Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,

Instead of holding an assembly this week, we thought we'd share a quick newsletter to keep you updated on what's happening around our school.

Swimming Lessons:
Swimming lessons are now well and truly underway. As part of the mandated curriculum, these lessons aim to ensure that by the end of Grade 6, students are able to swim 50 metres independently and demonstrate essential water safety skills.

Our program is supported by qualified YMCA instructors at the Warragul Leisure Centre, who assess each student’s progress and provide feedback to the school. While these school-based lessons play an important role in developing swimming confidence and technique, they may not be enough on their own to achieve the 50-metre benchmark.

We strongly encourage families to consider regular swimming lessons outside of school time to help reinforce skills and support each child’s journey towards becoming a confident and capable swimmer.

NAPLAN Results:
NAPLAN results have been sent home this week for students in Grade 3 and 5. We encourage families to view these results as just one small snapshot of your child’s learning. While they can offer some useful insights, they don’t capture the full picture of your child’s growth, creativity, effort, or unique strengths.

If the results weren’t what you expected, please don’t be discouraged. Learning is a journey, and progress takes many forms. As always, we’re here to support every student to grow in confidence and achieve their personal best.

Science Week:
Mrs Davies is busy planning Science Week which falls in week 4 (August 11 to 15). This year’s theme, is “Cracking the Code: Nature’s Patterns and Sequences.” It’s all about exploring how nature uses patterns, from things such as the spirals in sunflowers to the symmetry in butterfly wings. Through hands-on STEM activities from maths, biology, physics, and even art, students will get to decode nature’s secret language and discover the exciting science behind the patterns all around us.

School Masses:
On Friday at 12pm we will be celebrating our F-2 Mass in the collaborative space. Please feel free to come and be a part of the mass which will be celebrated with Fr Brendan. We also have two prayer services that families are welcome to attend over the next few weeks - the Feast Day of St Mary MacKillop – August 8 and the Feast of the Assumption of Mary – August 15. Class teachers will communicate the location and times through Seesaw.

Foundation 100 Days of school:
On Wednesday, August 6, our Foundation students will be celebrating a major milestone in the schooling journey; their 100th day of school! To mark the occasion, students are invited to dress up as 100-year-olds or get creative with their own fun interpretation of "100." There’ll be exciting activities, laughter, and plenty of smiles throughout the day! Dressing up is optional. All Foundation students will be joining in the fun, whether they’re in costume or not.

Book Week Dress up Day:
On Friday, August 22, we will be celebrating Book Week with a dress-up day and a parade. Students are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite book character or in a costume that celebrates the joy of reading. The theme for the 2025 Children’s Book Week is “Book an Adventure!” inspiring children to explore new worlds through stories, so let your imagination run wild! A Book Week parade will be held on the Junior School deck at 9:00am, and all parents are warmly invited to attend.

Fundraiser – Billy G’s Cookie Dough:
A big congratulations to Lincoln in Grade 3, Isla in Grade 1, and their family!  Lincoln sold an impressive 37 tubs of cookie dough, earning him the title of our Billy G’s Champion Cookie Tub Seller. I’ve heard he had a little help from a generous work colleague of his dad’s, but there’s no doubt Lincoln led the charge. He’s also taking home some great prizes, which we’re sure he’ll be proudly sharing with his sisters, Isla and Ada. Well done, Lincoln!

(Pictured above: Lincoln and Isla)

Board Meeting:
We have rescheduled our Board Meeting to Wednesday August 13, starting at 6pm.

Upcoming events:
Senior School Sports Day at Marist-Sion; Wednesday August 27
We have Father’s Day breakfast and Father's Day Stall on Friday September 5.
We have scheduled our Art Show to be on Wednesday September 10.

Warm Regards,
Stephen Pitt | Principal