Galilee Newsletter

Principal's Report

Welcome

I welcome everyone back to an exciting year at Galilee. 2018 ended abruptly with the severe flooding that occurred. All of the damage has been repaired and we are in the process of improving the overflow capacity of our roof to cope with the next downpour. The precautionary work has been expensive but necessary. The community response was overwhelming and I thank everyone for their offers of assistance and positivity in the changes. It must have been very inconvenient for families to have the year end so suddenly but the responses we received were of care and understanding. I thank everyone concerned and hope that damage of that magnitude does not occur again at Galilee. The event really showed me the amazing qualities of our Galilee community. 

Beginning of Year Mass

This Friday from 2:15pm at Peter & Paul's Church we have our beginning of year Mass and the teachers will make a pledge to the school community.

Please note that the Prep students WILL NOT attend the Mass due to tiredness at the completion of their first week at school.

New Actions for 2019

At Galilee we have a goal of increasing the academic, social emotional and spiritual growth of the students. 

We gathered a lot of data in 2018 that helped us to prepare for 2019. We are student-focused and aim for a successful year for everyone.

Some of the new initiatives are listed below but not limited to:

  • a third Prep class
  • 40 minute recess/lunch breaks
  • one extra area open each day during recess/lunch
  • greater division of spaces offering more options for 'Prep only' areas
  • increased supervision by LSOs during recess/lunch
  • refined booking and administration of Parent Support Group Meetings
  • Community Conversations organised each term for parent feedback
  • A family night, for Maths and English
  • purchasing of portable basketball rings and other outdoor equipment
  • training prior to all sporting events (swimming training next week)
  • three new classroom teachers
  • three additional Learning Support Officers employed
  • an expansion of clubs during lunchtime: Choir, ICT, Sport and Debating
  • extra curricula activities planned for after school (TBA)
  • additional spaces created for instrumental lessons with new piano/keyboard teacher
  • a new staff Leadership Team
  • repairs to flood damage completed
  • school office painted and decorated
  • new contemporary furniture added to top floor to utilize corridors by Years 4, 5 & 6 (see photos below)
  • plans will be submitted for our future building program
  • staff overnight professional development with a focus on consistent teaching practice
  • additional English and Maths teachers in year levels to focus on increasing student academic growth
  • English and Maths Blocks
  • Digital Technology into classrooms rather than a specialist subject
  • expansion of Buddy Program
  • hosting Debating competition

Community Conversations

Last year we sought feedback from parents in our first Community Conversation. A follow-up session has been planned for March 18 (9-10am). Responses and actions, as a result of the feedback, will be shared with parents and you are strongly encouraged to attend. 

Please RSVP your attendance to Carmen Carnovale: ccarnovale@gsmelbournesth.catholic.edu.au

Student Leadership

Classrooms are currently selecting Social Justice and SRC (Student Representative Council) Leaders from each class. To be chosen, students can't be have been in that specific role in the previous two years. The SRC will be for six months as their meetings are held almost weekly. The Social Justice Leaders will hold the positions for one year. They will attend the St Patrick's Day Mass and meet with our RE Leader, Mrs Rochecouste. Students will be presented to the school community at our next assembly on Wednesday February 13th.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing for Years 3 & 5 will occur from May 14-16. This Monday from 9:15am our Year 3 students have been asked by CEM to practise the online NAPLAN testing to be released on the dates above. We will not get any results from Monday's testing but will provide valuable practice to our students and feedback to Catholic Education and ACARA (Assessment & Reporting Authority).

Recess/Lunch

Last year our breaks consisted of 30 minutes at Recess and 50 minutes at Lunch. Most accidents and disputes were occurring in the last 10 minutes of lunchtime. In 2019, we have introduced two separate breaks of 40 minutes and already we are seeing significantly less accidents and disputes. We are also trialing a staggered day of breaks later this term and will examine the results.We will keep you informed of how this progresses throughout the year.

