Newsletter October 9th, 2024

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. We pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Dear Members of our St Brigid’s Community,

A warm welcome back to Term 4. I hope that you all had a restful, well-deserved break. We are really looking forward to another terrific term!

It was wonderful to see children arrive at school on Monday with smiles and happy faces, ready to dive into a new chapter of learning and growth. The energy and enthusiasm that our students bring to the school every day is truly contagious. It warms our hearts to see their eagerness to embrace new challenges, make new friends and explore the wonders of knowledge.

On Saturday it was International ‘World Teacher’s Day’-  an annual observance celebrated in October every year. World Teacher's Day 2024 will be celebrated across Australia on Friday 25th October. The work of teachers and their contributions to society are innumerable. World Teacher’s Day is commemorated to celebrate the work of teachers, recognising the significant contribution they have given to the society. Throughout the next month, we will take the time to reflect upon the amazing work of our teachers and their passion, dedication and care for all. A special morning tea in recognition of our teachers and staff will be held towards the end of this term.

This term we make the transition from winter to summer uniform.  Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct summer uniform. As the weather is unpredictable at present, either full winter uniform or full summer uniform can be worn for the first two weeks of this term. Children are able to wear sports uniform each Wednesday and on classroom nominated sports day as directed by your child’s classroom teacher.  As we are a SunSmart school, it is compulsory for children to wear a navy blue wide brim school hat this term during break times and outside activities.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

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

On Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd October we will welcome External Reviewer Sheridan Coverdale, Catholic Education Ballarat’s Education Consultant Jo-Anne Bond and Principal Colleague Garth Kydd for our External School Review. Throughout the two days, the panel will meet with staff, students and parents to gain insight into our school.

Our last school review took place in 2019 and throughout this year, we have had the opportunity to reflect upon our key successes and areas for growth leading into our upcoming review.

Launched in 2002, Loud Shirt Day is an annual fundraising event held in October of every year to raise awareness and funds for children with hearing loss. On Friday 18th October, students and staff are invited to bring a gold coin donation to school and are encouraged to wear their brightest, most colorful shirt. 

This fun-filled day not only brings awareness but also helps raise vital funds for programs and services that make a real difference in the lives of children and their families.

October is Mission Month and this Sunday 20th October is World Mission Sunday. World Mission Sunday is a day dedicated to the great work of Mission. To celebrate this event, Catholic Mission is inviting all of us to answer our call to be missionaries. Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Sunday this year reflects on the theme: “You shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). He reminds us that, every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ.

On Friday 1st November, students and staff are invited to wear crazy socks to celebrate World Mission Month along with a can of food to support Catholic Mission. Throughout Mission Month, students and staff will learn about, pray, advocate for, and financially support children and communities in need around the world.

All children are expected to be at school ready to begin by 8:55am. Arriving on time for school is important for a number of reasons.  The first 10 minutes of school is a vital time of the day when the day's routine and structure is established.  It is a time for ‘tuning in’ and focusing on the learning intentions for the day.

If your child is unwell or absent, you are required to notify the school as soon as possible on the day of absence, via a phone call through to the office or through our school Parent Access Module (PAM). If there has been no contact from the family in the morning of the absence, a sms from the office regarding your child’s absence from school will be sent. Upon receiving a sms, families are expected to phone through to the office to inform the school of their child’s absence.

Students who arrive late or leave early are expected to be signed in/out at the office by a responsible adult. 

Each year, teachers undertake the work of creating class lists for the following year and many hours are spent on this task. Please be assured that teachers use their professional knowledge of students and their professional knowledge of what is best for each individual child when considering groupings. In assigning students to classes, teachers are asked to consider various factors.

Parent/Carer 2025 class requests of a serious nature, need to be emailed to Jayne - jbosworth@sbballan.catholic.edu.au prior to Friday 25th October, 2024. Requests submitted after this date will not be considered. Please note requests are not guaranteed.

Grandparents day will take place on Friday 22nd November and will consist of a Liturgy at 9:00am followed by activities. More information will be circulated early in Term 4.

Our school disco will now take place on Friday 8th November at the Mechanics Hall.

Tickets are available via the Spriggy Schools App.

On Sunday 24th November, we have the opportunity to host a Bunnings BBQ (Creswick Road). For this to proceed, we will require a number of volunteers. Please fill out the following survey, if you are able to assist on the day.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M7RYS5M

Our P&F are in the process of creating a St Brigid's School Cookbook. Please click on the following link to submit your recipe or collect a hard copy from the office: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DCDNJBT

Whole school prayer/Assembly will again take place in Term 3 from 9:00am - 9:20am. The timetable is as follows:

Assembly Schedule Term 4

Our next P&F meeting will take place this Thursday 10th October 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.

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.

Monthly statements are being emailed and would appreciate all accounts being paid by 5th December, 2024. if you have any queries or need to know your balance please contact Tracey in the office. 

With planning for the 2025 school year now gathering momentum, I ask families who are aware that they will not be returning to St Brigid’s Primary School next year, to inform Jayne via email - jbosworth@sbballan.catholic.edu.au

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.