From the Deputy Principal

Dear Families,

This week, alongside thousands of other schools around the country, we celebrate Book Week. The Children’s Book Council of Australia have been promoting Book Week since 1945, and this year’s theme is “Dreaming with Eyes Open”. This theme, which represents the way in which books can capture our imagination and let us experience different times, places or events, certainly captures my experiences with books when I was growing up. I remember receiving a “hand me down” set of Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five, and living vicariously through the adventures of the four children and their dog. I was fascinated that they, at an age not much older than I, were allowed to roam the countryside unaccompanied for days at a time. I look back on these books with a real fondness, and a step into a genuine passion for reading as a teenager and young adult. In an era of seemingly endless Netflix specials and YouTube celebrities, Book Week is a chance to remember the simple power of a good book, and the enduring memories that can be created as a result.

Library Borrowing

A reminder that our Library is open for borrowing after school on Tuesday and Wednesday until 4:00pm. This is a great chance for you to browse for books with your child and to take advantage of our wonderfully resourced library. Mrs Guy will be around to help with recommendations, and we even encourage younger children who are not yet at school to borrow alongside their big brother or sister. 

Managing Illnesses

Thanks for your understanding last week when we encountered our most challenging week to date when it came to staff absences. I would like to once again thank our staff for their willingness to put their hands up to support their colleagues and our students. It is clear that Covid has not gone away, so we ask you to keep monitoring your children for symptoms and testing as necessary. If you are in need of more RATs, please contact the Office as we have a limited supply remaining.

Confirmation

A reminder that our Year 6 students are in the midst of their preparations for Confirmation, which is a Sacrament of Initiation following on from Baptism. It is generally considered to be the sacrament in which a young adult accepts the calling to become a full member of the Catholic Church, and promises to live a life in the footsteps of Jesus. The Family Faith Nights for students in Year 6 are on Tues 30th and Wednesday 31st August at 6:30pm in St Anne’s Church. We look forward to seeing you there. 

MACSIS Surveys

Each year at around this time, all Melbourne Catholic schools conduct “pulse check” surveys to gather the opinions of staff, students (Years 4-6) and parents. These results are then analysed to determine successes and areas of future focus. We select 80 families at random to complete these surveys, and your input is anonymous. If you are selected to be part of the survey process, it should only take 15-20 minutes. If you are not able to do the survey, please let me know so that your unique access code can be shared with another family. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Wishing you all good health and God’s blessings,

Stephen