Term 4 Week 11 Newsletter- December 16 2024
- Acknowledgement of Country
- Principal's Message
- Catholic School Culture
- School Information
- Holiday Office Hours
- Last day of the school year
- Important Dates
- Learning & Teaching
- Students of the Week
- Leadership & Stewardship
- Community Engagement
- Child Safety & Wellbeing
- SchoolTV - Wellbeing Platform
- Happy Birthday
- Praying With Children
- COMMUNITY NEWS
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.
Principal's Message
As the calendar year draws to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared over the past twelve months. This year has been filled with learning, growth, and countless moments that highlight the strength and spirit of our All Saints Parish School family.
Celebrating Achievements From academic accomplishments to extracurricular triumphs, our students have continued to shine. Whether it was excelling in the classroom, showcasing talents in arts and sports, or representing the school out in the community at special events, each of these milestones demonstrates the hard work and dedication that define our school.
We are also incredibly proud of our teachers and staff, whose commitment to nurturing and inspiring our students has been unwavering. Their efforts have helped create an environment where curiosity thrives and dreams are nurtured.
Highlights of the Year Let us look back at some of the standout moments of 2024:
Our amazing All Saints on Broadway school concert.,
Celebrating 175 years of Catholic Education in Portland,
A food themed Art Show,
- All Saints Athletics Sports day,
- School camps, excursions and sleepovers.
These are just a few examples of the many ways our community has come together to achieve greatness.
Looking Ahead As we turn the page to a new year, we remain focused on fostering a love of learning, strengthening our partnerships with families, and ensuring every student feels supported and empowered. Exciting opportunities await in 2025!
A Heartfelt Thanks To our students, thank you for your curiosity, determination, and joy. To our parents and guardians, thank you for your trust, involvement, and support. And to our dedicated staff, thank you for your passion, creativity, and care. Together, we make All Saints Parish School the exceptional community it is.
Wishing each of you a restful holiday season filled with warmth, love, and laughter. Here’s to a bright and successful year ahead!
RESPECT YOURSELF, RESPECT OTHERS & RESPECT YOUR ENVIRONMENT!
Christmas Blessings
Jamie
P.S. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Thursday January 30 for our first day back at school in 2025.
Catholic School Culture
4 Weeks of Advent
School Information
Assembly Timetable
Assemblies commence at 2:30pm every second Friday afternoon.
Assemblies for Term 4
Final Assembly - Wednesday December 18 - Jamie & 5/6 team
Families not returning in 2025
Thank you to the families who have let us know that they will not be returning to All Saints next year. We wish you all the best in your new schools.
Any families who know that they will not be returning to All Saints in 2025, and have not yet informed the school, are asked to please contact the office and let us know as soon as possible.
This information has an impact on our 2025 planning and if we know early it makes our planning a little easier.
2024 School Fees
Thank you to those families who have paid their school fees or those who have set up direct debits to make regular payments. We appreciate your support in this matter as school fees play an important role in us being able to provide engaging and high quality learning opportunities for our children.
A reminder that school fees should have been finalised by the end of November. Please contact Jo Drummond at the school office to organise a periodic payment plan if your account cannot be settled in full.
2025 School Fees
At our School Advisory Council meeting on Tuesday 29th October 2024, an increase in school fees for 2025 was approved. In order to meet our increasing costs and provide the learning programs that we do, it was agreed to raise the fees to the amounts listed on the schedule. This calculates to the following:
Family fee $1400 (Consists of $1160 tuition fee & $240 Capital Fee per annum)
Student fee $200
Please note that our fees only make up the difference between the Government (Federal and State) funding we receive and the amount the Government determines as the cost of educating a Primary student. Fees do not mean that we have extra money in our budget to expend on additional resources.
The Family Fee Assistance scheme will be available again in 2025 and is available to all families with a Health Care or Pension Card (card cannot be in child's name). Families who qualify for the scheme will pay amended fees for the 2025 school year.
The Fee Payment Terms preference letter, which indicates how you would like to pay your fees for 2025, will be sent out to families next week. We ask that families complete this and return it to the school office.
$ 400 School Saving bonus
The Allan Labor Government’s $400 School Saving Bonus is rolling out this week for 2025. Catholic school students who will be in Prep through to Year 12 in 2025, and who are receiving the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF), are eligible for the School Saving Bonus.
