Principal's Message 

Dear Families,

Term 3 has started with a bang!

Secondary Student for a day! 

The Year 3 and 4 students were invited to spend Friday 19th July at Salesian or Avila college. The boys went to Salesian and the girls went to Avila. From all accounts the day was a wonderful chance to see what life is like in these high schools, with many tales of Science experiments and soccer clinics being shared back at school. Thank you to both colleges for inviting us to attend these special events and allowing our students to have a new and unique experience. A huge thank you also to the classroom teachers and amazing parent volunteers who supported the running of this day!! 

NAPLAN 

The Year 3 and 5 students brought their NAPLAN results home last week. This assessment was completed in March. We are proud of all of our students for taking part in the NAPLAN with confidence and putting in their best efforts. This assessment tests students performances in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy over two weeks of the school year. This contributes to the overall picture of student data that we collate and utilise at St Andrew's. Many factors go into assessing and monitoring student progress, and this is one small element that goes into planning learning and supporting students. If you have any concerns or questions regarding your child's NAPLAN, please feel free to reach out to your child's classroom teacher, Learning and Teaching leader, Emma Strom, or me. We are always happy to discuss any elements of student learning. REMINDER- do not lose the NAPLAN paperwork, it is needed for high school enrolments. 

Year 3-6 Athletics Day

Unfortunately we had to make the call to postpone the Year 3-6 athletics day, and with the weather as it is today, we are glad we did! We are aiming to have the sports on Friday 2nd August, at school, weather permitting. Thank you to our wonderful sports teacher Kayla Puetz for all the work she has put into preparing and organising this event. 

Health Department Alert – Whooping Cough (Pertussis) 

The Victorian Health Department recently issued a public notice in relation to an increasing number of cases of whooping cough (pertussis) in Victoria, particularly among children aged 10-12. 

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness known for causing a cough, and can lead to life threatening infections in babies. Many babies who get pertussis catch it from older children and adults who might not even know they are infected. 

Pertussis usually begins with cold-like symptoms, such as a dry cough (occurring in bouts), characteristic 'whooping' sound when breathing in, tiredness, runny nose, and low-grade fever.  

Please speak to your doctor (GP) and seek a diagnosis if your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms. Early identification and separation are crucial in preventing the spread to other children. 

Pertussis is mostly spread to other people by droplets from coughing or sneezing, so good hygiene practices and immunisations help prevent the spread. Immunisations are particularly important for infants and pregnant women. 

If pertussis is diagnosed, your GP will advise on appropriate treatments.  If you have any questions, please speak to your GP. Read the full alert here: Increasing pertussis (whooping cough) cases in Victoria | health.vic.gov.au 

Swimming Program for Year 5/6

Next week the  Year 5 and 6 students commence their swimming program at Aquastar Swim School in Heatherton.

Prep, Year 1 and 2 students swimming program will commence in weeks 7 and 8. Information has been communicated about the senior school swimming from Kayla Puetz, PE teacher,  information regarding the junior school swimming will be sent shortly. 

School Fees

July statements will be distributed to families next week. 

Please be reminded that any outstanding school fees are now OVERDUE unless you are on a payment plan and/or made other arrangements with the school office.

If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact the office to arrange a meeting with the Acting Principal, Nicole Black.

Ph: 9551 5094

Email: office@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au

Working Bee 

The next Working Bee will be held on Saturday 3rd August from 8.30am until 10.30am. 

This is a terrific opportunity to make a positive contribution to the school environment and your child's learning environment.

Families who attend one Working Bee per year will have the $75 maintenance fee credited from their statement. 

You are requested to sign in at the desk outside the school office on arrival and to sign out when you depart.  

A job list providing outlines of the various tasks to be covered on the morning will be available.

We encourage parents with wheelbarrows, shovels, brooms, rakes etc to bring them along for the morning.  

Please respond through Operoo which was sent to each family this week.

We hope to see you there!

Reminders

• Bikes and Scooters - Please walk bikes and scooters when moving through the school grounds.
• Punctuality - It is expected that all students are to be at school by no later than 8.45am.  From 8.30am to 8.45am is crucial for students to get themselves organised, start the day with prayer, take the roll and ready to commence their day promptly. Formal lessons begin at 8.45am. Any child who arrives at or after 8.45am is to be signed in at the office by a parent/guardian. I ask all parents to make sure that you adhere to these times.

2025 PREP ENROLMENTS

HAVE YOU ENROLLED YOUR CHILD FOR PREP 2025? 

If you have a child ready for Prep 2025, we encourage you to please put in an enrolment form as soon as possible. This will help us with organisation purposes. To access an enrolment form:

• Visit the enrolment section of our school website and download an enrolment form 

• Drop into the school office to collect and enrolment pack
• Email office@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au 

St. Andrew's Socials

Stay connected with our school through Facebook and Instagram.  Regular posts about what’s happening in our school.   We are very grateful for the skills and attention to detail our staff members, and Rosemary Restaino, give to our social channels so that we can share these with our school community.

2024 School Calendar 

The 2024 School Calendar is available on the School Website. It can be found mid-way down on the front page under the heading ‘WHAT’S ON’.   We will endeavour, where possible, to remain true to the dates on the 2024 calendar. We would recommend that parents make a regular visit to the school website to see updates on all school events.

Mrs Nicole Black

(Acting Principal)