Dear Families,

The 2026 school year is off to a fantastic start. Our school has come alive once again with the sounds and smiles of students, families and staff, creating a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. It has been a joy to spend time around the school over the last two weeks and see students confidently engaged in their learning, as well as to feel the sense of community at the front gate, in the playground and among staff.

We are delighted to welcome our 78 Prep students, who officially started their school journey last Friday. Watching them arrive through the front gate in their Galilee uniforms was a special moment. They have quickly embraced their new environment, forming friendships and learning daily routines and have made a wonderful start to life at Galilee.

Galilee was featured on the Channel 7 News

On Wednesday 28th January, Galilee was featured on Channel 7 News as we welcomed four sets of twins starting Prep this year. This was a wonderful opportunity not only to share this exciting news, but also to showcase our vibrant and welcoming school community. We thank the students and families who generously took part in the story.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUHzLsND3QD/?igsh=ZjlmODl5MjVmNGMw

Upcoming Open Day for Prospective Families

On 20th February, we are opening our doors to prospective families for a school tour and the opportunity to see if Galilee is the right fit for their family.

Galilee Regional Catholic Primary School is a vibrant and welcoming community where students are at the centre of all we do. We are committed to nurturing the whole child through a strong academic program, engaging learning experiences and a range of extra-curricular opportunities, all grounded in our Catholic tradition.

We support students to become creative and critical thinkers, confident problem solvers and active, socially just citizens. Our learning environments are inclusive and collaborative, ensuring every child feels safe, valued and supported. A strong student leadership program promotes student voice, agency and responsibility.

Our dedicated teaching staff build meaningful relationships with students and are passionate about supporting each child’s academic, social and emotional growth. We value the important role families play in education and are proud of our active and supportive parent community.

Galilee is a friendly and connected school where students thrive and families form lasting relationships. We are also proud to have been featured in the Herald Sun for our successful Prep Transition Program, which gives students the very best start to school.

We would love to welcome you to Galilee — book a school tour and come and see our wonderful community in action.

To book into one of our school tours, click HERE

To enrol please click HERE

Strategic Direction and School-Wide Goals for 2026

We are pleased to share our strategic direction for 2026. This has been informed by a careful review of school data, along with consultation with staff, students and families, to identify our key priorities for the year ahead.

While these priorities will guide much of our work in 2026, they are not our only focus. At Galilee, we are committed to continuous improvement through ongoing reflection, data analysis and review of what is working well, alongside identifying areas for further growth.

We sincerely thank the staff, students and parents who generously contributed their time and insights when reviewing our MACSSIS, NAPLAN and PAT data at the end of last year. Their feedback has played an important role in shaping our strategic direction.

Our School-Wide Goals for 2026

Goal 1: Mathematics • To continue improving students’ problem-solving skills.

Goal 2: Reading (Prep–Year 2) • To strengthen phonics knowledge and reading fluency.

Goal 3: Reading (Years 3–6) • To improve student reading comprehension.

Goal 4: Student Wellbeing • To create calm, safe and predictable learning environments through consistent, school-wide expectations and practices.

Goal 5: School Community • To continue improving communication processes.

2026 Professional Learning Focus for Staff

Our staff professional learning in 2026 will align closely with these goals. All staff will participate in:

Positive Behaviour Learning training and the implementation of a consistent, school-wide approach
Power to Kids training
Mental Health in Primary Schools training
Professional learning in Reading through Australian Catholic University and the Australian Reading Clinic
Ongoing professional learning in Mathematics, supported by Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools

We are proud to provide our staff with high-quality professional learning opportunities that strengthen teaching practice and support positive outcomes for our students and school community.

Meet the Teacher Meetings

We greatly value the time families took to attend our Meet the Teacher sessions yesterday. These sessions play an important role in setting our students up for success and provide a valuable opportunity for teachers and families to connect, share information and build strong partnerships from the very beginning of the year.

Meet the Teacher sessions allow staff to learn more about each child. Families are able to share valuable insights into their child’s interests, strengths, learning preferences and any areas where additional support may be helpful. Understanding what motivates a child, how they respond to routines, and what helps them feel calm and confident in the classroom enables teachers to plan more effectively and respond to individual needs.

Most importantly, Meet the Teacher sessions lay the foundation for positive relationships. When teachers and families work together from the start, children benefit from a supportive and collaborative approach that encourages confidence, engagement and learning success throughout the year.

Learning & Teaching

We are excited by the start to the year we have seen in the classroom. The first few weeks are always full of new learning and reminders about routines and expectations on how we do things at Galilee. That’s for the teachers as well as the students!

STEM/Inquiry units this term have a First Nations focus, with a starting title of ‘Stories of Country’. We acknowledge the need to help all our students understand and value Australia’s First Nations Peoples; we have a lot to learn from Australia’s cultures past and present. Year levels will adapt learning to suit the age and development of their students, but all are aiming for enjoyment, experience and exploration.

Playground Update

Thanks to the outstanding fundraising effort of our families last year, we are excited to be updating our play spaces. After consulting with students last year, they shared some fantastic ideas and many of these have already been ordered and are currently being built. While we’re waiting for their arrival over the next few weeks, the fun hasn’t stopped, we’re continuing to add new elements along the way. You may have already spotted our new target in the grassed area! Keep an eye out for even more new playground equipment coming soon and several other exciting additions that are still being sourced. We can’t wait to see our students enjoying these new additions!

