Dear Parents,

Welcome to Term 4!

I hope you had enjoyable holiday period with your families.

Earlier this year the staff at St Angela of the Cross were fortunate to complete training on an evidence based Social Emotional Learning program through Pearson.

Parents and educators play vital roles in teaching kids important social skills. These skills help them handle stress, enhance their learning, and build strong friendships. The program, backed by research has created easy-to-use tools to help identify and strengthen 30 essential social skills. These include listening, paying attention, taking turns, staying calm in tough situations, and respecting others. Such skills are crucial for positive interactions, which are needed now more than ever.

Many of these skills are part of what we call Social Emotional Learning (SEL). By investing just a small amount of instructional time, these programs can have a big impact on our children, boosting their social skills, reducing behavioural issues, and increasing their engagement in learning.

All classes at St Angela of the Cross will begin lessons based on the Social Emotional Learning Program this term and the focus for these lessons will be shared with parents via Seesaw.

Grade Structures 2025

In preparation for the 2025 school year we are close to finalising our school budgets and student numbers. In 2025 we will move to a 12-grade structure and begin with approximately 275 students. The class structure outlined below enables us to have the lowest class sizes possible.

1. Foundation
2. Foundation
3. Foundation
4. Grade 1
5. Grade 1
6. Grade 1
7. Grade 2
8. Grade 2
9. Grade 3/4
10. Grade 3/4
11. Grade 3/4
12. Grade 5/6

We are still finalising our staffing requirements and will advise parents of new appointments and teacher grade allocations in due course.

Welcome New Staff

This term we have two new staff members commencing with us. Ms Cassie Kennedy will join our administration team and Miss Jas Irwin will join us as an Education Support Officer. I’m sure you will join me in welcoming Cassie and Jas into our school community.

Uniform

A reminder that term four is Summer Uniform for all students. Students must wear a hat when outside at recess and lunch times. Sunscreen is available for student use within classrooms, however, if your child has allergies to particular sunscreens, please feel free to provide an alternate option from home.

Mr Greenwood Long Service Leave | Staffing Changes

As previously advised for the last 8 weeks of term 4 beginning Friday 25^th October, I will be taking long service leave. Mrs Rachael Williams will be Acting Principal in my absence and Miss Danielle Kemp will be Acting Deputy Principal.

As a result of this change, Ms. Kemp will have additional duties she will need to manage and will no longer be able to continue her regular teaching schedule. To ensure a smooth transition and maintain consistency, we have made the following adjustments to the Foundation K classroom:

• Miss. Danielle Kemp will continue to teach on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
• Ms. Jacqui Dennis will take over the teaching responsibilities on Tuesday and Friday.

For the remainder of the year Mrs Mickey Davies will now teach 5/6 M on a Tuesday.

Regards,

Justin Greenwood | Principal

Parents and Guardians, just a reminder that Teaching Masses for First Holy Communion are on this coming weekend, 12^th & 13^th October. Please choose from one of the following Masses:  Saturday, 7pm,  or Sunday 9am at St. Joseph’s church in Warragul , or Sunday 10.30 at St. Ita’s in Drouin. At this Mass, please bring along the Sacrament levy and a copy of your child’s Baptismal certificate if these have not already been handed in.

Also, there is a Reconciliation service on Thursday 17^th October at St. Joseph’s church in Warragul at 7pm for candidates and their families.

An email Confirming the Mass date for your child’s First Holy Communion was sent during the holidays, and candidates will also receive a letter regarding this during this first week of term. If you haven’t received confirmation of this Mass, or have any other concerns regarding Communion, please contact me on 5623 1642, or email  Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au

Liz Schellekens

Sacrament Coordinator

Catholic Parishes of Warragul & Drouin

That All Be Saved

Jesus affirms in today’s gospel that salvation is impossible for men “but not for God: because everything is possible for God.” (Mk 10:17-30) This is the great hope of us all! Even the best of humankind, who might have given away everything including their lives for God, still cannot “earn” salvation. No number of points we can score, or medals win which can force God to admit us to eternal life. We are generously offered that out of love for each of us, despite, not because of, our flawed selves. Of course, we do have it in our power to reject the offer of salvation; that is our free will.

Each of us recognises the plight of the rich young man in today’s story, because we have all been there ourselves. Most of us want to do good, to be good, but we find ourselves repeatedly falling short of perfection. We do try, but like the young man, our circumstances, our worldly possessions and interests retard us.  Rightly we are sad; how are we to be saved?

From earliest days the Church has taught the possibility that all people are saved and, echoing today’s gospel, the Catechism (CC 1058, 1821) reminds us that, “The Church prays that no one should be lost”. Pope Saint John Paul II often taught the possibility of universal salvation, expressing the hope that all will be saved. If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God 'desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that “everything is possible for God.” (Mk 10:27). Joyfully we recall God’s awesome mercy and fathomless love for us. Against all the odds, our efforts are good enough for God. We struggle as best we can, and in so doing, we are assured, not that we will earn salvation, but that it will be given to us.

Deacon Mark Kelly