All Saints Parish School Portland eNewsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the traditional owners, the Gunditjmara people, on whose land we learn, work and play. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their elders- past, present and emerging believing that we can walk together for a better future.

All Saints Parish School Vision

All Saints Parish School Community is centered in Christ and as partners in Catholic education; we pursue fullness of life for all.

Principal's Message

What a fantastic ALL SAINTS COLOURFEST 2025 we experienced on Thursday last week. We say it every year but I think this one was the best one yet! Well done to our classes for the phenomenal performances that they produced. The costumes were colourful, the props were pleasing and the moves were magnificent. Well done everyone! You should all be extremely proud of yourselves. My Principal Award last week went to the whole school for the efforts at the concert.

Welcome to the last week of term 3. It is hard to believe that we are 3/4 of the way through 2025 already. We have achieved so much this term and each of us have many things to be proud of and celebrate. Well done everyone.

Today (Monday) we say farewell to Tayla, who has been a pre-service teacher in FCL for the past 4 weeks. Our Foundation students have loved having Tayla in their classroom sharing her experiences and learning more about being a teacher in the future. We wish Tayla all the best for her future as an educator. Good luck Tayla.

The Leadership team has begun planning for 2026. If you know of anyone seeking enrolment please let them know to make contact asap and likewise, if anyone knows that their children are not going to be at All Saints next year, we ask that you make an appointment with the Principal or inform the Principal in writing. It's important we know our enrolment numbers so that we can plan classes and staffing.

School will finish at 2:15pm on Friday September 19. Buses will run at 2:30pm for our bus travellers. Please be aware of the early finishing time. We hope everyone has a safe, enjoyable and relaxing holiday. See you next term.

We are Respectful! We are Responsible! We are Safe! We are Nurturing!

Regards

Jamie

Last day of Term 3

Term 3 finishes on Friday September 19 at 2:15pm.

Buses will run at 2:30pm on this day.

Term 4 Begins

Term for begins for staff on Monday October 6. This day is a Student Free Day as staff will be participating in professional learning on Structured Literacy. There will be no supervision for students on this day.

Term 4 begins for students on Tuesday October 7.

Catholic School Culture

Sacrament of Confirmation

Congratulations to Rose, Elodie, Harriet, Theo and David who celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with their families and the wider All Saints Parish community on Saturday night.

Fr Greg was very excited as it was the first time that he had an extra connection with the Confirmation candidates. As well as confirming these students Fr Greg also baptised them all when they were younger.

Thank you to Miss O'Keefe and the teachers for supporting these students in their preparations.

Assembly Timetable

Assemblies commence at 2:30pm every second Friday afternoon.

Assemblies for Term 4

Week 2: 1/2DW - Mrs Walsh (Oct 17th)

Week 4: FCL - Mrs Levings (Oct 31st)

Week 6: 1/2MS - Miss Mall (Nov 14th)

Week 8: 3/4MN - Miss Marcia (Nov 28th)

Week 10: FYW - Miss Wood (Dec 12th)

Week 11: FINAL ASSEMBLY - inc. farewell to Yr 6 students (Thurs 18th Dec)

School Closure Days

Please add the following dates to your calendars. There will be no school for students on these days.

Term 4

Monday October 6 - Structured Literacy

Monday November 3 - Report Writing & Assessments

Thursday December 18 - Final Day for Students

Important Dates

Term 3

Week 9

Monday September 15 - VRQA Compliance Audit

Tuesday September 16 - Foundation Excursion to PAC: 'The Librarian- A Bookish Circus Adventure!'

Tuesday September 16 - 5/6 Specialist Day due to Foundation excursion

Wednesday September 17 - PHDSSA Basketball Tournament- Boys

Thursday September 18 - Foundation & 1/2 Specialist Day due to excursion on Tuesday

Friday September 19 - Last Day of Term 3- 2:15pm finish.