MACS Care: Child Safety in Action

At Galilee, the safety and wellbeing of every child is at the heart of everything we do. MACS Care is the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools’ child safety strategy in action. The name Care was deliberately chosen to reflect our Catholic mission, emphasising that child safety is a shared responsibility and that every child’s wellbeing matters.

MACS Care is designed to raise awareness, encourage accountability, and inspire action across all levels of the school community. It provides a clear and meaningful framework to help everyone contribute to creating safer environments for children and young people.

The strategy also supports schools in maintaining a strong child safety culture and meeting the Victorian Child Safe Standards.

At Galilee, we are using the MACS Care strategy to put child safety into action. We will focus on one Child Safety Standard each month. Staff will receive professional development in the standard, it will be highlighted in school, and we will take deliberate steps to put the standard into action

This month, we are focusing on Standard One: Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.

Opening School Mass - Tomorrow 6th February at 10am

Tomorrow, we will come together as a school community for our Opening School Mass, warmly welcoming the new school year. Everyone is invited to attend.

The Mass will be held in the Stadium at 10:00 am and will be led by Fr. Paul and our Year 6 students. During the liturgy, the Year 6 jumpers and leadership badges will be blessed, and following the service, our Year 6 leaders will receive their jumpers and badges.

This is a special occasion to celebrate the achievements of our Year 6 students, who have been preparing for this opportunity to lead with dedication and enthusiasm. We look forward to seeing you there.

Running Club

Running Club will restart on Monday 9 February at 8:00 am. Sessions are held every Monday and Friday morning, and all Galilee students and parents are welcome to join.

This parent-run initiative encourages students to start their day with physical activity and is a great opportunity for students and parents to connect with others in our community. We warmly encourage everyone to attend.

Parent volunteers are always welcome. No experience is necessary — if you are able to help with any of the sessions, please speak to Jason or Dom, who help organise the group.

We look forward to seeing our playground buzzing with students on Monday 9 February at 8:00 am.

Medical Forms and Medication Authority Forms

We remind all families that updated Medical Forms such as ASCIA Action Plans and Asthma Plans are required annually for all students diagnosed with medical conditions, including anaphylaxis, allergies, and/or asthma.These plans must be completed, signed, and dated by a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner each year, and submitted to the school by the first day of Term 1, 2026. If you have not submitted required medical forms and medication to the office, please do so as soon as possible. If your child requires medication at school, please ensure you have completed the Medication Authority Form. This form also needs to be signed, and dated by a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner.

School Photo Day - Tuesday 10th February

On Tuesday 10th February is our School Photo Day. All students are required to wear full summer uniform on Tuesday 10th February. Students who have PE classes are asked to wear full summer uniform and put their running shoes in their bag to change into.

Class photos, individual photos and sibling photos will all be taken on Tuesday 10th February. We have a tight schedule that we need to keep to, to ensure that everyone has their photo taken. Please make sure students are on time so that they don’t miss out.

Please see the flyer for information about how to order school photos

Term 1 Community Events

We are very excited to announce our Term 1 Community Events. More information about each event will be shared on Dojo shortly.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Breakfast on Tuesday 10th March from 7:30am on the playground
Galilee Parents/Guardian’s Welcome Drinks on Monday 23rd February at Port Melbourne Bowls Club from 5:30-7:30pm
Galilee ALF Season Opener Pie Night on Thursday 5th March where the whole community is encouraged to gather at Galilee from 5-7pm
Galilee Easter Raffle Fundraiser - Prizes will be drawn in the final week of Term 1
Galilee Hot Cross Buns Fundraiser - Hot Cross Buns will be delivered in the final week of Term 1

Please note, we are not running the colour run this year. Instead we are working with Luna Park to plan a special event just for Galilee students and their families. Stay tuned for more information.

nForma Pro Parent Portal

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we transition to the nForma Pro Parent Portal. We are pleased to share that many of the issues previously experienced have now been resolved. If you continue to encounter any difficulties, please contact the front office so we can assist you.

We ask all families to review and update their child’s medical information on the nForma Pro Parent Portal to ensure the school has access to accurate and up-to-date details.

There are two forms on nForma that all families are required to complete:

ICT User Agreement
Photography/Recording Permission

Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Looking ahead to the next two weeks:

Term 1, Week 3

Monday 9th February

8am Running Club at Galilee- All welcome

Tuesday 10th February

School Photo Day - All students must wear full school uniform (jumper not required). For students who have PE, please pack runners in student’s bags.
After school chess club in the Library for students who have signed up

Wednesday 11th February

No School for Preps (Pre Testing)

Thursday 12th February

Year 5 online camp information session from 2:30pm (link will be sent to all Year 5 families on Dojo)

Friday 13th February

8am Running Club at Galilee - All welcome
School Assembly in the Stadium at 8:55am *Year 3 presenting) - All welcome

Term 2, Week 4

Monday 16th February

8am Running Club at Galilee- All welcome
After school Glee Club in the Library for students who have signed up

Tuesday 17th February

Shrove Tuesday
Pancake Breakfast at Galilee from 7:30am - All welcome
After school chess club in the Library for students who have signed up

Wednesday 18th February

No School for Preps (Pre Testing)
Ash Wednesday
Whole School Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Peter and Paul Church at a time to be confirmed - All welcome

Thursday 19th February

Year 4 online camp information session from 2:30pm (link will be sent to all Year 4 families on Dojo)

Friday 20th February

8am Running Club at Galilee - All welcome
Galilee Open Day and School TOurs for prospective families from 9:15-10am
No Assembly

We wish you and your family every blessing in the coming weeks.

-Amy Burns (Principal), Holly Evans and Richard Harding (Deputy Principals)

Community News