Catholic school students receiving the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) in 2025 are eligible for additional support through the School Saving Bonus (SSB). The $400 bonus will be provided directly to each school and the school will apply it directly to your fee account. The $400 School Saving Bonus is available for each child. That means an eligible family with three school-aged children will receive a total reduction of $1,200 to school fees.
Families who have had their circumstances change (including new healthcare and concession card holders) and who may be eligible for the Camps, Sports and Excursion are encouraged to discuss this with the school. These are real cost-of-living supports.
For more information please contact Jamie or Jo at school.
Holiday Office Hours
Please note our school office will close Thursday 19th December @ 1:00pm for school holidays, and reopen Tuesday 28th January 2025 @ 8.30am.
If you need to contact us over the holiday period, you can call the school on 55233654 and leave a message. If your matter is more urgent, please email principal@asportland.catholic.edu.au
This email will be checked regularly over the holidays but not every day so you may not get an immediate response, but we will get back to you.
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Last day of the school year
We have made it!
This Wednesday is the last day of the school year for our students. Our day finishes at the normal time of 3:25pm and buses will run to their regular schedule.
We will have a final assembly at 2:30pm to farewell our Year 6 graduating students, staff and families who are leaving us at the end of the year.
The school office will be open Wednesday December 18 (normal hours) and Thursday December 19 (8:30am-1:00pm).
Important Dates
TERM 4
Week 11
Wednesday December 18 - Final day for students - 3:25pm finish
Thursday December 19 - Final day for staff
2025
Term 1
Week 1
Tuesday January 28 - Staff First Day
Tuesday January 28 - Office opens @ 8:30am
Wednesday January 29 - Student Free Day: Staff Professional Learning- SWPBS
Thursday January 30 - Students return to school
Thursday February 6 - Whole School Welcome Picnic
Monday February 10 - Parent Teacher Information Sharing Sessions
Tuesday February 11 - Parent Teacher Information Sharing Sessions
Thursday February 27 - Foundation Speech Screening
Monday March 10 - Labour Day Public Holiday- No school for anyone
Tuesday March 11 - Student Free Day: Staff Professional Learning- Structured Literacy- No school for students
Wednesday March 12 - NAPLAN Testing Window opens
Wednesday March 12- Friday March 14 - Year 4 camp
Monday March 17 - Wednesday March 19 - Year 5/6 camp
Learning & Teaching
Yr 6 Graduation
What a fantastic evening it was last Thursday to celebrate our Year 6 graduation. We are so proud of the graduating class and wish them all the best for the journey ahead. Thank you to our families for the partnership with our school and trusting us to educate your children. We also welcomed our 2025 school leaders. Congratulations to everyone involved in our celebration tonight and good luck to our Year 6 graduates. 
Graduation Pics
2024 Graduates Grade Prep Classes
Students of the Week
Term 4 Week 10 Assembly
FCL: Aubrey Kerr & Teliah Leishman
1/2YW: Zade Edwards & Fletcher Bicknell
1/2DW: Ryder Marra & Allana Taylor
1/2ID: Henry Garner & Isla Logan
1/2MR: Willow Sutton & Tully Denham
3/4DL: Mia Prasad & Nash Neave
3/4MS: Izy Oliver & Briellah Logan
3/4JS: Inga Mewburn & Monique Mochales
3/4MN: Hunter Strom & Amelia Fothergill
5/6AD: Kolbi Friend & Chelsea Payne
5/6BS: Nadia Beckman & Jayden Jackson
5/6RV: Nevaeh Stephens & Zarlee Loft
5/6DC: Xavier Lindsay & Ivy Donovan
Music: Jensen Inman & Tully Denham
Indonesian: Olive Baker & Jaxon Hann
Principal’s Award: Kobe Field
‘Never see a need without doing something about it!’
Congratulations to these students for the wonderful work and effort that others have seen from you. Keep inspiring and encouraging those around you.
Leadership & Stewardship
Final Assembly
Our final assembly will be held on Wednesday December 18 at 2:30pm in the school hall. At this assembly we will farewell our Year 6 students and any families or staff who will be leaving our school at the end of 2024.
All families are welcome to attend this End of Year assembly.
Congratulations to our 2025 School Leaders
I would like to take this opportunity to announce our School Leaders for 2025.
Congratulations to Chloe Holt, Althea Howman, Olivia James and Ilaria Toohey who were voted in as our leaders for next year. We are looking forward to working with you all in your new role.
