No 2. Term 1 Week 3, 17th February 2023

Principal's News

Dear Families,

As we approach the start of the Catholic season of Lent, let's take a moment to reflect on the significance of this time for our community. Lent is a period of 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday, during which we are called to reflect on our lives, deepen our relationship with God, and make sacrifices in honour of the sacrifices Jesus made for us.

Life can always be relied upon to provide many challenges and Lent provides us with an opportunity to come together and support one another as we navigate through those difficult times. We encourage all families to participate in this sacred season, whether it be through prayer, self-reflection, or acts of kindness towards others.

Our school community will be observing Lent in a variety of ways. Our students will participate in special liturgies and prayer services, and we will be encouraging them to make small but significant differences in their daily lives that aim to help them be their best selves. We invite all families to join us in observing this special time.

During this time, we also remember the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation. Lent is a great time for us to ask for forgiveness for our shortcomings and to forgive those who have wronged us. Our goal this Lent is to live with greater love and compassion for one another, as we continue to build a community that reflects the values of our faith.

The first day of Lent, which is next Wednesday, is known as Ash Wednesday and all students from Year 1 - 6 will be attending Mass at 9:15 am. Parents are very welcome to join us.

The day before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday. Though you may also know of this day as Pancake Tuesday and the day that children make and enjoy yummy pancakes in their classrooms. This tradition came about because pancakes were a popular way to use up rich ingredients like butter and sugar before the start of the fasting period of Lent. 

I wish you all a blessed Lenten season, and I look forward to journeying with you during this special time.

Jason Micallef,
Principal

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for attending the recent Goal Setting Meetings with your children. Your presence made a significant impact on the success of these meetings, and we appreciate your dedication to your child's academic and personal growth.

I would also like to extend a special mention and acknowledgement for the inconvenience caused by the early closure of the school on Monday. We understand that this required you to make arrangements to pick up your children early but your understanding and flexibility to accommodate this is greatly appreciated.

Your involvement and commitment to your child's education are vital to their success. Please know you are welcome to reach out to teachers whenever you feel the need and we are grateful for your continued support.

Welcome to the St. Kevin's Family!

Congratulations to Mrs Coralee Brobyn and her husband Chris who welcomed baby Alicia into the world last week. 

Congratulations too to our librarian Mrs Vallina who has become a grandmother to the adorable Catalina!

Working Bee

School Uniform - Wear it proud!

Thank you to all our parents and carers who make sure their children arrive at school in the proper school uniform. We are really proud of our school uniform and the way it is worn speaks of the pride we have in ourselves and those we attend school with.

From time to time, we see trends creeping in where increasing numbers of children are not wearing the school uniform correctly— we often see students wearing runners instead of school shoes or perhaps leggings under their dress. We seek the support of parents to ensure students are wearing their uniforms as prescribed.

Our expectations of uniform use also extend to hairstyles and jewellery, below is a reminder of the uniform and expectations for ALL our children.

• Footwear should be black leather school shoes - not runners unless it is a PE day.
• Extreme hairstyles, including coloured, dyed hair are not suitable for school. For health and safety reasons, hair longer than collar length should be tied back off the face. 
• No wearable, smart technology like iWatches (if parents wish for children to have these on after school, then students need to hand them into their teacher as they arrive at school for safe keeping and they will be returned at the end of the day).
• Only studs or a single sleeper are permitted in pierced ears. 

School Fees

By now, all families should have received their statements for owed School Fees and Levies. Thanks to those families who have either paid in full or committed to a payment plan. Having some certainty about what we can expect to receive and when helps us to plan and manage the school's operations with confidence. If you have not yet committed to a plan, please contact the office for information on what options are available.

All families that have not paid their fees in full by the end of March are required to complete a direct debit form and commence a payment plan.

School Fee Support

Concession rates are available to any family that meets the below eligibility criteria:

• • of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage
  • holding an HCC and are eligible for CSEF
  • experiencing severe financial hardship
  • holding a DVA Gold Card
  • identified as refugees and holding an ImmiCard

In order to apply for the concessional rate, please contact the school office and we will send you an application form to fill out.

