Deputy Principals Mrs Diakrousis & Mr Speranza

Dear Families,

A huge "welcome back home" and congratulations to our Year 5 students and staff who returned from their camp in Portsea yesterday. From conquering personal challenges on the ropes courses to building new bonds during beach activities, our students showed remarkable resilience and teamwork. A special thank you to the staff and volunteers who gave their time to ensure our students had such a memorable and safe experience.

Next week we will be conducting “Meet the Teacher” interviews, and bookings are now open. We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is the foundation for student success. These sessions are an invaluable opportunity for you to share insights about your child’s strengths, interests, and learning style with their new teacher. Establishing this dialogue early ensures we are all working together toward the same goals. If you haven't yet booked, see the link on the Principal page.

Later this term, our Year 3 and Year 5 students will be participating in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN provides a "snapshot" of student progress and helps the school identify areas for further development in our teaching programs. While we encourage students to do their best, we also emphasize that these assessments are just one part of our broader school reporting. We aim to keep the environment calm and supportive for all involved. Further details regarding the assessment can be found below.

A reminder that we are placing information in this newsletter about the Victorian Child Safe Standards, which are a set of 11 minimum requirements that all organisations working with children must meet. MACS Care, an initiative of MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools) is designed to highlight and bring awareness to these standards and how they apply in our school setting. We will intentionally focus on one standard per month, commencing with Standard 1 for February. Please see the new Child Safety page in this newsletter for further information.

Regards,

Joelle Diakrousis, Deputy Principal / Learning Diversity Leader 

Anthony Speranza, Deputy Principal / Learning & Teaching Leader

Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide

A helpful reminder for all of us is the Cancer Council’s “Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, and Slide” slogan. This easy-to-remember message encourages children to Slip on a shirt, Slop on sunscreen, Slap on a hat, Seek shade, and Slide on sunglasses whenever they’re outside. Practicing these sun safety steps helps build lifelong habits that protect skin health. 

Further advice is also attached below:

Please ensure your child has their school hat in their bag every day, as our "No Hat, No Play" policy remains in effect. Please encourage your child to apply sunscreen before coming to school and to reapply during the day.

NAPLAN Assessment

Students in Year 3 and Year 5 will be completing the NAPLAN assessments between Wednesday March 11th and Friday 20th March. The 4 assessments will be scheduled throughout this testing window, and the school can arrange for students to complete missed assessments if absent on particular days.

For further information about NAPLAN, please see the guide below or the website: https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers

Child Safety Awareness for February - Child Safety Standard 1 

Please see the Child Safety page for further information

Random Acts of Kindness

We are delighted to celebrate the following students for their exceptional kindness and compassion. Whether through a small gesture or an intentional act of support, you have made our school a more inclusive and welcoming place. Thank you for living our values and serving as such inspiring role models for your peers. Keep up the wonderful work!"

Mark H 6MH For showing leadership skills during Kaboom and Interschool Sports Practise

Alexandra T 3LM For showing great kindness at playtime by helping five new Prep students find their friends. She made sure they felt included and safe, and her thoughtfulness really made a difference.

Jai H 1KA For kindly checking the classroom and pushing in other student’s chairs without being asked to before going outside to play.

Oliver R. (5CD), Grace T. (5MH), Zoe E. (5MH), Cat J. (5SB) and Milla N. (5MH) For being amazing helpers and supporting others at Year 5 Camp.

Ana C. (5SB) and Ethan M. (5SB) For being conscientious of others, staff and students, while at camp.