2025 Newsletter Term 3 Week 5
From the Principal
Dear Families,
I think the garden is trying to tell us something. It is almost Spring - and joyful signs of the end of Winter are becoming more noticeable.
After the end of the Easter holidays I was gifted a box of daffodil bulbs by a previous neighbour. They had been removed as they relandscaped their yard, tossed away as waste. As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so I took custody of these dormant, unremarkable bulbs and carried them with me into school. Eager recruits from Year 5 & 6 assisted as we planted out the unused area outside MacKillop House ….. and we waited patiently.
Today, as a nation we celebrate Daffodil Day as an awareness and fundraising event for the Cancer Council. Early in my first principalship at Lumen Christi I was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer and through the power of modern medicine I joyously celebrate the gift of being alive. Daffodil Day is an important day to me personally, but the story of these dirty little bulbs that this week sprung to life at St Vincent’s is a reminder to be patient and hopeful. So as we tolerate these last few foggy days of Winter, let us be like our daffodils and be energised by the sunshine and blue skies ahead.
On Thursday we had a wonderful celebration at Sacred Heart Church, and for the younger ones, the excitement of a bus trip! Our annual Combined Schools Mass is an opportunity to gather with our neighbouring schools and connect with our faith story. The focus this year was on the 2025 Pilgrims of Hope Theme, and in particular our parish’s preparation for our Migrant Celebration in October with Bishop Greg. Congratulations to our students for their active participation, Mr. Greenslade for his organisation and for those students and staff that had special roles; Mrs. Watson, Jason, Kulani, Audrey, Ava, Emmett and Levi.
Last week was Bullying No Way: National Week of Action. As a school each class participated in Kids Helpline’s LARGEST ANTI-BULLYING LESSON, while the senior classes also had a Stand Up! Project Session which empowers young people to become upstanders against bullying.
Yesterday afternoon, in the sunshine, we have our first Auskick/Superkick session hosted by AFL Gippsland. The flyer is attached to this newsletter, and extra flyers are available across the school. The flyers have the Registration QR as well as discount code. Families can still register for future weeks.
This newsletter is loaded up with future events as well as articles/photos of past activities. I hope you enjoy reading through the newsletter and noticing a few new and improved elements like the photo gallery. The new formatting provides more publishing tools that we are taking advantage of.
A reminder to keep checking in on the new Calendar.
.... and remember to order a few pies from the P & F fundraiser. We plan to use this profit on reducing the costs for our End of Year Fun Day so we encourage everyone to jump in to order some delicious treats before orders close today.
Have a great week,
Dave
Mary MacKillop Awards
The 8th August is the Feast Day of St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop,
St. Mary MacKillop, with the support of Fr. Julian Tenison Woods, opened a school in the South Australian town of Penola on the 19th March 1866. The school operated out of a stable. This was the beginning of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Over the next decades further schools were established across Australia as more young women joined Mary’s ranks, reaching out to educate children across the country.
In 1954 the Sisters of St. Joseph took charge of establishing our school in a tin hut, curtained off in the middle to separate the younger and older children. The post-war migration waves saw many Europeans settle in Morwell and the number of students quickly grew. Mary’s sisters became key figures in Morwell fulfilling the spiritual and educational needs of these families.
Mary and the Sisters of St. Joseph are excellent role models to us all at St. Vincent’s as we live out our school motto ‘Learn with Love’.
In 2022 we created a tradition of presenting MARY MACKILLOP Awards to students and staff from across the school that exhibit behaviours and attitudes aligned to St. Mary. We congratulate the awardees of this very significant recognition.
| Foundation C | Olympia Mavrofridis |
| Foundation MP | Eli Matheson |
| 1/2SY | Milla Duncan |
| 1/2D | Temperance Silvester |
| 3/4B | Kulani Abeyratne |
| 3/4D | Oliver Mann |
| 3/4F | Erin Modesto |
| 5/6BM | Evie Burke |
| 5/JM | Kuini Dela Merced |
| 5/6W | Spencer Dunn |
| STAFF | Jenny Jackson |
Book Week
This week St. Vincent's celebrated Book Week, embracing the Children's Book Council of Australia's 2026 theme - Book an Adventure. On Monday we started the week with our parade with cosutmes from Prep to 6, a mix of colourful, creative, clever and corny characters! Thank you to the many families that came along to clap and cheer.
After recess the students rotated through some multiple age activities based around the books and themes of this year's CBCA texts.
Thanks to Miss. Mitchell for the work she put into the day, building upon the Literature lessons she has been teaching each classes. Also thanks to Peta Roberts, our favourite photographer, and Nicky Inger for her work behind the scenes. To our staff that took on roles before, during and after the events - thanks for the generosity and sharing your creative talents.
St Vincent's celebrates Book Week
Book Week Parade 2025
District Athletics
At the end of Term 1 we held our school Athletics Carnival. Using these results, and the from performances during Mrs. Dortman's PE lessons, we selected our District Athletics Squad. On Wednesday this team returned to the Joe Carmody Track in Newborough to compete against the other schools in the Morwell District.
Congratulations to those students who represented the school and thank you to our staff that attended. The work behind the scenes from Mrs. Stevenson and Mrs. Dortmans is much valued, and can we also express our appreciation to the staff that started their work day early setting up.
Best wishes to those students who have progressed to the Division Athletics to be held on the 16th September.
District Athletics 2025
Upcoming Events
This week we welcome back our Parish Priest Fr. James who has been on Annual Leave. We hope that he is refreshed after his time away visiting family and friends back in India. To welcome Fr. James home we are keeping him very busy and we invite all of our families to some upcoming events.
Wednesday 27th August 9:15am - GRANDPARENT'S MASS at St. Vincent's Church
Wednesday 3rd September 9:15am - FATHER'S DAY MASS at St. Vincent's Church
2026 Foundation Transition Program
Parents & Friends Fundraiser
Please support our Pie Drive with items made fresh from 'Out of Dough' Morwell. We plan to use the profit to help subsidise our School End of Year Fun day so please get behind this tasty fundraiser.
Orders can be made via CDFPay, today is the last day. Please call by the office if you need any support.
Father's Day Stall
