Dear families,

What a positive, proactive community that we belong to !!! On Sunday November 13th the Hillend/Willowgrove community put on a Craft Market and asked if we would like to do a Produce Stall.  Our active parent community got into action and the best Produce Stall was born.  Many parents baked for the stall and a number of faithful helpers manned the stall all day.  Special thanks go to Scott & Gen McCartin and Kylee Eerhard.  Kara Pedemont also did a great job organising the event.  We raised $1027.90 !  That is absolutely amazing.  Thank you all so much. 

Wet Playground

We have had so much rain and the oval is very wet.  There are some puddles in the yard and sometimes the students come in wet (the lure of a puddle of water is incredibly enticing for some).  We had a number of tracksuit pants and spare uniforms to use in this case, but they have all been used and not brought back to school.  So if you have any of our spare school uniforms at home, could you please return them to school.

Staffing for 2023

We are presently advertising for a great classroom teacher for 2023 school year.  If you know anyone who may be interested please ask them to contact me.

Absentism 

A reminder that it is important that students attend school everyday.  Being absent effects your child's learning and social development.  It is not advisable to have random days off school, for example for your child's birthday .  We understand that a mental health day may be needed from time to time, but ask that you use this only when necessary. Every day counts, in your child's learning. We also acknowledge that the end of the year can bring tiredness but we encourage you to push through this and attend school.  Lots of great things happen in the last few weeks of school. 

2023 Booklists

Each year we get our book supplies from Trafalgar Newsagency.  The 2023 Booklists are available now on Trafalgar Newsagency website booklists.com.au/trafalgarnews The ordering period is open now, up until  10/12/2022.

May God continue to bless and guide us in our learning.

Trish Mulqueen

Principal

We are in the church season of Advent.  The Church calendar begins with the Advent season.  This is a time of preparation, not for Christmas gifts, lunches and holidays, but for the great feast of God's revelation through the birth of Jesus Christ.  Like the Jews waiting for the Messiah, we look forward to the second coming of Christ at the end of time.  Although we do not know the hour nor the day, each Advent we renew our failth in this great promise.

This Advent we are suggesting an Advent Family Activity...

School TV is an up to date parent online resource.  Dr Michael Carr Gregg interviews experts and shares the current thinking in the area.  I'd like to draw your attention to this featured article on the online game of Fortnite.  Please find time to view this special report...

https://trafalgar.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/online-game-fortnite-special-report

Over the past three terms, we have been including information about the new Child Safe
Standards in our fortnightly newsletter. The Child Safe Standards commenced in 2016 and
included seven Child Safe Standards but have since been revised. There are now eleven
Child Safe Standards. The changes have been made to make our Child Safe Standards even
stronger and therefore, help our students and young people to be safe.
The biggest changes to the original seven Child Safe Standards include:
1. Involving our school families and community in their efforts to keep our students
and young people safe
2. Having a greater focus on the safety of Aboriginal children and young people
3. To manage the risk of child abuse in online environments
4. To ensure that school policies and practices are in place to keep children and young
people safe.
With the school holidays rapidly approaching, it is an ideal time for us to be thinking and
talking about child safety. Our students will no doubt, have opportunities to visit and spend
time in new and old settings. These may include places such as the beach, the city, online
and with family and friends. Child safety is of the upmost importance and should always be
present in our thinking and in our actions.

One of the most important things we do each year at school is to prepare the students for the Sacraments.  Sacraments are special blessings in our faith and aim to help us along our faith journey. This term Alex Jacobs is preparing for his First Holy Communion (the Sacrament of Eucharist).  As part of the preparation for Eucharist, the candidates and their families revisit the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we will celebrate the second rite of Reconciliation at St John’s Church, Trafalgar on Saturday 26^th November, at 10am. Everyone is welcome.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION MASS will be celebrated on  Saturday 3^rd December 6pm in St John’s Church, Trafalgar.  Everyone is welcome to celebrate with us. We especially remember Alex in our prayers.

2023 School Advisory Committee Members are: Marja Jamieson, Brett Hicks, Scott McCartin, Lauren Baldassa, Ashley Treyvaud, Taryn Maxwell-Garratt, Fr Bernard Buckley and Trish Mulqueen. The Committee met on Wednesday May 17^th 2023.  Church and Parish connection was discussed. The Committee felt it was important to try to support local charities and community projects were possible. P&F activities were reported to the Committee and the great work of the P&F was acknowledged. Child Safety is a standing agenda item and the new School Bus Stop was discussed. The Committee reflected on our school’s s vision statement and discussed how we live this vision out. Members reinforced our catholic core and values and highlighted the work of the Mini Vinnies team. Members highlighted the importance of ‘having a go’  in learning.

If you have any questions/wonderings that you would like the School Advisory Committee to consider please see one of our members and they will put it on the agenda.  

This year, as a one time special, we are able to offer the students in Gr 3 and 4 a free camp to Allambee.  The camp will take place in week 10, leaving on Monday December 5th and returning on Wednesday December 7th. We are able to fund the camp through the Positive Start Government Program which was established post COVID and aims to give students opportunities to make up for the lost opportunities during COVID times.  As I said, this is a one time opportunity and we are very grateful to Imelda and Roman Cathomen for making this opportunity happen for us.  We will be sharing Allambee Camp with St Joseph's Primary School in Korumburra. The  scheduled cost of the camp was charged to your school fee account at the beginning of the year and now will be reimbursed to your account so that there is no cost for the camp.  More information is available to the families on PAM.

There is a new Agreement for teachers that addresses a number of workload issues and it specifically covers school camps. We appreciate that the students (& teachers) will  be especially tired after camp and are asking families, if they can, to keep their child home for a rest day on Thursday December 8th. This will enable staff to have a rest day as well and give them the time in lieu that they are now entitled to. If however your child needs to come to school that day we will of course accommodate them in another classroom as the Gr 3 and 4 teachers will be home.  Thank you for your understanding in this matter. 

2023

March

Thurs 16th                         Reconciliation Parent & Child Workshop

                                         Warragul 4pm or 7pm

Fri 17th                             AFL clinic (all classes)

                                         3.  Interest Based Learning

Mon 20th                           St Joseph's Feast Day Prayer Service church 3pm

Tues 21st                          School Athletics Carnival

Wed 22nd                          Storytime 9.15am

                                         School Advisory Committee 5.30pm

Fri 24th                              AFL clinic (all classes)

                                         4.  Interest Based Learning Program

                                         3pm Lenten Prayer Service in church

Mon 27th                            Gr 6 Young Leaders Day Melbourne

Tues 28th & Wed 29th          Life Ed Program Healthy Harold 

Wed 29th                            Sacrament of Reconciliation 6pm church

Fri 31st                               5. Interest Based Learning Program

April

Mon 3rd                             Easter Carnival 3.30 to 5pm at school

Wed 5th                            Last day of Term 1.

                                        Easter Dramatization in church 2.30pm

                                        School finishes 3.30pm

Thurs 6th                          Pupil Free day. Staff Professional Learning

Fri 7th                               GOOD FRIDAY

Mon 24th                            HOLIDAY

Tues 25th                           ANZAC DAY holiday

Wed 26th                           First Day of Term 2

May

Mon 22 to 26                     Catholic Education Week

June

Tues 6th                            Andrew Chinn (music composer) visit & concert

Mon 12th                           King's Birthday Holiday

Wed 21st                           Last day of term 2 for students

Thurs 22& Fri 23                 Staff PD days in Melbourne (student free days)