Term 4

Week 1

Monday October 5 - Student Free Day: Staff Professional Learning- Structured Literacy

Friday October 10 - Greater Western Region Athletics Final in Ballarat (for selected students)

Friday October 10 - 'The Listies' excursion to PAC 10:30am - Foundation & Year 5/6

Friday October 10 - 'The Listies' excursion to PAC 1:00pm - Year 1/2 & Year 3/4

Reminders for Term 4

Just a few reminders in preparation for next term.

*All children will be required to wear the school hat in term 4. If you do not have a purple school bucket hat they can be purchased through CDFPay and we can give them to your child at school, or you can send money to the office to buy a hat. School hats are available for $11. Children who do not have a school hat will be required to play in the undercover area.

*Our Foundation classes will be participating in swimming lessons next term. Swimming lessons will occur each Monday for the term commencing on Monday October 13 (excluding our closure days).

FYW 11:00am - 11:45am
FCL 11:45am - 12:30pm

*Our 5/6 students will participate in surfing lessons later in the term. More information will come closer to the date.

*Grandparents Day is scheduled for Monday October 27. More details about this day will be sent early next term.

*Our Art Show will be held from Monday October 27 - Wednesday November 5.

*October is International Walk to School Month. Children are encouraged to walk, ride, scoot or run to school. We will work on a plan for bus travellers to participate if they wish.

*Monday November 3 is a Student Free Day. There will be no school for students on this day. Tuesday November 4 is a public holiday for the Melbourne Cup. We hope everyone enjoys an extra long weekend.

Learning & Teaching

From the Foundation Pod

Our Foundation students had a wonderful time performing at their very first All Saints concert! They did an incredible job on stage, and we couldn’t be prouder of their confidence and enthusiasm. Back in class, we used the experience as a great learning opportunity, with students writing recounts of the night—many chose the Year 5/6 performances as their favourite! We’ve also been busy dancing, learning, and making the most of every moment in the classroom. A big thank you to Tayla, our amazing placement student, who has been a fantastic support in FCL. We are so lucky to have had her with us, and she will be greatly missed by both staff and students.

Class Awards:
FCL:	George Parry	FYW:	Finley Reid
1/2DW	Austin Annett	1/2ID:	Harley Johnstone
1/2MS:	Arla Hawker
3/4DL:	Robbie Rowe	3/4JS:	Judd Jennings
3/4KD	Ezra Nickless	3/4MN:	Sera Mariya Joby
5/6AJ:	Tilly Friend	5/6BS:	Ilaria Toohey & Indi McRae
5/6DC:	Whole Class	5/6RV:	Alicia Iddon
Specialist Awards:
Phys Ed:	River Britten	The ARTS:	-
Science:	Austin Annett	Indonesian:	-
Principal’s Award:	‘Never see a need without doing something about it!’:		Whole School
SWPBS Awards: We are Respectful, We are Responsible, We are Safe and We are Nurturing

SWPBS- School Wide Positive Behaviour Supports

School Wide Expectations

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support is: A multi-tiered framework for establishing the social culture and behaviour supports needed for a school to achieve behavioural and academic outcomes for all students.

Each newsletter we will share one aspect for each of our school wide expectations. We will focus on these at school and they may present an opportunity for some discussion with your children at home. You may ask them when they demonstrated one of the expectations or a time when someone displayed the expectation towards them.

We are RESPECTFUL! - Care for the natural environment

We are RESPONSIBLE! - Do your best, have a positive mindset

We are SAFE! - Report unsafe behaviour to an adult

We are NURTURING! - Speak positively to others and use kind words

Leadership & Stewardship

CDF Community Fund

2025 SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Our 2025 SAC members are: Bonita Silva, Cam McCallum, Tam Jennings, Shannon Thomas, Stacey Tait, Chris Watson and Alyssa Bicknell.

If you have anything you would like raised at a SAC meeting please contact one of the SAC members or the school office.

Community Engagement

Well done to our girls basketball teams who participated in the PHDSSA interschool basketball competition last Wednesday. Mr. White was very proud of you all for the fantastic way that you represented our school. ❤️☺️ We unearthed some new talent and had heaps of fun. Go All Saints!!! 💜💚🏀

We wish our boys teams good luck as the compete this Wednesday at the Portland Basketball Stadium.

