Dear Families,

Firstly, I hope that all our St. Vncent's Mothers had a lovely weekend.  It was great to see so many mothers, grandmothers and families join us for our Mass last week.  Thanks to Mr. Greenslade and the Preps for the video that was shared at Mass, and thanks again to Cameron for the time that went into the extended video that was shared on social media on Sunday morning.  Very cute!

It seems we have had another busy fortnight if the length of the newsletter is any guide.  I always value adding photos to each edition of the newsletter but it seems poor Mrs. Marino gets busier each newsletter collating images from all our special events.  It certainly highlights the extra-curricular events we offer to not only enrich the educational experiences of our students but also provide an opportunity to let our hair down and have some fun!  In just these first few weeks of term we have had different sporting events, first aid training for all classes and some well-being events.

Last Monday afternoon was certainly an opportunity to let our hair down and have a laugh when we had our Bush Dance afternoon.  I was certainly just a tad too excited when Mrs. Burke busted out 'Cotton Eye Joe' - Instant flashback to the 1990's!  However the afternoon's core message was about Resilience, and having a positive mindset about learning something new or difficult and how that pushes us out of our comfort zone.  A huge congratulations to all our students on presenting such great entertainment and to 'Banjo' Burke for coordinating the event.  YeeHah!

This week parents will be able to book Parent-Teacher Interview appointment times for our Term 2 meetings.  These meetings form an important part of our assessment and reporting schedule, prioritising opportunities for teachers to meet formally with each family.  Over the past few years we have increased the frequency of these interviews and this year are offering them each term.  These meetings allow teachers to share any specific adjustments and supports the school is putting in place to assist your child so your attendance is critically important.  Can I take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of the classroom teachers in this area, but also highlight the work of our Learning Adjustment Team (Vanessa Couling & Kathy Monacella) and our Well-being Team (Brooke Burke and Paula Vella).

As we start heading into cooler weather it is a good reminder to everyone to make the effort to stay healthy and also prioritise school attendance.  With the high likelihood of a few sick days here and there it is critically important that every child, and every family, continues to value attendance and punctuality.

Have a great week, Dave