Today is Remembrance Day, a day of national commemoration. On this day at 11 am, Australians pause in silence for a minute to remember the bravery and sacrifice of the people who lost their lives while serving Australia and its allies in wars, conflicts and peace operations. Today we met in The Learning Hub to remember and pray together. Thanks to Mrs Hills and selected students for leading this commemoration. 

It is time to reflect and to silently remember all those who have served and died in war. 

School Athletics Carnival- 9.00-11.00 Friday 15th November

Sue Pattinson has been working very hard with her sports leaders and students to prepare for this Friday. We are very excited and are praying for great weather. Remember to send the students with their school hats, snacks, water bottles and to wear their house colours. Please ensure you are at school by 8.50am as staff and students will walk down to the track just after 9.00am. We are very excited to use our new shade marques at the track.

24th December CHRISTMAS EVE CHILDREN’S MASS NATIVITY- 6pm ST CATHERINE’S

This year I’m assisting Sheelagh in the Parish to organise a Nativity at the 6pm Christmas Eve Children’s Mass at St Catherine's Church. Families that were involved last year really enjoyed the experience.

• If you would like your child/children to be involved please look out for an Operoo that will come out later in the week.
• You will need to come to a rehearsal at St Catherine’s Church at 4.30pm on Thursday, 19th December. At this rehearsal we will allocate roles & organise costumes.  (These will be provided for all the children). This rehearsal should take about an hour and we ask parents to stay for the whole time. Children involved need to be school age.
• We will have a dress rehearsal at 4.30pm on Monday, 23rd December.
• You will need to bring your child/children to church at 5.15pm on Tuesday, 24th December to have a final rehearsal and get fitted into their costumes.
• Parents will need a Working with Childrens Check/Card to attend the practice sessions to work with children 

Please let me know if you are able to help at either the rehearsals and on Christmas Eve.

Please contact me if you have any questions or need clarification.

FOUNDATION 2024 ORIENTATION SESSIONS & PARENT INFORMATION EVENING

7pm Tuesday 12th November- Parent Information Session

We look forward to meeting our 2025 Foundation families at the Parent Information Session on Tuesday, 12th November. This will take place in the Learning Hub.

2025 Foundation Classroom Transition Sessions 9.15-10.45am

Monday 18th November: First School Transition Session (Foundation Classroom) Morning Tea for parents

Tuesday, 26th November: Second School Transition Session (Foundation Classroom) 

Wednesday, 4th December: Third School Transition Session (Foundation Classroom)

STAFFING- Foundation 2025 Teacher

Jaimee Hall will be the Foundation teacher in 2024. This year Jaimee has designed a t-shirt for her new students which they can wear to kinder, the transition days and during the school holidays.

Staffing Updates

There will be some staffing changes in 2025. These will be announced over the next few newsletters as appointments are finalised at staff members' new schools and our school. Maree Hills, Sandra Renehan and Dylan Knoll will not be returning in 2025.  We will bid them farewell in true St Catherine's fashion at the end of the year.

Maree Hills will finish at St Catherine’s at the end of the school year. We will deeply miss her vast experience, unwavering dedication, creativity, and meticulous attention to detail. Throughout her time here, Maree has made significant contributions in various roles, including as a Foundation, Year 1, and Year 2 classroom teacher, Wellbeing Leader, and Religious Education Leader. She has been an integral part of our Leadership Team, bringing both insight and passion to everything she does. Maree has accepted a position as a Foundation teacher at Sacred Heart, Croydon. 

Dylan Knoll has been successful in obtaining a teaching position at St Louis De Montforts in Aspendale. Dylan has been a valued member of our St Catherine’s community, and it has been a privilege to mentor and support him during his first year of teaching. He has brought fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to our school, enriching the learning environment for both students and staff. We wish him well as he continues his teaching career. 

Sandra Renehan will finish at the end of the 2024 school year. She plans to dedicate more time to her family, pursue travel opportunities, and work as a Casual Relief Teacher while considering her next steps in education or exploring new opportunities in the Arts. Sandra has been a valued member of our school community for 11 years, during which she has served in various roles, including as a classroom teacher, Visual Arts Teacher, and Performing Arts Teacher. She has been a driving force behind our Environmental and Sustainability initiatives, and more recently, she has taken on additional leadership responsibilities. Her experience, creativity and multifaceted talents will be missed.

