Newsletter 24th November 2021
Principal News
You can feel the excitement growing throughout the school as we prepare to celebrate a number of events in the next few weeks. Concert, Year 6 Graduation, excursions, Junior Sleepover, Going Up Day, Prep orientation days, just to name some. Rather than go into a lot of detail about each event, I urge you to make sure that you keep in touch with everything by using the calendar on the website and looking out for notes from teachers via See Saw and permission notes through the School Zine app – SZapp. Please check in with the staff if you have any questions or need things clarified.
I was contacted by Catherine from the Bungaree Primary school last Friday. The After School Program will be up and running next year and families from both of our schools are welcome to access the service. If you are interested or want to know more, there is a launch on Friday the 3rd at 6pm at the Bungaree. There is a flyer attached to the newsletter with more information.
Wednesday the 15th of December is our assessment day when we ask the 2022 children to come in for 45 minutes to complete some assessments so the teachers have all the necessary data to start 2022 running. Please book a time through PAM for your child/children to attend.
As mentioned, there is a lot going on and everyone – staff, children and parents all appear mentally and physically exhausted. The end of the year is not far away, but we have a lot to get done before Tuesday the 14th. I urge everyone to rally together and support each other so we can get to the end of the year in a positive, optimistic and hope filled way. This is a time when we need to pull together and celebrate that we have come through a very tough year and look forward to a new start in 2022.
Please be kind, patient and tolerant as we move together as a united team towards the finish line. We are almost there. Let’s finish the year on a high!
Stay calm, go gently and look after yourselves and each other.
Upcoming Dates
25th November Wednesday
Stayback for Juniors and Year 2 Sleepover
29th November Monday
Concert full dress rehearsal Bungaree Recreation Centre
Transport via bus
2nd December Thursday
School Concert start at 6.00 pm
Bungaree Recreation Centre. COVID vaccine status must be shown on entry
6th December Monday
Year 6 Breakup activity
4.30 - 7.00
8th December Wednesday
Year 6 Graduation and End of Year Thanksgiving Mass 6.30pm
10th December Friday
End of year excursion
14th December Tuesday
Last day of school for children
15th December Wednesday
Assessment day for children
16th December Thursday
PD day for staff
17th December Friday
Last day for staff
31st January 2022 Monday
Children return to school
Student Voice by Emma and Tierney
This week we have been learning all about poems. We have learned and wrote our own Haikus, limericks and free verses.
Here are some inspired by Remembrance Day:
Beautiful poppies
A symbol of the soldiers
Fighting for Freedom
Frankie
Pretty red poppies
They glimmer in the sunlight
In the soldiers hands
Emma
They went with a song
Buried their dreams in green grass
Red poppy in hand
Kade
A haiku must contain 5 syllables in the first line, then seven syllables in the second line, then 5 syllablesin the last line.
We have also been hard at work practising for the school concert of which we are all excited about.
In the Senior Room we are working on a project called My Choice My Voice where we are all creating a presentation about a topic of our choice. Everyone has chosen a different topic and we are looking forward to presenting these.
The seniors are presenting their Italian presentations about different regions of Italy.
We also made caramel slice in cooking using Sheila's recipe and it was delicious .
The Juniors have been learning about worded problems in maths using addition and subtraction. They have been typing stories on their computers. They have been counting down to the Stayback on Thursday and the Year 2's bursting with excitement about sleeping over.
Sacramental Day
The Year 3 and 4 children celebrated and received the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist on the 11th November. At the Retreat day the children contributed to a lunch that we all prepared together and ate together. It was very special to be able to eat in the dining room of Fr Sajan's home. The sharing together reminded the children that that is exactly what the mass (Eucharist) is all about, gathering together, listening, sharing and then going out with the message to be kind and caring of others.
Congratulations to Lucy, Oscar, Ahlia, Sullivan, Maeve, Tara and Patrick who along with other children from the parish, received the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.
School Concert
Next week our school concert will be taking place at the Bungaree Recreation Reserve starting at 6.00pm. The children have been eager to put this performance together for you all, and hope you enjoy a somewhat 'modified' concert for this year. Despite the disruptions caused by lockdowns and home learning we think you will be proud of what the students have been able to put together in such a short time.
We ask that the students be at the reserve by 5.45pm in order to begin at 6.00pm.
As we anticipate our concert will be finished by 6.45, we will have a shared supper after the concert. Please bring along a plate of supper to share.
Gardening and Tidying Roster 2021/2022
Our roster is fortnightly and will keep rotating. Please try to weed/tidy the garden at least once in your allocated fortnight. Things to do - sweep the deck, dust/brush the cob webs from the buildings, bang mats, sweep the entrance to the school, weed the garden beds at the front of the school and the sensory garden.
Thanks for your help in keeping the school tidy.
GARDENING & TIDY ROSTER | |
Brendan Leonard Family | 15th - 28th Nov |
Lenaghan Family | 29th Nov – 12th Dec |
After School Hours Club
Message from Bishop Paul
November 18, 2021
Hello Everyone,
As you may have seen, the Victorian Government has announced new Covid regulations to come into effect from 11.59pm tonight (Thursday 18 November 2021).
The government website has not yet been fully updated. However, a government page gives a summary of key points. Under the heading “Weddings, funerals and worship”, the summary is as follows.
“If everyone present is fully vaccinated, you can host or attend weddings, funerals and religious ceremonies at places of worship with no capacity limits or density limits. (Vaccination requirements will apply from the age of 12 and 2 months, unless a medical exemption applies.)
If vaccination status isn’t being checked, these events are restricted to one person per 4 square metres up to a maximum of 50 people per facility.
The cap at funerals doesn’t include those required to conduct the funeral and the cap at weddings doesn’t include the marrying couple, celebrant or photographer.”
I note in particular that there are no capacity and density limits for gatherings where everyone present is fully vaccinated. I note also the increase in the limit to 50 people where vaccination status is not being checked. For further details, you could go to the government website www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au as it is more fully updated in the coming days.
I renew my thanks to you all for continuing to support one another through these trying times. As we take another step towards being able to gather for worship as a whole community, may the Holy Spirit unite us more and more with Christ and with one another.
God bless you all.
Bishop Paul Bird CSsR
