Dear Parents,

I would like to begin by thanking you for your support as School Principal over the last 3 years. As announced late last year, I will be leaving Holy Trinity at the end of February to take up the position of Senior Manager in the Eastern Region Office of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS). This will be my last newsletter before I begin my new role.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Holy Trinity. I have been extremely fortunate to work alongside some great leaders, teachers and support staff. I have felt fully supported by the Holy Trinity staff throughout my time leading this wonderful school community. Equally, I am extremely grateful for the support of the parent community. As a school we have the responsibility of caring for and educating your most treasured possession - your child. It is an enormous responsibility. I am hoping that the relationships I have formed with many families over the last few years has helped to build a genuine relationship between the school and home.

My new position will be an opportunity to work closely with Catholic Primary School Principals in a mentoring and coaching capacity. It will be the first time in nearly three decades (yes, I am that old!) not working exclusively in one school community. I will miss the simple things such as greeting the students and parents at the gate each morning and the camaraderie of the staff on a daily basis. Schools are very much about relationships which is what I will miss the most.

Being a School Principal is an extremely challenging role, striving to meet the needs of the staff, parents and students. Like any job, you certainly have your good and bad days! However, more importantly, it is an extremely fulfilling role. It is not possible to lead a school community without being part of the community. I will have mixed emotions as I leave Holy Trinity, with excitement for the journey ahead and a sense of sadness for what I am leaving behind. I will certainly take part of the spirit of our school community with me for my journey ahead.

Finally, I would like to thank Natalie Ballinger and my leadership team for your guidance and support. At Holy Trinity we are extremely team orientated, working together to provide the best learning environment possible. I am confident that under the leadership of Natalie as Acting Principal, with the support of the leadership team, the school is in good hands. I am also confident that Holy Trinity will attract a number of highly quality candidates for the position of School Principal.

I hope to see as many of you as possible over the next week or so.

Goodbye and God bless you - Adrian Scutt

Wedding Bells!

There is once again the sound of wedding bells in the HT staffroom!

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Miss Liz Humphris and her now husband, Chris, who were married last Friday.

On behalf of the HT community, I wish Liz and Chris a lifetime of love and happiness.

School Traffic

We are aware of the traffic congestion at the end of the school day as parents arrive to pick up their child/ren. As a school we do our best to ensure that all students leave school safely and enter their cars promptly.

While we are not authorised to manage or control traffic, we do continue to remind all parents to adhere to parking and traffic rules for the safety of all motorists and pedestrians. Could I remind parents of the importance of the need to `keep clear’ of the supervised school crossing at all times. Motorists also need to `keep clear’ of residential driveways and entry to footpaths. A local resident called the School Office last week to report concerns regarding some of the above.

Please be aware that the traffic is regularly monitored by the local council and fines have been issued in the past.

New Soccer Goals

We have purchased two new soccer goals for use on our school oval. These goals have been purchased using funds raised in 2024 by our Parents’ Association (PA).

SunSmart!

In line with our SunSmart policy, all students are required to wear our school hat from the beginning of September until the end of April. Parents are required to supply sunscreen for their child (roll on sunscreen recommended). Staff will not apply sunscreen but will provide regular reminders for students to apply or re-apply sunscreen. When the weather exceeds 35 degrees or the UV rating is extreme, children will remain indoors.

Dental Van Visit

You would have received forms to complete if you would like your child to access the Dental Health Van. This is a free service and they will be visiting Holy Trinity in the week beginning Monday 24th March. Completed forms need to be returned to the classroom teacher by Wednesday 26th February for your child to be seen by the dental van .

Parents Association Meeting

As we look ahead to the 2025 school year, we are excited to continue fostering a strong and supportive school community. To achieve this, we are seeking parent representatives to join our School Parents Association. The role of a parent representative is vital in helping to organize events, support school initiatives, and serve as a liaison between the school and the parent community. Your involvement will make a significant difference in enhancing the educational experience for all our students.

You can contribute to the parents association in any way that suits your schedule. If attending meetings is difficult, you can help from home with planning events, online research, or purchasing items. We also need volunteers to coordinate and execute events at the school, such as organizing and packing hot cross buns for morning tea.

If you'd like to volunteer as a parent representative, join our first meeting of 2025 in the school staff room on Wednesday, February 19th at 6.30pm. We appreciate your participation and support and look forward to working together to make 2025 a fantastic year for our students.

Holy Trinity School - Open Days

We have several open days coming up for prospective parents with the first open day being on Thursday 27th February. If you know anyone interested in enrolment for 2026, please encourage them to attend our open days on Thursday 27th Feb, Monday 17th March or Wednesday 30th April, or contact the school office to arrange a private tour.

Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF)

Applications for the CSEF fund are now open. If you hold a valid, means-tested concession card or are a temporrary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. If you are the holder of a concession card and would like to apply please click below to obtain a CSEF application form and hand it in to the school office for processing.

If you applied in 2023 and were successful with your application there is no need to submit a form as an application will automatically be submitted on your behalf. Please see the Community News Section of the Newsletter for more information.

HT Facebook Page

We will be sharing our students learning and community announcements on our new Facebook page, please make sure you give it a like, follow and a share.

Here is the link for the Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/share/15xZtYHPA2/?mibextid=wwXIfr

School Closure Date - Term 1

Our first school closure date for 2025 will be Friday 28th February. Please see the calendar section of the newsletter for important dates.

Important Dates

Please check out the `Important Dates’ section of the weekly newsletter to keep up to date with all that is happening at HT and SMC.

Warm Regards,

Adrian Scutt

Principal

Time to eXcel

Awards & Birthdays

Happy Birthday to all the students celebrating Birthdays within the next fortnight!

Yellow Card Awards

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded Yellow Cards!