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Saturday 26 February |
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Monday 28 February |
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Tuesday 8 March |
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Wednesday 9 March |
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PRINCIPAL NEWS
Dear Parents,
A very good friend of mine, Will, has a disabled son Michael, who is now a young adult. Talking to Will about the journey he and his wife are on raising a disabled son is inspirational, challenging, heart breaking, motivating and thought provoking. It continually forces me to question myself as to how I would cope given the same situation. Would I be capable of such a challenge? Could I manage? Would I consistently have the energy to be Michael’s advocate in life like Will is? He has to undertake this role continually because Michael is not able to advocate for himself.
Will talks about what it is like to be told that your child in the womb will most likely be disabled, the day that the hopes and dreams you have for your unborn child alter enormously. How harrowing the very first moments of Michael’s life were for him and his wife as they watched their child endure numerous operations and medical intervention to stay alive. Will tells the story of being a proud young father walking his son in the pusher through the country town that he lives in and seeing people that he knows cross the street because they were not comfortable enough to meet Michael, or the looks on people’s faces and the awkward silence if they looked in the pusher and saw that Michael had challenges. He speaks of how difficult it was to teach Michael how to eat, toilet, talk, walk to the best of his ability and dress himself. All of these are challenging enough when your child is able bodied.
Will also speaks passionately about the issues Michael was faced with at school. Everything was extra difficult for him. How do you explain to your disabled child why he is different? Why he can’t run, jump, climb, learn and play like the other children? Why he doesn’t get an invite to a party or get to play over at a friend’s house? A particular aspect that Will found extremely challenging was the attitude of some of the parents towards Michael being in the school. The questioning of whether he should be there at all still upsets him to this day.
I commenced teaching not just for the students that achieve well, and behave well, but hoping that I might be able to make a difference in all students lives. As a Catholic school we need to embrace difference, be welcoming and accepting. As a staff here at St Catherine’s we are operating from a student first approach and are continually striving to be here for the needs and concerns of 100% of the students 100% of the time.
At times it can be easy to sit back and judge, making assessments on people, situations and events without the full understanding. I thank God every day for the wonderful, healthy children that I have, they bring so much to my life. I know Will thanks God every day for bringing Michael into his family, the joy and the blessings that he has bestowed on his parents and his siblings.
As parents, we have to lead by example and model what we want to see in our children. Rather than being quick to judge others, maybe we should take time to consider what it would be like to walk a mile in their shoes?
Interacting and dealing with Michael can be challenging on occasions, however, he has been a wonderful teacher to me and I have learnt so much from him. He makes the world a much better place for those who meet him and truly get to know him.
Enrolments
We are now taking sibling enrolments for 2023. We have already been experiencing a demand for spots so to ensure a place we ask that all existing families have their 2023 enrolment forms in by Friday the 4th of March. After this date enrolments will be open to all.
Review
On Monday and Tuesday three Leadership Consultants from the Catholic Education Office will be conducting a School Review here at St Catherine’s. Review is a full investigation into the running of the school and the Reviewers critically analyse what the school is doing well, what are the areas of strength and what are focus areas moving forward. At the conclusion of the two days the Reviewers will provide a detailed report. We then use this report to create a strategic plan for the next four years. A random selection of students and parents will be interviewed as a part of this process. This Review would have been conducted last year, however, due to the changing circumstances within the school leadership it was postponed until 2022.
In Fourth Term we will also have the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority conduct an assessment on the school to ensure that all of our policies and procedures are compliant so we can maintain our registration as a school.
Family Learning Conversations
On the 8th and 9th of March we will be conducting our Family Learning Conversations (previously Parent/Teacher Interviews). This will be an important conversation between you and your child’s teacher where you will be updated on your child’s testing results so far and what the learning focus will be for your child moving forward. It is essential that parents attend. Due to the pandemic they will be conducted via Google Meet and we ask that parent please book a time via your PAM account on Simon Everwhere.
Drop Off
A reminder that classes commence at 8.50am. Gates will be locked at 8.50am and children arriving after this time will need to come through the Office to be signed in.
Parking
We have been contacted by several of our neighbours frustrated by parents parking in their private parking areas. We ask that families please respect our neighbours properties.
