Messages

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 3. It was wonderful to see the students stream through the front gate on Tuesday morning ready to learn and eager to reconnect with their friends and teachers.

We would like to welcome two new staff members who have joined Galilee this term. We welcome Tamara Donnellan and Eimear Godfrey to our teaching staff. Tamara Donnellan is our new Performing Arts teacher, replacing Carmen Carnovale who will soon commence Maternity Leave. Eimear Godfrey is teaching Year 5 this term, replacing Annabel Coome who is on leave for Term 3. Both Tamara and Eimear come to us with rich and varied experiences and we feel very lucky to have them working with us at Galilee. 

On Monday the staff gathered for a day of Professional Development. Teachers received training on the Victorian Curriculum, the Inquiry approach to learning and teaching and they started to write a revised and updated Learning and Teaching Plan that will be implemented in 2022. 

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday representatives from Year 5 and 6 participated in inter-school Soccer, Netball and Football competitions. We are extremely proud of the efforts of our students, not only was their sportsmanship exceptional but their perseverance, teamwork and skill is to be commended. Thank you to the teachers and parents who coached and supported our students. 

You may have noticed over the holidays that our new building is starting to take shape. Large concrete panels have been installed and have given us an understanding of just how big and wonderful our new building is going to be. With a full sized basketball court, new rooms and rooftop playground it is going to give our students access to the most sensational facilities. 

Our school calendar is continually full of the large range of events that will take place at school. In Term 3 we have Student - Parent - Teacher Conferences, Book Week, Science Week, NAIDOC activities, Grandparents Day, First Eucharist, Confirmation, Father’s Day celebrations and Footy Colours day, just to name a few. We encourage you to read the Newsletter, keep up to date with Dojo’s sent by classroom teachers and familiarise yourself with the school calendar so that you don't miss anything. 

You may have noticed that someone has been missing at school this week - Mr. Millar is on pre-approved long service leave. He is spending the time with his family. We hope he has a relaxing and restful break and we look forward to him being back at school soon. 

Student - Parent - Teacher Conferences

Student - Parent - Teacher Conferences will be held next Monday 19th July and Wednesday 21st July. Ensure you have booked a time through PTO for a conference with your child's teacher and please remember all students finish at 1.15-1.30pm on Monday 19th.

GOSH will be open from 1.30 but please book in if you require the service.

At this stage we will hold our Student - Teacher - Parent Conferences onsite. If COVID restrictions prevent us from holding onsite conferences, we will inform you of the of how the meetings will proceed. 

Student - Parent - Teacher Conferences will take on a different format this year. We have changed the format of these Conferences based on feedback from students, teachers and parents. This year you will be encouraged to book an appointment to meet with your child/ren’s classroom teacher. The meeting with classroom teachers will be ten minutes in length and will be an opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification about the written report. 

You will be encouraged to arrive ten minutes prior to this meeting with the classroom teacher, or stay ten minutes after the meeting with the classroom teacher, so you can spend some time with your child looking at and discussing a sample of their work. A sample of each student's work will be in the corridor outside the classroom in a space where you can sit together to discuss their learning over the course of the First Semester. The samples of work will demonstrate your child’s understanding of a range of subject areas. Samples of work will not necessarily be polished, final pieces, but may be samples of unedited work that show what students can produce independently. 

We hope this new format provides you with an opportunity to view your child’s work, talk to them about their learning and talk to the classroom teacher about the Semester One Report and your child’s learning throughout the semester.

PE Uniform in Term 3

Students will need to wear their PE Uniform two times per week so that they can participate in Physical Education lessons with Mr. Hill and an Extra Sport Session with their classroom teacher. If there are any changes to the days published below, classroom teachers will inform you on Dojo.

Prep P - Monday and Thursday

Prep S - Monday and Friday

Prep M - Tuesday and Friday

Year 1B - Tuesday and Friday

Year 1J - Tuesday and Friday

Year 2E - Wednesday and Friday

Year 2J - Wednesday and Friday

Year 2R - Wednesday and Thursday

Year 3M - Wednesday and Friday

Year 3B - Monday and Friday

Year 4H - Wednesday and Friday

Year 4R - Monday and Thursday

Year 5C - Monday and Friday

Year 6M - Tuesday and Friday

Year 6F -  Tuesday and Friday

Galilee Second Hand Uniform

The Second Hand Uniform shop will be operating in Term 3 & 4.  

Donations of clean and in good condition uniforms accepted out the front of Galilee on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st July from 8.35am until 8.50am.

Building Update

As you will have noticed there has been much progress on the building site over the holidays. The concrete slab has been poured, a number of concrete walls have gone up and it is starting to take shape. We are all so excited to see the progress and to be able to visualise just how impressive this building is going to be. With a full sized basketball court, performing arts area, a number of classrooms, full sized kitchen that will enhance our STEM program and a rooftop playground this building will give our students access to outstanding facilities. 

Prep Excursion to the Zoo

Tomorrow our Preps will head off on their first excursion to the Zoo. In Term 2, our Prep students learned about living and nonliving things, their features and what living things need to survive and thrive, including habitats. This excursion will help to bring their learning to life as they get first hand experience in working with animals and their habitats. We would like to thank the teachers for organising this experience and the parents who are attending. We wish them all the best and encourage everyone to rug up and stay warm.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are the oldest continuous cultures in the world, having existed in Australia for at least 60,000 years. The uniqueness of these cultures and the wisdom and knowledge embedded in them are things to be highly valued by all Victorians. 

