From the Principal's Desk

Mrs David

Term 4  Week 6

2022 SCHOOL THEME - ‘MAKE A DIFFERENCE’

Dear Parents/Carers,

This year has been challenging for our families and school community. I have been impressed by the way our students have reconnected with each other and onsite school life. Some of our students have found friendships difficult after being in ‘lockdown’ for most of the previous two school years. I would like to acknowledge the amazing academic and emotional support that our staff provide for each of our students.

Throughout this year we have had and continue to have quite a bit of sickness amongst our staff and students. Thank you for your understanding if your child’s teacher has been absent.

Many businesses and families have been impacted financially by the Coronavirus pandemic and our school is no different.

Last September, the MACS Business Manager and I set the budgets for this year.  

We take into account the money received from the Government in the way of grants, however, the majority of the curriculum expences are taken from school fees.  We factor in the amount of fees we are expecting and this allows for the extra programs and the amazing resources that are available to our students in their classrooms.

It has been an incredibly tough time for many of our families during covid and we have had to support these families pastorally and financially.  We have had extreme costs of supplying devices so that all students were able to learn during periods of lockdown.  Needless to say, our budget was well over drawn during this time.

With this in mind, we now find that we are having to ask parents to ensure that their school fees are up to date and paid by the end of November.

If, for any reason, you are unable to bring your school fees into line, then we ask you to contact Mrs David.  All school fees conversations are strictly confidential.

Thank you for your understanding.

Community Christmas Carols

We are looking forward to celebrating the end of the 2022 school year with our Community Christmas Carols on Thursday 8th December from 3:30-5pm. Families are encouraged to dress up in the Christmas theme and bring along a picnic rug and afternoon tea to share as they sing along to our Christmas tunes in our quadrangle.

Remembrance Day

Everyone is welcome to join our students and staff to commemorate Remembrance Day on Friday 11th November. We will gather in the quadrangle from 10:45am for a prayer service (weather permitting). If need be we will host the service remotely. You are invited to join your child for this service in their classroom if it is online.

Coronavirus Update

New cases have been reported in our school community over the past couple of weeks.

The following information has been updated by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools -

It is strongly recommended that students:

• who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five days
• should not attend school after five days if still symptomatic
• who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school.

Where students become symptomatic at school, they should:

• be collected by their parents/carers
• undergo testing for COVID-19.

COVID-19 reporting requirements

The Department of Health recommends that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 should inform those with whom they have recently been in contact, including their workplace, school and household.

Schools are therefore asked to continue reporting positive COVID-19 cases to Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS).

RAT Kits are still available from our school office. Please come in and take some if you need them.

Term 4 Friday Mass

Parents/carers are welcome to join us for Mass at 9:15am on Fridays this term.

Morning Drop Off

Our staff have noticed that many students are being dropped off at school well before 8:30am.

Holy Family provides Before School Care from 7am-8:30am. If students arrive before 8:30am they must be booked into Before School Care. Please contact Camp Australia (1300 105 343) if you require more information about this service.

Students should not be dropped off at school until 8:30am when staff are scheduled to supervise them. This is the time that legal supervision commences.

Thank you for your support to ensure our students are safe.

Book Club - Term 4:

The Current issue of the Scholastic Book Club is out for Term 4. The Book Club catalogue has a different selection of books offered for all ages. Each order that is made helps earn free books and teaching materials for our classrooms.

Your child would have come home today with the catalogue for Term 4.

It is easy to order. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school and the books will be delivered to their class. 

You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/loop or by using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Please be aware that we will no longer be accepting cash orders through the school. All orders must be placed online using the scholastic website.

Orders are due by 5pm Friday 25th November.

Happy Reading!

Year 1/2 Camp Day

Our Year 1/2 students and staff traveled to Warburton last Friday to participate in their Outdoor Camp Day. The weather was just perfect for them with blue skies all day!

