From Mrs David's Desk

STUDENTS COMMENCE

(Thursday 1st February)

Dear Families,

I would like to warmly welcome everyone to our school community this year.

We have over 70 new students and their families joining our school and we look forward to developing meaningful connections with each one of them. If you are an existing family please reach out to new families ensure that everyone feels like Holy Family School is a learning community where their family belongs.

2024 School Theme

In the last couple of years our school theme has been taken from our Vision and Mission Statement.

Vision Statement

In Faith

We believe

We belong

We learn

We grow

This year our school theme is 'GROW'. Everyone in our community will support each other to grow emotionally, spiritually and academically.

Mission Statement

In faith we are a community that lives our daily lives based on our Catholic traditions and values.

We believe in encountering and deepening our relationship with God.

We belong to an inclusive and nurturing community that embraces all.

We learn to become creative, collaborative, active and informed citizens.

We grow to reach our full potential.

Change in Scheduled Class Time for Teachers

The new Enterprise Agreement states that fulltime classroom teachers have a reduction in scheduled class time in 2024. This is a reduction on 2023 scheduled class time therefore we have to slightly adjust our times during the school day.

8:30am (Gates open/staff on duty)

8:50am (First bell - students enter classrooms and prepare for the day)

9:00am (Learning commences)

11:00am-11:10am (Eating time - lunch)

11:10-11:50am (Lunch play)

11:50am - Learning continues

1:50pm (Eating time - snack)

1:55pm (Playtime)

2:25pm - Learning continues

3:15pm - school day finishes

Please keep in mind that no students are to be dropped off at school before 8:30am. Before school care is available if you need to drop your child off before this time.

Holy Family School Behaviour Curriculum

Our staff have been busy setting up their learning spaces, reading, researching and planning for each of our students.

Our staff will be implementing our 'Behaviour Curriculum' this year. The introduction of this curriculum will be taken slowly to ensure that each expected behaviour is embedded by all staff and students.

Australia has some of the most disruptive classrooms in the world. Safe, ordered and positive learning environments are a foundation for learning (PISA, 2019).

Teachers must plan how their classrooms will run and teach this explicitly to their students. Learning is as successful as the culture, expectations, routines and rules taught to and reinforced with students.

Please read the link below to gain further information regarding 'Behaviour Curriculum' in Australian schools.

http://tinyurl.com/yxz8xjnu

Our 2023 MACSSIS results showed that our students in Year 5/6 wanted to experience a sense of belonging and feeling safe in the classroom.

The ‘Behaviour Curriculum’ that we will develop should assist with this.

In the first four weeks this term all classes will focus on the following behaviours -

build meaningful connections
class entrance routine
class exit routines

Each staff member will have a script to follow to ensure consistency with each of these routines and our Staff Leadership Team will be in classrooms to support this implementation.

2024 Student Leadership

In the first couple of weeks this term our Year 6 students will be applying for 2024 Leadership positions. The students will have to write a letter of application and be interviewed by a staff member as part of this process.

We look forward to commissioning these Year 6 Leader at our Mass on Thursday 22nd February at 9:15am.

Congratulations to our 2024 School Captains and Vice Captains -

School Captains - Luca Salinitri and Cecilia Younane
School Vice Captains - Spencer McCarthy and Nadia Trettel

I am sure each of these young people will be amazing ambassadors for our school this year.

New Staff

This year we welcome a new Learning Support Officer and two new classroom teachers to Holy Family.

Miriam Keuneman joins our wonderful Learning Support Team
Sinéad McCutcheon will be teaching Year 1/2 and is joining us from Ireland. She has taught at Holywell Education Together National School, St. Oliver Plunkett’s National School and Rush and Lusk Educate Together National School.
Olivia Frisch will also be teaching Year 1/2 and she is joining us from St Simon's, Rowville.

These teachers have been in over the holidays setting up their classrooms and planning as a Year 1/2 Teaching Team with Mrs Santamaria and Mrs Gilbert.

Parish Connections

Father Justel would like to thank our families who supported the dramatisation of the Gospel at the 5pm Mass on Christmas Eve. Our school looks forward to supporting our Parish in many ways in 2024.

This term we have a few Masses that our families are invited to attend.

Opening of the School Year Mass (Year 6 Leader Presentation) Thursday 22nd February (9:15am)
Ash Wednesday Mass (Wednesday 14th February) 9:15am or 12pm
2024 Prep, New Families and Staff Mass (Sunday 3rd March) 10am
St Patrick's Day Mass (Monday 18th March) 9:15am
Holy Thursday Prayer Service (Thursday 28th March) 12pm

2024 Sacrament Dates

Reconciliation (Year 4)

Information Evening (Parent and student) Wednesday 13th March 7pm
Sacrament of Reconciliation (Thursday 21st March)

First Eucharist (Year 4)

Eucharist Information Evening (Parent and student) Wednesday 15th May 7pm
Eucharist Commitment Masses (Saturday 18th or Sunday 19th May)
Sacrament of First Eucharist (Sunday 2nd June 10am)

Confirmation (Year 6)

Confirmation Information Evening (Parent and student) Wednesday 31st July 7pm
Confirmation Commitment Masses (Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th August)
Sacrament of Confirmation (Friday 23rd August 5pm)

Altar Servers

Students who have received their First Eucharist are invited to train to be altar servers for our weekday and/or weekend Masses.

Father Justel and a member of our Staff Leadership Team will conduct the two ytraining sessions in school time.

