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- PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
- PLENARY COUNCIL
- SCHOOL CONCERT
- COVID IMPACT
- JAPANESE DAY 1st DECEMBER
- SUBWAY
- SCHOOL NURSE
- 2022 CLASS STRUCTURE
- CAMPS
- COWS FOR CAREERS PROJECT
- KIDS HELPLINE
- PARENTS & FRIENDS NEWS
- FUNDRAISER
- MASS TIMES
- SCHOOL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
- ICY POLES
- DATES
- I CANNOT CONTROL 'so I can let go of these things'
- COVID CHANGES
Dear Families
This week we have welcomed back the Gr 3 & 4 students on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then today and Friday we welcome the Gr 5 & 6 students. It has been great to have the students back, if only for a few days. In week 4, on Tuesday October 26th we plan to have all students returned to school. Safety continues to be paramount at our school; hygiene and ventilation are important. Classes are encouraged to be held outdoors where they can.
Families you are doing a great job at supporting your children and their learning. I have witnessed the positive ‘We can do this’ attitude often at school. We know your attitude at this time is influential, our children are looking to us to see how we cope in hard times. I’d like to encourage you to continue to see the light at the end of the tunnel and highlight the hope in our present COVID situation. We are hopeful that we can put our school concert on later in the term, I am hopeful that families can be together for Christmas.
Please know we are here to support your child and your family as always.
May God continue to bless and guide us in our learning together.
Trish Mulqueen
Principal
As we gather on this sacred land, let us acknowledge that we are standing on Country for which the members and Elders of the local Aboriginal community and their ancestors have been custodians for thousands of years; land on which they have performed age-old ceremonies, celebrations initiations and renewals. We acknowledge their living culture and their unique role in the life of this area today.
The Catholic Church is seeking to listen and reflect, and to engage in respectful openness to the voice of others through the Plenary Council in Australia.
You might remember last year we asked the question 'What is God asking of the Catholic Church in Australia at this time?' We engaged in conversation about this. Parishes engaged in dialogue and listening sessions. Last weekend we celebrated with Bishop Greg, the Official Opening Mass for our Diocese of the Plenary Council. In Bishop Greg’s homily, he referred to the AFL Grandfinal where 'Birds of Tokyo' sang the song Lanterns. The words are:
'On we march with a midnight song.
We will light our way with our lanterns on.
On we march till we meet the dawn.
We light our way with our lanterns on'.
I wonder, 'How do we walk with our lanterns on?'
The Sale Diocese has commissioned a small group of representatives including Bishop Greg and Fr Peter Slater, to participate in this Plenary Council. We pray for the success of the Council and we look forward to their findings.
This year’s school concert has been rescheduled from Thursday October 28th to Thursday November 11th. It will be at school outside on the asphalt area starting at 6pm. Families are invited to bring picnic chairs and a picnic rug to sit on and family tickets are $10 per family. The students have started practice and I think you will be impressed. We hope your family can join us.
Many in our school community continue to face financial impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to supporting families experiencing financial challenges through our School Fee Concession programs, and encourage any parent/carer/guardian experiencing difficulties to contact us regarding fee assistance.
Please contact, Lucy our new office lady on office@trafalgar.catholic.edu.au to explore confidential financial support arrangements or to obtain further information.
Each year the School Nurse visits our school to conduct a general health check on our Foundation students. This year our school nurse Sarah Howes has already seen a number of our Foundation students and she will visit again soon to finish off the health checks. If you haven’t returned your child’s permission note, could you please do so as soon as possible.
After very careful consideration, the staff have set the class structure for 2022. The structure is the same as this year: F/1, Gr 1/2, Gr 2/3, Gr 4/5 & Gr 5/6.
We are beginning the process of planning our class lists for the 2022 school year. Whilst this is an onerous and time-consuming task, we are blessed to have such a knowledgeable staff who are aware of each student’s individual needs and work collaboratively to make professional judgements in relation to class planning and student placement. When deciding our individual class structures, a number of factors are taken into account, which include: • Student’s social, emotional, academic and physical development • Student’s cognitive development • Student relationships • Family dynamics, eg. sibling placement • Teacher knowledge, skill and expertise • Enrolment numbers at the various levels • Practical resources, such as space. If your child has a particular need or there is important information that we should be aware of when considering class placement for the 2022 school year, we ask that parents put this information in writing and submit it via email to; principal@trafalgar.catholic.edu.au All requests are specifically about your child’s needs. It is not an opportunity to ask for your child to be placed within friendship or social groups. Obviously, we cannot accommodate requests for particular teachers; we can only look at the needs of each individual child. All email requests need to be submitted by close of business on Friday 12th November and we ask parents to understand that all requests will be considered on merit but there are no guarantees. Any requests received after the above date will not be taken into consideration and once grades have been set there will be no changes.
