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Term 4 Week 11 NEWSLETTER 14 th December, 2016 Dear Parents, “May the miracle of Christmas fill your heart with joy.” On behalf of Father Jeff and myself, I would like to thank all our school community, parents, students and staff for working together to help make St. Brigid’s Catholic School a wonderful, caring and supportive place. It is through the efforts and commitment of so many people that St. Brigid’s enjoys a welcoming atmosphere and a happy and safe learning environment. We are most grateful for your support and the efforts you have made to enhance your children’s learning throughout the year. In the past newsletters I have mentioned some of the ways you have contributed and these are far from being limited to those means. We are hugely indebted to you all for what you have done to add to the vibrancy of our school. The commitment from parents who play a part in the more formalised roles on the School Board, the Social and Fundraising Committee, the Fair Committee, the Uniform Shop and Play Group is enormous and their participation in sharing ideas and taking part in discussions is vital and is valued and deeply appreciated. All our students are unique and wonderful examples of God’s love in our world. The past week I have been reading through their End of Year Reports and we congratulate them for the way they have taken ownership of their learning by taking an active role, being motivated ST. BRIGID’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 25 Bayview Road, Officer Vic. 3809 Telephone: (03) 5943 2447 Fax (03) 5943 2579 Email: [email protected] Website: www.stbofficer.catholic.edu.au Inside this issue: Thank You Morning Tea – Thursday, December 15 th following Mass End of Term 4 – Friday, December 16 th Early Dismissal – 1.00 p.m. on Friday, December 16 th

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Term 4 Week 11 NEWSLETTER 14th December, 2016

Dear Parents,

“May the miracle of Christmas fill your heart with joy.” On behalf of Father Jeff and myself, I would like to thank all our school community, parents,

students and staff for working together to help make St. Brigid’s Catholic School a

wonderful, caring and supportive place. It is through the efforts and commitment of so many

people that St. Brigid’s enjoys a welcoming atmosphere and a happy and safe learning

environment.

We are most grateful for your support and the efforts you have made to enhance your

children’s learning throughout the year. In the past newsletters I have mentioned some of

the ways you have contributed and these are far from being limited

to those means. We are hugely indebted to you all for what you have

done to add to the vibrancy of our school.

The commitment from parents who play a part in the more formalised

roles on the School Board, the Social and Fundraising Committee, the

Fair Committee, the Uniform Shop and Play Group is enormous and

their participation in sharing ideas and taking part in discussions is

vital and is valued and deeply appreciated.

All our students are unique and wonderful examples of God’s love in

our world. The past week I have been reading through their End of

Year Reports and we congratulate them for the way they have taken

ownership of their learning by taking an active role, being motivated

ST. BRIGID’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 25 Bayview Road, Officer Vic. 3809

Telephone: (03) 5943 2447 Fax (03) 5943 2579

Email: [email protected] Website: www.stbofficer.catholic.edu.au

Inside this issue: Thank You Morning Tea – Thursday, December 15th following Mass End of Term 4 – Friday, December 16th Early Dismissal – 1.00 p.m. on Friday, December 16th

to participate and generally interact with their peers. Our students are the reason our

school exists and it has been a pleasure to reflect on the progress they have made and the

personal growth within each one of them. We look forward, in anticipation, to a New Year of

growth and change.

It would be remiss of me not to publicly and specially thank the wonderful staff here at St.

Brigid’s. They make such a difference to the lives of our students and they enrich our school

community. We have a very professional team of teachers, education support staff and

administration personnel who always go above and beyond within this dynamic and flexible

school environment. Their efforts, have been outstanding. We thank them for their

expertise, commitment to ongoing professional development and for inspiring and encouraging

each other in the highly complex and challenging teaching profession.

We say thank you to the cleaning staff, Jim and Maggie and to our recent addition of a

gardener, Mark who work hard to keep our school looking clean and tidy and gardens looking

healthy and flourishing.

Our school community benefits enormously from the pastoral care and leadership extended

to us by Father Jeff Kleynjans. His involvement at St. Brigid’s is always welcomed and we

appreciate and thank him and Father Hilarion Fernando for their contribution to our school.

We wish them a holy and joyous Christmas Season and may they, too, have an opportunity for

a well deserved break during the festive season.

