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.

Principal's Message

It is hard to believe that we are in week 7 of term 4 already and that there are only 5 weeks left of school for the year.

Our 2025 Foundation students began their All Saints school journey with their first transition session last week. It was wonderful to see them experiencing our school. We hope they had as much fun again today.

I would like to thank all families who have very generously donated to our Reverse Advent Calendar and Wishing Tree Appeal. We have received many donations already and would like to encourage families, if you can, to support these causes. For those families who find this time of the year challenging, or know someone else who does, please see information below regarding The Salvation Army Christmas Cheer.

The excitement is palpable this week with the installation of our new Foundation playground which will begin on Tuesday. We will keep you all updated with progress through our Facebook pages. We also have our mini-fete coming up on Friday November 29, please see poster below.

We keep the family of Olivia and Thomas James in our thoughts and prayers after the recent passing of their grandfather and Nat's dad. Our condolences are with you all. It is also with great sadness that we heard of the recent death of Tony Burns. Tony was a past teacher at All Saints Primary School. We extend our deepest sympathies to Julie, Tony's family and friends at this sad time.

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

RESPECT YOURSELF, RESPECT OTHERS & RESPECT YOUR ENVIRONMENT!

Regards

Jamie

Catholic School Culture

May the God of love be with us.
May our lives be continual, giving and receiving of love with our God, our friends, and with all whose lives we touch.
May God's love in us light fires of faith and hope,
and may the fire grow and burn deeply and inflame the earth.
May the blessing of love and friendship be with us always.

AMEN

School Information

Assembly Timetable

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

Assemblies for Term 4

Week 8 - November 29 - 5/6AD

Week 10 - December 13 - 3/4MS

Final Assembly - Wednesday December 18 - Jamie & 5/6 team

Mini Fete: Friday November 29 from 12:30pm-2:00pm

Mini Fete Information Flyer

Specialist Day Swap 1/2 & 3/4 classes

Next week (Week 8) our 1/2 and 3/4 Specialist Days will swap around. Our 1/2 students will have their specialist classes on Tuesday November 26 and our 3/4s will have theirs on Thursday November 28. This is so that the 3/4s can attend the Play Your Way- Come and Try Day organised by the Glenelg Shire Council Recreation team.

Grades 3/4 Come & Try Event Flyer All Saints Parish PS

Important Dates

TERM 4

Week 7

Monday November 18 - 2025 Foundation Transition Session 2

Monday November 18 - Wednesday November 20 - BOOKFAIR (final days)

Monday November 18 - PSG Meetings

Tuesday November 19 - PSG Meetings

Tuesday November 19 - New Foundation playground installation begins

Week 8

Monday November 25 - 2025 Foundation Transition Session 3

Tuesday November 26 - Play Your Way: Come and Try Day Year 3/4 classes

Thursday November 28 - 5/6 Surfing Session 4

Friday November 29 - SZ Principals' Meeting in Warrnambool - Jamie away

Friday November 29 - Mini Fete

Week 9

Monday December 2 - 2025 Foundation Transition Session 4 - Parent Information Session

Monday December 2 - School Carols Night & Picnic Tea 5:30pm

Tuesday December 3 - Bayview Orientation Day for Yr 6 students attending Bayview in 2025

Wednesday December 4 - Harbourside Lodge and Seaview House Carols singing (participating students)

Friday December 6 - Yr 6 Fun Day @ Adventure Park in Geelong

Sunday December 8 - Community Carols @ Bayview College 5:00pm-7:00pm

Week 10

Monday December 9 - Yr 6 Big Day Out @ Bayview (activity day for all Yr 6 students regardless of where they are going to school in 2025)

Tuesday December 10 - Orientation Day for all students

Thursday December 12 - Yr 6 Graduation Ceremony 6:00pm-8:00pm @ All Saints School Hall

Friday December 13 - End of Year Mass @ All Saints Church 11:00am

Week 11

Wednesday December 18 - Final day for students - 3:25pm finish

Thursday December 19 - Final day for staff

Learning & Teaching

From the 3/4 Classrooms

Year 3 Camp

Year 3’s went on camp to Warrnambool to Warra Gnan Coastal Camp in week 3 from Thursday 24th October to Friday 25th October. We traveled by bus to Warrnambool. The bus dropped us off at camp where we found our own room and put our luggage in our room. The rooms were all different in size and shape and had a different number of bunks in all the rooms. Some rooms were really big with lots of bunk beds, others had small rooms with just one bunk and a material curtain partition.

