Catholic Education Week

This week is Catholic Education Week. To highlight our catholic education and school we have sceduled an Open Day tour for Wednesday morning. If you have family or friends, or even a younger sibling of a current student that hasn't really toured the school, please contact our office as you would be welcome to join us.

Tomorrow is St Patrick's Day and Catholic Education Week's theme this year celebrates the significance of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of our local Church in Melbourne.

Christ beside me: Walking in the footsteps of Saint Patrick.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, our mother Church, is named after the saint of Ireland.

To celebrate, you might see staff wearing something green tomorrow, why don't you join us!

One way we attend to Child Safe Standard 1, is to appreciate the different cultures we have here at St Christopher's School. This amazing map displays all the countries that our Year 1/2 families come from. From a Catholic Social Teaching point of view, we call this Solidarity... We should commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the good of all, to stand in solidarity with our one human family.

So during Catholic Education Week, I wanted to share this interesting and insightful map that is displayed in the upstairs corridor.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming Program – Starting Next Week

Next Monday (23rd March) marks the beginning of our swimming program, which will run for the final two weeks of term. These government-mandated lessons are an important opportunity for students to develop water safety skills and confidence in the water.

What Students Need to Bring

Please send your child to school each day with a small swimming bag in addition to their regular school bag.

This bag should include:

-Pool shoes (such as sandals or Crocs)

- Towel

- Goggles

- Change of underwear

- Plastic bag for wet clothes

Please ensure all items of clothing (including underwear) are clearly labelled with your child’s name.

What Students Should Wear to School

Students should come to school wearing their bathers under their school uniform, except for one-piece bathers. One-piece bathers can make it difficult for students to go to the toilet during the day. If your child will be wearing a one-piece, please send it in their swimming bag so they can change into it before the lesson. Alternatively, students may wear the bottom half only under their uniform and pull the rest up when getting changed for swimming.

Parent Helpers

If you are available to assist as a parent helper, please send a message to your child’s classroom teacher via ClassDojo. Your child’s teacher will let you know if you are able to assist and the time to meet them at the swimming pool.

Please note the following requirements for parent helpers:

- Parent helpers must have a valid Working With Children Check (WWCC)

- Helpers will be given a school visitor lanyard and visitor pass to wear while at the pool

- Only designated parent helpers are permitted to attend the pool

- Parents cannot attend the pool simply to watch their child swim

- All parent helpers are required to remain in the viewing room during the lesson

Assembly Update

Please note that there will be no assembly next week (Friday 27th March) due to swimming. Our next gathering will be the whole-school Holy Week Performance and Easter Raffle.

Questions

If you have any questions, please contact the school office or message your child’s classroom teacher.

Child Safe Standard 2:

Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.

“I would like to suggest three verbs to you, from which you may draw guidance for any initiative: protect, listen and heal.”

Pope Francis November 2023

Child Safety Standard 2 ensures that child safety and wellbeing are not just the responsibility of a few individuals, it becomes part of the organisation’s DNA.

When safety is embedded in leadership, governance, and culture, it sends a strong message that protecting children is a shared priority.

For teachers and educational staff, this means working in an environment where policies support safe practices, leadership models respectful behaviour, and everyone is accountable.

It empowers staff to speak up, act on concerns, and contribute to a culture where children feel safe, heard, and valued every day.

All in our school community are responsible for child safety and this is why we ask all volunteers to read, understand and agree to our Child Safety Code of Conduct.

Prayer of the week