St Brendan's Primary School

 Principal's Report 

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of St Brendan’s,

 

Welcome to Week Eight. The term is rapidly drawing to a close, and we continue to have many unwell students and staff. This is always a challenge during the winter terms. Despite this, our school is a busy and engaging place to be. I’d like to share with you some of my insights as I visit classrooms and chat with parents each day. Some of the successes and joys of this term include:

  • A high level of engagement in learning in all classrooms
  • A real buzz as our production, ‘Moana Junior’ begins to really take shape
  • Many wonderful activities and events taking place across our school: the guest authors who presented to our students during Book Week, our Book Week Dress Up day that concluded with a parade and classroom visits by many parents and grandparents
  • Our Year 5/6 students participated and were highly successful at the District Basketball Lightning Premiership where both teams placed second
  • Our isea icare ambassadors were out and about learning about the importance of water catchments and doing field work at Narambi Wetlands
  • We also enjoyed a lovely visit from Ms Haddock and her beautiful baby boy, Otis.
  • We have wonderfully respectful and articulate students across our school who continue to impress visitors and prospective parents. I am always so proud to take them to the classrooms where the children articulately explain what is good about our school and why they like it. Every time I visit with a new family, I feel immensely proud of our students.

 

My Camino Pilgrimage

 

When you receive this newsletter, I will have just five days left until I leave for my Camino pilgrimage in Spain. I want to thank our community for the encouragement and support I have received as I have prepared for my travels.

I want to extend my thanks to Bernie Turner, our wonderful Deputy Principal for leading our school in my absence. 

 

I will share my journey with both teachers and children via a daily email.

I will communicate with our parents and wider community via the school’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

 

I hope to return to our wonderful school community enriched and enlivened to lead our school into 2024. I will be at school on the first day of Term 4.

 

MACSSIS Survey

 

Please look out for an email containing a link to a  survey from Orima Research that asks you to answer a series of questions about our school and its function and performance. We would be extremely grateful if you would complete the survey as it will provide us valuable feedback from a parent, student and staff perspective.

 

Master Plan for St Brendan’s 

 

Over recent weeks, we have engaged an architectural firm to assist us in updating and refreshing our Master Plan. The purpose of this exercise is to provide us with a long term vision of what our school might look like and how it might best function in the future. 

 

The first problem we’d like to address through the Master Plan is to solve the drainage problems that impact our oval, other grassed areas, paths of travel and some garden beds. We look forward to keeping you updated as things progress.

 

Very soon, you will receive a link to a survey that will invite your input regarding how you see our school buildings/facilities. Please take the time to answer the very short survey when it arrives. We will also survey students and staff about their ideas and opinions. We would like to add ideas from all sections of the community as we continue to develop our plan. Thank you in advance.

 

Summer Uniform

 

When the students return after the holidays, it will be time for them to begin wearing their summer uniform. Please look at your children’s uniform now and place an order with the uniform shop if you require anything new. It is also time to start looking for your child/children’s school hats as they will be compulsory from the start of Term 4. 

 

As always, we have a three week grace period where students can wear either winter or summer uniforms depending on the weather. Please ensure that your child/children wear either full summer or full winter uniform and not a combination of both. This period will run from Monday 2nd October until Monday 23rd October.

 

 

I wish to also remind parents that all children must wear plain black school shoes on the days when they are not wearing sports uniform. Many children are wearing black runners with white soles, logos etc. These are not part of the uniform and will not be acceptable during Term 4 and beyond. We take pride in our school uniform and insist that the uniform policy is adhered to. Thank you for your support in this matter. It is my expectation that all children are in full and correct school uniform by the commencement of Term 4.

 

 

Student Discos

 

I think it would be lovely for the students to have the opportunity to attend either a junior or a senior disco in Term 4. I am looking for interested parents who would be willing to help me with the organisation of these. I need some  Foundation - Year 2 parents and some Year 3 - Year 6 parents. Please don’t be shy, I’d love your help. If you can help with this event, please email me at scarr@sbsomerville.catholic.edu.au

Thank you.

 

Mass for Fathers and Fathers Day Breakfast

 

I wish to warmly invite all dads, step dads, grandfathers and other men who are special in the lives of our students to attend our Father’s Day Mass on Thursday at 11.30am. This Mass has been lovingly prepared by our Year 3/4 teachers and students. Please also come to our Father’s Day  Breakfast on Friday 1st September at 7.30 am. I wish all special men in our community a very happy Fathers Day. I hope to see you there.

 

I wish all parents  and your children a wonderful last two weeks of term and I look forward to seeing you on my return to St Brendan’s in Term 4.

 

Have a great week.

 

Sue