We farewell three staff, Miss Sam Isaacson, Miss Monique Adrichem and Miss Julie Kennedy

as they leave to take on teaching roles at other schools. I am sure they will settle quickly

into their new environments Miss Kristie Copestake is taking a year’s leave to pursue her

personal goals and interests. We wish them all well and much happiness as they continue

their teaching careers and/or venture into new experiences.

We will say goodbye to our Year 6 students this evening at the Graduation ceremony.

To those families who are moving and leaving St. Brigid’s we thank you for being part of the

St. Brigid’s school community and wish you every success in the future.

Thank you all for your gift of time, friendship, and goodwill and may you continue to be

shining examples of God’s love to others. May your Christmas be filled with joy and happiness

surrounded by your loved ones. Best wishes for a safe and prosperous 2017.

As a Catholic School we are a community, which celebrates our Catholic Story and traditions and recognise Christ is at the centre of our lives:

“Jesus was born of Mary, the betrothed of Joseph, a son of David.” Matthew 1:18-24

This coming Sunday begins the Fourth Week of Advent. Alerting us to the imminent

celebration of Christ’s coming Matthew’s Gospel tells us of the events

that led to the birth of Christ.

Before Mary and Joseph were married, the angel Gabriel appeared to

Mary and told her that through the power of the Holy Spirit, she was

going to have a child. This child would be the Son of God. Matthew’s

Gospel tells how an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. Like Mary,

Joseph trusted in God and did what was asked of him.

Mary and Joseph are great models of discipleship. They show us what it means to be

faithful to each other and to trust and follow God.

The angels rejoiced and sang with joy

and told the shepherds of a baby boy.

The wise men came, a king to greet,

and laid their treasures at his feet.

Thus began a celebration,

which is observed in every nation.

So rejoice with me and sing with joy

for the king who came as a baby boy.

Bring all your treasures one by one,

present them now to God’s own Son.

And may your trouble melt fast away

as the bells ring out on Christmas Day!

F. Adams

While reflecting on Matthew’s Gospels for Advent I remembered the words from Pope

Francis that I recall when he was lighting the lights of the Christmas Tree in Italy in

December last year:

“In switching on the light of the Nativity scene, we wish for the light of Christ to be in us. A

Christmas without light is not Christmas. Let there be light in the soul, in the heart; let there be

forgiveness to others; let there be no hostilities, which are dark. Let there be the beautiful light of

Jesus. This is my wish for all of you, when you turn on the light of the crib.” “…If you have

something dark in your soul, ask the Lord for forgiveness. Christmas is a great opportunity to

cleanse the soul. Do not fear, the priest is merciful, forgiving all in the name of God, because God

forgives everything.” Pope Francis. Lighting the Christmas Tree, Gubbio, Italy, Dec, 8 2014.

We celebrate the birth of Jesus each year because Jesus is with us and continues his

presence through us in our words and actions. If we are to truly be one with Jesus we must

not let the darkness take hold of us. We must let the light of Christ bring us peace. To allow

Christ’s light to burn brightly in us we must let go of those things which do not reflect the

love and forgiveness Jesus unconditionally gives to us.

Affirmations of Christmas I believe that Christmas is more than a time for parties and ornaments;

it is a time for remembering Christ and the incarnation of God’s love in human flesh.

I believe there are gifts more important than the ones under the Christmas tree, the things we teach our

children, the way we share ourselves with friends and the industry with which we set about reshaping the

world in our time.

I believe that the finest carols are sung by the poorest voices, from hearts made warm by the wonder of

the season.

I believe in the Angel’s message that we should not be afraid, that the Child of Bethlehem is able to

overcome all anxieties and insecurities.

I believe in prayer and quietness as a way of appropriating Christmas – that if I wait in silence I will

experience the presence of the one born in the manger, for he lives today as surely as he lived then.

I believe in going away from Christmas as the wise men went: “another way”. I want to be different when

those days are past – more centred, more thoughtful and caring.

And I believe God will help me.

