February 16th 2023

Acknowledgement of Country

Prayer

Loving God,

You showed us how to love. 

May we be the example of your love to the world. 

Amen

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. 

A Note from our Principal.

Ngata Families and Friends,

Last Friday our staff met to complete important training in CPR, mandatory reporting and anaphlyaxis. This training is vital in ensuring the safety of the children in our school. Thank you to everyone who made arrangements to support our closure days. 

It's great to see the students of St Pius X taking on extra leadership roles throughout our school. At our assembly on Friday our SRC and Mini Vinnies group will be presented to the school. Families are always welcome to attend assembly at 2.45pm every second Friday. Thank you to Gerard Blythe and Julie Keeley for their work in supporting these two groups. 

Next Wednesday we will also be attending Ash Wednesday Mass to mark the beginning of Lent. Mass will begin at 9.30am. All welcome.

Best wishes to our Grade 3/4 campers who will be at Camp Kangaroobie on Monday and Tuesday. Watch out for that Gaga knuckle! 

Kind regards, 

Stacey Atkins 

For your information - Daily Timetable.

Please be aware of the following information regarding bell times and supervision. It is important

that you support us in our daily routine so that we can ensure the safety of all students.

  8.40am -   9.00am Organisational time

  9.00am - 11.00am Morning Classes (fruit time @ approx. 10.00am)

11.00am - 11.30am Morning Recess  

11.30am-  11.40am 1st Lunch

11.40am -   1.40am Midday Classes

  1.40pm -   1.50pm 2nd Lunch

  1.50pm -   2.25pm Afternoon Recess

  2.25pm -   2.30pm Daily Assembly

  2.30pm -   3.30pm Afternoon Classes

1. Members of staff provide supervision for students from 8.30am (carpark/yard duty) until 3.45pm (carpark duty/bus duty.  Please ensure that your child is collected by 3.45pm
2. Students should not arrive at school before 8.30am unless they attend TheirCare (before and after school care)
3. Students must be picked up promptly following the 3.30pm bell.
4. No child is to leave school before the dismissal bell (3.30pm), unless parental permission has been received by the school or they are on the early bus. 
5.  If on the early bus students are marked off and taken to the bus stop.
6. If leaving early and parental permission has been received, the student must be signed out on the Ipad in the front foyer by the collecting adult.

Late phone calls to the school from 3.10pm changing pickup arrangements are extremely difficult for Admin Staff to deliver. Each night of the school week there is only one person in the office at this time and getting late messages to students is sometimes near impossible.  Please make clear arrangements with your child before they leave home in the morning as to who will be collecting and where they are being collected.  Even provide your child with a note if necessary.

Kangaroobie here we come!

Best wishes to our Grade 3/4 students and their support crew who are heading off on camp Monday and Tuesday. 

Please note:

• Children need to be at school at 7.45am
• Mick Sully will be collecting any medication.
• A proposed packing list has been sent home as a hard copy. 

If you have any queries or concerns please contact your child's classroom teacher. 

Student Representative Council (SRC).

After a very thorough and fair process, we are delighted to announce our Student Representative Council for this year. All of these students were voted by their peers:

Grade 6 School Captains:

Byron Keane & Maya Anderton

Grade 6:

Isaac Greene & Lilly Santamaria

Grade 5:

Kobey Keane & Ashley Huang

Grade 4:

Flynn Sloper & Maddy McKenzie

Grade 3:

Victoria Balash & Alfie Parkinson 

Grade 2: 

Tyler Hunt & Addison Le Cerf

Our SRC will work as a leadership group to help understand other students’ ideas and feelings. They will also help to keep our school safe, organise activities, give to people who need help and explain important things to our school community. 

Pastoral Care Day.

Tomorrow is our first Pastoral Care Day for 2023.

What is a Pastoral Care Day? A day where all staff and students will focus on their social, emotional and physical health and wellbeing. They will unpack different emotions and feelings that they might have throughout their day and develop some useful tools that will help them to regulate and manage their emotions when things may not be going their way.

Why do we have Pastoral Care Days at St Pius X? The staff at St Pius X have all been trained in implementing a P - 6 approach to student’s emotional wellbeing using the ReLate model which was developed by MacKillop Institute.

What will tomorrow look like? Students will create a Safety Plan with at least 3 self-regulating tools that are accessible to them at school. Students will create a poster including the 4 adults at school who they can go to if they have a problem in their Circle of Safety. (Prep students will be beginning their safety plan journey by using our generic Safety Plan wall art in the Playground)

ALL parents are welcome to join us at our assembly in the church at 2.50pm tomorrow afternoon to learn more and to hear from the children about what their day looked like.

Welcome to St. Pius X!

Apart from the Prep's, we have quite a few new faces around our school.   

We'd like to extend a big hello and a very warm welcome to the following students:

We'd also like to welcome both Liam Brozinski and Thomas Short to MP2, as well as welcoming back to St. Pius X; Layla Goldsmith-Watson (SP1) , Tommy (MP1) and Maggie Shand (SP4).

