Messages

Parent Dear Families,

It has been wonderful to see such exciting learning occurring across the school. Although there are many foci, major prorities in 20222 are in Mathematics and STEM.

Today we created two films of students and staff outlining our major priorities for 2022. Unfortunately, the first video will not be available till a later date. However, you are strongly recommended to watch the second one below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VWLMAzakLiHReEvaUD1WsACjErSOIAbs/view?usp=sharing

It has been wonderful to gradually welcome back parents onsite, in mornings and during assemblies. A number of exciting social gatherings have been planned by the Galilee Parent Association. Families are strongly recommended to engage with the school as often as possible.

 Many classes experiencing inconsistent staffing due mainly to COVID-related retrictions. There is a lack of Casual Relief Teachers across Melbourne making this a difficult task at times. Sometimes staff have been away while attending professional development but after the previous two years, we consider this critical to the learning of our staff and students. Thankyou for your patience throughout 2022.

Wellbeing

By understanding how to create patterns for your brain to look for, you will improve how you learn and think. Your brain thrives on finding patterns by reading over what you did in class each night at home, you will create such patterns. This doesn't take up much time, but the rewards from doing this intelligent process every night will benefit your memory. Your brain quickly forgets things it doesn't see more than once. 

Prep News

During our Inquiry unit on Rights and Responsibilities this term, we learnt about groups in our community who keep us safe such as the police, fire fighters and paramedics.

On Tuesday 22nd March, the three Prep classes received a visit from Belinda who is not only a paramedic but mum to Galilee student, Lucy.

Belinda shared with us some of the things that she does as a paramedic to keep us safe. She showed us the bag she takes out in the ambulance with her. We learnt that she might need to bandage someone or take them to hospital. When we asked Belinda who she has helped before we were amazed to learn that she has not only helped people but a variety of animals including dogs. 

Belinda taught us that it is important to know the number 000 so we can call it if we ever have an emergency!

We had so many questions for Belinda which she kindly answered for us. Some lucky students even got to dress up in some of the clothes worn by paramedics.

Thanks again Belinda! We learnt so much from your visit.

Sport Reports

Year 6 Lawn Bowls Competition - By Daniela

“Yaaaaaaaaaaay!” we exclaimed as we heard the ecstatic news that we had won the first annual Emerald Hill lawn bowls cup.

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and we were ready for a day filled with fun.

Throughout the day each team played 3 matches for 50 minutes each against teams from South Melbourne Park Primary. They had some great teams but in the end we came through with a win. Huge congratulations to Bamlak, Karin and Wendy for coming first out of 10 teams.

We have some good news for the Year 5’s and the next Year 6 classes to come. 

We will be continuing the Emerald Hill Lawn Bowls competition for years to come. A massive thank you to Mr Hill, Jack and all of the people who helped organize the day and made it so amazing.

Cross Country - By Eva

“Woo hoo!! GO!” We all screamed as people were crossing the finish line at cross country.

Friday was cross country day! We all went down to Murphy Reserve for an eventful day of cheering and clapping.

The first race of the day was the 12 girls race, which was 3km and then the 12 boy race which was the same distance. Next was the 9- 10 boy and girl races, which was 2km. Then the other age group, the 11 girls and boys raced. 

And all the people who came top 10 in their race will make it to the Dendy competition later in the year.

Overall everyone had smiles on their faces and had a great time. 

But the team that won was… Saints Green.

Easter Raffle & Hamper

Easter Hamper Donations               

Easter Hamper prizes will be given out on the last day of Term 1 (next Friday 8th April) to the lucky winners of our Easter Raffle!

We are hoping to give out at least one hamper prize per class so we are asking for donations of Easter bunnies and Easter eggs 

(We recognise some children have food allergies, we will try to accommodate this where possible).

Please drop donations in the tub outside school each morning or to the office by Friday 1st April.                       

Raffle will be drawn during school hours on the final day of Term 1.

 Easter Raffle Tickets           

A reminder to hand in your envelopes with raffle tickets and money  to the school office by 

Tuesday 5th April.

*Additional raffle tickets will be available at the school office if you wish to purchase more.

