Term 1, Week 8

With the recent feasts of St Patrick, St Joseph, and Harmony Week, we are reminded at the essence of these celebrations: faith, kindness, inclusion, compassion, loyalty, and love. These virtues, grounded in the Holy Trinity, are at the heart of our mission at St Brigid’s. We strive not only for excellence in learning and wellbeing but also to embody and live out these in love and faith every day. 

Annual General Meeting 

I extend my sincere thanks to the parents and staff who attended our Annual General Meeting. Special appreciation goes to Fr Selva and our dedicated school board members—Rozanna, Kodie, Chris, and Amanda—led by our chairperson, Nicholas, for their unwavering commitment and support throughout the school year. A particular note of gratitude goes to Leah, who, after four years of service, including two as chairperson, has concluded her time with us as her children move on to high school. We warmly welcome Maria and Katie, who will be joining us in the new school board year. 

Every Day Counts 

Education is crucial, and regular attendance at school is essential for your child to achieve their educational best and increase their career and life options. When your child attends school every day, learning becomes easier as they can build on what was learned the day before. Just one day missed per fortnight equates to one whole year over a child's school life! 

Arriving at school on time is also important. Classes start at 8:50 am, so students should arrive at least ten minutes prior to this to ensure they have time to put their bags away and greet their friends. Arriving after the bell disrupts the flow of the class, and important daily reminders and learning opportunities are missed. 

Schools, in partnership with families, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students and for ensuring that non-attendance is addressed effectively. Thank you for prioritising your children’s attendance at school, and please do not hesitate to contact us if you require support in this area. 

As we progress through Term 1, our school community continues to thrive with meaningful learning experiences, special events, and important milestones for our students and families. Your continued support is invaluable, and we thank you for your attendance and engagement in the upcoming parent-teacher interviews. 

St Patricks Day

St. Patrick's Day, celebrated on March 17th, honours St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave but later escaped. After becoming a priest, he returned to Ireland to spread Christianity. The day is marked with parades, festivities, and wearing green, symbolizing Irish heritage and St. Patrick’s use of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.  At St Brigid’s we celebrated the day by encouraging the staff to dress in green to celebrate the Irish culture and spirit.  

Lent 

Lent is a time of compassion and hope. During Lent students can see how small acts of kindness and sacrifice can make a big difference in the lives of others. During Lent, we will be raising funds for Project Compassion. In Heart Learning, we are learning about Project Compassion, and this year's focal people are: Toefuata’iga, from Samoa,  Lam’s from Vietnam and Irene from Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Project Compassion - Toefuata’iga Story

Toefuata’iga is 13 years old. She goes to a primary school in Samoa. While Samoa is a beautiful country surrounded by water, Toefuata’iga’s school didn’t have enough clean water for drinking or washing hands. This made it hard for her and her friends to stay healthy and learn well. At times, when the school ran out of clean water, teachers had to fetch water themselves in buckets from neighbouring homes who had access to piped water. This took time away from teaching their students. On days with little or no water, students were sent home early, missing out on learning and playing with friends. Then, something wonderful happened! Caritas Samoa, with help from Caritas Australia, provided the school with a big 10,000 litre water tank. Now, the school has clean water all the time!  Toefuata’iga and her classmates can stay at school all day to learn and play without worrying about getting sick.  

Harmony Day

At St Brigid's we celebrate our beautifully diverse community daily, learning from one another about our different faiths and different cultures. We also take the time during Harmony Week in Australia, to display our culture and heritage through the wearing of traditional dress and/or a 'splash of orange'. This year we celebrated Harmony Day on Wednesday with community prayer and then the year 6 leaders planned and organised activities to share in their house groups.  

Children's Liturgy 

 St Brigid's Church in Kilburn, offer Children's Liturgy of the Word during the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass and is organised by staff members of St Brigid’s School. This program provides children with an age-appropriate understanding of the day's Gospel and helps them appreciate the structure and richness of the Liturgy of the Word. We would love to see you there.  

Family Bingo Night

All families are invited to attend the Parish Family Bingo Night. It is a great night full of fun, lots of laughs and some great prizes to be won. All money raised will go towards purchasing a defibrillator for the church. Please see the flyer attached or please come and speak with me about coming along.  

Technology Education 

Nick Hrisafinas

Playgroups and English Classes

Playgroups have been great as usual! We have done some St Patrick’s day themed activities like matching shapes to the leprechaun’s hat, colouring, and green playdough. We also enjoyed some painting outside on the garden fence. 

Upcoming we have a beach playgroup at Webb Beach. Wednesday 2nd of April. There are limited spaces available because we will be sharing a bus with another community hub. Cost to ride the bus is $5 per family but you can also drive your own car and meet us there! This is open to any current playgroup families! For more information, please contact Bonnie on 0480 277 409, or come along to playgroup next week. Spaces are filling so don’t wait! 

Playgroups are Mondays and Wednesdays 9-11am in the community hub/OSHC building for children 0-5years and their parents. All are welcome to join! It is free! 

Our English classes run Thursdays 10-12pm. All are welcome to join though some level of English would be beneficial. We have child-minding available (in the same room) for children below school age. The class offers opportunity to practice speaking, reading, and writing in English with a qualified teacher.  

Volunteering  

If you would like to become a volunteer with the school, you can get a volunteer application pack from the front office. Becoming a volunteer means you can go on excursions with your child’s class, help with special events, and help in community hub. If you need help with your application, please contact me on; 0480 277 409  

If you have already received a volunteer pack, these can be returned to me or the front office! 

This week at OSHC, we explored and discussed the significance of Harmony Day. Celebrated annually on March 21 in Australia, Harmony Day is a key event that promotes inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for people from all cultural backgrounds. The day underscores the importance of embracing diversity and encourages everyone to contribute to creating an inclusive society among friends and family at OSHC. As children apply what they’ve learned to new situations, they enhance their ability to transfer knowledge across different contexts. 

As we approach the end of Term 1, parents and caregivers are reminded to settle all outstanding fees for Term 1. Timely payment is essential for us to provide the best possible care and facilities for your children. Fees can be paid at the front office or via bank transfer. If you choose to pay by bank transfer, please include "OSHC" and your child's name in the description. 

If there is anything I can do to assist, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

OSHC's mobile number is 0448 830652. 

Email: atetevi@stb.catholic.edu.au 

Yours in Love, Peace, and Learning