2025 Visual Arts Teacher- Joanne Carter                                                       

I have employed Joanne to teach Visual Arts in 2025. Joanne is an experienced teacher who currently works as a Visual Arts Teacher at St Roch’s, Glen Iris. Joanne  will work across both schools in 2025. She is very excited to be joining our St Catherines’ family.

2025 Performing Arts Teacher &  Classroom Teachers                                     

I’m in the process of finalising these positions and will introduce the new staff members in the next few newsletters. When staff move schools we need to make announcements concurrently in both communities. Thanks for your understanding.

External School Review                                                                                                                                      

This year we have undergone our school review. This occurs every 4 years and is conducted by an external reviewer. The findings and recommendations will guide our School Improvement agenda over the next 4 years. Planning for the Review began in Term 4, 2023 and preparation continued in Terms 1 and 2 of this year. The external reviewer engaged with members across the school community in order to verify the evidence which was presented. I have included ‘areas of strength’ and ‘opportunities for improvement’ from her final report. 

Day 1 - Thursday 1st August

VRQA Compliance- Requirements for registration as a Primary school

• Review of the minimum Standards and Requirements for School Registration, and other

Commonwealth Requirements including Child safety Assessment

Day 2 - Wednesday 21st August

Meetings with:

• Acting Principal
• Learning Area/Class visits (Observe lessons and meet 1:1 with teacher)
• Sphere Leader- Learning and Teaching
• Staff Focus Group

Day 3 - Tuesday 27th August

Meetings with:

• Sphere Leader- Student Wellbeing
• Education Support Staff and Administration
• Student Focus Group (Year 4: 3 girls & 3 boys)
• Sphere Leader- Religious Education
• Sphere Leader- School
• Community
• Parent Focus group (2.30-3.20)
• Acting Principal

Day 4 - Thursday 10th October

• Feedback Report- Dialogue and Engagement

After Review Process

• Work with MACs (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholics Schools) staff to Develop SIP- School Improvement Framework for next 4 years
• Use SIP to develop AAP (Annual Action Plan) for 2025

Areas of strength

• Enactment of a clear and targeted improvement agenda.
• Capacity to engage students in the school’s religious dimension in ways that make sense to them.
• Instructional leadership through coaching and engagement with region to incorporate evidence-based practice to improve pedagogy.
• Capacity to ensure multi-tiered support for students across a range of levels
• Commitment to positive and respectful relationships and engagement that values and enables parent and student voice to build community.

Opportunities for improvement

• Effective faith formation for mission for leaders and staff that builds teachers’ confidence in their understanding of the Catholic faith and knowledge of the Catholic spiritual traditions and religious practices that would equip them to help students to grow in their own understanding of the presence of God at work in their lives.
• Supporting the potential of middle leadership to develop pedagogical expertise as well as the skills needed to lift the performance of colleagues.
• Focusing on the analysis and use of student wellbeing data to inform and develop practice that enables students’ readiness to learn, their active engagement in their learning and develops their personal and social capabilities, within a tiered system of support.
• Embedding the MACS Flourishing Learners position statement, Vision for Instruction and customising the new Mathematics Uplift Curriculum Resources and English Uplift Curriculum Resources to improve literacy and numeracy.
• Continuing to create opportunities to support families as partners in their child’s learning, whether face to face or technological.

MACSIS Surveys

The results from the surveys conducted at the end of term 3 (September) have just come in. This data will be used to guide school improvement in 2025. The data will be utilised to identify strengths and identify areas for improvement. 

I have included the snapshot data which indicates St Catherine’s is above the MACS average in all 3 surveys.

Family Data: (35 families completed - 70 sent out)

• Overall positive endorsement of the school 70%
• Above MACS average school score of 69%

Student Data: (5/6 students)

• Overall positive endorsement of the school 73%
• Above MACS average school score of 64%

Staff Data: (16 staff)

• Overall positive endorsement of the school 84%
• Above MACS average school score of 68%

 F-4 SWIMMING & 5/6 BEACH PROGRAM

An Operoo will go out next week with information regarding the F-4  Swimming Program. An Operoo will also go out with information about the 5/6 Beach Program. Please note that these are a compulsory component of the PE Curriculum. Please contact me if you need to discuss any aspects of the programs.

