Good afternoon Families and Friends,
It is so wonderful feeling the positivity, the energy and the joy around this place. Even with the changing weather, our spirits are high as we embark on our learning. It was a very special school assembly in Week 2 when six young people of our school community received their SRC Badges. Congratulations to our SRC representatives for Semester One:
- Samantha
- William
- Tilly
- Madelyn
- Evie
- Hugo
We’re very proud of you. They took on a pledge and are very eager to make their contribution to making St Luke’s the very best school it can be:
Pledge: God, the source of every good gift,
You have called us together as servants to do Your will.
Grant us the light of Your Spirit
To guide us in our responsibilities as the SRC.
May we work together in harmony for the common good.
May we listen to one another in a spirit of genuine respect.
May we encourage one another’s unique talents.
May we approach our decision making
With careful thought.
May we respond effectively to the needs of
others in our school.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
On the topic of Leadership… Our Year 5 children are back out in the community making lovely connections with our local kinders and early learning centres. This week they visited Aurora and buddied up with some kindy kids. We have much to learn from these younger humans and our children love the connections they are making.
Last week, the Year 6 leaders attended the Box Hill RSL ANZAC service at the Box Hill Gardens. It was a moving experience and the children watched with curiosity and wonder at the pomp and ceremony of such ceremonies. Our two School Captains, Chloe and Noah, laid a wreath at the cenotaph. This will become an annual occasion, alternating between representing St Luke’s at the Dawn Service one year and the RSL ANZAC Service for schools every other year.
Website Photos- What can l say but WOW, WET and WILD! The weather was wild but we pushed through it. There were lots of candid shots in the yard at recess and lunchtime. Some children were asked to speak about St Luke’s and they spoke beautifully and are a credit to YOU, their family and to our school. Mark returned this week to do the drone and take a few more outdoor shots. Families will be informed if their child has been selected as a possible inclusion on the website.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING:
Julianne Kelly, as our Literacy Leader, has been unpacking UFLI- a research based phonics approach from the University of Florida. The Junior classes will be taking this on board too as the term progresses. As MACS delivers professional learning for schools across the Archdiocese that builds teacher capacity and efficacy around the Science of Learning, our teachers are learning about what resources will support them most efficiently. Our Prep to Year 2 team has introduced TIMS- Teaching for Impact in Maths Series. It follows a direct instruction approach and is research based.
On Tuesday afternoon, St Thomas’, Blackburn joined us for an incredibly stimulating presentation from Shane Pearson who is a speech pathologist. As a therapist in a primary school, he has developed an approach to word reading and spelling called PhOrMeS. This delves into Phonology (sound), Orthography (writing), Morphology (studying the form of words) Etymology (origin and evolution of words) and semantics (meaning of language). It will complement the UFLI program in P-Yr 2 and be a perfect segway for our budding writers from Yr 3-6. Shane will return to work with teachers in the Middle and Senior school classes later this term.
Mother’s Day Breakfast: is ready to go. Invites have gone out, a menu is being formed and all we need are the Mums, their kids and any other special women to join us. Make sure you RSVP with how many are coming from your family… Mum plus children and grandma or special female to schooloffice@slblackburnsth.catholic.edu.au
We also have a Mother's Day stall that will begin at 1 pm on the same day. Thank you to the dads who have volunteered to man the stall. WE still need 3-4 more Dads to volunteer please. Contact me directly at: principal@slblackburnsth.catholic.edu.au if you can volunteer for a couple of hours.
The SACRAMENTS are gaining momentum with a Commitment Mass offered two weekends ago. All candidates and their families were encouraged to attend. Confirmation will occur on Friday 17th May at 6 pm. I would like to thank Nina Grieve and the Senior School teachers- Emily Chlebica, Kathryn Fitt and Rosa Phillips for their wonderful support of our Confirmation candidates. We have a Confirmation Workshop evening this Tuesday, 7th May in the Discovery Centre starting at 7pm sharp, for all Confirmation candidates and their parents. Fr Tony Kerin from St Francis Xavier, Box Hill will visit the children the week before he confirms the children.
That’s it from me. Have a wonderful weekend and see you next week.
Clare
Principal
principal@slblackburnsth.catholic.edu.au
