Welcome Back

Welcome back to the school year. It was great to see students enthusiastically engage back into school routines.  After a very hot start the weather looks a little more reasonable this week.  When the temperature reaches 35 degrees or above, we enact a hot day program and students are not sent outside to play.

Staff have spent time planning and preparing engaging learning activities this term. Our term one concept across the school is Health and Wellbeing. Teachers will be spending time this term setting expectations, revisiting our school values, building resilience and independence, along with teaching skills to establish and maintain positive relationships. More information regarding the curriculum for each year level will be sent home later this week in the Curriculum Term Outline.

A big welcome to our new Foundation students, new families and new students in other year levels. We are pleased you have you  join our St Catherine’s School community and look forward to the year ahead learning and working with you.

Before and After School Yard Supervision

Students are supervised in the yard before school from 8:40am until the bell goes at 9:00am. Students are only permitted on the asphalt and courtyard areas. There are no big balls eg. basketball allowed before school. Students may use tennis balls in the four squares before school. The adventure climbing playground and oval are out of bounds before school.

The classroom doors open at 8:45am. All students are encouraged to take bags inside, unpack and get organised for the day before they can come back outside to the asphalt or courtyard until the music plays for meditation.

After school Teachers will bring students out to the asphalt area. Students need to remain with a teacher until their parents pick them up. Parents who have organised to pick up their child from the church car park may wait at the gate near the church. Students are supervised after school until 3:50pm. After that time, students will be sent into the school office and we will contact parents. Please call the office and let us know if you are running late or if arrangements for picking up your child have changed. Students may play on the playground after school, only if their parents are present and supervising them. Students are not to play on the oval or courtyard. These areas are out of bounds after school.

Our school does offer before and after school care. You can arrange for your child to attend by calling OSHclub on 0478 033 550.

Tuesdays: Walking

Every Tuesday morning (weather permitting) we ask that all students join staff  as we walk around the oval from 8:40 to 8:55am. As students arrive at school they are asked to place their bags on the asphalt in their class line and begin walking around the oval. Parents, families and friends are encouraged to walk with us. At conclusion of walking students make their way to their class line on the asphalt and our student leaders will lead us in acknowledgment of country and sing the National Anthem. Parents, families and friends are welcome to join us.

Important Dates

Important dates for the school term are located in the newsletter, via the school calendar and the parent engagement platform. Please note in our best attempts to advertise dates in advance on occasions, changes to dates may need to be made. We will ensure we communicate changes of dates as early as possible.

Our school athletics day which was advertised at the end of last term for Tuesday 24 March has now been changed to Thursday 29 October. Our Physical Education Teacher Mrs Pattinson will be taking some leave in first term so we have changed the date to allow plenty of time to prepare for this event.

School Board

Darren Forner, chair of the school board, and Michael Juliff Coordinating Principal will meet with me this week to determine who will be the two new members to our school board. We are in the fortunate position that we have had more parents volunteer to be part of the school board than places available. We will announce all board members in the next school newsletter. May I again thank all parents who volunteered to support our school in this way.

Parents and Friends

We are now calling for a Co-ordinator of the Parents and Friends for 2020. Julie Griffin co-ordinated events for our school last year and has created a comprehensive guide for a coordinator moving forward into 2020. This role encourages parents to be involved in social and fundraising activities that support our school community. Please email Julie Griffin  stcathsparentsandfriends@gmail.com or call her on 0410 485 455 if you would like to know more about the role and how you can support our school.

NEW to St Catherine’s in 2020- PLAYGROUP

We are very excited to be launching our very own school run playgroup. This term playgroup will run on Wednesdays from 9:00-10:30am in the foyer of our school hall. Mrs Kath Barca will lead this initiative and we encourage school families, neighbours, extended families and friends to attend. There is no cost. Tea and coffee will be available. Please bring your own snacks and drinks for children. A big thank you to Karen Glancy who has helped us source a large number of items for pre -schoolers to engage with during these sessions. Dates for playgroup in term one are as follows:

5, 12, 19 & 26 February

11 & 18 March

Year 6 Student Leaders

We are pleased to announce our year 6 student leaders for 2020.

2020 Staffing

Your child’s teacher is your first port of call. St Catherine’s staff access their work emails normally between 8.00 am-6:00 pm and will endeavour to respond to emails within 24-48 hours. However, staff are not expected to respond in this timeframe during weekends, public holidays and term breaks.