Student Attendance.

It is a legal requirement for schools to contact parents if students are absent from school without an explanation – ‘on the day of the absence, and as soon as is practical’. This contact will be made via SMS. Please ensure that you have either completed your child’s absence via PAM or you ring the school before 9.10am.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Parents and Friends.

St. Pius X Parents and Friends (P&F) is a forum for all parents to become involved in the life of the School. Meetings are held twice a term.  These meetings are advertised on the School Newsletter and the School Calendar.  Meetings are held in the Staffroom.

We really, really encourage you to come along and be involved in the life of St. Pius X school.

The aims of the P&F are: 

• To work to provide, improve and maintain the amenities available for the school students, including equipment and maintenance of School Buildings and grounds.                  

• To provide opportunities for social meetings between parents, and promote a spirit of family.

• To co-operate with the Principal and Staff in matters relating to St. Joseph’s Primary School.

The P&F co-ordinates the following sub-committees; Canteen,Twilight Fair, Social, Second Hand Uniform, Sausage Sizzles, Easter Raffle, Mother’s Day activity, Father’s Day activity (maybe a sports night with a BBQ) etc.

The P&F also has a representative on the St. Pius X School Advisory Council.  Please call the school office should you wish to be involved in one or some or even all the activities. 

You may like to attend the meetings via a video link…

The first meeting of our Parents and Friends group will be on Monday 27th February 7.30pm at school. 

This year we are hoping to raise funds to support the refurbishing of the Middle Pod as well as important upgrades to the playground. 

Old and new faces are most welcome. 

PAM- Do you have access?

PAM is important for:

* Communicating absences

* Giving excursion permissions

* Communicating medical needs

If you don't have access to PAM yet please contact the office for assistance in face, via phone or email principal@spwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au. It might just be that we don't have an up to date email for you.

We also ask families to ensure that all medical information is up to date. Thanks for your help. 

Sacrament of Confirmation update.

To help align our sacramental program with the other schools in the wider parish community we will be moving the Sacrament of Confirmation from Grade 2 to Grade 3. This will mean that all Catholic schools in the Star of the Sea Parish (Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy) will celebrate the sacrament during Grade 3. 

This means that Confirmation will not be celebrated this year at St Pius X. Please feel free to make contact if you have any questions. 

Eucharist will be celebrated in Grade 4 with Reconciliation in Grade 6. 

School Fees.

School Fee Accounts have been emailed this week.  Thank You to our families who have paid their fees already or who have commenced regular payments.  Remember it is an expectation that all fees are paid in full by November of each year unless alternate arrangements have been made. If you haven’t received your statement via email please call the office asap so we can rectify any issues at our end.

Please remember that should you be experiencing financial difficulties to come and speak with me (Anne Kerr, Business Manager).  We can always work out a plan.  

Can you apply for this?  Are you eligible?

Camps Sports and Excursion Funds (CSEF).  Parents who hold a HCC/Pension card are entitled to receive state government assistance towards excursions, camps and sport levies.  Please fill in the attached form and return it to the office.   Could you also please provide us with a copy of your HCC/pension card for our records.

It is your responsibility to apply for this assistance, please do not assume that because you received the funding last year that it will be an automatic deduction this year. 

We NEED a copy of your card to ensure it is current.  The card must be in the parent’s name and not your child’s name.

Hot off the Prep Press.

Letters and Sounds

We have already started learning a lot about letters and sounds. We have the letters - c, n, t, p, a, i on our spelling board. They have helped us to spell out little words like - tap, cat, tin & it. We have also begun to sing and learn our sound cues with the ‘Ants in the Apple’ song. Take a look at some of the fun craft letters we have made this week at school. 

Parent Helpers

We would love any parents, grandparents or special friends who are willing to come and help us in the classroom from 9:00 - 10:00 am Monday to Friday (but Wednesday starting in Term 2) to send us an email and we will add you to our roster. Remember that you will need a current Working with Children’s Check (which is easy to apply for online) and you will also need to sign a Code of Conduct at the office with Karen or Anne. 

Show and Tell

Just a reminder that tomorrow’s Show and Tell has a special theme for Pastoral Care Day.         ‘Happiness’ 

We would love it if your child could bring something to school that makes them happy!!! We cannot wait to celebrate this happiness together and have fun at school.

Middle School Refurbishment Update.

Tenders have been called for…How exciting!!  Tenders close on Thursday March 9th.  Tender documents will be opened in  Ballarat at 3.00pm on this day.  The diocesan process is that all tenders are opened in Ballarat and we have been invited to attend or link in via a video conference.

Healthy Moves.

It has been so great to see so many smiling happy faces back at school, ready for a big year at St Pius X! This year we would love to see as many students travelling to school in a healthy way, which could be by bus, walking, riding or scooting. For those who live a little way away from the school we would encourage you to be dropped off a block or two away and walk, ride or scoot to school from there! Throughout the year we will have lots and lots of prizes to give out so start the day on the right foot and get moving!

Breakfast Club.

