Dear Families,

Welcome to our first newsletter of the year and it is jam packed with exciting things that are taking place at St.OPPS.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful staff for the effort placed in setting up the learning spaces to ensure they are engaging for our students. It was wonderful to see everyone with their big smiles, new haircuts and wonderful stories of their summer adventures. The children were buzzing and eager to share their stories of their summer adventures, and excited to be back with their friends and new teachers. 

Our theme this year is Let your Light Shine. This phrase comes from the Bible, specifically from the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament- Matthew 5:16. In a Catholic context, this verse is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, where he teaches his disciples about living a righteous and impactful life. The metaphor of light is often interpreted as a symbol of good deeds, virtuous actions, and living in accordance with one's faith.

For Catholics, letting your light shine means living a life that reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ, spreading love, kindness, and performing good works. The emphasis is on being a positive influence on others and giving glory to God through one's actions. When talking about our school theme to the children I use our catholic context, imagery and examples that resonate with their experiences. 

Think of yourself like a little lantern or a flashlight. Inside you, there's a special light that represents all the good things about you – your kindness, creativity, and the things that make you happy. When we say 'let your light shine,' it means sharing those wonderful parts of you with the world. Just like Jesus did you turn on a lantern to brighten up a dark room, letting your light shine means letting others see the amazing and unique things that make you who you are. 

It's about being a positive influence and spreading joy to those around you.

I, together with staff and our school leadership team look forward to making our theme a focus at the commencement of all our assemblies this year. Fortnightly Assemblies will commence with a simple refection "Who's Light Shone Bright this fortnight and how did their light shine for you?"

Welcome New Preps

A big welcome to our new preps. They have already settled into their new environment so well. Last week, I had a special visit from them in my office and it was such a special treat for two children who had the opportunity to sit at the principal desk and be in charge for a while.

Please click on our Learning Area Tab- Year Prep Highlights to see all our preppies on their first day. 

Transition into a new school year

Settling into a new school year can be an exciting yet challenging time for both children and parents. Here are some tips for parents to help their children adjust and thrive:

Establish a Routine: 

• Set a consistent daily routine that includes a balance of homework, playtime, and relaxation. 

• Ensure your child gets enough sleep by enforcing a regular bedtime.

Open Communication: 

• Encourage your child to express their feelings and concerns about the new school year.

• Stay involved in your child's school life by attending parent-teacher meetings and staying in touch with their teachers.

Encourage Independence: 

• Teach your child age-appropriate skills, such as organising their school bag, managing their chores, and completing homework independently.

• Foster a sense of responsibility by involving them in decision-making processes.

Stay Positive: 

• Maintain a positive attitude about the new school year, and express enthusiasm about the opportunities and experiences your child will have. 

• Remind your child that it's normal to feel a mix of emotions when starting something new.

Create a Homework-Friendly Environment: 

• Establish a quiet and organised space at home for homework and studying. 

• Set aside a specific time each day for homework and help create a routine that works for your child.

Promote Healthy Habits: 

• Encourage healthy eating habits by providing nutritious meals and snacks. 

• Emphasise the importance of physical activity and playtime to support overall well-being.

Build Social Skills: 

• Help your child develop social skills by arranging playdates or participating in school-related activities. 

• Teach them how to make friends and navigate social situations positively.

Monitor Screen Time: 

• Set reasonable limits on screen time, especially during school nights. 

• Encourage activities that promote creativity, learning, and social interaction.

Engage in School Activities:

• Participate in school events, such as school masses, parent-teacher conferences, PA (Parent Auxiliary) meetings, and school fundraisers.

• Volunteer for classroom activities, excursions, or special events (Sports Day) to actively contribute to your child's school community.

Be Patient: 

• Understand that the adjustment period may take some time. Be patient and supportive as your child settles into the new routine. 

• Stay engaged with their experiences, and address any concerns or challenges together.

• Remember that every child is unique, so adapt these tips to suit your child's individual needs and circumstances. 

• By providing support, encouragement, and a positive environment, you can help your child navigate the new school year successfully.

We hope parents can join us for our Beginning of the Year and Staff Commissioning Mass- tomorrow in our church at 9:15am followed by a welcome to our parents morning tea in the hall at 10:30am. 

Attendance

Regular attendance at school is essential for students to achieve quality life outcomes. Schools, in partnership with parents, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students. This also means arriving on time and avoiding early dismissals, 

Parents of children from Kindergarten to Year 12 must ensure their children attend school every day. On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:

• being sick or having an infectious disease

• having an unavoidable medical appointment

• being required to attend a recognised religious holiday

• exceptional or urgent family circumstances e.g. attending a funeral.

