Dear Parents,

I received an encouraging phone call this afternoon communicating that the school may have access to our new classrooms as early as this coming Monday 14th August. Whilst this will be exciting for our school community there is still much work to do. We will endeavour to move into the new buildings ASAP, with the moving of furniture and resources to be prioritised to ensure we are ready and set up for student use. Whilst we appreciate the many offers of help there are some OHS and liability implications we need to adhere to. The school will communicate and call on volunteers if required. 

We look forward in being able to show you through the new buildings ASAP. 

After School Care

It is with great regret that I inform you that our After-School Service has been closed indefinitely due to staff shortages. We understand this is extremely inconvenient for families who rely on and utilise this service frequently. We are working with our contractor, Extend, to hopefully have the service up and running again as soon as possible. 

Staffing Changes

This week we welcomed back Ms Rachel Braun from leave. We thank Mrs Meg Cribbes for her hard work in the Homegroup B classroom whilst Rachel was away. Meg will be heading off on leave to travel again for the remainder of the 2023 school year and we look forward to her return in 2024.

Some changes have also been made to allow the school leadership team more time together to work on important upcoming school priorities of School Review and Victorian Registration and Qualification Authority compliances. 

Commencing this week Mrs Mickey Davies will teach Homegroup K and Ms Ellie Wilson will teach Homegroup M each Tuesday.

Child Safety | School Parking

A reminder to all families that all vehicles must access the school via the Downton Street entry only. Please ensure we are patient and sticking to the 5km hour speed limit. When parking on the streets in front of the school we ask you to please be mindful of local residents’ property and not park on nature strips or in front of driveways.

For the safety of all children we highly recommend that students exit and enter cars from the footpath side of roadways and car line only. Exiting from the road side may put students at greater risk of an accident. It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure all precautions are met when picking up and dropping off students. 

We appreciate your support with this as we all play an important part in keeping our school community safe.

Child Safety | Kids ROAR

Later this term as part of Child Safety week we have engaged a company called Kids ROAR to come and work with our school community. ROAR Australia is committed to the prevention of abuse on children through education on Personal Safety. Their programs are based on Protective Behaviours themes: ‘We all have the right to feel safe at all times’ and ‘We can talk to someone we trust about anything, no matter what it is’.

Each year however, thousands of children across Australia experience abuse. It is estimated that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be subject to some form of unwanted sexual activity before the age of 18 (Australian Institute of Criminology).

Kids ROAR educators will be running a free online session for all school parents on Monday 4th September 2023, 7:30pm. See below flyer for further information.

Just a reminder to all families that in line with our school uniform policy, shoulder length or longer hair is to be tied back to help restrict the spread of nits and lice and for student safety.

Hair ties and ribbons need to be in school colours orange, blue and white.

We are looking for one helper to assist with laminating approximately 100 sheets for our school. 

Our Annual Father's Day Breakfast will be held on Friday, Sept 1st. 

Our staff/helpers will be cooking bacon and egg rolls for the Dad's and children between 7:15am - 8:30am. Please arrive anytime between these hours that suit your morning/work routine. 

If Dad can't make it please feel free to bring along Grandad or a special friend. Students will be supervised at school if Dad's need to leave for work. 

Raffle Tickets are available from the office or at the Father's Day Breakfast. 

$5.00 per ticket

1st Prize:

2 Burner BBQ (Bunnings) 

2nd Prize:

Round of Golf & Cart Hire for two (Warragul Country Club)

Warragul Country Club Bistro Voucher $50 (Warragul Country Club) 

3rd Prize: 

Car Wash Kit (Super Cheap Auto)

70 piece Screw Driver Set (Repco)

Raffle Drawn at Father's Day Breakfast (Friday 1st September)

For catering purposes, please register your interest below. 

Next Friday August 18th, is National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.

The theme for 2023 is 'Growing Connections'. This theme supports research findings that strong school community connections and social skills are protective factors in the prevention of bullying and help enable positive, help-seeking behaviours in students. On this day, our students will be participating in teaching and learning activities that will help them identify and grow positive connections with their peers and our school community.

A copy of the schools Anti-Bullying and Bullying Prevention Policy can be found
on the St Angela of Cross school website.

Who Is This Guy?

Butch Cassidy repeatedly asks Sundance in our movie favourite, “”Who are those guys?” They have a bit of an idea about a persistent posse following them, their wonder and fear is increasing, but they still don’t know.

Jesus’ closest disciples have experienced his extraordinary charisma, his truth speaking, his breaking open of scripture, his love of the poor and marginalised, his courageous readiness to challenge corrupt authority. They have witnessed extraordinary miracles and Jesus’ challenging wrong or irrelevant rules. He has claimed a special relationship with God as Father. But still they wonder, “Who is this guy?”

Peter, James and John are Jesus’ chosen witnesses to the Transfiguration (Matt 17:1-9). At the time they couldn’t grasp the significance of the event, through after the Resurrection they will recognise this glimpse of Jesus’ unique relationship with the Father. A glimpse only but even so, extraordinary, beyond the comprehension of even these closest, select disciples. Fear rightly clutches at Butch and Sundance as their misdeeds catch up with them, but the Transfiguration witnesses too experience fear and bewilderment. They start jabbering on about tents and fall on their faces.

Jesus touches his disciples, calming their fears, reassuring them that, though glorified by God as his Son, he is still their very human leader. Without the physical reassurance of Jesus touch, we later disciples are heirs to the whole account of his life, death and resurrection. Who is he? We know who he is! He is Jesus, fully human and fully divine, who died for love of us. We need have no fears. As St Teresa of Avila famously proclaimed, now we are called to be Jesus’ touch, hands, feet and eyes for others.

Deacon Mark Kelly

Children’s Liturgy will be celebrated at the 9am Mass Sunday 13th August St. Joseph’s Church Warragul.
Children’s Liturgy involves the children going into the Marian Room during the readings, after the invitation from Father. The format that is happening inside the church is replicated in the children’s liturgy but in a more child friendly way.

The children might act out the readings, give voices to characters, respond with acclamations, song etc. Some discussion to help explain the readings will take place. A worksheet task might also go home with the children.

The children return to their parents during the Offertory Procession. Whenever there is Children’s Liturgy, all primary school children are invited.

Please encourage your child to participate whether they are receiving a sacrament or not.