This year we have changed new email addresses in preparation for the new administration IT package that will be rolled out to our school later in the year or early 2021.  (The new emails are not case sensitive so you can use all lower case letters or capital letters for the beginning of names).  It is not envisaged that this change will affect parents or the general operation of the school. Please note that the old email addresses for staff still work.

Just reminder to all parents that the care, safety and welfare of all our students is paramount to what we do. All Child Safety Policies and procedures can be found on the Policies page of the Parent Platform along with the Positive Behaviour Policy and other relevant policies.

Lynda O'Donnell

Principal

St Catherine’s in Moorabbin is one of 4 schools in Victoria that offers the Arrowsmith Program. We are now in our sixth year of offering the Program and it has changed the lives of many of our children who have learning difficulties. One of our students who recently completed her program wrote:

‘Arrowsmith is amazing and it has changed my life. I have been telling people how good it is and that it is worth doing and they have taken my advice and looked into it. Arrowsmith is a miracle and I don’t know what I’d do without it.’

One Parent wrote:

‘For some years I thought my son’s future was narrow. It's difficult to look at your child and think about constructed a lifelong environment for them that is protected, thinking they will always need to be protected and they will only ever be able to manage a limited world. Now I think he has every possibility back in his own hands, the way it should be for any child. I believe Arrowsmith has given him the tools he needs to tackle his future. What a gift!’

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young is the founder of the Arrowsmith Program, an assessment process and a suite of cognitive exercises designed to stimulate and strengthen weak areas of cognitive functioning that underlie a range of learning difficulties, which has been delivered for 40+ years throughout the world. The Arrowsmith Program is offered in educational organizations in 10 countries. Ongoing research with neuroscientists, neuropsychologists and psychologists is demonstrating that the program not only changes the brain, cognitive functioning, and academic achievement but also leads to social-emotional well-being.

For more information about this amazing program that supports children with learning difficulties then go to the website: https://www.scmoorabbin.catholic.edu.au/about-us

Holy Trinity Parish - St. Catherine's Primary School hosts a presentation by Barbara Arrowsmith-Young: Changing Brains, Exploring a New Reality – Neuroplasticity and Learning

Venue: Holy Trinity Parish - St Catherine's Primary School
14 - 28 Fletcher Street, Moorabbin

Date: Monday 17th February 2020

Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm followed by book signing

In this presentation Barbara Arrowsmith Young will talk about how harnessing the principles of neuroplasticity leads to changes in the brain and how each individual can create a new reality for their future. She will discuss the latest research on the Arrowsmith Program which shows changes in the brain as well as academic, emotional, social and cognitive changes.

She will describe how a learning difficulty impacts the learner in school as well as in life and that the research shows that this reality is not lifelong and can be changed. The audience will gain insight into and begin to look at behaviour through a cognitive lens. They will build an understanding that through harnessing the principles of neuroplasticity we can change the brain and overcome learning challenges.

Places are filling fast so if you are interested in hearing Barbara speak and finding out more about or Program please follow the link and book a space – there is no cost.

Click here to find out more information and register for the night.

Treat others as You would Want them to Treat You (Luke 6:31)

Just above the town of Capernaum, the birth place of St Peter, is a beautiful hill where Jesus stood delivering his Sermon on the Mount.  This beautiful area overlooks the Sea of Galilee.  The Sea of Galilee borders Israel, Syria and Lebanon.

It is upon this amazing view Jesus, in what is recorded in both Matthew chapter 5 and Luke chapter 6 suggests various attitudes which help to achieve the ultimate gift of Love.

Treat others as you would have them treat you.  Our 2020 Federated theme from Luke 6:31 is one of these Beatitudes.

I now enter my fourth year of a four year contract as Mission and Faith Leader.  I can without any doubt say that our Catholic Identity has many positive aspects within the community but like all things it is always a work in progress.

This is not to despair but more to acknowledge and accept the reality we find ourselves in.

This is one reason we do not apologise as a Federated that we want to be more articulate with our Catholicity.

So what does that mean for us as members in a Catholic School?

One thing it means is that we can no longer presume that having the word Saint in front of our Schools name is enough for our community to know directly that we are Catholic and more importantly Gospel centred.

