Friday 23^rd April 2021

Dear Parents and Carers,

This weekend some of our school leaders will be representing our school at the ANZAC commemoration. This will commence with a parade at the corner of Commercial Rd and Tarwin St. The main service will start once the Parade arrives at the Cenotaph.

Some History on ANZAC day

The men who served on the Gallipoli Peninsula created a legend, adding the word ‘ANZAC’ to the Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary which created the idea of the ANZAC spirit. We wear a poppy on ANZAC Day as a reminder of the soldiers lost in battle from 1914 to the present day. We remember those who lost their lives, were injured and fought for the freedoms that we often take for granted in Australia. At school our study “Impact” is a platform to explore this period of our history and the effect it has had on our society.

LEST WE FORGET!

School information night

This Thursday we will be holding a Parent Information Night.

*This evening will deliver information about the delivery of the curriculum, the intensive programs, and the mathematical and literacy initiatives that we are running.

*We will explain the DOSCEL uptake of our new digital platform SIMON and the PAM module that will deliver communication to all families. 

*Parents are invited to come into the school – Seating will be socially distanced with QR coding and sign in measures will be required on attendance - there will be support to look after your children if needed.

*This if for current parents from Foundation to Year 6.

* It is an opportunity to ask educational questions regarding the educational strategies used at school to improve student learning outcomes.

Mother’s Day

Please refer to the flyer in the newsletter. All mother's, grandmother's, aunties and carer's are invited to come to school on Friday 7^th May to share an afternoon tea as gratitude for all your work. A flyer has been sent home to obtain numbers for this event. We will need to know this as soon as possible for our COVID plan.

Staffing

It is with sadness that we say good bye to Mr. Mark Smith. Mark has a full-time position teaching PE at Kurnai Churchill. We thank him for the passion he shared with the students for all athletic pursuits, and for the joy he brought to the classroom.

Thank You

Lastly, I would like to thank the community again for the huge support given to me on the passing of my mum. It has been a challenging time personally, and the consideration given to me from all aspects of the community, parish, staff and families has been endearing, and has helped me gently come back to my school duties.

Stay safe over the weekend and enjoy your family pursuits,

God Bless,

Anne-Marie

School photos will be taken by John Ansell School Photography on Tuesday 27th April.  Photo order forms that were sent home on the last day of Term 1 are now due back to the office.  Order forms are also due back to the school if they were paid for on-line.

If you require to have a siblings photo taken you will need to collect the order form from the office prior to the photo shoot.

Please do not return your order form on the morning the photos are taken.  All order forms are expected to be return by Monday 26th April.

What is Anzac Day and why do we observe it every year?

Every year on the 25th of April, hundreds of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders around the world gather at dawn on Anzac Day.

Anzac Day is a time for the community to come together to remember and recognise the service and sacrifice of members of the Australian Defence Force. Originally a commemoration of the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces at Gallipoli in modern-day Turkey in 1915, Anzac Day is a public expression of gratitude and reflection which resonates to the present day.​

History of Anzac Day

ANZAC is an acronym and stands for Australian New Zealand Army Corps, the name given to the body of troops raised by the two countries to aid the British Empire in the Great War. Throughout the war Australian and New Zealand troops, or 'Diggers' and 'Kiwis', would live, fight and die alongside each other creating a bond between the two nations that still exists today.

Anzac Day is inextricably linked with the landings at Gallipoli in the Dardanelles Strait on the 25th April 1915. On this day ANZAC troops were committed to their first major action of the war, and though the campaign would ultimately prove a bloody failure and leave more than 8,000 Australians dead, it marked the beginning of the Anzac legend.

This legend was poignantly put into words by Sir William Deane, Governor-General of Australia on Anzac Day 1999:

Anzac is not merely about loss. It is about courage, and endurance, and duty, and love of country, and mateship, and good humour and the survival of a sense of self-worth and decency in the face of dreadful odds.

In support of our Mothers, Grandmother's and Cares, we will be holding a Free Dress Day next Friday 30th April in exchange for a gift towards the Mother's Day Stall which will be held on Friday 7th May, 2021.

Gifts at the Mother's Day Stall can be purchased for $3 and $5 each.  If you can assist in helping to organise these gifts, and/or supervise the sales at the stall, your assistance will be greatly appreciated. All Volunteers must have a Working with Children’s Certificate. Please bring it be photocopied if you have not done this before, and call 5134 3718 or notify the office staff if you can help.  

On the 7^th May, Mother's, Grannies, Aunties & Carers are invited to share an afternoon tea where you will be seated in family groups and served by your children. This will run from 2.00 to 3.00pm.

A raffle will be sold on the day and will be drawn during the afternoon tea.  Raffle tickets will be $1 each.

Looking forward to seeing you there to commemorate the selfless work that Mother’s, Grandmother’s and Carers offer.

We will need to know numbers for this occasion.  Please complete the form sent home and return to the school by next Wednesday 28^th April.

A wonderful day was enjoyed by students, staff and families who attended the athletics sports day held at the end of last term.  The weather was perfect and healthy competition was seen amongst the House Teams. 

All Teams performed well, displaying solid comradeship's and encouragement towards each other under the representation of their House colour banners.  Francis House (Yellow), Sebastian House (Blue), Patrick house (Green) and MacKillop House (Red).

At the end of the day when the points were collated, it was Blue House who reigned as victors. Congratulations to Blue House captain Jarrah, Vice Captains Isabella-Rose and Kohyn, and all the blue house participants.

Ribbons will be given out at Assembly this afternoon.

Wishing our students who celebrate their
special day from 23th April through
to the 6th May a very happy Birthday.

This May, families are encouraged to take the 31 Day Reading Challenge!

To celebrate National Family Reading Month, we are asking families to up the ante on their family reading routine, and build strong reading habits with their child at home. 

To celebrate National Family Reading Month, Scholastic have these great books in Book Club:

• First book in a series
• 38 titles @ $5 and under
• Family book packs
• Lots of exciting NEW titles,
• PLUS a Reading Rocket Log on the back page!​

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND

An opportunity to spend a weekend improving your communication.

Attend in the comfort of your own home or experience a residential weekend.

Our on-line weekend gives couples the chance to sleep in their own beds and check-in on kids or animals during meal times.

Come and learn how to keep/rekindle the passion in your relationship and how to keep your love growing!

The weekend we offer is based around Catholic values but couples of all faiths are welcome.

Couples from regional areas may find the On-line Weekend option ideal. 

Next on-line weekend is on  30 April – 2 May 2021.

Next Residential weekend is on  21 -23 May 2021.

Information/Bookings: Phone Mercy & James 0409 183 676 or

Email: vicbookings@wwme.org.au    Website: wwme.org.au