I am sure the students had many adventures to share with their families on their return to school at 7pm and over the weekend.

Prep Excursion

Our Preps are looking forward to their excursion to Science works on Friday 18th November.

Local Kindergarten Visits

I am looking forward to visiting a couple of our Kindergartens with some of our Year 3/4 students over the next two weeks. Our students will participate in activities with the children while at the kindergartens.

This is one way that we are trying to raise the profile of our school in the local community.

School Advisory Council AGM

Our School Advisory Council met last night to review the Council’s achievements in 2022.

Some of our achievements as a Council this year have been -

• The formation of subcommittees - ‘Community’, ‘Enrolments’ and ‘Maintenance’.
• Creating and seeking responses via surveys on topics such as ‘enrolments’ and ‘communication’ at Holy Family. These surveys provide feedback from our families to enable our school to continue to improve in all areas.
• The introduction of fortnightly Level Newsletters
• Commencement of ‘Coffee Mornings’
• Revising our school vision statement with staff and students
• Gathering information on ‘Mini-Vinnies’ and enrolling our school to join this project to enhance social justice initiatives
• Development of our ‘Kitchen Garden’

We look forward to welcoming more parents onto our subcommittees in 2023 so we can have a greater impact and achieve more.

I would like to thank the Council for their dedication and support -

• Father Justel
• Eithne King
• Nicole Mardell
• Stephanie Wood
• Daniel Trettel
• Julia Paszkowski
• Amelia Younane

Parents and Friends Committee AGM

Our Annual General Meeting for Parents and Friends will take place in the staffroom next week. On behalf of our school community I would like to thank this group for their support and fundraising towards our new playground.

• Parents and Friends AGM - Tuesday 15th November (7pm)

11 Year Boys Relay Team

Congratulations to four of our incredible athletes - Jack Beasley, Dylan Harris, Sebastian Filice and Jake Seo. Mrs Michelsson went along to support and watch these boys finish 5th in the 11yr boys 4x100m relay at the State Track and Field Championships, at Lakeside Stadium. 

It was impressive seeing Holy Family up on the scoreboard as they introduced each school being represented.

These boys did themselves, their families and our school proud and were acknowledged at our assembly last Monday.

Term 3 Chess Club Winners

Our community would like to congratulate our students who attend weekly Chess classes after school each Thursday.

The Chess Champions for Term 3 were -

• Nathaniel Samyue (1st)
• Mila McColl-Jones (2nd)
• Joshua McColl-Jones (3rd)

These students were awarded with their awards at assembly last Monday.

School Closure Day

Our students have the following school closure day -

• Friday 25th November (2023 Planning)

Some Key Dates (Term 4)

• Friday 11th November (Remembrance Day)
• Friday 11th November (Year 6 Summer Round Robin)
• Tuesday 15th November - 2023 Prep Transition (Session 4)
• Tuesday 15th November - Parents and Friends AGM (7pm)
• Tuesday 15th November (Year 3/4 Excursion Melbourne Zoo)
• Friday 18th November (Prep Excursion to Scienceworks)
• Tuesday 22nd November 2023 Prep Transition (Session 5)
• Friday 25th November (School Closure Day) 2023 Planning
• Monday 28th November - Friday 9th December (Prep-Year 4 Swimming Program)
• Wednesday 30th November - Transition (new students)
• Friday 2nd December - Mass/Celebration of Learning (Year 3/4)
• Thursday 8th December - Community Christmas Carols (3:30-5pm)
• Monday 12th December (Move Up Session 1)
• Tuesday 13th December (Move Up Session 2)
• Wednesday 14th December (Year 6 Graduation)
• Thursday 15th December (End of Year Mass 9:15am)
• Thursday 15th December (Last day - finish at 3:15pm)

Enrolments for 2023 Now Open

Don’t forget to pop into the office to get an enrolment form for Prep - Year 6  2023.

Enjoy your weekend,

Julie David (Principal)