Principal's Report

Dear Families,

It has been a time of reflection and change at Galilee with the culmination of the Review conducted by an external expert appointed by Catholic Education Melbourne. While change is constant it is important to reflect and plan before proceeding with new initiatives.

This week the Reviewer, Christine Wakeling, presented her extensive report to the staff and then the School Education Board. She acknowledged the many strengths and successful new direction that we are taking. 

On December 1st, the school will be closed for the staff and CEM to develop a four year plan for our school. Details of the Reviewer's Report will be discussed by the SEB with sections released soon to the school community.

Congratulations to all Year Five students for their participation in Speaking With Power particularly the winners, Tiffany and Jett. Thankyou to the many parents who were able to attend and to Ron Thomas, the facilitator.

Prep Transition

On Monday 13th November, our 2018 Prep parents gathered in the school hall for an information night and social get together. Thank you to Miss Evans, Miss Bamford, Wendy, Miss Hart and current parents for their contributions and help to ensure a successful night. It was great to see many parents in attendance hearing about their child's first year of schooling. Information was communicated from members of the Social and Fundraising group who also generously gave up their time to serve wine and cheese to the parents. Thankyou to Chelsea and Jess for the hospitality you showed to the parents of the 2018 Preps. Prep 2018 children will again be at Galilee next week for their 3rd transition day.

2018 Staffing

We are currently finalising staff placements and roles for 2018. We are sadly losing two staff from Galilee, Miss Hart and Miss Romios. Miss Romios began at Galilee in 2005 and taught students from Years 1-6. She has also been a leader of Literacy and Mathematics. Miss Romios is retiring from teaching to explore other opportunities. She is a very dedicated teacher who develops strong relationships with the students. I hope that Miss Romios is not lost to teaching and thank her for the outstanding contributions she has made to our school. Miss Hart began at Galilee in 2010 and has taught Years Prep, 2-6 and is currently the STEAM Leader. She believes in developing 'student voice' and assists her students to achieve outstanding growth in their learning. Miss Hart is moving to another school, Holy Spirit, closer to her home. I wish Miss Romios and Miss Hart every success for the future.

We have employed two new Graduate teachers, Miss Sammy Bamford (teaching Prep with Miss Evans) and Miss Charlotte Biggs (Year level to be confirmed) who have both trained at the Australian Catholic University. Both have already visited Galilee and are very enthusiastic to become a part of the Galilee community.

Also, this week Mrs Burns wishes to announce that she is pregnant and due early in Term Two of 2018. It is fabulous news for Mrs Burns and her husband AJ as they await the birth of their first child. Early next year we will communicate arrangements for Mrs Burns' replacement while she is away on Maternity Leave. 

Wendy will be on Long Service Leave from November 17 and will return November 29. Pauline Semmens will be helping Tegan in the office most days while Wendy is away. 

Father/Child Camp

This weekend will be our second annual Father/Child Camp to the YMCA Camp Wyuna. They will participate in a range of outdoor activities at the camp and in the local area. The camp is fully booked with approximately 90 people from Galilee in attendance and I thank Paul Mapley for his outstanding coordination of the event. Spending time with your children while young, helps to build a closer relationship before they enter adolescence. I will be visiting the camp on Saturday, staying overnight before leaving Sunday morning. I wish everyone who will be in attendance a safe and enjoyable time.

Packing a lunchbox for the hot weather

As the weather is warming up we thought it would be a good idea to talk about packing a lunchbox that can withstand the heat. 

The best lunchboxes for hot weather are insulated. Insulated lunchboxes can help keep food safe during the hot weather.  Insulated lunchboxes (hard-sided or soft) often have an insulated lining and a pocket in which to place a thin freezer pack to help keep the contents cold until they are consumed. If this is not possible to purchase an insulated lunchbox think about packing a frozen water bottle in the lunchbox to help keep everything cool.

When packing a lunchbox think about including foods  like  sandwiches, muesli bars and whole fruits that can tolerate room temperatures without spoiling, especially if insulation is lacking.  Also, consider pantry-safe foods packed in easy-to-open containers, like tuna that can be eaten out of a flip-top can, with or without bread. Boxed milk or juice sold unrefrigerated is also a safe bet. And you can freeze these (as well as a water bottle) ahead of time and use them as cold packs; as they defrost, they’ll keep the rest of the lunch chilled. A number of sandwiches — for example, those made with lunch meats, hummus, tuna or egg salad — can be made the night before and frozen as well; they’ll defrost by lunch time. If your child likes lettuce and tomato, pack them separately to be put on the sandwich before eating. If you include cut-up vegetables, be sure they are washed first and packed in a clean container. Dried fruits and whole fruits like apples, bananas, oranges and grapes can round out the lunchbox and can be kept safely at room temperature. 

We hope these tips help when considering a lunchbox on a hot day.

Soiree

Yesterday we saw many extraordinary performances from our students of all ages playing a variety of instruments: guitar, violin, drums and keyboard. The night was highly attended and thankyou to our teachers for their enthusiasm and professionalism: Richard (Drums), Clementine (Violin), Tim (Keyboard) and Trent (Guitar). Look at the attached photos and video to witness the performances!

Movember

I thank the families who have supported the Movember cause being undertaken by the male staff members at Galilee. Movember raises money and awareness each year about the risks of prostate cancer for men. We have received a particularly generous donation from Barry Curley, our valuable maintenance worker, who is a survivor of prostate cancer. The money will go towards research that will hopefully find a cure one day. 

Donations can be made through this link: www.mobro.co/galileeschool 

On Thursday 30th November, we will also be holding a special 'End of Movember' event - students will have the choice of coming to school displaying a fake or drawn moustache and contribute a gold coin donation.

Year Three Camp

This Thursday Year 3C are off to the Zoo Snooze Camp at the Melbourne Zoo. It is a short but exciting way for the students to spend time away from home. I have been twice on this camp and know that it will be a highlight for our students. Miss Otte and Miss Carnovale will be attending with the students. Next week on November 23, Year 3R will be going on camp with Mrs Rochecouste and myself attending. Mrs Gerecke will swap with me on Friday morning so I can be present for Galilee Day.

Congratulations

Congratulations to many of our Year 6 students who completed the Sacrament of Confirmation last Saturday at Our Lady of Mt Carmel. Myself and many of the staff were present and we also thank Fr Hugh and Bishop Elliot for their involvement. The Sacrament will also be held at St Peter and Paul's on Sunday December 3rd from 10am.

As from the 26 January 2018 Fr Dean will be taking over as Parish Priest of Sts Peter and Paul's.  Fr Julian has been appointed as Vicar Provincial (Second in Command) of the Capuchins in Australia and will be moving across to Hawthorn. We thank Fr Julian for the outstanding work he has done in the parish and at Galilee. Fr Dean already has a close connection with Galilee and we are thrilled to see this continue in the future.

Simon Millar