Walking into a fully working classroom and seeing the Crucifix in centre place acknowledges our faith.  Seeing our prayer table in central place, uncluttered with no school work on them to hide the bible is another positive sign.  But if we think this is enough is no longer helpful in saying to those we serve that we are people who take the Gospel seriously.

School Staff are in the trenches of Catholic Education.  This is no longer easy.  Perhaps it was never easy.  Being in the trenches means hard work which often is not recognised by those above.

During the despair of the bushfires our true identity of people of love and generosity rose to the fore.  Treat others as you would have them Treat you showed above the pain of destruction.  Every Australian, all people of different faiths and culture showed what is in their heart, but for us as Catholics and Christians we show this more than ever because Jesus expects us to go that extra mile.  It is part of our Baptisimal vows and why at Confirmation we again said Yes.

At the same time of the fires in Australia there were other fires blazing uncontrollably in other parts of the world.   Our 2020 banner shows the world inside our hands which are in the shape of a heart. We need to also be aware of what is happening outside our comfort zone as well as in the comforts of own classroom or other working space.

Catholic Identity and Catholic Education must be more than data.  Data give us insight but to focus totally on the results is very shallow.  In Catholic Schools our Students must be more than data. We must continue to display an environment where we show on our sleeves that everyone, the Staff, Students and families in our Schools are all equal in the eyes of God.  For this to work we must be united as a community and work together when the going gets tough.  And one thing is certain the going does and will get tough.

In his book, When All is Said and Done (Which by the way is a title of an ABBA song), Neale Daniher says on page 242, “Individuals become teams through disciplined and spirited action.  The discipline is enacted when individuals commit to shaping a common purpose, agree on performance goals, define and buy into a game plan, develop complementary skills and hold themselves mutually accountable for delivering results.  Spirit emerges through time spent together, which allows all team members to build a high level of trust and respect.  It happens when each member is there for the right purpose: the agreed team purpose.  This level of trust allows members to manage conflict and resolve issues that emerge in all teams, because there is genuine commitment to find the right answers and make team-first decisions.

Our agreed team purpose, our game plan must always be Gospel centred.  It cannot be anything else if we wish to call ourselves a Catholic School.  If it is something else we must close our doors because we are living and displaying a false paradigm.

In the final year of our Federated pilot where our future as a Federation is undecided, as your Mission and Faith leader where my future is unknown, one thing is certain, just as others in Catholic Education like you and I have worked tirelessly before us to show that living the Gospel message of Love is a true and wonderful way to live life, so too will come people after us.  But until the future is upon us we must live the present and strive toTreat others as we would like them to Treat us.

It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces come through the school gates last week. As we begin each new school year, we all need to make a few changes for example getting to know a new teacher, a different classroom environment, and for some of our students this can be a little overwhelming. This year I have been appointed as the school’s Wellbeing Leader. For new members of the school community my name is Maree Hills, I am also the Year 1 teacher at St Catherine’s. Throughout the year I will be sharing in the newsletter articles relating to the safety and wellbeing of our students.

One word that comes to mind at this time of the year is resilience. Resilience refers to our ability to cope and bounce back from the challenges we experience. Michael Grose states “Building resilience helps children not only to deal with current difficulties that are a part of everyday life, but also to develop the basic skills and habits that will help them deal with challenges later in life.” “Promoting personal resilience focuses on helping kids cope with life’s hurts, disappointments and challenges in the present, while building strengths for the future.” Allowing our students to develop independence such as carrying their own school bag, unpacking their belongings, encouraging them to persist with difficult tasks and see through activities to the end are ways to support our students on the path to being more resilient.

Often friendship can cause ups and downs which lead to students needing to build resilience in this area. This year during Term 1, each year level will be introduced to a whole school strategy called Friendology.  This program provides opportunities for our students to learn strategies and skills to assist them when dealing with current friendships and when making new friends. The first two sessions will help the students understand the importance of having things in common with their friends. They will role play how to introduce themselves, how to start a conversation to find things in common with others, looking for a simple connection with a student to start a new friendship. The students will learn how to describe what is normal in a friendship through the 4 Friendship Facts: 

1. No friendship/relationship is perfect. This helps students understand that conflict is a normal part of a friendship.
2. Every friendship is different. This helps students understand that no two friendships are the same; what works with one friend might not work with another friend.
3. Trust & respect are the two most important qualities of a friendship. Students learn the various ways trust and respect are shown in a friendship, the importance of honouring their differences, and how healthy friendships rely on this as the foundation.
4. Friendships change…and that’s okay! Students recognize that friendships are always changing because they are always changing.

