What A Great Term of Learning

Our students have engaged in many learning experiences this term, demonstrating their understanding, skills and independence. 

Many thanks to families for attending Parent/Teacher/Student meetings this term. We received many positive comments from families regarding the students having the opportunity to participate in these meetings. We believe that the learning is about the learner. We are encouraging students to not just engage in their learning but also take responsibility for their own learning. The staff have worked extensively with students throughout the term, supporting them to identify what they are learning and set goals for learning.

We have been excited to see so many parents attend their child’s learning assembly. Parents of year 5 and year 6 students learnt about persuasive writing and debating. They even had a go at coming up with some solid arguments for a quick debate! Some of our parents were very convincing. Year 3-4 parents participated in mathematical games and our year 1 and 2 parents found out more about how students learn spelling. Our Foundation learning assembly is this week on Tuesday 30 March at 2:45pm.

Our staff continue to demonstrate their commitment to growth and improvement by engaging in professional learning. Various Staff members have participated a variety of professional learning experiences; Reading, Mathematical mental strategies, student wellbeing and child safety, road safety, gifted education, colourful semantic (writing), anaphylaxis- verifying the correct use of autoinjectors, Information Sharing and Family Violence Reforms and MACS School Wide Improvement Forum.

Holy Week

Each class has worked on a visual display of stations of the cross. These will be displayed around our courtyard windows. Throughout the week classes will visit each station and engage in reflective prayer.

All classes will participate in an Easter Liturgy on Thursday 1 April in the learning hub at 2:00pm. Parents and families are welcome to attend.

Our school will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord ( Easter Sunday) in the first week of term 2.

Days before Easter Sunday

The last three days of Holy Week are referred to as the Easter or Sacred Triduum (Triduum Sacrum), the three-part drama of Christ's redemption: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Holy Thursday is also known as "Maundy Thursday." The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment) which is the first word of the Gospel acclamation:"I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34)These are the words spoken by our Lord to His apostles at the Last Supper, after he completed the washing of the feet. We should imitate Christ's humility in the washing of the feet.

On Good Friday the whole Church mourns the death of our Savior. This is traditionally a day of sadness, spent in fasting and prayer. The title for this day varies in different parts of the world: "Holy Friday" for Latin nations, Slavs and Hungarians call it "Great Friday," in Germany, it is "Friday of Mourning," and in Norway, it is "Long Friday." Some view the term "Good Friday" (used in English and Dutch) as a corruption of the term "God's Friday." This is another obligatory day of fasting and abstinence. In Ireland, they practice the "black fast," which is to consume nothing but black tea and water.

On Holy Saturday the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, meditating on his suffering and death. The altar is left bare, and the sacrifice of the Mass is not celebrated. Only after the solemn vigil during the night, held in anticipation of the resurrection, does the Easter celebration begin, with a spirit of joy that overflows into the following period of fifty days.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2021-03-27&

Last Day of Term 1

Our Faith and Learning year 6 leaders have planned a Crazy Hair/Easter Hat parade on Thursday 1 April. This will take place on the asphalt at 9:00am Students must wear normal school uniform, however they can choose to wear crazy hair or hats on this day.

Many thanks to our Parents and Friends for organising a sausage sizzle for students on the last day. Hard copy order forms went out last Friday. Please contact the office, if you require another form.

Our Parents and Friends Easter Raffle will be drawn on Thursday 1 April after our Crazy Hair/Easter Hat Parade.

School finishes at 2:30pm on Thursday 1 April

Term 2- NAPLAN

Naplan assessments for years 3 and 5 will take place on:

Tuesday 11 May

Wednesday 12 May

Thursday 13 May

Students will be well prepared by their teachers for these assessments. Classes will undergo practice assessments to become familiar with the format of these assessments. These assessments form one part of your child’s achievement and teachers use this assessment, along with many other assessments throughout the year to formulate  a picture of your child’s learning and progress.

Term 2

Term 2 begins on Monday 19 April

Some important dates in term 2: Look out for these dates and more in each newsletter and on the school calendar.

*3/4 Reconciliation group 1 - 25 April @10am

*F - 2 Family Faith Night -  5 May @6pm

*Parents and Friends Mother’s day Stall- 6 May

*3/4 Reconciliation group 2 - 16 May @10am

*Book Fair- Monday 17- Thursday 20 May

*Yr 6 Confirmation Candidates Presented at Parish Mass - 22 May @ 8:30am

*Yr 6 Confirmation Candidates Presented at Parish Mass - 23 May @ 10:30am

* Confirmation Reflection Day- 26 May

*Year 1-2 Learning Assembly- 27 May @ 2:45pm

*Year 5-6 Learning Assembly- 1 June @ 2:45pm

*Eucharist Reflection Day- 2 June

*Foundation Learning Assembly- 11 June @ 2:45pm

*Queens Birthday Public Holiday - 14 June

*School Closure- 15 June- no school for students on this day

*Year 3-4 Learning Assembly 17 June @ 2:45pm

* Parents and Friend Trivia Night- Saturday 19 June

*3/4 Reconciliation group 3 - 20 June @ 10am

* Parents and Friends School Disco- Friday 25 June

PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES AT PARISH MASS

YEAR 3 & 4  RECONCILIATION CANDIDATES

10.30am Sunday 18th April 

St Catherine’s Church

The students and their families are invited to attend Parish Mass on Sunday, 18th April. The students will be introduced to the Parish Community and receive a candle from the Parish to use during their Reconciliation during Term 2 or 3.