Also try to avoid missing school:

• for a birthday

• to go shopping

• if relatives visit.

Parents must provide an explanation for absences to the school within 7 days from the first day of any period of absence. This can be done via the Compass Portal. 

Any day of school missed can create gaps in your child’s learning so please try to:

• take holidays during school holiday breaks

• schedule medical appointments outside of school hours if possible.

If you can’t go on holidays during the school holiday break and the holiday is longer that THREE school days, please inform your child's class teacher, complete the Extended Leave of Absence Form- HERE and return it to the school principal. You need to do this before the holiday.

Communication Processes

We pride ourselves in providing up to date and timely information to parents so they can be as organised as possible to support their children. Below are a list of some of the communication processes here at St.OPPS. Please ensure you are familiar and have access to these documents/platforms to stay as up to date as possible.

Termly Curriculum Overviews- At the beginning of each term parents will receive an overview of what the focus of learning is in core curriculum subjects and our specialist programs. Please look out for this because it provides you with an insight of what the children are learning at school. This will be made available via Compass by the end of Week Two.

Parent Information Booklet- Is an extensive document that provides parents with some insights and processes at our school. It is organised in an easy A-Z format and can be found on your compass app newsfeed. 

School Newsletter- Our school newsletter is published fortnightly on Mondays Week 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. It is our primary source of information/ key events and dates. Our student awards are presented in the newsletter on Monday and if your child receives an award they will be presented with their certificate at assembly on Friday of that week. This gives parents a heads up in attending the assembly. Of course parents are welcome to all assemblies.

School Newsletter- via website

Compass- To assist with our communication processes please ensure your compass app has been loaded and is up to date on your mobile device so you can continue to receive important updates, excursion permissions and alerts as they arise during the school day.

Finally, whenever in doubt, myself and our approachable teaching staff who are scheduled on before and after school duty. If you have a query and are unsure please feel comfortable enough to approach myself or our staff. We will endeavour to provide as much clarification as possible to ensure you are fully informed.  You can also email your child's teacher, please refer to the parent information booklet for a full list of teacher emails and ensure you follow our email processes and expectations. 

Daily Timetable

The school day is broken up into three learning blocks; these are the times that the students are engaged in learning and are in class. We urge parents to please ensure children are present for these important learning sessions and that appointments are made outside of these times. 

Learning Block One: 8:50 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.

Learning Block Two: 11:40 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.

Learning Block Three: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

8:35am: School Gates Open: No child should be at school prior to 8:35am. Students are dismissed at 3:30pm. 

All children need to be picked up no later than 3:30pm.

8.45am: Children line up at assembly points on the Northyard.

8.50am: Classes begin.

10:50am: Eating time in classroom

11:00am: Break 1: Morning Play.

11:40 pm: Children move into classroom

1:40pm: Eating time in classroom

1:50pm: Break 2: Afternoon Play 

2.30pm: Children move into classroom

3.30pm: Dismissal- all children need to be collected promptly at this time.

Please note: Playing on the Adventure Playgrounds are out of bounds before and after school.

Meet and Greet

Our Meet and Greet Parent/Teacher conferences will take place on Thursday 15 February from 1:30pm. Bookings for these will be via your Compass App. For more information regarding these conferences please read the deputy principal news below. 

Student Leadership

We are extremely excited to announce our student leaders for 2024. We value leadership in all forms within our school, with the mindset that all students can be leaders at different times each day. In saying this, we do have Year 6 leaders who aim to be role models in our school, using their ideas and initiatives to find ways to continually develop and improve our school, as well as being a friendly face on the school playground. We congratulate our 2024 leaders and are truly looking forward to everything they will offer this year! All the Year 6 Leaders will be commissioned into their roles at our Assembly this Friday. This will take place at the special time at 2:50pm. (Parents are most welcome to attend).

School Captains: John D and Elsie C

School Vice Captains:  Romy D and Sophia O

Faith In Action Leaders:  Mikaela M, Valentina C, Lucas G, Alana F, Francesca C, Noah L

Blue Captains:  James O and Eve D

Gold Captains: Shea M and Lachlan H

Red Captains: Andre F and Nina P

Green Captains: Giulia P and Emilia C 

What's on this fortnight

Tues 6 Feb: Whole School Beginning of the Year Mass @ 9:15am- Church (Parents Welcome)

Tues 6 Feb: Welcome for parents morning tea @ 10:30am

Wed 7 Feb: Prep Assessment Interviews- No school for Preps (Rest Day- Transition)

Thurs 8 Feb: Year 6 Confirmation- Parent Information Evening @ 6:30pm- Hall

Fri 9 Feb: Interschool Sport St Oliver's v Coburg @ 11:30am- HOME (Parents Welcome)

