St Luke the Evangelist School Newsletter

17 March 2025 - Issue # 04

DIARY DATES


School Term Dates 2024

Term 1       Tuesday 28 January - Friday 04 April 

Term 2       Tuesday 22 April  Friday 04 July 

Term 3       Monday 21 July Friday 19 September 

Term 4       Monday 06 October Friday 19 December -  Last day of term Wednesday 17 December 

Term 1
Wednesday 12 to Monday 24 MarchNAPLAN - Year 3 & 5
Thursday 20 March

Snapshot of Learning - 1.30pm to 6.30pm

Normal end of day finish @ 3.25pm for students

Friday 21 MarchHarmony Day - Liturgy 3pm (Discovery Centre)
Saturday 22 MarchCommitment Mass - 5pm for Sacramental Candidates
Tuesday 25 MarchP&F Meeting - 7pm
Tuesday 01 April and Wednesday 02 AprilFirst Reconciliation - 3.45pm to 5.45pm (10 minute allocated time slots)
Thursday 03 AprilTwilight Sports - Bill Sewart Reserve 12.30pm - 5.00pm PLUS Family Picnic
Friday 04 April

Stations of the Cross - 8.30am to 9.00am

Last Day of Term - 1pm finish

Term 2
Tuesday 22 AprilTerm 2 begins
Wednesday 23 AprilYear 1-6 Information Sessions 3.30pm
Friday 25 AprilPublic Holiday - ANZAC Day
Wednesday 7 MayMother's Day Breakfast 7.45am
Friday 9 MayP&F Mother's Day Stall
Wednesday 14 MaySchool Photos
Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 MaySeniors Camp

A message from Clare

Good afternoon Families,

My apologies for this newsletter being sent a couple of days late. I simply ran out of time and thought instead of rushing it, l would leave it for today. I hope you are all enjoying some respite from the heat; l know the garden will.

A big shout out to Bianca Broccio and the P&F for organising our first fundraiser for the year. I can’t wait to see the tea towels and aprons with 150 plus portraits. It is such a great memento to have and handy too. 

On Friday 28th February, your children enjoyed a pupil free day whilst all staff attended a fantastic professional learning day at Sacred Heart, Croydon. We are very fortunate to be part of an eastern zone Reading Collective; just ten to twelve schools are involved and St Luke’s is one of them. Together this collective is embracing the Science of Learning, the Vision for Instruction (MACS) and the changing educational focus on the need for knowledge rich curriculum. Listening to Nathaniel Swain was thought provoking, reassuring and rejuvenating and the staff have returned to school eager to continue their current journey on ensuring St Luke’s continues to build and maintain their reputation as a school of excellence. So as a side note… when you wonder why there are pupil free days, it’s because WE are enjoying the rigour of learning more about our craft.

This week we have our Snapshots of Learning on Thursday afternoon. As noted in the Audiri post: This is similar to Parent Teacher interviews where teachers can provide parents with a snapshot of how your child is settling into the new school year. We have been building a profile of your child's learning and this will be a great opportunity to celebrate your child's strengths and to discuss what the next growth points are for your child.

If you have attended a PSG meeting for your child this term, please DO NOT book another meeting here.

Use the following link: https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/63ng6 if you have not booked your time yet. 

Please note: This is NOT a pupil free afternoon. All children will be supervised until 3.25 pm whilst meetings are in progress. 

The Sacrament of First Reconciliation will be upon us soon for the Year 3 children. This is for children who are baptised. Please pray for them as they prepare to deepen their connection to our loving and merciful God through the sacrament of reconciliation. Details will follow in the next couple of days for parents to book a time in Week 10.

We are feeling very excited about the upcoming Twilight Sports. An Operoo permission note went out last week. Please complete this as soon as possible. Please note the following:

  • We have an earlier start and finish this year. The fun and games will begin at 1.30pm and conclude at 4.30pm. Whilst we get your child to the venue, YOU will need to collect him/her/them at 4.30 pm.

  • WE NEED YOU! An army of parent helpers are needed to physically assist on the day please with set-up, supervising of events, scoring and pack up. Please volunteer now. If you didn’t do it on the Operoo permission, please email Emma Cooper at ecooper@slblackburnsth.catholic.edu.au or me at principal@slblackburnsth.catholic.edu.au and we’ll be in touch.

  • As mentioned after the past two exceptionally hot days when we had hoped to have our family Welcome Picnic, we will now be holding it immediately after the Twilight Sports afternoon. We will stay trackSIDE which is OFF the track and on the grassy patch that extends beyond the undercover seating. Please join us with a picnic rug and picnic tea. All child/ren need to be supervised by their parents please. Staff will not be available to do so.

