. ~ I don’t like to sing in Italian because it is difficult. 
• Non mi piace scrivere una storia PERCHE’ E’ NOIOSO. ~ I don’t like to write a story because it is boring. 

School Performance 

We are in the midst of Performance and Sun Pezzimenti is doing an incredible job (supported by all) with student involvement and voice.  Thank you to all the parents that have volunteered to assist us with this original production.

PRODUCTION 2023 - The Three Doors 

a  St. Kevin's Original Production 

OCTOBER 19th THURSDAY    11:30AM  and 7PM 

 at  ST KEVIN’S GLENDALOUGH STADIUM

SHOUTS FOR TERM 3

Parents and Staff please send me (gleone@sktemplestowelr.catholic.edu.au) any SHOUTOUTS (positive feedback or words of congratulations)  for Term 3 by Friday 08/09  and these will be compiled by the School Captains and distributed to all the community in Newsletter Number 10.

Condolences to the Clarke Family on the passing of Cameron’s mother Elisabeth Clarke.  Grandmother to Charlie and Lacey.

You are all in our thoughts at this difficult time.  We send our love and prayers.  May Elisabeth rest in peace. 

Every blessing, 

Gabee Leone