There is no obligation to purchase tickets.

Mother's Day Luncheon Donations

It’s nearly that time of year to celebrate our mums! The Mother’s Day Luncheon is fast approaching. If you would like to donate to the Mother’s Day raffle or have a voucher/samples for the gift bag please complete the google form and a member of the Galilee Parents’ Association will be in touch. We thank you in advance for your contribution to our mums! https://forms.gle/fK5dYnQAN91JykNB7

Parent/Teacher Conferences for Year 1-6 

We acknowledge the importance of home-school partnerships and invite you to attend the upcoming Parent Teacher Conferences for families with students in Year 1-6. Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday 4th April from 12:30pm-7:00pm (school finishing at 12 noon on Monday 4th April for students in Year 1-6) and Wednesday 6th April from 3:45-5:00pm (school will remain open as normal on Wednesday 6th April).  *Please note, Prep Families attended a Meet and Greet Conference with the teacher at the start of the term and are not offered a Parent Teacher Conference at this time. Prep students will finish at normal time on Monday 4th April.

Information has been sent home previously and bookings can currently be made on PTO.

The Parent Teacher Conferences will go for a period of TEN minutes. Students are welcome to attend the conferences but are not required to attend. 

Parent Teacher Conferences are offered as either an on-site, face-to-face conference or as a virtual Google Meet conference. You will be able to allocate your preference in a Google Form, via a link that Tegan emailed out earlier today. Parents attending onsite will need to show evidence of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the school building. Parents attending the virtual meeting will receive a link emailed by the class teacher. Links will be emailed the day of the Parent Teacher Conference. 

These scheduled conferences will provide an opportunity for a discussion about student achievement, student progress, behaviour and work habits, areas of future growth and ways students will be supported at school and may be supported at home. The purpose is to create a stronger partnership between home and school and ensure that families are on the same page as teachers and can work in a collaborative way to support student learning.

If students are not able to attend the conferences, we encourage you to talk to them prior to the conference about their learning; asking them what they are proud of and any areas they would like to improve.  After the conference, we encourage you to talk to your child about their learning; expressing positively about their achievements and positively about the different ways they will be supported to continue to learn.

Teachers will be instructed to make another time if parents raise other concerns not linked to Student Learning or request detailed information about specific assessment. There will not be time to go through each assessment in the 10 minute conference, teachers will only be providing families with an overview of learning achievement at this time. Parents are reminded of our Parents, Visitors and Volunteers Policy on our website and that all interactions need to occur in a respectful manner.

Our teachers look forward to meeting with you at school for the Parent Teacher Conferences.

Galilee Parent Association

We're thrilled to announce our Galilee Parent Association roles for 2022:

The roles of President and Vice President: Danielle Gordon and Peta Langford

Secretary: Sonia Pandolfo

Treasurer:  Tim Gerrand

Executive Member: Monica De Ubago

Year Level Parent Reps will also be invited to Committee Meetings. 

Hot Cross Bun Drive at Galilee

Thank you so much for your hot cross bun orders. We have had a great response from the school community.

Those who have placed orders, will be sent home with their Hot Cross Buns next Wednesday 6th April. 

Uniform Transition

From the beginning of Term Two, 2022, all students except those in Year 6 2022 are expected to be in the new uniform.

The woollen jumper, rugby top, blue pants / shorts and school bag can all be worn/used for the duration of its lifetime as it is similar to the new item or unchanged.

Here is the complete letter regarding the uniform which was emailed to families on Tuesday. To allow for the change in weather, a transitional time is allowed to move from Summer to Winter uniform. All students will need to be in the new Winter uniform by Monday May 9, the beginning of Week Three.

Second Hand Uniform

Carla will be out the front of school with her boot open collecting the older style of uniform next Wednesday 6th April from 8.35-8.50.

Wednesday 27th April is the LAST collection day for older style uniforms out the front of the school 8.35-8.50am. After this date, the school and second hand uniform shop will no longer accept the old style of uniform.

Summer to Winter Uniform

During the two weeks of Term 2, students will have the option to wear summer or winter uniform as the weather slowly transitions to cooler temperatures. 

