Thank You

To end the term with a prayer of gratitude seems very appropriate. Whilst Term 3 can be challenging, in terms of the wintry weather and the usual spate of lingering colds and flus, it is also one filled with many new and different learning experiences. It is no surprise that we are all ready for a break!

Thank you to everyone, students, families and staff for all that you have contributed to our school community in Term 3. Your ongoing support, hard work and care of each other is much appreciated. I hope that the holidays are enjoyable and bring you the opportunity to enjoy life at a less hectic pace.

Congratulations

This week we celebrate the ‘beyond school’ achievements of three students. We are delighted to congratulate:

Sonany Istaifo (9 Hughes) on being one of fifteen students from across the state to be elected to the Victorian Student Representative Council Executive.

Augustine Morris Jnr (10 O’Connell) who has been nominated for the Australian Olympic Change-Maker program.

Arabella Julian (10 MacKillop) who last week won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Asian Champion in the Medium-Heavy weight division.

All three are absolutely outstanding young people who contribute much to our community and the community beyond our school.  These achievements are well deserved.

Start of Term 4

Students will return to school on Tuesday 8 October. This will be Week 1 / DAY 2 of the timetable.

Monday is a student free day as staff will be completing the final day of the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) program. BSEM focuses on positive education and wellbeing practices that support students’ academic and personal growth.

Initiatives such as the Positive School Wide Behaviours, the Gratitude, Mindfulness and Empathy (GEM) program, the CRC lesson structure, a school-wide focus on resilience, and the introduction of the Resilient Youth surveys all stem from our work with Berry Street in 2018. The first three days have been excellent so we look forward to completing this program.

Preparing for Term 4

School holidays are certainly a time for rest and recreation, however, the time between Terms 3 and 4 is more like a semi-colon than a full stop. It is a pause in the semester, a chance to catch your breath before the important final term. Some students will have projects or homework to complete over the break. It is a good idea to get this done earlier, rather than later.

With exams only 7 or 8 weeks away, the holidays are a good time to begin revision of Term 3 work and / or to catch up on any missed work. Those who struggle with organisation might use this time to put some order into folders. Filing old notes and worksheets might be a good start. Ensuring that you have all the stationery you need for Term 4 would help.

If students do little else during the break, it would be helpful to find some time for reading each day.

Term 4 Uniform

Families are reminded that Weeks 1 – 4 are a transition period for uniform. Students can wear either full summer or full winter uniform but not a mix and match of both.

Following the Cup Weekend, from Wednesday 06 November all students will need to be in full summer uniform.

The holidays may be a good time to check that students have all that is required.

Since our last newsletter…..

Over and above the day to day activities of the school since our last newsletter students, families and staff have participated in the following:

• STEM Club
• SACCSS Interschool Tennis
• Year 9 City Experience Day 2
• Year 8 Premier League Training
• Year 7 Arts excursions
• Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
• Year 9 Camp
• Year 7 History incursion
• Year 8 Reflection Day
• Shared Stories writing workshops

I am sure that students and their families are very appreciative of all these opportunities and the time and energy that staff put into organising and offering these experiences.