Dear Families

Welcome to our first newsletter for Winter.  The arrival of June has seen us hit a patch of ordinary weather ..... but the Tigers have finally won a game so things aren't that bad!

This morning, I am heading off to connect with principal colleagues from across Gippsland.  We are deservingly proud of our network of Catholic schools, and the opportunity to gather with fellow professionals is a good opportunity to both celebrate our successes and acknowledge the challenges.  At St. Vincent's, we have plenty to celebrate, including the resilience of our community to rebound in the face of challenges.  Our children continue to impress me with their attitude and behaviour, with the way our classrooms are calmly getting started each day providing everyone with the best possible chance of success.  Our school wide behaviour expectations include Respect, Resilience, Responsibility and Safe.  These terms are expressed deliberately across each school day and are the focus of our social-emotional learning programs.  I often think about the order of importance of these behaviours, trying to decide if there actually is a hierarchy that ranks them.  It probably isn't a simple answer, but I'm regularly drawn to the fact that resilience is often the missing piece of the puzzle when things aren't going well.  Looking in the media recently, we have plenty of examples of challenges, but at the same time we can easily be in awe of the individual and collective efforts of others who have overcome barriers.  Last night's viewing on television gave us only a glimpse of the efforts people have put in to achieve their goals.  If we are looking for role models we need to look no further than Alexa Leary who qualified for the Paris Swim team, local athletes performing on the international stage (Emily Beecroft and Jade Melbourne), and the joyful performance of Michael Theo in "Austin".

Over the term, we have continued to receive plenty of interest from families wishing to join us.  It is a privilege to be able to show visitors around our school showcasing not only our facilities but, more importantly, the people.  The learning opportunities and enrichment programs on offer at St. Vincent's are very impressive, so it is terrific when visitors provide positive feedback about what they have seen.  If you know of other families wishing to join us, please encourage them to reach out for information .... or maybe even bring them up to the school for a visit.

As the term is coming to a close, can I offer my appreciation to the staff.  As the semester is finishing, it is so encouraging to witness first hand the commitment of teachers to finalise this semester's administrative tasks while also having an enthusiastic eye on Term 3.  Term 3 looks exciting, with the concert a perfect way to finish the term.  I am enjoying watching the early rehearsals and I know the students and staff will put on a first class show.

Have a great finish to your week,

Dave

Jim Quilinan provides our Diocese with an article once a month.  Please enjoy Jim's most recent reflection titled "PINEAPPLE"

We look forward to engaging with our 2025 Foundation students and their families across the year as they make the exciting transition to Primary School.  If you have a child joining us next year or know of a family member or friend attending St. Vincent's, please reach out.

We have finalised our 2025 Transition Program, which begins in Term 3.  Our transition program is a wonderful opportunity and offers our incoming students an extensive introduction to school.  We encourage all families to take advantage of these opportunities while also inviting new families to feel welcome to come along to see all we have to offer.

Further information can be found on our website

A reminder that our great school Beanies are available for purchase for $20 via CDFPay.

As we hit some cooler weather we will likely find an increase in illnesses in the community.  Some common ones to be aware of are influenza, gastroenteritis, slap cheek and head lice.  

The Department of Health has issued a health alert of increasing cases of Whooping Cough (Pertussis) in Victoria.

Please find attached a link to the Department of Health website that provides parents with useful information about different infectious diseases and school exclusion.  We ask for your support in keeping children home that are unwell.  Apart from reducing the risks of spreading germs, it is sad to see little bodies trying to cope with school when they are not feeling 100%.