Miss Petrina's Message
Term 3, Week 5
Welcome to our school newsletter for week 5. We thank and bless our school community for all the wonderful learning that has taken place recently. Historians, scientists, literature lovers and faith filled students have been busy across Prep - Year 6 these past few weeks. Have a read of all the important notices below.
Heavenly Father,
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer" (Romans 12:12).
In a world that often rushes us, we come before You, seeking the grace of patience. We pray for our students, teachers, staff, and families, that we may all learn to embrace patience in our daily lives.
Grant us the wisdom to understand that growth takes time, and that challenges, when met with endurance, build character and strengthen our faith. Help us to be patient with ourselves as we learn and grow, and to be patient with one another, offering understanding and support.
May we remember that You, O God, are the God of all patience and encouragement. Inspire us to imitate Your divine patience, especially when faced with difficulties or when our hopes seem delayed. May we find joy in the journey, trusting in Your perfect timing and abounding in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Community Prayers
We keep Michelle Haller’s father, Murt, in our prayers. We also ask the Lord to watch over and bless those in our community who are unwell, keeping them in His healing love and in our prayers.
Professional Learning
Mel and Keena have been attending the Australian Catholic Education Conference this week. Guest speakers at the conference included the world renowned Sr Nathalie Becquart xmcj, Undersecretary for the General Secretariat of the Synod and Prof Dylan Wiliam, Emeritus Professor, UCL Institute of Education. With the theme ‘hope, anchored in faith’, the conference focused on the strategic vision and mission of Catholic education across three key areas – Faith, Excellence and Access.
Parent Code of Conduct
As a Catholic school community, we are called to walk in the Lord’s footsteps with kindness, patience and respect for the dignity of all. Our Parent Code of Conduct reminds us that every member of St Brigid’s has the right to feel safe, valued and supported. We ask all parents and carers to model respectful communication, to treat staff, students and one another with courtesy, and to use patience and understanding when challenges arise. By upholding these shared expectations, we strengthen the positive, faith-filled environment that helps our children flourish in both learning and life.
St Brigid's Communication Expectations
Your child’s teacher should be your first point of contact. If you need to contact a teacher or set a time for a meeting, we ask that you do this via email or Seesaw. Teachers will endeavour to reply to all emails and phone calls within 48 hours and between the hours of 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Emails, Seesaw messages or phone calls will not be responded to on weekends, unless in the case of an emergency. Please note teachers will not be able to respond during teaching time, so if there is an urgent matter please contact the office. Finally, the beginning of the day is a hectic time and anything more than a greeting is challenging for teaching staff as many things are being attended to, which enables a smooth start to the day for all students.
If you need to address important issues with your child’s teacher, please make an appointment (by email or Seesaw) so that your concern can have the attention it deserves.
Thank you for your continued support.
Parent Teacher Interviews & Parent Support Group Meetings
In Weeks 8 and 9, we will be holding Parent Support Group (PSG) meetings, with further information to be shared directly via email from our Learning Diversity Leader, Chek Stevens. Parent Teacher Interviews will take place in Week 9, and booking details along with all relevant information will be sent out via Operoo. We encourage all families to take part in these valuable opportunities to connect with teachers and support your child’s learning journey.
Vision for Engagement – PLT Presentation
At our recent Professional Learning Team (PLT) meeting, Petrina O’Grady and Mariah Plumb led staff through the newly launched Vision for Engagement from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools. This vision highlights the importance of creating calm, respectful and inclusive learning environments where every child can thrive academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. Staff explored the six key engagement practices that will guide our work: teaching respectful behaviour, fostering belonging, focusing on attendance, promoting mental health and wellbeing, enabling motivation, and targeting individual learning needs. By embedding these practices across our school, we aim to ensure that all students feel supported, connected and inspired to achieve their best.
Routines and Reducing Cognitive Load
At St Brigid’s, we follow our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) routines because they create consistency and structure for our students. Research shows that when classroom expectations and routines are predictable, children feel safe, supported and ready to learn. Clear routines reduce the cognitive load on students – meaning they don’t have to spend energy worrying about “what happens next” and can instead focus fully on their learning. By building these habits together as a school, we give every child the opportunity to thrive in a calm and ordered environment where attention is directed to learning rather than uncertainty. This coming Monday our students and staff will gather together to revisit our learning around the importance of routines in school.
School Drop Off Reminder
A reminder to all families that school drop off begins at 8:30am. Recent communication was sent via Seesaw outlining this expectation. We kindly ask that all families respectfully adhere to this time, as student safety is our highest priority. Teachers commence their role of active duty onsite from 8:30am, and arriving before this time places children unsupervised.
Also a reminder that the parking spaces on the school side of the service road are NO PARKING between 8:15 and 9:15 on school days.
Thank you for your support in keeping our school community safe and caring for the wellbeing of all students.
Grade 3/4 Eucharist Reflection Day
Our Grade 3 and 4 students participated in a special Eucharist Reflection Day as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist on Sunday, 14th September. The day provided opportunities for prayer, reflection, and a deeper understanding of the significance of this important sacrament. We pray for our students as they continue their faith journey and celebrate this sacred milestone with their families.
Interschool Athletics
On Monday 12th August, our determined athletics team represented St Brigids at the Macedon Ranges Interschool Athletics Carnival. Our students gave it their all in a variety of track and field events including sprints, relays, long jump, shot put, and more.
We are incredibly proud of all participants for their effort, sportsmanship, and support for one another throughout the day. Their positive attitude and resilience made them fantastic ambassadors for our school.
Extra congratulations to Stephanie, Piper V, Stirling and Indie G who have progressed to the Division competition in individual events while the 11 Girls Relay Team (Piper, Stephanie, Ruby W and Ruby S) will compete in the 4x100m race. Well done to all involved!
St Brigid's Playgroup
We have been so fortunate to welcome several Year 12 VM (Personal Development Skills) students from Salesian College for two visits to our St Brigid's Playgroup as part of their community engagement outcomes.
They brought joy, energy, and connection to our children and families. With patience, enthusiasm, and genuine care, the students played games, supported activities, and made genuine connections, many even stepping outside their comfort zones to get down and play with our toddlers and preschoolers.
Our playgroup community loved having them join us, and we hope this wonderful link continues into the future. A heartfelt thank you to Eleanor Doherty - Year 12 Leader, for responding to our invitation. We truly value our special partnership with Salesian College and their remarkable students.
