Welcome back to the school year. We welcome all our new students and families to our school. Students have made a positive start to the year. Classes are well organised and are setting up classroom expectations. Last year our student voice group worked with staff and classes to create a Behaviour Matrix for our school. The Behaviour Matrix outlines behaviour expectations inline with our school values of being Respectful, Responsible and Restorative. Parents can find a copy of the Behaviour Matrix on the school app and on the left hand side menu of the school newsletter. 

STAFF CONTACTS

SCHOOL FEES

Please ensure you have returned the hard copy of the fee payment setup and instalment/direct debit paperwork that was in your child's report pack from last year (new foundation students have been sent a hard copy of this).  It is important that you return this as soon as possible as the first instalment payment is due on Friday 3rd February.

MEDICATION

MACS - Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Melbourne last year introduced a number of new policies and procedures for schools to manage the ongoing and temporary medical conditions of students.

We are only able to administer any medication to students at school with a Medication Authority Form completed and signed by parents or medical practitioners.

Parents are required to complete a Medication Authority Form if their child requires the administration of medication at school. This includes Ventolin for asthma, EpiPen for anaphylaxis or antihistamine for allergies, along with antibiotics, Panadol etc.

The Medication Authority Form is available via the school app or on the left hand menu of the school newsletter. You can also obtain a hard copy from our school office or by email request to office@scmoorabbin.catholic.edu.au

All medication must be stored in our school office and students cannot self administer or keep medication in their school bag.

PARENT CALENDAR

Parents can find important dates for school events on the parent calendar, located on the school app and  on the left hand side menu of the school newsletter. Please note that we are still finalising dates for a number of school events, so you are encouraged to check the calendar regularly. At times, dates may change, due to circumstances beyond our control. We attempt to give you as much notice as possible, if dates change. Teachers will also include important dates for your child’s class in the Curriculum Term Outline.

CURRICULUM TERM OVERVIEWS

Teachers will each term email parents a copy of the Curriculum Term Outline. This document informs parents of the learning that will take place in their child’s class each term, along with important dates and information.

MORNING TEA

We warmly invite new and existing families to a P&F morning tea onsite in our school hall on Friday 10 February at 9:00am. Hope to see you for a coffee and a chat. Extended family and toddlers welcome. There will be a number of P & F events throughout the year, please see the P & F section of this newsletter. I take this opportunity to thank the many parents in our school who support organising and running P & F events. New and existing families are encouraged to help out in any way as many hands make light work.

BEGINNING SCHOOL MASS

Our beginning school mass will take place on Wednesday 8 February at 10:00am in our parish church. Our Foundation students are welcome to attend and we would love to see you, even though this is not a school day for Foundation Students. Families and friends are welcome. Our classes have been creating prayer cloths for their classrooms and these will be blessed by Fr Jacob at our school mass. There will be other times throughout the term where classes will attend the parish weekday mass.

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL SUPERVISION

The school gates are open at 8:40am and classrooms are open at 8:45am. If students arrive at school prior to this time they need to wait on the asphalt area. Students are permitted to play on the asphalt and the courtyard until the music goes at 8:55. All students need to be in class by 9:00 am ready to start learning. After school students are supervised until 3:45pm. If you are running late to pick up your child, please call the office to let us know.

There is no playing on the playground before or after school. There is not playing with sports equipment before or after school, with the exception of a tennis ball for the four squares.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

School photos will take place on Friday 10 February. Students are to wear everyday uniform items for photos. No sports shoes or shorts/skirts on this day. Year 3-4 students who have PE on this day can bring their sports shoes to change into.

https://eliteschoolphotography.com.au/

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SAFER INTERNET DAY

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Dear Parents,

Welcome to 2023. This year I will be the Religious Education Leader at St Catherine’s. 

My role will involve:

• Supporting staff to plan and teach the Religious Education Curriculum
• Plan and lead Prayer Services throughout the year
• Liaise with the Parish Staff to organise school masses
• Liaise with Parish Staff to deliver the Sacramental Program (Reconciliation- Eucharist- Confirmation)

2023 Sacramental Program

Lynda and I met with Father Jacob and the Parish Team late last year to finalise the 2023 Sacramental Program.