So this Christmas: Mend a quarrel

Seek out a forgotten friend

Give a soft answer

Encourage youth

Keep a promise

Find the time

Listen

Apologize if you were wrong

Be gentle

Laugh a little

Laugh a little more

Express your gratitude

Reach out to someone in need

Gladden the heart of a child

Take pleasure in the beauty of the earth

Speak your love

Speak it again

Speak it still once again

Graduation Year 6 Graduation will be celebrated on Wednesday, December 14th at 7.00 p.m. in our Chapel

and Multipurpose room. This is a distinct year from any other as it is the first year that we

have had students commence in Foundation and graduate in Year 6. This is a special time in

St. Brigid’s short history of 7 years.

Congratulations to our Year Six students who have come to the end of their primary

schooling and are ready to embark on new challenges as they move forward to secondary

school. From all of us here at St. Brigid’s we pray they they will spread love and peace

everywhere they go and be living expressions of God’s kindness and compassion.

Congratulations to our graduating Year Six Students

Ashah A Finbar C Luke M

Nektaria A Sebastien C Bridie O

Tom B Mia D Jay P

Joshua B Jett F Luke R

Hamish B Brody H Isabella S

Christian B Bailey J Santiago V

Ben C Sonny K Blake V

Sarcha C Bailey L Mary W

Shrie C Jack M Kobi W

Ethan C Charlotte M Shaylee W

Mass of Thanksgiving and Passing on Ceremony Our final Mass for the year will be held on Thursday, December 15th and will be a Mass of

gratitude, praising God and expressing our love and thanksgiving for the school year we have

had together. Mass will begin at 9.00 a.m. and will include a ‘Passing On’ ceremony where our

Year 6 leaders will pass on the student leadership to our Year 5 students. You are all invited

to come along and share in this celebration with us.

Thank You Morning Tea

We value all your contributions, your connectedness to St. Brigid’s and your friendship and

we would like to show our sincere gratitude by hosting a ‘Thank You Morning Tea’ following

our Thanksgiving Mass on Thursday, December 15th. Mass commences at 9.00 a.m.

End of the 2016 School Year The conclusion of the 2016 school year for students and the end of Term 4 is Friday,

December 16th. Students will be dismissed at the earlier time of 1.00 p.m. on this day.

OVERDUE LIBRARY BOOKS We still have 256 overdue books that have not been returned to the Library.

A list of all students who have overdue books has been given to your child’s teacher and the

teachers have been urging students to return these books. Please

ensure that you return them to the library as a matter of urgency.

Books that have not been returned are very costly to our school.

Due to the large amount still overdue we may have no alternative

but to send invoices to you for books that have not been returned.

If you have lost or misplaced the book, please contact the school office in order that we may

come to some arrangement.

Commencement of the 2017 School Year All students, including Foundation Students, will commence the 2017 School Year on

Thursday, February 2nd. We will once again, have two assessment days on Tuesday, January

31st and Wednesday, February 1st 2017. Booking times will be available closer to the end of

the year when classes and teacher placements have been finalised.

School Newsletter in 2017

Our school newsletter is a vital way in which we communicate with our parents, carers and

guardians. It relates specifically to the St. Brigid’s school community and contains important

information such as dates, announcements, photographs, student achievements, student

learning and upcoming events.

We believe the newsletter is not for the general public, those not related to St. Brigid’s, to

view, comment on, copy or reproduce.

Therefore, at the beginning of the 2017 School Year we will be making arrangements for the

newsletter to be password protected and only available to the St. Brigid’s community.

We will provide families with a password to access the newsletter in the new year and we

request that you do not give your password to any other person. It is your responsibility to

keep your password secure. To this end, we will be asking you to sign a declaration that you

will keep your password protected from others and you will not divulge your password to

anyone even it is a friend, former member of St. Brigid’s community or extended family.

The privacy of our students, parents and school is crucial to maintaining good communication

and it is essential for the school to be able to confidently provide vital information that

others may not access and use for means that it is not intended for.

We will continue to have a limited amount of copies of the newsletter available for viewing in

the School Office for those who may not have internet access. The newsletter will be able to

be accessed through the St. Brigid’s App via your password.

We thank you in anticipation of your cooperation to enable St. Brigid’s School to continue to

provide our weekly newsletter in the future.

Lost Jumpers Two Size 8 school jumpers are missing with the name Jetlin D on them. Could all parents

please check your children’s jumpers and school bags to see if they have accidently brought

home the wrong jumper. It would be really great if we could locate these missing jumpers

before the end of the school year.