School Closure Dates
Listed below are the 2022 School Closure Dates for your diary;
- April 1st – Staff participating in a Learning Adjustment Day with Trinity and St Patrick’s Primary Schools.
- 24th June – Religious Education
- October 3rd – Data Review
- October 31st – Report Writing
- 19th December – 2023 Planning
- 20th December – 2023 Planning
COVID Procedures
The following processes are in place to ensure the safety of all as we negotiate our way through the pandemic;
- We ask that parents please drop and collect children from the school gates and do not enter the grounds.
- We are still following the Governments mandates regarding students and masks.
- The Office is open, however, unless it is absolutely necessary please email info@stcberwick.catholic.edu.au or phone 9702-1466.
- Please contact teachers via email or phone.
- Families are encouraged to test their children twice weekly with the RA tests provided. If your child tests positive please inform the school and they must isolate for seven days.
- Alerts will be sent to families via email if there is a positive case within the school.
- If your child is a household close contact they are required to isolate for seven days.
- Work is available for those children that are isolating. Please contact your child’s teacher. Please note that this is work that they can complete at home but it is not a remote learning program.
- We have been instructed from our governing body DOSCEL that school camps and excursions can resume on the 28th of Feb.
SCHOOL FEES
Families who hold an eligible Health Care Concession Card, may be eligible for CSEF (Camp, Sports and Excursion Funding). If eligible, this would also entitle families to make an application for a fee remission, which effectively would see a significant reduction of fees to be paid for the year. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Margaret Lonergan in the Office.
School Fee Statements - School fee statements were emailed on Tuesday 15 February. If you did not receive your statement, please contact the Office as soon as possible.
Families who have not commenced a Direct Debit for 2022, need to submit a new form as soon as possible should they wish to do so. The Direct Debit form can be accessed via the website or SZapp (or the link below). Alternatively, a hard copy can be requested and sent home with your child. Once completed, email to accounts@stcberwick.catholic.edu.au.
Payment can also be made byBPay, cash or cheque.
Term 1 fees (or if paying annually) are due for settlement by 11 March unless alternative payment arrangements have been made.
For any queries, either ring Margaret Lonergan on 9702 1466 or email accounts@stcberwick.catholic.edu.au
CONTACT ADDRESS
If you have changed your address recently, could you please contact the school office on 97021466 or alternatively info@stcberwick.catholic.edu.au
Kind Regards,
Simon
Meet the SHINE leaders
Hello everyone we would like you to meet us, the 2022 school SHINE leaders, Siennah, Kevin, Tino,and Ariana. We will always accept new ideas and will be creating new ways to represent SHINE. We want to help the school in the future and we look forward to helping students and others in any way we can!
Get to know Kevin Hewavitharana
Position: Shine Leader
Class: 6LA7
Why do I want to be a leader:
I want to be a leader to show responsibility and be a role model to other students. By doing this I feel that I am a better person and a better leader to St Catherine’s. I hope that my actions have inspired other students to be a better person.
What do I want to do as a leader:
As a leader in the future I would like to make sure that everyone has friends out on the yard. To add to this idea myself and the rest of the leadership team have come up with a roster for a buddy bench. The way the buddy bench works is that the leaders of the school take turns sitting at the buddy bench so if anyone wants a friend one of the leaders will be there to help.
Get to know Siennah Ammouchi
Position: SHINE Leader
Class: 6LA7
Hello! My name is Siennah, I am one of your leaders for this year. I hope we can all be friends. I hope to see you all SHINING this year.
I have always wanted to be a leader, one memory I have always remembered is in prep, I said to my prep teacher that I want to be a leader when I am older.
I am so excited to meet all of you this year and get to know you.
I wanted to be a leader because I believe that I can set an example for the younger grades. I will always remember to SHINE in my words and actions.
I want to encourage students to always try their best and to keep going.
I want to make sure that I can make students feel welcome and comfortable here.
I believe that St Catherine’s are like a family and that we should all support and encourage each other. I am always open for anyone to talk to me and I will always listen to new ideas.
I want you all to keep SHINING and always remember to never give up.
Get to know Ariana Sugunasekera
Position: Shine Leader
Class: 6LA5
Hello, my name is Ariana, I will be one of your SHINE leaders for this year. I hope we can all get along and help each other to SHINE.
I’ve always wanted to be a leader because I believe that I can help the school out .
