Dear Families,

As we wrap up Term 3, I’m thrilled to reflect on the vibrant and action-packed ten weeks we’ve had. From unforgettable events to remarkable achievements, this term has been nothing short of extraordinary. And with our Colour Run and Footy Day still to come this week, there’s more excitement ahead!

We kicked off the term with our parent-teacher-student conferences, a fantastic chance to discuss progress and set goals for the rest of the year. Your involvement in these conversations is invaluable, and we truly appreciate your support.

Our Grandparents and Special Friends Day was a heartwarming highlight, where our students proudly shared their school experience with their loved ones, creating precious memories and strengthening our school community.

Our Year 4 students celebrated a special milestone by marking the Eucharist with their families and parish, while our Year 5 and 6 students had a blast at the Marvellous Minds Cubed event, showcasing their creativity and problem-solving skills.

The playgroup has continued to thrive, with families coming together twice a week, fostering a nurturing and connected community.

Last week’s Japanese Festival was a standout event, brimming with colour and culture. A massive thank you to Sensei for organising such a vibrant celebration of Japanese traditions. It was a wonderful reminder of the rich diversity within our school.

We’ve also received fantastic feedback from our recent school review, with the draft report highlighting our many strengths and commitment to excellence. This positive feedback energises us as we strive to build on our successes.

Our students have been busy with engaging activities: Science Week dazzled with its experiments and discoveries, while Book Week was a mammoth celebration of reading. We also welcomed baby Tavcar, Holly Burke and Joyce Dunne to our school family, enriching our community. The lunchtime music concert was a fitting finale, showcasing the extraordinary talent of our students.

We celebrated Foundation’s 100 days at school with enthusiasm, and the Green and Gold Olympics Day was a spirited highlight, promoting teamwork and school spirit. Our Year 5 and 6 students had a fantastic time at Hoop Time, demonstrating their skills and sportsmanship.

We’re also proud to announce our students’ first-place win in the Ethics Olympiad last Friday, a testament to their exceptional reasoning and ethical skills.

Our Parent & Friends (P&F) group has been hard at work on exciting projects, including the upcoming mural, our new school tents (which will debut at this week’s Colour Run), and preparations for the Year 6 graduation. Their dedication is truly appreciated.

As we look ahead to Term 4, I want to extend my gratitude for your ongoing support and enthusiasm. Together, we’ve built a vibrant and nurturing environment for our students. Enjoy the break, and I look forward to welcoming you back on Monday, 7th October. We’re excited to have Carmel Donlon returning as Acting Principal, ready to embrace the new opportunities Term 4 will bring.

Warm wishes,

Megan Moore

COLOUR RUN

Just a reminder that our Colour Run is happening this Thursday, 19th September, with kick-off at 2:30 p.m. A huge thank you to Abbey, Nat and the P&F for organising what promises to be a fantastic fundraising event and loads of fun for everyone involved. If you’re able to lend a hand, please arrive by 2:15 p.m. Don’t forget to bring your Working with Children Check.

Children should wear a white t-shirt and old shorts to change into. These can be brought to school from today, in a named bag. Parents, make sure to bring a towel or a change of clothes if you’re taking children home in your car. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we’ll move the event to Friday, 20th September. Stay tuned for updates!

This Friday is Footy Day! Don’t forget to dress in your favourite footy colours to join in the activities that Ms Patto and the team have organised for the morning. Go Pies!

ETHICS OLYMPIAD

I am thrilled to share some fantastic news about our Ethics Olympiad team. Competing against over 20 teams from across Australia and New Zealand, our team secured an impressive first place! This is an outstanding achievement and a testament to their hard work, teamwork, and dedication.

The journey to this success has been an incredible one. I am immensely proud of how our students came together, demonstrating remarkable effort and collaboration. Their commitment to preparing for the competition was evident in every practice session and discussion. Not only did they excel in their ethical reasoning, but they also enjoyed the process and had fun along the way.

This victory is a reflection of the team's collective effort and their ability to support and inspire each other. It’s moments like these that truly highlight the strength of our school community and the exceptional talent within our students.

Congratulations to our Ethics Olympiad team on this well-deserved win. Your achievement has made us all incredibly proud, and we celebrate your success with great joy. Well done!

JAPANESE FESTIVAL

What more can I say that hasn’t already been expressed by our staff, students, and parents! A huge thank you to our students for their outstanding performances and enthusiasm—you truly brought the festival to life!

To our families, thank you for coming along to watch and support the event. Your presence and encouragement added to the success of the celebration.

And a special thank you to Sensei for organising and leading this vibrant festival. Your dedication in bringing Japanese culture to our school community is deeply appreciated.

Thank you all for making this festival unforgettable!

YOUTH LEADERSHIP VICTORIA (YLV) - our after school care program

Please contact Megan Moore if you plan for your child/children to attend the holiday program these school holidays. We are in daily conversations with YLV about CCS payments and the holiday program. 

