Term 4 Week 3 Newsletter- Monday October 20

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

Principal's Message

I am amazed at how quickly the weeks seem to be flying by here at school. Hard to believe it is week 3 of term 4 already.

Last week our leadership team and staff worked with Anne Ruddell, from Catholic Education Ballarat, regarding our SWPBS work at school. It was great to see how much progress we have made this year. SWPBS is becoming more embedded in our everyday processes at school. We were able to set some positive goals for next year and look at how we can improve our SWPBS work in the future.

Later this week the Local Schools Art Exhibition will begin. All Saints will have 20 pieces of work included in the exhibition. Please see the flyer below for more details.

This week Jo and Rochelle are away at some professional learning. Irene will be helping us in the office while they are away.

We have a very busy few weeks ahead of us. We have our own art show at school, everybody's favourite- Grandparents Day, World Teachers Day, the Upwelling Festival and Parade, 3 Bays Marathon and our school disco. Please read on to find more information about all of these events.

It has been lovely over the last couple of weeks to meet some of our 2026 Foundation students and their families at their transition interviews. I look forward to meeting some more over the next few weeks and welcoming them into our school community.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Strom family, Hunter, Isla and Violet, with the passing of their grandmother and Alana's mum over the weekend. Condolences also go to Mrs. Ashlee Anderson on the recent death of her uncle. We are thinking of you all at this difficult time.

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

Regards

Jamie  

Catholic School Culture

Assembly Timetable

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

Assemblies for Term 4

Week 4:  NO ASSEMBLY due to Art Show

Week 6:  1/2MS - Miss Mall (Nov 14th)

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

Week 10:  FYW & FCL - Miss Cathie & Mrs Levings (Dec 12th)

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

Congratulations

Congratulations to Ayden Marra (Yr 5) who placed 7th overall at the Victorian Gymnastics Championships over the weekend. 

Well done Ayden, we are very proud of you!

Sunnie Chow (Yr 1) recently took her AMEB Preliminary Violin Exam and received a High Distinction! 

We’re so proud of her hard work and progress. Well done Sunnie!

NOTE: If any other families ever have any out of school achievements from our students that should be celebrated in our newsletter please send them through to principal@asportland.catholic.edu.au or admin@asportland.catholic.edu.au 

School Closure Days

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

Term 4

Monday November 3 - Report Writing & Assessments

Thursday December 18 - Final Day for Students

2026 Class Groupings

The Leadership team, in collaboration with teachers, are beginning to consider class groupings for 2026.  Classroom teachers have not been finalised and there will be some changes with current staffing allocations due to a variety of factors.

Some of the major factors that influence their decisions include academic ability, social and emotional behaviour, peer dynamics and gender balance. If there is something of significance that we need to know it should be communicated with the the principal to see if we can factor this in. I want to be really clear, there are no promises made to parents re class placement, as it is simply impossible to meet every request that comes our way. I can assure you though, that every attempt is made to make up fair and equitable class lists.

If parents have a genuine and urgent need to discuss class placement for their child they must be in writing to the principal via email (principal@asportland.catholic.edu.au).

Please note that these requests should be related to an impact on learning and not just wanting to be with a friend or a teacher. No teacher requests will be accepted. Teachers take into account all factors when working out where to place children in future classes and put a lot of effort, time and thought into these decisions.

Parents are asked to submit this information before 6:00pm on Friday October 31st. 

Important Dates

Term 4 

Week 3

Monday October 20 - Friday October 24 - Jo & Rochelle away at Nexus Training- Irene in the office

Monday October 20 - Foundation Swimming continues. FYW 11:00am-11:45am & FCL 11:45am-12:30pm

Tuesday October 21 - PHDSSA Cricket @ Henty Park (for selected students)

Thursday October 23 - Monday October 27 - Portland & District Schools Art Show @ the Drill Hall

Friday October 24 - Mental Health & Wellbeing Activities Day

Friday October 24 - Yr 6 English Games Day @ Heywood (for selected students)

Week 4

Monday October 27 - Friday October 31 - All Saints Art Show @ school

Monday October 27 - Grandparents Day 9:00am-11:00am

Monday October 27 - Foundation Swimming continues. FYW 11:00am-11:45am & FCL 11:45am-12:30pm

Monday October 27 - SAC Meeting 7:00pm

Tuesday October 28 - Art Show Opening Night 6:00pm-7:00pm

Wednesday October 29 - Regional Volleyball in Horsham (for selected students)

Thursday October 30 & Friday October 31 - Diocesan Leadership Gathering- Jamie in Horsham

Saturday November 1 - Upwelling Festival & Parade

Sunday November 2 - 3 Bays Marathon

Week 5

PSGs on this week: communication will be shared regarding times.

