Newsletter March 19th, 2024

Lord,

 Community is many things to many people
but perhaps we might acknowledge at this moment in time,
that community is simply a sense of cohesiveness
among a group of people:
people who support and interact positively together.

Community makes a difference to our lives.
In community we are inspired and encouraged
to be the best we can be.
We are challenged to overcome barriers and adversity together.

In community we embrace difference
and acknowledge the many gifts of those within.

We grow in wisdom and knowledge
and are strengthened through the sharing
of experiences, insights and reflections.

So together we pray
May our lights shine in our community
Transform us as we seek to transform:
Guide us, open our minds and hearts;
so we can walk with those in our care,
attentive to the Wisdom
that calls us to the Kingdom of God.

May the members of our community who are unwell
be wrapped up in your love and care.

Amen

St Brigid's Primary School Ballan wishes to acknowledge respectfully the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work, learn, play and gather.

Dear Members of our St Brigid’s Community,

As we navigate our way through Week 8, it is important to take the time to reflect upon the wonderful community events that have taken place this term.

Over the past few weeks, we've had the pleasure of hosting and participating in several community events. From our Parent/Teacher Conversations earlier this term to our Welcome Picnic, these events were a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, staff and families.

On Friday our Annual Moorabool and District School Sports day took place. It was lovely to observe the happiness on the faces of each child as they participated in their events! A big thank you to Mrs Byvoet for her meticulous organisation in preparation for our day.  The Autumn Festival on Sunday was a fantastic community event.  It was terrific to hear the buzz of excitement as our St Brigid’s community took part in the Parade representing our school wearing blue and gold!

All of these events would not be possible without the support and dedication of our amazing staff, parents, and volunteers. This term it has been truly inspiring to see our community come together and support our students and our school.

A reminder that our Easter raffle is in full swing and raffle tickets were sent home with children yesterday. Please return raffle tickets prior to Thursday 28th March, 2024.

Take care and God bless,

Jayne Bosworth

'Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.'

Excerpt from St Brigid's Prayer

Congratulations to the following  students who will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation this afternoon. Many thanks to Therese Winter, Fr Justin, the sacramental team and families for their organisation and preparation.

Every blessing to:

Reina Borg, Alexander Cauchi, Archie Clarke, Grace Conlan, Petar Filipovic, Hamish Fodor, Bridget Grigg,

Jamie Jarvis, Noah Kettle, Ciara Paolini, Oscar Phillips and Georgia Shanahan

Spanning across the six weeks of Lent each year, Project Compassion brings thousands of Australian schools, parishes and supporters together to raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world. This Friday 22nd March, we are hosting a Project Compassion Day.  All children are invited to wear casual clothes to school. On this day, our School Captains will be selling a variety of items for 50c each. Money collected will be donated to Project Compassion.

Our next P&F meeting will take place on Thursday 2nd May from 3.15pm - 4.00pm in our school Library. An active P&F committee allows families the opportunity to play a valuable part in providing social and fundraising activities.  Please attend this meeting if you are interested in joining our P&F committee. Any help would be greatly appreciated as all funds raised contribute to resources and materials to support your children in their holistic development.

This week, NAPLAN will cotinue for students in Years 3 and 5.

This year, students will complete NAPLAN online. NAPLAN online brings many new opportunities for students and teachers that are limited or not possible with paper-based tests. The year three Writing test is the only test that will continue as a pen and paper assessment this year. It is through the Online National Assessment Platform that we will administer the tests. Children will complete the tests via a secure locked down browser on a suitable device.

NAPLAN Assessment Schedule:

Last Friday, our school participated  in the Annual Moorabool and District School Sports day. We had a fabulous day connecting with St Patrick’s Gordon, Coimadai Primary School and Balliang East Primary School.

A very big thank you again to the staff and volunteers who organised and facilitated each event. Congratulations to all of our wonderful children for their amazing efforts on this day!

The following awards were presented to:

Champion Girls:

Maggie Wallace

Amelia Duncan

Iris Yearwood

Anni Clarke

Kiara Grigg

Champion Boys:

Brodie Jrgie

Felix Trinder

Eddie Tranter

Landon Doyle

Record Holders:

Roczen Mead

Willow Honig

Maggie Wallace

Iris Yearwood

Anni Clarke

This year, each year level will facilitate Holy Week liturgies at St Brigid’s church. Please see the outline below. All welcome.

Assemblies have commenced this term. As we now have specialist classes on a Friday afternoon, we will need to move assembly to Friday mornings from 9:00am - 9:20am. 

Assembly Schedule Term 1

Assembly Schedule Term 2

On Assembly days, members of our St Brigid’s community are invited to meet at the front gate at 8:15am for a leisurely walk. This will be a great opportunity for you and your child to connect with other members of our school community. This walk will include stopping at a local cafe for a hot or cold drink!

Our first Step, Sip & Socialise gathering will take place on Friday 22nd March!

As in past years we will once again be conducting our Annual Easter Egg Raffle. All families are asked to donate an Easter related item for our raffle. Raffle tickets for the Easter Raffle will be sent home with the eldest child tomorrow. The raffles will be drawn on the last day of Term 1, Thursday 28th March 2024.

As previously communicated, school will conclude at 2:20pm next Thursday 28th March, 2024.

All of the timetabled events (to date) for the school year can be found on our school calendar which can be accessed through PAM and via this newsletter.

Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct summer uniform to school each day including bringing the St Brigid’s school bag to and from school daily. A navy wide brim hat is also required, which stays at school for the Term. If your child does not have a hat to wear they will need to play in the sheltered area only during breaks. 

Children are able to wear sports uniform each Wednesday and on classroom nominated sports day as directed by your child’s classroom teacher. Given the nature of Physical Education lessons, on Wednesday’s children can wear either correct sports shorts or pants.

We are currently exploring options regarding rain coats. More details to follow regarding these items.

SZappp Mobile Application is a fantastic way for communicating and making information or resources available to our St Brigid's school community. 

Please follow the instructions in the below guide on how to install the SZappp and register an email account for communication.