RIGHT TO DISCONNECT

As of 26th August this year, The "Right to Disconnect" rule came into  effect and is designed to help teachers manage their work-life balance by ensuring they have clear boundaries between their professional and personal time. This means that after their regular working hours, teachers are not expected to respond to emails, take work calls, or handle school-related tasks. By respecting this right, teachers can fully engage in their personal lives, reduce stress, and avoid burnout, which ultimately helps them return to school refreshed and more effective. This balance is crucial for maintaining both their well-being and their ability to provide the best possible support for their students.

With this in mind, we kindly ask that you address emails and queries to staff during business hours. If necessary, you can schedule your emails to align with these hours. Your understanding and cooperation in supporting the well-being of our dedicated staff are greatly appreciated.

ARBORIST WORK ON THE HOLIDAYS

Tree maintenance at our school has been scheduled for the first week of the school holidays. The work will be carried out between 7:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 25th, and Thursday, 26th. Megan and Maree will be on site to oversee the project. Clear exclusion zones will be established to ensure safety while our after-school program is in operation.

STUDENT ABSENTEE PROCEDURE

We are in the process of developing a new system, inline with MACS policies, for managing student absences and will soon be sharing detailed information with you. This updated process aims to streamline communication and ensure accurate record-keeping. Please stay tuned for further updates and instructions on how to use the new system once it is finalised.

STUDENT ACHEIVEMENTS

We’d love to celebrate your child's achievements and special moments in our school newsletter! Whether they’ve excelled in sports, made significant academic progress, or achieved something extraordinary in any other area, we want to hear about it. Sharing these highlights not only acknowledges their hard work and dedication but also inspires and fosters a sense of community among our students and families. Please send us your child's accomplishments and memorable moments so we can showcase their success and the diverse talents within our school community. Please email principal@scmoorabbin.catholic.edu.au

Here is our first contribution - congrats Aston!

Aston was on Fox FM in the last week of August where he had the chance to read the weather live for the morning show with Fifi, Fev and Nick. WHat an exciting opportunity. 

“I was a bit nervous but mostly excited because so much people in the world were going to listen to me. They sent me a practise letter and that made me feel more comfortable. I loved doing it and I’d love to read the weather again.” 

Foundation Family Faith Night

On the 4th of September the Foundation students came to school in their PJs for our Family Faith night. The focus of the night was “Our prayer place.” The families listened to a meditation about gratitude. They then bounced balloons to each other and shared by calling out things they are grateful for in their lives. Mrs Moore read a lovely story called “  What is God Like?” Mrs Hills shared the story about Jesus calling the little children to him to share the good news using the classes Godly play dolls. 

The students  were given the opportunity to share items that were very special to them and their families. The parents and students then decorated a candle, made a prayer cloth and a foam cross and placed a design on a heart shaped trinket tray to create their own special prayer space at home.

The night ended with the students singing “These Hands” by Andrew Chinn. It was a lovely night where we came together in partnership to celebrate with our wonderful foundation students.

Whole School Mass

As a whole school we will celebrate our beginning of the term Mass on the 9th October at 10:00am. We invite families to join us as we begin our term 4 faith and learning journey. 

October is a special month where we pray and dedicate our prayers to Mary by praying the rosary. Classes will take the opportunity to learn some of the Mysteries of the Rosary and pray a decade of the Rosary throughout the month. Pope Francis has dedicated this year 2024 as the Year of Prayer in the lead up to celebrating in 2025 the jubilee year. The theme for the jubilee next year is “Pilgrims of Hope.” 

Wellbeing

RUOK? DAY

As a school we acknowledge the need to check in with each other and have the conversation where we ask, ‘Are you ok?’ Classes completed activities on the 12th September where they talked about how to ask if someone is ok. In Foundation the students watched a video with Harold the giraffe from the life education program. We watched and listened to different scenarios being role played about times people might need some support at school and on the playground. We learnt how to decide the best response to checking with other students and how to start the sometimes difficult conversations with others. The students then made a badge to show they know how to ask the right questions.

Dear Parents and Friends,

On September 11, we had our awesome, amazing

面白い日本祭りコンサート 

(Omoshiroi Nihon Matsuri Konsaato) or 

Interesting Japan Festival Concert!!!!!!!!

The Grade 5s opened the show with some thunderous taiko (Japanese drumming).
Then, we had the Grade 1/2s who sang six songs about Japanese seasonal events. The Foundation students sang six traditional nursery rhymes. Our wonderful Instrumental students played the song ‘Momotaro-san’ and then the Choir sang the song. Afterwards, we had the Gr 6s, show us the Momotaro story. Finally, to end the concert ,we had the Gr 3/4s do some modern and traditional Japanese dances.

 After our concert, the Monash University Kendo Club talked to us about the history of kendo, how we dress for kendo and what moves are made to warm up for kendo and, finally, a practice kendo match. 

Please see below for a full list of all the winners of our competitions.