Monday November 3 - Student Free Day: Reporting and Assessment- NO SCHOOL for students

Tuesday November 4 - Public Holiday: Melbourne Cup- NO SCHOOL for anyone

Wednesday November 5 - Yr 5/6 surfing begins

Thursday November 6 - Division Cricket @ Port Fairy

Thursday November 6 - State Athletics Finals @ Albert Park

Friday November 7 - School Disco 6:00pm-8:00pm

Week 6

PSGs on this week: communication will be shared regarding times.

Monday November 10 - 2026 Foundation Transition begins

Monday November 10 - Foundation Swimming continues. FYW 11:00am-11:45am & FCL 11:45am-12:30pm

Tuesday November 11 - Remembrance Day

Thursday November 13 & Friday November 14 - Year 3 Camp in Warrnambool

Week 7

Monday November 17 - 2026 Foundation Transition continues

Wednesday November 19 - Yr 5/6 surfing continues

Learning & Teaching

The Listies

Last week, our whole school travelled the The Portland Arts Centre where we saw 'The Listies’ 110% Ready World Tour of ‘STRALYA performance! From the moment the show began, there was laughter, energy, and plenty of fun.

The Listies had everyone, students and teachers alike, giggling and cheering with their clever jokes, silly songs, and wild Aussie humour. The performance celebrated all things ‘Stralya in true Listies style - big, bold, and brilliantly funny!

Beyond the laughter, the experience offered our students the chance to engage with live performance and creative expression, where students were able to observe how actors use voice, movement, facial expression and timing to tell stories and understand the many ways theatre can communicate ideas, emotions, and humour. It was a great opportunity to build appreciation for Australian arts and culture.

It was a fantastic day that reminded us how powerful and joyful live performance can be. A huge thank you to everyone who helped organise the excursion — we’re already 110% ready for the next one!

From the Science Room

As we dive deeper into Semester 2, our primary students have transitioned from exploring digital technologies to embarking on fascinating journeys through science. This shift has sparked curiosity and hands-on learning across all year levels.

Term 3: Uncovering Earth and Space

In Term 3, the focus turned to Earth and Space Sciences, where students investigated the wonders of our planet and beyond.

• Foundation: Delved into the ever-changing world of weather, observing patterns like rain, sunshine, and wind to understand how the weather affects us.
• Grades 1/2: Explored the vital role of water, learning about the water cycle, dams, water treatment, and groundwater.
• Grades 3–6: Journeyed through our cosmic neighbourhood, studying the relationships between Earth, the Sun, and the Moon, along with the planets in our local solar system.

These lessons help students explore, question and understand the natural beauty around us.

Term 4: Investigating Change and Materials

With the start of Term 4, our budding scientists have pivoted to new topics centred on physical sciences, emphasising movement, transformations, and the building blocks of matter.

• Foundation: Students are now investigating motion, exploring how the human body and everyday objects move, through playful, interactive experiments.
• Grades 1/2: Examining the effects of temperature and chemical reactions on objects, such as how spaghetti changes when it is cooked, or how the heat of our hands can melt chocolate.
• Grades 3/4: Diving into the world of materials, identifying their properties, like strength, flexibility, and discussing practical uses in everything from construction to clothing.
• Grades 5/6: Exploring the states of matter, comparing the properties of solids, liquids, and gases through experiments that demonstrate changes like freezing, boiling, and condensation.

These units promote strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, preparing our students for future scientific adventures.

We're proud of the enthusiasm and progress the students have shown throughout their science studies.

From the Indonesian Room

Term 3 was a busy one in the Indonesian Room, and Term 4 is shaping up to be just as exciting!

We celebrated Indonesian Independence Day with a week of engaging activities across the specialist classes and a cultural performance led by Ibu Sari, who taught the students a traditional Indonesian dance.

In Foundation, the children learned greetings for different times of the day and are now enjoying The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which connects beautifully to topics such as fruits, foods, and days of the week.

