From the Principal

Dear Families,

I think you will agree, we have had a spectaluar start to Term 2 at Galilee.

Students have returned from holidays with a renewed energy and enthusiam. Our Parent community has returned with an impressive list of community events that they are preparing this term, starting with Mother's Day. Our staff have returned excited to re-enage with their students in new learning opprotnities. This term staff are invovled in a range of professional development opportunities including; Leadership, English - Balanced Literacy and Mathematics - Cognatively Demanding Tasks. These opportunies ensure that our staff are up to date with current best practice in learning and teaching and that our students are enaged in.

Fr. Bob Maguire

On Friday, I had the privilege of attending Father Bob Maguire’s state funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne. Father Bob was Parish Priest of Sts. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church from 1973 to 2012. He was the foundation Priest at Galilee, and named our school back in 1994 when Galilee was established.

Fr Bob formed the reputation as a social activist through his devotion to help those who need it most. He was enormously generous in his contribution to the community and this was no different in his connection to Galilee. He supported the school and sought to support students and families in need, even after he retired from Sts. Peter and Paul. Our School Hall has been named after Fr. Bob Maguire because of his contribution to the children at Galilee. He continued to visit the school and was most recently seen, at the Galilee for our School Concert late last year.

Fr. Bob always supported those in need and was never afraid to speak out for what he believed was right. These are two qualities that live on within the walls of Galilee; where students are encouraged to speak out for what they believe is right and always look out for others and support those around them.

What people have said about Fr Bob:

He was a passionate advocate for the poor and vulnerable, and he never stopped fighting for their rights.
He had a unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life, and he always had a kind word and a listening ear for anyone who needed it.
He was a true inspiration to those who worked with him, and his dedication to social justice continues to inspire people today.
He was a visionary who saw the potential in everyone, no matter how difficult their circumstances, and he worked tirelessly to help them realize that potential.
He was a man of great integrity, who lived out his values every day, and who always put the needs of others before his own.

Overall, Bob Maguire is widely respected and admired for his lifetime of service and his unwavering commitment to social justice.

We feel grateful that we at Galilee, had the opportunity to be led by someone who put community at the forefront and made decisions with his heart; always looking to support and help those in need.

Tae Yoon's Return to School

Today we welcomed Tae Yoon back to school. Tae Yoon has spent much of the past year in and out of the Royal Children's Hospital, recovering from surgery. Tae's classmates gathered at the gate this morning to form a guard of honor to welcome him back.

New Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (VGSA) & Time in Lieu Impact on Galilee

Last year a new Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA) was approved which requires a number of changes relating to teacher workloads. One of the new practices include ensuring Time-In-Lieu for teaching staff, where work is undertaken outside their normal working week. There has been some commentary in the community that these requirements may impact the ability for schools to continue some activities such as overnight camps.

However at Galilee, we have worked through these requirements and will be able to manage them in a way that avoids any major impact to the activities that occur outside of normal school hours while still ensuring staff receive time-in-lieu for any additional hours they are required to work. This means that activities such as school camps, concerts & parent teacher interviews will continue as normal with minimal disruptions.

- Simon Millar