News from the Office– Mrs. Julie McKenna

and Mrs. Donna Devine

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING SCHOOL FEES Fees are due and payable by the end of the school year.

Unless prior arrangements have been made, please ensure all accounts are finalised by Friday

16th December at the latest.

Please contact the school office to make a time to see Ken to discuss alternate payment

arrangements if you believe you may not be able to fulfill this financial agreement.

DIRECT DEBIT REMINDER Could all parents wishing to pay their fees via direct debit in 2017 please complete and

return their forms AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

A NEW FORM MUST BE COMPLETED EACH YEAR FOR DIRECT DEBITS

TO BE PROCESSED.

A copy of the form was sent home to each family last Tuesday, if you have not received it,

please contact the office or download and print a copy from our website in the school forms

and notices section.

Vinnies Christmas Appeal Please support the initiative from the Mini Vinnies Team to collect food items and Christmas

treats for Vinnies Christmas Appeal. The Mini Vinnies Team have worked hard this year to

support those who are in a special need in the community.

We would like to thank Chelsea O, Sanvi R and Mr. Dileo for their leadership in this area. We

also thank you all in anticipation of your continued generosity.

Tinnies Vinnies

Christmas Edition

Mini Vinnies are collecting Christmas donations for less fortunate people in our community by

supporting the Vinnies Christmas Appeal.

They already have had a lot of toys donated to children. This means the best way we can help is by bringing in cans of food to make sure they have a Christmas like ours.

All you need to bring in is:

Cans of food and a few Christmas treats like puddings & mince pies

The cans of food should be handed to your homegroup teacher

before the last Thursday of term (December 15) so they can be collected by St Vinnies.

Thank you for your donations

Chelsea O and Sanvi R On behalf of the Mini Vinnies Team

1000 Paper Cranes On Monday, I received a lovely email from Rhonda O’Connor, the Director of Mission at the

St. John of God Berwick Hospital thanking us for the efforts of our students in making the

paper cranes for the hospital. The paper cranes are displayed in the hospital and they have

been receiving many great comments.

Once again thank you to the Leaders: Bridie, Mia, Mary and Taylah and Meg Sensei for this

wonderful initiative.

Message from the Physical Education Specialist

– Mrs. Dianne Wilkinson I would like to wish all of our St. Brigid’s Families a very happy and blessed

Christmas. Hoping you have a safe and happy time over the holidays and looking forward to

seeing you in the New Year.

I would like to say a big Thank You to all the children who have been involved in all the extra-

curricular activities and a massive Thank You to the children who tried out for events but did

not manage to place. Also Thank You to all the Parents and Teachers who helped throughout

the year in lots of different capacities. Your help is always appreciated and without you,

these activities wouldn’t be possible.

Enjoy your break and stay safe.

Leader of Learning and Teaching - Inquiry and Innovation and Mathematics – Mr

Nathan Larkins Mathematics

In the last newsletter item we explored some great ideas to do at home in the holidays with

students from the junior school. With holidays fast approaching, here are some non-

classroom based activities that will help develop students number skills that don’t have to

involve formal lessons.

There are many everyday things you can do to encourage numeracy learning at home. These include:

Encouraging your child to use

mathematical language - how much, how big, how small, how many

Discussing the use of numbers, patterns and shapes in your day to day life

Talking about occasions when you are using mathematics in daily jobs and real life situations—cooking, map reading, building, playing sport;

Exploring situations using money such as shopping, budgets and credit cards;

Estimating, measuring and comparing lengths and heights, how heavy or light things are and how much containers hold;

Talk about different ways to solve a problem;

Using everyday tools like tape measures or kitchen scales and discussing the units of measure;

Asking ‘does that make sense?’, ‘is the answer reasonable?’ or ‘what other ways could we do this?’;

Observing and using timetables, calendars and clocks for different purposes like study periods, holiday planning and catching public transport;

Helping your child to work out how much things cost and what change they will receive;

Playing number games using magazines, books, newspapers and number plates;

Organising, categorising and counting collections of things like toys, books, clothing and shoes.

Here are some simple yet effective activities that you can do with your child to help apply the numeracy skills they learn at school:

Use numeracy decision-making

opportunities in everyday life, such as a car trip - calculating how much fuel is required, estimating travel times and distance travelled / remaining,

interpreting maps to calculate distances and the shortest route to take in planning a trip.