The following posters are displayed in each classroom and around the school to remind the students about the Friendship Facts. I would encourage families to discuss each fact to gain a shared understanding and to refer to the facts if friendship issues arise.

I look forward to meeting the newest members of our St Catherine’s community in the coming weeks.

Best wishes for the week,

Maree

I am very excited to start off another year at St Catherine's Primary School.

Dear Parents

Preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation is celebrated within a partnership of the Family, Parish & School. At Holy Trinity Parish, sacraments are Parent Initiated, School Supported and Parish Based.

The Federated Schools (St Catherine’s St Paul’s & St Peter’s,) of Holy Trinity Parish are very conscious of their responsibility to support parents in all areas of faith development, with a special program being taught during sacramental preparation time. The three schools will be working together in partnership and sharing the responsibility of the Sacramental Program along with Holy Trinity Parish. Therefore each school will take turns in hosting Workshops and Reflection Days for the Sacramental Program in 2020. Families are asked to attend the Family Workshops for each of the Sacraments offered.  Please see dates and venues below.

YEAR 3

The following dates are important for students in Year 3 involved in the

Reconciliation Program for 2020:

• Reconciliation Reflection Day – Monday, 2nd March - Venue St Peter’s
• Family Workshop - Wednesday, 18th March @ 6.30pm - Venue St. Catherine’s Church
• Presentation of First Reconciliation Candidates to weekend Masses on 21st and 22nd March 2020

• Bookings for First Reconciliations begin at 10am Tuesday 21st April 2020 week 2 Term 2 by phoning the Parish Offices.

Final Weekend for Reconciliation will be the weekend of 26th September and 27th September 2020

• It’s important to note:

  First Reconciliation can take place:

       1st Saturday @ St Peter’s @ 10.30am

       2nd Saturday @ St Paul’s @ 10.30am

       3rd Saturday @ St Catherine’s @ 10.30am

       Maximum of 10 at each per month

First Reconciliation can also take place half an hour before any Mass in any of the three Communities of Holy Trinity Parish.

YEAR 4

The following dates are important for students in Year 4 involved in the First Eucharist Program for 2020:

• Eucharist Reflection Day – Thursday, 4th June -  Venue St. Catherine’s
•  Family Workshop – Tuesday 9th June @ 6.30pm-  Venue St Paul’s Church
•  Presentation of First Eucharist Candidates at weekend Masses on the Feast of Corpus Christi - Body and Blood of Christ – 13th & 14th of June

• Bookings for First Eucharist begin at 10 am on week 1 Term 3 Tuesday 14th July 2020 by phoning the Parish Offices

Final Weekend for First Eucharist will be on the weekend of the 24th October and 25th October 2020.

YEAR 6

The following dates are important for students in Year 6 involved in the Confirmation Program for 2020:

• Family Workshop  - Tuesday, 12th May @ 6.30pm- Venue St. Peter's  Church
• Presentation of Confirmation Candidates at weekend Masses on the 23rd and 24th May
• Confirmation Reflection and Rehearsal Day – Wednesday, 27th May at St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Confirmation Mass – Friday, 29th May  at 7.00pm at St Patrick’s Cathedral.   

Please also note that there will be School celebrations for those in Years 3 and 4 to celebrate their making of Reconciliation and Eucharist on the following dates:

Wednesday 4th November: St Catherine’s @ 10am Mass

Thursday 5th November: St Paul’s @ 10am Mass

Friday 6th November: St Peter’s Yr 3 and Yr 4 @ 10am Mass

A letter for each Year Level will be sent prior to the beginning of the program for that Year level.

If you have any queries on this process, please do not hesitate to contact Father Jacob or Edward Dooley on email:  edooley@spbentleigh.catholic.edu.au

We look forward to working with and supporting you as you lead your child more fully into their faith journey in our Parish Community.

 Father Jacob                  Michael Juliff                       Edward Dooley

Parish Priest                   Coordinating Principal          Mission and Faith Leader