Fri 9 Feb: Assembly @ 2:50pm- Hall (Parents Welcome)- Commissioning of 2024 School Leaders

Tues 13 Feb: Shrove Tuesday- Pancake Day (order via compass)

Wed 14 Feb: Prep Assessment Interviews- No school for Preps (Rest Day- Transition)

Wed 14 Feb: Ash Wednesday- Whole School Mass @ 12pm - Church (Parents Welcome)

Thurs 15 Feb: Yr 1-6 Early Finish at 1pm- Meet n Greet- Parent/Teacher Conferences (we would prefer in person interviews but their is an option of online meetings if required)

Fri 16 Feb: Interschool Sport Pascoe Vale v St Oliver's @ 11:30am - AWAY (Parents Welcome)

Term 1

Tuesday 30 January - Thursday 28 March- 1pm dismissal for students

Term 2

Tuesday 16 April- Friday 28 June- 1pm dismissal for students

Term 3

Tuesday 16 July- Friday 20 September 1pm dismissal for students

Term 4

Tuesday 8 October- Tuesday 17 December 1pm dismissal for students

2024 School Closures and Public Holidays 

Monday 15 April: Professional Learning Day- Staff- No school for students

*Thursday 25 April: ANZAC Day

Friday 26 April: Staff First Aid Training- No school for students

*Monday 10 June: King's Birthday- Public Holiday

Monday 15 July: Professional Learning Day- Staff- No school for students

Monday 7 October: Professional Learning Day- Staff- No school for students

Monday 4 November: School Closure- No school for students

*Tuesday 5 November: Melbourne Cup- Public Holiday

Monday 2 December: Professional Learning Day- Staff- No school for students

2024 Parent/Teacher Progress Meetings

Thursday 15 February: Meet n' Greet- Parent/Teacher Conferences 1pm finish for students

Wednesday 15 May: Yr Prep- Six Parent/Teacher Progress Meeting - 1pm finish for students. 

Monday 21 October: Yr Prep - Six Parent/Teacher Progress Meeting- 1pm finish for students

Meet & Greet Parent /Teacher Conferences

The Meet and Greet conferences are a wonderful opportunity to meet your child's teacher and set future goals for their learning.

Meet & Greet Conferences for Years 1 - 6 will be held, Thursday 15 February.

You will have the option to book either an onsite meeting OR an online Google Meet.

Year 1-6 students will finish at 1pm.  It is a normal school day for prep students who finish at 3:30pm

Bookings will be open on Tuesday 6 February from 4:30pm.

Liliana Cesarin

Deputy Principal/Education in Faith Lead

lcesarin@sopascoevale.catholic.edu.au 

Welcome to the new school year everyone!

Student Information Checklist Report (Year 1 to Year 6)

This afternoon each student from Year 1 to Year 6 will bring home a Student Information Checklist Report.  Please review the information and if there are any changes required, please update the form and return to our school office at your earliest convenience.  Please note - Point No 3 on the form pertains to our internal family directory, which is used by Leadership/Admin to contact you regarding your child.

Change of Clothes Pack

From time to time, our junior students may require a change of clothes throughout the school day.  We recommend parents pack a 'change of clothes pack' in their school bag.  This may consist of underwear and socks. Thank you.

2024 Digital Permission Forms

A gentle reminder to parents regarding the following digital forms due this week.

2024 Oval Permission: Parent/Guardian permission 

Due: Monday 12 February 2024

Link: 2024 - Student Oval Permission

2024 Chromebook & ICT User Agreement: Parent/Guardian & Year 2 - 6 Student acknowledgement 

Due: Tuesday 13 February 2024 

Link: 2024 Chromebook & ICT User Agreement 

CSEF Application (Camp Sport and Excursion Fund)

Please contact the office if you hold a Centrelink Health Care Card or Pension Card and have not yet applied for the CSEF allowance for 2024.

9354 5130 or cathyd@sopascoevale.catholic.edu.au

Carol Leone/Katherine Darmanin

Office Adminstration 

Risk Taking Russ   Resilient Ruth   Self Motivated Sally   Reflective Rita   Persistent Pete  Curious Carter   Collaborative Cody       

Our School Community Notice Board acknowledges special Staff or School Family News. It allows us to be connected through prayer while we are apart and it is something I would really like to continue when we are back together again. If you have a particular event happening in your life e.g. birth or death and would like us to acknowledge this event please email me. We as a school community would love to offer prayers and thoughts to you during times of great joy or sadness.

principal@sopascoevale.catholic.edu.au