I will set an example for everyone around the school and help show the expectations throughout everything that we do. I really like the idea of SHINE and how teachers and students have encouraged SHINE in every activity that we do. I hope that by the end of this year everyone will be comfortable with SHINE and be able to carry it through their whole time here at St.Catherine’s.
Some ideas we have are making the presentation of SHINE more easy to understand for everyone and making sure it is colourful and attractive. We are working on promoting the buddy bench and will be helping students find people to play with or games to play.
If you have any ideas or questions please feel free to come up to us and talk about it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you have a great year.
Get to know Tino Nyamande
Position: Shine Leader
Class: 6LA6
Hi I’m Tino or Tinotenda, I’m mostly called Tino. I love Playing soccer with my friends. Building Legos or Lego Moc. I’m best friends with Aidan and I was really proud of Aidan when he came to this the school. I’m friends with his little sister Adria, she likes to come to me to ask where Aidan is or say hi. The reason why I want to be a Shine Leader was to help others with problems. At St Catherine’s I hope that I can change the school into something different and where kids can have fun while learning. I can’t wait to get to what I will be in the next few months.
Stay safe and Be nice from Tino.
Aidan Fernando:
Hello fellow peers of St Catherine’s. My name is Aidan ,and I am your school captain for 2022. Some things I enjoy doing are playing piano,doing math/science. I also like spending time with family and friends and playing tennis. I wanted to become school captain because I wanted to be a role model and show people how to demonstrate SHINE. I hope everyone enjoys me as a school captain.
Alicia Maxim:
Hello St Catherine’s community, my name is Alicia and I am your School Captain for 2022. Some things I enjoy are maths, art, listening to music and playing the piano. I also love to help people and I will help everyone, not only with their work but also when they feel down. This year I am looking forward to working with you all, I would also really enjoy helping and influencing everyone. This year I would also like to encourage and allow everyone to call our school a safe and friendly environment that everyone likes and enjoys.
Oscar Ellis:
Hi I’m Oscar and I am one of your 2022’s Vice Captains. Some of my hobbies are rubix cubes and I’m really sporty.( I do Athletics basketball and footy) I also love spending time with family and friends in and out of school. I wanted to be a captain because I want to inspire people to do the best that they can do and keep trying even if it is hard. I also want to let people know that if anyone needs help I’ll do my best to help. I can’t wait to see what happens this year.
Sienna Williams :
Hi my name is Sienna and I am one of your Vice Captain’s for 2022 . Some things I enjoy are playing sports , having fun with my friends and spending time with my family. I want to help people enjoy school and make it a fun place to go to . I am really excited to be Vice captain and can’t wait for what’s coming next !
Mia Croft:
Hi my name Mia Croft and I am one of St Catherine’s 2022 Vice Captains. A few things that interest me are cooking, STEM and pets. This year I will help students when they need help and are always available for a talk.
Luke Grogan:
Hello, my name is Luke and I am one of your school Vice Captains for this year. Some things I like include basketball, STEM and Science! This year I will help out by encouraging people to do their work and help new students to get used to the school. I will lead by example by always showing the correct things to do in and out of the classroom and respect others no matter what the situation is.
Lhouis:
Hi! I am Lhouis, one of the many leaders here in St Catherine’s. I am one out of 4 of the Social Justice captains. I am very honoured to be elected as a social justice leader for 2022, I wanted this role to help this amazing community and repay the favor of the 7 years I had. I have 1 younger brother from grade 2 and a sister from grade 4. Here’s a little bit about me, I like to draw, I really like hanging out with my friends and laughing. My favourite subjects are writing, art and religion. You can spot me at recess and lunch, mostly at the Adventure Playground if you want to talk. If you have a problem or need a friend to play with, I can help you find a friend or solve an issue. Once again I am very honoured to be one of the leaders in St Catherine’s, Thanks for reading!!
Marcus:
Hi my name is Marcus I am one of your Social Justice Leaders. I am very responsible and well spoken. I am very friendly and I am a role model for younger students. I am the oldest of 2 and I like making people feel happy. I like to do woodwork classes and go for a walk and bike ride in the park. My younger sister is in grade three and I like the colour blue. My favourite 3 subjects are Art, Religion and Inquiry. I am excited to be your social Justice Leader for 2022.