The Victorian Curriculum includes the knowledge and skills students are expected to develop about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, given their particular and enduring importance. 

At Galilee, we explore and celebrate Indigenous histories and cultures throughout the year, embedding cross-curriculum priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our weekly programmes. This term, we are placing a particular emphasis on this important aspect of children’s education to develop in students the knowledge and skills they need to engage with and better understand their world.

Next Friday, July 23, each year level will engage in an incursion, facilitated by Yarn Bark, in the school hall, learning about the uniqueness of these cultures. Throughout the term, each class will engage in weekly activities, as well as work on a specific task to be presented to their peers on completion. We will publish photographs, student recounts and updates of student learning throughout the term. Keep an eye out for those!

ICT Club at Galilee

At recess every Wednesday, students have the opportunity to join Jack, a staff member at Galilee, in the 2R classroom to work on some exciting ICT projects. If your child is interested in joining the ICT Club encourage them to go along next Wednesday. 

ICT Club is a way for students in Years 3-6 to be exposed to different technologies. Term 2, students learned to code using Swift Playground which saw the students learning the language enable the opportunity to experiment, direct and command a set of inputs to reach a desired out come. 

Term 3 begins an adventure into Virtual Reality. One of the popular VRs has been the roller coaster where students can experience the thrill and excitement of being on one (if you enjoy or want to experience one). ICTs are forever changing the way we live, learn and work; we are aiming to provide opportunities in a safe learning environment.

Parent's Morning Cuppa

Our Parent's Morning Cuppa is returning on Friday 23rd July. We will begin the Morning Cuppa from 8.45am (after Open Classrooms have finished) and you are welcome to stay until 9.30am. 

Morning Cuppa will be held in the Staffroom and all parents will need to sign in via QR code as per COVID safe procedures. 

If restrictions prevent parents from coming onsite (in the building),  we will conduct these mornings on the grassed area.

Looking forward to seeing you there

Ms Carnovale 

Open Classrooms

We are excited to reintroduce Open Classrooms in Term 3 and invite parents back into our school, pending COVID restrictions. We are due start Open Classrooms on Friday in Week 2. 

Open Classrooms are an opportunity for you to see your child’s classroom and explore what they have been learning.

Classrooms are open from 8.35am - 8.45am. We ask parents to please make their way out promptly so classes can begin their day at 8.50am. 

This also keeps us in line with COVID safe guidelines and means parents do not have to sign in as you are not onsite for more than 15 minutes.

We look forward to welcoming you back!

Please see dates below, these are also on the Parent calendar for your reference.

Winter Warmer / Spring Sipper

We would like to welcome our parents onsite, giving an opportunity for families and our community to reconnect. 

As such we are inviting Year Levels after Open Classrooms on Thursdays and Fridays from Week 3 from 8.45am - 9.30am for a Winter Warmer/Spring Sipper … tea, coffee in the staff room. 

If restrictions prevent parents from coming onsite (in the building),  we will conduct these mornings on the grassed area.

There are two opportunities this term for year levels to get together … one on a Thursday and one on a Friday.

Dates are also on the Parent Calendar for your reference.

Prep Families: 

Week 3: Thursday 29th July &

Week 6: Friday 20th August

Year One Families

Week 3: Friday 30th July &

Week 7: Thursday 26th August 

Year Two Families

Week 4: Thursday 5th August &

Week 7: Friday 10th September 

Year Three Families

Week 4: Friday 6th August &

Week 8: Thursday 2nd September

Year Four Families

Week 5: Thursday 12th August &

Week 9: Friday 10th September

Year Five Families

Week 5: Friday 13th August &

Week 9: Thursday 9th September 

Year Six Families

Week 6: Friday 30th July &

Week 10: Thursday 16th September

We would love to see you there!

Ms Carnovale 

Danceworld Classes

Danceworld have introduced some new classes for students at recess and lunch times for Term 3. See the poster below or https://www.danceworldstudios.com/galilee/ for more information.

RESCHEDULED - Parents Battle of the Bands

Hi parents and PBOB ticket holders! 

Please save the date for the next PBOB : 29th of July! 

We are very hopeful this will go ahead, and the Prince Bandroom is confident about the lifting of further capacity restrictions by then. 

Once this is finalised, you will all be notified by Oztix via email, all tickets are valid. If this date doesn’t work for you, you will receive directions from them on your refund options. 

We really appreciate your support and patience and can’t wait to see your faces in the audience! Rock on!

Some exciting baby news! 

Richard Neville, our drum teacher, and his wife Sam, have welcomed their first child, a baby girl, Elodie on 5th July. Congratulations on the beautiful bundle of joy.

Sacramental Dates 2021

Eucharist 

OLMC - Saturday 7th August

StsPP - Sunday 18th July at 2:00pm for 4H and (Year 5 students who didn't make it last year)

Sunday 25th July at 2:00pm for 4R and (Year 6 student who hasn't made it yet).

Sacrament of Reconciliation  

OLMC - Wednesday 25th  August 7pm

Confirmation

StsPP- Thursday 19th August 7pm

OLMC -  Wednesday 18th August 7pm