School Fees

Late last year a letter was sent home outlining the scheduling options for the payment of fees. Being a Catholic school we do not get fully funded and rely upon the payment of fees for the running of student programs. It can also impact employment and the capacity to begin a building program. Families experiencing financial difficulty are always catered for, if they communicate with myself or Wendy. Some families have not reconciled 2018 school fees without communication. As a school, this leads to a lot of lost revenue and can hamper the future implementation of programs for all students. We encourage all families to communicate early with the school if you are experiencing difficulty. A Late Fee has been introduced in 2019 and outlined in recent communication sent home to families. 

PE change next week

Due to the Year 4 Camp and the Preps not at school on Wednesday, the Specialist Timetable has changed.  Students will need to wear their Sport Uniform on the following days next week:

 

Tuesday: Prep B, Prep E, Year 4, 1C, 2C

Wednesday:  Year 3, 6B

Thursday: Year 5, 1F, 2B, Prep S, 6F

 

All students are to wear their Sport Uniform on Friday as per normal.

Parent Information

At Galilee we send home communication through a weekly bulletin/newsletter, CareMonkey for permission forms and events, Dojo for messages or reminders and emails sent for important updates. You can keep up to date with school happenings through our parent calendar or the LED board at the front of the school http://www.gsmelbournesth.catholic.edu.au/page/179/Calendar

 

Below is the parent information book.

Galilee Parent Information Booklet 2019.pdf

Year 6 Leaders Introduction

The School Captains for 2019 are Ali and Alex.

A goal that they would like to accomplish this year is to make everyone at Galilee feel that they have a home in this school. The School Captains we will run assemblies, attend meetings but most importantly make school fun and safe for everyone.

The House Captains are in charge of the sporting equipment. They also assist with the sporting events that are held throughout the year. They will be working closely with Mr Tobin and Miss Burke. Your House Captains are Summer, Nicholas, Sofia, Dylan, Siena, Amelia, Ioanna and Bridget.

The Digital Technology leaders are in charge of keeping all of the technology relating devices in working order. They work with Mr Martello on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They help teachers with their technical difficulties. And finally, they are in charge of running the assembly slideshow.  Your Digital Technology Leaders are Artyon and Jaxson.

The STEM leaders are in charge of assisting teachers with organising STEM excursions, worksheets, whole school projects and class projects, they will also be involved with the set up and running of the Kitchen Garden. They will be working closely with Miss Evans and Miss Fahy. The STEM leaders for 2019 are Ethan and Marco.

The Performing Arts leaders work closely with Miss Carnovale. They are in charge of organising events and activities that involve performing arts this year. If you have any questions about the performing arts program please feel free to come to The Performing Arts leaders Abby and Aloysia.

Sofia and Tivona are the Visual Art leaders of 2019. They assist Mrs Orr, the Art teacher, with keeping the Art Room and helping organise events like the Galilee Art Show.

The Well-Being Leaders  go around the school and make sure all the students are feeling happy and safe. They also help organise events like grandparents day and much much more throughout the year. Make sure you say hello to Emily and Sandy.

The Social Justice Leaders are Drew and Cody. They are there to help if there any arguments or problems in school. They will show kindness and listen to everyone involved in the situation and will be there for you whenever you need them! They will also work with Mrs Rochecouste.

The Library Leaders are responsible for taking care of the library. They make sure the library is tidy and all books are put in the correct place. They also help Tegan and Mr Martello with Book Week and anything else related to books! Even ask them for recommendations for new and exciting books to read! The Library Leaders are Noah, Aleeya, Raijeli and Isabella.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Richard, our drum teacher, and his partner who were married in December.

Engagement

Congratulations to Miss Carnovale and Kingsley on their recent engagement on a beach in Hawaii. Kingsley is a primary teacher and previously completed CRT work at Galilee. We wish them both every success in the planning of their wedding to be held later this year.

Simon Millar

Principal at Galilee