The Grade 1/2 students had great fun exploring action words—there was plenty of running, jumping, dancing, and singing coming from the Indonesian Room! This term, they’ll move on to learning about clothing, naming and describing different items.

In Grade 3/4, students worked hard to design their dream home and name the rooms in the house. Their creativity shone through in the 3D models they built of their chosen room. This term, the focus shifts to sports and hobbies, which I’m sure they’ll enjoy.

Finally, the Grade 5/6 students explored Animals of the Rainforest. They researched and wrote informative reports about their chosen animals, then created posters featuring labelled diagrams. It was wonderful to see their completed work on display upon my return from LSL—well done, everyone! Our next topic might take a delicious turn, with a focus on Indonesian food and cooking....

Salam, 

Bu Roberts

Students of the Week

Congratulations to these students for the wonderful work and effort that others have seen from you. Keep inspiring and encouraging those around you.

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.

This month we are having a focus on expectations from our 'online' section of our behaviour matrix.

We are RESPECTFUL! - Keep communication positive

We are RESPONSIBLE! - All home devices will be handed in at the beginning of the day

We are SAFE! - Report concerns to a trusted adult

We are NURTURING! - Think before we post

Leadership & Stewardship

School Fees

It has been noted that there are still a large amount of school fees that haven't been paid or had a payment plan set up.  Just a reminder that it is an expectation that all fees will be paid in full by the end of the year unless a payment plan is set up and ongoing.  Please contact Jo if you have any questions or have any concerns over being able to meet your financial obligations.  Jo is more than happy to help with different options that will work for your families needs.

Bushfire Information: Code Red School Closures

As a school on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR), All Saints Parish School will close on any day declared Code Red. This is to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and families.

Where possible, families will receive up to three days’ notice, but sometimes less notice may be given. Once a closure is confirmed (by 12 noon the day before), the decision will not change, even if the forecast improves.

When the school is closed, no one is permitted on site.

The new Australian Fire Danger Rating System uses four clear levels to help communities understand fire risk and take action.

FIRE DANGER RATING SYSTEM
From 1 September 2022, Australia has a simplified, action-oriented fire danger rating system. Please click on the link to find out more about the Fire Danger Rating System.

https://afdrs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/00_Fire-Danger-Rating-System-A5-factsheet-1.pdf

For more information, please visit the following websites:
– VicEmergency
– Country Fire Authority
– State Emergency Service
– ABC local radio is the emergency broadcaster 

CDF Community Fund

2025 SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Our 2025 SAC members are: Bonita Silva, Cam McCallum, Tam Jennings, Shannon Thomas, Stacey Tait, Chris Watson (Chairperson) 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

Mannas from Heaven- tree planting

On Monday our Year 6 School and House Leaders participated in the 'Mannas from Heaven' project, a tree planting project initiated by SEA (Southwest Environment Alliance). SEA are working alongside Council for the planting days in the hope of planting Manna Gum seedlings to help replace the larger trees that are dying and restore the habitats of koalas living in the area.

The School and House Leaders assisted in planting approximately 20 trees on the South Portland Hall site. Our leaders really enjoyed the opportunity to help out our local community organisations and do their bit for the environment and wildlife in Portland. They look forward to watching them grow over the next 20 years or so until the Manna Gums reach maturity.    

In the coming weeks some of our Year 3/4 students will again join forces with SEA and the Council to plant 60 more seedlings in the Waratah Crescent Parkland.

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Foster a brighter future

On behalf of every child and young person we care for, thank you for supporting our ‘Foster a brighter future’ campaign. By spreading the word, you’re helping us reach as many new foster carers as possible.

We are supporting MacKillop Family Services this Foster Care Week to highlight the urgent need for foster carers. Across Australia, children are at risk of missing out on safe and nurturing homes due to a national shortage of foster carers.

If you care about vulnerable children and can provide a safe and supportive environment, you could be a foster carer.

Find out more at https://www.mackillop.org.au/get-involved/become-a-foster-carer

Did you know two in five Australians are considering becoming foster carers?

This Foster Care Week, we encourage you to take the next step and find out more. Join one of MacKillop’s upcoming foster care information sessions to hear from foster carers, and learn about the supports available.

Visit https://www.mackillop.org.au/

Foster Care Week is a special time to celebrate the amazing contributions of foster carers like Renee and Mike. Renee and Mike have been foster carers with MacKillop Family Services for over five years. They have seen the real difference that foster care has made to those they have helped.