Look out for the upcoming information about the annual Stations of the Cross that St Luke’s presents so beautifully. For those families new to our school, your child is working earnestly on creating a visual depiction of one or two stations of the cross. On Friday 4th April, our final day of Term One, you can visit each station with your child/ren before school. Make sure you invite grandparents or other family who might like to attend this reflective and beautiful presentation. Details will follow from our Faith and Mission leader, Nina Grieve.

On the staffing front, a couple of people will be taking Long Service Leave in the next couple of weeks. Marie Kennedy will be starting some leave in Week 8 and returning in Week 2 of Term 2. I wish her a wonderful time with her family and whilst her Junior class will miss her, we will look forward to her return. I will also be taking some leave beginning Friday 28th March to travel with my husband, Mark to Europe. We will return very early May and once again, l feel blessed to have this opportunity. Julie Inglese will step in as Acting Principal in my absence and will do a great job attending to all things school related. Please make sure you check in with her, should you need to at jinglese@slblackburnsth.catholic.edu.au I’ll look forward to sharing my adventures with you on my return.

Next term… heads up:

  • Week 1: Easter Monday- the school is closed and ANZAC Day (Friday)- the school is also closed

  • Week 1: WEDNESDAY 23rd April: Information sessions for Years 1-6 from 3.30pm to 4.15pm. We would love both parents to attend so you get a very clear picture of how the Science of Learning works, however we appreciate this isn’t always possible. 

Have a lovely afternoon and l look forward to seeing you around the place, before l leave.

Clare


Stations of the Cross ~ 2025

The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, is a devotion that reflects on Jesus’ final days on Earth - from being condemned to death to dying on the cross and being placed in the tomb. 

The Stations of the Cross consist of a series of 14 artistic representations that typically line the interior walls of every Catholic Church. It’s often said that you must walk a mile in someone’s shoes to understand what they are going through. The goal of this devotion is to “walk” in Jesus’ shoes by praying and meditating on each of the events (stations) that Jesus experienced.

On Friday 4th of April, our school community will journey through our own Stations of the Cross. Each of the 14 stations will be created by a class, capturing key moments during Jesus’ journey to His death on Good Friday. 

Parents and Carers are warmly invited into the school for this outdoor event from 8.30am to 9am to participate in the Stations of the Cross, guided by your own child/ren. 

We ask that you please remember this is a solemn occasion and Stations of the Cross is a special prayer in which you will be participating.

We look forward to seeing many of you on Friday 4th of April.

Nina Grieve

Faith and Mission Leader

2025 Sacramental Program Dates

Harmony Day 2025

This year we will celebrate Harmony Day on Friday March 21, 2025.

On the day and during the week, we celebrate Australia's amazing cultural diversity. We celebrate inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for all Australians, from the traditional custodians of the land to those who have come from many countries around the world.

Parents and friends are invited to a Harmony Day Liturgy in the Discovery Centre at 3pm led by our school leaders in Year 6.

Students will participate in classroom activities and are asked to wear a touch of orange on the day.

Gabrielle Carter

Wellbeing Leader

News from our budding Prep artists

This term we have been using phonics and vibrant picture books to inspire our prep students to create incredible works of art.  The students have been delighted to use a variety of materials including…a lettuce spinner to develop their fine motor skills as well as their creativity.

Check out our slippery snails in the walkway and visit the prep room for a very shy crab and some patterned fish.  

I loved watching the paint in the lettuce spinner - George

I enjoyed tracing my hand and cutting it out to make the head of the crab - Natalia

I loved making the snail for the letter S - Ky

Italiano!

Ciao a tutti!  We have had a meraviglioso (wonderful) start to the year. The students enjoy coming to the Italian room (also the art room) and sharing their learning with our collection of soft toys!

In the first photo, you can see Roberto watching the girls complete a greetings worksheet.  Whilst Roberto's body language isn’t great, we do need to remember that he is a doggy and he is keeping the girls focused on their work.  In the second photo, Giulia and Leone are being very attentive along with Max and Fido in the last photo.  The soft toys bring much excitement and calm to our classroom and the occasional ‘discussion’ about who should hold them.  I have organised a booking book in order to ensure that all students get to hold one of the soft toys. 

The beginning of term involves revision of greetings and increasing our  vocabulary.  As Clare pointed out in the previous newsletter, ‘working memory has its limits’ (Sweller 2011) which can make learning a second language challenging for some but we are doing our best to familiarise ourselves with vocabulary by singing songs and playing games.  The seniors have just started a program on their chromebooks called ‘Memrise’ that also aims to help with retention of vocabulary. 

I want to inform you that Italian Day will be celebrated on Thursday, June 5th.  There will be lots of fun activities and the students will be encouraged to dress in the Italian colours of green, white and red.  More information to come in term two.

