We're a few weeks into our school year now, and well and truly settled into our routine. This is another long newsletter this week; we ask that you take the time to read it to ensure you are up to date with what is happening at St Finbar's over the next few weeks.

We do have some sickness circulating in the school at the moment, with two confirmed cases of Covid. Please ensure you keep your children at home if they are displaying symptoms so we can avoid the spread as much as possible.

Just a reminder that our school is closed next Thursday (27th Feb) and Friday (28th Feb) for our staff conference.

Easing the Prep transition to full time school

Now that the Preps have been at school for two full weeks, the reality of school life may be setting in. For many children, the initial excitement about starting 'big school' may have eased and it is dawning on them that this new school routine is permanent. Some children might be tired after school for the first few weeks. Other children might still have the energy for after-school activities. Depending on your child’s energy levels after school, you might want to let your child rest and play at home for a few weeks until you think they’re ready for playdates and after-school activities.

You may also be finding that children are reluctant to share news about their day. When asked, "What did you do today?" you may be met with "Nothing" or "I can't remember." This is very common and can be put down to mental fatigue straight after school. Parents often report that their children don't respond well to direct questions about their day but stories may naturally come out over dinner or at bedtime when the children have had some time to relax.

Parents & Friends

Thanks you to the many parent reps who attended our first P & F meeting of the year on Tuesday evening. It was great to hear about the many events that are being planned for this year, both for children and adults.

Many of the dads are getting together at the Newbay Hotel this evening for a Pot and Parma night. The P & F's major fundraiser this year is a country and western theme, and will be on 29th March. These events are always great fun so please consider attending.

Baby Congratulations

A huge congratulations to Peggy McDonald and family on the recent birth of baby Archie William. Archie was born on 21st January, at 3.6kg and 50cms. From all reports, life is very busy as a family of five.

Year Books

We are still taking orders for our 2024 Year Book. They are currently at the printers. We will also have some copies available for sale at the office once they arrive. You can order your copy through Operoo.

Team Kids

You may have heard some talk about the future of our Before and After School care here at St Finbar's. MACS has established MACSEYE (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Early Years Education), and their plan is to take over out-of-hours care in every MACS school over the next few years. This will obviously affect us, as we have a wonderful relationship with our current provider Team Kids. I am in discussions with MACSEYE about delaying our transition as long as possible, but potentially we could be transitioning to MACSEYE as early as 2026. I will keep you updated as I learn more.

Canberra

Our Year 6 students have now returned from Canberra, full of news and excitement about their educational experience in our Nation's capital. Students has the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia's history, culture, heritage and democracy.

I have to say a big thank you to our five staff members who attended this camp. It is a big ask to be away from your own family for five days. Thank you to Peter Tyndall, Tania Thompson, Amanda Norton, Callum Mills and Laura Zeeng. These experiences simply couldn't happen without our staff.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding to our school in the amount of $45 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon the completion of the excursion.

Sibling Enrolments

I know it's early to be talking 2026 already, but I ask that parents who have a child commencing in Prep 2026 to please enrol their child by Friday 1st March so we can see how many places will be available to new families for 2026. All siblings are a guaranteed enrolment at St. Finbar's, however we do require completed paperwork to make it official.

We expect that our 48 Prep places will fill up quite quickly. Enrolment forms can be downloaded from the following link: St Finbar's Enrolment Information

Sibling enrolment interviews will happen this term via appointment.

Conference

Next Thursday and Friday the school will be closed for our annual Staff Conference. We are looking forward to working with Glenn Pearsall on Thursday. Glenn is an education consultant who worked with our leadership team last year on Instructional Coaching strategies, and he will continue this work with the whole staff next week. Glenn is an experienced, engaging presenter and we know that it will be a valuable day that will ultimately have a direct impact on the learning outcomes for the students of St Finbar's.

Uniform

I'd just like to clarify our uniform policy in regards to footwear and socks. When children are in school uniform they should be wearing navy socks and all black shoes. Our Uniform Policy states that shoes should be "black, polishable school shoes". We will accept completely black runners, similar to the Asics pair pictured.

When wearing Sports Uniform, children wear runners (of any colour) with white socks.

Open Days

We held our first Open Day for 2026 this morning. Our Open Days always begin with a short presentation by school leaders, followed by a tour conducted by our Year 6 students. The parents were very impressed with the professionalism and enthusiasm with which the students spoke about their school.

If you have any friends or neighbours who are considering St Finbar's for 2026 our next Open days are:

Wednesday 5th March

Tuesday 18th March

Wednesday 30th April

Story Dogs - can you help?

Story Dogs has been running at St Finbar's for two years now. We're currently on the lookout for a couple of new canine volunteers...and their owners.

Have a great week,

Michelle Hill

Sustainability & Community