Please note relevant dates in your calendars. 

More detailed information will be sent to relevant families for relevant Sacraments 

Term 1 RECONCILIATION- Year 3 students

Term 2 CONFIRMATION- Year 6 students

Term 3 EUCHARIST- Year 4 students

TERM 1 Reconciliation - 2023 Important Dates

Year 3 students will be eligible to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in 2023

Sunday 5th March - 10.30am Parish Mass- Presentation of Candidates at St catherine’s Mass- Family attends

Wednesday 8th March - Reconciliation Reflection Day for students at school

Wednesday 8th March - 6.00pm Reconciliation Family Workshop- St Catherine’s Learning Hub

Saturday 18th March - 10.00am Year 3 Group Celebrating Reconciliation- St Catherine’s Church

*An Operoo was sent to families of eligible Reconciliation candidates today. A hard copy note and enrolment form was also sent home for eligible students today. Please return this to school by Monday, 13th February

TERM 2 Confirmation - 2023 Important Dates

Year 6 students will be eligible to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2023

Sunday 30th April - 10.30am Parish Mass- Presentation of Candidates at St Catherine’s Mass- Family attends

Wednesday 3rd May - Confirmation Reflection Day for students at school

Wednesday 3rd May - 6.00pm Confirmation Family Workshop- St Catherine’s Learning Hub

Friday 26th May - Bishop Tony to visit Confirmation Candidates

Sunday 28th May - 3pm Mass- Celebration of Confirmation- St Peter’s Church - Bishop Tony Ireland

TERM 3 Eucharist - 2023 Important Dates

Year 4  students will be eligible to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist in 2023

Sunday 6th August - 10.30am Parish Mass-Presentation of Candidates at St catherine’s Mass- Family attends

Wednesday 9th August - Eucharist Reflection Day for students at school

Wednesday 9th August - 6.00pm Eucharist Family Workshop- St Catherine’s Learning Hub

Sunday 20th August - 10.30am Parish Mass- Year 4 Group Celebrating Eucharist- St Catherine’s Church

If your child has not been baptised and you would like them to receive the above Sacraments, please contact me or the Parish Team to discuss the process involved.

Term 1 2023 Parish Mass Attendance

St Catherine's is a URSTRONG School. During Term 1 all classes teach the Friendology 101 Curriculum. The Friendology 101 curriculum is designed as a framework to support a whole-school friendship strategy; the hallmark of a URSTRONG School. Language and strategies are used by staff and students in class and on the playground. 

By providing students with consistent language and strategies, Friendology 101 helps teachers create a school culture that promotes positive mental health, wellbeing, and kindness through the lens of friendship skills.

URSTRONG Schools teach Friendology 101 to all of their students, supplementing the curriculum with the online library of Educator & Parent resources. Students are considered to be “Friendship Ninjas” when they utilise their friendship skills.

Parents can access resources by visiting the website https://urstrong.com/parents/

FRIENDOLOGY 101 Curriculum

Foundation

1. INNER-NINJA: This session is focused on self-compassion, teaching

students ways to treat themselves like a best friend.

2. TRUE COLOURS: This session introduces students to naming

feelings and learning strategies for calming down when they feel

big emotions.

3. MAKING FRIENDS: This session teaches students two strategies for

making new friends, including how to introduce themselves and

ask a friend to play.

4. FRIENDSHIP FACTS: This session anchors students to the ‘truths’ in

friendship so they have realistic expectations.

5. FRIEND-O-METER: This session helps students identify the

difference between healthy & unhealthy friendships and the

importance of ‘friendly’ body language.

6. FRIENDSHIP FIRES®: This session teaches students, step-by-step,

how to resolve conflict with a friend by talking-it-out.

7. TRICKY SITUATIONS: This session highlights hot topics for this age

group including: sharing, taking turns, and fairness.

8. KIND + STRONG: This final session ties it all together, reviewing the

key concepts, and students share their culminating project,

“Friendship Ninjas Stand Strong”, designed to strengthen empathy.

Year 1/2

1. INNER-NINJA: This session is focused on self-compassion, teaching

students ways to treat themselves like a best friend.