Help your child plan and create a budget and discuss how to maintain it - you could focus on saving for a particular item that they would like to purchase.

When choosing a family holiday destination, ask your child to analyse a brochure or advertisement for the destination.

Discuss the type of language used in the brochure and get your child to compare or calculate the cost of the holiday, including air, bus or rail fares, petrol, accommodation, food and entertainment to see if it fits within the family budget.

Play card and board games together. Traditional games such as Monopoly and UNO come in so many different versions that can be enjoyed by all the family and incorporate maths skills without children thinking about it.

Yahtzee and Rummikub are also great maths games to play together. Don’t forget a simple deck of cards can also be used for many different games.

Sport is a topic that includes maths and is easy to talk about, for example:

How many points would three goals

be? How many goals is the team leading

by? Which player has hit the most runs? How do you know which player has

the fastest time? Point out the score and the times

shown on the score boards. What’s the players score after he has

hit a four etc… How many more runs does the team

need to win.

E-Learning

There are still many websites that offer excellent educational content as well. Most students will be familiar with StudyLadder and a lot of great games that cover all areas of the maths curriculum can be found on the Woodlands Junior website

Thank you for your support this year with exploring Mathematics.

Hope you have a Merry Christmas and an enjoyable holiday.

Cheers,

Mr. Larkins.

Learning

This week school reports went home before the long school holiday break. This is definitely a

time students need to take the opportunity to rest and relax.

Some ideas that you could possibly include to keep the mind active are…

Ideas for summer learning fun

Some ideas could include...:

(1) watching TV with the sound off and closed captioning on,

(2) reading directions for how to play a new game, or

(3) helping with meals by writing up a grocery list, finding things in the grocery store, and

reading the recipe aloud for mum or dad during cooking time.

(4) Watching documentaries and other information filled news shows.

Encourage writing.

Give each of your children a stamped, addressed postcard (or even the opportunity to send

an email) so they can write to you about their summer adventures. Or recycle school

notebooks and paper into summer journals or scrapbooks.

Another way to engage young writers is to encourage your children to spend some time

researching and writing community stories.

Kids blog!

Arrange for a safe, closed community so that your children can blog over the summer.

Edublogs and Kidblog offer teachers and students free blog space and appropriate security.

Be an active citizen.

Kids who participate in community service activities gain not only new skills but self-

confidence and self-esteem.

Active bodies.

Active minds. With the goal of raising a healthier generation of children help kids get the 60

minutes of active play they need everyday.

Get into geocaching.

Everyone loves a scavenger hunt! Get in on the latest outdoor craze with geocaching, where

families search for hidden "caches" or containers using handheld GPS tools (or a GPS app on

your smart phone).

Try a variation on geocaching called earthcaching where you seek out and learn about unique

geologic features. Find more details about geocaching plus links to geocaching websites in

this article from the School Family website, Geocaching 101: Family Fun for All, in Every

Season. Or follow one young family on their geocaching adventure: Geocaching with Kids: The

Ultimate Treasure Hunt.

Make cool things.

"Dad, dad, dad, can we make a samurai sword?..." Dad Can Do is a wonderful site full of crafty

ideas that bring fathers and kids together. Make a wizard's wand, paper planes, spaceships,

ex libris, and quirky things like an origami cowboy shirt (think Woody from "Toy Story") —

mostly from inexpensive or recycled materials.

Online activities for families

Good interactive educational websites that parents and young kids can explore together

include...:

National Geographic Kids: Great nature videos, activities, games, stories, and more

Discovery Kids: Video, games and activities to explore dinosaurs, sharks, space, pets,

history and more.

Smithsonian Kids Collecting: how to start your own collection and see what other kids

collect.

NASA Quest: Interactive explorations that engage students in real science and

engineering. Topics include robots, helicopters, lunar exploration, and designing your

own human-friendly planet.

My Wonderful World: A multimedia tour of our seven continents

Time for Kids: Fun games (The Great State Race), an online weekly magazine written

for kids, and news from around the world

NB: Some of the coloured names are great websites to google that would give you links to sites with some good ideas.

Exploring an app or website such as https://www.learningpotential.gov.au/ also provides

several opportunities to engage students in thinking activities that aren’t formal lessons, but

allows them to practise school related skills.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a good break.

