Principal's Piece 

Term 2, Week 9

Today we gathered as a whole school community to celebrate Mass and acknowledge Refugee Week. This year's theme, "A Million Stories," As a Catholic community, this is an opportunity to reflect on the themes of welcome, compassion, inclusion and human dignity that are central to our Catholic faith and social teaching.  It is a time to recognise and celebrate the courage, resilience, and contributions of refugees within our school community and around the world. Refugee Week provides an opportunity for us to reflect on the experiences of people who have had to leave their homes and start a new life in another country. We recognise their strength and resilience and we pray for all refugees around the world and in our community who need our support.  Let us continue to foster understanding, compassion, and respect for people seeking safety and belonging and work together to build a future where everyone is treated with dignity and has the opportunity to live free from fear. A big thank you to all our families for your generosity in donating to St Vincent De Paul through ‘stock the pantry’ donations, we raised $1167.00. Your kind contributions will be a great comfort to the many families in need in our community. 

This week our Year 1, 2 and 3 students were very lucky to take part in a wonderful incursion with musicians from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Students had the opportunity to see and hear live orchestral instruments up close, learn about how musicians work together, and actively join in with the performance. There was lots of excitement, engagement and participation as students played along with the orchestra using percussion instruments and explored the music in a fun and interactive way. It was a fantastic learning opportunity for our students and a special chance for them to experience the joy and energy of live music right here at school. The children absolutely loved hearing the instruments, watching the musicians perform, and being part of the music-making themselves.

A big thank you to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for visiting our school and inspiring our young musicians!

Last Sunday our 49 of our Year 4 students celebrated their First Eucharist. Thank you to our Year 4 teachers and Mr Iacopino for supporting and preparing our students for their Eucharist celebration. It was wonderful to witness our students participate so reverently and confidently in this important sacrament. Thank you also to the staff who attended the Mass and to Fr George, our spiritual leader, who provides  ongoing guidance, support and faith-filled leadership to our school community. We congratulate all of our Year 4 students on this special milestone in their faith journey and pray that they continue to grow in their relationship with God. Celebrations such as these remind us of the privilege of working in Catholic education and the important role we play in nurturing our students' faith. 

Next Thursday we will be holding our Parent-Teacher Conversations. This is a valuable opportunity to celebrate your child's learning, acknowledge their achievements  throughout the semester and discuss areas for growth. These conversations provide an important opportunity for parents and teachers to work in partnership to support each child's learning. Teachers will share insights into your child's strengths, areas for continued development, and ways we can work together to help them achieve their full potential. We encourage all families to attend, as these discussions play an important role in fostering positive home-school connections and ensuring that every child is supported both academically and socially. We look forward to meeting with you and celebrating the many successes of our students. Following Parent Teacher Interviews, families are invited to visit our specialist learning areas and explore some of the wonderful learning experiences students engage in throughout the year. This is a great opportunity for parents and carers to connect with all aspects of their child’s learning, including the specialist programs that form an important part of school life.

As part of their Mathematics learning, our Year 3 students recently welcomed the Year 2 classes to visit their Fractions Museum. This special learning experience provided Year 3 students with the opportunity to showcase their understanding of fractions while developing their communication and presentation skills. Through a range of interactive displays featuring 3D objects, number lines and hands-on materials, the Year 3 students explained key fraction concepts and shared their learning with their younger peers. The Year 2 students enthusiastically explored the exhibits and enjoyed the challenge of solving a mystery fraction activity. Experiences such as these highlight the value of students learning from one another. By sharing their knowledge and learning experiences, students deepen their own understanding while inspiring and supporting others in their learning. It was wonderful to see both year levels engaged in meaningful mathematical discussions and learning together.

Our Year 2 community engagement event of the ‘olden days’ was a huge success. It was great to see so many families attend and participate in the olden day games and activities. A highlight of the night was the artifact museum, thank you to everyone who kindly provided their special ‘old’ belongings and items for the museum. A big thank you to our Year 2 team for the time, creativity and effort that went into preparing such a fun and engaging evening. Events like these are a great reminder of the power of parent partnerships.

On the last day of term (Friday 26th June), we will be celebrating and supporting Australia in the World Cup with a special Socceroos Day! Students are invited to come dressed in Socceroos colours (green and gold) or the colours of their favourite soccer team. To make the day even more exciting, we will be having a special lunch and all profits raised will go towards our Year 6 Graduation celebrations. Order for the special will close on Monday 22nd June.

On Wednesday 17th June, four of our students represented our school at the Northern Metropolitan Region Cross Country Championships at Bundoora Park. With perfect weather conditions and some incredibly strong competition from schools across the region, our athletes rose to the challenge and gave it their all. The course was tough, but our runners showed fantastic determination, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout their races. Congratulations to: Abellamary Toma (5A), Oscar Oldfield (5C), Jacob Hanona (5C) and Francesco Milana (6A). Simply qualifying for this level of competition is a huge achievement and reflects the hard work, commitment, and effort these students have put into their running. We are incredibly proud of the way they represented our school.

Our Social Justice Leaders have come together to bring a new initiative to our school in support of our local community. Working alongside the St. Vincent De Paul Youth Team, we will be hosting a HOODIES, WOOLIES AND WINTER GOODIES Clothing donation drive next term. This new initiative was created to provide warmth and comfort during winter nights for many underprivileged youth and families. Over the first 4 weeks of next term, we are asking for donations of new warm winter clothing such as hoodies, jumpers, beanies, scarves, gloves and  blankets. You might even want to do a holiday project and create your own no sew blanket to donate. Here is a 30 second 'how to' video to create a no sew blanket: https://youtu.be/-muAcUDl8U8?si=opubCUe4UNgOkyY7

As this will be my final newsletter for the term, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our families for your continued support and partnership throughout the semester. The strong connection between home and school plays a vital role in the success of our students and we are grateful for the trust you place in us each day. Thank you to our students for their enthusiasm, resilience and commitment to learning. It has been wonderful to witness their growth and achievements and the way they continue to embrace opportunities both in and beyond the classroom. I would also like to acknowledge and thank our dedicated staff for their commitment to providing engaging learning experiences and for the care and professionalism they bring to our school community each day. 

We look forward to welcoming all students back next term for another exciting semester of learning and growth.

School resumes on : Monday 13th July. 

God Bless

Cinzia Mancuso

Principal