Always Refer to Flexibuzz Messages for Up-To-Date Information

(Always refer to FlexiBuzz messages for up-to-date information)

Dear Parents, Care-givers, Students and Other Parishioners,

This week we farewell Ms Rebecca Gage and thank her for the work she has done with us, the friendships she has enjoyed with us and the learning and teaching she has initiated as part of our staff community. Rebecca’s talents lie very much in the teaching and learning area and we have been fortunate in having her to lead us. Her knowledge and competency in the area of information technology and curriculum are outstanding. Through her initiatives we have continued to develop our eLearning tool program and we have been able to make it a financial possibility for all our families. We wish her all the best in her new position as classroom teacher at St Jude’s, Scoresby.

At the same time and with no less enthusiasm, we welcome Ms Lorraine Walker to our school as our new Deputy Principal. Lorraine certainly impressed Fr Tad and Ms Perazzo and I at her interview! Lorraine comes to us with many years of experience as Deputy Principal at St Benedict’s, Burwood and prior to that, Lorraine taught at St Paul Apostle South in Endeavour Hills. Lorraine has a Bachelor of Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the Australian Catholic University and she has a Graduate Diploma in Student Wellbeing from Melbourne University.

Lorraine is very excited about joining our staff. Her passion is her Catholic faith and the students she currently teaches. Lorraine is very enthusiastic about our learning with the Berry St organisation and she has completed the 4 days training as did some of our staff last year. At Benedict’s, Lorraine combines classroom teaching with her Deputy Principal role but will now move into a full-time leadership position at St Elizabeth’s. I will be introducing Lorraine to our community at Assembly next week and then she will stay at St Benedict’s until the beginning of August to give her Principal time to find a replacement!

Changes happen all the time, it is just a part of life. I think it was supposed to be Winston Churchill who said something along the lines that pessimists view changes as potential threats but optimists view changes as a time to celebrate new opportunities. I would like to think all of us can be very optimistic about the changes we are facing! I know that you will welcome Lorraine and help her to get to know us.

For the first 3 weeks of term 2 Ms Nan Perazzo will be acting Deputy Principal and I am very grateful to her for this generous support.

NAZARETH MUSIC PROGRAM

We have been very fortunate to have Nazareth College providing us with an opportunity for our Year 5 & 6 students to experience learning to play a musical instrument. What was a generous offer has actually been very costly for our regional college, Nazareth. The cost is much higher than they estimated three years ago when they offered us the program. So to make sure we could continue to support the program, St Elizabeth’s has contributed $3000 towards the music lessons for about 80 of our students this year.

Even that doesn’t balance the music budget so we have had to ask parents of students who want to continue learning to play their instrument to pay $100 towards the lesson costs for the next semester. This works out to be $2.75 for a single lesson and $5.50 for a double lesson. I think that you will agree that whilst this is an added cost to your child’s education, it is a pretty good deal.

The musicians from our two bands, the Year 6 ensemble and the Year 5 band are regularly performing on Mondays at our weekly Assembly. It is inspiring to see the students playing together. If you want to see the bands in action at the Nazareth Autumn Festival, have a look on our Facebook page. I think you will agree this is a great introduction to becoming a musician.

BUILDING AND MAINTENANCE WORK

During the holidays we will updating our technology by replacing our main computer servers. We also hope to finish the weeding and mulching work that started at the front gate and also paint around all our drains and gutters in yellow paint to make them more visible. This will help stop trips and falls.

I hope that we will able to start on 2 fairly major projects before the end of the year. The first of these is to install some fitness equipment around our oval. The Parents and Friends fund has been raising funds for this purpose for a year or so and we need to spend that money now on the children whose families raised that money! Many thanks P and F.

Mr Dean Andrews has offered to help with advice about the best structures to purchase and also advise us of the best places to locate the activity centres.

The second project will be to put new asphalt over the playground surface in front of the Performing Arts Centre and also install some coloured asphalt suitable for gentle games under the shade area outside the Foundation community. I am in the process of getting quotes.

Christine Ash

Principal

Religious Education News

Next week, we will celebrate our Gift Giving Mass. This Mass is usually held on the Feast of the Sacred Heart but we had Progress Interviews so we had to move it back a week. Children and families are encouraged to bring a “gift” or donation (this can be clothes, gold coins, non-perishable food items etc.) to help support the St. Vincent de Paul Society, an organisation supporting those in our community who are less fortunate.

While we are preparing ourselves to give to the community, we once again are reminded about what a marvellous, wonderful gift life is! How precious is this gift of life? We are reminded now and again of the fragility of it: accidents happen and illnesses can develop suddenly. Even being in the wrong place at the wrong time can potentially take life away! None of us are immortal. We must make full use of this gift of life that God has given to us. Sadly, some people, for whatever reason, are unable to truly appreciate and live this life. At the same time, there are those who think they can live forever! But the reality is this: none of us will live forever – which is why every day we have on this earth is so vitally important. So perhaps the question for us during this week of gift-giving is this: Do we live each day of our lives as a gift from God?

Life is gift, all of it is a gift. The sooner we recognize this truth, the more likely we are to live with meaning and satisfaction and joy.

As we come to the end of this second term, let us stop and reflect back over this term and all that we have celebrated and shared together.