PFA

We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to all of you to join our Parents and Friends Association (PFA). As a community of parents and friends, we are committed to working together to support the educational and social needs of our children.

We believe that every parent has unique skills, talents, and perspectives that can contribute to our school's success. Whether you are new to the school or have been involved for years, we invite you to join our PFA and make a difference in the lives of our students.

Our PFA organises a variety of fundraising and friendraising activities throughout the year to support the school's programs and initiatives. From Scholastic book club sales to raffles, Mothers/Fathers Day stalls to Easter/Christmas Bakers Delight sales, we are always looking for new and creative ways to bring our community together.

However, we can't do it alone. We need your help to make our events a success. We are looking for volunteers to assist with planning, organising, and executing our fundraising and friendraising activities. Your support will not only benefit our school but also provide an opportunity for you to connect with other parents and develop meaningful relationships within our community.

We would love to see you at our upcoming PFA meeting, where we will discuss our plans for the school year and how you can get involved. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 1 2:30 in the Welcome Centre. We hope to see you there!

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our school community.

Carpark

Thank you once again for the way everyone is working together to follow directions and maximise the efficiency of the carpark. We know it can be frustrating when the carpark is full but following the expectations about how where to park ensures student safety and gets you in and out of the carpark efficiently.

Always...

• Ensure an adult walks with children to and from parked cars
• Only parking in designated spaces
• Follow the directions of staff who are there to help you

Below is a visual guide that shows where to park and how the traffic flows to keep us all moving.

Parents should be wary of parking in designated 'No Standing', 'Keep Clear' and 'No Parking' zones. Casey Council does fine parents who are illegally parked.

You have been warned!

Medical Reminders

Medication 

Medication of any kind, sent to school with a student, must be handed in at the office along with a written permission note providing details of its use. Children are not permitted to administer their own medication. Medication must be administered with adult supervision and written parental permission.

Asthma Management Plans 

Parents of students who are known to be asthmatic; be it  occasional or regular, are asked to provide the school with an Asthma Management Plan and their own named personal medication. 

Do we have the most up-to-date Action Plan for your child?

If your child has an action plan and there have been recent updates or changes, you need to provide an updated copy.

If your child has a new diagnosis with an Action Plan for Asthma, Anaphylaxis or any allergies you need to notify the office and ensure we have access to this plan on Operoo as soon as possible.

House Colours Day

Grade 1 and 2 students have had a positive start to 2023!

The Grade 1 and 2 students have started the new school year in prayer and with some fantastic learning in their classrooms!

 They have created ‘All About Me’ posters and self portraits, sharing information about all of their favourite things! Our students also made Valentines Day cards to show their love for their parents.

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Colour Fun Run

We are thrilled to share with you the exciting news that Mischa has been awarded the medal for being the highest fundraiser in the Colour Fun Run of 2022. Mischa's total of $980 is a remarkable achievement.

The contribution of all students who fundraiser has made a real difference in adding to our playground equipment and we should all take pride in this accomplishment.

We are delighted to inform you that the Colour Fun Run will be happening again in term four, and we encourage everyone to participate and contribute towards the cause. We hope that Mischa's achievement will inspire more members of our community to get involved and help us make an even greater impact this year.

What to do if your child has some separation anxiety

In this short video, Ms Bruhin provides parents with some useful tips for dealing with separation anxiety.

School home communication

Building the partnership between home and school is so important. In this short video, Mr Micallef shares some of the ways we communicate with you to help build this relationship with you.

Kool Kids Rock

Kool Kidz Rock offer expert tuition in guitar, keyboard, singing, piano, drums and violin right here at school during school hours each week for children who are enrolled in the program.

Instrumental music is not only fun for Primary School children, research has shown it can:

• Increase memory capacity
• Enhance co-ordination
• Develop mathematical ability
• Improve reading and comprehension skills
• Build confidence, self esteem and social skills

Private classes start at $32 per lesson and group classes start at $16 per lesson.

To find out more and how to enrol, visit koolkidzrock.com.au

Community News