It is an absolute pleasure to teach Italian to your children and I hope that some of them come home and try a few expressions or recite some of the vocabulary for you.  Ciao per adesso. 

Signora Phillips

STEM News

A free Microscope Workshop is being offered by the team at Optics Central.  

There are two dates available, March 22nd and March 29th.

Further information can be found by following the link Workshop details or by scanning the QR code on the flyers.

Workshop Details

School Production 2025 - BRING BACK THE BEAT!

We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible talent of our Year 5 and 6 students who auditioned for the upcoming school production.  Miss Buxton and Mrs Madden were blown away by the enthusiasm, effort, and skill displayed by every student— what an amazing group of performers!

A special message to those who may not have received their first preference: every role is vital to the success of the production, and we have no doubt that each and every one of you will shine on stage.  We can’t wait to see the magic you bring to life!

Well done, everyone— let’s make this a performance to remember!

The Story - BRING BACK THE BEAT!

The year is 2055 and the world of music as we know it has been destroyed, and humanity has forgotten the beauty of real sound.  With melodies lost and rhythms erased, the future is bleak.  The fate of music lies in the hands of four brave children who uncover a secret: the only way to restore harmony is to travel back in time.  Their mission?  Find legendary singers and iconic bands who once created timeless music, and bring them to the present.  Together, they must stage an unforgettable concert to reignite the world's love for real music and save its soul before it's too late.

Meet the Cast

Ava: Georgia MMia: Lizzie
Bree: StellaTed: Max
Mr Brightside: ThomasJessie’s Girl: Charlene
Rockin’ 50’s - Elvis: AlessandroSwinging 60’s - Johnny Carson: Oliver
The Beatles: Jayden, Bradley, Billy, Lucas TFan Girls: Ivy, Ella G, Rose, Katie, Maddie, Katia
Dazzling 70’s - Tina Turner: VivienneABBA: Minah, Olivia W, Ethan, Mason
DJ Dazzle: Olivia DRadical 80’s - Prince: Grayson
Kylie Minogue: VioletBobby Clayton: Hugo
Poppin’ 90’s - Vanilla Ice: Jonathan      Entourage: Lachie, Oscar, Louis
Shania Twain: BellaAwesome 000’s - Party Host: Hannah
Britney Spears: SophiaBeyonce: Ria
Fabulous 2010’s - Apple Employee: EvieLady Gaga: Desi
Miley Cyrus: Natasha
Extras: Evie, Ivy, Ella G, Rose, Katie, Maddie, Katia, Lachie,Oscar, Louis, Hudson, Charlie, Hamish, Tahlia, Connor, Lucas I, Jacob, AJ

TWILIGHT SPORTS

Look out for the Operoo notification about Twilight Sports.  We need an army of volunteers  to help us on the day please.  So if you are planning to be there and don't have toddlers to look after, maybe you can add your name to the list of volunteers required.   


Save the date:                        Thursday 3rd April



Thank you, in advance of your help.  

NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES

If your child requires noise cancelling headphones, please check out Amazon to purchase a pair. We would love you to send them to school for use during your child's school day. Please make sure they are clearly labelled with your child's name.

SOCIAL MEDIA

We would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you to LOVE our social media posts... so please, if you are on social media, look out for us on Facebook and Instagram. Let's get our name out there!

High School - Open Day information

Community News

School Housekeeping

SMART WATCHES & MOBILE PHONES

If a child wears a smart watch to school, it must be de-activated so the child is not receiving or sending messages etc...

Mobile Phones and smart watches are requested to be left at the office in the morning and collected at the end of the day. 

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 2025:

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.

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.

BUY/SELL SECONDHAND UNIFORM:

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

School Uniform - Spartan School World

School Uniform is to be worn at all times.

Online orders placed by midday on a Monday will be included in the weekly Wednesday school delivery.
Any orders placed after this time will be delivered in the following weeks run.

Store opening hours Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm and the 1st Saturday of the month 9am - 12pm

Friday - School Lunches

Friday lunches are available to order from Classroom Cuisine. There are many options and varying prices. Orders are made and paid for on-line and delivered straight to school. 

For details on how it works, pricing and to create an account please visit www.classroomcuisine.com.au.

Kelly Club

Kelly Club run programmes before and after school that our children love.  If you have any enquiries regarding availability, booking and cost, please contact Elena

We are St Luke's.  A community of faith, learning and partnership.

Journeying together, we strive to live the gospel so that all may enjoy the fullness of life.

We look with wonder at our world and embrace learning through inquiry, through action, through reflection to realise our potential.

We celebrate diversity and we welcome the opportunity to live and work together.

We are companions on the journey, now 60 years on ... guided by the Holy Spirit, inviting the participation of everyone.

Thankyou to our wonderful sponsors of St Luke's