Dear Parents, Teachers, and Students,

It’s been another busy and exciting week here at St. Vincent's, with lots of activities, events, and special moments. We’re proud of all the hard work and enthusiasm shown by our students and community. Here's a look at what’s been happening!

Clean Up Australia Day

A huge thank you to everyone for your hard work and enthusiasm during our Clean Up Australia Day event! It was wonderful to see so much teamwork and energy put into tidying up our school grounds. We were able to give the area around the school hall a beautiful makeover, and it’s amazing to see how much of a difference it makes. We’re truly blessed with the wonderful buildings and assets at St. Vincent’s, and it’s fantastic to give them a spruce-up early in the year, rather than waiting for the annual clean up until just before Graduation.

Diaries: We Love the New Design

We are excited about the new design of our student diaries! A big thank you to Nathan Scurrah for his creative work on the redesign. The updated format is both practical and informative, and we are already seeing the benefits as our students use their diaries to stay organised and record their home reading.

Sporting Achievements

Well done to the swimmers who participated in the Division Swimming Carnival. Your effort and determination were inspiring, and we’re so proud of your performances. Additionally, thank you to everyone who took part in the Cross Country Trials. These events would not have been possible without the hard work and coordination of Mrs. Stevenson and our dedicated teachers. Keep up the great work, athletes.

Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday was a sweet success, thanks to Maryke Day and her family for generously volunteering their time to cook delicious poffertjes (Dutch pancakes) for us all. The pancakes were a hit, and it was such a lovely way to come together as a community before the start of Lent. We truly appreciate your kindness and generosity.

Ash Wednesday Prayer Service

We celebrated a beautiful Ash Wednesday prayer service, marking the start of the Lenten season. A special congratulations to the students who had roles in leading the service – your contributions made the celebration even more meaningful. We continue to keep this time of reflection, prayer, and renewal in our hearts.  Our Shrove Tuesday fundraiser was a great way to kick start our Project Compassion fundraising.

Cyber Safety: Inform and Empower

All students have now participated in our Inform and Empower cyber safety sessions. These sessions taught our students valuable lessons on staying safe online, including how to recognize dangers and make respectful choices. Teachers also attended a Professional Learning session hosted by the same company this week. Some of the information shared was eye-opening. We encourage parents to take advantage of the parent information sheets available – they’re a great way to stay informed and support your child’s online safety.

Car Park Safety Reminder

Please remember to drive carefully in our school car park, especially during peak drop-off and pick-up times. We ask that all families follow the designated traffic flow, avoid parking in restricted areas, and supervise children while walking through the car park. Your help in maintaining a safe environment for everyone is much appreciated!

Our Patch

We are fortunate to have the Our Patch service at our school. If you have any questions or need further information, please visit the Our Patch staff before or after school. You can also refer to our school website for more details on the great services they provide to our students.

Principal Meetings

Catholic principals across the Diocese of Gippsland have had a busy start to the year, with multiple meetings and events. While this has meant some time away from school, I am excited about the new initiatives and opportunities coming our way. The future looks bright for our school and Catholic education, not just here in Gippsland, but across the state of Victoria.

Prayers for Pope Francis

We continue to keep Pope Francis in our prayers as he faces significant health challenges. May he be blessed with strength, peace, and healing during this time.

Hot Cross Buns Fundraiser

We ask for your support in our Hot Cross Buns fundraiser. This fundraiser is especially important as we are only weeks away from the arrival of our new playground. Your participation will help us raise funds for this exciting project. Thank you for your continued support!

Parents and Friends Catch-Up 

Please feel free to drop by to join in the discussion for our planning for Term 2 events - including Mother’s Day.  We will meet this Friday 2.45pm near the Uniform Shop, just before the end of the day.  If you can't make it but would like to be involved please reach out to the office or contact Nicky Inger.

Thank you for reading, and as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the school office. We appreciate your ongoing support in making St Vincent’s such a wonderful place for our students to learn, grow, and thrive.

Warm regards, Dave

8.30am OUTSIDE SUPERVISION STARTS, School gates opened

Students enter the school yard via the car park ramp to the Student Entry Doors

8.45am CLASSROOMS OPEN

9.00am SCHOOL DAY STARTS

Late Arrivals need to enter via the school office

A few reminders.....

- Students are able to exit the yard via the main student entry as well as pedestrian gates on both Rowell and Barry Street. 

- Safe crossing points: Please model and rehearse good habits with your children.  We know primary school children have poor peripheral vision so we would hate to have anyone harmed due to avoidable, risky behaviours.

- Parking By-laws: Can drivers please abide with the local parking laws around the school neighbourhood. Do not park in No Standing Zones, the Bus Zone, across driveways or on nature strips.  This ensures pedestrian safety, keeps the neighbours happy and probably saves you a fine from a local by-laws officer from Latrobe City.

3.00pm ROWELL STREET & BARRY STREET PEDESTRIAN GATES ARE UNLOCKED

Parents are welcome to wait for their children in the courtyard area.  This routine is designed to boost community engagement, improve pedestrian safety, reduce car park congestion and importantly, create a less stressful dismissal routine for our children.

3.15pm STUDENT ENTRY/EXIT GATES OPEN

3.15pm OUR PATCH After School Care students are collected by OP Staff

3.25pm (approx) ROWELL STREET & BARRY STREET GATES are locked by Duty Teachers

We would love to hear feedback from families, children and staff so we can make any further adjustments.