School Choir

Miss Rawlins (Performing Arts teacher) will continue her wonderful work with our student choir this year.

In 2023 this group of students entertained Holy Family parishioners and families and sang at local Nursing Homes. These actions brought joy and happiness to many people.

2024 Class Teachers

Holy Family school is in the fortunate position of being able to ensure that each class has a qualified classroom teacher. There are some schools who are yet to fulfill their staffing list for this year and classes will have to be split.

Prep - Di Dimovski

Prep - Stephanie Italiano

Year 1/2 - Chantelle Santamaria (4 days), Beverly Gilbert (1 day)

Year 1/2 - Sinéad McCutcheon

Year 1/2 - Olivia Frisch

Year 3/4 - Verity Curtain

Year 3/4 - Becc Lark

Year 3/4 - Amanda Mace

Year 5/6 - Juliette Foenander

Year 5/6 - Vicky Pejic

Year 5/6 - Michelle Luong

Year 5/6 - Andrea Smith

Library - Janine Standfield

Auslan - Dianne Herrmann

Physical Education - Susan Michelsson

Performing Arts - Rebecca Rawlins

STEM - Katrina Davis

Position of Leadership Release - Barbara Grabau

Literacy - Natalie Dib (Natalie will be released to support all teachers to ensure that structured literacy is implemented across the school)

Mathematics/Learning and Teaching/Digital Technologies - Jennifer Young (Jennifer is released to support teachers in their classrooms and during planning. She will also to continue with Mathematics Intervention)

MultiLit (Reading Intervention) - Simone Tapley and Mellisa O'Mara

Deputy Principal/Wellbeing Leader/Transition Leader/Camp Coordinator - Eithne King

2024 Directions

We have an exciting time ahead this year!

Some of the things our staff and students will be involved in are -

We welcome 41 Prep students and 30 students from other schools
Our staff will begin to implement strategies from the Engaged Classrooms Through Effective Classroom Management Project created by the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). This program will support students to continue to feel 'safe' in their learning environments.
Our school will implement our 'Behavior Curriculum' for all year levels from the first day
Our staff will be supported to use 'Explicit Direct Instruction'
Our 'Structured Literacy' Approach will continue
The PhOrMes approach will be implemented in Years 5 and 6 to continue to improve spelling, vocabulary, reading and writing
Our Prep to Year 2 teachers will be involved in 'Teaching for Impact' Professional Learning to enhance their teaching of Mathematics. The Teaching for Impact in Mathematics (TIM) Series provides professional learning support and resources to teachers and leaders to get the most from the new Ochre Education materials for F-2. Working from a robust research and evidence base, the TIM Series supports teachers and leaders to build more high-impact instruction into their classrooms and schools, to accelerate learning for all students.
We will continue our partnership with Inform and Empower, eSmart and the Victoria police Monash Youth Resource Officer to support our students in the Digital World.
The 'Wellbeing Hour' for the entire school will continue based on the Resilience Project and Respectful Relationships Programs
The SeeSaw App will be introduced from Prep through to Year 6 so families can keep up to date with student achievements
Curriculum Evenings will be held each term on different topics (Maths, English, STEM, Religious Education)
Friday morning coffee and catch up will continue

Term 1 2024 Events

January

Monday 29th - Staff Return

Tuesday 30th - Student Testing (please double check your email for your appointment time)

Wednesday 31st - Student Testing (please double check your email for your appointment time)

February

Thursday 1st - All students commence

Sunday 4th - Prep 2024 Playdate

Tuesday 6th - Safer Internet Day

Wednesday 7th - Parent/Teacher 'Get To Know Your Child' conversations

Wednesday 7th - Parents and Friends Meeting (6:30pm)

Thursday 8th - Open Day (9:15am/2:30pm)

Friday 9th - Parent Welcome Event (everyone welcome) Adults only

Monday 12th - Parent/Teacher 'Get To Know Your Child' conversations

Tuesday 13th - Open Day

Wednesday 14th - Ash Wednesday (9:15am and 12pm Mass)

Thursday 15th - District Swimming

Wednesday 21st - School Advisory Council meeting (6pm)

Thursday 22nd - Opening of School Year Mass (9:15am) All welcome

Friday 23rd - Athletics Trial Day (Year 3-6)

Monday 26th - Open Day

Thursday 29th - Prep and New Families Dinner

March

Friday 1st - Division Swimming

Sunday 3rd - 2024 Prep, new students (Years 1-6) and staff to our school Mass (10am)

Wednesday 6th March - Open Day

Wednesday 6th - Parents and Friends meeting (6:30pm)

Thursday 7th - Twilight Sports (4:30pm finish) onsite

Friday 8th - School Closure Day (Staff PL Lorraine Hammond 'Science of Learning')

Sunday 10th - Catholic Education Week commences (In the Light of Christ)

Monday 11th - Labor Day (Public Holiday)

Wednesday 13th - Reconciliation Information Night (7pm)

Friday 15th - Holy Family School Colour Run

Monday 18th - Open Day

Monday 18th - St Patrick's Day Mass (9:15am)

Thursday 21st - Sacrament of Reconciliation

Thursday 21st - Harmony Day (Theme: What can we do?)

Friday 22nd - Summer Sport Gala Day

Friday 22nd - EMR Swimming

Sunday 24th - Palm Sunday

Thursday 28th - Prayer Service (12pm)

Thursday 28th - Holy Thursday (final day of Term 1) Students finish at 1pm

Wishing everyone a wonderful long weekend,

Julie David (Principal)