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Aboriginal Our Father
You are Our Father, you live in heaven
We talk to you, Father you are good
We believe your Word Father
We your children, give us bread today
We have done wrong, we are sorry
Help us Father not to sin again
Others have done wrong to us
And we are sorry for them, Father today
Stop us from doing wrong, Father
Save us all from the evil one
You are Our Father, you live in heaven
We talk to you, Father you are good.
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you are keeping well and warm during what has been a very cold start to winter. As you are aware, there is quite a bit of illness around and we thank you for monitoring your child’s health, throughout this time. A reminder that we do have a school coat as part of our uniform and students are welcomed to wear beanies, scarves and gloves outside if feeling the cold. We naturally do not send them outside in heavy rainfall and we also open the library for the second half of lunch.
COVID Safety Reminders: A reminder to all families that if you have someone in the home with COVID and your child is attending school, as per the operational guidelines, we ask that you respectfully let us know by emailing the class teachers of each of your children and copy me in. Also your child wears a mask each day if over the age of 8 and optional if under 8 years but strongly encouraged. All students also need to RAT test daily to attend school in this situation. All other children test if symptomatic. We ask that you ensure you are following these guidelines in order to keep all safe in our community and help stop the spread. Vaccinating your child is also strongly encouraged.
We have ample masks to supply your child with. Given the spread of the many different germs at the moment we are encouraging masks.
Reconciliation week: We celebrated National Reconciliation Week last week. The National Reconciliation Week 2022 theme, “Be Brave. Make Change.” was a challenge to all Australians— individuals, families, communities, organisations and government— to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can Make Change for the benefit of all Australians. Our students continue to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Geelong Catholic Primary Principal Network - Conference 2022:
“Gratitude is a way of being which honours and protects our relationships and cultivates a sense of interconnectedness.” – Dr Kerry Howells
On 25-27 May 2022, ten principals travelled to Hobart for the Geelong Catholic Primary Principal Network Conference. The theme of our conference was Gratitude: Learning and Leading in Faith. This conference program had its starting point in the Network Strategic Plan 2021 – 2023. Our vision, mission and values informed the selection of speakers and experiences in the beautiful location of Hobart and surrounds. The conference opened with a tour and on-country experience led by Aboriginal elders and knowledge holders who shared culture and stories. The tour provided an opportunity to engage with indigenous spirituality, connection to Country and challenged us to consider our own connections to the Aboriginal stories local to us at home.We were very fortunate to have a day of learning with Dr Kerry Howells, a world-renowned researcher, on ‘Leading with Gratitude’. Kerry guided us through an investigation of the deep dimensions of gratitude, the interplay between gratitude and its shadow - resentment, how to cultivate gratitude in relationships, and actioning gratitude as a leadership practice. The group also welcomed Carey McIver, an Executive Coach and Spiritual Director, who facilitated a conversation on our best hopes for our leadership in faith, supporting our dialogue around questions such as:
What does it mean to be a leader of faith, in these times and for our communities?
It was two and a half days of reflection and connection, re-energising us and amplifying all the things for which we are grateful as principals of Catholic schools in our region. As a final exercise, we drafted a Network prayer drawing on all the elements of our learning:
God,
Companion on our journey, the giver of light and love,
We are grateful for the gift of each other, the members of the Geelong Catholic Primary Principal
Network.
May we all flourish as one body, and through your immense love, make a home in our hearts for you.
We pray for gratitude, trust, faith, respect and wisdom.
May we respect the dignity of all as we walk in the path set by Jesus
And let those who will, follow.
As we lead in faith, let our greatest passion be compassion
Our greatest strength, love
Our greatest act, service.
May we be nurtured to move forward as hope-filled leaders in faith.
As we journey together as companions, walk beside us, lighting the path.
Guide us forward with courage.
We ask this in your name,
Amen.
School Disco: Many thanks to all involved with the School Disco and a special shout out to Rachel Simons and Hayley Bennett from the PFA. The children had a wonderful time and it was great to see it finally go ahead in our new hall. Approximately $2300 was raised and will continue to go towards some of the outdoor learning projects we are completing.
Road safety: A reminder that U turns are not permitted on John Dory Drive. You are not permitted to make a U turn on a road if there is: a single continuous line down the centre of the road.
Annual Report to the School Community 2021: Each year we complete an annual report about the previous year. Please find here the 2021 Annual Report to the School Community. It has also been added to our School Website.
Student Free Day Friday 10 June: A reminder that this Friday is a student free day. The staff will be participating in a Mathematics professional learning day with Michael Minas as per our Annual Action Plan. We look forward to this day building teacher capacity to further explore differentiation and problem solving, in order to support growth of all students.
Wishing you many blessings for the fortnight ahead.
Kerryn
You are able to access your child's report on Friday 14 June by 4pm via PAM (Parent Access Module login).
Please click the link here: http://pam.staroceangrove.catholic.edu.au . This will take you to the PAM login page. Your username is the email address you have provided to school. Once logged in, to access your child’s report, click on the ‘Assessment Reports’ tab on the left hand side and download the current report to view.
For new families please sign up now by clicking the link here: http://pam.staroceangrove.catholic.edu.au This will take you to the PAM login page. Click on the 'Forgot Password?' link and follow the prompts. You will be asked to enter your email address, then you will need to access the link sent to your email address. You can then create a password and this, along with your email address will be your login to PAM.
WOW, you guys were fast!!! The trivia night has already sold out. If you missed out please add your name to the wait list so we can contact you if a table becomes available.
https://www.trybooking.com/BRM
Last week, the Kid's Safety Club was alerted to the fact that the path at the front of the school was difficult to see at night time. Sometimes the school's staff and our school community need to come to or leave the school late at night. Therefore, we decided it would be a good idea to install some garden lights. The garden lights are now installed and it is easier to find the path safely at night time. In the coming weeks some fairy lights are also going to be installed on the entry archways coming off John dory Drive. This will also assist to see the path and give an interesting entry point to our school at night time.
A lot of school jumpers are becoming lost because they do not have a name or the name label has worn off.
Please ensure that all items of clothing are labelled with your child's name so that if items are lost they can be returned promptly.
If have purchased uniform second hand could you please remove the old name and update it to your family name.
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. It is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government’s commitment to breaking the link between a student’s background and their outcomes.
School camps provide children with inspiring experiences in the great outdoors. Excursions encourage a deeper understanding of how the world works while sports teach teamwork, discipline and leadership. All are a part of a healthy curriculum.
CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.
If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.
The annual CSEF amount per student is:
- $150 for primary school students
HOW TO APPLY
New applicants should Click here for CSEF Application Form or contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form.
If you applied for CSEF last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred:
- new student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools this year.
- changed family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing this year.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about CSEF visit:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx
