Principal's Desk

Dear Parents

I’m not sure about your household, but World Cup fever has certainly hit ours, at least for two of us anyway! While we haven’t set alarms to get up at crazy hours, we've been keeping a close eye on results, studying group ladders and trying to work out the maths of who needs to beat whom to progress. Goal difference has become a regular topic of conversation, as we calculate what happens if a team wins, loses or settles for a draw. Teams we barely knew a few weeks ago have become our favourites, and we've found ourselves passionately barracking for underdogs from the other side of the world.

Whether you're a lifelong football supporter or, like my family, someone who only discovers their love of the game every four years, the World Cup has a wonderful way of bringing people together. Could this be the year the Socceroos lift the trophy? One can only dream!

A Celebration of Semester One

As we make our way through the final week of Term Two, and with it Semester One, I would like to thank everyone for a wonderful first half of the year. Our students and staff have made an excellent start to 2026, establishing routines, building positive relationships, embracing new challenges and creating a strong sense of community across the school.

Over the past six months, our classrooms have been busy places of learning, growth and discovery. Students have developed new skills, deepened their understanding across all learning areas and continued to strive towards their personal best. Alongside this important work, they have also enjoyed a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities that have enriched their school experience and strengthened their connections with others.

While teaching and learning remain at the heart of everything we do, our students have also enjoyed an incredible range of opportunities beyond the classroom.

So far this year, students have participated in Chess Club, swimming carnivals, Cross Country, District Athletics, Winter Interschool Sports and a basketball clinic. They have celebrated important milestones through Reconciliation and Eucharist celebrations, Mother's Day activities, the Prep Dinner (for the parents!) and Buddy Afternoon Tea. Students have engaged in national events such as World Hearing Day and National Simultaneous Storytime, while also completing NAPLAN and taking part in school photos.

Adding to the excitement have been camps for our Year 4 and Year 5/6 students, Walk to School Day, the World Cup Launch, a whole-school excursion and many other learning experiences that have enriched classroom programs.

When we look at this list, it is easy to see that schools are busy places. Behind every event, excursion, sporting opportunity and celebration is a great deal of planning, organisation and support from staff, volunteers and families. These experiences help create a vibrant school community and provide students with opportunities to learn, grow, connect and create lasting memories.

And the remarkable thing is, we are only halfway through the year!

Early Finish - Friday 26th June

The final day of term, Friday 26th June, will be an early finish, with the school day concluding at 1.00pm. If you require supervision for your child after 1.00pm, please indicate this by completing the Google Form provided.

TORCH Bearer Assembly

We are looking forward to celebrating our wonderful TORCH Bearers of the Term this Friday and recognising the outstanding way they have demonstrated our school values. Please note an important change to the assembly time. The TORCH Bearer Assembly will now be held at 9:00am on Friday, instead of the originally scheduled 12:30pm assembly.

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)

Each year, there are two Census days on the school calendar, with the first Census Day taking place in late February and the second in early August. These census days determine our staffing and enrolment numbers and subsequently determine our level of government funding, both state and federal.

The August Census also includes The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).  The NCCD is a collection that counts:

• the number of school students receiving an adjustment or ‘help’ due to disability, both diagnosed and imputed
• the level of adjustment they are receiving to access education on the same basis as other students. 

Students are counted in the NCCD if they receive ongoing adjustments at school due to disability. This ‘help’ allows them to access education on the same basis as a child without disability. The NCCD uses the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Schools provide this information to education authorities. 

Why Is This Data Being Collected? 

All schools in Australia must collect information about students with disabilities, both diagnosed and imputed. The NCCD:

• ensures that the information collected is transparent, consistent and reliable 
• provides better information that improves understanding of students with disability 
• allows parents, guardians, carers, teachers, principals, education authorities and government to better support students with disability

Classroom teachers and support staff gather evidence on a regular basis to support students with additional needs. This support can at times include a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) and engagement with parents through regular Program Support Group (PSG) meetings. 

Further information about the NCCD can be found in the document below.

CEO Sleepout Thanks

Last Thursday night I joined about 300 business leaders from around Victoria taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, spending a night outdoors to raise awareness and funds for people experiencing homelessness.

While one night sleeping outside is only a small glimpse into the challenges faced by many Australians every day, it was a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion, dignity and community.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone in our Holy Trinity community who supported this year's Sleepout through donations, messages of encouragement, and by helping spread awareness of the cause. With your help, I managed to raise $5575 which will help Vinnies continue providing vital support to people experiencing homelessness and hardship.

Our school theme this year is Make a Difference, and your support has been a wonderful example of that theme in action. Together, we have made a meaningful contribution to improving the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Thank you for helping us turn compassion into action and for demonstrating the strength and generosity of the Holy Trinity community.

