Newsletter No. 3 | Term 1 Week 5 | Friday 28th February 2025

Prayer

Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,

It was great to see so many families attending the School Information Night. Thank you for coming along. I think some of the adults enjoyed the activities more than the children!

Thank you to the teachers for the work they put into the evening and to Deb, Grace and Hayley for supervising the children while we conducted the information session. 
We hope you enjoyed the evening and feel informed about our school. I really appreciate the feedback on the building project and the uniform, if you have any further thoughts or questions please don't hesitate to ask.

We would like to inform you that Alice was called up for Elective Surgery last week and will require considerable time to recover. Alice will return to school in the first week of Term 2. We wish Alice all the best for a speedy recovery.

Enjoy the weekend!

Warm Regards,

Leanne Eastman
Principal

Preps at School Full Time

We are excited that the Preps will be at school full time as of next Wednesday, 5th March. Their first Wednesday will be a little bit different with Mass in Colac for Ash Wednesday and Sports practice at Alvie Oval. It should be lots of fun! On the following Wednesday, Prep students will begin their Specialist classes.

Colac Division Sports

The Colac Division Sports will be held on Thursday 6th March. Congratulations to the following students who will be representing our school at the Sports. Wishing you all the best of luck. Have Fun!

Liam - Shot Put
Issy - Shot Put
Charlie - Shot Put
Jackson - 100m, 200m, Shot Put
Zayne - 1500m, 100m, 200m, Shot Put
Kaitlyn - 800m, 100m, 200m, Shot Put, Long Jump, High Jump
Grace - 800m, 100m, Shot Put, Long Jump, High Jump
Eden - 800m, Long Jump
Claire - 1500m, 800m
Jordy - 1500m, 800m

Water Plant Excursion

As part of the Outdoor Learning Curriculum, the Year 6 students will be participating in an excursion to the Colac Water Reclamation Plant (sewerage) and the Colac Water Treatment Plant (drinking water). This will be a valuable learning experience for the students, complementing the work they do in the classroom.

The excursion will take place on Friday 7th March. We would have preferred that the students would not be out of school two days a week but unfortunately, this was unavoidable for some of our Year 6 students. I am sure that both days will be excellent learning opportunities.

Sports Day

There will be a bit of a change to the Sports day this year. The oval is very dry, so  consequently, the surface is very uneven. We feel that it will not be an ideal surface to run on. Alvie Footy Club have given us the go ahead to use their oval and they will even draw the lines for us.

We are very grateful to Barry and Luke who have generously stepped up to help us out.

More details for the day will be sent out early next week.

NAPLAN

Year 3 and Year 5 students will be participating in NAPLAN testing on the following dates:

Wednesday 12th March: Writing
Thursday 13th March: Reading
Monday 17th March: Language Conventions
Thursday 20th March: Numeracy

Naplan is just one measure of children's progress. More information about NAPLAN can be found on the following link:

Catholic Culture

This week marks two significant days in our Catholic liturgical calendar. Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. These days signify the beginning of the Lenten season; 40 days leading to Easter where we are encouraged to reflect, serve and pray. During Lent at St Brendan's our students will be given the opportunities to think about what it is they can do to serve others. Traditionally, we think of Lent as a time of fasting, however, it is also a time to focus on the opportunities we have to support others in our lives.
I encourage you during this time to talk to your child/ren about the opportunities they have to support those around them, "For it is in giving that we receive." St Francis of Assisi.

The children have taken home a chart with 40 suggested ideas for making an extra special effort in Lent. This should help to get the conversation started. 

Ash Wednesday Mass

Next Wednesday, 5th March, all students will attend Mass with students from St Mary's, Sacred Heart and Trinity College at St Mary's Church.

At the conclusion of Mass, the bus will drop students to Alvie Football Ground where they will have a chance to familiarise themselves with the ground and have a quick practice for sports day

Big Water Walk

As part of our Lenten journey, we are participating in Caritas Australia's Project Compassion Appeal, which raises funds for the world's most vulnerable communities. This year's theme is Unite Against Poverty, and we are excited to be involved in the Big Water Walk, a 40 day walking challenge to raise funds for clean, safe water in at-risk communities.

Students will take part in Sustainability Day on 3rd April with particular focus on water. Each day we are encouraging students to walk for 3-5 minutes, either during fruit break or as brain break, to raise awareness and funds. We are also encouraging students to walk over the weekends in support. To conclude the challenge, we will ask for a gold coin donation and we will have house groups complete in a fun relay, carrying buckets of water similar to the experience of children in developing countries. 

Clean Up Australia Day

Next Monday is Clean Up Australia Day. 
Our students will spend some time cleaning up different areas of the school and surrounding areas.

Years 2-6 will clean up along the bike track to Cororooke, with the Prep/1's cleaning up at school. At the conclusion of the clean up, the children will be able to have a short play at the Cororooke playground. The Prep/1's will be bussed to the playground on the school mini bus.

Thanks to Gerard for organising the clean up activity.

SRC Party Pie Lunch

Next Tuesday, I invite the SRC students (Grace, Harriet, Declan, Liam, Greta and Java) to join me for a party pie lunch.

Hopefully there will be NO tornados this time!!

School TV - Managing Screen Time

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.

In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Managing Screen Time edition of SchoolTV:

KANA - 15th March 2025

The KANA entry form is due this week.

Please reply via PAM to let us know if you can make it. We will need to ensure we have adequate numbers for it to go ahead!