The students will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Term 2:

10am before Sunday Mass

Students & families are asked to stay for Mass Service at 10.30am (Students will read Readings and Prayers of Faithful)

Group 1: Sunday 25th April

Group 2: Sunday 16th may

Group 3: Sunday 20th June

2021 Caritas Project Compassion

Crazy Hair or Easter Hat

Thursday 1st April

The Learning & Social Justice Leaders, Alexandra, Lola and Jay have organised a fundraising activity for Thursday 1st April. See the Flyers above for more information.9am: Parade on Basketball Court (Hall if wet)

Each family has received a Project Compassion box for donations or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: lent.caritas.org.au. Spare collection boxes can be obtained from the office. 

If you choose to collect during Lent, please return the boxes to school. Saint Oscar Romero is our inspiration for Project Compassion 2021, so in his words let’s “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”

Please return donations to the school office by Thursday, 1st April so we can add the school donations to St Catherine's Parish Donations.  Boxes can also be returned directly to St Catherine’s Church during weekend masses. 

Holy Week Prayer service

Thursday 1st April

2pm in Learning Hub

Parents are invited to join us in The Learning Hub to pray together and reflect on events and the meaning of Holy Week.

Palm Sunday

Holy Thursday

Good Friday

Carmel Donlon

(Religious Education Leader)

Bullying No Way Day

Last week a record 6276 schools across Australia participated in activities for the 2021 National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.

Thank you to all of the families who sent along their speech bubble in support of National Day Against Bullying and Violence. It was wonderful to see the variety of messages illustrated in support of this important day. Classes spent time visiting the hall and discussing the slogans. The SRC reps will be moving the display into the corridor outside the learning hub during the week.

We look forward to making this an annual event on our school calendar.

Wishing you all a very Holy Easter and a safe holiday break.

Maree  

Kids x Van Gogh challenge

Calling all school-age budding artists: ever wanted to see your work of art on billboards across the country? Or dreamt of seeing Van Gogh’s iconic Sunflowers in real life?

We are inviting artists from primary and secondary schools to create their own original 2D artwork inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers for the Kids x Van Gogh challenge.

Works of art by six finalists will be displayed alongside Van Gogh’s Sunflowers on billboards, street and retail networks across the country from 3 May to 14 June 2021 thanks to our Community Partner oOh!media.

One lucky winner will get the chance to come and see Van Gogh’s most famous painting in real life with a trip for up to 4 people to see Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

Create an original artwork (minimum A4 size) inspired by Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, take a photo and upload it into the link below. Entries close Monday 12 April 2021, 5pm. Winners will be announced 3 May 2021.

For more information & access to the entry form please visit this link

Thank you so much to all of you who have made the P&F activities such a success this term. 

The picnic was a wonderful evening, and the working bee was a great success with children and families working and playing together to make the learning environment more beautiful. Families said that both these activities helped them feel more a part of the broader school community which is exactly the intention of the P&F events. 

You will have received an Operoo request to nominate yourself to help with one or more P&F events/activities, every hour that you can give to our school helps, so please consider how you can support your child and the school community and complete the questionnaire. Once we have collated the information, we will contact people who have nominated to be part of each event as they approach.

The Parents and Friends Meetings in second term will be held at 7.30pm (1 hour) on Tuesday the 20th April and Tuesday the 18th May. All are welcome to attend. 

Thank you again to our wonderful prize doners for the Easter Raffle! 

Performance Academy of Dance

Museums Victoria

Darrell Lea 

Woolworths Highett

The raffle will be drawn this Thursday at the hat/crazy hair parade – please return all tickets, sold and unsold by tomorrow (Tuesday 30th).

Please ensure your orders for the sausage sizzle are in by tomorrow morning as we need to purchase food in advance – no over the counter sales are available. Thanks to Sue, Greg, Angelina, and Carlo for volunteering to cook and serve the BBQ. 

Thank you also to Sylvia for volunteering to sell icy poles each week. We value your ongoing support!

The Free dress day raised $119 for us to send school uniforms to a Remote OP Shop – this reduces waste and helps an isolated community; we appreciate your support of this.

We look forward to the Mother’s Day stall, Mum’s night out, the adults only Quiz night and the Kid’s Disco in Term 2.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Karen Glancy

P&F Coordinator