“Kids need a chance and security. It’s important that they know they have someone in their corner who they can trust and who will always be there for them – they thrive when they know it is genuine,” comments Renee.

“Foster care has been one of the best things we’ve done and foster care has added a wonderful extra dimension to our family.”

Thank you to all foster carers for your kindness, commitment, and care to the life of children and young people who need our support.

For more information on these resources, contact us at our.story@mackillop.org.au.

Child Safety & Wellbeing

From The eSafety Commissioner: Social media changes are coming

From 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms won’t be allowed to let Australian children under 16 create or keep an account.

What you need to know:

• The age restrictions are likely to apply to Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, among other platforms.
• Online gaming and standalone messaging apps are among the types of services that will not be included.
• Children under 16 will still be able to see publicly available social media content that doesn’t require logging into an account.

Find out more at  eSafety’s social media age restrictions hub. If you can't join our free webinar, we're also developing video guides for parents and carers about the upcoming social media changes for under 16s.

On this page:

• Social media age restrictions explained – a guide for parents and carers
• Understanding AI companions: What parents and carers need to know
• Sexual extortion: What parents and carers need to know
• AI-assisted image-based abuse: Navigating the deepfake threat
• Algorithms and adolescents: The rewards and risks of recommender systems for young people
• The changing face of cyberbullying: Protecting your child in 2025
• Supporting healthy tech use as your child transitions into secondary school
• Understanding and using parental controls to help protect your child online
• Download and share: term 3 webinar topics
• Download and share: term 4 webinar topics

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 - Respectful Relationships

Fostering a nurturing environment of respectful relationships within your family holds the key to not only harmonious living, but also improved academic outcomes for your children. As parents and caregivers, embracing the art of teaching children about respect at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy interactions and empathetic understanding. It will help cultivate a positive environment where communication flourishes, conflicts are resolved constructively, and bonds are fortified.

Teaching children to respect themselves and others will open up avenues for both personal growth and academic achievement. Fostering an environment where respect is not just a word, but a practiced behaviour, will empower young people with essential life skills. Effective communication, active listening, and the art of compromise, will provide your child with a solid foundation that will transcend family interactions and help them collaborate effectively with peers, teachers and the broader community.

Equipping children with an understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships is an important aspect of their development. It will guide them to make informed choices, foster positive connections, and set boundaries that contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy relationships provides children with the essential tools to navigate their social world, build self-esteem, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth.

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 Respectful Relationships edition of SchoolTV
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/respectful-relationships

In this edition of SchoolTV - The State of Youth Mental Health

Parents and carers can play a crucial role  in their children's mental health. As a result, staying informed on the current state of youth mental health is vital, as it not only affects individuals, but also families and communities. According to recent research, the frequency of mental health disorders among young people is increasing, with anxiety, depression, and self-harm being among the most common challenges.

One of the reasons being attributed to this rise is the heightened stress and anxiety that many young people face in today's society. Academic success, social media, and family issues are all influencing factors. Many young people are still suffering the long-term consequences of the pandemic, such as social isolation, uncertainty, and loss.

Parents can play an important role in their children's mental health. Creating a safe and open environment for your children to talk about their emotions, thoughts, and feelings is vital. Encouraging healthy habits like regular exercise, a balanced diet, and proper sleep can help reduce their stress levels and boost your child's overall mental health. There are also many resources and services available to children, adolescents, and their families, such as school counsellors, various mental health organisations, support lines, and of course, mental health professionals. It is important to remember that seeking help is a show of strength, not weakness, and that early intervention is critical in addressing young people's mental health difficulties.

This edition of SchoolTV, discusses some of the major mental health issues affecting young people and how to support a child experiencing them. 

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 The State of Youth Mental Health edition of SchoolTV
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/state-youth-mental-health

Happy Birthday

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS

STUDENTS: Nestor V, Georgiana L, Raphael S, Willow S, River H, Winnie F, Sarah D, Logan R, Phoebe B, Zayden L, Arlo B, Lance C, Amelia-May F, Liam W, Atley S, Maisy B, Bentley J, Amelia B, Zane O, Easton C

STAFF:  Adele, Mr. Debono, Mr. Walsh, Fr. Greg, Miss Andrea, Miss O'Keefe

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.

Our Diocesan Community Magazine

COMMUNITY NEWS