Children & Youth Mass

Join us for our next Children and Youth Mass at St Jude's on Saturday 4th July at 6:00pm. Young people are encouraged to take an active role in the celebration through reading, music, singing, serving, welcoming, and other ministries. Whether participating for the first time or returning after our inaugural Youth Mass, all children and young people are welcome. Come and be part of a vibrant celebration of faith, friendship, and community as we continue to grow this special parish initiative together. We look forward to seeing you there!

Semester One Reports

As shared in a previous newsletter, we have updated our Parent/Teacher Interview and Reporting schedule for 2026. To strengthen communication and support student learning, Parent/Teacher Interviews will now be held towards the end of Terms 1 and 3, with written reports provided in Terms 2 and 4.

Over the past few weeks, teachers have been diligently preparing Semester One reports, which will be available to families via SIMON on Wednesday 24 June.

This revised schedule provides families with regular opportunities throughout the year to connect with teachers, celebrate student growth and discuss next steps in learning.

Australia's Best Teachers - Final Days!

Behind every successful school are passionate educators who invest their time, energy and care into helping students flourish. At Holy Trinity, we see this commitment from our teachers and leaders each and every day.

Nominations are now open for the Herald Sun's Australia's Best Teachers campaign, and we encourage our community to recognise those staff members who have made a meaningful difference in the lives of students and families.

Whether through inspiring learning, providing support, or building strong relationships, our educators have a profound impact on those around them.

Nomination link: www.australiasbestteacher.com.au 

Let's celebrate the people who help make Holy Trinity such a special place to learn and grow.

Child Safety Standards

The Child Safe Standards consist of 11 requirements that organisations must follow to create environments that are safe for children. These standards aim to prevent, respond to and report child abuse by ensuring that policies, procedures and practices place children’s safety and wellbeing first.

As a staff, we will focus on one Child Safe Standard each month to ensure we continue to meet and strengthen these important requirements. We have recently worked through Standards  #4 & #5, and further information for parents can be found later in this newsletter.

Mini Vinnies - Food If You Need It!

Our Mini Vinnies students have been working hard on a wonderful new initiative. As a part of our mission to ‘love one another’ Mini Vinnies are asking families to double a recipe to help others. Families who might be in need, will be able to take a meal from the freezer. At various times we may all need a hand, and with the cost of living impacting everyone, this is an easy way to help others in our immediate community. 

A big thank you to the Parents Association for their fundraising, which has paid for a freezer to store the food.

What to do if you would like to offer your cooking services (you don’t have to be a fantastic cook). The Mini Vinnies students wish to freeze pre-cooked meals such as pasta, stews, casseroles or anything you love to cook that can be frozen.

• Email Andrea Dowling to express your interest in helping: adowling@htws.catholic.edu.au 
• Your name will be added to a spreadsheet and you will be contacted when it is your turn to cook. Please use a container that you don’t need back and place a list of all the ingredients to the lid as well as the date the meal was prepared.
• Donations will be delivered to the office and taken to the freezer. 
• As soon as we have a few meals stored we will inform you how to collect a meal if needed.

Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF)

Applications for the CSEF fund are still open.  If you hold a valid, means-tested concession card or are a temporary 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. 

HT Facebook Page & Instagram

Remember to follow HT on Facebook  & Instagram  so that you can see our students learning and be kept up to date with community announcements as they are shared.  

https://www.facebook.com/HolyTrinityPS/

https://www.instagram.com/holytrinityprimaryschool/ 

Joke of the Week

Two monsters went to a Halloween party. Suddenly one said to the other, "A lady just rolled her eyes at me. What should I do?"

The other monster replied, "Be a gentleman and roll them back to her."

Final Thoughts ~ Winter Blues

You may have noticed the shorter days lately, and that’s because Sunday 21st June marked our Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. In Melbourne, we had just over 9 and a half hours of daylight, about 9 hours and 32 minutes, to be exact.

The Winter Solstice happens when the South Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun, giving us the least amount of daylight all year. But the good news is that from this point forward, the days slowly begin to stretch out again, heading towards the long, bright days of summer in December.

Interestingly, the Winter Solstice doesn’t just affect the amount of light we see outside, it can also impact our general wellbeing. With less daylight, our brains produce less serotonin, the chemical that helps regulate mood and sleep. That’s why some people can feel a bit flat or tired during this time of year, it’s what’s often called the “Winter Blues.”

So, as we move forward from the shortest day, it’s a good reminder to look after ourselves, make the most of the daylight we do get, and look ahead to the brighter days to come.

Kind regards,  

Steve Evans

Principal