No 9. Term 2 Week 7, 31st May 2024

Principal's News

This weekend marks a significant milestone for many of our wonderful Grade 3 and 4 students as they receive the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist for the first time. This is a moment of profound importance in their journey of faith, and we are overjoyed to share this celebration with our entire school community.

The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist is more than just a tradition within our Catholic faith; it is a powerful expression of unity and love. Through this sacrament, our children will experience a deeper connection to Jesus Christ, embracing His teachings and embodying His love in their daily lives. This sacred act reminds us all of the importance of faith, community, and the unwavering love of Christ that binds us together.

At St. Kevin’s, we recognise and celebrate the richness of our multicultural and multi-faith community. The Eucharist, while a central element of Catholic worship, carries a universal message of love, sacrifice, and togetherness that resonates with everyone, regardless of religious background. It teaches values of compassion, gratitude, and self-giving—values that we all cherish and strive to instil in our children.

As our students take this significant step in their faith journey, we can all feel inspired by their commitment and joy. Their experience is a testament to the vibrant and inclusive spirit of St. Kevin's, where every child's growth is nurtured and celebrated. This weekend, as they receive the Eucharist, we celebrate not just their individual milestones, but also the unity and strength of our entire school community.

We invite all families to join us in prayer and celebration, supporting our children as they grow in faith and understanding. May this special occasion remind us of the beauty of our shared values and the importance of nurturing a compassionate and loving community for all.

Congratulations to our Grade 3 and 4 students! May God's grace continue to guide and bless you on your journey.

God bless.

Jason Micallef,
Principal

Leadership & Management

Celebrating Our Feast Day

We are excited that this Monday, we will celebrate our school's Feast Day in collaboration with our friends from St. Francis de Sales School. This special day is dedicated to honouring our patron, St. Kevin, and fostering a sense of community and shared faith between our schools.

Who Was St. Kevin?

St. Kevin of Glendalough was an Irish saint known for his deep spirituality and love for nature. Born in the 6th century, he founded the monastic settlement in Glendalough, which became a centre of learning and piety. St. Kevin is remembered for his devotion to God, his simplicity, and his connection with the natural world. His life inspires us to seek peace, live humbly, and appreciate the beauty of creation.

Feast Day Activities

To celebrate this special occasion, we have planned a day full of enriching activities for our students:

• Preps and Juniors Visit St. Francis de Sales: Our younger students (Preps and Juniors) will travel to St. Francis de Sales School, where they will engage in interactive learning sessions about St. Kevin and participate in fun activities that highlight his values.
  
  
• Year 3 to Year 6 Students Welcome SFdS: We will host the Year 3 to Year 6 students from St. Francis de Sales School at St. Kevin’s. Together, they will listen to an inspiring guest speaker, attend a celebratory Mass, and join in activities designed to help them learn about and be inspired by St. Kevin's life and legacy.

Practical Information

• Attire: Students are welcome to attend the day in their sport uniform. This will ensure they are comfortable and ready to participate in all the planned activities.
  
  
• Transportation: Appropriate arrangements have been made for the safe transportation of students traveling between the schools.
  
  

This joint celebration promises to be a wonderful opportunity for our students to deepen their understanding of our patron saint and to build meaningful connections with their peers from St. Francis de Sales School. We look forward to a day filled with learning, faith, and community spirit.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community. We encourage you to talk with your children about St. Kevin and the significance of this special day, enhancing their appreciation and engagement in the activities planned.

CONGRATULATIONS Mrs Sly!

We are thrilled to announce and celebrate the arrival of Milana Jayne, born to our wonderful teacher Mrs Kristy Sly and her husband Dylan. Congratulations to the new parents! May your hearts be filled with joy and love as you welcome this beautiful blessing into your lives.

Education in Faith

This week's Gospel reflection

Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

This week, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In the Gospel of Mark, we are taken to the Last Supper, where Jesus shares His final meal with His disciples. He instructs them to prepare the Passover meal, and during the supper, He takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to them, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then He takes a cup, gives thanks, and gives it to them, saying, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many."

This Gospel passage highlights the institution of the Eucharist, a central sacrament in our Catholic faith. Jesus offers Himself as the bread of life and the cup of salvation, establishing a new covenant with His followers. The Eucharist is not just a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice but a real and living encounter with Him, nourishing our souls and uniting us with Him and with one another.