2. TRUE COLOURS: This session is focused on naming feelings, helping

students recognize and embrace both Positive & Negative feelings.

3. MAKING FRIENDS: This session teaches students four strategies for

making new friends, including how to introduce themselves and ask

a friend to play.

4. FRIENDSHIP FACTS: This session anchors students in the ‘truths’ of

friendship so they have realistic expectations. Students learn what

respect looks & sounds like in their friendships.

5. FRIEND-O-METER: This session helps students identify the

difference between Healthy & Unhealthy friendships and the impact

that body language has on our friendships.

6. FRIENDSHIP FIRES®: This session teaches students, step-by-step,

how to resolve conflict with a friend and how to respond to hurt

feelings and misunderstandings.

7. TRICKY SITUATIONS: This session highlights hot topics for this age

group including: Playdates & Birthday Parties, how to say “No!” in a

kind way, and how to respond to feeling bossed around.

8. KIND + STRONG: This final session ties it all together, reviewing the

key concepts, and students share their culminating project,

“Put Yourself in a Friend’s Shoes”, designed to strengthen empathy.

Year 3/4

1. INNER-NINJA: This session is focused on self-compassion, teaching

students how to tame their butterflies and feel calm when they are

experiencing big emotions.

2. MAKING FRIENDS: This session teaches students four strategies for

making new friends, including how to introduce themselves and have a

conversation that plants a seed for a new friendship to grow.

3. FRIENDSHIP FACTS: This session anchors students in the ‘truths’ of

friendship so they have realistic expectations in their friendships.

Students learn the WWW strategy for being strategic in their friendships.

4. FRIEND-O-METER: This session helps students identify the difference

between healthy & unhealthy friendships and the impact that body

language has on our friendships.

5. FRIENDSHIP FIRES®: This session teaches students, step-by-step, how to

resolve conflict with a friend. They learn how to respond to both a

positive and negative reaction, plus practise giving a genuine apology.

6. MEAN-ON-PURPOSE: This session teaches students how to respond to

intentionally cruel, rude, or mean behaviour with a Quick Comeback.

Students learn the difference between a Friendship Fire® vs Mean-on-

Purpose behaviour, along with Reporting vs Tattling.

7. TRICKY SITUATIONS: This session highlights hot topics for this age group

including: birthday parties, how to kindly decline, feeling caught in the

middle, following & copying, and “stealing” friends.

8. KIND + STRONG: This final session ties it all together, reviewing the key

concepts, and students share their culminating project, “Looking into Your

Sole”, designed to strengthen empathy.

Year 5/6

1. INNER-NINJA: This session is focused on self-compassion, teaching

students how to squash ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) and

dispelling myths around gender stereotypes and the ‘pressures of

perfection’.

2. FRIENDSHIP FACTS: This session anchors students in the ‘truths’ of

friendship so they have realistic expectations in their relationships.

Students also practise the art of conversation.

3. FRIEND-O-METER: This session helps students identify the difference

between healthy & unhealthy friendships and friendship groups, both

in-person and online, and the impact body language has on our

friendships.

4. FRIENDSHIP FIRES®: This session teaches students, step-by-step, how to

resolve conflict with a friend. They learn how to handle a friend’s

negative reaction and what to do if the conflict is online.

5. MEAN-ON-PURPOSE: This session teaches students how to respond to

intentionally cruel, rude, or mean behaviour. They reflect on the

difference between low-level friendship issues and mean-on-purpose

behaviour.

6. TRICKY SITUATIONS: This session highlights hot topics for this age group

including: how to kindly decline, feeling caught in the middle, ways to

end gossip, and navigating friendships online.

7. FRIENDSHIP GROUPS: This session focuses on the powerful influence of

friends and the importance of strong boundaries. Students reflect on

the difference between fitting-in v. belonging and quality v. quantity.

8. KIND + STRONG: This final session ties it all together, reviewing the key

concepts, and students share their culminating project, “Walk a Mile in

My Shoes”, designed to strengthen empathy.

I will include some photos of the students' lessons in the Week 4 newsletter.

Carmel Donlon

Wellbeing Leader

Welcome back everyone. I am looking forward to a year of fun, learning and healthy competition.

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