We are very excited to be back at school and with the return of school, comes the return of Breakfast Club! Breakfast Club will be held every Wednesday for the Term from 8:15am - 8:55am. We are very lucky to have Tracey Williams volunteer for another year of Breakfast Club but we would absolutely love another Parent volunteer to help Tracey out. If this is something that you would like to volunteer to do, please don’t hesitate to contact our reception on 5562 2506. Even if you can help out every fortnight or once a month, any time would be much appreciated! 

We look forward to seeing all the smiling faces next Wednesday for some yummy toast, cereal, yoghurt or a drink! 

Mini Vinnies.

A huge welcome to the 2023 Mini Vinnies team:  Skiie Murray JP3, Indie O’Shannassy JP4, Jayden Farley JP5, Lincoln Steffensen MP1, Hayley Howe-Betts MP2, Renata McKenzie MP3, Naomi Kishinaka SP1, Charlie Williams SP2 and Zahra Francis SP3.

The Mini Vinnies team meet with Mrs Keeley every fortnight, to discuss and raise awareness of social justice issues and organise ways to help others in need within our own St Pius X School community and beyond.

Mini Vinnies is also a great opportunity for students to reflect on the needs of those they want to help in their community, help shape compassion and understanding with their fellow students, and share their passion to raise awareness about social justice issues. 

Japanese.

I would like to acknowledge the following students on being Japanese Class Captains in Term One.

JP 1 Oliver Meade & Oscar Smith

JP 2 Aamy Aravind & Letti Jenkins-Smith

JP 3 Annie Cawthorn & Braxton McGregor

JP 4 Leo Jenkins-Smith & Willow White

JP5 April Kelly & Stephanie Murphy

MP1 Maggi Corbett & Indi Neale

MP2 Luella Rylance & Nate Reed

MP3 Annabella McInnes & Aiden Yu

SP1 Connor Brisbane & Tommy Stebbins

SP2 Brax Alford & Madix McLean

SP3 Alyssa Britten & Arlo Sloane

Canteen Helpers.

A big Thank You to those parents who have kindly voluntered to help in the canteen.    

We are always looking for more volunteers though!

The canteen is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays after 2nd Lunch (1.50pm) for the sale of icy poles, frozen fruit etc.    

You would  only be required for a 1/2 hour or so and depending on the number of volunteers we get, you may only be rostered on once or twice a term.

If you can help, please contact the office with your details and preferred day.

Please remember that a Working With Children Card is required.

Roster for next week:

A special message........

Wishing these students are very Happy Birthday for this coming week..................

Liam Brozinski, Maddison Lenehan, Tommy Stebbins, Jace Wickam, Louie Miller, Evie Hunt, 

Division Swimming Carnival.

Seeking expressions of interest for the Division Swimming Carnival on Thursday 2nd of March.
Open to any interested student turning 9 to 13 in 2023. Please note: swimmers must meet a qualifying time. This time must be signed off by a swimming club or if a parent is timing, it must be signed off by a club committee member or a member of the pool staff.
All expressions of interest must be received by the school by Thursday 16th February, either to the office directly or via email to Emma McDonald at emcdonald@stpiuswarrnambool.catholic.edu.au
Please see attached information in regards to qualifying time and information regarding the carnival.
Emma McDonald

District Tennis Championships.

The combined Warrnambool and District Primary School Tennis Championships will be held on Thursday 9 th March for students in years 5 and 6. They will be held at Beachside Tennis in Warrnambool.

Expressions of interest are sought from any students in Year 5 and 6 who may be interested in competing. This is a whole day event and it will be the responsibility of parents to take their child and remain with them for the day.
If you are interested in competing, please forward your interest to myself either via the front office or directly via email on emcdonald@spwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au by Tuesday 21st February.

Emma McDonald

Before & After School Care

Important Dates

Fri 17th Feb                             Assembly Tomorrow at 2.50pm (In the Church)

Mon 20th/Tues 21st Feb   Grade 3/4 Camp 

Wednesday 22nd Feb         Ash Wednesday

Monday 27th Feb                 PnF meeting, 7.30pm

Tuesday 28th Feb                Safe Seats, Safe Kids

Monday 6th March             Grade 5/6 Swimming begins 

Monday 13th March           Public Holiday

Tuesday 14th March          School Closure (Literacy)

Second Hand Uniforms

Families seeking low cost uniform items are welcome to contact Angela Verspay (mum to Dylan and Finn) who has stock of many donated uniform items. Ph: 0477660119.

Parish Contact

Sunday Mass 10.00 @ St Pius X Church. School families are always welcome.

The Parish office can be contacted on 5562 2231

Other information and contact details can be found on the Star of the Sea South West Coast website: https://www.ballarat.catholic.org.au/parish/southwestcoast/ 

FOR SALE!     Personalised Zooper Dooper holders made by William Carey.   They are $5.00 each and come in a range of colours.  Please phone Jodie on 0459 115 004 for more information.

COVID 19 Arrangements

All famililes are asked to familiarise thesmselves with the updated COVID 19 regulations.