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Monday 10 November
Dear families,
For Catholics around the world, November is a month to remember those who have left this world and to pray for all souls. Our month of remembrance began on 1 November for the feast of All Saints. We centre ourselves and remind ourselves of the sacrifices and lives of the many saints that are important to the Catholic Church. Catholics dedicate the 2 November to All Souls where we remember all our loved ones who have gone before us. On this day we pray that their souls may find rest in heaven with the Lord our God.
Each country has its special days set aside for the commemoration of its fallen soldiers. Not only do we gather to remember and pray for those who have died in conflicts, but we reflect on the horror of war and the courage of those who served or continue to serve their country and allies. In Australia we have Anzac Day on April 25 and Remembrance Day on November 11. This week we commemorate Remembrance Day, also known as Poppy Day. On Friday 10 November at assembly we will stop, pause and gracefully remember the courage and sacrifice of those soldiers who died to protect our nation. Please join us for assembly this week.
The Countdown Is On – 26 Days to Go!
It’s hard to believe there are only 26 school days! left in the term, and so much still ahead of us! Teachers are deep in the midst of assessment and report writing, carefully reflecting on each child’s progress and planning for continued growth. For our Year 6 students, this time of year brings a mix of emotions: excitement, nervousness, and anticipation, as they prepare for their transition to secondary school. With upcoming orientation days and their primary school graduation on the horizon, there is much to celebrate. Meanwhile, our 2026 Prep students are beginning to familiarise themselves with school routines and life at our wonderful community. Behind the scenes, we’re also finalising class lists and making great progress with staffing for 2026. It’s an exciting and busy time as we wrap up 2025 and look ahead to a new year full of promise. Below are some highlights of our gorgeous 2026 preps.
$1 Super Dooper Fridays!
Cool off and kick-start the weekend with a $1 Super Dooper every Friday after school! Choose your favourite flavour and enjoy this refreshing treat with friends.
A big thank you to our Parents & Friends (P&F) for organising this fun end-of-week treat and supporting our school community.
🎄 Christmas Picnic – Let’s Celebrate Together! 🎅
Thursday 4 December from 5:30pm-7:30pm
With our 2025 school production now behind us, it’s time to celebrate as a FAMILY community- children, staff and parents together in one space! Join us for our Christmas Picnic, a joyful evening filled with live Christmas music, great food, and plenty of festive fun.
We’ll have Food Passion serving up coffee, the canteen open with gelati and super doopers, and of course a special visit from Santa! Don’t miss the raffle.
Please clear your schedules, bring your whole family, or team up with another family and come along dressed in your favourite Christmas clothes, jumpers, or festive accessories. Let’s spread the cheer and celebrate our wonderful community together — we can’t wait to see you there!
St Derby Café Mega Raffle – Supporting Our School Community!
We’re thrilled to announce our annual St Derby Café Raffle and this year, the prizes are better than ever!
🏆 1st Prize: $3,000 off school fees
🥈 2nd Prize: $2,000 off school fees
🥉 3rd Prize: $1,000 off school fees
A huge thank you to Danny and Paula for their incredible and ongoing support of our school and families.
🎟️ How to enter:
Purchase raffle tickets directly through the school – each $10 raised will go towards the installation of a school lift (elevator) planned for 2026-2027
Or, spend $30 or more at St Derby Café to receive a raffle ticket.
Let’s get behind this great cause and make our dream of improved accessibility a reality!
2026 Sacrament Dates Update
We are currently in the process of scheduling our 2026 sacrament dates. As we work closely with St Paul's Parish, these dates need to align with Father’s schedule. Finalised dates will be shared in our next newsletter on Monday 24 November
We are pleased to share that the Bishop’s Office has informed schools that Confirmation at St Oliver's will take place on Friday 27 March at 5:30pm.
2026 School Fee and Levies
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has announced changes to funding, tuition fees, and levies to strengthen financial sustainability and better support schools in greatest need.
From 2026, our school (endorsed by school advisory council) will introduce a tiered family fee structure- ensuring fairness, sustainability, and consistency across the system. Families will contribute in proportion to the number of children enrolled. Levies will continue to be per child.
This approach supports family equity, aligns with most Catholic schools, and helps maintain quality programs and facilities for every student to thrive.
