Dear Parents,

I hope all the dad’s and special people in our students’ lives had a wonderful Father’s day. 

It was lovely to see all the dads and special people attending our Father’s day activities on Friday afternoon. The children love having special people come and visit and be in their classrooms with them. 

This week is Child Safety week.

Our students will be looking at many aspects of child safety as a focussed part of their learning. Please watch the video above from Mr Paul Velten, The Director of Catholic Education in Sale Diocese( DOSCEL) and Bishop Greg (Diocese of Sale).

Family Learning conversations

Our Survey regarding the Family Learning Conversations and the mode in which parents preferred has closed and again been pretty close to 50/50  for face to face/ online. This has sparked some discussion at a staff level as to how we can continue to accommodate these preferences moving forward. 

Reconciliation

Congratulations to our Grade 4 students who celebrated their Sacrament of Reconciliation yesterday. This was celebrated in the Chapel in two groups. 

Glowtastic Disco!

The Glowtastic disco fundraiser has started with the Disco taking a slightly different look to the last one.  The Disco will take place on tomorrow afternoon!

Grades Prep, 1 and 2 will run between 4.30pm-5.30pm

Grades 3 & 4 will run between 5.45pm-6.45pm

Grade 5 & 6 will run between 7.00-8.00pm

Bottled water will be supplied to all students along with glow sticks and spot prizes will be awarded on the night. The drop point will be through the gate near the administration office, with pick up being via the Prep Gate.  This allows for wet weather back up plans. A map and other information is set to come out today on your Pam/Simon communications. 

Prep Information meeting

The current prep team held a 2025 Prep Information meeting last night. I thank them for all their hard work and dedication. 

Students Online

We are continuing to have parents contacting us regarding online issues between students. We ask that parents continue to consistently monitor the use of devices and the platforms their children are on. Many of our students have accounts which have age limits restrictions, many of which are 13 years and over.  We will continue to educate and engage services with expertise in these areas but ultimately parents are responsible for their child’s access and use of devices outside of school on personal devices. 

Processes - raising concerns

I would like to remind our families of our processes in regards to raising concerns for your children. The first port of call is always the classroom teacher. We ask if it is a detailed or lengthy question, of a sensitive nature or something needing a longer conversation, to please make an appointment  via the office so we can ensure the teacher is available to devote the appropriate attention to your concerns. The classroom teacher may escalate this to the appropriate member of leadership or if a request by parents after first speaking with the classroom teacher. 

Parking

We have been made aware that council parking inspectors have been around. They will be looking for cars parking in no parking zones and traffic not adhering to road rules. 

Farewell Father Jeff!

We are sad to farewell Father Jeff on the 25 September. He will be leaving St Michael's and heading to St Patrick’s at Pakenham to take over the Parish there. 

Father Paul will remain Administrator until January when there will be another appointment. 

Staff

Jisha George will be leaving us to have her baby at the end of week 9. We wish Jisha and her family all the very best at this special time. 

We have been very fortunate to have been able to employ Mrs Joanna Perfetto to take over the grade until the end of the year. Joanna will start at the beginning of Term 4. We look forward to having Joanna join the St Catherine’s team.

Whole School Positive Behaviour Approach 

As a reminder: 

Our Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour Support language is:

•  At St Catherine’s we are safe.
• At St Catherine’s we show respect. 
• At St Catherine’s we are resilient.

These values are referred to regularly  and explicitly taught in classrooms.

COVID, other illness and student and staff illness. 

Our school community has again been hit hard by illnesses of all kinds. Our staff have also been hit. We have COVID amongst us and remind all staff and students that if they test positive we recommend that they stay home. If they are unwell or have any symptoms of any kind they should not attend school.  I assure you that splitting classes is our last resort but at times we have needed to do this to ensure the appropriate supervision and consistent learning of all children. 

Any student presenting as unwell will be sent to the sick bay and parents will be asked to pick them up. 

