Dear Families,

Our shortest day of the year is on 21st June and we’ll experience roughly 9 hours and 32 minutes of daylight in Melbourne. The Winter Solstice marks the point where the South Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun, delivering the fewest hours of daylight all year. Following the Winter Solstice, our days begin to lengthen, leading up to the Summer Solstice in December. Believe it or not, the Winter Solstice can have an impact on all aspects of well-being, from our mood to our sleep patterns. According to research, our brains’ serotonin levels are affected by exposure to daylight. So, when there’s little daylight in the run-up to the Winter Solstice, our serotonin levels can drop and leave us feeling down, bringing on the “Winter Blues”.

Exciting News...Its a Girl!

Congratulations to the Van Veen Family on the birth of their newest family member, Darcy Sophie van Veen! She arrived on Thursday 13th June, weighing 3.3kg! Mum and baby are both doing very well, and big brothers William and Max, are thrilled with their new little sister!

Highbury District Basketball Carnival

Congratulations to our Year 5/6 students who participated in the Highbury District Basketball Carnival at Nunawading today. We entered two teams and competed against St Luke’s, Parkhill, St Scholastica’s, Weeden Heights, and St Christopher’s in a round robin style competition. Well done to all involved. You represented our school with much energy and pride. A very big congratulations must go to our girls team who won the girls competition and will now go on to the division finals later in the year!

St Vincent de Paul Fundraiser - Guess the Lollies in the Jar!

As part of our fundraising for the Vinnies Winter Appeal, we are holding a “Guess the Lollies in the Jar” competition. There are two jars to be won and everyone will be able to guess before or after school next week. Guesses will cost $2 for two guesses, or you can have 6 guesses for $5! All funds raised will go directly to the 2024 St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. We will announce the winners next Friday 21st June.

Vinnies CEO Sleepout

Only 1 week to go until the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, and the forecast for next Thursday is an overnight low of 4 degrees and rain! With your donation, more people can access homelessness support services including accommodation — so they can start to rebuild their lives. Please donate to my Vinnies CEO Sleepout today!

https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/steve-evans

Celebration of Learning - Friday 21st June

Everyone is invited NEXT FRIDAY to join us to celebrate an amazing term of learning and reconnecting with each other. All classrooms will be open for everyone to engage with our staff and students to share in the students’ Celebration of Learning (9-10am), and you might also be able to see what has been happening in a couple of our redeveloped classrooms!

Semester One Reports & Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences

On Tuesday 25th June from 2pm to 5.30pm and Wednesday 26th June from 2pm to 6pm our Semester One Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences will take place for all students.

Semester One school reports will be distributed to all families on Friday 21st June. This will give families five days to dissect, interpret and absorb their child’s report, and bring discussion points to the Parent Teacher interview. Interviews are strictly for 15 minutes so please be on time as this will keep things flowing on the evening.

To book an interview with your child's classroom teacher please CLICK HERE or go to https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au and use the code kkjg2.

School Tours & Open Days

Since the announcement of the Emmaus College P-12 beginning next year, I have been swamped with school tours! Our final Open Day for term 2 will be held on:

Tuesday 18th June, 9.30am

Please feel free to share this date with anyone you know who wishes to enrol at Holy Saviour/Emmaus College. More dates will be announced in Term 3.

Prep 2025 Enrolments

We have had great interest in Prep for 2025, as well as other year levels, and we’ve had a good number of enrolments come through already. If you have a child who is eligible to start Prep in 2025, please submit your enrolment at your earliest convenience. This will enable us to develop a clear picture of classing and group sizes for 2025. Enrolments for 2025 are to be made through the Emmaus portal.

Catholic Secondary School Enrolment Applications

Key Enrolment Dates for Year 5 Students in 2024 starting Year 7 in 2026

The key enrolment dates for students in Year 5 in 2024 who will be starting Year 7 in 2026 have been agreed after consultation with the Executive of the Principals Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (PAVCSS).

The timeline of events and dates are as follows:

Monday 29th January 2024 – Applications open for students commencing Year 7 in 2026.

Friday 16th August 2024 – Applications will close.

Friday 18th October 2024 – Offers will be posted to prospective Year 7 applicants.

Friday 8th November 2024 – Final date for parents/carers to accept an offer made by a school.

Parents of Year 5 students in 2024, please diarise these dates so you don’t miss out.

Final Thoughts...Don’t Forget to Slow Down!

Over the past few weeks I have been going to bed later and later, 11 o’clock, 11:30, some nights even after midnight. Then I wonder why this week I am feeling tired and rundown! I know I’m not alone in this, especially at this time of year when we are all trying to fit in so much. There’s still only 24 hours in a day, some days I feel like I’m trying to squeeze an extra 8 hours out of a day. I need to keep reminding myself to slow down, sooner rather than later! Why? Because:

It’s good for you. Studies show that getting eight hours of sleep can actually lead to weight loss, not to mention the obvious fact that a well-rested mind leads to clearer thinking and better work.
It makes you more likable. If you’re always tired (because you are doing too much), chances are you are often cranky. Who wants to be around someone who’s always complaining or in a bad mood? Your friends, family, and colleagues will thank you if you take a nap or say “no” once in awhile.
It helps you focus on what really matters. It’s possible to strive so hard that you end up missing the most important things in life. When all you have are obligations, you forget to savor the special moments.

When we slow down, we make a few important declarations to the world (and to ourselves):

“I can’t do everything, but I can do the essential things.”
“My loved ones deserve my best, not my leftovers.”
“When I do less, I do better.”

Kind regards,

Steve Evans

Principal

Happy Birthday!