Nethmi:
Hello everyone! My name is Nethmi. I am one of your Social Justice leaders for 2022. Here are some things about me: I like reading books and cooking. I have a younger sister who is in Year 3 and also goes to this school. My favourite subjects are Maths, English and Religion. I like helping people and I always try to be a good role model. This year I want everyone to feel safe at St Catherine’s and have a great time. I am thrilled to be one of your Social Justice Leaders for 2022!
Alisha:
Hi everyone! My name is Alisha. I am one of your Social Justice leaders for 2022. Let me tell you some things about me I am a good cook and I love to do Maths. I have two older brothers. My favourite subjects are Maths and Religion. I love telling funny jokes to people who are sad. I will try to be role model and make people safe at St Catherine’s. I am happy to be your Social Justice leader 2022.
Our school Canteen operates Thursday's ONLY.
- Orders are online only.
- Orders are via CDFPay.
- Orders must be complete by 8:45am on the day.
- Orders can be placed in advance.
Please see the link below. Create a CDFPay account and then simply place your order.
Cancelling Orders
If your child is sick or will not be attending school and you have placed your order you need to:
- Contact the School Office to advise that you wish to cancel the order.
- Your CDFPay account will be credited.
- No refunds are possible.
Chelsy X | Aimee J | Felix J |
Natania T | Jake G | Julian H |
Ethan P | Sethmi F | Ava P |
Angelina J | Valentina M | Chiara S |
Nathaniel M | Gabriel R | Aarav M |
Levon R |
Uniform shop open hours
Monday 8.30am to 10.30am
Tuesday 8.30am to 9.00am
Wednesday 8.30am to 9.00am
Thursday 8.30am to 9.00am
Friday 8.30am to 10.30am
There is new and second hand uniform available.
Ordering can also be done anytime online using QKR.
Qkr orders are delivered directly to the students classroom. Stock allowing, delivery is usually within 24 hours from order.
Phone enquiries on 0448 060 100, however please note I am unable to take a call whilst serving. Phone enquiries welcome school weekdays up to 4pm.
Email Jan-k@bigpond.com
- Introduction from Simon/ Anna and existing committee members
- Started the new year off with 653 students
- Previous meet & Greet with the teachers will change to a Family Learning Conversation on Tuesday 8th/9th March. This allows for the teacher to do some assessments on the student.
- Discussed what the new gazebos are used for, Simon is looking at temporary and long term options for pick up time at the rebound wall for coverage from weather.
- Canteen will only run on a Thursday
- Old portables will be removed - looking at new bike shed
- Investigating better pedestrian access to the new school building
- Footy goals are on their way
- Bookclub issue 1 closes 20th Feb
- P&F will meet before next meeting to timeline event suggestions and dates
Monday 14 March |
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Friday 4 March |
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Monday 21 March |
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Friday 25 March |
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Friday 1 April |
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Friday 8 April |
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Tuesday 26 April |
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Friday 29 April |
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Monday 2 May |
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Tuesday 3 May |
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Wednesday 4 May |
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Tuesday 10 May |
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Wednesday 11 May |
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Thursday 12 May |
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Friday 13 May |
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Monday 16 May |
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Tuesday 17 May |
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Wednesday 18 May |
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Monday 23 May |
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Monday 13 June |
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Friday 17 June |
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Saturday 18 June |
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Friday 24 June |
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Monday 11 July |
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Monday 8 August |
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Tuesday 9 August |
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Wednesday 10 August |
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Friday 12 August |
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Monday 15 August |
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Tuesday 16 August |
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Wednesday 17 August |
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Friday 19 August |
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Monday 22 August |
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Tuesday 30 August |
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Wednesday 31 August |
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Thursday 1 September |
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Friday 2 September |
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Monday 5 September |
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Monday 3 October |
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Tuesday 4 October |
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Thursday 6 October |
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Friday 7 October |
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Monday 10 October |
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Tuesday 11 October |
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Thursday 13 October |
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Friday 14 October |
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Monday 17 October |
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Monday 31 October |
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Tuesday 1 November |
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Tuesday 6 December |
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Thursday 8 December |
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Friday 9 December |
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Monday 12 December |
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Tuesday 13 December |
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Wednesday 14 December |
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Friday 16 December |
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Monday 19 December |
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Tuesday 20 December |
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