Dear Parents and Carers,

This is the final school newsletter for 2023, and as I reflect on the year that was, I can't help but be so proud of the students and all their successes and achievements.

These moments have come about in many ways, including academic progress, sporting wins and personal bests, leadership opportunities and chances to stretch new skills or talents. So many have taken a risk and challenged themselves by stepping out of their "comfort zone" in the classroom or while attending one of our school camps. No matter what the the milestone moment was, big or small, it is an integral part of the learning journey our students experience at St Simon's.

In 2023, as a school community, we are very proud of the unique creativity and talent showcased through the St Simon's Art Show. This five-day event resulted from months and months of planning, hard work and teamwork, with students and staff coming together to share the incredible talents of our students with families and St Simon's broader community.

St Simon's Choir at Bunnings, Scoresby!

Our very own St Simon's School Choir was able to share a little bit of Christmas cheer with shoppers at the local Bunnings on Wednesday, 13th December. Led by music teacher Laura Nackashian, seventeen choir members were bussed down to Bunnings, where they performed two sets of Christmas-themed songs to the community.

Staff Farewells

As we come to the end of the 2023 school year, we will farewell a number of staff.

Maryann Gillett

After 20-plus years of service to Catholic Education, Maryann will be retiring from St Simon's. We may see Maryann back at St Simon's as a casual relief teacher (CRT) in 2024; however, this will be in between travelling the world and spending time with family.

Amanda Heindenrijk

In 2024, Amanda will be taking up an opportunity to teach at St John the Baptist Primary School, Ferntree Gully, concluding eleven years at St Simon's. Thank you, Amanda, for your contribution to our school community during this time, and we look forward to seeing you from time to time within the parish as your family's connections run deep within St Simon's.

Ahmet Latifoglu (Dr A)

Since joining St Simon's in 2020, Ahmet has been a teacher of our STEM program and headed up some of the Maths intervention programs. Ahmet has made a wonderful contribution to St Simon's during his time with us. We wish him well in his future endeavours as a classroom teacher at St. Joesph's Primary School, Boronia.

Emma Tiberi

Emma has been a caring and talented teacher at St Simon's for four years, and the time has come when she will be leaving to take up a new appointment at Our Lady's of the Assumption in Cheltenham, a move that will place her a little closer to home and family.

Thank you, Emma, for the lasting contribution you have brought to the students and families of St Simon's.

Angela Babazadeh

In 2024, Angela will move to a casual relief teacher role after serving our community as a STEM and year five teacher. Thank you, Angela, for your contribution to our community, and we wish you well with your future educational endeavours.

Patrick Doherty

In 2024, Patrick will shift to a casual teacher role while further studying psychology and mental health in education. In a short time, Patrick has endeared himself to the St Simon's Community, and has made a positive influence on the students in Year 4R. We wish Patrick all the very best with his future endeavours.

Claudia Dabb

Claudia will be stepping away from the learning support officer role in 2024 to concentrate on her final stages of study in primary education. Thank you, Claudia, for the care and consideration you have brought to our community, by the way you have supported and attended to the learning and social-emotional needs of our students.

Jacinta Menere

At the end of 2023, Jacinta will be commencing parental leave as she and her husband, Ryan, expect the arrival of their first child early in 2024. We wish them every blessing at this special time and look forward to seeing Jacinta again back at St. Simon's sometime soon.

Key Dates for 2024

Monday 29th January – Staff commence school (Student Free Day)
Tuesday 30th January - Meet and Greet Day (by appointment) and Staff planning (Student Free Day)
Wednesday 31st January - First day of school for Years 1 – 6
Thursday 1st February – First Day of School for Prep.

2024 Meet and Greet Classroom Teacher Tuesday 30th January 2024 (previously Assessment Day).

On Tuesday, 30th January 2024, classroom teachers in Years One to Six will be available to meet for a 10-minute slot for parents to hand over and share any information about their child that might be important to start the 2024 school year. This is optional.

A formal parent-teacher-student interview will take place in the final week of Term One.

To make an appointment, please click here.

OR go to schoolinterviews.com.au and enter code 3xwjs

Finally...

Thank you to St Simon's Parish Team, Fr Jerald, Fr Sam, Peter and Felicia, for all their support and encouragement to the staff and students of the school.

To our teachers: thank you for everything you do to build and nurture an environment where students learn and connect with one another. Each of you brings a unique approach to teaching and fostering learning in our students, and our learning community is the richer for it.

To our learning support team: for the tireless work you do in helping students have the best opportunity to learn and engage with school life. Without you, the job of teaching is made far more complex, and we value all the work that you do.

To our extraordinary office administration staff: Barabara, Gerogia and Kelli. Thank you for the support and care you give our students, staff and community as you manage the school's critical day-to-day needs. Each of you brings your gifts and talents to the job, and we, as a community, are the best for sharing these.

To our leadership team, Hedy, Monica, Matt and Philomena: thank you for the wisdom, dedication and strength you collectively bring to our community. Leading a school learning community is so much bigger than just one person, and it is because of your skills and talents that make it possible for our school to be led in a team formation. I look forward to continuing and building our team effort in 2024.

2024 Communication Changes

The school newsletter will be slightly different in 2024, shifting to a fortnightly publication. We will trial this for Terms 1 and 2 and seek feedback from the parent community about the change. We will continue to have regular updates about upcoming events and activities through the Audiri app.

We also look forward to launching our new school website in Term One and some regular content to be posted via our Facebook and Instagram profiles. Keep an eye out for this early in Term 1!

As we roll out these changes, we will actively seek and welcome parent feedback about the communication channels we are using so that we can consider any improvements or weeks where possible. The School Advisory Council and Parents' Association will be a valuable mouthpiece for this feedback.

May each of you have a happy, safe and blessed Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in the 2024 school year!

God Bless,

Tom Wursthorn

Beyond EduCare