Mr. Nathan Larkins.

New addition to the Girl’s Summer Uniform

The Uniform Shop Committee has gone to extraordinary lengths to source a quality addition

to the girl’s summer uniform. We are pleased to advise that the Skort is now available for

purchase. Substitutes will be unacceptable as part of the uniform. The Skort is navy blue

with the St. Brigid’s Logo on the front.

The Skort does not replace the girl’s summer dress and may only be purchased as an addition

to the summer dress, should you wish to do so.

These and all our uniform items can be purchased form NOONE Imagewear in Beaconsfield.

SOCIAL &

FUNDRAISING

COMMITTEE

WAYS FOR PARENTS & GUARDIANS TO

GET INVOLVED IN 2017

The S&F Committee have big plans for 2017 and need help from all

families in making it another successful and fun year. The S&F offers

lots of opportunit ies to be involved - no matter what your interest is,

how much time you have to spare or what skills you can offer. Please

take the t ime to think about what you can do to support St Brigid ’s

community and show your children that their school is important to you

as well.

There are a number of

options to be involved

1. Nominate for a S&F commit tee

posit ion

2. Come along to a S&F meeting

3. Be a volunteer helper

4. Help without attending meetings

For more information come along to

our first meeting in 2017 or contact:

Tammy 0400 993 088

[email protected]

You are warmly

invited to come along

to our first meet ing

for 2017 we’d love to

see you there.

Next Meeting

FRIDAY 17 th 9am

FEBRUARY 2017

Multi Purpose

Room (Toddlers Welcome)

Dates for your 2016 Diary

Year 6 Graduation Wednesday, December 14th

7.00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

Mass of Thanksgiving and

Passing on Ceremony

Thursday, December 15th 9.00

a.m.

School Chapel

Thank You Morning Tea Thursday, December 15th

Following Mass

Multipurpose room

End of Term 4 and the 2016

School Year

Friday, December 16th 1.00 p.m. Early Dismissal of 1.00 p.m. for

all students

Dates for your 2017 Diary

Reconciliation Enrolment Day Tuesday, February 7th 2017

9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

St. Michael’s Parish

Reconciliation Enrolment

Evening

Thursday, February 9th 2017

3.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.

Foundation Year 2017

parents and children

Commitment Masses

(Sacrament of

Reconciliation)

Saturday, February 11th

Sunday, February 12th

St. Michael’s Church

Social and Fundraising

Meeting

Friday, February 17th 9.00

a.m.

All welcome

Labour Day (No School) Monday, March 13th Public Holiday

End of Term 1 Friday, March 31st Early Dismissal 1.00 p.m.

Term Dates for the 2017 School Year

Term 1 2017 Monday, 30th January – Friday, March 31st

All Students begin: Thursday, February

2nd

Easter: 14-17 April 2017

Assessment Days for Students – Tuesday

January 31st and Wednesday, February 1st

Term 2 2017 Tuesday, April 18th – Friday, June 30th

Term 3 2017 Monday, July 17th – Friday, September 22nd

Term 4 2017 Monday, October 9th – Tuesday, 22nd

December 2017

Last day for students to be advised.

Closure Days and early dismissals will be advised throughout the course of the year.

We wish the children who have celebrated or are celebrating a birthday shortly all the best

for a great day.

DECEMBER

Eden M -1 st Robert E – 4 th Ben C – 6 th James G – 11th

Abby P – 13th Eden M – 16th Holly A – 16th Mary M – 17th

Hamish B – 17th Thomas B – 17th Jayla S – 18th Owen C – 21st

Ari P – 22nd Cameron T – 23rd Brooke B – 24th

St. Brigid’s Christmas Carols 2017

Thank you for your support of our annual Christmas Carols. The atmosphere was truly in the

Christmas spirit and we enjoyed listening to the carols performed by our very talented

students. Thank you to the Clegg family for having a direct communication channel to Father

Christmas and organising for his special visit via the Officer Fire Brigade.

ST BRIGID’S START AND

FINISH TIMES

School classes commence at 8.45 a.m. and finish at 3.15 p.m. Students should arrive prior to this, but not before 8.30 a.m. The first bell goes at 8.35 a.m. when students may enter their classroom. Students will be supervised from 8.30 a.m. in the morning and until 3.30 p.m. in the afternoon. Please be mindful that staff are committed to meetings and classroom planning outside of these hours and supervision becomes difficult.

