Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Friends

Following all the excitement of Book Week, we have another action-packed week ahead at St Carlo’s as we prepare for our Whole School Production – Journey Together: The Greatest Adventure!  It certainly promises to be the greatest of adventures! Our students have worked incredibly hard, rehearsed so well and are very excited to finally share their performance with you.

Our performances will be held at the Clocktower Centre on:

• Wednesday 2 September – Cast A
• Thursday 3 September – Cast B

Student need to arrive at the Clocktower by 6:00 p.m. Staff will be on hand to welcome them and supervise them. The Centre opens for parents and guests at 6:30 p.m. and everyone needs to be seated by 6:50 p.m. ready for the performance to commence at  7:00 p.m. Please arrive early as parking can be challenging!

A huge thank you to Mrs Milan and Mrs Barca for the enormous amount of work they have put into bringing this production together. Thank you also to all our staff for the time, energy and enthusiasm they have given to rehearsals and preparations. It has truly been a whole-school effort.

There are now only a small number of tickets remaining, so if you would like to invite grandparents, extended family or friends, please purchase them as soon as possible. Both performances are very close to selling out!

And remember, this Friday is a School Closure Day, so there will be no school for students. After two big nights on stage, I think everyone will appreciate the opportunity to rest and recover!

Book Week

One of the highlights of the St Carlo’s calendar is always Children’s Book Week, and what a wonderful celebration we enjoyed this year!

Our Book Week Celebration Day last Thursday was filled with colour, laughter and plenty of book-inspired magic. A huge thank you to all our staff for embracing the week with such enthusiasm, and particularly to our Literacy Leaders, Mrs Fimiani and Mrs Travanca, for their wonderful organisation.

The Book Week Parade was certainly a highlight. From our youngest students through to our older children, and even our toddlers, we saw an incredible collection of creative costumes. Classic storybook characters, modern favourites and some very imaginative creations all came to life. The smiles and excitement said it all. Our students truly embraced this year’s theme, “Symphony of Stories,” and celebrated their love of books and reading in the best possible way.

Thank you also to our wonderful Parents & Friends Association for organising the special Book Week food orders. They were a delicious addition to the celebrations, and we greatly appreciate all the work that went into making the day extra special.

Father’s Day Stall

Our wonderful Parents & Friends Association will be running our annual Father’s Day Stall tomorrow.

Students will have the opportunity to purchase a special gift for their dad, grandfather or another important person in their life, with gifts ranging from $1.00 to $15.00. For younger students, please place their money in a clearly labelled purse or zip-lock bag to help keep it safe. We also ask that students bring a plastic bag to carry their gifts home.

A big thank you to our P&F for once again organising this much-loved event for our students and families.

Annual Father’s Day Breakfast Next Monday

Don’t forget to book via QKR! by this Wednesday.

Next Monday 7th September, we will celebrate the wonderful dads, grandfathers and special men who play such an important role in the lives of our students.

We warmly invite you to join us for our annual Father’s Day Breakfast, with bacon and egg rolls and a selection of fresh fruit.

8:15 am – 9:10 am | Father’s Day Breakfast

• Join us in the School Hall for breakfast. All dads, grandfathers, special men and students are warmly welcome. Students will return to their classrooms at 8:50 am.

9:10 am – 9:40 am | Classroom Activity

• Following breakfast, dads, grandfathers and special guests are invited to visit their child/ren in the eldest sibling’s classroom to take part in a special Father’s Day family activity.

We always have a wonderful turnout for this special morning and look forward to once again celebrating all the important men in the lives of our students.

Greenvale District Athletics 

Congratulations to all our talented students who proudly represented St Carlo’s at the Greenvale District Athletics Carnival. Every student gave their very best and demonstrated wonderful determination, sportsmanship and school spirit.

We are thrilled that a number of our athletes have now progressed to the Woodlands Division Team at Region Cross Country Championships on Thursday 3rd September at Meadowglen International Athletics Stadium - a fantastic achievement!

A special thank you to Mr Cummins for the time and effort he has put into preparing our athletes, and to Ms Sardo and Mrs Antonello for their wonderful support on the day.

