Newsletter March 1st, 2023

Jayne Bosworth

'Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.'

Excerpt from St Brigid's Prayer

On Wednesday 22nd February,  four of our Foundation students - Brodie, Alice, TJ and Clancy featured on the front page of the Courier. St Brigid’s also featured in the article on Page 2.

This year, we are very excited to welcome families back to our fortnightly assemblies in the Multipurpose Room. Each fortnight a class will present a small item at assembly (please refer to timetable below).

Parent/Teacher Conversations commenced yesterday. Parent/Teacher Conversations provide valuable opportunities for the teacher and parents/carers to share and learn more about a student socially, emotionally and academically. The conversations are taking place onsite at St Brigid’s.

To help us really get to know your child as a person and a learner, and to assist with guiding our conversation, please answer the questions on the sheet below and bring the sheet along with you to your child's Parent/Teacher Conversations.

This term cross country will take place at Federation University, Ballarat on Thursday 30th March. 

Over the next few weeks in sport sessions, Mrs Byvoet will be trialing children from Year Three - Year Six who wish to participate. 

If the children make the distance and within the time frame they will progress straight to Federation University to compete against other Ballarat schools.

A student free day will take place on Friday 10th March. On this day staff will commence a three-year participation in Reframing Learning and Teaching Environments (ReLATE). ReLATE is a research and evidence informed model supporting schools to create the preconditions for improved teaching, learning and wellbeing. ReLATE was developed in Australia by MacKillop Family Services, drawing on the practice model implemented in our schools and delivered by The MacKillop Institute. Within ReLATE, wellbeing is understood as an essential pre-condition for quality teaching and learning. Safe, predictable and supportive learning environments are created and maintained in classrooms where students are not just known, but deeply understood. School leaders and staff are supported both on their professional learning and development journey and in their wellbeing.

Please note school photos will be taken on Tuesday 28th March. 

Full summer uniform is required to be worn.

Order forms will be sent home with children within the coming weeks.

On Friday 31st March, 2023, our school will be participating in the Annual Moorabool and District School Sports day. This will be a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with other schools as there will be four schools competing in several activities. This day will be facilitated by school staff and volunteer helpers who will organise and run each event. This is the 26th year that this sports day has been organised at Mason’s Lane, Bacchus Marsh. It would not happen without the dedication and efficiency of the staff and parent helpers from each school to administer each event. More information will be circulated via PAM within the coming weeks.

Just a reminder that there will be no hot lunches in Term 1! Hot lunches will resume again in Term 2. If you are able to assist with hot lunches on a Friday, please contact the school office.

Thank you in advance.

All of the timetabled events (to date) for the school year can be found on our school calendar which can be accessed through PAM and via this newsletter.

At St Brigid’s this year, we have a number of students with severe food allergies and therefore, in alignment with our anaphylaxis policy, we encourage parents to avoid sending foods that contain nuts to school. This includes peanut paste, nut spreads such as Nutella and fruit and nut bars.

We acknowledge that due to food processing practices it is impractical to eliminate nuts or nut products entirely from an environment where there is food.  Many food packaging labels include the phrase ‘may contain traces of nuts’.  These foods are acceptable.  Thank you for your understanding and support of our school policies.

One of our parents has written an eBook that contains recipes and alternatives for those who have allergies or intolerances with dairy, soy and egg. 

Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct uniform to school each day. The St Brigid’s uniform consists of the following:

A reminder to please label clothing, lunchboxes, containers, bags and water bottles!

Performing Arts will take place on Tuesday’s with Visual Arts and Physical Education taking place on Wednesday’s.  All children will need to wear their sports uniform on a Wednesday. Please ensure your child has an art smock (or old shirt etc) for Visual Arts.

All children are expected to be at school ready to begin by 9:00am. Arriving on time for school is important. The first 10 minutes of school is a vital time of the day when the day's routine and structure is established. It is a time for ‘tuning in’ and focusing on the learning intentions for the day. It is very difficult for children arriving late to ‘catch up on this missed information. Parents are expected to phone through to the office the child’s absence on the day, or through our school Parent Access Module (PAM). If there has been no contact from the family in the morning of the absence, a sms from the office confirming the child’s absence from school will be sent.

2023 School Fee statements were sent out to families at the end of last year, are being sent home again today with your child and attached for your reference.

Payment options are via direct debit, EFTPOS at the school office, cash, cheque, credit card or internet banking. An early payment discount of $100 is offered where the family fee account is paid in full by 17th February.

Direct debits are available as 22 x fortnightly, 10 x monthly, or 4 x termly payments. Payments will commence on the 16th February. Please see the attached Fee Deduction Schedule and Direct Debit Authorisation Form for further information. Hard copies of this form are also available from the school office. Please return your form by Friday 3rd February.

In all Ballarat Diocesan Catholic Primary Schools, a Family Fee Assistance Scheme is available to families eligible for a means tested Health Care Card, Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card or Veteran Affairs Pensioner Card. The scheme is available to both catholic and non-Catholic families and reduces the cost of the Family Tuition Fee and Capital Levy to a combined maximum of $520 per year ($10 per week). The Curriculum Levy, Technology Levy and Excursion and Camp costs are then added to this to give a total fee amount for the year.

The Victorian Government offers a Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) providing payments to assist eligible families to cover the costs of camps, sporting events and excursions.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card you may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance will be paid to the school to use towards expenses related to camps, excursions, or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is currently $125 for primary school students.

Please see the school office for further information regarding Family Fee Assistance and the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF).

Currently, two school buses operate to and from St Brigid's School Ballan

Bus 1 serves Greendale

Bus 2 serves the Mt. Wallace and Bunding areas

To be eligible to use the bus service, students must live at least 4.8 km from the school on the bus route. If eligible, parents are required to complete and sign a permission form to access the service. Hard copies are available from the school office. Students who already travel on these services and will have previously completed the form, do not need to complete a new application. Due to insurance issues, non-bus travellers who need to use the bus occasionally must complete an adhoc travel form at least two days before the date of intended travel.  The bus service is organised via Ballan Primary School bus co-ordinator Kelly Leehane 53681072.

Please note the following recent changes to the Department of Education and Training’s Code Red Day policy and procedures.

Any school bus routes that are within, or pass-through, weather districts where the fire danger is determined to be Code Red will be cancelled. Based on the experience of the 2019 Code Red day in Mallee and Northern Country weather districts, the Department has decided that all school bus routes will be cancelled on future Code Red determined days in impacted weather districts. The Department’s primary rationale for making this policy change is to protect and preserve the lives of students, staff and education communities by taking the most prudent approach to the risk posed by the most catastrophic bushfire conditions.

The Conveyance Allowance assists families with the cost of transporting their children to and from school. To be eligible to receive a conveyance allowance you must:

Be aged between five years (by 30 April in the year that the allowance is sought) and 21 years.

Live more than 4.8km by the shortest practicable route from the nearest Catholic school attended, or, live more than 4.8 km from the nearest bus service.

Further information regarding the Conveyance Allowance can be found in the link below. If you believe you are eligible, please contact the school office.

 https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/conveyance-allowance/policy

Enrolments are now open for the 2024 year. Onsite tours will commence in Term 1. Please spread the word!

Preschool Storytime at St Brigid’s commenced last week - all welcome!

Book Club Essentials catalogues are back! Issue 2 will be sent home with your child Today! All orders are now via Loop - no cash to be received.  How to register - details below for ordering via the Book Club Loop platform.

Mass Times:

Korobeit Sat 6.30pm ~ Creswick 8.45am ~ Daylesford 10.30am