COMPETITION WINNERS:

Class Quiz: 3/4DK

Teach Your Teacher: 5

Best Dressed: Zia Leech (Foundation)

Trivia Competition: Aidan Qiu (3/4JB)

Poster Junior Division: Isabelle Tang (1/2), Henry Trinca (1/2), 

Poster Middle Division: Haley Uhr (3/4JB), Oliver Trinca (3/4JB)

Poster Senior Division: Aidan Chan (5), Ms Laura Bailey

Cooking/Kyaraben Junior Division: Joshua McKell (1/2), Tex Greskie, (1/2), Harvey Taffe (1/2)

Cooking/Kyaraben Middle Division: Hannah Chan (3/4JB), Alice Pho (3/4JB), Sam Welsh (3/4DK) 

Cooking/Kyaraben Senior Division: Cameron McKell (5), Gus Welsh (6)

Ayatori: Georgia Gosling (1/2), Emma McKell (3/4DK), Xavier Hoad (3/4DK), Alexis Kugler (5)

Kendama: George Korintzelis (3/4JB)

Aston - For being actively involved in all learning experiences and making thoughtful contributions to classroom discussions.

Saul - For the attention to detail he applies to learning tasks, especially numeracy. Saul made wonderful connections and extended himself when learning about division.

Marwin - For having a wonderful term at St Catherine’s and being a responsible and respectful classroom member.

Joshua - For having such a great attitude towards school and all things learning. Josh puts 100% into his learning tasks!

Liam T - Always trying his best. Liam is an independent learner who works cooperatively with others’.

3/4 JB

3/4 DK

Serephin - Displaying a ‘can do’ attitude when faced with difficult tasks in the classroom and always putting her best effort into her work.

Xavier - Constructing a highly effective water filter for our Science Expo and a creative and informative poster to go with it.

Jimmy  - Working well with a learning partner in the classroom and finishing tasks to the best of his ability.

Lucy - Always coming to school with a positive and friendly attitude and helping others around the classroom

5 JH

Lily - For showing gratitude and empathy, and having a positive outlook when faced with challenges! 

Leona - For being an excellent leader and role model and school leader, and for showing towards others.

Eve - For using a growth mindset and always giving things a go, even when they are challenging.

Cooper - For always sharing fantastic and thoughtful ideas during class discussions!

Josh - For being a kind and supportive classmate who looks out for others and helps them to overcome challenges.

6 JD

Zoe -Your hard work and commitment to improving your maths skills. Your consistent effort, resilience and focus have led to significant progress. Your dedication is evident and you should be proud of the growth you’ve achieved. Congratulations Zoe!

Supreme -Your incredible ability to jump right in and embrace our classroom community with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Your fresh perspective, willingness to participate, and friendly demeanour have quickly made a positive impact. We are so glad to have you with us! 

Manuel -Your ability to make us all smile, your kindness in making everyone feel valued, and your genuine friendship. Your thoughtful questions and friendly nature bring joy to our class every day. Thank you for being a bright and positive presence in our learning community.

Gus -Your relentless dedication to understanding and owning your learning journey, your insightful contributions that elevate our classroom discussions, and an ability to make us all smile with your positivity. Your hard work and cheerful spirit truly brighten our days. Well done Gus! 

Last Friday, the 13th of September, the Ethics Olympiad team, consisting of Jensen, Daraius, Cameron, Lily Mae and Gus won their Ethics Olympiad. Ethics Olympiad is a type of polite debating online against other schools from New Zealand and Australia. This is how it went.

The build up to the Ethics Olympiad was long but worth it. On the 6th of August, we had a training session where all the schools competing logged on to a zoom meeting, and some of the judges gave us tips on how to do well and how to present your arguments. Then Abbey Webster came to school a couple of days later to give us tips and teach us how to present well. Later on in the week, we did our first session with Mrs. Moore, up in her office. Days and days and hours upon hours of training happened here - learning all of our cases well until the big day.

The day itself - The tournament started at 10a.m. The competition began with an opening session where we were introduced to the format and rules of the Olympiad. From there, we then participated in structured discussions on the ethical case studies we had worked so hard on. These discussions were judged by ethics judges around the world who posed questions and challenged the teams' arguments. We had three cases for the day which meant we had to do this two more times over. We really enjoyed stating our opinions on the cases and thought we had done well with our answers and questions overall.  It was still with a lot of excitement to receive a call late Friday afternoon from Mrs Moore to be told the awesome news that we won the tournament and would be receiving gold medals and ice cream from her.

We could not have done it without our awesome coach Mrs Moore. Thank you Mrs Moore ❤

By Jensen and Gus 

This week - Colour Run

Golden Chook Award

Last week we attended the second part of the Kingston Council Big Green Schools Conference. We met up with 9 other schools and each presented their ideas for ways to make their school a greener place. We learnt a lot about how other schools looked after their rubbish collection and the Nude Food ideas for lunchboxes.

We created a slideshow about the vegetable garden and described how we have begun planting seeds and preparing the beds. We explained our goals and challenges of how we are going to maintain the garden going forward. Unfortunately we didn’t win the ‘Golden Chook Award’ this time round but we are very proud of ourselves as we did our best. 

Lily Mae, Dylan & Lachlan

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