Well done to everyone involved. You have made us very proud!

MACSSIS - Family School Improvement Survey

Each year, we take the opportunity to listen to our students, families and staff to understand what we are doing well and where we can continue to improve.

At St Carlo’s, we greatly value the voice of our families. Your feedback helps us reflect on our practices, celebrate our strengths and identify priorities for the future.

Families are now invited to participate in the annual Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS). You will have received an email from ORIMA Research last Friday, with information and instructions for completing the online survey.

We strongly encourage all families to take a few minutes to participate. The more families who complete the survey, the more meaningful and representative the results will be.

The feedback we receive through MACSSIS is genuinely used to inform our school improvement planning and priorities for the coming years.

More information can be found on your Audiri App.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts and for continuing to work in partnership with us to make St Carlo’s the very best school it can be.

Year Four Camp

Last week, the first group of our Year 4 students enjoyed their first overnight camp experience at Scienceworks, and they had a wonderful time! Highlights included an awe-inspiring visit to the Planetarium, the excitement of the Sportsworks activities including: racing Cathy Freeman and exploring the many interactive displays and technology exhibits. The Fiesta dinner was another favourite. Of course, for many students the best part was simply spending time with their friends - sharing meals, enjoying free time together and experiencing the excitement of a real sleepover!

When asked about their favourite part, many students simply replied, “Everything!”

The remaining Year 4 students will enjoy their Scienceworks camp next week, and we hope they have an equally wonderful experience. Thank you to our wonderful staff: Miss Ferla, Miss Galati, Mrs Kuric, Mrs Roberto and Mrs Antonello, for giving up their time to providing this experience for the students.

Footy Colours Day – Friday 11 September

Next Friday is our annual Footy Colours Day! Students are invited to celebrate their favourite sporting team by wearing their team colours to school. Students may wear a jumper, scarf, beanie or other team item from any sporting code they support, including AFL, soccer, NRL and more. Please note that face paint and coloured hairspray are not permitted.

Our wonderful Parents & Friends have also organised another special food day to help make the celebration even more enjoyable. Details were sent home today.

Ordering is completely optional, but for families who do choose to participate, all proceeds will go towards supporting our school.

We look forward to another fun and colourful day at St Carlo’s!

School Fees

Thank you to the many families who have now paid their school fees in full or are maintaining their agreed payment arrangements.

School fees are an important part of enabling us to meet our financial commitments and continue providing the programs, resources and facilities our students enjoy.

If you have an outstanding account and are experiencing difficulty meeting your payments, please contact me. We are always happy to discuss your circumstances and can arrange a direct debit or suitable payment plan.

Unfortunately, families with significantly overdue accounts who have not responded to our previous requests for payment or contacted the school to make arrangements may be referred to our external fee collection agency in the coming weeks.

I encourage anyone with an outstanding balance to contact us before this occurs.

Dogs & Other Animals on School Grounds 

We understand the special place pets have in family life and the joy they bring to many of our children.  However, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, staff and visitors, we remind families that dogs and other animals are not permitted on school grounds. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

School Closure Day

A reminder that this Friday is a school closure day. There will be no school for students.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support and for the many ways you contribute to our wonderful school community. We have a very exciting week ahead, and I cannot wait to see our students shine on stage!

Wishing you and your family a safe and happy week ahead. May St Carlo Borromeo continue to watch over and bless our Parish and school community.

Kevin Gleeson.

Happy Father's Day

We hope all our fathers, and special male role models in our lives had a wonderful Father's Day on Sunday. 

Father's Day Blessing 

May God Bless you and reward you in your very special role as fathers. May it always be for you a joy and a privilege. May you cherish your children as unique and precious gifts from God. May you always love and forgive them, as God loves and forgives you. May you be quick to praise and slow to find fault, and may you be wise in all your decisions. May God reward you abundantly for all your care and fatherly love. May God bless all our fathers who have gone to their rest. May they find comfort and joy in the arms of their Heavenly Father, through Christ our Lord. AMEN