We thank our community for their ongoing support during this transition.
What's coming up this fortnight...
Mon 10 Nov: Year 6 Graduation Photo - 9am
Tue 11 Nov: Remembrance Day
Tue 11 Nov: Year 2 Incursion - The Zoo Comes To You
Thur 13 Nov: Prep 2026 Orientation Session 3 & Parent Info Morning
Thur 13 Nov: Year 3 Incursion - Mad About Science
Fri 14 Nov: ABC Concert & Assembly - 2:15pm parents welcome
Fri 14 Nov: Zooper Dooper Friday - 3:30 -3:50pm
Mon 17 Nov: Year 5 Leadership Day - Miniboss
Mon 17 Nov: School Nurse visit
Mon 17 Nov: P&F Fundraiser Subway Lunch
Tue 18 Nov: Year 3 Class Mass - Post Reconciliation- 10am parents welcome
Thur 20 Nov: Celebration of Learning - Math Day Focus Open Morning - 8:50-10:50am
Fri 21 Nov: Mercy College Orientation Day
Fri 21 Nov: St Bernard's Orientation Day
Fri 21 Nov: Zooper Dooper Friday - 3:30 -3:50pm
Have a great week.
Delfina Pieri
Principal
Important Dates and Events
Important Dates and Events
Term 4
Monday 6 October- Tuesday 16 December- 1pm dismissal for students
2025 School Closures
Friday 28 November: Professional Learning Day- No school for students
2025 Celebrations of Learning
Term 4: Thursday 20 November- 9-11am- Mathematics Focus
2026 Key dates and events
Term 1: Friday 27 March 5:30pm- Sacrament of Confirmation
Term Four
Week 8
Tue 25 Nov: Year 4 Incursion - Coastal Nectar
Wed 26 Nov: Prep Excursion - Animal Land Diggers Rest
Wed 26 Nov: SAC Meeting - 7pm - members only
Thur 27 Nov: Assembly 2:50pm parents welcome
Fri 28 Nov: Staff Professional Learning- School Closure for students
Week 9
Mon 1 Dec: Year 4 Camp
Tue 2 Dec: Year 4 Camp
Wed 3 Dec: Year 4 Camp Recovery - no school for Year 4 students
Wed 3 Dec: St Aloysius College Orientation Day
Wed 3 Dec: St Derby School Raffle Closes
Thur 4 Dec: Father James Year 6 class visit - 11:40am
Thur 4 Dec: Christmas Picnic - 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Fri 5 Dec: PEGS Orientation Day
Fri 5 Dec: Penola Orientation Day
Fri 5 Dec: Zooper Dooper Friday - 3:30 - 3:50pm
Week 10
Mon 8 Dec: 2026 Prep Assessment Bookings Open
Mon 8 Dec: St Columba's Orientation Day
Mon 8 Dec: Ave Maria Orientation Day
Tue 9 Dec: Simonds College Orientation Day
Tue 9 Dec: Parade Orientation Day
Tue 9 Dec: OLMC Orientation Day
Tue 9 Dec: Strathmore Secondary College Orientation Day
Tue 9 Dec: Essendon Keilor Secondary College Orientation Day
Tue 9 Dec: Salesian College Orientation Day
Wed 10 Dec: Volunteer's Afternoon Tea - 2:50pm - 3:20pm
Wed 10 Dec: SAC Dinner - 6:30pm members only
Thur 11 Dec: 2026 Prep Assessment Bookings Close
Thur 11 Dec: Year 6 Pre-Graduation Nibbles & Refreshments - 5pm - 6pm
Thur 11 Dec: Year 6 Graduation Mass and Ceremony - 6:30pm
Fri 12 Dec: Year 6 Big Day Out - Funfields
Fri 12 Dec: Assembly - 2:50pm parents welcome
Fri 12 Dec: Zooper Dooper Friday - 3:30 - 3:50pm
Week 11
Mon 15 Dec: Moving Up Day
Tue 16 Dec: End of Year Mass - Whole School - 10 am parents welcome
Tue 16 Dec: End of Year - 1pm Dismissal
Parish News
Parish News
Student Administration News
Student Administration News
Sun Smart - School Hat Required
Our Sun Smart policy is now in place for all students.