We then went for a walk. We started by walking past Middle Island where they based the movie Oddball from. We walked to the old aquarium and onto the breakwater. We then walked along the promenade to split into two groups to do different activities. One group went to the play area at Lake Pertobe, while the other group did beach activities. After swapping activities we walked back along Lake Pertobe to our accommodation. We set up our bunks and had a bit of a free play before a yummy tea of spaghetti bolognaise, garlic bread and sticky date pudding with ice-cream. We watched Oddball before going to bed, very tired and worn out.

The next day after packing our bags, we had cereal and toast for breakfast. We then made our own meat and salad roll to have for our picnic lunch. We walked to Lake Pertobe mini golf area where we split into our two groups and participated in either Mini-golf or Capture the Flag on the grass area.

After eating our picnic lunch we walked back to our accommodation where our bus was waiting ready for boarding. We all had a great time building friendships, confidence and resilience.

Upwelling Festival

While the Year 3’s students went to camp the Year 4’s students completed some Pop art inspired artwork for the Upwelling window displays. This year's theme for the shop window displays was ‘shellfish’. The Year 4 students cut out some silhouettes of shellfish and used a variety of art mediums of oil crayons/pastels, ink and salt. We used salt as a special effect over the wet ink. Miss D’s collated all the completed images to take to Admella's Fruit and Veggie shop to display.

It was pleasing to hear that All Saints won first prize for their window display winning a fantastic whale tale trophy.

Year 4 students have been trying really hard to continually have neat handwriting. If students continually demonstrate they can write neatly they will earn their pen license where they can use a pen for all writing tasks.

Students of the Week

Term 4 Week 6 Assembly

FCL: Logie Tomkins & Kohen Newport

1/2ID: Raphael Shehata & Jaxon Geraldene

1/2YW: Tully Polkinghorne & Manny Stephen

1/2MR: Lachlan Watson & Isla Reid

3/4DL: Charlie Foster & Nelly Ford

3/4MN: Maya Dodson & Holly Kort

3/4JS: Ally Carlyon & Mia Tobolov

3/4MS: Amelia Ozzimo & Amahlie Vaughan

5/6RV: Charlie Dainty & Kelsey Taylor

5/6BS: Ava Poate & Georgia Hatten

5/6DC: Tilly Friend & Jaxon Hann

5/6AD: Banjo Mewburn & Braxton Frost

Indonesian: Kobey Newport & Ezra Nickless

Science: Indiana Marshall & Lara Waters

Music: Xavier Lindsey & Willow Cracknell

Phys Ed: Lucy Crimmins & Lachlan Watson

PRINCIPAL’S AWARD: Logie Tomkins

‘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

Safety at Drop Off & Pick Up Times

As many of our families are aware the traffic around the school area is very hectic at the beginning and end of each day. Often it can be challenging trying to access our fast pick up loop and the parent carpark. We ask that all of our families are patient on the roads but especially at these times of day. After the tragic events in Melbourne last week we need to be mindful of, and ensure the safety, of all in our school community and others who use the roads.

Please remember the following when dropping off and picking up students each day:

*There is no overtaking in the fast pick up loop. Please wait patiently for the car/s in front of you to move on before you do.

*If you are in the fast pick up loop and your child/ren are not ready, you will be asked to move along and do another loop.

*If you need to hop out of your car to assist children in or out or with their bags then please use the parent carpark.

*Children must enter the car from the left hand (passenger) side in the fast pick up loop. It is too unsafe to have children walking to the other side of the car.

*Please do not block the Fawthrop/Must St roundabout. If you cannot get through the roundabout then you may need to drive on and try again. Sitting in the roundabout is dangerous and illegal. It also creates more congestion as other cars cannot move through either.

*If you are waiting on the road in Fawthrop St to enter the pick up loop please move on and try again as just sitting and waiting is dangerous and illegal. It also creates more congestion as other cars cannot move through either.

*When using the parent carpark please park safely in a space and come and collect your child from the duty teacher. It is too dangerous for children to be walking through the carpark without parent supervision.

Please be careful and patient to ensure the safety of our students and other road users.

