No 2. Term 1 Week 3, 14th February 2025

Principal's News

It's Valentine's Day!

Since it is Valentine's Day, it's an opportune moment to reflect on the profound essence of love from our Catholic perspective. Beyond the customary exchange of cards and gifts, this day invites us to emulate the selfless love exemplified by St. Valentine, a third-century Roman saint who ministered to persecuted Christians and was martyred for his unwavering faith.

St. Valentine's legacy teaches us that true love transcends mere affection; it embodies sacrifice, commitment and a deep-seated care for others. This aligns seamlessly with our school song's line, "We at St. Kevin's stand together," reminding us of the unity and collective strength we share as a community.

Jubilee Celebration Day

In the spirit of togetherness, I am excited to announce a special event next Wednesday. Our sister school, St. Francis de Sales Primary, will join us for a day of celebration in honour of the 2025 Jubilee Year, proclaimed by Pope Francis as a time for renewal and reflection. The theme for this Jubilee is "Pilgrims of Hope," encouraging us to journey together with optimism and faith.

On this day, we are delighted to be able to welcome renowned Christian musician Andrew Chinn, who will share his inspiring music with our students and staff. We will also hold a joint Mass to commemorate the Jubilee, reinforcing our shared faith and commitment to being Pilgrims of Hope.

A Heartfelt Thank You

Before we embark on next week’s celebrations, I want to take a moment to express my deep gratitude to all our families for their participation in the Goal Setting meetings earlier this week. It is always wonderful to see families engaging in their children’s learning and working in partnership with our teachers to set the foundation for a successful year ahead.

A special thank you also for picking up students early on Monday. I know that adjusting schedules—especially for working families—can be challenging, and I truly appreciate your flexibility. This is the only way we can ensure that every family has the opportunity to meet with teachers without impacting our staff and their own family commitments too heavily. Your willingness to work with us speaks volumes about the strong, supportive community we have here at St. Kevin’s.

As always, we at St. Kevin’s stand together—in faith, in learning and in hope.

God bless,

Jason Micallef,
Principal

Save the Date!

WORKING BEE

Saturday March 15

Leadership & Management

Be Part of the Action – Volunteer at St. Kevin’s!

We love having parents involved at St. Kevin’s! Whether you attend excursions, support students in the classroom, or help set up major events, your time and effort make a real difference. When parents are engaged in school life, children feel more connected, confident and motivated to learn!

To ensure a safe environment for everyone, volunteers must have a valid Working With Children Check (it’s free for volunteers!). Here are the details so you can get started.

https://service.vic.gov.au/services/working-with-children

Parent Information Night

Wednesday February 26

School Absence Notification System

We kindly remind all families to notify the school if your child will be absent. You can easily do this through the Simon Everywhere App, where you will also need to provide a brief explanation for the absence. These notifications are crucial as they automatically update the class roll, allowing the teacher to see that your child will be absent that day. This ensures that we have accurate attendance records and can account for all students.

Where a child is absent without notification, an automated text messaging service will send parents a text message to alert them that their child is absent from school and we have not received a notification from you. This is an important safety measure to ensure that all our students are accounted for. Please make it a habit to submit these notifications promptly to help us keep everyone safe and informed. Thank you for your cooperation

Working together to make the carpark  safe and efficient

We are very fortunate to have a large car park available for our families to use—something many schools don’t have, often requiring families to park in neighbouring streets. Of course, having this privilege comes with the responsibility of ensuring that all car park users respect each other’s right to move through the space safely and efficiently.

Over the years, we have developed a set of requirements that, when followed by everyone, help us maintain a smooth and orderly process for getting in and out of the school. While some of these rules may seem counterintuitive, trust us—they are necessary. For them to work, we need full cooperation from everyone. We can’t make exceptions, as that wouldn’t be fair to others and would lead to chaos.

To help everyone stay on the same page, here are a few key tips to ensure the car park operates as smoothly as possible.

Staff Carpark

This area is strictly for staff parking. It is not safe for families to park here due to the high number of children and parents walking behind vehicles on their way to the gate. With cars reversing in and out, the risk of an accident is too great.

Grass Areas Near Edey’s Run

Parking on the grass areas on both sides of the driveway is not permitted for the same safety reasons as the staff car park—too many children and parents walking nearby. Additionally, cars parked here can block traffic, disrupting the smooth flow of vehicles in and out of the school.