School Library Update

As of next week, the children will be able to borrow books from the library. We are encouraging them to take two books home a week. The books do not have to be novels for senior students, they may like to take home picture books. It is all about building an enjoyment of reading, developing reading skills and building knowledge. It may be that parents read the books to the children, even the children who can read. By doing this you show them that you enjoy reading and you also engage in positive family time.
Please pop some sort of bag in your child's bag that they can use as a library bag. We would like to protect the books as much as possible. The Library borrowing day is still to be determined, I will email you when it is confirmed.

Fundraising

Thanks to Sarah Coates for getting the fundraising up and running. There was a fair bit of discussion and excitement last night around planning upcoming fundraising events. We will keep you posted. Bring on the fun!

Social Media

A reminder that you can follow us on the following social media platforms to stay up to date with all of the happenings in our vibrant school community.

Reminders - Hats and Spares

• Hats – Sun smart hats are compulsory during terms one and four. Please ensure your child’s hat is named. If you need a new hat please contact Grace in the office. Without a hat your child will not be able to play outside.
• Accidents sometimes happen. Please pack spare underwear, socks and anything else spare in your child's bag that you may think would be handy. We don't always have spares so it would be very helpful if students had a spare change in their bags.

School Attendance and Absentee Notification

Please ensure you are logging onto PAM, calling or emailing the school to advise if your child will be away or late to school prior to 9:30am each morning. This is a very important matter and we wish to ensure each child arrives to school safe.
Please remember students are not permitted to leave school unless permission has been granted. In these circumstances, the student needs to be signed out in the register at the Office. Thank you for your support in all these school matters.

Prep/1 Classroom

Welcome to Week 5!

We have been having lots of fun in Prep/1 this week. It was great to see so many of you at the School Information Night. I hope you enjoyed it!

Readers: On Tuesday, reader folders were sent home with a reader, reading journal and display folder inside them. Information about how nightly reading works in Prep/1 is in the letter in the display folder. I suggest reading the book to your child and asking them to follow along is a great way to start this routine.

Integrated Curriculum: This week we have kicked off our Integrated Curriculum unit on Families. We have been exploring who is in a family, what a family does, how family makes us feel and why having a family is important. We also made our family and house on ‘mini worlds’ and shared these with the class.

Religion: In Religion, we are working on our unit on Relationships. We have been discussing different relationships in our lives, exploring what makes a good friend and the qualities in strong relationships. We have also been learning our school prayer. 

I hope you have a lovely week,

Tahlia

Tahlia O'Keeffe
twhytcross@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au

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2/3/4 Classroom News

Welcome to Week 5 of Term 1!

It's hard to believe we are halfway through the term already!
We are enjoying our swimmng lessons particularly during the warm weather. Next week is the beginning of Lent and we will celebrate Shrove Tuesday. The following day is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. We will be heading into St. Mary's Church to recognise this important part of the Catholic tradition, with St Mary's, Sacred Heart and some Trinity students.

Next week I am taking a week of Long Service Leave and will return on Tuesday 11th March.

Religious Education: This term in RE we are going to be considering our CHOICES - how we make them and the consequences they have on others - both good and bad.
As we set up our classroom we are thinking about our shared expectations for learning. These all involve making choices for the good of ourselves, each other and the rest of the school community. Making choices to include others in the classroom and in the playground can help everyone to feel that they belong. A strong sense of belonging can help children feel safe and to be the best learners they can be.

Integrated Curriculum: Our current topic is about community. In this unit the students explore the concept of democracy in decision-making within communities. Through various interactive activities, students learn to understand the importance of democratic processes, why rules are made and how group decisions are made through voting. It also encourages us to recognise the impact of choices on individuals and groups. The Year 2/3's have started constructing their own community with specific rules on our storyboard. The Year 4's are working with the Year 5's and 6's for Integrated Curriculum this year.

The Star of the Week award goes to Jaxon Ellen. Congratulations on your excellent effort!

Mandy Sutherland
msutherland@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au

5/6 Classroom News

Welcome to Term 5 of 2025. 

It’s hard to believe we are almost halfway through Term 1. Over the last couple of weeks the students have enjoyed taking part in Swimming lessons and have demonstrated excellent leadership skills when working closely with their buddies. 

In Literacy we are writing narratives and working on our reading fluency. It has already been quite noticeable the positive progression each student is making. 

In Numeracy we are continuing to interpret and represent data. On Monday we collected data on what colour vehicles pass our school. The students enjoyed the opportunity to bring their learning outside. 

We have been discussing the important concept of Commitment in our Religious Education sessions. We have studied Ned Brockmann's story and have taken inspiration for his actions. Feel free to ask your children to explain to you what Ned Brockmann has achieved and brought awareness to.

Gerard Douglas
gdouglas@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au

Birthday Corner

Wishing a very big Happy Birthday to everyone who is celebrating their special day! Especially:

28th February - Jack Finlay (7)

Important Dates

Catholic Culture

St Brendan's Coragulac & St Joseph's Pirron Yallock Mass Times

St Brendan’s Coragulac: 9.30am Sunday Lay-led  /  Mass 5pm 4th Sunday of each month
St Joseph’s Pirron Yallock: 10:30am Mass 1st Sunday of each month

Community News & Events

Bluewater Sensory Quiet Time Pool Session
When: Every Saturday between 1-3pm
Please contact Bluewater Colac if you have any questions.