St Luke the Evangelist School Newsletter

Good Afternoon Families,

Good afternoon Families and Friends,

There is so much to be grateful for… gorgeous end to our Autumn with magical days; l even found two most beautiful toadstools in our garden. We have had a bumper couple of weeks of learning and l have to share the news with you all… we have inspiring budding writers in Prep! I was fortunate to have Evie and Henry visit me with their writing this week and l was very, very impressed. Julianne and Brooke assure me that they have a class full of authors who are learning and refining their craft, daily. Well done Prep.

Cross Country- a huge shout out to our children who gave it their very best shot at the Waverley District Cross Country event on Wednesday. Once again, they have done our school proud with their sense of spirit and determination. Regardless of results, in our eyes- you are all WINNERS!

I had the pleasure of wandering the shops in South Blackburn, chatting with shop proprietors and popping up a flyer in their windows. It’s so lovely to experience the generosity of strangers who have a strong commitment to promoting the community. Please make sure you acknowledge and support our locals… their names will be noted later in the newsletter. 

Next Friday, 7th June we have our whole school mass for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Please try to join us at 9.30 am and afterwards for a cuppa in the Discovery Centre. This is a time when we think about how we can reach out to those in our community who may need support and traditionally, schools take this opportunity to work with Vinnies to collect as much perishable food as possible. Please think broadly and generously, if you can. We’ll be having a wear a COLOUR FOR A CAUSE day coming up and that’s when we’ll be collecting our non-perishable items. Nina Grieve has popped a message in this newsletter. 

Term Two is notoriously busy for children, for families and especially for teachers. As we earnestly assess children’s learning, collect our evidence that supports our results and examine that data to guide our reporting, the business of school life continues. Teachers spend a lot of time and take great care in reporting about your child carefully, sensitively and with great attention to accuracy and detail. Each family will be notified that their child’s report will be accessible digitally. Please make sure you have an operating account that will enable you to access your child’s report so you can share their achievements. My thanks goes to all staff members who remain committed to ensuring that every child is becoming the best learner they can be, being safe and being happy. 

Last week we enjoyed another opportunity with Shane Pearson exploring PhOrMEs. Shane modelled the program in both the Seniors classroom and the Middle’s classroom and all teachers and LSOs were able to attend a session to observe. That afternoon St Thomas’, Blackburn joined us for our Professional Learning meeting (PLM) and we listened as Shane delved deeper into the program, demonstrating strategies and explaining the research behind the program. Watch this space as our children are immersed into an exciting approach to literacy and learning.

Finally, this term, our school Leadership Team has had the opportunity to build its capacity as a team leading our St Luke’s learning community as well as focus on building their own personal capacity as a school leader. I feel so fortunate to be working with this wonderful group of educators and would like to thank them for their commitment to their individual Positions of Leadership:

Julie Inglese as Deputy Principal and Learning and Teaching Leader

Nina Grieve as Faith and Mission Leader

Gabrielle Carter as Student Wellbeing Leader

Emily Roberts as Learning Diversity Leader

Julianne Kelly as Literacy Leader and 

Emily Chlebica as Maths Leader

Have a wonderful weekend ahead. We’ll see you next week.

Clare Ryan

Principal 

principal@slblackburnsth.catholic.edu.au

This term in Performing Arts all junior classes have been learning about the story of Tiddalick the Frog which is a Dreamtime Story.

They have been practicing really hard and got to perform the play to a group of fellow students in the school.  Every student had a line to say and took on the role of a character within the story.

They were excellent!

In Prep this term we have been very busy discovering new learning.

I like writing the sounds I hear in words. - Angus

I like learning about Shapes in Maths. -Evie

I like learning new words - Lily

I like watching my grass head grow. - Willow

I like hearing stories about Jesus -Julian 

I like creating new art pieces - Henry 

I like staying still and meditating - Emily 

I like learning new skills in sport - Gianluca

I like acting in performing art - Sophia 

I like learning about Pinocchio in Italian - Lachlan

We are very keen to accept enrolments now and don’t want anyone missing out. If you know someone who is looking to enrol their child in Prep for 2025 or in other year levels, please encourage them to book a tour and have a chat with me. 

Clare Ryan: principal@slblackburnsth.catholic.edu.au or Phone: 9877 4023

Out THANKS to the generous proprietors of our local businesses who are displaying our flyers. Please support them if you can.

LOST PROPERTY:

Please check the lost property cupboard in the office foyer if you are missing uniform or food containers.  

Term 2 and 3 WINTER UNIFORMS:

Winter uniform -  As the months get cooler, please make sure your child has his/her school jumper EVERY day. Rain jackets should not be worn in place of a school jumper and are for outside use only.

CHILDREN ARRIVING AFTER THE BELL OR LEAVING EARLY:

As part of our wellbeing care of children at St Luke's, every class engages in a morning routine at 8.50 am.  This quiet, calm time allows children to gather together in a circle, to greet each other by name, to pray and/or enter into some Christian meditation and get ready for the day.  Please make sure you allow enough time to get your child to school BEFORE 8.50 am.

If children arrive after the gate and student entry doors are locked, parents/carers are required to walk their child/ren to the school office and sign them in on the VPass iPad.

If leaving early (before the end of the day), parents/carers are required to sign their child/ren out on the VPASS iPad.

FOOD ALLERGIES:

Allergic reactions to food… can be harmful to our children. For that reason we ask parents to think carefully about what they are packing in their child’s lunch boxes. Occasionally, something might slip through and once aware, we take precautions to ensure the safety of every child. As stated in the Family Handbook 2024:

We are an EGG and NUT free school due to the allergies of children within our community.  We ask that parents respect this request and the potential harm this could do to children if brought to school.

Thank you for your care and attention to this.

Buy/Sell second hand uniform:

Join the St Luke's Primary School Blackburn South Buy/Sell Uniform group on Facebook to buy/sell uniform with other parents.