On Monday 9th May all students are expected to be wearing the new Winter Uniform. 

Parent Helpers in the Classrooms

On Monday we held the first of our Parent Helpers’ Workshops. Tomorrow will be the last session for parents who are new to helping in the classroom at Galilee. The link to the online workshop is on the Parent Calendar. You will be required to attend one of these workshops, if you have not attended a Parent Helper course in the past and if you are interested in assisting in the classroom this year.  The workshop will go for approximately half and hour.

You will need a current Working With Children’s Check, triple vaccination certificate and an availability to assist at a set time once a week or once per fortnight. For example, every Tuesday morning or every second Thursday between 10-11am. This will help teachers with forming a roster and knowing who will be helping on particular days. A committed time once a week is usually preferable as it allows both the teacher and the Parent Helper to develop a professional relationship to support all the students in the class. It also allows the Parent Helper to develop skills by working at regular times and thus knowing the routines and expectations of the class. If you are only able to help in the classroom occasionally, this is fine too.

If you have attend the Parent Helper Course in previous years, hold a current Working with Children's Check, a triple COVID-19 vaccination certificate and are interested in helping in the classrooms again this year, we will be seeking your availability in early Term 2. 

We continue to value all the support and assistance from Parent Helpers and thank you in anticipation.

Premiere Reading Challenge Checklist

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who generously donated baby blankets, wraps, beanies, mittens etc. for the babies in need at The Royal Children’s Hospital. They are blown away with the amount of donations.

Harmony Day at Galilee

Thank you for making Harmony Day at Galilee such a success. It was wonderful to see students and staff dress up and participate in activities relating to living harmoniously in Australia.

Galilee Parent App

We’re very pleased to inform you that our school is implementing a phone app called Updat-ed that will make connecting with you so much more convenient. The app will be launched in Term 2 but you can download it now. To download the app just visit the App Store for iPhones or Google Play for Android’s. Search for Updat-ed by sponsor-ed and from the menu select our school. We’ll receive your registration request and will need to approve you before your app is up and running.

So what will the app do?

The app’s great for sending out alerts and reminders with one of its best features being the ability to save events directly into your phone’s calendar. Letters will be stored for easy access at a later date.

Year 3 Reconciliation

This week many of the Year 3 students received the sacrament of First Eucharist at StsPP church. The students were so beautifully prepared by their teachers and families. The students’ faces indicated their happiness after receiving this sacrament.

A very big thank you to Father Gary who was only too happy to cater for all the students at Galilee. Sue Kidd is a parishioner at StsPP and volunteers her time as a catechist. She comes into the classrooms to help the teachers prepare the students to receive the sacraments. Both Father Gary and Sue Kidd’s 

time, dedication and contributions are greatly appreciated.

We also really appreciate the professionalism, care and dedication of the Year 3 teachers: Mr. Daniel Booth, Mrs Cassandra Gleason and Mrs. Bianca Latto and their contributions in preparing the students. 

Thank you also to the staff at Galilee who collectively have shown their support of the Year 3 students and their families either in attendance at the ceremonies and teaching Reconciliation and forgiveness in their Religious Education lessons.

Donations to Friar’s kitchen

As we come towards the end of the term and the end of Lent, we would like to support the Friar’s kitchen which is a part of the St Peter and Paul's parish. The Friar‘s kitchen operates to provide home cooked meals for people living in the area who may be lonely or less fortunate than ourselves.

The social justice leaders in Year Six as well as the social justice leaders in the year levels have met and discussed this. They have made and decorated posters and placed these around the school. 

If you are able to provide any non-perishable items, could you please drop them off or ask your child to place them in the library foyer no later than Wednesday 6th April. Next week the Social Justice Leaders and the Yr. 3 students will take them to the Friar’s kitchen on the school’s behalf. 

Many thanks in advance for any support you can give. Please note that the Capuchin Friar’s and parish volunteers are most appreciative of Galilee’s generosity.

Helen Rochecouste (REL and Yr 4 teacher)

The last day of term will conclude at 1:30PM.

Best wishes,

Simon Millar