Term 1, Week 2

Welcome to our first newsletter of the year. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our new students and families, and a warm welcome back to all our existing students and families. The staff and students have returned with renewed vigor and excitement about what the new year will bring. Our building renovations are part of this excitement, but we remain committed to ensuring that 2025 will be filled with many learning opportunities, community connections, and that St Brigid’s continues to be a place of Love, Peace, and Learning for all.
 

Parent Welcome Evening

Our first event for the year is our Parent Welcome Evening. Parents will have the opportunity to hear from their child’s class teacher about both school and class expectations and learning opportunities for the year. This event is for parents only. Due to the renovations and duty of care,  unfortunately there is no additional space for children to gather and play during these presentations. We thank you for your understanding and support.
 

Car Parking

As child safety is our top priority, we are trialling the opening and staffing of the back (Le Hunte St) gate both before and after school to alleviate previous safety concerns. Both gates (front and back) will be open from 8:30-8:50 am and again from 2:50-3:10 pm. Throughout this term, we will gather data to see if this supports families in dropping off and picking up their children in a safe, responsible, and timely manner.

Thank you for your cooperation and support as we embark on an exciting year at St Brigid’s.

In Love, Peace and learning
Paula Burns

Welcome back! 

Welcome back, families, and students! We are excited to start a new school year filled with learning, growth, and fun. 2025 will be a busy and exciting year for our school community and I look forward to working together to make it a great success. 

A special welcome to all new students and families joining our beautiful community – we are thrilled to have you with us! 

Safer Internet Day 

Safer Internet Day is an annual event that promotes online safety and responsible technology use. It is celebrated and acknowledged by communities, schools, and organisations from all around the world. 

Why is Safer Internet Day important? 

The internet is a big part of our lives but can be risky, especially for young people. 

Issues like bullying and hate speech can harm people's safety and well-being. 

Many children do not tell adults if something goes wrong online. 

How to stay safe online: 

Use strong, unique passwords for your accounts. 

Be cautious about what you share online, especially on social media. 

Think about how your actions might affect others. 

Report online abuse to the relevant platforms. 

Stay updated on online safety news and trends. 

How to get involved: 

Talk to your children about online safety. 

Check your social media privacy settings. 

Be kind when interacting on social media. 

Resources for families: 

Have a look at the link below to check out different resources for families, including story books and videos that discuss safe internet use, posters, and family tech agreements to assist families with safe use of tablets, laptops, gaming consoles, smartphones, and TVs. 

NAPLAN 

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students can undertake. 

As students' progress through their school years, it is important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy. 

Our Year 3 and 5 students will sit their NAPLAN tests between the 12th and 24th of March as their literacy and numeracy skills are assessed so parents/carers are able to see how their child is progressing against national proficiency standards. All tests are completed online, except the Year 3 writing assessment which will be completed on paper. 

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress. Our teachers will use the data to direct your child’s learning, to ensure the needs with their learning and areas of extension are addressed. 

Please look at the parents' brochure attached if for more information, however if you have any further questions please visit me in the front office for a chat. 

Yours in Love, Peace and Learning,
Jason Puttnins
Assistant Principal - Innovation, Inclusion and Wellbeing

Welcome to the new school year! I am thrilled to embark on this new journey with your children and to begin my role as APRIM (Assistant Principal for Religious Identity and Mission) It is an honour to support the spiritual growth and development of our students and community.  

Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 

2025 marks a special Year of Jubilee! The term ‘Jubilee’ originates from the Hebrew word for a ram’s horn, which was blown to announce the beginning of a Jubilee year in biblical times. In the Old Testament, the Jubilee Year occurred every fifty years and was a time of renewal and celebration. Debts were forgiven, people were given rest, and the land itself was allowed to rejuvenate by not planting crops. Today, we celebrate a Jubilee every twenty-five years, continuing its legacy as a sacred year of forgiveness, mercy, and renewal. It is a time for us to reset and strengthen our relationships with God, each other, and all of creation.  

Pope Francis has called this Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, inviting us to renew our hope in the love God has for each of us, no matter who we are. A pilgrim is someone who embarks on a journey to holy places, seeking to grow closer to God. While we may not all be able to travel far, the Jubilee Year is still a journey for all of us —a journey of hope, deepening our connection with God and with one another.

OLSH Pillars  

This term, our OLSH Pillar focus is: We are Heart People who Reverence Relationships in Peace. 

As we begin the school year, we aim to emphasise the significance of building and nurturing strong, respectful relationships within our school community. This focus aligns with our School Mission, Vision, and learning Philosophy.  We use the research-based Positive Behaviour Intervention Support (PBIS) approach to promote positive behaviour at our school. Reverencing relationships is about treating others with dignity and valuing their contributions.  

