Principal's Report

Issue No 20 - 23 July 2025
Term 3 - Week 1

Principal’s Report

Welcome Back!

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday. It’s been a delight hearing the children share their stories and adventures from the break. It’s wonderful to see everyone back at school, refreshed and ready to embrace the term ahead with energy and enthusiasm.

Some of our staff also had memorable experiences over the holidays.

Mr Podosky joined the Philippine Carabaos at the Rising Asia Series in Bali, helping them take out the championship. Congratulations!

Mrs McSweeney attended the Ignite Youth Conference in Sydney with her daughter, a powerful faith experience filled with inspiration, community, and even daily rock concerts.

Term 3 is already shaping up to be a busy and exciting one. Our students will engage in a rich variety of learning experiences, including classroom projects, excursions, and fun dress-up days. There will be plenty of opportunities to learn, grow, and celebrate together.

We’re looking forward to a joyful and productive term ahead!

Grade 3 to 6 School Athletics

Congratulations to our Grade 3–6 students for their fantastic participation in the School Athletics Carnival last term! It was a wonderful day filled with energy, enthusiasm, and a great sense of school spirit.

On Monday, I had the pleasure of announcing the final house results, with Backhaus taking out the overall win for the day. Well done to all!

In the coming weeks, Mrs Vaughan will be announcing the students selected to represent St Kilian’s at the upcoming Catholic Athletics event. We look forward to cheering them on.

A big thank you to Mrs Vaughan for her outstanding organisation and to all staff for their enthusiastic involvement and support throughout the day.

Feast Day Celebrations

A heartfelt thank you to Mr Podosky and all our staff who helped make our Feast Day celebrations so special last term. From the joyful participation of our students to the tireless efforts of staff and the support of our families, your contributions created a day filled with spirit, community and joy.

We are truly grateful for the many hands and hearts that came together to honour this important day in our school calendar. Thank you for helping make it such a memorable occasion!

St Kilian’s Primary School Administration Hub Refurbishment

We are pleased to share that Bree Architects have officially released the Expression of Interest application process for the upcoming refurbishment of the St Kilian’s Primary School Administration Hub. This exciting development was published in the Bendigo Advertiser on 23rd July 2025.

Together with Johanne van Bree, our team has dedicated significant time to carefully reviewing and refining our vision for this important project. Last year, St Kilian’s was awarded $2.15 million in grant funding from the Victorian Government, a contribution that will help bring a key element of our school’s masterplan to life. The project will involve the refurbishment of aging general learning areas and the upgrade of administration and professional support spaces, ensuring our facilities continue to meet the needs of our students, staff and wider school community. We look forward to sharing more updates as the project progresses.

Unit Assemblies

Unit Assemblies begin next Monday with the Prep Unit presenting; the assembly will include all aspects of the Monday morning assembly with the addition of the unit presentation. Assemblies will take place in the school hall where students are seated. Each unit takes a turn presenting at the assembly.

Winter Warmer Fundraiser

Supporting St Vincent de Paul, students are invited to take part in our Winter Warmers Day to help those in need this winter. What to wear: Come dressed in your coziest winter clothes! Beanies, scarves, warm jumpers — the snugger, the better! What’s for lunch: Warm up with a simple, hearty meal: Cup of soup + a slice of bread = $2.50 (order via QKR) All proceeds go to support those in need this winter. What to bring: We are collecting donations of new Donations of Scarves, Socks, Beanies St Vincent de Paul. Let’s help bring warmth to those doing it tough this winter.

Semester 1 Student Reports & Learning Conversations

Semester 1 Reports are now available online at https://pam.skbendigo.catholic.edu.au/. These reports are a comprehensive summary of their learning and growth during the first half of 2025.

Learning Conversations are held over the next two weeks on the following dates: Tuesday 29th July, Wednesday 30th July and Tuesday 5th August.

Learning Conversations are a valuable opportunity for parents, students, and teachers to come together to reflect on learning achievements, review work samples, and set goals for the remainder of the year. These 15–20 minute meetings allow students to share their learning journey, describe challenges they have faced, and identify areas for future growth. We strongly encourage all families to take part. If you are unable to attend during these times, please contact your child’s classroom teacher to make alternative arrangements. PAM does not send a confirmation email for your interview time. You will find your interview time listed in the “Booked times” section of Parent Teacher Interview Booking.