2025 All Saints' Colourfest (Gallery 1)

At All Saints Parish School we hold the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our school.

The Evolution of Child Safe Standards

In Victoria, the Child Safe Standards were first introduced in 2016 to make sure every organisation working with
children puts safety and wellbeing first. Since then, the standards have continued to evolve to better protect children and reflect what we’ve learned through consultation and research.

In July 2022, new and updated standards came into effect.
These include a stronger focus on:
*Respecting diversity and making sure all children feel included and safe.
*Empowering children and young people to have a say and be taken seriously.
* Working closely with families and communities to create safer environments.
*Ongoing training and support for staff and volunteers.
*Regular review of practices so schools and organisations are always improving.

For schools like ours, this means we continue to build a culture where children are valued, listened to and supported. The updated standards guide us in ensuring every student feels safe, respected and able to thrive.

You can read more about the updated Child Safe Standards on the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) website: www.vrqa.vic.gov.au

Digital Media Literacy & Safety Part III

Last week there was a webinar offered by SchoolTV, hosted by Michael Carr-Gregg and Susan McLean, who are are both experts in their fields. It was a very informative session, where they spoke about the new social media regulations, digital footprint and reputation, screen time and brain development and parental controls. At the end of the session, they sent through a fact sheet with some of the key points that they raised around these areas. Please see the fact sheet below. It is well worth a read.

SchoolTV - Wellbeing Platform

Because parenting doesn’t come with a set of instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource that can support you in the challenges relating to modern-day parenting.

This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.

Below is a URL link to the All Saints SchoolTV platform.

All Saints Parish School’s ‘School TV’ can be accessed using the following link: https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me

In this edition of SchoolTV - Managing Screen Time

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.

In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Managing Screen Time edition of SchoolTV
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/managing-screen-time

In this edition of SchoolTV - Physical Activity & Exercise

In the last decade, children’s participation in physical activity and exercise has been in decline. In this digital age, children are using computers and mobile devices, not only for learning, but for relaxation and recreation purposes. This sedentary lifestyle is having a detrimental effect on today’s youth. The key is finding the balance.

Research shows, that regular physical activity and exercise leads to changes in the brain. It improves cognitive function, elevates mood, enhances learning and improves academic outcomes. Playing sport helps kids develop fundamental movement skills impacting positively on their confidence, self-esteem and ability to develop social skills. Parents play an important role in helping children establish positive habits that will benefit their children in the long-term.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will discover practical advice relating to the benefits of regular physical activity and exercise, as well as tips on how to get their kids motivated and moving more.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Physical Activity & Exercise edition of SchoolTV
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/physical-activity-exercise

Multilingual videos now available on SchoolTV!

Because wellbeing shouldn’t get lost in translation, SchoolTV has introduced a powerful new feature — multilingual videos.

Until now, families could access written content in more than 60 languages. Now, expert-led videos are also available in Chinese, Hindi and Arabic, with more languages to be added next year.

This new feature ensures every family can access trusted, practical guidance in a way that feels familiar, inclusive, and easy to understand.

Explore this feature for yourself by clicking the link below to view SchoolTV content in your preferred language.

http://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/stv-multilingual-feature

Happy Birthday

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

STUDENTS: Henry G, Kacy C, Jensen I, Thomas J, Savannah S, Ezra T, Chloe H, Ayden M, Nash S, Layla R, Austin S, Peyton M, Sanna J, Tully P Willow C, Violet S, Noah B, Judd L, Idrissa C

STAFF: Hayley, Nicola, Cherie, Toyah, Deb C, Danielle L, Rita V

Praying With Children

Praying with Children resources offer an insight into the scripture readings from mass on the weekend. It is a wonderful opportunity for families to discuss the Gospel stories and complete some related activities if they wish.

Please click on each of the links below to access the activities.

Praying With Children: September 21

Praying With Children: September 28

Praying With Children: October 5