Fenceline Parking (Under Trees)

Parking is only allowed in designated, marked spaces. Parking in unmarked areas along the fence creates a narrow and difficult space for drivers to navigate. Some drivers may struggle to manoeuvre safely, increasing the risk of accidents or blocked traffic, which slows down the entire car park flow.

Church Roundabout

This area is strictly for morning drop-offs only. Drivers must pull forward as far as possible—without driving onto the footpath—before stopping to let their children out. Once children are safely out of the car, drivers must move on promptly. No parking is allowed.

In the afternoon, this is not a pick-up or waiting area. Children are not to get into cars here for the same safety reasons mentioned earlier. Keeping this area clear ensures a smooth and safe traffic flow for everyone.

Disabled Parking Bays

These spaces are strictly reserved for vehicles displaying a valid disability permit in the windscreen. Please do not park here unless you have the appropriate permit, as these bays are essential for those who genuinely need them.

Parish House Car Park

This area is strictly off-limits to families who do not have a special permit displayed in their windscreen. It is not supervised by school staff and must remain available for parishioners, parish staff, visitors to the parish, and—most importantly—emergency vehicles. In an emergency, this space provides the best access for assistance in and around the school. Please do not park here.

Keep Traffic Moving – Prioritise Safety

It is critical that traffic keeps flowing at all times. Please do not stop and wait in the hope that a space will become available. If there are no spaces, keep driving, go around the block, and re-enter the school. This is especially important after school when congestion is at its peak. The key to getting out of the car park quickly is simple—everyone just needs to keep moving!

An Extra Special Reminder About Child Safety
Children are small, unpredictable, and can be difficult to see in busy car parks. Always drive slowly, check carefully before reversing and stay alert to ensure the safety of all students and families. Let’s all work together to keep our car park safe and efficient for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation.

Attention Year 5 Families – Start Thinking About Year 7!

It’s time to start planning for secondary school! Applications for Year 7 enrollment in 2027 at most Catholic secondary schools are now open.

The application period closes on Friday, 15th August 2025, so be sure to check with your preferred schools for their Open Days and School Tours—a great way to get a feel for the school community and learning environment.

Year 7 offers will be sent out in October 2025, so don’t miss this important step in your child’s education journey! If you have any questions, contact the schools directly or chat with us for guidance.

SIMON Everywhere is available on both the

Android Play Store                 and                Apple App Store.

Education in Faith

Blessings and Challenges – Finding True Happiness

This week’s Gospel, Luke 6:17-26, presents Jesus teaching the people about the Beatitudes—the blessings given to those who are poor, hungry, sorrowful, or excluded. He contrasts these with warnings to those who place their happiness only in wealth, comfort, and human praise. Jesus reminds us that true joy comes not from material things but from a deep trust in God.

At first, this passage can seem upside down—why would the poor, the hungry, or those who are suffering be called blessed? Jesus challenges us to see life differently, valuing faith, kindness, and generosity over temporary success. He wants us to place our trust in God’s love rather than in things that won’t last.

Talking About This Gospel with Your Child

Here are some ways to explore Jesus’ message as a family:

1. What Does It Mean to Be Blessed? – We often think of blessings as things like toys, good grades, or holidays. But Jesus speaks about blessings that come from our hearts. Ask your child, What are some non-material blessings in your life?

2. Helping Others – Jesus calls us to care for those in need. As a family, think of a way you can help someone who is struggling—maybe by donating food, writing a kind note, or inviting someone to play.

3. Happiness Comes from Giving – The world tells us that money, fame, and comfort bring happiness, but Jesus says the happiest people are those who love and serve others. Ask your child, When have you felt happiest? Was it because of something you received or something you did for someone else?

4. Trusting God When Life is Hard – The Beatitudes remind us that even in tough times, God is with us. Talk about a time when your family faced a challenge but found strength in faith, love, or community.

5. Focusing on What Matters Most – Jesus warns about putting too much trust in things like wealth or popularity. Help your child reflect on the qualities that make someone truly great—kindness, generosity, and love.

Jesus teaches us that the greatest joy is found in loving God and others. May we all open our hearts to His blessings and share them with those around us.

2025 Sacramental Dates

Parents of children eligible to receive a Sacrament in 2025, should take note of the following dates. Sacraments play a significant role in the spiritual journey of our students:

Dates for Sacraments are:

• Grade 2 will receive First Reconciliation in Term 4 on Thursday, 20th November 2025.
• Grade 3 will receive First Eucharist in Term 2 on Saturday, 21st June 2025.
• Grade 6 will receive Confirmation – Term 3 on Saturday, 6th September 2025.