We began the term in the Liturgical season of Easter and quickly moved into the preparation program for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and First Communion. As part of this program all families participated in Family Activity Nights and Liturgy Preparation Evenings. The children shared a ‘Special Activities Day’ here at St Elizabeth’s. We baked bread, Mrs Ash was head baker and Miss Lim became apprentice baker! Congratulations to all the First Communion children.

We gathered together as a whole school to celebrate St. Elizabeth where we heard of the welcome and hospitality shown by Elizabeth to her young cousin Mary. We remembered and gave thanks and praise for all those who came and worked together to build this community, to make St Elizabeth's a joy-filled community where all are welcomed.

The Confirmation Candidates made their commitment during Pentecost to start their preparations to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Years 1&2 shared a beautiful evening of prayer and blessings.

Prayerful Meditation is an important time. We sat still each day as a whole school, we listened to a Gospel passage or prayer to help us become focused. We then meditated repeating the mantra ‘MARANATHA’. It was time we took to be still and listen to God’s message to us.

On the last day of Term 2, the whole school will gather for the Gift Giving Mass and during the mass the children are invited to show their continuing support for the Parish St Vincent De Paul Society through a donation.

As we come to the end of the term is is time to relax and get ready to have family time in the holidays so we can all come back recharged for the next school term.

“Come to me, all you who labour and are over burdened, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11: 25-30.

Gift Giving Mass – Friday 30 June, 9.00pm

On Friday, 30th June, we will celebrate our St Elizabeth’s Gift Giving Mass. We think about God’s great love for us in gifting us with His Son Jesus, the Christ. We also think about how we can respond to God’s gift to us by giving to others who are in need. We are asked to bring, where possible, a gift of non-perishable food, warm winter clothing or a gold coin donation to be placed before the altar. These gifts will then be given to the St Vincent De Paul society to help them in their work of reaching out to those in need in our own parish community and local neighbourhood.

Foundation - non-perishable food or gold coin donation.

Years 1 & 2 - warm winter clothing or gold coin donation.

(Please ensure clothing is clean and in good condition.)

Years 3 & 4 - non-perishable food or gold coin donation.

(Please ensure the food is within its use by date.)

Years 5 & 6 - blanket or gold coin donation.

If you have something in the above categories, please send it along. The list is just a suggested guide for your family. Feel free to send along what is possible for your family.

We realise we have been asking for your support in many different ways to help others yet as our days grow colder and the nights grow longer we think about those families in our own community who are in need of a warm meal or warm clothes to keep out the cold. This is one way we can help them and be for them the ‘Body of Christ.” We will join with the parish community to celebrate this Feast with a whole school mass at 9.15am. We invite you to join with us for this mass.

Sacramental News:

CONFIRMATION

The preparation of the students for Confirmation is done together through home, school and parish.

Confirmation candidates have been given their ‘CONFIRMATION HOME ACTIVITIES PACK’. These are to be completed at home. The focus of the activities is to further develop the children’s awareness and preparation of the Sacrament of Confirmation. The completed book is due on Monday 26th October, allowing plenty of time to complete the tasks.

The school will also prepare the Confirmation Candidates with school based activities. These activities can be incorporated into homework as reading or literacy activities.

There is an expectation the Confirmation Candidates attend mass regularly throughout the year in preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. A sign in sheet is available at the back of the church.

SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ACTION IN OUR SCHOOL - MATUTINAO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

STATIONERY DONATIONS

School supplies are very difficult for the children to buy as the families lack the funds to purchase them so they often go without. Thank you to the families who have been so generous with donations.

Maria Popowycz Ianthe Lim

Religious Education Leader Religious Education Leader

Message from Rebecca Gage

They say time flies when you are having fun. My journey in education started at St Elizabeth’s 15.5 years ago (not the 14.5 years I initially thought!) and has been an amazing and challenging one. I am ready for a new challenge back in the classroom and more importantly new learning about how different schools operate. One day perhaps that learning will lead me back to a Deputy Principal position and if not it will most definitely make me a better person and a better educator.

I would like to thank the teachers and staff of St Elizabeth’s for their passion, courage and dedication. We ask a lot of our staff in terms of implementing new things whilst continuing to improve others. Education is a unique occupation where you are never finished, there is never a day where we go home and switch off. Our staff work extremely hard and do it with a smile. I am in awe of their courage in trying new things and encouraging your children to achieve more than they think they are capable of.

To the parents, I would like to commend you on the support you have shown and involvement you have had with this school during my time at St Elizabeth’s over the past 15.5 years. I have worked closely with a number of you in my time and am very thankful for the support you have given me in working with your children.

To the students, watching you put your heart into your learning every day has been priceless. We have shared all kinds of moments: happy, sad, fun, magical. Such incredible memories and meaningful adventures. By watching you in your learning and becoming more aware of the kind of work that helps each of you learn best, I have changed and grown too. I am definitely not the same educator that stepped into St Elizabeth’s all those years ago. What I love the most is that we have walked through this together.

To Fr Tad, it has been a blessing to have received your guidance throughout my time at St Elizabeth’s. I place great value on the time we spent getting to know each other and the conversations we shared. Thank you being a great spiritual leader for me.

And finally to Christine and Nan. I am so thankful for the opportunities and support I have been given by both of these outstanding leaders. I would like to think that we have all made each other better leaders and that this has resulted in improvement for our school. We have worked so hard together to implement so much change, it has been a challenge but one we have embraced.