Our House Leaders will be announced early in 2025.
Community Engagement
Relay for Life
In 2025 we will again be participating in Relay for Life on March 1. If you would like to be a part of our team please use the following link to register. More information will be shared in future newsletters. https://www.relayforlife.org.au/fundraisers/AllSaintsParishSchool6008
Portland Christmas Cheer 2024- The Salvation Army
For over 135 years, The Salvation Army Portland has continued to support our community members who have been experiencing hardship, and will continue to do so during this Christmas period.
As the celebration of the birth of Jesus draws near, it is important for us to remember those doing it tough and we are truly blessed to be able to support others during this time.
Enclosed is some information about this years Christmas Cheer. Please read it carefully and take note of the dates so you don’t miss out. If you have any questions please contact The Salvation Army Portland by email at corpsofficer.portland@salvationarmy.org.au or by phone on 03 5523 3749.
Have a wonderful Christmas and may you be Blessed,
Heather Stamp
Corps Officer- Portland Salvation Army
Child Safety & Wellbeing
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.
Webinars for parents and carers
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars
Join one of our free webinars for parents and carers.
These live webinars give parents and carers the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe online experiences.
On this page:
- Supporting healthy tech use as your child transitions into high school
- eSafety 101: how eSafety can help you
- Download and share the Term 4 webinar schedule
- In case you missed it
Download the schedule
eSafety-Term-4-2024-Parent-carer-Webinar-Flyer (PDF, 93.84KB)
2024 parent and carer webinar schedule (PDF, 155.03KB)DownloadExternal link
Download
It’s almost Christmas! It has certainly come around quickly this year. No doubt, your children will be
busy making their Christmas lists for Santa and there could be a bit of technology on those lists! Not
just the ones we immediately think of either; eg: gaming, tablets, phones, but also things like drones,
robotic toys and more. This link https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources/gift-guide from https://www.esafety.gov.au/ will give you more information on the different tech that may be on those lists and provides great information about them. It’s a great site to forward on to the North Pole too!
SchoolTV - Wellbeing Platform
All Saints Parish School’s ‘School TV’ can be accessed using the following link: https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me
A Special Report: Surviving Christmas
Many people see Christmas as a wonderful time of celebration and an opportunity to spend time with family and friends. However, there are some that view it as a time of stress and hardship. This may be due to a combination of things: financial pressures, relationship issues and, quite often, loneliness, making it a very challenging time.
Often the true meaning of Christmas can be lost due to commercial exploitation, but there are a number of things you can do to create a magical Christmas, without the financial burden. Creating or maintaining traditions can contribute to a sense of comfort and belonging.
Unfortunately for some, there is also an ugly side to Christmas. Support organisations often report an increase in the number of calls from people seeking help due to their inability to cope during this time. If you, or a loved one, is finding that it is all too much, then it is important to reach out to a trusted friend, family member or medical professional.
In this Special Report, parents and care givers will be presented with a number of ideas on how to achieve a stress-free Christmas and where to seek help should you need it.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report:
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/surviving-christmas-au
A Special Report: Starting Year 7
When a child starts high school, they suddenly become one of the youngest and newest kids at school all over again - a small fish in a big pond! The transition between Year 6 and Year 7 is one of the biggest jumps in a child's life and is a very important milestone. This can easily become a daunting time for students and parents alike.
Starting Year 7 poses many new challenges, but also exciting opportunities. It comes with a number of mixed feelings. Some students may be feeling a little anxious about their expectations of starting Year 7 and finding their place in the “big pond”. As your child grasps new skills and engages in new study practices, it is important for parents to be supportive, but also realistic in their expectations. Parents and students can easily become overwhelmed during this time of transition but, there are a number of strategies that can be implemented to start things off on the right foot!
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report:
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-starting-year-7
Happy Birthday
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
STUDENTS: Lucy B, Melodi F, Oliver C, Fletcher B, Tyler L, Charlotte N, Dylan R, Ella J, Archie M, Tilly F, Charlotte U-S, Georgia H, Holly K, Sunnie C, Danny W, Harry R, Henry M, Summer C, Ciarah L, Briellah L, Zade E, Travis B, Aliyah L.
STAFF: Rosie, Jess L
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 flyers below to access the activities.
COMMUNITY NEWS
