Newsletter Address ~ Term 2, Week 9

Prayer for Winter.

Blessed are you, winter, dark season of waiting,

you affirm the dark seasons of our lives,

forecasting the weather of waiting in hope.

Blessed are you, winter, you faithfully guard a life unseen,

calling those who listen deeply to discover winter rest.

Blessed are you, winter, frozen and cold on the outside,

within your silent, nurturing womb you warmly welcome

all that longs for renewal. Blessed are you, winter, your bleak,

barren trees preach wordless sermons about emptiness and solitude.

Blessed are you, winter, you teach us valuable lessons

about waiting in darkness with hope and trust.

Blessed are you, winter, season of blood red sunsets

and star-filled, long, dark nights, faithfully you pour

out your beauty. Blessed are you, winter, when your tiny

snowflakes flurry through the air, You awaken our sleeping souls.

Blessed are you, winter, with your wild and varied moods,

So intent on being yourself, you refuse to be a people-pleaser.

Blessed are you, winter, when ice storms crush our hearts and homes,

You call forth the good in us as we rush to help one another.

Blessed are you, winter, your inconsistent moods often challenge

Spring’s arrival, yet how gracefully you step aside when her time has come.

Author: Joyce Rupp from The Circle of Life

With winter well and truly upon us, I must say how good our students look in their winter uniform. I am very proud of the way the students wear their uniform with pride. Cold, frosty mornings usually means a sunny day, let us turn our faces to the sun and smile knowing that spring is only three months away! Stay warm, happy and positive.

Farewell Wendee!

After 17 years as a Crossing Supervisor and 6 years at St Mel’s, our much-loved Wendee is retiring. We are going to miss her beautiful welcome in the mornings, her warm smile and for always keeping us safe. Best Wishes Wendee ~ we look forward to seeing you when you pop in to say hi.

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Friends of St Mel’s

This will be our final newsletter for the term. It’s hard to believe we have come to the end of term 2 and we are halfway through the school year. Thankfully, despite high staff and student absences this term, interruptions to student learning have been kept to a minimum. Fingers crossed next term we will see fewer staff and students away because of illness.

Congratulations to our 3-4 students who attended Camp Alexandra last week, Wednesday 14th – Friday 16th June. School camps are a wonderful experience for students and help to build independence and resilience. From all accounts the 3-4 camp was a wonderful experience for all involved and the kids had a ball. Thank you to Hannah Chasemore who coordinated the camp and to all staff who attended for making sure our students were well cared for and supported.

Congratulations also to our 5-6 students who attended the Festival of the Sacred last Tuesday in Kyabram. Our students shone and were part of a chorus of schools in our Deanery. These opportunities help to grow our student’s confidence and artistic skills. Michael Mandoo had a solo part of which he sang in front of the entire stadium, an amazing effort and we were super proud.

The grade 1-2 Wellness Day on Tuesday was a huge success. We had many parents and guardians in attendance who were treated to a few hours of peacefulness, tranquility, wellness, and relaxation. Our 1-2 students have been learning what it means to care for our bodies and minds and how this helps our health and wellbeing. Shout out to Katie Ferrari, Mary-Jo DeRose, Cara, Laura, Jane, Joe, Ayva, Bridie and all those who volunteered to help out. Great effort team!!!

The above examples highlight teaching is an incredible vocation. The rewards are many. Seeing the children grow and learn over the course of a year is one the biggest rewards teachers get. At St Mel’s we see this often. Sometimes learning is obvious, sometimes it’s subtle but when you see it you can’t help but get excited.

As I’ve been reading student reports, I am immensely proud of the progress our students have been making. Whether it’s progression with reading, learning new skills in mathematics or being able to write a few sentences, our students are working hard to improve. Developing independence through the assets of learning are key to being successful. Remember not all students are the same and they may progress at different rates. More importantly we must always encourage our children to try their best, work hard and celebrate their successes with them. This is what encourages kids to try even harder. When you receive your child’s report at the end of the term, please celebrate with them and help your child set goals on what else can be achieved.

Happiness and feeling good about yourself defines authentic learning. Please take the time to ask your children what they like about school or what type of learner they are. You’ll be glad you did. Some children like to learn independently or like to work with others or enjoy spending one-to-one time with their teachers. When students discover how best they learn they become better learners. I’ve included below details of the learning assets we want our students to develop. These assets are part of our philosophy and help drive our learning and teaching approaches.

All children should now be in full winter uniform. Thank you, parents, for making sure that your children come to school each day dressed in correct uniform. Our uniform plays an important part in setting the culture of our school and I really appreciate your support on this. Several items are available in our second-hand uniform shop and a full list of our winter school uniform can be found on our website.

Do your best. Respect our school. Help others succeed.

School will resume on Monday 10th July.Enjoy the holidays.

ICAS ~ Term 3 2023

We’re delighted to inform you that we will be participating in ICAS again this year, to recognise and reward students’ academic achievement. The assessments are now fully online and sitting dates will commence in Term 3. Learn more by visiting icasassessments.com.

URGENT REMINDER!!! Medical Update ~ Asthma Plans & Anaphylaxis Plans

If your child suffers from Asthma or Anaphylaxis, please remember to send in an updated Asthma Plan or Anaphylaxis Plan. These MUST BE arranged through your family GP. Without an updated plan your children will not be able to participate in school functions

SA Kitchen Garden

Our SA Garden and Gardeners Need Your Help!