Absences and Late arrivals 

We ask all parents to enter student absences in the Simon platform or to call the office to inform us of an absence. If children are absent with no communication,  our absentee process is triggered and contact with carers will be made.

Student access and child safety

We request all students accessing the administration Office and who may be coming in late do so via the SFX driveway. Students are to walk down the St Francis Xavier side of the driveway on the footpath and cross at the Chapel crossing behind the bollards. 

We remind parents the driveways are limited to 5 kilometres an hour for the safety of our students. The 5 kilometre speed limit continues through the whole school during pick up and drop off times.  We are continuing to monitor this but will be reminding any parents or carers to slow down if they continue to speed through the school. 

Staff are on hand to assist until just after the bell. All students who are late should be walked into the office by an adult and be signed in for legal reasons. The orange arrows are areas where they need to wait for a staff member as there can be car traffic.

Crossings  and Parking

We ask that all students and parents are using the crossings that are clearly marked and manned as these are safe ways to cross the road. The council have also notified us that this is a concern  and have asked that parents and students use the designated crossings when crossing Ridgemont Drive and Meadowlands Way. 
We are aware that parking can be problematic but also ask that parents do not park in the Great Beginnings child care Centre carpark or block the entrances as there are cars coming and going from here at all times. 

Parent Access

We understand that, during COVID, access to the school was restricted. We are trying to provide more opportunities for families to have access to the school. Times have changed about this and we as a school have to adapt. The fact that our driveway goes through the middle of the school grounds also creates many risks in the afternoon to all of the members of our community. 

Please be assured that parents and carers can come onsite and walk students into school in the morning before 8.50am. In the afternoon please meet your children at the rebound wall if walking or parking in the vicinity of the school and coming to meet your children. This limits foot traffic through the school in the afternoon to assist with keeping our community safe as well as alleviating traffic on our driveway and streamlining the student collection processes. 

If  you ever have any concerns or want to chat with staff or leadership, please contact the office to make a time to meet that suits everyone. This ensures the correct person is available at a mutually convenient time. 

Student Attendance and Late arrivals 

Our classes start at 8.50am, students are expected to be at school and ready to start instruction at 8.50am. Any child arriving after this time is late and will need to be signed in by an adult as per legal requirements. If a child arrives late and does not have an adult accompany them to sign them in, parents will be contacted to come and fulfill their legal responsibility.

Any students coming after the bell are impacted as they can miss vital instruction and the beginning of Specialist subjects. Students on scheduled out-of-classroom intervention programs may also miss their session, as many of these start as soon as the bell goes in the morning.

Any student arriving after 8.50am must be signed in by a parent or carer via the office. This is a legal requirement and we have noticed many more students arriving after 8.50 am.  As a part of our continual review of our processes and procedures, we will be following up with parents and carers.  Classroom doors open at 8.30 am. Students are encouraged to enter the classroom and get ready for the day’s learning then participate in quiet activities until the commencement of instruction.

Regular late arrivals will trigger our attendance/absence processes which means parents and carers will be contacted by classroom teachers at first but may be escalated to other governing bodies. 

You may notice that emails are starting to be sent to those families of students  who regularly arrive late. 

Hats and Uniform 

All students should be wearing the winter uniform as we are well into term 2.  As part of our sunsmart policy, all children should be wearing their hats outside as of    1 September.  

We are noticing a large number of students who are not wearing the correct uniform and we will be addressing this with the students and after repeated warnings , parents will be contacted.

Out of School Hours Care Program

Contact Camp Australia if you’re interested in your child participating Out of Hours School care or in the Holiday program offered.

2025 Enrolments

We are currently taking 2025 Enrolments. If you are an existing family please get your forms in asap to guarantee you a spot. Our Prep numbers are increasing fast and we are conducting multiple tours a day. If you know of anyone considering St Catherine’s for their child please ask them to contact the Office for a tour.

