Dear Families,

Play in the Park

Last week we introduced a fully-supervised Play in the Park option for our Year 3 & 4 students on a Monday, and Year 5 and 6 students on a Tuesday. It was hugely successful and the students loved their time playing with all the equipment we took over with us. Let's hope the weather remains nice for these outings for the remainder of the term!

Classes for 2025

Term 4 brings with it a wonderful buzz and the excitement of new class groupings for the year ahead. Teachers will soon begin the process of allocating students into classes for 2025. 

If you have any relevant information regarding the class placement for your child, please put your reasons in writing or make a time to see me. This information must be in relation to your child’s needs, not teacher preference, as class teachers have not been finalised for 2025.

Students will nominate 4 of their peers with whom they are friends with and believe they work well with. We will ensure that at least one of these students will be in their class for next year. 

There are many factors that go into planning class groupings so that students are supported and given the best opportunities to learn and grow. Great care is taken to ensure, as much as possible, a balance between the classes, including: academic needs, gender, friendships, wellbeing and social-emotional needs, classroom support, even class sizes, working relationships, considerations for neuro-diversity, as well as written requests from parents.

As I am sure you can appreciate, staff spend many hours collaborating with each other to construct classes for the following year. Thank you for your continued trust and support. I ask that parent requests are emailed to me by Friday 15 November.

Upcoming Swimming Program

The Aqua Star Learn to Swim Schools Program begins in Week 6 for Prep - Year 3 (11 - 15 November) and in Week 7 for Year 4 - 6 students (18 - 22 November). The Swimming program is an essential component of the Victorian Physical Education curriculum and the cost is embedded into the school fees. It is an expectation that all students participate in the program. Last week, parents received an email with important information regarding the Swimming Program.

RSL Remembrance Poppy Appeal 

For more than 100 years, the annual Poppy Appeal has supported Australian veterans and their families.  This is a great way to acknowledge all who served and those who died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

Please support the appeal by purchasing items from the office - wristbands, badges and pens ranging from $2 to $5.  Please bring small change for your purchases.

Student Awards

Free eSafety parent and carer webinars

Throughout Term 4, the eSafety Commissioner has free parent webinars that look at online friendships, social media, and gaming. These webinars are suited to parents with Primary or Secondary aged children. Please see the flyer below for information. 

Upcoming Events 

October

Tuesday 22 October - Year 6 excursion to the Melbourne Museum

Monday 28 October - Whole school assembly

November

Monday 4 November - School Closure Day

Tuesday 5 November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

Monday 11 November Remembrance Day

Monday 11 November - Whole school assembly

Monday 11 - Friday 15 November Swimming Prep to Year 3

Monday 18 - Friday 22 November Swimming Year 4 to Year 6

Friday 29 November - School Closure Day

December

Tuesday 10 December - End of Year Mass 10am

Thursday 12 December - Christmas Carols

Monday 16 December - last day for Year 6

Tuesday 17 December - last day for Prep to Year 5's 2.30pm

I hope everyone enjoys some sunshine this week.

Kind regards,

Freda

Our final Japanese Assembly for 2024 will be held on Thursday 5th December at 2.40 p.m. in the Hall.  Hiragana Blackbelts, Purple Belts, Orange Belts and Masters Awards will be presented at this Assembly.  Parents will be notified the previous week via Seesaw if their child is to receive a Hiragana belt or an Award at the Assembly.  Students can still achieve their Hiragana milestones after this date but will have their Hiragana belts and Awards presented either at a School Assembly or in class.  The Preps, 1s and 2s will also be performing a couple of short songs at the beginning of this Japanese Assembly. 

This year marks 150 years since their Foundation as a Missionary Congregation and 90 years of serving the community of Holy Trinity Parish.

Arriving in Bentleigh in 1934 our Sisters have ministered to our schools and Parish life especially in education (4 parish primary schools and OLSH College). They have spent over 100 years living and working in Papua New Guinea; and with our Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Peoples in the Northern Territory and Tiwi Islands, in Kiribati and other mission countries around the world.

On Sunday 27th October Holy Trinity Parish will acknowledge and thank them with a special Mass and morning tea at the 9.30am Mass at St Paul's.

Please come and join us for this once in a lifetime opportunity to say "thank you".