As supervision does not commence until 8.30 a.m. Students are not be dropped off unsupervised before 8.30 a.m.

For families who require their child to be at school earlier or later than this, before and after school care is available at St. Brigid’s through Camp Australia. They can be contacted on 1300 105 343 or via their website www.campaustralia.com.au for further information.

We understand that there will be days when for one reason or another, you may be running late in the afternoon. Please contact the school office prior to 3.15 p.m. if you think this will be the case so that a message can be sent to your child/ren and they can be supervised in the office.

BEFORE AND AFTER

SCHOOL CARE

Before and After School Care is available at St Brigid's School. Camp Australia is the provider and can be contacted on 1300 105 343 www.campaustralia.com.au Please note Before and After School Care is not run by staff employed by St. Brigid’s School.

SHOPPING AT RITCHIES

BENEFITS ST. BRIGID’S

SCHOOL

When shopping at Ritchies and by using a community benefit card/tag linked to St Brigid’s Primary School then Ritchies will donate money back to us. These cards/tags can be used at ANY Ritchies store throughout Vic, NSW

and Qld by staff, students and their families. If you would like to support our school and you don’t

already have a CB card/tag please collect one at the office which is already linked to our school and ready to use or

alternatively collect one at the registers next time you shop at ANY Ritchies store to use every time you shop. All you do is nominate St Brigid’s Primary School, it’s that easy! This is an easy way for us to raise funds for our school

with no costs involved.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

WORKING WITH CHILDREN

CHECK

Parent help is most welcome and appreciated in your child’s learning community at suitable times throughout the year, however you will be required to have a current Working With Children Check.

Applications can be downloaded online at http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/home/ and then completed and lodged at a participating Australia Post Office. From December 5th 2016 Victorian applicants will no longer need to supply their own photo. Australia Post will provide a digital photo free of charge. Further information can be obtained at the above link. There is no cost involved if you complete the form as a volunteer only and not for employment purposes.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

A new, free educational video is now available to help parents of children with food allergies make the transition from pre-school or childcare to

school.

This video was created by Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia and Western Sydney University to educate parents on how to effectively communicate with schools about their child’s food allergy and what is required of them.

Through education and support, Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia aims to help reduce the stress of food allergy for parents, children and school

as well as help keep children with food allergy safe.

Please take the time to view this video

Check out the Transitioning to School with Food Allergy video here. For further information please go to www.allergyfacts.org.au or call 1300 728 000

NEW APPLICATION PROCESS FOR VISTORIAN APPLICANTS

As of 5 December 2016, Victorian applicants for the Working with Children Check are able to have their identity securely verified online, reducing the time it takes to finalise their application at a participating Australia Post outlet. Applicants who electronically verify their identity only need to present one photo ID document or card from the list of acceptable proof of identity documents at Australia Post. Electronic identity verification is a fully secure service, as applicants' details are checked by the issuing body, such as VicRoads or Australian Passport Office, and are not retained during the verification process. Applicants who choose not to, or are unable to verify their identity electronically can go to a participating Australia Post outlet with multiple documents from the new list of POI documents and verify in person. Australia Post will take a digital photo of each applicant, free of charge. In conjunction with the new electronic identity verification service the list of acceptable proof of identity (POI) documents has also changed. See the next article 'New proof of identity requirements' for details.

NEW PROOF OF IDENTITY REQUIREMENTS

As of 5 December 2016, the list of acceptable proof of identity (POI) documents:

has expanded to include many commonly used documents

is classified as 'primary' and 'secondary', replacing the existing 100 points system

must combine to verify the applicant's full name, date of birth and photo.

