Newsletter 22nd March 2023

In the spirit of Reconciliation, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land in which we sit, the Wadawurrung people, who have cared for this country for thousands of years.  We would like to pay our respects to the Aboriginal Elders past, present and future for they hold the traditions, memories and wisdom of Mother Earth on which we place our feet upon today.

Harmony Prayer

Lord Jesus, you see beauty in everyone, your love is for all people and all creation.

Lord Jesus, you show us how to live in harmony and help us to make the right decisions so that we live in harmony with all of creation.

Amen

Upcoming Dates

31st  March:                           Excursion to Melbourne Flower Show.   

                                                     Bus leaves from St Mary's and returns to St Mary's. 

5th April:                                 Last day of Term 1 for pupils

                                                      9.00 am Easter Liturgy St Brendan's 

                                                      Open morning combined schools day @ St Brendan's 

6th April:                                 Last day of Term 1; Pupil-free day; Staff Professional Development.

7th April - 23rd April:        School Holidays.

24th April:                               1st  day Term 2; Pupil-free day; Staff Professional Development.

25th April:                               Anzac Day public holiday.

26th April:                              Students back at school.

14th May:                                Mothers Day.

15th May:                                 Mothers Day liturgy and lunch @ 12.00 @ St Brendan's 

Principal's News

It has been a very busy 4 weeks since our last newsletter and now we only have a few weeks of term 1 to go. Please remember to check the calendar, See Saw and the newsletter for upcoming events as we still have a few before we break for Easter.

Two important dates to be aware of  -  Wednesday the 5^th of April will be the last day of Term for the students with a 3.30 finish time. We are all at St. Brendan’s as it is a Wednesday Staff are on retreat Wednesday evening and Thursday.

The first day back for Term 2 is Monday the 24^th of April. This is a school closure day. And staff will be working on the School Review.  As Tuesday is ANZAC day, the children will return to school on Wednesday the 26^th of April.

Go gently and take care of yourselves and each other.

Inez

Harmony Week

This week we celebrate Harmony Week in our schools and thorough out Australia. The theme for this year is - Living In Harmony

Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.​

The children are invited to wear a touch of orange each day this week in recognition of this special week.

This great little video explains this significant day very well.

Swim and Gym program

Last Friday was the last of our Swim and Gym sessions. They have been very successful and the children have particularly enjoyed the gym time. The children have been able to enjoy an experience we could not provide at school. Not only do they develop swimming and gymnastics skills, they also learn to listen carefully, follow instructions, be organised,  independent, as well as have some social time together.

Child Safe – 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 our schools’ websites under the tab – child safe.

Camp

Our staff worked hard to ensure that the Senior camp to Campaspe Downs was a great success. Many children developed new friendships with children from St. Michael’s, Daylesford, pushed themselves out of their comfort zones and tried new activities. 

All staff and students returned home safely and exhausted, with many highlights to share with others.

We were so proud of the way the children conducted themselves. They displayed respect, courage, kindness, and were inclusive of all throughout their time at camp. Well done everyone!

A very special thank you to the staff that attended camp – Callum, Sue, Kelly, Lyndal and Tina.  Many hours of planning go into camp to make sure that all have a great experience and feel comfortable and safe in an unfamiliar environment.  Our staff all have families at home and generously took the time to stay overnight to be with our students for the 3 days.

Sovereign Hill

While the Seniors were on camp, the Junior teachers planned a trip to Sovereign Hill for the Juniors. From all accounts, they had a wonderful time watching gold being poured, learnt how raspberry drops are made, planned for gold and made candles. I heard that there were quite a few red tongues during the day. Thank you to our Junior teachers for making this day possible.

NAPLAN

Our Year 3 and 5 children will have completed the required NAPLAN assessments at the end of this week. While they are a requirement for all children in Years 3,5,7 and 9, we need to remember that they do not measure everything we cover at school, nor does it measure the quality of our school and all of the things we cover every day.

Instagram accounts

Our schools now have Instagram accounts set up. I urge all parents and family members to follow and share our pages, including Facebook. Our Instagram pages are –

stbrendansdunnstown

stmarysclarkes hill

We know the power of social media and how far it can reach into the community. This is another way we are getting our schools names out there and we are relying on everyone to help spread the word.

Fundraising

Thank you to our many families that helped out with the BBQs at the sunflowers last weekend. I heard that it was a great success and fabulous effort from those that could make it. The P and F maybe in touch with families to check out availability for this weekend. It would be great to be part of if you can.

Thank you also to Laiken and Karl Britt for providing the opportunity for these to take place. It is a very generous offer and truly appreciated.

Tuning into kids

Dear parents/caregivers,

If you are interested in attending the information session at St Brendan's at 5.30 on April 3rd, please send an RSVP email to Tina before Tuesday 28th of March. Some people might already know they are attending and in that case we might not need to run this session.

thandley@sbdunnstown.catholic.edu.au

Regards,

Tina

Belated Birthday wishes

Lucy Ryan turned 8 on the 5th March

Understanding and supporting children and teens with distress (challenging) behaviours

The Moorabool Shire Youth Services and Early Years are hosting a parent information session on Friday March 31. This is a free session for parents of primary school and secondary school age children and young people.

Guest speaker Emma-Rose Parsons, will be presenting the topic ‘Understanding and supporting children and teens with distress (challenging) behaviours’.  There will be two sessions:

10:00am - 12:00pm  For parents or carers  of primary school age children

12:30pm - 2:30pm For parents or carers of high school age young people

For more information, please contact Bec and Syeda at Moorabool Shire Youth Services Team on (03) 5366 7100.

Auskick