Dear parents, students and families,

Last Friday our Foundation students celebrated "100 Days of School" and what a special occasion that was for them all. My thanks To Ms Brown, Miss Eagling and Mrs Chiodo for pulling this all together. Our Year 1/2 students helped lead the Mass dedicated to Australia's only Saint- Mary MacKillop which is called the Feast Day for St Mary of the Cross and were incredibly well prepared for this. Our senior students commenced their Winter Sport Program against Aldercourt PS away and had a great time with three wins.

Some of our Year 4 students have commenced their celebration of their First Eucharist over the next month at Parish Masses. We pray for and congratulate Austin, Audrey, Patrick, Darcy, Haven M, Ben, Joseph, Will and Nathan with this.

On Tuesday some of our students gathered for a shared lunch to commemorate the Feast Days of St Ignatius and St Mary of the Cross as part of our House Spirit activities. Thanks to Mrs Ary and Mrs Winduss for organising this.

Yesterday our Year 3/4 classes visited the Cranbourne Botanical Gardens and I have been assured by the students how exciting and tiring it was as part of their studies. Thanks to Mrs Briggs and Mrs Burns for their organisation of this. Tomorrow we will celebrate the Feast of the Assumption and then our senior students will play against Kananook PS with their Winter Sport Program.

Moving on to next week, we will be celebrating Book Week with the parade central to this on Tuesday. Mrs Brooking has been busy organising and motivating the staff with this. We will also have a couple of visitors into the school for some of the students as part of "Keeping Ourselves Safe Week"- Metro Trains and the Police.

Next Friday our senior students play Belvedere PS away as part of their sporting program and we will be holding our termly Emergency Safety Drill.

Next Saturday is the social occasion of the year - 'The St Anne's Trivia Night'- which has been arranged by our Parents and Friends Group. My thanks in advance to this group and to the Principal of St Joachim's, Mr Paul Dwyer, who has graciously allowed us to use their hall due to ours currently being out of action. I must say, with regret, I will be unable to attend what are always great nights as I will be attending the Australian Catholic Education Conference next week with Principals, Catholic Leadership staff and Religious Leaders from throughout Australia. As such, Mrs Thomas will be Acting Principal.

Thanks again for a wonderful week.

God Bless

Rod Shaw

Principal

School Attendance and Unexplained Absence

Please contact the school if your child is going to be absent by leaving a message on

9786 4736 and press 1. Please give details of your child’s name and class with a reason for their absence such as: unwell, appointment, holiday or family reasons. Alternatively an email can be sent to office@saseaford.catholic.edu.au with cc to the child’s teacher.

If you are running late, (after 9:00 am) please attend the office to sign your child into school.

If you are picking up your child early you will need to collect them and sign them out from the office.

As per our policy this will be our morning routine for absences:

Parents will be contacted as soon as practicable on the morning a student is absent via a text message.

If parent does not contact the school after receiving the text message, the school will contact the parent by phone. If the parent is unreachable the emergency contacts will be contacted by the school.

If there is still no response, and the school feels that the child is in danger, the police will be contacted.

Ongoing unexplained absences or lack of cooperation regarding student attendance will result in a formal conference being organized. Unresolved attendance issues will be referred to D.H.H.S.

This is a legal requirement.

Democratic Principles

The six (6) principles of Australian democracy include:

(a) elected government; and

(b) the rule of law; and

(c) equal rights for all before the law; and

(d) freedom of religion; and

(e) freedom of speech and association; and

(f) the values of openness and tolerance

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