2024 TERM 4 SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS                                                                                              

1. Friday, 29 November 2024  (Pupil-Free Day)
2. Wednesday, 18 December 2024 (Days in Lieu for staff)
3. Thursday, 19 December 2024 (Days in Lieu for staff)
4. Friday, 20 December 2024 (Days in Lieu for staff)

Term 4 Dates

Week 6

Tuesday 12th November - 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 2025 Foundation Parent Information Night

Wednesday 13th November - 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Parish Mass (Yr 1/2 & 5)

Friday 15th November - 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Whole School Athletics Carnival

Week 7

Monday 18th November - 9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. - 2025 Foundation Transition & family morning tea (Session 1)

Week 8

Monday 25th - 26th November - Yr 5/6 Beach Program (whole day)

Tuesday 26th November - 9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 2025 Foundation Transition (Session 2)

Wednesday 27th November - 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. St Catherine Laboure Feast Mass

Thursday 28th November - 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Year 6 Big Day Out - Luna Park

Friday 29th November - School Closure Day (no onsite care available) 

Week 9

Monday 2nd - Friday 6th December - F-4 Swimming Program (Aquastar)

Wednesday 4th December - 9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 2025 Foundation Transition (Session 3)

Thursday 5th December - From 5pm (Carols start 6pm promptly) Whole School Christmas Carols

 

Week 10

Wednesday 11th December - 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. End of Year Mass & Nativity Play

Wednesday 11th December - 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 2025 Teacher Meet & Greet

Wednesday 11th December - 2:15 p.m. Whole School Class Kris Kringle (KK)

Wednesday 11th December - School Reports go home

 

Week 11

Monday 16th December - 9:00am Year 6 Big Day In

Monday 16th December - 3:10pm Year 6 Guard of Honour

Monday 16th December - 5:45pm Year 6 Mass & Graduation 

Tuesday 17th December - 3:20pm Students & Staff last day of term 4 2024     

Wednesday, 18 December 2024 (Days in Lieu for staff) (St Peter's OSH Club confirmed)

Thursday, 19 December 2024 (Days in Lieu for staff) (St Peter's OSH Club confirmed) 

Friday, 20 December 2024 (Days in Lieu for staff) (St Peter's OSH Club confirmed)

Thursday 19th December- 4.30pm Parish Nativity Rehearsal 1

Monday 23rd December - 4.30pm Parish Nativity Rehearsal 2

Tuesday 24th December- 6.00pm Christmas Eve Children's Mass and Nativity

                                                                             

       

Today we gathered as a school community to remember all those who have bravely fought, served and died for our country in all wars.

Our Foundation to Year 4 led our prayer service today beginning with a procession of symbols that helped us focus on this special day. The students processed in with our flags to represent the people of Australia. A lit candle to represent the Eternal Flame, a symbol of our nation’s gratitude towards, and memory of, those who have died through war. A wreath of red poppies as the primary symbol of Remembrance Day, representing not only the bloodshed but also a symbol of remembrance and hope. Finally, we had at the heart of our focus, the Bible, symbolising the Word of God.  

We all stood to listen to the last post and then respectfully held a minute’s silence at the end of our special liturgy as a sign of respect and a time for reflection. 

Our final prayer:

Loving God, you call us to be people of peace.

We acknowledge those who have given their lives in times of war and conflict, and we ask that we never forget the sacrifice they have made.

Holy Spirit, send your loving power and strength to bring about peace in our world. 

Help us to make the world a better place by living in harmony, peace and unity.

May we treat others as we would like to be treated and always remember to walk in love.

We make our prayer in Jesus’ name.

Amen. 

You Are Invited

Smiling Mind is a free app that has some amazing resources for all ages. I have previously made reference to many articles and videos to support adults and students' mental health journey on the app. I thought it was time to revisit some resources that might be helpful to start conversations at home or assist with some mindfulness as we head towards the end of the year.

Smiling Mind Creek is a series of 18 x 2 minute animated episodes exploring positive mental health and emotional wellbeing lessons for children aged 3 to 8. 

“Just like us, each friend sees and reacts to the world differently. They may become curious, shy, excitable, or a little angry. In each episode, a problem or query arises about friendships, the Creek, or themselves. Our narrator works with Tam, Maali and

Wes to understand the situation and its impact on their feelings.