Sacramental Programme 

If you have a child who is 7 years or older and who has been baptised in the Catholic Church, you may wish for them to complete the next stage of their Catholic journey, the sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion.  

This week I sent home the relevant documentation for years 4-6, however, if your child is 7 years old or above and you think your child is ready for this Sacramental journey please come and see me and I can give you this documentation. 

St Brigid’s Feast Day

The Feast Day of St. Brigid is celebrated on February 1st, honouring Ireland’s patron saint.  

St. Brigid is known for her compassion, hospitality, and dedication to the poor. At St Brigid’s, students celebrated through a liturgy, reflecting on St. Brigid’s values and contributions. The liturgy included prayers, hymns, readings, information about her life and faith and concluded with the St Brigid’s school prayer. Some classes also engaged in creative activities. 

Children's Liturgy 

The next Children’s Liturgy of the Word will begin at St Brigid’s Church on Sunday 16th February. 

Children's liturgy is a wonderful way for the children to have a better understanding of the Gospel of the day’s Liturgy and grow in appreciating the structure and the richness of the liturgy of the word section of the Mass.  

Yours in Love, Peace and Learning, 

Michaela Edwards 

Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission

Library

Welcome back to school everyone I hope you have all had a relaxing break and a big welcome to our new families to the St Brigid’s School Community.  

I am so excited to be back into the library area even though it will look a little different this year. Due to the building this year the library will be a portable library or a library on wheels. The children will have the opportunity to borrow books weekly and return them the following week to be able to borrow a new book. Please ensure your child/ren have their library book in their school bag each day so they are able to read at school if they have free reading time and to return on their allocated library day. At this stage Library days will be on a Thursday and a Friday. 

Once again I have plenty of exciting activities and displays organised for the year and I can’t wait to share with the children. 

Scholastic Book Club 

The first Scholastic Book Club Catalogue for the year has been sent home and the orders are due in by Wednesday 12th February.  

There are two ways you can order: 

You can fill in the order form on page 31 and return to the school front office in an envelope with the money. Please remember to include your childs name at the top of the form. 

You can order online via a loop. Go to the order form on page 31 there is a QR code for you to scan to set up your ordering platform. I have written your childs class number at the top of the order form you will need to know this to order. If you order and pay through the loop you have an option of having the books directly to your house (at an extra cost to you) or they can be included into the school order and delivered to the school. 

Usually once I have placed the orders they take approx 2 - 3 weeks to arrive at the school. They will then be give to your child to bring home. If you require an order to be kept from your child or only to go home on a certain day please let me know and I will ensure this happens. 

Free Books 

In this issue of the Scholastic Book club on page 32 you will see they are offering free books to people that order through the loop and spend a certain amount of money. If you spend more than $25 you will receive 1 x free book – If you spend more than $50 you will receive 2 x free books – If you spend more than $70 you will receive 3 x free books. This offer is only available for people that order through the loop. 

Premiers Reading Challenge 

Premier’s Reading Challenge has started again for 2025. We are encouraging the children to read as many books as they can throughout the year. All the books they read are entered onto a form which is sent off and the children earn rewards for their reading each year. The children are usually very excited at the end of the year to see their rewards when they arrive. 

Please do not hessitate to contact me if you have any queries in regards to the library, Scholastic Book Club orders or the Premier’s Reading Challenge. 

Looking forward to another fabulous year. 

Miss Mardi 

Hello and welcome back! We look forward to welcoming you through our doors this term! I hope you’ve had an enjoyable holiday with your family and are excited for the new school year! 

If you are not familiar with the community hub building – we are located at the back of the school, best accessed via 50 Le Hunte Street. We share the same building as the OSHC!  

Hub program

This term we will be continuing with our Playgroups and English Classes, aiming to start in Week 3! We’ve had a few things to work out with the changes to our space due to the building works. The best way to keep up to date with what’s happening in the community hub is to follow our facebook page: Facebook I will be posting updates to facebook as much as I can so if you would like to know what we’re doing – be sure to follow along!  

Volunteering: 

I am continuing to support with volunteer applications this term. If you would like to get involved with volunteering within the school (ie. On school excursions and special events) or in the community hub (in supporting our programs), volunteering application packages will be available from the front office. There will be more information on this at Parent Information Evening.  

The community hub is here to serve you! If you have any suggestions on what we can offer free to contact me at any time between 8:30-4:00pm. The community hub number is 0480 277 409, and email is communityhub@stb.catholic.edu.au 

Yours in Love, Peace, and Learning 

Bonnie  

Community Hub Leader