Talking to Children About This Message

1. Explain the Significance: Share with your children that the Eucharist is a special way Jesus chose to stay with us. You might say, "When we receive the Eucharist, we are receiving Jesus Himself, who loves us and wants to be close to us."
   
2. Use Familiar Analogies: Compare the Eucharist to something children can understand, like a family meal. Explain that just as we come together as a family to share food, we come together as a church family to share the Eucharist, which is the spiritual food Jesus gives us.
   
3. Discuss the Importance of Gratitude: Emphasise the importance of giving thanks, just as Jesus did. Encourage your children to express gratitude for the blessings in their lives and to understand that the Eucharist is a special gift from Jesus.
   
4. Participate in Mass Together: Attend Mass as a family and pay special attention during the Eucharistic Prayer. Point out the moment when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, helping your children to recognize the significance of this sacred part of the Mass.
   
5. Create a Home Altar: Set up a small home altar with symbols of the Eucharist, such as a crucifix, a small chalice, and a piece of bread. Use this space for family prayers and discussions about the importance of the Eucharist in your daily lives.
   

By engaging in these conversations and activities, parents can help children appreciate the profound mystery of the Eucharist and its importance in our Catholic faith. 

Learning & Teaching

Prep Language experiences

In Prep, the teachers use Language experience to develop oral language and to write. This helps the children to  increase their vocabulary skills by talking and writing about shared activities. First, children do something together, like making things or going on trips. Then, teachers talk with them about what they did, using topic specific vocabulary and phrases. These words are written down and read aloud. This helps children practice writing and understand how speaking can assist them when writing. This method also helps children make connections to prior learning and build upon new ideas.

Here are some photos of the students engaging in language experiences—making fairy bread and creating Wombat Stew.

The main parts of a language experience session:

Step 1: The experience

Step 2:  The talk 

Step 3: The writing

Our Critical and Creative Thinking Juniors!

During our Critical and Creative lessons, our year one and year two students have been learning simple strategies to equip themselves with staying safe when using their technological devices, especially if they feel unsafe, uncomfortable or observe suspicious activities.  They participated in discussions and activities, relating to how individuals can keep safe when using the internet, but also made aware of online strangers and the risks they pose. 

Have a look at the posters students created where they devised rules to keep safe online, including the posters where students named adults they can trust to report any suspicious online activities to.

Junior Indonesian Adventures

In our Junior Indonesian lessons, we have been bringing learning to life with the magic of music! Earlier this this term, when we were exploring the theme of family, our Grade 2 students had a blast singing along to the "My Family" song from the engaging Polyglots App. Watch as they joyfully introduce family members through catchy tunes that make vocabulary unforgettable. It's a wonderful blend of fun and education that's sure to make you smile!

Visual Art 3-6

Student Wellbeing

Our St Kevin’s Core Values

In our last newsletter we shared some information about Restorative Practices, the set of initiatives and processes which we use to guide our proactive, preventative teaching, and for repairing relationships when a problem has arisen. Values Education is an important practice which sits in the preventative practices space. Values which reflect our school community at St Kevin’s enable us to align our practices and choices with the needs of our students, staff and families. 

As you are aware, we recently voted for our 3 ‘Core Values.’ Our grade 4-6s all had the opportunity to vote on the value they felt was most important. Our staff also voted and we are grateful to all families who also took the opportunity to voice their opinion.

The results are in: 

Our St Kevin’s 3 Core Values are: Respect, Service and Love.

Over the remainder of this year, students and staff will unpack these three values and how they guide our choices and interactions. This will be done by looking at ‘values actions’ which will help us to focus on the choices, words and behaviors which exemplify each value. 

Our first value focus is RESPECT and for the next two weeks our values action focus is GREETINGS. We encourage you to have a conversation about this with your children so that they can practice both at school and in their homes and community. Today your child will bring home a copy of the poster below for you and your family to refer to. 

Community

Mother's Day Thanks

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to thank all the parents who supported the Mothers' Day Stall. To all those who helped set up the stall, sell the fun and interesting gifts and packed up and audited the supplies, your support is greatly appreciated. The smiles on the faces of the students said it all.

The Mothers' Day Stall raised a total of $2,623 and all this money will be allocated to purchasing new and exciting literacy resources such as decodable readers for our students. Thank you again for your support in assisting with the stall or in purchasing gifts for Mothers' Day.

Neighbourhood News