Holy Saviour School 

Principal's Message

Dear Families,

 

This week we celebrated our beginning of the school year mass with Fr Ralph. It was a little different than previous years as we celebrated with an outdoor mass. We took the opportunity to present our Year 6 children with their Year 6 Leader badges and entrusted them with leading the student body for 2022. 

 

I also had the opportunity to meet with ROAM Architects this week who will be working with us to develop a Master Plan for the school. We are in the early stages of this process at the moment, but we will be seeking parent and student feedback in the very near future. I am hoping to use these plans to apply for a building grant to assist us in refurbishing the Shared Area and attached classrooms. Below is a “sneak preview” of what we have discussed so far.

Getting to know your School Leaders

Over the coming weeks, I will produce a couple of short videos introducing our School & House Captains to the wider community. It is a great opportunity for them to let you know who they are and what they hope to achieve this year. The first introduction is available today, and it has been prepared by our School Captains, Isabella and Josh. 

COVID-19 Procedures

Yesterday, the Victorian Government announced that existing COVID-Safe measures in schools and early childhood settings would continue until the end of Term 1. Rapid antigen surveillance testing will continue until the end of Term 1. We are expecting that the delivery of rapid antigen tests (RATs) for weeks five and six will start from today, with additional RATs to be delivered in the coming weeks.

 

The testing settings will remain the same, with all students and staff recommended to test at home twice a week. RATs have proved an important COVID-Safe tool to help reduce the number of COVID-19 cases and ensure our school is as safe as possible. Their use will remain voluntary for staff and students, but is strongly encouraged.

 

The government also announced that it will deliver additional air purifiers to low-fee Catholic schools. The second tranche of air purifiers will start delivery later this term and will be with schools by 1 June. 

 

From 6pm on Friday 18th February, QR code check-in requirements will no longer be in place in schools. I will provide more detail on these announcements when it is available.

2022 Sacramental Program

After consultation with Fr Ralph and school staff, I would like to inform the community that we have settled on dates for Sacraments in 2022. Moving forward, the Sacramental program will look different to how it has previously been celebrated at Holy Saviour. The program will be school-based with all children being prepared as part of their normal Religious Education lessons. We will also trial in 2022, joining with the children and families at St Christopher’s to celebrate the Sacraments.

 

We will also be celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation in Grade 6 beginning this year. We understand that there will be a number of older children (Yr7-10) who have not been Confirmed, they will be able to join us this year and will be prepared for Confirmation through the Parish.

 

The dates for Sacraments in 2022 are as follows:

  • Sacrament of Reconciliation (Yr3): Thursday 17th March (Family Night on 3rd March)
  • Sacrament of First Eucharist (Yr4): Sunday 19th June (Family Night TBA)
  • Sacrament of Confirmation (Yr6): Thursday 18th August, 6pm at Holy Saviour (Family Night TBA)

School Tours and 2023 Enrolments 

I know we are still enjoying welcoming our new Preps for 2022 but we also have to move our thinking to enrolments for Prep 2023!!  Enrolments for Prep 2023 are now open and we encourage all families to submit their applications as soon as possible.  Please book your school tour online on the school website or call Tarnia or Kerry in our front office to book a school tour. 

2022 Flyers

We are looking for walkers who would be happy to take our flyers out to our community. We distribute to ALL kinders and childcare centres but it’s always good that they go into letterboxes as well. Feel free to pick up a few fliers in our office to give to neighbours with young children, Catholic or not, they are welcome to visit. Or email Sherridan, Kerry or myself and we will send some home to you. Thank you to the parents who have already taken a pile to deliver.

Long Service Leave

I take this opportunity to inform you that I have the privilege of being able to take 4.5 weeks of Long Service Leave (including 2 weeks school holidays) from Wednesday 23rd March to Friday 22nd April.  The first three days I will be attending the Victorian Association Catholic Primary School Principals Conference in Lorne, then together with my wife Nola and children Abbie and Bodhi we will take this opportunity to spend time together traveling through Central Australia in our caravan. This is our third attempt in three years at taking this trip due to Covid and border restrictions. I feel blessed to be able to take this time knowing that the school will be in the capable hands of Mrs Jenny Willmott as Acting Principal who will be strongly supported by the Leadership Team. 

Financial Assistance - Information For Parents

Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. It is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government’s commitment to breaking the link between a student’s background and their outcomes. Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply.

 

For more information about the CSEF,click here. To access an application form for the CSEF,click here.

Catholic Secondary School Enrolment Applications

I take this opportunity to remind parents of children in grade 5, that you must have your Catholic Secondary College application for Year 7, 2024 submitted directly to the college of your choice. It is essential that you have your application submitted by the due date. The following dates will be used by catholic secondary schools for Year 5 students in 2021 who will be enrolling in Year 7 for 2024. These are:

  • 28 January 2022 – Applications will open for Year 5 students commencing Year 7 in 2024.
  • 19 August 2022 – Applications will close.
  • 21 October 2022 – Offers will be posted to prospective Year 7 applicants.
  • 11 November 2022 – Final date for parents/carers to accept an offer made by a school.

Final Thoughts ~ Managing Your Child’s Anxiety

In a post-Covid world (are we there yet??), it seems there are some children who are presenting with heightened anxiety levels. The follow comes from Parenting Ideas, and you can read the full article by following the link below:

 

Explain anxiety

If your child is anxious he may struggle to explain how he feels. An important first step in anxiety self-management is explaining to your child how anxiety works.

  • Teach your child that the part of the brain that protects them from danger (the amygdala – pronounced ahh-mig-dah-la), is always on high alert when they are anxious
  • Explain that the amygdala sees danger where there is none, but the body prepares to fight for life or flee from danger as if it’s protecting them from a hungry lion
  • Discuss that the amygdala can’t differentiate between a hungry lion and public speaking or some other task they must face
  • Talk about the changes that happen in their body to power them up to fight or flee, including increased heart and breathing rates and the pumping of the blood from the stomach to the arms and legs, which can cause nausea and even vomiting for some

Manage anxious moments

Help your child develop the tools to regulate and push their anxious feelings to the background. Practise these anxiety management tools when your child is feeling calm, and it will be easier for them to practise when they are nervous. These include:

  • Taking some deep breaths
  • Bringing their attention back to the present
  • Getting them moving
  • Defusing their thoughts

Get the fundamentals right

Sufficient sleep, good nutrition and exercise are essential for anxious kids. Support your child to adhere to their optimal bedtime so they wake naturally each morning, reduce sugar, take care of their gut health through good nutrition and encourage regular exercise for optimal mental health.

 

Read the full article here; Managing your child’s anxiety - Michael Gross

 

Kind regards,

 

Steve Evans

Principal