Dear Families,

As we welcome the month of August, we are reminded of the profound devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In the Catholic tradition, the Immaculate Heart is often venerated alongside the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which we celebrated in June. This dual veneration is deeply meaningful: just as the Sacred Heart represents Christ’s immense love for humankind, the Immaculate Heart symbolises the Blessed Virgin Mary’s fervent desire to lead all people to her Son.

Mary stands as the perfect exemplar of the Christian life. While we do not worship Mary or place her above Christ, we approach Christ through Mary, just as He came to us through her. Her life and devotion offer us a pathway to deeper faith and commitment.

As we journey through this month, let us be inspired by Mary’s example, striving to embody her virtues of love, humility, and dedication in our daily lives. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary guide us closer to Jesus and strengthen our community in faith and love.

We will gather as a school community for a whole school Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption on Thursday 15 August in our church at 10 am (Parents Welcome) The Assumption of Mary commemorates the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. This event highlights Mary’s unique role in salvation history and her close connection to her Son, Jesus Christ.

Cyber Safety Information Night

We are hosting our Cyber Safety Information Session this evening in our school hall at 6:30pm, and regardless of whether you have registered or not, we would love for you to attend. Here are some benefits of your attendance:

1. • Understand current online risks and trends.

   • Gain tips for discussing online safety with children.

   • Recognise signs of cyberbullying and other dangers.

   • Equip children to make safe online choices.

   • Connect with other parents for support and shared tips.

   • Access useful guides and tools for ongoing safety.

   • Feel prepared and less anxious about your child's online activities.

Knowledge is power in being proactive and ready.

2025 Prep Early Learning Program

As we look forward to the 2025 school year, we are delighted to share highlights from our Early Years Learning Program designed for our prospective Prep students. This program is not just an introduction to our school; it's an exciting journey where young learners get to engage in fun and stimulating activities, explore our facilities, meet some of our dedicated staff, and start building friendships before their orientation sessions in Term Four. Our Early Years Learning Program has been met with enthusiastic responses from both children and parents. The activities are thoughtfully designed to be enjoyable and engaging, helping children ease into the new environment with curiosity and joy. Whether it's a creative art session, a playful exploration of our library, or an interactive storytelling time, each experience is crafted to spark wonder and excitement in our young learners. One of the highlights of the program is the opportunity it provides for new families to connect with our current families. This connection fosters a sense of community and belonging. Parents and children alike have appreciated these early interactions, which help to build a supportive network and make the transition to school life smoother and more reassuring. We are excited to continue these sessions throughout Term Three, ensuring that our new students and their families feel a warm and welcoming embrace from the very start. For those who have yet to join us, we encourage you to participate in our upcoming sessions. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get to know our school, experience the vibrant and nurturing environment we offer, and begin to feel a part of our community. We are eager to welcome you and your children to our school family!

Camp Program

We are thrilled to share details about our exciting camp program for students from Year Prep to Six. This program is designed to offer a gradual extension of the school day, fostering a sense of independence, wellbeing, building strong relationships, and most importantly, ensuring our students have a lot of fun!

The purpose of our camp program is to provide students with opportunities to develop social skills, build confidence, and experience new activities in a safe and supportive environment. Through these experiences, students will strengthen their friendships and create lasting memories. Here's a glimpse of the exciting activities planned for each year level for the remainder of this year. 

Please review the outline provided below:

*If any updates are made, parents will be notified in a timely manner.

Year Prep: Ollie Bear Picnic 

Monday 28 October (2:30pm - 4:30pm) at St Oliver Plunkett Primary School

Year One: A Fun-Tastic Circus Showcase

Thursday 21 November (3:30 - 6:30 pm) at St Oliver Plunkett Primary School

Year Two: Year 2 Extravaganza: Films, Fields, Fun!

Monday 14 October (3:30pm - 7:40pm ) at St Oliver Plunkett Primary School

Year Three: The Ultimate Long Day Camp Experience

Friday 18 October (7:30 am - 6:30 pm) at Lady Northcote Recreation Camp Glenmore

Year Four: Marvellous Modern Melbourne Overnight Stay

Monday 9 December- Tuesday 10 December

Parent Camp information session: Week 8 Wednesday 4 September (5:15pm - 6pm) * Keep a look out for details from Sara Belante-Tankard

Year Five & Six: Senior camp alternating between Philip Island and Camp Manyung

May each year

MACSSIS Surveys- COMING SOON

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS): Monday 2 September – Friday 20 September 2024

Throughout each year, we pause to listen to our students, families and staff to gauge how our learning community is travelling. This feedback is invaluable to our progress as effective school communities and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices.

In 2024, students, families and staff are invited to participate in MACSSIS via our secure and purpose-built online platform. The online platform is where our school leaders will access the summary reports that visualise the results of the student, family and staff surveys.

Our community’s opinions are critical to understanding how our school is performing – MACSSIS is a key data source for guiding the ongoing work to improve our school. All participation is invited, welcomed and 100 per cent voluntary. The surveys are not a test; they are an inclusive way to support the work we are already doing to improve our school. Everyone has the right to refuse to participate, or withdraw from the survey at any point before, during or after completion of the survey. Please notify the school if your child does not wish to participate.

If you would like more information, please contact the school.

What's on in the next fortnight

Mon 5 Aug:  Prep 2025  Library Session:  9:30 - 10:30 am

Mon 5 Aug:  Cyber Safety Project Parent Seminar: 6:30 - 8 pm (adults only)

Wed 7 Aug:  SSV District Athletics

Wed 7 Aug:  Year 3 Science Incursion

Wed 7 Aug:  Esports Competition

Thur 8 Aug:  Class Mass 5G & 5L - 10 am (parents welcome)

Fri 9 Aug:  School Assembly - 2:50 pm (parents welcome)

Mon 12 Aug:  Prep 2025  Library Session:  9:30 - 10:30 am

Mon 12 Aug:  Smile Patrol Dental Van visit

Mon 12 Aug:  Year 6 Religion Incursion - Catholic Care

Tue 13 Aug:  Year 2 Science Incursion

Tue 13 Aug:  Prep Science Incursion

Wed 14 Aug:  Year 5 Science Incursion

Thur 15 Aug:  Feast of The Assumption School Mass - 10 am (parents welcome)

Thur 15 Aug:  Year 6 Excursion - NASA Experience at Strathmore Secondary College (Group 1) - 12 pm

Thur 15 Aug:  Year 1 Science Incursion

Thur 15 Aug:  Prep 2025  Library Session:  2:45 - 3:45 pm

Fri 16 Aug:  Bullying No Way:  National Day of Action

Have a great week.

Delfina Pieri

Principal 

principal@sopascoevale.catholic.edu.au 

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 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

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

Carol Leone/Katherine Darmanin

Office Administration 

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

Term Three Events: 

Please click on the following web link (or copy it into your web browser if clicking doesn't work) to go to the signup sheet:

volunteersignup.org/TR8HR

To sign up, just follow the instructions on the page. It only takes a few seconds to do.

Thank you for volunteering!

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