Further, families should also note the following dates of key events taking place as part of the sacramental program:

• First Eucharist Parent Formation Night - Tuesday March 25 
• Confirmation Parent Formation Night - Wednesday March 26
• Sacrament Commitment Mass (gr 3 & 6 only) - Thursday March 27

If you have any further questions regarding your child receiving these Sacraments, please contact our Faith and Mission Leader, Mrs Anne Hettiarachchi (ahettiarachchi@skhamptonpark.catholic.edu.au)

Learning & Teaching

First Day of School in Prep!

A huge welcome to all our wonderful new Prep students! What an exciting week it's been as our Preps started their school journey. We're so proud of how quickly everyone has settled into their new classrooms and routines. Big congratulations to all the amazing Prep students for a fantastic first week!

To celebrate this special milestone, our Preps got creative and made some dazzling crowns to mark their very first day. They looked absolutely fantastic!

A huge thank you to all our amazing Prep families for supporting their children in
making a fantastic transition to school! We appreciate your partnership!
Check out the photos below to see all their smiling faces and amazing creations. It's clear to see just how much fun everyone had!

Developing Counting Skills

In this short video, Mrs de Reus talks about how to help our Preps and junior students be great at counting.

Student Wellbeing

Growing our students as leaders in our community 

An important part of developing as a person is having the opportunity to reflect and consider how we contribute to our community and what gifts and talents we can share. To do this, students need to be given opportunities to share their ideas and to take the lead in some of their relationships. 

At St Kevin’s we work with students over several years to promote and develop these leadership and community oriented skills and approaches:

Whole School Buddy Program

Our buddy program encourages our years 3-6s to take on leadership roles in their relationships. Our buddy classes will meet 8 times throughout this year for 4x shared lunches and 4x buddy activities (game and arts focussed). Our buddy groups are:

• Year 3s buddy with and support Year 2s
• Year 4s buddy with and support Year 1s 
• Year 5s buddy with and support Preps.

Our Year 6s are given additional responsibilities in this program, they are our Buddy Mentors. They are split over all buddy groups (6-8 per group) and their responsibility is to role model how to interact and to run the games/art activities. Our teachers are there to support the year 6s, but it is up to them to cooperate, negotiate and coordinate the running of the activities.

Better Buddies - Our playground heroes in blue!

In year 5, students are invited to nominate themselves as a ‘Better Buddy.’ The role of a better buddy is to be a presence in the school yard during recess and lunch times. The goal is to support our Prep-2 students with solving simple problems such as finding friends, getting around or finding a teacher. Our current year 5 cohort has shown great commitment to this and have begun their ‘yard duties’ with great diligence. For their ‘yard duty’, they wear a bright blue vest and carry a bumbag with a notepad and pen, as well as stickers that they hand out. Later in the year, they will be responsible for handing out some of our House Points, too. 

You can see their images and profiles on the windows outside the office door closest to the year 1&2 building. The year 5s have also created a dedicated area in their new yr 5 building where you can see their vests, bumbags and the Better Buddy Commitment they have all made.  

Student Leaders and Student Action Teams 

Year 6s are invited to nominate themselves for Student Leadership positions and undergo a rigorous process of writing and delivering speeches to demonstrate and reflect on their growth and interest in student leadership. Students are also invited to vote for fellow students they believe would serve our St Kevin’s community well in these roles. Student Leaders were announced at the end of last year following this process.

Beginning this year, the remaining year 6 students have been invited to join a Student Action Team. These teams (8-10 students) will work collaboratively with the formal Student Leaders and two Teacher Mentors to plan for student-led lunchtime clubs and various events throughout the year. This week and next week these teams will begin meeting and making plans. You can see our year 6 student leaders and action teams on the windows facing our welcome garden, just inside the gate next to the library.  Keep an eye on this space for what each of the groups are working on throughout the year.

Student-led lunchtime clubs:

• Sustainability Leaders and Student Action Team - Gardening club (Mondays)
• Social Justice Leaders and Student Action Team - Calm club (Tuesdays)
• STEM Leaders and Student Action Team - STEM club (Wednesdays)
• Arts Leaders and Student Action Team - Art club (Thursdays)
• Sports Leaders and Student Action Team - Movement club (Fridays)
  

Our Faith Leaders and Student Action Team will work to support school prayer opportunities and a Religious focus throughout our school.

Our House Leaders work directly with Mr Micallef to consult and provide feedback from the student community. They will help to run school assemblies, present to parent groups and represent us at offsite events.

Community