2025 Newsletter Term 3 Week 9

Important Dates and Times

Term 3 finishes at 12.30pm Friday 19th September

Term 4 starts on Monday 6th October

School Canteen in Week 1 will be on THURSDAY due to school events that week

Our Strategic Intent

At St. Vincent’s we know our students which enables us to support and provide them with a consistent, safe and faith-filled community equipping them to be engaged and successful learners

From the Principal

Dear Families

As we reach the end of a busy and productive term, I want to take a moment to celebrate the wonderful term we've shared. The highlight of our term was Book Week. I was so impressed by the creativity of the students’ costumes, which truly added to the joy of the day. It was a joy to see so many families join us for our much-loved Grandparent's Day and Father's Day events, and I extend my thanks to all the parents who have so generously volunteered their time this term.

This term, our students have shown great effort and resilience, and they should be incredibly proud of their achievements. I would also like to congratulate our dedicated staff, who consistently impress me with their commitment to driving improvements for our students.

As we look ahead, we are excited to welcome our 2026 Foundation students and their families to our community. We also look forward to celebrating the final term of the year with our graduating Year 6 students.

This newsletter contains a long list of interesting information and school holiday events.  Please note the Well Being and Health notes, as well as take a scan over the various school holiday activities taking place over the holidays.

Wishing all our families a safe and restful holiday. We warmly invite you to join us for the Parish Jubilee of Migrants Mass, a special celebration of our diverse community.

We look forward to seeing you all for an exciting final term.

Stay safe,

Dave

An Invitation: Special Event

Along the Track - A Reflection from Jim

Jim Quilinan provides our Diocese with an article once a month.  Please enjoy Jim's most recent reflection titled "IN THE PRESENT"

Term 4 Mass Roster

Health Advice

Our school website provides a dedicated page for parents with a link to information from the Victorian Department of Health regarding infectious diseases and exclusion periods.

We kindly ask for the support of our school community to:

• Adhere to the Department of Health directives listed in the exclusion table.

• Inform the school if your child has been diagnosed with an infectious disease or condition listed in the regulations.

• Advise the school of any changes to your child's immunity status.

• Maintain your child's Medical Profile on PAM (Parent Access Module).

Medical Profiles on PAM

When we prepare for upcoming excursions and camps, we review all student medical information. Please take a moment to log into your child's Medical Profile to ensure all details are accurate and up-to-date.

We have noticed a few common discrepancies, particularly regarding medication and allergies. For example, please be sure to list medications like Panadol in the Medications section, not under Allergies.

Having the correct information on file is crucial for your child's safety and well-being. Thank you for your cooperation.

Please reach out to the Office staff if you have any questions or require assistance.

Before and After School Traffic Management

Just a continued reminder about the need for everyone to be safe and vigilant when in the carpark.  We all have a shared responsibility to ensure all our children and families are safe.  The first few minutes at start and end of the day are very busy times, and as the weather turns wet and cold we have more cars accessing closer positions to the school.  Please take your time and not rush.

In the morning, we ask all parents to drop off at the start of the Kiss & Go Zone, close as possible to the exit gate.  This allows more students to exit vehicles safely at the same time, eliminating the build-up of traffic lined up in the car park.  The Kiss and Go Zone (marked with yellow paint) is also wide enough for cars to overtake each other, which again will help eliminate congestion.

Cars are not permitted in the Kiss & Go Zone in the afternoon.  This allows for the increased space for students to be collected, eliminating the congestion at the bottom of the ramp.

We ask drivers not to park on the nature strips and 'No Standing' areas between the driveways on either side of Rowell Street as this reduces driver visibility creating unnecessary risks for our children.

Year 1 Phonics and Number Check

During the last two weeks year 1 students have been involved in a Phonics and Number assessment. The Year 1 Phonics Check is a great way to assess our students' decoding skills and assist teachers with planning teaching, catering to the needs of the students. The Year 1 Number Check is a check to find out if Year 1 students are developing the number and counting knowledge needed to be successful in maths learning. The data gathered will be used to plan effective mathematics instruction to cater for the individual needs of our students.  

Reconciliation Program for Year 3's

Transition Schedule for 2026 Foundation

Bunnings Father's Day Colouring Competition

Congratulations to Izabella Biernacki (Foundation MP) on winning the recent Bunnings Colouring Competition! Izabella's creativity earned her a $50 voucher, which she was excited to spend on new craft supplies. Well done, Izzy!

Division Athletics

This week we had our School Athletics team participate in the Division Athletics Carnival held at the familiar Joe Carmody Track in Newborough.  Hosting our school athletics at the same venue benefits assists our aspiring St Vincent's Olympians.

Congratulations to our participating students, with a special mention to those children qualifying for Region - A great effort!  

Thanks to our Staff Sport Gurus, Mrs. Dortmans and Mrs. Stevenson as well as those staff that attended.  We are blessed to have such a committed and diverse staff group that each have their particular passions, passions that drive opportunities for our children.  

FYI: The structure for the Statewide Interschool sports program involves a progression from local school events through to State, then National competitions.  For St Vincent's we participate in school events, then District (Morwell), Division (Latrobe Valley), Region (Gippsland), State then National.

Division Athletics 16th Sept 2025

Year 3/4 Science Trip

Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne

End of Year Fun Day - Colour Run Disco

Get excited .... this day is going to be huge!!

FRIDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 

This year Destiny Kirkup has created the most magnificent concept to celebrate the end of the year and to farewell the Year 6's with a (colourful) BANG!  Music, Colour, Laughs and Sausages - A recipe for a successful day.

Many hands do make light work plus your kids would love to see you involved.  We will need help leading into the day, on the day and after the fun.  Check your work roster and request this day off!

Please reach out to Destiny or Mr. Cooper to get involved.

Stay Safe .... and Green these holidays

SchoolTV: Parenting Styles

This resource is made available to St.Vincent's families as the school partmers with the SchoolTV platform

SPECIAL REPORT: Parenting Styles

There's no such thing as perfect parenting. But by understanding different parenting styles, we can better support our children in healthier and more effective ways.

Most of us parent as a blend of our own upbringing, lived experiences and external influences such as books, podcasts or parenting websites. And while parenting is always a challenge, it can become even more complex through divorce, separation, blended families, trauma or bereavement. Not to mention life's many other hurdles.

The concept of "parenting styles" was first introduced in the 1960s by Diana Baumrind, a clinical and developmental psychologist. She identified four main categories of parenting. Each style shapes a child's development in different ways and comes with both strengths and challenges.

Although well-intentioned, each parenting approach can have drawbacks in a child's development. Every child is unique, and their needs change as they grow. An authoritative style may suit younger children, but teenagers often require a greater balance of guidance and independence. The goal is to create a secure environment where children feel respected, heard, and supported.

By learning more about the different styles and how they influence children, you can make informed choices about the approach that best suits your family. And remember, styles are not fixed. They can evolve over time as your child grows and their needs change.

We invite you to watch this Special Report and complete the quiz to discover your own parenting style. You might also like to compare your results with your partner's and reflect together on the different approaches you each bring to parenting.

Anglicare Gippsland PARENTZONE

Take a look at the ParentZone Gippsland newsletter for Term 4, 2025

ParentZone Gippsland offers free parenting programs, support and resources for families in your community - online and in person.

Contact us on:

parentzone.gippsland@anglicarevic.org.au

or call (03) 5135 9555

Library School Holiday Activities

Old Gippstown

Gippsport School Holiday Program

Latrobe Cricket Club

All Ability Cricket