Victorian applicants are able to verify their identification credentials online, then finalise their application at a participating Australia Post outlet with one form of acceptable photo identification. Alternatively, identification credentials can be verified in-person at Australia Post using multiple documents from the new list of acceptable POI documents including one with a photo. The application process for applicants living outside of Victoria does not change although as of 5 December 2016, they need to use the new list of acceptable POI documents. Interstate applicants still need to have their POI documents verified by a certifying officer authorised by their state's justice department, such as a Justice of the Peace.

http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

News from St. Michael’s Parish Berwick

Reconciliation Enrolment Day: Tuesday, February 7th 2017 9am to 3pm Reconciliation Enrolment Evening: Thursday, February 9th 2017 3pm to 7pm Reconciliation Commitment Masses Saturday, February 11th 2017 and

Sunday, February 12th 2017 Reconciliation Workshops Monday, February 20th,

Tuesday, February 21st, Wednesday, February 22nd, Thursday, February 23rd, Monday, February 27th , Tuesday, February 28th, Wednesday, March 1st Thursday, March 2nd all at 7.30 p.m.

Blessing of the Children Masses Saturday, March 4th and

Sunday, March 5th Reconciliation Reflection Day Wednesday, March 8th at St. Brigid’s Reconciliation Ceremonies Thursday, March 16th and

Friday, March 17th 7.30 p.m. Saturday, March 18th at 9.30 a.m. Thursday, March 23rd and

Friday, March 24th 7.30 p.m. Saturday, March 25th 9.30 a.m.

th

th

at

4 Beaconsfield Ave, Beaconsfield

in the Church

in the Church.

in the Church (with Carols from 11.30 pm).

th

in the Church.

in the Church.

Community Noticeboard

Entry to this event is by gold coin donation which goes to Rotary International which is used to fund various community

events and programs to benefit our local and international community.

Berwick Carols by Candlelight

Edwin Flack Reserve Manuka Road

7pm, Sat 17 December Gates open at 6:30

Shu-Cheen Yu Casey Choir Men in Suits Berw ick College Bethany Fisher Matt Prins Melbourne Youth Chorale

Firew orks

Proudly supported

by the City of Casey

OPEN TRAINING SESSION RICHMOND FOOTBALL CLUB

Richmond Football Club in partnership with Cardinia Shire Council and Parklea are holding a special “Christmas in Cardinia” open training session on Tuesday 20 December at Holm Park Reserve, Beaconsfield between 5pm-7pm. The open training session will include plenty of entertainment, including football inflatables, giveaways, a DJ, Tiger Stripes and Sash, players training session, an opportunity for player autographs and a free kids clinic. Richmond memberships and merchandise will also be available to purchase.

The training session will give fans an insight to the running of an AFL training session. In order to participate in the clinic kids must be aged between 6 and 14 and must complete the registration form on the following link - http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2016-11-30/christmas-in-cardinia

Please contact Cardinia Shire Council on

1300 787 624 for enquiries about our

4-year-old groups.

Enquiries about our deferment program should

be directed to our centre on 8768 4444.

Looking ahead...

Wed. December 14th Year 6 Graduation 7.00 p.m. Thurs. December 15th Mass of Thanksgiving and

‘Passing On’ Ceremony 9.00 a.m. followed by our Thank You Morning Tea

Fri. December 16th End of the School Year for students

Early Dismissal 1.00 p.m.

St. Michael’s Parish

119 High Street, Berwick 3806 Parish Priest: Fr Jeff Kleynjans

Assistant Priest: Fr. Hilarion Fernando Pastoral Associate: Elizabeth Overdyk

(03) 97071355 Weekend Masses

Saturday: 6.00 p.m. Sunday: 9.00 a.m., 10.30 a.m. and 6.00 p.m.

http://www.stmichaelsparish.org.au Pastoral Associate email:

[email protected]

A Prayer for the End of the School Year

Christ, Teacher and Lord,

bless all in this school as we seek to end

our year with the grace you

so generously provide.

We give thanks for the students the staff,

the parents, and all who have contributed

to this year of nurturing and growth.

We affirm all the positive moments,

of insight, of the excitement of learning,

of accomplishment, of creativity, of laughter, of a

sense of community.

We recognise the times of struggle, of difficult

work, of misunderstanding -

we give these to you for transformation,

so they can become seeds

that will find fertile soil.

As we leave for the holidays,

may we take with us the knowledge that you will

keep us all in your embrace so we may rest and

be restored

and so we can continue in the ongoing discovery

of your Love.

Amen

On behalf of all the staff

May the light of Christ shine in your hearts

and homes this Christmas and may you all

have a safe and wonderful New Year.

Until we gather together again,

Best wishes to all.

Ken Gale

Principal

“Look for Christ and you will find Him.

And with Him everything else.”

C.S. Lewis