All students require a school hat for outdoor activities. This includes lunch breaks, sports lessons and any activity outside the classroom. If your child doesn't have a school hat, please send another sun smart option until a school hat can be arranged.
Please make your child's hat is clearly labelled with their name.
Thank you for your help.
Lost Property
To help reduce classroom interruptions and ensure students make the most of their learning and play time, lost property is only available for collection:
Before school (8:35am - 8:45am)
End of the school (3:30pm - 3:45pm)
We kindly ask parents and students to check for any missing items during these times.
Thank you for your support in helping us keep our school organised!
Second Hand Uniform Store Will Open This Week!
Our Second Hand Uniform store will open this week (12 & 13 November).
The store runs every fortnight of term (week - 2, 4, 6, 8) at the following times:
Wednesday morning: 8.35am – 9.00am
Thursday afternoon: 3:20pm – 3.45pm
All items cost $10 each. Cash payments only at this stage.
DONATIONS:
If you have any good quality school uniform items that your child/children have outgrown and you would like to donate to our Second Hand Uniform Store, please drop them off at our school office.
Extended Leave Form
If you are planning a family holiday or scheduled extended leave from school, please download the Extended Leave Form, complete and return to our school office.
Click here to access the form.
Paper copies are also available for collection from our school office.
Thank you for your assistance.
Thank you to all our parents that have been able to complete the following permissions. If you missed this, please take a moment to read and complete the following permissions for your child via Google Form:
⭐️ ICT: Chromebook, Photography & Seesaw - this permission covers a few important areas. (Parents of students in Years 3–6, please review the Chromebook Agreement with your child to ensure a shared understanding of responsible use).
⭐️ Sunscreen Application Consent
If you are unable to access Google Forms, please contact our school office for assistance.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Carol Leone/Katherine Darmanin
Office Administration
Extend News - Before and After School Care
Extend News - Before and After School Care
Parents & Friends News
Parents & Friends News
The Parents and Friends (P&F) Committee would like to give a huge shout-out and thank you to everyone who supported our recent Gnoccheria Fundraiser!
Your fantastic response to the orders made this pickup event a great success.
A special and enormous thank you goes to our dedicated Event Coordinator, Elisa U, who single-handedly organised and managed the entire fundraiser from start to finish. Elisa, your dedication and incredible effort made this happen for our school community!
Our new fundraiser, Subway Lunch will be held on Monday, 17 November!
Orders can be placed via Compass Canteen. There are 5 different options to choose from:
🥪 Chicken Strips
🥪 Chicken Teriyaki
🥪 Ham
🥪 Salami
🥪 Vegetarian
Orders Close: Friday, 14 November at 12PM (No late orders will be accepted)
Thank you for your continued support — every lunch ordered helps raise funds for our school community!
Friday Afternoon Fun
The P&F Committee will be selling Zooper Doopers for $1 each at the school bell each Friday afternoon until the end of Term 4. So start collecting gold coins and don’t forget to bring them on Fridays! If you can spare 30-45mins on one or more Fridays, please volunteer via the link below.
Volunteer here - volunteersignup.org/CE9T7
Looking for Parental Volunteers!
If you would like to volunteer at the following P&F fundraisers, please use the link below to sign up.
Term 4
St Derby Raffle Coordinator - early-mid November
Zooper Dooper Sales - if you can spare 30-45mins on one or more Fridays, please volunteer via the link below.
Volunteer here - volunteersignup.org/CE9T7
Thank you for your time and contribution.
Canteen News
Canteen News
Classroom Cuisine have added a Mexican Inspired Salad with Corn Chips and Tortellini Pasta Salad to our main course selection.
Also, the Simple Salad Roll is back due to popular demand! The subsequent courses now include a Raspberry Jelly Cup and a Bag of Grapes, to take advantage of the seasonal produce.
Term 4 Canteen Volunteer Roster - Now Open!
Hello everyone
Volunteer opportunities for "Term 4 2025 Canteen Volunteer Roster" are now open.
WE HAVE SOME OPEN SPOTS FOR THIS THURSDAY.
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:
To sign up, just follow the instructions on the page. It only takes a few seconds to do.
Thank you for volunteering!
Student Awards
Student Awards
Awards will be printed in Monday's newsletter. Please be on the look out for your child's name.
