St Luke the Evangelist School Newsletter

Hello Families and Friends,

I thought l would insert the short welcome l gave this morning at our whole school Welcome Mass for those who could not be there. We missed you but totally understand the difficulties of work and home commitments.  I promise this week's message will be somewhat shorter than last week.

'Good morning everyone. We warmly welcome our children today who have already lit up our year with their enthusiasm, their energy and their wonder. We are so pleased to have many mums and dads, brothers and sisters and other special family members join us today. This really does mean so much that you can manage to take the time to celebrate with us and also take time to meet God in your day. We will think of those who couldn’t be here and hope that their days go well. As we know, it does take a village to raise a child and so we also say a warm hello to our lovely parishioners… we hope you know that every day we enjoy and thank God for the impact you have made on making St Luke the Evangelist a real parish school in every sense of the word.

This year, our Lukan theme is Be the Good news- promoting God’s hospitality. I witnessed this first hand on Wednesday evening when the school gathered for a family picnic. I watched as some arrived and were invited to share picnic rugs, when new families were embraced by old ones and engaged in conversation and as children looked eagerly for friends to play and share the evening with. I encountered such warmth from parents as l approached and so willingly took the time to chat with me. I also watched as members of my staff team mingled and caught up with children and families, made sure games were set up, music was playing and people were comfortable. I also noticed how lovely that Fr Gerard joined us not briefly but for a considerable time. There, throughout that picnic, l saw the good news being enacted where hospitality was demonstrated in so many ways and again we- St Luke’s Parish- were in communion with each other. Thank you. I know the year ahead will be one of great hope, joy and energy and l look forward to sharing it with each one of you."                                  Clare Ryan

Now, l have a request and favour to ask every family in our community. It's simple, does not require time and l think you will do it with ease and quite naturally. Across Australia, all schools are entering a very busy time encouraging people to visit their school, to consider whether 'this' school might be just the right fit for their child. Please get our St Luke's name out there in the community. Sing it's praises, encourage those looking for a Prep place in 2024 or beyond (or an alternative school for their child who may not be at their best fit school) to come and visit us. Please get our St Luke's name out there in the community. If you know of anyone who has a kinder child in our area, please encourage them to come and have a look. I know they will be impressed. I am running personalised tours for any one who enquires and am very happy to fill my days doing so. Our School Captains, James and Emily did an extraordinary job yesterday accompanying me on some tours. Their ease, articulation and thoughtful contributions impressed our visitors to the point they all offered feedback at the end about how impressive they were and what a difference this made to the tour. Thank you James and Emily.

Congratulations to our Year 6 Student Leaders who received their leadership badges. We are so proud of you already and know that not only will you grow and flourish this year but your influence on our school community will only enhance us.

Please look out for the following forms coming your way via Operoo 

• ICT User Agreement
• Sports Carnival permission
• Sports Carnival Volunteers- we need an army of helpers to ensure another fabulous event

I need to stay true to my word and end my message before it gets any longer. Have a wonderful weekend but please keep the people of Turkey,Syria and the Ukraine in your prayers.

Clare

Hello to all new and returning families!

Please save the date for our upcoming school Twilight Sports Athletics Carnival on Tuesday 21st February!  The carnival will be held at Bill Stewart Athletics Track from 2.00pm to 5.00pm.  All students will need to be collected at 5.00pm from the track, there will be no bus travel back to school.

We would love as many parent helpers as possible to help coordinate events.  Please respond to the Operoo form if you are available to assist.

Further details will be provided in the coming weeks.

Micaela Debney - Physical Education Teacher

Please ensure that your child/ren have their school hat (no caps) with them each day in Term 1 2023, as they must wear it outside during breaks, sports and if lessons are held outside.  If they forget to bring their hat it will be No Hat No Play.

It is school policy and child safety requirement to wear hats in Terms 1 and 4

If your child has lost their hat or it is damaged, you can purchase them along with other uniform garments from Spartan School World (https://www.spartanschoolworld.com.au/collections/st-luke-the-evangelist).  With Click & Collect, Home Delivery or School Delivery options. 

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities. If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

If you wish to apply for CSEF please contact the school office to request an application form.  All completed forms must be returned ASAP. 

The CSEF program closes on 23 June 2023.