Dear Parents,

What a difference a year makes. This time 12 months ago my Newsletter began with:

Tomorrow is a big day for us all as students, teachers and parents prepare to log onto Seesaw or Google classrooms and begin Remote Learning.

It now seems like a lifetime ago!

We  pray for and remember the many people throughout the world who continue to be seriously impacted by Covid19. We pray for families who have lost loved ones and for those who have become isolated from their family and are losing hope. 

ANZAC Day

Rosemary grows wild on the peninsula of Gallipoli, so has a special significance for Australians and New Zealanders. The plant is a herb that was, in ancient times, said to improve memory and Greek scholars wore rosemary in their hair to help remember their studies. The association with memory has endured over time and as a result, people now wear it as a symbol of remembrance on Anzac Day. 

ACROSTIC POEM by Lori Sawdon 2H

        A ustralian and New Zealand soldiers fought in the war
 
        N ever forget their big sacrifice

New  Z ealand helped the Australian soldiers to create ANZAC

        A lot of soldiers died

        C eremonies are held for them

       D are to remember them

       A ll of us should celebrate for them

       Y ou should never forget

            LEST WE FORGET           

Welcome to the Fowler Family

This Term we warmly welcome the Fowler family to our school community. Audrey and Liesel are identical twins and are in Yr 4. Already they are making new friends and enjoying their new school.

Meditation

Thank you for your support in helping us to reintroduce meditation slowly this year. Through daily Meditation, we aim to teach children how to find God in stillness, silence, and simplicity. Parents are very welcome. 

Operoo

With a new term ahead, I encourage all families to respond to requests on Operoo in a timely manner, supporting the smooth running of the school.

Important Events coming up:

This Week

• 3W Assembly Tuesday 27 April at 2.45pm
• Literacy Information Evening P-2 parents Wednesday 28 April in Hall at 7pm
• X Country Yr 3-6 Friday 30 April 

Next Week

• Eucharist Information Evening Yr 4 parents Monday 3 May at 7pm in Yr 4 classrooms
• Prayers in Pyjamas for Yr 1 students and parents on Wednesday 5 May at 6pm in Junior building
• Mothers Day Breakfast Thursday 6 May from 7.30am in Hall
• Mothers Day Stall Friday 7 May (students bring money to buy a gift for their mother or special person)

Preps Prayers in Pyjamas

At the end of last term the Prep students and their families gathered in the junior learning area to pray and give thanks for the special gifts they share with others. 

Next week we welcome the Yr 1 students and their families to participate in their special night of prayer.

Class Newsletters

This Friday all class Newsletters will be emailed out to parents. 

Sustainability and caring for the school Environment 

We are very worried about the amount of plastics that are found around the school so we decided to do something about it. We would like to talk about plastics in particular because often they end up in our waterways or as landfill and cannot be broken down. 

We would like to see less paper and cardboard being laminated when it is being used in classrooms. We also have a tip for parents and students who prepare lunches for school. Please try and support Nude Food when packing lunch boxes or reusable lunch wraps. We need to share the world and make it safe for all the animals out there in the sea or on land. Thank you for reading what we have to say.

Written by Ebony, Ella, Grace, Audrey and Zara -Yr 4

Community Awareness

This week the Yr 6 students will be attending the Glen Eira Council Paralympic Sports Day at GESAC. The students will have the opportunity to experience exhibitions of Wheelchair Basketball and Goalball . They will also have the chance to walk in others shoes as they participate in a wide range of activities including table tennis, wheelchair basketball, goalball, badminton and rowing. There will also be Paralympians speaking on the day about their experience at previous Paralympics. 

Professional Learning

In Term 2 we continue to focus on  providing targeted professional development for all staff that will drive our school improvement. Our Annual Action Plan clearly drives improved outcomes for all students in the spheres of Education in Faith, Teaching and Learning, Student Wellbeing, Leadership and Management and School Community. Members of the Leadership Team continue to work with teachers in planning to differentiate learning for all students with a focus on growth for all, and driving deep learning. 

Parent Information Forums Term 2

Literacy

• Parents of P-2 children are invited to a Literacy Information Evening hosted by Danny Molino this Wednesday night. The evening promises to be informative, interactive and provide insights into the processes of reading, writing and spelling. We hope to see many families attend.

Sacramental Nights

• Parents whose children are receiving the Sacraments of first Eucharist and Confirmation are asked to attend information nights on the following dates: Eucharist - 3 May, Confirmation - 10 May. All Sacramental Programs are supported through a partnership between home, school and parish. Congratulations to: Rose Daveron, Charlotte Densley, Grace Friend, Katrina Lindsay, Ella Logan, Jessie Monaghan, Bianca Pawlak-Bloch, Sophie Poles, Gabriella Rodriguez, Valentina Russo, Daphne Sanabria-Silva, Zara Wilken, Sienna Woloshenko, Eva Yorke and Pia Zampierollo who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation this weekend.     

Help Wanted

We are looking for a parent to help out with umpiring netball for our interschool sport team. It would be between 11am and 1pm on Thursdays. Please contact Danny Maher via if you are available dmaher@spbentleigh.catholic.edu.au

Have a great week,

Catherine