Two children from each class will receive awards for displaying the below dispositions in their learning. They will receive their certificates at our fortnightly assembly on Fridays that take place on even weeks Week 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. Special Time this week - at 2:15 pm due to our ABC Music Concert.
Parents are welcome to attend our fortnightly assemblies.
Risk Taking Russ Resilient Ruth Self Motivated Sally Reflective Rita Persistent Pete Curious Carter Collaborative Cody
Year Prep
YEAR PM
Skyler S for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by the way he used his speaker voice to share what was discussed in the SRC meeting.
Gracie G for being a curious learner as demonstrated by her eagerness to improve in maths which has supported her ability to confidently count on.
YEAR PV
Alfie T for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by the way he participates in whole class responses.
Elisa S for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by the way she strives to do her best when completing her daily Mathematics reviews.
YEAR PW
Neve N for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by the effort and care she consistently puts into all her learning tasks.
Jasper S for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by the way he strives to do his best when completing his learning tasks.
Year One
YEAR 1B
Olivia T for being a curious learner as demonstrated by the way she recalled facts about jellyfish from our excursion.
Isabelle C for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by the way she breaks up words effectively.
YEAR 1H
Luca G for being a reflective learner as demonstrated by his thoughtful explanation of how we use homophones and why they are important.
Giulia L for being a curious learner as demonstrated by her enthusiasm for reducing pollution and caring for our oceans.
Year Two
YEAR 2A
Lucy R for being a resilient learner by the way she demonstrated positivity when faced with a challenging learning situation.
Hugo F for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by the way he accepts mistakes as part of his learning.
YEAR 2G
Charlotte F for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by the way she always raises her hand to contribute to classroom discussions even when she is a little unsure.
Violet V for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by the way she always brings in her projects from home to share with the class.
YEAR 2R
Marcus F for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by the way he made multiple attempts to use conjunctions in his writing to create more complex and detailed sentences.
Noah for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by the way he approaches new and unfamiliar tasks with enthusiasm, always giving everything a go and doing so with a big smile.
Year Three
YEAR 3L
Millie N for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by her determination to keep trying, even when tasks are challenging, and her commitment to always doing her best.
Mia S for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by her initiative to start tasks promptly, stay focused, and strive to do her best without needing reminders.
YEAR 3P
Henry F for being a reflective learner, as demonstrated by his growing ability to think carefully about feedback and use it to make improvements in his learning.
Valentina F for being a collaborative learner, as demonstrated by her positive attitude when working with classmates and her ability to listen and share ideas during group activities.
Year Four
YEAR 4D
Imogen for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by her ability to be organised and take responsibility for her learning.
George for being a curious learner as demonstrated by his confidence to clarify information when he was unsure.
YEAR 4G
Lucas S for being a reflective learner as demonstrated by the way he listened to feedback, analysed and made improvements to his work.
Lucia N for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by the way she worked as part of a group to share ideas and listen to each other when planning and presenting their life cycle presentation.
Year Five
YEAR 5JL
Jaida Saba for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by your positive attitude towards your learning, actively engaging in class discussion and working through challenging tasks independently. Well done! Keep up the hard work.
Sienna Peser for being a self motivated learner. You recognise that learning is a process and your willingness to persist with enthusiasm and optimism is to be admired. You are always organised and use your time effectively. Well done Sienna!
YEAR 5M
Mia D for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by using the resources around the classroom to assist her with finding the answers to the note taking lesson during writing.
Ilaria G for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by the way she actively and enthusiastically participates in all learning tasks.
Year Six
YEAR 6F
Madison M for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by how she has built her automaticity skills in Multiplication and Division.
Sienna E for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated in the way that she challenges herself in her learning particularly in Mathematics.
YEAR 6N
Olivia G for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated in the way that she is consistently organised and ready to challenge herself in her learning every day
Archie B for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by how he consistently faces challenges with a positive mindset and sees mistakes as opportunities to learn from.
School Noticeboard- Special Acknowledgements
School Noticeboard- Special Acknowledgements
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
We extend our heartfelt condolences to our Grosso family on the passing of Antonietta Grosso on Friday 31 October, beloved mother to Carmelo, mother-in-law to Carol, grandmother to Ilaria (5M) and Lucas (alumni). We hope you find comfort in the memories and love you shared.
Community News and Events
Community News and Events
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