Newsletter May 23rd, 2023
- Principal's Message
- Welcome to St Brigid’s
- Congratulations Trish!
- National eSmart Week – ‘Be your best self online’
- Mother’s Day Stall - Thank you!
- Sacrament of Confirmation
- Inter-School Football
- Pupil Free Day - Friday 9th June
- Attendance
- NCCD Information for Parents
- School Uniform
- Assemblies - Term 2
- Term 2 - Key Dates:
- Save the Date - P & F School Disco
- 1st Ballan Scouts Cub section member - Evie Miles
- 2024 Enrolments are Open
- Gordon & Bungaree Parish News
- Preschool Storytime at St Brigid’s
- Birthdays
- Community News and Events
- Change of Details
St Brigid's Primary School Ballan wishes to acknowledge respectfully the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work, learn, play and gather. We pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Dear Members of our St Brigid’s Community,
Laudato Si’ is an encyclical letter written by Pope Francis in 2015, which focuses on the environment and the impact of human activities on our planet. The letter urges everyone to take care of the Earth, our common home, and stresses the interconnectedness of everything in our world, including social and economic factors. Laudato Si’ Week 2023 will be celebrated May 21-28, to mark the eighth anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical. This global celebration will unite Catholics to rejoice in the progress we have made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life. Laudato Si’ highlights the importance of Catholic Social Teachings in shaping our response to environmental issues, emphasizing the need to prioritise the well-being of people and the planet in all our actions and decisions.
This week is also Catholic Education Week. Our guiding Scripture for
Catholic Education Week 2023 is “Let the words you speak always be full of Grace” (Col 4:6). The theme includes discernment (making choices), in the ways we dialogue with others. It is taken from a longer piece of scripture that invites us to converse with wisdom, courage, and compassion for the common good.
Catholic Education Week serves as a time of reflection, celebration, and renewal within our Diocesan community. It allows everyone involved to appreciate the distinctive mission and values of Catholic education, fostering a sense of unity, faith, and commitment to the holistic development of all.
To celebrate Catholic Education Week, a whole school liturgy will take place this Friday at 2.30pm in the Church. All welcome!
Take care and God bless,
Jayne Bosworth
'Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.'
Excerpt from St Brigid's Prayer
A very warm welcome to Amelia Borg and parents, Samantha and David who joined our St Brigid’s school community today. Amelia will join our Year 2/3 classroom.
30 Years of Service in Catholic Education
National eSmart Week will take place from Monday 22nd May. The theme this year is ‘Be your best self online’, and this year’s event invites children and young people to explore what it means to be a positive digital citizen.
This week-long event is a celebration of all the incredible work that our eSmart schools and libraries across the country are doing to promote positive digital citizenship. This event provides a chance for teachers, library staff, parents, and students alike to develop new and important skills.
To recognise eSmart Week, Brent Yearwood will be visiting our school this Thursday, 25th May to facilitate Cyber Safety sessions for students from Years 2-6.
Please keep in your thoughts and prayers for the following children who will be celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday 27th May at the 6.00pm Vigil Mass at St Brigid’s Church with Bishop Paul Bird.
Anni Clarke, Grace Monterosso, Lilly Moshoudis, Milly Conroy, Sophie Barton and Tommy Sims.
Last Wednesday, children from St Brigid's Ballan, St Patrick's Gordon, St Brendan's Dunnstown and St Mary's Clarkes Hill combined and participated in the inter-school football in Ballarat. The children played with great sportsmanship, perseverance and bravery.
Congratulations to the team on winning the grand final! We are very proud of you!
A student free day will take place on Friday 9th June.
On this day staff will continue 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.
All children are expected to be at school ready to begin by 8.55am daily. From 8.55am, children in F-1 are immersed in the explicit teaching of phonics while children in Years 2-6 take part in Spelling Mastery.
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.
Thank you for your understanding.
We have now transitioned to winter uniform. Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct winter uniform to school each day including bringing the St Brigid’s school bag to and from school daily.
Children are able to wear sports uniform each Wednesday and on classroom nominated sports day as directed by your child’s classroom teacher. Given the nature of Physical Education lessons, on Wednesday’s children can wear either correct sports shorts or pants.
We are currently exploring options regarding tracksuit pants, sport shorts and rain coats. More details to follow regarding these items.
This term, assemblies will continue to take place fortnightly on Friday afternoons from 2:30pm in the Multipurpose Room. Each class will be rostered on to present a small item at assembly (see below).
Assembly Schedule Term 2
Week |
Class |
| Week 2 - 5/5/23 |
3/4 |
| Week 4 - 19/05/23 |
F/1R |
| Week 6 - 02/06/23 |
2/3B |
| Week 8 - 16/06/23 |
F/1C |
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.
Key dates 2023
Term 2…
|
Thursday 25th May |
Cyber Safety Sessions for Years 2-6 |
|
Wed 31st May - Fri 2nd June |
Senior Students Urban Camp |
|
Thursday 8th June |
Year 5 SEED Experience Day (details via PAM) |
|
Friday 9th June |
Professional Learning Day for Staff – Pupil Free Day |
|
Monday 12th June |
King’s Birthday Public Holiday |
|
Friday 16th June |
Save the Date - School Disco (details to be advised) |
|
Wednesday 21st June |
Reports circulated via PAM |
|
Friday 23rd June |
Last Day of Term 2 – 2:20pm Finish |
Term 3…
|
Monday 10th July |
Professional Learning Day for Staff – Visible Learning |
|
Tuesday 11th July |
Term 3 commences for all students |
|
Thursday 10th August |
Teeth on Wheels visit - more details to follow |
|
Friday 15th September |
Last Day of Term 3 – 2:20pm Finish |
Term 4…
|
Monday 2nd October |
Term 4 commences for all students |
|
Monday 6th November |
Professional Learning Day for Staff – Pupil Free Day |
|
Tuesday 7th November |
Melbourne Cup Day Public Holiday |
|
Tuesday 19th December |
Last Day of Term 4 for students – 3.00pm Finish |
Save the Date - Friday 16th June, 2023.
Our wonderful Parents and Friends group are organising the St Brigid's School disco.
More details to follow!
A request from St Brigid's student Evie Miles, 1st Ballan Scouts Cub section member.
As a 1stBallan Scouts Cub section member, I am working towards getting a special interest area badge for Creating a Better World. Would you please help me to get it?
I plan to collect clean second-hand clothing and shoes in good condition to donate to remote Far-North Queensland Indigenous communities. I would like to set up a collection bin at school from the 5th June – 19th June.
I would like to encourage students and staff members to donate clothing and shoes.
Thank you for your help!
From Evie Miles
Enrolments are now open for the 2024 year. Onsite tours will continue this term. Please spread the word!
| 1st Sunday | 2nd Sunday | 3rd Sunday | 4th Sunday | 5th Sunday | |
| Saturday 6.30pm | Dunnstown | Springbank | Dunnstown | Clarkes Hill | Springbank |
| Sunday 8.45am | Gordon | Bungaree | Gordon | Gordon | Bungaree |
| Sunday 10.30am | Ballan | Ballan | Ballan | Ballan | Ballan |
Korobeit Sat 6.30pm ~ Creswick 8.45am ~ Daylesford 10.30am
RCIA for Children: We are inviting expressions of interest from parents who seek baptism for their children who are 7 years and older who have not yet been baptised. Expression of Interest Forms have been placed in the churches or ring the Parish Office on 0492903409.
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM 2023 PARISH OF GORDON: Please see attached flyer for more information.
Preschool Storytime at St Brigid’s commenced last week - all welcome!
