Dear Families,

We hope you’ve all enjoyed the sunshine and warmer weather this week, there’s a real hint of Spring in the air. Let’s just hope it hangs around and isn’t a teaser before the weather turns cold and wet again!

Whole School Excursion

On Friday 13th September, we will be taking the whole school to the Australian Sports Museum as part of our learning around the Olympics and Paralympics this term. Please keep an eye open for the Operoo form for all details and to grant permission for your child to attend. We are able to take limited volunteers so please nominate your availability via the form and we will contact you. Only those with valid WWCC will be eligible to attend.

Father’s Day Celebrations

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to change our Father’s Day Breakfast to a Father’s Day Afternoon Tea on Friday 30th August.

We are inviting all children to celebrate Father’s/Special Friends Day by having afternoon tea and being involved in some fun activities at school with their dad/special friend. If for some reason the children’s father cannot attend the afternoon tea, then we encourage them to invite a significant other male such as their grandfather, uncle or a family friend etc.

The afternoon tea will begin at 2:30pm and run through until approximately 4:00pm. In order to assist with catering, we ask you to complete the Audiri form by Wednesday 28th August.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the change of time and hope that many of you can get the afternoon off work to join us.

Long Service Leave & Principal Pilgrimage

I will be taking 4 weeks' Leave (including 2 weeks of school holidays) from Monday 16th September to Tuesday 15th October. This leave will involve a week or two of some Rest & Relaxation before I join approximately 23 other Principals from our East Central Zone and North East Zone on a walking pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. We will be walking approximately 120 km from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, the resting place of St James the Apostle. I’m really looking forward to this opportunity to journey to such a sacred place, to have the time to wander with wonder, and to take moments of quiet and reflection along the way.

I feel blessed to be able to take this time knowing that the school will be in the capable hands of Jenni Kilkenny as Acting Principal who will be strongly supported by the Leadership Team.

Paralympic Games

Next Thursday will be the Opening Ceremony of the 17th Paralympic Games. The word “Paralympic” derives from the Greek preposition “para” (beside or alongside) and the word “Olympic”. Its meaning is that the Paralympics are the parallel Games to the Olympics and illustrates how the two movements exist side-by-side. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will feature 549 medal events across 22 sports. The Stoke Mandeville Games later became the Paralympic Games, which first took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960 featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. This year, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will feature more than 4,000 athletes from 184 countries who will compete in 549 medal events! I don’t know about you, but I am just as excited about the Paralympic Games as I was about the Olympics and I can’t wait to watch cheer just as loudly for these tremendous athletes too!

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools - School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS)

Throughout each year, we pause to listen to our students, families and staff to gauge how our learning community is travelling. This feedback is invaluable to our progress as effective school communities and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices. I invite you to read the following letter which outlines the process for 2024.

School Tours & Open Days

Since the announcement of the Emmaus College P-12 beginning next year, I have been swamped with school tours! Our previously organised Open Days have now finished, but we have scheduled some new dates for Term 3. Please feel free to share the following date with anyone you know who wishes to enrol at Holy Saviour/Emmaus College: Wednesday 4 Sept - 4pm

Prep 2025 Enrolments

We have had great interest in Prep for 2025, as well as other year levels, and we’ve had a good number of enrolments come through already. If you have a child who is eligible to start Prep in 2025, please submit your enrolment at your earliest convenience. This will enable us to develop a clear picture of classing and group sizes for 2025. Enrolments for 2025 are to be made through the Emmaus portal.

Catholic Secondary School Enrolment Applications

Key Enrolment Dates for Year 5 Students in 2024 starting Year 7 in 2026

The key enrolment dates for students in Year 5 in 2024 who will be starting Year 7 in 2026 have been agreed after consultation with the Executive of the Principals Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (PAVCSS).

The timeline of events and dates are as follows:

Monday 29th January 2024 – Applications open for students commencing Year 7 in 2026.

Friday 16th August 2024 – Applications will close.

Friday 18th October 2024 – Offers will be posted to prospective Year 7 applicants.

Friday 8th November 2024 – Final date for parents/carers to accept an offer made by a school.

Parents of Year 5 students in 2024, please diarise these dates so you don’t miss out.

Final Thoughts ~ The Best Way to Say ‘No!’ to Your Kids

Saying no to your kids can sometimes be one of the most challenging parts of parenting! Dr Justin Coulson, psychologist and one of Australia’s most trusted parenting experts, has written about how we can be firm and warm when telling our children “No!’ The article is linked here, and is only a short read, but one I highly recommend.

Kind regards,

Steve Evans

Principal

Happy Birthday!