From the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are over the halfway point of Term Two and have officially entered the season of Winter.
In recent weeks, the school office has noticed that student absenteeism has increased, with illness being the most common reason given. Some of our staff have also been struck down with sickness, increasing the number of casual relief teaching staff needed. Sometimes, split class arrangements have been made due to a need for more available replacement teaching staff.
I want to acknowledge that it can be unsettling for students in classrooms to have a different teacher or class arrangement in these circumstances. However, students, on the whole, have responded and accepted these arrangements, showing great resilience in these times.
This coming long weekend comes at a great time for our school community to provide a short pause for students and their families from the school routines. I hope it gives you some time to spend with family and friends or, in some cases, a break from weekend sports!
Year 5 Camp - Alexandra Adventure Camp
Last week our Year Five students and teachers embarked on a two-night camp to Alexandra Adventure Camp. Whilst the weather was cool and foggy at times, the rain held off so that students could participate fully in all the exciting activities and experiences.
The camp finished with a visit to Yarra Glen’s McKenzies Playground and Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, where our students were complimented for their polite and well-mannered behaviour. Thank you to all the staff who attended camp, spending time away from their families and loved ones so that the students could enjoy these “outside the classroom” learning experiences. Check out our social channels for photos and more information about the time away.
School Advisory Council
The St Simon’s School Advisory Council (SAC) meets 6-8 times a year and plays an important role in supporting me as principal and our leadership team in the operation of our school. The SAC members are Fr Jerald Mariadas (Parish Priest), Suzy Denis (Chair), Jo Zaharopoulos (Secretary). Sarah Cahill, Rocco Caia, Aaron Perera, Paul Spooner, Pauline Kellett, Rebecca O’Keefe, Hedy Carvalho (DP), Monica Rayner (DP) and Tom Wursthorn (Principal).
Last Tuesday, the Council discussed some of the community engagement activities valued by families and other opportunities for us to explore. We also developed a shared understanding of the current enrolment trends and broader community circumstances that may impact our school enrolment activity.
The informative discussion assisted the leadership with further decision-making and considerations.
Parents’ Association
Our wonderful parents’ association continues to support the community spirit of our school community with ongoing support for food service days, including our recent Pizza Day last Friday. The PA volunteers wrangled over 700 slices for our students on the day, which is no small task!
Keep your eye out for an invitation to a fantastic opportunity for mums and dads to come together for a night of social fun on Friday, August 2nd. Watch this space!
Go Pink Cancer fundraiser - Mason Rajher
One of our year 6 students, Mason Rajher, is participating in the GO PINK campaign, a fundraising activity for cancer research. Please see the information below if you would like to support this worthy cause. Well done, Mason!
https://fundraise.nbcf.org.au/s/109633/142364
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data NCCD (additional funding for students’ needs)
Please find information in this document that explains how the NCCD process supports schools nationwide to receive additional funding to support learning for student’s with a disability.
If you have any questions about NCCD, how it works or are wondering how it might support my child’s learning, then please contact me to make a phone appointment or set up an in-person meeting.