Leadership & Management

Week 3 Term 1

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome, we have had a great start to our first week of school. It was wonderful to see all the children back at school with happy faces, eager to reconnect with their friends smiling, learning and having fun. 

The Foundation students have settled in very quickly and we welcome all the new families. Thank you for trusting us with your child.

A special welcome to students and their families who have joined St Fidelis from other schools; Olivia (Year 6 ), Erica (Year 4), Poppy (Year 4), Zara (Foundation) &  Zachary (Year 2).  We hope you enjoy being part of the St Fidelis community. 

Out of School Hours –THEIRCARE Wed Feb 8th

THEIRCARE are resuming their service for families who require before or after-school care. THEIRCARE will provide student supervision if you require it this Wednesday, February 8 from 1:00 pm.  Please ensure you register beforehand.  Information on booking procedures can be found in the newsletter or on our website. 

Whole School Prayer & Assembly - Fri Feb10th

A reminder that this Friday, February 10 at 8:50 am, will be our first Whole School Assembly. It will be led by the Staff Leadership Team. The School Leaders will be presented with their badges. All parents and Carers are encouraged to attend this assembly.

'Experience Music' will also perform for the school community at this assembly. 

2023 Learning Focus

At St Fidelis, we have a strong focus on Literacy, Numeracy and Wellbeing. This year we will continue to have a very strong emphasis on ensuring that Literacy and Numeracy are our priorities and directing our resources to this area. 

The employment of additional Learning Support Officers, highly skilled Literacy and Numeracy Leaders and a Speech Therapist (focus on literacy and oral language), are ways we continue to ensure the students are tracked, monitored and supported in these areas. 

Wellbeing

Our children’s wellbeing continues to be our priority. We want to support our children to be strong, resilient people, especially during these uncertain times. Last year, we partnered with The Resilience Project Team and will continue to implement this program through explicit lessons each week and in our day-to-day interactions with each other. The Resilience Project’s Partnership School Program supports the wellbeing of the whole school community and builds a positive school culture. We anticipate and look forward to remaining a partnership school for many years to come. 

The Resilience Project Program: 

• Engages STAFF through professional development presentations, teamed with resources and activities, which develop a consistent language and approach.
• Inspires STUDENTS across all year levels through the delivery of highly engaging presentations.
• Empowers PARENTS AND CARERS with presentations that provide practical strategies to help build their children’s resilience, and improve their own wellbeing.
• Supports the ongoing practise of mental health strategies in the classroom 

In the coming weeks, Sally (Wellbeing Leader), will inform the community about the upcoming parent online seminar that will be held online on March 15th. 

We are also fortunate to continue our partnership with ISN (Institute for Social Neuroscience) Psychology. ISN has provided us with Psychologists over the past two years to work with our students and their families. This year, we welcome two new Psychologists, Danielle Anderson and Lucia Gonzalwez-Cueves.

Please speak to your child’s teachers if you have any concerns or contact Sally Lentini, Wellbeing Leader.

New Program for all students in  2023

Student Wellbeing is always at the heart of what we do in our school. After the success of our Circus program last year, we are in a position to offer the students a drama and dance 20-week program with specialised teachers. 

We are engaging with a company called FOOTSTEPS which specialises in age-based movement programs for Foundation to Year Six. Each class will receive an hour lesson weekly (10 weeks of dance and 10 weeks of drama) that has been developed around the Australian Curriculum. 

The program will complement The Resilience Project, by developing the students' social skills, confidence, creativity, expressive skills and coordination in a safe, supportive and stimulating environment. The program will begin on March 2nd and will take place each Thursday for the remainder of the year. 

On Thursday, August 17th, we have booked a Whole School Performance. Please place this in your diary and we will forward further information as we get closer to the date.  I am excited that we can offer our students such a wonderful learning opportunity. 

SAVE THE DATE - Working Bee – Sat March 4th

The School Advisory Maintenance team are requesting volunteers for Saturday, March 4.  If you can offer one or two hours, we would love to see you. More details will be published closer to the day. 

Family Calendar of Events on SKOOLBAG

In last week's newsletter, Vira published our new feature on SkoolBag. All family events will be placed in the EVENTS tab of SKOOLBAG for easy access. Please call or email Vira at vpirrotta@sfmoreland.catholic.edu.au  if you are having any problems accessing this feature. 

Update to COVID-19 setting from Term One

Main Points

• COVIDSafe measures have changed, but schools are required to continue to implement

important practices to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

• Schools must continue to ensure air purifiers are used, external ventilation is maximised, good personal hygiene is encouraged, and face masks are made available for staff, students and visitors who wish to wear them.

Actions Required

• It is recommended that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are used by students and staff if they:

− have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, no matter how mild

− are a household or in close contact with someone who has COVID-19

− are a social contact of someone who has COVID-19.

• The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians report their positive RAT result via the online form or by calling 1800 675 398.

• Principals are no longer required to inform their school community of a positive case

associated with the school.

• Schools are no longer required to report COVID-19 case numbers to Melbourne Archdiocese.

• Further information can be found on the Coronavirus Victoria website.

Contact/Enquiries

• For all enquiries, please contact the Employee Relations team on 9267 0431 or

ceoir@macs.vic.edu.au.

School Fees and Levy Structure 2023

At the end of last year, all families would have received a note regarding 2023 school fees

SCHOOL FEES AND LEVIES 2023 .docx

The school fee amount per family is $1,935. This amount is payable in full at the beginning of the year or in three instalments of $645.00, due the last week of Terms 1, 2 & 3.

The school has paid for all of your children's stationary upfront and we require payment for the curriculum and excursion levies at the commencement of the school year.

The office is open from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm each day if you would like to pay in person. If you prefer to pay by direct debit, please use the bank details below. If any families need to discuss alternative arrangements for the payment of fees, please contact me directly.  Accounts for Term 1 will be distributed soon.

Included are the Bank details for your ease of payment:

Please note once you have made payment can you email Ann Russo 

annr@sfmoreland.catholic.edu.au  with the amount you have deposited.

Concessional School Fee

Families who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply for a fee concession:

•  Any family of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage
•  Any family holding an HCC and eligible for CSEF
•  Any family holding a DVA Gold Card
•  Any family identified as refugees and holding an ImmiCard

Please collect a concession fee application form to be considered for the concession fee.

Have a great week everyone,

Kind Regards

Manuela