2025 Planning 

The process of planning for 2025 has begun.  Any parents who have any special requests will need to put them in writing and email to info@stcberwick.catholic.edu.au by Monday 7 October.  

Please note that requests from any other previous year will not be considered as circumstances change.  We are blessed at St Catherine’s to have a very professional and committed staff that plan together to ensure that the same learning opportunities are afforded to the students regardless of what class they are in, so please do not request individual teachers. All requests will be given the appropriate consideration; however, it is not a guarantee.

Change of Address

Please advise the office as soon as possible if you have had a change of Address.  You can email info@stcberwick.catholic.edu.au  

School fees

Warm Regards

Dear parents

Reconciliation

It was wonderful to share the sacrament of Reconciliation with our Year 4 students yesterday. Thank you to the parents who attended and helped prepare their children. Father Jeff and Father Paul noted the students' respect and how well the candidates performed, despite their nerves—they made you all proud.

If you have any questions before First Holy Communion, please contact the Parish. I'll be working with the Year 4 teachers to prepare the students through the Curriculum. If any families have photos to share for the next newsletter, please email me directly.

rian.prestwich@stcberwick.catholic.edu.au.

Sunday Scripture Spotlight

This Sunday’s scripture is from Mark 7:31-37. Below is the translation from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, as found on Bible Gateway.

Jesus Cures a Deaf Man

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus[a] ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Dr Mary Coloe PBVM provides the following commentary on LiturgyHelp.

In Mark's Gospel, there is a theme of secrecy about Jesus' miracles. As this story develops, the concern for secrecy can be understood. The crowd react to this miracle with overwhelming amazement, and Mark has them use words that come from the prophet Isaiah, ‘Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed.’ (Isaiah 35:5) This text speaks of the coming of God and may have been a text used by the Jews in their longing for a Messiah to deliver them. In publicly speaking about the miracle and linking it with this text, the crowd are pointing to Jesus as this long awaited saviour. No wonder Jesus asks for silence.

Jewish hopes for a saviour were often understood in political/military terms, a King like David who would free them from their enemies. Jesus is not interested in their definitions of his ministry; Jesus follows God's wishes for a ‘kingdom’ of peace, justice and relationships of love, rather than a political ‘kingdom’. These relationships draw people together into a new type of family or kinship group. The reign of God that Jesus ushers in will not satisfy those who want power and rule here on earth.

The first place Jesus' ‘kingdom’ must claim is the individual's heart. Here I find parallels with the deaf man. There are times when we all can be selectively deaf, hearing only what we want to hear. We can do this also with God. What are the quiet sighs from heaven that are whispered into our ears? What if our ears were opened to God's word and our tongues loosed for godly speaking? What if the reign of God took shape around me?

The image of ‘kingdom’ as a community of men and women living in loving relationships continued in the early Church. Often in the letters of Paul, John and James, these writers address the community as ‘brothers and sisters’. The Christian community, as children of the one god, are brothers and sisters to each other. Within such a community distinctions of race or social status should not apply – all are children of God, all are equal. This idea was very foreign in society at that time where there were very clear distinctions between people in both the Roman society and within Judaism. Both these groups had slaves, and both groups tended to honour signs of wealth and prestige.

In Australia, we have prided ourselves on having a very egalitarian or classless society, where all people were equal, and no people and special privileges just because of the family they were born into. I wonder if we are losing this value. I think I am seeing people who appear to be permanently disadvantaged, without equal access to the benefits of our great land. Many people find themselves unemployed, sometimes because their firm has failed, or their education hasn’t provided them with sufficient skills to get a job. Many migrants, especially women, cannot find work, or at least the type of work they had in their home country. Do you know your parish community well enough to know people who would like to work but are currently unemployed? How could your parish respond to this?

Thanking you,

Rian Prestwich

Deputy Principal: School Operations and Religious Education Coordinator