"The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life.

Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord." - Henri Nouwen

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Each year the season of Advent creates a distinct moment in the Church’s calendar to pause with a sense of hope and anticipation as we approach the moment when we remember Jesus’ birth.

After experiencing this year, I am confident that many of us are “hoping” and “waiting” for 2021 to come as quickly as possible!

As a school community, we have much to be thankful for as we come to the end of the school year. I am especially thankful and proud of each and every one of our students for their resilience and overall positive attitude to their learning this year.

So much has been expected from students, parents and teachers as we all adapted to new and unfamiliar ways of working and learning during the community response to the COVID19 pandemic.

I am grateful for the way parents and teachers have partnered together during the periods of remote learning in Terms Two and Three. Clear communication, positive intent and perseverance were so important during this time and we saw many examples of this throughout the year.

Year 6 Graduation

The school community is looking forward to celebrating with year six students as their time at St Simon’s comes to an end and the next part of their learning journey starts. The year six students will be celebrating throughout the day on Friday 11th December with their teachers and then each class group with their families will attend a short outdoor Graduation certificate ceremony on the school basketball courts in the evening.

Thank you to the Year 6 teachers and parent organisers for all of the planning and preparation of the graduation celebration for the students.

End of Year School Reports

The Semester Two School Report will be available to view\download from 3pm on Monday 14th December. Please check your email inbox including SPAM or Junk Mail folders for messages that will step you through the process for retrieving your child\dren’s report.

On Monday students will each be bringing an envelope home containing a self assessment learning document as well as a letter notifying you which class and teacher your child has in 2021. The letter will also have information regarding 2021 Student Assessment Days on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th January. These days have been set aside for individual and\or small group assessment. Parents will need to book an appointment time on one of these two days. More information about this will be included in the letter on Monday.

Staffing

As we come to the end of the school year I have a number of announcements regarding staffing for next year.

I would like to welcome Taylah Paull as a prep teacher and Jade Youssef as a year six teacher to St Simon’s School in 2021. Taylah and Jade each bring a passion and warmth to their work as teachers and we look forward to each of them sharing their gifts and talents within the school community next year.

I would like to acknowledge Claire Palmer and the contribution she has made to the St Simon’s School community. Claire has taken up a classroom position at St Mary MacKillop Catholic Primary School in Bannockburn (near Geelong) in 2021. Thank you Claire for the positive impact you have had on so many people within the school community.

I would like to acknowledge Joanne Thompson and the work she has done as a Learning Support Officer at St Simon’s for the past four years. During this time Jo has also taken up studies to be a primary teacher and will be leaving us to pursue this role in 2021 and beyond. Thank you Jo for the passionate dedication you have shown the students in your care at St Simon’s.

I would like to acknowledge Amanda Heidenrijk who is currently expecting baby number two. Amanda will be taking maternity leave early in Term One next year. On behalf of the school and parish community we wish Amanda, Greg and brother Alex all the best with their pending arrival in 2021.

I would like to acknowledge Pat Healy. After fifteen years of service to St Simon’s, Pat has decided to “hang up the sneakers” as our energetic and focused PE teacher. Throughout his time at St Simon’s, Pat has been a much appreciated classroom and specialist teacher who has a passion for connecting and inspiring students to have a go to reach their potential. I would like to wish Pat all the best for the next chapter as he pursues other passions in his life.

I would like to acknowledge Maree Fatouros. In July of this year, Maree announced to the school community that she would be taking some leave for the remainder of the year to continue her interest in postgraduate study in exercise science. After eleven years of service to St Simon’s School, Maree will be leaving to explore her other passions and interests.

I would like to thank Maree for her generous and loyal support of me during my first year as principal at St Simon’s. In the short time we have worked together I have appreciated all the wisdom and insights you have given me as I find my feet at St Simon’s.

2021 Class Structure

Please click on the link below to view class structure for 2021. Your child will meet their new classroom teacher this Monday 14th December.

School Advisory Board and Parents’ Association

I would like to extend my appreciation to the parents who are involved in our School Advisory Board and Parents’ Association. Each of these important school community groups have warmly embraced me as the new principal this year and I am extremely grateful for collective dedication to meet (virtually) throughout the COVID19 lock down. During this time each of these groups provided the leadership team and I insights into how remote learning was being managed at home. These insights, along with other parent feedback, helped the school adjust and adapt the approaches we took during remote learning and lockdown.

I am looking forward to working with the SAB and the PA in 2021.

End of Year School Assembly via Google Meet - Wednesday 16th December @ 9:15am

Next Wednesday we will gather via Google Meet for a Thanksgiving End of Year Assembly. The meeting will be recorded and be available for parents to watch shortly after the event finishes.

Beyond EduCare OHSC