Principal's Message

Dear parents, students and families

This week we have commenced our final two weeks of schooling. Monday morning we celebrated our focus on improving writing during 2023 after two very covid affected years.  We were joined by many parents and grandparents who were able to juggle their days to be present. It was very heartwarming to see our visitors step up for those students who didn't have a visitor and be a willing listener/reader to the students as they proudly shared their work. Thank you to our visitors and well done to Mr Sullivan who is our Learning and Teaching Leader/Literacy Leader, staff and our wonderful students who proudly shared their growth with their writing.   

Also on Monday we heard from our Year 5's as they shared their very well-prepared speeches to become part of our Year 6 Leadership Team in 2023.  Our Year 3-6 students had the key job of giving their votes for who they wanted to lead in 2023- a role they took very seriously. Once again we were joined by a large number of parents and grandparents to supply moral support. I am sure they were as impressed with the quality of the speeches as much as the staff were. I think we are certainly in for a terrific group of leaders for the school for 2023. Well done Year 5's on your bravery and preparation- it can be very daunting getting up in front of an audience but it is something you will all get a chance to do in 2023 as part of leading our assemblies. Our Leadership roles will be announced at next week's End of Year Mass on Tuesday. 

On Tuesday our Year 6 students who will be attending JPC and Kilbreda spent the day at their new schools. Those I have spoken to have returned to school both a little excited and nervous - a very understandable set of emotions for one of the key changes in your life. The majority of our Year 6 students attending other secondary schools will have their transition day next Tuesday 13th December. A reminder that on Friday 9th and Monday 12th our students will have two changeover sessions with their class teacher for 2023. These will occur between 12.10 -1.50pm to give our students an opportunity to get to know both their teacher and their classmates for 2023. I am grateful to Mrs O'Sullivan at St Jude's Langwarrin for releasing our new Year 5/6 teacher Mrs Ceri de Veer to be present on these sessions. 

Tonight is our Christmas Concert under Mrs McArthur's leadership. Staff and students have been busy learning their routines to share on the evening and had a whole school rehearsal yesterday. With Christmas Carols, our Foundation lead nativity and some fun Christmas songs I hope it will be enjoyed by all. Don't be shy on joining in with our choir as we sing a selection of carols together!!!!! Hopefully the weather will be kind to us this evening as we will be performing outside the junior block and parents and families will be seated (bring your own) on the asphalt where the students line up each morning. 

Next week is our final full week of school. Tuesday we will have our End of Year Mass for all students commencing at 9.15am. Parents and families are of course welcome to attend as per usual. Our Awards Ceremony commences on Wednesday 14th December at 2.30pm and, weather dependant, will be at the front of the junior block utilising the deck there. After school on Wednesday 15th we will have our Year 6 Graduation Ceremony. Year 6 students will need to be at school from 5.30pm when they will share a meal with some of the staff and spend some time together before moving to the Church. Parents and families are invited to join the students and staff in our Church from 7pm for Mass.

Thursday 15th our Year 6 students will have their "Big Day Out" of celebration to formally conclude their schooling at St Anne's. The whole school will gather outside the Hall at 3.20pm to farewell our Year 6's as they move on to Secondary School. Reports will go out to all students on Thursday 15th as well. If the families require their Year 6 students to continue to come to school until Monday 19th 1.30pm they are welcome too.

Friday 16th December will be our last formal day of schooling for our Foundation- Year 5 students. They are not required to attend school on Monday 19th but if families wish, the students can attend school on Monday until 1.30pm. Please advise your child's class teacher if you will be sending your child to school on the Monday so we can best prepare! Tuesday 20th December will be a Teacher Only Day as we finish up 2022 and prepare for the 2023 school year. 

God bless

Rod Shaw

Principal

School Attendance and Unexplained Absence

Please contact the school if your child is going to be absent by leaving a message on  9786 4736 and press 1. Please give details of your child’s name and class with areason for their absence such as: unwell, appointment, holiday or family reasons. Alternatively an email can be sent to office@saseaford.catholic.edu.au with cc to the child’s teacher.

If you are running late, (after 9:00 am) please attend the office to sign your child into school and collect a late pass.

If you are picking up your child early you will need to collect them and sign them out from the office.

As per our policy this will be our morning routine for absences:

Parents will be contacted as soon as practicable on the morning a student is absent via a text message.

If parent does not contact the school after receiving the text message, the school will contact the parent by phone. If the parent is unreachable the emergency contacts will be contacted by the school.

If there is still no response, and the school feels that the child is in danger, the police will be contacted.

Ongoing unexplained absences or lack of cooperation regarding student attendance will result in a formal conference being organized. Unresolved attendance issues will be referred to D.H.H.S.

This is a legal requirement.

Democratic Principles

 The six (6) principles of Australian democracy include:

(a)   elected government; and

(b)   the rule of law; and

(c)   equal rights for all before the law; and

(d)   freedom of religion; and

(e)   freedom of speech and association; and 

(f)   the values of openness and tolerance