No18. Term 4, Week 5, 3rd November 2021

Principal's News

Words cannot describe the feeling of having all of our students back to school at the same time after so long. The heart-warming smiles as students exchanged knowing looks with their teachers, the chirping hellos between staff as they were reunited after many months and the spring in their step as they entered the school, safe in the knowledge that we are back. Despite the challenges and hurdles of the last few weeks, we have made a momentous leap forward in returning to a buzzing hive of learning and we now look forward to working toward a more covid-normal state where families can once again be part of the school community in person too.

This term is a big term. Not only because it is Term 4 which is renowned for being a big one, but also for teachers and children desperate to make the most of these weeks ahead to support each and every child's growth and progress in learning. I would just like to remind parents though, that each child is on their own learning journey. Each of them are individuals who learn at their own pace and manner. We remain acutely aware that the extended lockdown and return to school will impact students differently, so our job remains to support and nurture the students from where they are at, so they can achieve their best and feel confident that they are in safe hands.

Know too that despite the fact that remote learning is over, we continue to cherish our partnership with you the parents and encourage you to maintain the connection between school and home. Working together, we can achieve so much more. So I invite you to continue to play an active role in your child's learning and connection to our teachers. Be sure to read any emails, watch or listen to any media communication that comes home and don't hesitate to request a phone call or video conference if you have any queries about how to best support your child, whether it be for their wellbeing or learning. Together, we are stronger. Together, we can achieve so much more. At St. Kevin's we stand together.

God bless.

Jason Micallef,
Principal

Our Covid-Safe Plan

At St. Kevin's we incorporate a number of strategies to minimise the risk of the coronavirus impacting on the health of our students and staff. By themselves, each of these strategies is a small but important layer of protection that when combined work to create a strong armour of protection. From staying away from school if we feel even a little unwell, to temperature testing at the gate, keeping our distance from each other, wearing masks and keeping adequate airflow through all indoor spaces. Along with hand sanitising, disinfecting all high touch surfaces every single day and limiting contact between staff and students from different levels we have the highest level of protection possible.  

What happens if there is a confirmed positive case in the school?

In the event that a positive case is confirmed within the school, there is a clearly defined protocol that we undertake that we must follow. This protocol, which is based on the latest advice from the Department of Health and Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) leads us through the stages of identifying close contacts to evaluating their risk of exposure and how to protect other students from further transmission. 

From identification of close contacts, communication with families and the relevant authorities, to deep cleaning of exposed areas and monitoring affected individuals throughout their period of isolation. It is a protocol that also ensures that we maintain a focus on not leaving anything to chance and confidently making decisions that are in the best interests of the school community.

It is important for families to know that throughout these occasions we are in daily contact with MACS and the affected families to ensure everyone is advised appropriately and knows what to do. We have a team of staff who prioritise their time to managing the situation and we follow the guidelines to the letter to ensure the most favourable outcome. 

Loaned devices to be returned to School

Thank you to those families who have already returned devices that were loaned out to support the Remote Learning Program.  

A number of devices are unfortunately still outstanding and these need to be returned to school immediately so they can be redeployed to classrooms.

If you still have a device at home, please return it to the front office either during the day today or your child can bring it with them to school, no later than tomorrow, Friday 5th November.

2022 School Fees

After freezing the fees and levies from 2020 - 2021, an increase for 2022 is unavoidable if we are to avoid impacting on curriculum programs. The School Advisory Committee agreed that at this time an increase of about 2% is a modest but appropriate amount. Below is an outline of the fees and levies for 2022 that reflect this adjustment.

In 2022, we will also be introducing a Concessional Fee Policy that will mean that eligible families will be able to take advantage of some significant discounts. More information about this will be shared with families soon. 

Below is a table of fees and levies in 2022:

In addition:

• $179 Building & Maintenance Levy 
• $120 Swimming charge (per child) for Pre - yr4
• $40 Sleepover incursion for Yr 4 
• $320 Camp charge for yr5/6 
• $33 Sacramental Levy (per child) for Yr 3,4,& 6
• $50 of Buildings & Maintenance Levy can be rebated back for all families when they attend 1 working bee.

Halloween in a Catholic culture?

Many families may have had their doubts about celebrating Halloween on the weekend. For some, the practice of trick-or-treating is seen as yet another invasion by American culture. For others, the association with pagan ritual is viewed as inappropriate and even dangerous for children.

In fact, Halloween has deep Christian roots, dating back to the eighth century, when Pope Gregory III established All Hallows (known to Catholics as All Saints Day) on November 1st. This was to be a day to honour all the saints who died with or without Church recognition. All Souls Day follows on November 2nd and is a time in which we pray for all the dead, including our own special friends and family.

Light, a symbol of life in Jesus, was used on ‘Halloween’ (meaning ‘All Holies (or Saints) Eve’) to welcome good spirits and ward off evil ones. Candles were lit and placed inside hollowed-out squash, turnips, or later, after the discovery of America, pumpkins. Children, wearing masks, would go ‘souling’ from door to door, begging for soul cakes for the those in purgatory.

It is true that Halloween also coincides with a pagan festival honouring the god of the dead where customs intended to appease evil spirits, avoid hauntings and foretell the future are common. These customs and other occult practices can be confusing to children and distract them from our Christian traditions.