Together, the three friends and our narrator explore different ways to become more aware of each others’ needs, as well as learn about their own. Through empathy, curiosity and mindful thinking, the friends are able to help each other and build strong, healthy connections.”

https://www.smilingmind.com.au/

Smiling Mind Creek episodes

Smiling Mind Blog for Parents    

Smiling Mind has launched new resources on their app, it has some of the same content but in a new format and some completely new features. There are three types of content in the new Smiling Mind App, designed to help you to Learn, Meditate and Practice mental fitness. The content is also mapped to skill sets to support you to: Live Mindfully, Embrace Flexible Thinking, Grow Connections, Act Purposefully and Recharge Your Body. 

Religious Education

Foundation

This term we have been learning all about the Rosary. Our focus has been on the stories from the Joyful mysteries. We listened and discussed the stories as we prayed the Rosary. The Joyful mysteries: 

• The Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary.
• The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth.
• The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
• The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.
• The Finding of Jesus in the Temple.

To pray the Rosary we made small decade rosary bracelets using pony beads. Each morning in October we used our Rosary bracelets to pray. The bracelets have 10 beads representing the Hail Mary prayer and 1 bead to represent the Our Father prayer. The students had a great time choosing their beads and putting them together.

We also met up with our Year 6 buddies to attend our last class Mass together. The students always love sharing time with their buddies at Mass and having their snack together afterwards. Thank you to our Year 6 buddies who have been great role models showing reverence and prayerfulness when we attended all of our Masses this year.

During the month of October we have also been learning about the work the Catholic mission does in countries around the world. We gathered with our year 1 friends to make sockballs for Socktober. The students made comparisons between our soccer balls which we love to play with at school and those of children around the world who don’t have access to such equipment. So we set about making 2 sockballs used by the children in Argentina and many other countries around the world. They learnt about a very important person who used a sockball during his childhood, Pope Francis.

As we watched the video the students weren’t sure the balls would work as they are made from recycled materials; old socks, t-shirts, plastic bags, string etc. We broke into 2 groups with the help of Mrs Dudley each group made a sockball. We then headed out to the oval to shoot goals. The 2 teams kicked off against each other to see how many sockball goals they could make. The score was very close with Pink scoring 7 & Purple 6. 

It was a lovely experience for the students to reflect on their own experiences of something they love to play and the real world connection with that of other children around the world.

1/2 HB

In 1/2 HB, our focus in Religion has been on Creation. We have been reflecting on how we can be stewards of creation and what actions we can take in our community to care for the environment. We recognise our responsibility as stewards of God’s creation to care for the environment and all living things. 

What does being stewards of God’s creation mean?

• Drake - when the zookeepers give food to animals at the zoo.
• Neil - leave water and food out for animals.
• Sienna - don’t hunt animals.
• Paidi - don’t cut down trees (helps to keep air clean).
• Matteo - take care of nature by not leaving things that might harm animals.
• Tex - We don’t throw litter in the ocean. We put it in the bin.
• Harvey - you have to look after the things that you have.
• Georgia - we can leave trees in Africa for the giraffes to eat.
• Isabelle - don’t pick the flowers out of the gardens.

We wrote a class prayer together.

Dear God,

Thankyou for the beautiful gardens and for the sunshine and rain that help the plants grow. 

Thankyou for our pets and help us to care for them and love them.  

Thankyou also for our beautiful native Australian animals. 

Help us to respect, protect and care for them and keep them safe. 

Thankyou for all our food, shelter, clothes and games and our friends and families.

Amen

3/4 JB

In 3/4JB this term we have been focussing on the understanding the significance of prayer and the rosary. The students have been learning how the different beads guide us through prayers like the "Our Father," "Hail Mary," and "Glory Be," each with a distinct meaning that reflects devotion and connection to God. The students drew and designed their own rosary necklaces. 

3/4 DK

In year 3/4DK we have been exploring the meaning behind the Holy Rosary, as October was the month of the Rosary. This included how to follow the beads to pray the Holy Rosary. In 3/4DK, students each morning engaged with praying the Holy Rosary.  

It was an afternoon full of colour, activities, fun, games and laughter! 

On Wednesday 30th of October, the year 5 and 6 students ran a Socktober market stall to raise funds for the Caring Centre in Mongolia. The afternoon was a huge success!

