Newsletter November 27, 2019
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Principal's Message
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Stayback Photos
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Transition Day
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School Fees
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End of Year - Whole School Gathering
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End of Year Mass
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Liturgy Opportunities
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Hot Lunch Roster
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Maintenance Roster
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Birthdays
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Community News & Events
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Daylesford College Year 7 2020 Information Night
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Mass Times - Gordon & Bungaree Parish
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Parish News
Advent Begins…..
Next Sunday marks the first week of Advent and so we pray….
Lord, we are so often overwhelmed by the busyness of this time of year.
O come Emmanuel, come into our hearts and show us by your light the beauty of your way of love.
We are your people, Lord, and we are waiting for your return.
Come Lord Jesus.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen
Dear Parents and families,
We are now moving very quickly towards the pointy end of our term and most importantly the 2019 school year.
What an amazing week or so we have had - the staff and students participated in two particularly exciting events last week- the first being our whole school excursion to the Zoo and the second our concert with Peter Combe. Both events were not only educational, but lots of fun for staff and students alike. It was also very rewarding to observe our students while at the Zoo - their behaviour and manners were exemplary! Furthermore, Peter Combe complimented our school on the engagement and behaviour of all of our students - well done - another big tick to you all!
Last week the Prep to Year 2 children attended their stayback and sleepover which was another fantastic experience. The staff - Emma, Tom, Andreanna, Pam and Lauren are to be congratulated for their commitment to such an event - and on a Friday night too!
Each of these events are clear demonstrations of our desire to educate “the whole child”. While each experience in itself was a fun extra-curricular activity, each also assists our students to build and develop appropriate social skills and learn to engage in interesting ways with the broader community at a local and broader level.
Today we played host to and welcomed for the second time, our Prep students for 2020. Additionally their parents joined us for a conversation about ‘life for a new prep child at St Brigid’s’. Our new Prep students had the privilege of meeting their new Year 6 (inwaiting!) buddies. It was quite lovely to witness such an exchange - all parties feeling a little nervous about what 2020 will hold for them, yet excited in anticipation of new connections, learnings and relationships.
Over the last few weeks we have been reminding everyone about finalising their school fees for 2019. We do need to acknowledge and express gratitude to those families who have heeded our request to finalise their payments for 2019, as do those who take their fee payment very seriously each year and ensure that they are fully paid up in a timely manner. A reminder to those who still have outstanding fees that we are more than ready to discuss you situation in a private and confidential manner.
There will be some changes to our school fees in 2020. Firstly we will no longer be issuing book boxes at the commencement of the 2020 school year. While this project has been somewhat successful, many classrooms are finding that all children’s resources are not returned to the school for use throughout the year, so further resources are required to be purchased.
Additionally, with some incredible work by both Emma B and the teachers, we will be including all costs in our school fees right from the commencement of the school year - this will include camps, an excursion levy and a gardening levy. A letter providing great details of exactly what the fees will be for the total year will be posted on PAM in the coming days, the benefit of such a decision means that you will have a very clear indication of the cost you will responsible for before you decide on the manner in which they will be paid - be that in one payment or weekly, fortnightly or per term. This we hope will be particularly helpful for those who use direct debit. Keep an key out for the letter.
Don’t forget about our whole school barbeque and gathering on Monday 9th December from 5.30pm. We would really love to see all of our families come together on this evening to catch up before we conclude the school year. Our students are working on something both different and interesting to share with you - so come along with nibbles, chairs and refreshments and join in the celebrations.
Traditionally, St. Brigid’s has conducted it’s end of year mass in the evening, however this year for the first time we will hold this celebration during school time - Wednesday December 11th at 2.00 pm. This will allow all of our children to be a part of this event and we view this as being most important. We do not get many opportunities to come together to celebrate mass as a whole school, so we really want to make the most of this time. As a Catholic School it is a most appropriate way to celebrate and give thanks for another year of fabulous learning. In the past we have often had slideshows of our Year Six students who are leaving the school. These will now be a part of our graduation dinner (Thursday December 5th) and also our final assembly for the school year.
Opportunities for gathering at Liturgy
Over the next couple of weeks all of our community has the opportunity to gather in prayer and liturgy outside of our regular Sunday Parish Mass:
- Thursday 5th December at 10.00am. This is a parish event but both the students and the broader school community is invited to participate in this celebration
- Our End of Year school mass is to be celebrated on Wednesday 11th December at 2.00 pm. This provides a valuable opportunity for firstly, our students, but also all families to join and give thanks for, and to celebrate our achievements during this 2019 school year.
Friday 29th November | Mickal Trinder & Rebecca Houston-Farley |
Friday 6th December | Jo Raffaele & Ange Myers |
Friday 13th December | Bridget Sims & Gyorgyi Gorman |
Families rostered on for the current periods are:
Mon Nov 11th - Sun Nov 24th | Plageman/Mulgrew/Hodge |
Mon Nov 25th - Sun Dec 8th | Eskdale/Meehan/Card |
Mon Dec 9th - Sun Dec 22nd | Jeandet/Moshoudis/Nuner |
Mon Jan 20th - Sun Feb 2nd | Psaila/Anthony Ozimek/Zammit |
Daylesford College Year 7 2020 Info Night
When: Monday 2nd Dec
Time: 6 – 7pm
Place: Daylesford College B wing
This is an important evening for all students starting in year 7 in 2020. All students who will be in year 7 in 2020 should attend the evening with a parent or guardian.
Saturday 30th November | Dunnstown | 6:30pm |
Sunday 1st December | Gordon | 8:45am |
Sunday 1st December | Ballan | 10:30am |
Saturday 7th December | Springbank | 6:30pm |
Sunday 8th December | Bungaree | 8:45am |
Sunday 8th December | Ballan | 10:30am |
Priest Appointments
We have been notified by both Bishop Paul Bird and Audrey Brown, Director of Catholic Education, Ballarat of the following appointments following Bishop Shane’s move to the Diocese of Sandhurst:
Father Sajan Matthews has been appointed as Administrator of the Bungaree Parish. This role includes the role of visiting priest to the Parish of Gordon, which means that Father Sajan will be the presider for masses in Ballan at weekends.
Father Ed Moloney has been appointed to the role of supervising priest for the Parish of Gordon.
Father Gary Jones will remain in his role of Canonical Administrator to our school, St Brigid’s and also to St. Patrick’s in Gordon.
All of this may seem a little confusing, so I am seeking further advice on which priest will be undertaking the specific aspects of their role, especially in regard to the celebration of liturgy and pastoral care to our school.