At All Hallows, we celebrate…

Our heavenly family – Those men and women of virtue and faith who lead lives of holiness, courage and generosity and are now saints in heaven. Their heroic lives inspire us and provide excellent role models for our children. Some families like to pray the ‘Litany of the Saints’, calling on favourite saints to “pray for us”.

Our deceased family member – This is a good time to recall fond memories of our loved ones, go through old photo albums, visit their grave sites, and of course, pray for them. Children enjoy lighting candles and saying prayers for loved ones.

Our living family – We shy away from talking about death, but really, death is the surest reality of our lives. This feast reminds us to reflect on our priorities and make the most of every opportunity to express our love and affection for those close to us. Use this time to affirm a saintly quality or virtue that you see in each family member.

All saints day was celebrated on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd. Maybe next year when the season returns, families can feel encouraged to embrace Halloween, with a focus on its Christian heritage.

5/6 Indonesian

This term, students in Grade 5/6 have looked at different Indonesian celebrations and ceremonies, both traditional and new. One particularly new celebration is the Jember Fashion Carnaval, which has only been celebrated since 2003 and is held in the East Java city of Jember. This celebration showcases dancers in extravagant costumes that generally use Indonesian traditional motifs, but also presents world-themed events and nature-inspired themes. The students were asked to design their own costumes with world events or influences in mind. 

To our families celebrating Diwali this week 

What a champion!

Samantha (5/6BU) has been playing tennis since she was 5 years old. She trains 6 days per week and plays local and regional competitions. Her dedication and commitment to her passion has seen her win a number of tournaments and holds an Australian ranking in women’s tennis. Recently, Samantha received the news that she had been accepted to the Rowville Sports Academy in 2023. Her mum, Carla said, "This is an amazing achievement". 

Samantha's teacher Miss Buttigieg says she is an amazing CHAMPION and had this message to share with her, "Samantha I am very proud of all your dedication and commitment you show in tennis. It has been a pleasure to hear about all your sporting tournaments you play each week and the hours you spend before and after school to train. I especially loved seeing the smile on your face when you told me recently that the tennis courts had reopened after months of lockdown. Keep up your amazing work. I can't wait to see what the future holds for you." 

It seems even her friends are incredibly proud. Her friend Mary had this to say, "I am so proud of Sam, she genuinely is so talented with the sport she does... Samantha is such a kind and talented soul, always there for others and always striving for her best. She is so deserving to get into this school and I wish her good luck for when she leaves St. Kevin's to start her next chapter in life at the start of 2023."

Madison too had these kind words, "I am so incredibly proud of all that Samantha has achieved, she is so talented in so many different ways and is a big inspiration to everyone. No matter what obstacle comes her way, she will always find a way to cross it. She is so determined and her hard work always pays off... There are seriously no words to describe how unbelievably amazing she is at tennis, all that Sam has achieved is definitely well deserved. I just know that she will grow up to inspire so many other people. I wish her the best luck at Rowville!" 

Samantha goes on to complete her primary school years at St. Kevin's in 2022, where we know she will continue to grow from strength to strength. From there, who knows? Maybe the Australian Open!

Scholastic Book Club

Our school is now participating in the Scholastic Book Club! Up to twice a term, during the school year, we will send home the Book Club catalogue with a different selection of books offered for all ages.

It is easy to order. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school and the books will be delivered to class. You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/loop or by using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Each order helps earn free books and teaching materials for our classroom; however there is never any obligation to order. 

Issue 7 is coming home this week with orders due by Friday November 19.

Beleza Opening Times & VIP Discount Week

Celebrating November Birthdays

1st   Saket 1/2 DC

2nd   Barbara 3/4 FO

3rd   Xavier 5/6 BU, Ashpreet 3/4 BB, Jordan 3/4 DM

4th   Timothy 1/2 RO, Darlice 1/2 LO

6th   Sophia PCA, Gabriel 1/2 RO, Kacy 5/6 SP

8th   Bernardino 5/6 BU

9th   Ateny 5/6 BU, Tristan 3/4 BB, Kayleigh PEA, Ethan 1/2 HE

10th   Meran 5/6 DA

11th   Noah 1/2 FE, Deui 3/4 TI, Franco 5/6 BU, Madison 1/2 FE

12th   Rumith 3/4 MG

13th   Aurelia 1/2 HE

17th   Kultaran 5/6 ME, Isaiah 3/4 PE, Angela 3/4 MG, Tanav 5/6 DA

18th   Zoey 1/2 FE

20th   Melodie 5/6 LN, Zara 1/2 HE, Chloe 1/2 DC, Kaiana 5/6 BU, Elizabeth 1/2 AL

21st   Liet 5/6 LN, Trey 1/2 RO, Tristan 1/2 DC

22nd   Zabrina 3/4 TI

23rd   Paul 1/2 AL

24th   3/4 DM

25th   Ariana 5/6 MB, Sanjayram 1/2 LO

26th   Isabella 5/6 DA

27th   Celeste PKK, Remiyah 3/4 FO

29th   Methula 5/6 MB

30th   Thomas 3/4 FO

Community News

School Transport

Johann is also available to assist with Mazenod College students.

Casey Council