A huge congratulations to our fantastic year 5 and 6 students who successfully planned, designed and ran stalls for our Socktober Fundraiser. We are extremely proud of the amount of hard work and effort these students put into making this day a possibility and a huge success!! Well done everyone!!

Thank you so much to everyone in our school community who attended, donated and supported our Socktober Fundraiser. We are unbelievably grateful for your support and cannot thank you all enough. In total, our school raised $1136.55 which will be donated to Socktober. Well Done!!!

Read about the day from some of our wonderful stall managers.

Maggie - My favourite part of the day was serving the customers and getting a treat after all the hard work all the stalls put in for the fundraiser. My group did a great job with making and setting up the stall. We were quick at making everything and we worked really well together.

Josh - My favourite part of the day was seeing people come to and enjoy our stall because my group worked really hard on it so I liked seeing the hard work pay off.

Lachie  - The day was amazing. Everyone loved it and we had worked so hard on it. There was everything from food to games and people selling stuff. I think this is one of the best things that we’ve organised as a school.

Jensen - My favourite part of the day was serving people and realising that we were a really popular stall. Another fun part of my day was seeing all of our preparation pay off.

Bella - My favourite part of the day was when people came to our stall and we knew that the money was going to a good cause. I also loved how much people loved our bracelets, and how they turned out how we had imagined! It was great to see some kids coming back to our stall a second time because of how much they loved it. We also got to try out other stalls on the day. It was sunny and a perfect day for it!

BUNNINGS BBQ! THIS SUNDAY - WE STILL NEED HELP AND SUPPLIES!

Volunteer opportunities for "Moorabbin Bunnings BBQ - Sunday 17 November 2024" are now open. This is our biggest fundraiser so we are excited for a great event! 

Please click on the following web link (or copy it into your web browser if clicking doesn't work) to go to the signup sheet:

volunteersignup.org/EYJ8D To sign up, just follow the instructions on the page. It only takes a few seconds to do! Thank you for volunteering!

Can't volunteer? We are looking for donations of the following items please: 

Cans of Coke and Solo, juice pop-tops...Supplies can be left at the Office please.

Any questions - please contact Kendell on 0410 787 004

CHRISTMAS CAROLS AND CELEBRATION NIGHT

THURSDAY 5 DECEMBER, the event fun will kick-off at 5pm, children to arrive by 5.45pm at the latest for Carols to commence at 6pm. Flier went home last week with order form for kids activities  - $10 per child, please return with payment ASAP. 

Would your child like to showcase their musical skills by playing Christmas Carols prior to the start of the festivities? Please contact Hannah (Ollie and Henry's Mum) who is coordinating an extra special musical element for this year's Carols if you are interested - 0407 724 667.

Cake stall: We will be again running a cake stall and we will be asking for contributions from families and also volunteers to assist with the stall - more info to come next newsletter!

CHRISTMAS RAFFLE

Tickets were sent home last week - please sell to family and friends to be in a chance to win! If you didn't receive any, please visit the office or send a note to your teacher to request them to be sent home. Amazing prizes have again been donated from the community and families - thank you!

GRADUATION

Grade Six families - please complete RSVP form and return money by November 15. If you would like to volunteer with Graduation, we need help to set up on the day, and help on the evening - Monday 16 December - Please contact Nat on 0438 548 739 or nattaffe@gmail.com for more information.

P&F MEETING - VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

We can't organise all the events without your help! Want to join us? We meet twice a term - our next meeting is Tuesday 19 November! Can't commit? We have volunteering one-offs such as Bunnings bbqs, Cake stall at the Christmas Carol and Graduation opportunities coming up! Please contact Nat on 0438 548 739 or nattaffe@gmail.com for more information.

UNIFORM SHOP

Have the kids grown and need to upsize? Do you know that you can swap over and upsize if we have it available? Come and visit the shop anytime, keys are available from the office. 

Working Bee Sunday 24th Nov

We are holding a Working Bee on Sunday 24th November from 8am-11am.

We will be spreading the mulch piles and clearing the garden beds in the back corner of the oval. We have plenty of wheelbarrows as well as some gardening tools and gloves. You may like to bring your own shovel and gloves if you have any at home. Please wear covered shoes for safety.

Please let Laura McKell (0431119353) know if you are able to assist on the day. All are welcome -many hands make light work!

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