Dear Parents,

Term 1 is well and truly under way; Week 6 already, of what is a very short term. 

We have the Cadbury Easter Chocolate fundraiser coming up, please see below for further details. 

I am heading on Long Service Leave starting Monday the 18 March. I will be returning at the beginning of week 2 in Term 2. This was a planned trip booked way before my appointment here as principal. I am aware the timing is not great but generally these trips and Long Service Leave are booked a long way in advance.  Rian Prestwich will be stepping up as acting Principal and Rebecca Cox as acting Deputy Principal. I have great faith in them along with the rest of the leadership team and I know the school is in safe hands. I have been extremely blessed to have the current leadership team to work with. Their ability to work together and their collective skillsets complement each other. 

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is creeping up on us and preparations are happening to ensure all devices are prepared and ready to go. NAPLAN is for year 3 and Year 5 students. Please see the timetable below and be aware that there will need to be some changes to the specialist’s timetable to accommodate this. 

As I will be away for Easter and the holidays , I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Holy Easter and safe holidays. 

NAPLAN timetable

Harmony Day is coming up on the Thursday 21 March

We are asking children to wear traditional dress or their school uniform with a splash of orange. Please also keep in mind any specialist lessons that happen that day as they will still need to participate fully in these lessons. There will be Harmony day activities and discussions in classrooms and within levels.

School Photos – Friday 22 March

School photos are on Friday 22 March. The children are to wear their full summer uniform. If your children have PE that day they wear their full summer uniform and bring their runners.  Order flyers are coming home today, so be careful not to lose them as they have your child's unique code for ordering are on them.

Fundraiser - Cadbury Easter Eggs

We will be sending out chocolate boxes to the eldest child in your family tomorrow.  Please see the flyer attached to this newsletter for more information.

Staffing news

Mandy Collingwood has notified me that she is resigning from St Catherine’s starting the 14 April. 

We have started the recruitment process. We thank her for all her contributions to St Catherine’s School.

Ms Rachel Long has also informed me that she will no longer be returning to take up the position in 4S3 due to personal reasons. We thank Rachel for all her contributions to St Catherine’s school. 

Family Learning Conversations.

Our last session of Family Learning Conversations conclude's today. These are face to face meetings and give the parents an opportunity to see learning spaces.

The next round of FLCs will take place in Term 3 and will be via google meet. 

Student attendance 

Just a reminder that our classes start at 8.50am, students are expected to be at school and ready to start instruction at 8.50am. 

Any students coming after the bell are impacted as they can miss vital instruction and the beginning of Specialist subjects. Students on scheduled out of classroom intervention programs may also miss their session, as many of these start as soon as the bell goes in the morning.

Any student arriving late must be signed in by a parent or carer via the office. This is a legal requirement and we have noticed many more students arriving after 8.50am.  As a part of our continual review of our processes and procedures, we will be following up with parents and carers.  

Classroom doors open at 8.30am.

Regular late arrivals will trigger our attendance/absence processes which means parents and carers will be contacted by classroom teachers at first but may be escalated to other governing bodies. 

Whole School Positive Behaviour Approach 

Over the past couple of years, we have been reviewing the model that was in place- SHINE. This program as with all programs needs to be reviewed and updated constantly to reflect our current context. We have introduced our 3 school values and have simplified the wording . 

At St Catherine’s we are  safe.

At St Catherine’s we show respect. 

At St Catherine’s we are resilient.

The students have started to unpack with teachers and how this looking and how these statements  reflect our actions in all settings and in all areas of the school. As this is developed with students and staff ,information will be shared with the community via our usual communication platforms

Car Parking 

Due to the restricted car parks, we have had to close off the very end of the driveway to all cars except our contractors, admin and DOSCEL staff. We have regular visits from these people and need to be able to give access to them and if necessary emergency services. 

To allow this to happen and to keep our children safe, we have put bollards out to restrict access to allow the crossing near the chapel to be a safe zone for children to cross the driveway. 

These Bollards will be moved each morning at 8.30am and each afternoon at 3.00pm to allow traffic through when the chapel gates are open. 

Beginning  and end of the day parent communication.

Parents are welcome to come into classrooms at the beginning of the day to settle their children. We ask that if you wish to meet to discuss matters regarding your children that you schedule a time through the office. Teachers have scheduled staff meetings and planning sessions and after school duties which require their attendance. 

Before school, staff are required to be supervising students and use this time to assist students with getting organised for the day, If you have a concern, please send an email to your child’s classroom teacher to schedule a time to meet or request a phone call to ensure they can give all matters their full attention. 

Preferred communication with staff is via email throughout the school day, However, URGENT communication and communication about end of day arrangements need to go through the office to ensure the message is passed on. Our staff do not generally access emails during teaching time unless they are on a break or planning time. 

Student access and child safety 

We request all students accessing the administration Office and who may be coming in late do so  via the SFX driveway. Students are to walk down the St Francis Xavier side of driveway on the footpath and cross at the Chapel crossing behind the bollards . 

We remind parents that the driveways are limited to 5 kilometres an hour for the safety of our students. Staff are on hand to assist until just after the bell. All students who are late should be walked into the office by an adult and be signed in for legal reasons. 

We also ask that parents and students use the designated crossings when crossing Ridgemont Drive and Meadowlands Way. 

Hats and Uniform 

Hats are needing to be worn at all break times in term 1 and must be worn properly by our students to ensure that we are remaining safe smart school. 

Summer uniform is to worn for Term 1 with sports uniform being worn on PE lesson days and SPECIAL sports days as notified by the office. 

Out of School Hours Care Program

CAMP AUSTRALIA

Please see the below flyer regarding our OSHC Program - Bookings are now open!

Regards 

Anna 

2025 Enrolments

We are currently taking 2025 Enrolments. If you are an existing family please get your forms in asap to guarantee you a spot. If you know of anyone considering St Catherine’s for their child please ask them to contact the Office for a tour.

School fees

Fee statements were emailed to families on Monday 19 February. If any families have an eligible Health Care Card please contact the Office if you have not already. If any families require a discussion regarding fees please contact Margaret Lonergan at the School Office.

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund provides payments for eligible students to attend school camps, excursions, and sports and outdoor education programs.

Please follow the link to get more information and download the application form.

CAMP AUSTRALIA

Please follow the link to find out about our before and after school care program!  Bookings are now Open!

Anna 

District Swimming

On Friday 1 March, 22 students from year 4-6 represented St Catherines at the Narre Warren District Swimming at the Koo Wee Rup swimming pool. All of our students raced brilliantly and upheld the school values of being safe, respectful and resilient. 

There were many outstanding individual and relay results. Out of the 7 schools competing on the day, St Catherine’s finished 1st overall! Go St Catherine’s!!

Here are the final results from our district swimming:

The students who finished 1st in their relays and 1st or 2nd in their individual events have qualified for the Casey South Division Carnival on Tuesday 12 March at Noble Park aquatic centre.

Below is a list of students who finished 1st or 2nd in their races on the day

Freestyle

Backstroke

Breastroke

Butterfly

Freestyle relay

Medley relay