If your family’s enrolment situation at St Joseph’s is changing in the future, we would also appreciate you letting us know. An accurate indication of student numbers assists us enormously in our planning for 2022.
At St Joseph's we have a wonderful camp program which gradually introduces the students to a camp experience.
Earlier this year Grade 5 & 6 attended Sovereign Hill camp in Ballarat and next year they will participate in Urban Camp in Melbourne.
This year our Grade 3 & 4 students will attend Allambee Camp for 2 nights in week 10 of Term 4. This will be a free camp for all Grade 3 & 4 students due to the Department of Education initiative- Positive Start which is providing free school camps to eligible Victorian schools. The Positive Start in 2022 initiative is intended to provide additional camps and programs for students in 2022. It does not apply to existing camp and program bookings schools already have in place. All Grade 3 & 4 students camp levy will be reimbursed over the coming weeks.
Our Foundation, Grade 1 and Grade 2 camp experience includes staying after school, changing into casual clothes and participating in team building activities. Foundation students will be picked up at 5pm. Grade 1 students will walk to McGregor park for a play, BBQ dinner and be picked up at 6pm. Grade 2 students will have pizza and movie night at school and be picked up at 7pm. All of the Junior camps will be in Term 4, dates to come out later this term.
This year our school is participating in this project. Hopefully on Monday we will have 2 calves delivered to our school, for us to look after. You will remember that last term Ben Oldham, one of our Dads, helped us to build a calf enclosure and helped us to move the pen structure for the calves. We are very grateful for his help. On Monday Steve and Melissa Trotman, who work on Louise and Graeme Paul’s dairy farm on Waterloo Rd, will deliver our calves. Steve and Melissa will help educate us to look after the calves. We are very excited about looking after the calves. Each morning and afternoon we will prepare milk formula to hand feed the calves. I think this will be a wonderful learning opportunity for your child. If however, you have any concerns about your child being involved in this program and would like to opt out, then please let either myself or the classroom teacher know.
UNIFORM ORDERS
Uniform shop is stocking new green school Tshirts.
All uniform orders available on CDFPay.
St John's, 54 Waterloo Rd., Trafalgar:
Saturday 6pm, 2nd and 4th Sunday 10:00am
St Jarlath's, Rollo St., Yarragon:
1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays, 10:00am
Our School Advisory Committee acts to support the overall leadership of the school. This year our Committee consisted of Katie Balfour, Imelda Cathomen, Dan Towb, Ashley Treyvaud, Marja Jamieson, Vanessa Donaldson and myself. Unfortunately, Vanessa needs to step down from her position. We thank Vanessa for her work on this Committee. This means there is a position available on this Committee for 2022. If you are interested in this important role in our school, you are welcome to nominate yourself. If you would like to nominate someone else, then please check with them first, and if they are agreeable, then please nominate them.
Nominations can be communicated to the Principal by emailing principal@trafalgar.catholic.edu.au
Remember in Term 4 icy poles are sold for $1 on Fridays on the back veranda. Students can only buy one icy pole each unless they are buying for their sibling too.
October | |
Fri 29th | World Teachers Day |
Day for Daniel (wear red) | |
November | |
Mon 1st | Assessment Day (Pupil Free Day) |
Tues 2nd | Melbourne Cup Holiday |
Thurs 4th | Foundation Camp Activity at school |
Thurs 11th | School Concert 6pm |
Thurs 18th | Gr 1 Camp Activity at school |
Tues 23rd |
Foundation Orientation Program 9.15am to 10.45 |
Thurs 25th |
Gr 3 Camp Activity at school |
Fri 26th |
Gr 4 Camp Activity at school |
Sat 27th |
Yarragon Christmas Market Mini Vinnies stall |
Tues 30th |
Foundation Orientation Program 9.15am to 10.45 |
December |
|
Wed 1st |
Japanese Day |
Thurs 2nd |
Gr 2 Camp Activity at school |
Tues 7th |
Foundation Orientation Program 9.15am to 10.45 |
Fri 10th |
End of Year/Graduation Mass 9am |
Mon 13th |
Last day for Gr 6 |
Gr 6 Graduation |
|
Wed 15th |
Last day for students 1pm finish |
Thurs 16th & Fri 17th |
Planning days for staff |
Remember schools are only open now for students and staff. Parents need to pick up and drop off at reception. Sorry parents you are not to come onsite.
In order to avoid groups of parents waiting after school we are running staggered pick up. You are welcome to pick your child up from 3pm.
From week 4, starting on Tuesday October 26th (the day everyone is back at school), carline will start to operate at 3pm. If you don’t want to pick your child up at 3pm, please don’t drive into carline until 3.30 as you will hold up the carline and it will not operate efficiently. We are trying to avoid big groups of people gathering.