Newsletter - 11th October 2023
Upcoming Dates
October 11, 18, 27; November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; December 6: Combined Schools' Days at St Brendan's. Please note that on Wednesday, 25th October, the CSD is at St Mary's; on Friday, 27th October, the CSD is at St Brendan's (swapped for this week only).
October 16: Little Feet, Big Footprints Session, 9:30am-3:00pm
October 26: Junior Stayback & Year 2 Sleepover commencing at 5:00pm
October 30: Grandparents' Day
November 6: Pupil-free day
November 7: Melbourne Cup Holiday, pupil-free day
November 11: Remembrance Day
November 17: Colour Run at St Mary's
November 25: St Brendan's End of An Era Celebration, 2pm onwards
November 27: Little Feet, Big Footprints Concluding Session
November 28: Secondary School Transition Day for Year 6 students
December 5: St Brendan's Graduation, 6:30pm
December 7: St Mary's End of Year Mass & Graduation, 6:00pm
December 8: Year 6 Excursion, details to come
December 13: End of Year Excursion, details to come
December 15: Last day of school for students, end of Term 4.
Principal's News
Welcome everyone to Term 4. Week 1 began very calmly and smoothly. It is difficult to believe that we are already at this point of the year. My feeling is that it is going to get busy as the weeks tick by, with one school preparing to celebrate the end of an era and closing, and the other looking ahead and planning for 2024.
The staff have planned ahead and all of the important dates that we can foresee are now public in the calendar. It will be very important that you refer to this often so that you can stay informed and know what is happening each week. The dates will also be on the newsletter each fortnight.
Uniform and Hats
This week all children will need to transition to their summer uniform by Friday.
Hats are to be worn when children are playing outside during recess and lunch; and on excursions. Please ensure that hats are in good condition – not faded or fraying. Some hats that I have seen this week do need replacing. They can be purchased from Beleza and are not a costly item to buy.
Our rule is – if a child does not have a hat, they will need to stay on the deck out of the sun. There is sunscreen at each school that children can use, however, if parents prefer they use their own, please pop it into their school bag so that they can apply it when necessary.
Staffing for 2024
With St. Brendan’s closing next year, the majority of the staff will be taking some time initially to assess what they will do in 2024. A positive has been that sometimes opportunities arise that allow us to do something different or unexpected.
At St. Mary’s, Jess and Lyndal are moving on. Jess has been our Italian teacher at each school for 4 years and also done some additional teaching through the Tutor program. In 2024, Jess is going to St. Thomas More in Alfredton to teach for 3 days a week.
Lyndal is also moving on to have some time with family before making any permanent plans for now. Lyndal has been employed across both schools as a teacher and LSO for the past 9 years. She has offered to cover Kelly when she takes some leave early in 2024 so you will still see her around. Both of these ladies will be missed at St. Mary’s next year as they have contributed so much in so many ways over the years.
The new Principal at St. Mary’s should be announced in a couple of weeks as the process is well under way.
To all of our staff moving on to whatever they are doing, I wish them every happiness as their journey changes direction and new adventures await. To those staying at St. Mary’s, you have an exciting year ahead and together you will be able to support each other and the new Principal.
All of our staff are a valued part of a close-knit team that spans both schools. While change can be difficult and we will miss each other, the friendships will remain for many years to come.
Playgroup at St Mary's
Melinda Prendergast is starting a playgroup at St. Mary’s this term. It is for pre-school aged children and their parents or carers. It will take place in the library on Tuesday’s from 9.30am–11.00am. All are welcome! Please spread the news.
Golf
Eight of our Senior students from both schools will form two teams to complete in the Xavier Primary Schools' Golf Tournament on Wednesday. Good luck to Jack, Lucy, Ahlia, Oscar, Jai, Maeve, Pat and Sull. A huge thank you to Jordan Dash and Molly Toose who have offered to take and supervise the teams for the day. It is really appreciated and the event couldn’t take place without your support.
Dates
As mentioned there is a lot going on this term. The main dates for the weeks ahead are:
- LFBF for the Year 6’s from 9:00am–3:00pm next Monday, the 16th of October
- Year 2 Sleepover and Junior Stay back on Thursday, the 26th of October. Information about this has been sent out. Please note that for this week, we have swapped our CSDs over . Wednesday will be at SM and Friday at SB. I will send a text ourt each of these mornings to remind everyone of the change
- Grandparents’ Day: Monday, the 30th of October from 9.30am–11.30am
- Pupil-free days on Monday, the 6th of November and Tuesday, the 7th November, providing families with a 4 day weekend.
Annual General Meetings
The Annual General Meetings for both schools are coming up in the next few weeks. These are open to all parents and we would love to see as many people as possible attend. We will start at 7:00pm and be finished by 8.15pm. It is a wonderful time to reflect on the year and celebrate the many things we have achieved. Please come and join us!
The meeting will be at St Mary's on Tuesday, the 17th of October and St Brendan's on Tuesday, the 24th of October. Wine and cheese will be provided, so an even better reason to come along!
Take Time
As the busyness of day to day live starts revving up, I wanted to share something I read last week that I know I will be referring to often in the upcoming weeks
Go gently and calmly,
Inez
Senior Room News
The seniors have arrived back for Term Four a bit taller and ready for a great term ahead.
We have started reading one of the Book Week books called "Runt" which has been written by Craig Silvey. Everyone is enjoying listening to this story about a young girl and her dog, Runt. They live in a country town which is in the midst of a drought.
In Maths, we are re-visiting place value and using place value skills to solve subtraction problems.
We wish Sull, Pat and Maeve good luck today as they play golf in the Primary Schools' Golf Tournament at Mount Xavier Golf Course.
We have all taken home the Colour Run information and we are enjoying class challenges and looking forward to this event which will be held on Friday, November 17. This week the seniors won the challenge which means we go first on the colour run day, yay!!
This term is extra special for us as we continue our combined school days and enjoy being with our friends at St Brendan's as much as we can.
From the members of the Senior Room
Child Safety Information – all on website
As is stated on our Vision and Mission, our schools ‘…are committed to the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children and young people.’ Our procedures and policies are now in line with the 11 Child Safe Standards and can be found on the St Mary's website under the tab – Child Safety.
Damascus College - Open Sessions
ATTENTION GRADE 5 2023 STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
If you are interested in learning more about Damascus College and have a child in Grade 5, then don’t miss the opportunity to attend the upcoming Open Night and Open Morning events at Damascus College.
Open Night – 3 sessions
Tuesday 17 October, 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm
The Open Night is a great way for prospective parents, guardians and students to learn more about Damascus College. Families with children of all ages are welcome to attend.
Attendees will participate in an information session and guided campus tour, where students and staff will be situated around campus with displays and demonstrations showcasing Damascus facilities and offerings.
Open Morning
Thursday 19 October, 9am – 10.30am
Open Morning provides an opportunity for prospective families to take a guided tour of the College led by current students and is an opportunity to experience Damascus during school hours. Open Mornings commence at 9am and conclude at 10.30am.
REGISTER YOUR ATTENDANCE BY USING THE LINK BELOW:
Brown Hill Cricket Club