Community Engagement

The Salvation Army Reverse Advent Calendar & Wishing Tree Appeal

This year in the lead up to Christmas we will be supporting The Salvation Army with their Reverse Advent Calendar and KMart/KHub with their Wishing Tree Appeal. This works in very nicely with our Catholic Social Teachings that we discuss in our classrooms often.

At school we have 2 donation boxes in the foyer- 1 for each of the above causes.

Any donations of food etc. for the Reverse Advent Calendar or toys and gifts for the Wishing Tree will be greatly appreciated. There is also a link and QR code for the Wishing Tree where families can donate to support those in need.

We understand that there are families in our school who find this time of the year challenging and may find it difficult to donate.

We appreciate any support that can be offered.

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

Christmas_Cheer_FAQ_2024_1_.pdf

Christmas_Cheer_Form_2024.pdf

School Advisory Council Vacancies

We have some vacancies on our SAC. If you are a parent who is interested or would like more information please contact me at school via email at principal@asportland.catholic.edu.au

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.

Lael Stone

Lael Stone is an Australian Speaker, Educator and Author who’s passion is supporting parents to understand their children, helping adults process their own childhood trauma and creating education systems that value emotional awareness. Everything is based on one fundamental principle – connection and compassion. The purpose of her work is to help all humans understand themselves better and be inspired to live the life they desire.

Please find attached a link to Lael's TED talk: How to Raise Emotionally Intelligent Children https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fL09e8Tm9c&t=20s

Lael has also been a guest on the Imperfects Podcast and has shared some of her expertise on a variety of topics https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/podcasts/ . She has presented topics titled 'Creating Emotionally Intelligent Humans', 'Take Care of Yourself' & 'Parent Yourself First'.

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:

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

Download

eSafety Term 4 2024 Parent Carer Webinar Flyer

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: Social Media Influencers

Social media influencers have become powerful individuals who often shape the opinions and beliefs of others due to strong connections with their audiences. In today's fast-paced digital world, attention has become a valuable commodity.

However, the impact of social media influencers on youth mental health is a growing concern, most recently, the controversial actions and statements of Andrew Tate. His rise to fame has made him a polarising figure, amassing a significant following of mostly young males. Educators and families have raised urgent concerns about the damaging nature of Tate’s content, worried that his messages may radicalise students and create a generation of young men with regressive and harmful beliefs.

Young people often compare themselves to the idealised lives presented by influencers, leading to feelings of inadequacy, low self-worth and dissatisfaction. Social media algorithms may also expose them to inappropriate or harmful content such as explicit material, promotion of harmful behaviours, or distorted perceptions of body image or mental health.

It is important to guide a young person’s social media use and promote open communication. Be curious to comprehend why they might be drawn to radical influencers, like Andrew Tate, and actively seek understanding as part of the solution. While not all influencers have a negative impact, parents play a vital role in ensuring a balanced approach to social media. By actively modelling kindness, respect and positive values, parents can help tackle the sway of radical influencers and be part of the solution to countering unhealthy masculinity.

This Special Report provides guidance on how to respond to misinformation and disinformation, instead encouraging critical thinking and emphasising the value of real-life connections.

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-social-media-influencers-au

In this edition of SchoolTV - Cyberbullying

With the advent of the internet, smart phones and tablets, there is now a whole new digital dimension added to traditional schoolyard bullying. There was once a time when bullying victims were given some respite outside of school hours, but sadly these days, online bullying can occur 24/7. In today’s world, teaching your child about online and cyber safety, is as important as learning to swim or cross the road!

Cyberbullying can be identified as being the repeated behaviour by an aggressor with the intent to harm or embarrass. Technology enables these aggressors to share information widely and quickly, making this form of bullying extremely dangerous and harmful. However, the answer is not to shun the internet nor social media. Instead, parents are encouraged to embrace it and instill a family internet policy to protect their children without limiting the freedom to learn, explore and communicate online.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents are provided with useful guidelines and advice on how to minimise the risks. Children have the right to feel safe, regardless of whether it is in the schoolyard or online.

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 Cyberbullying edition of SchoolTV
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/cyber-bullying

Happy Birthday

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

STUDENTS: Zimi L, Layla S, Andee R, Axel O, Zane F, Torben K, Alexia S, Indie O, Violet J, Judd J, Mia P, Grace I, Hamish M, Zarlee L, Cassandra V, Seth H, Lexie E, Lara W, Kelsey T, Baylee P

STAFF: Rochelle, Flint, Regien, Shelley, Mrs Kennedy

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.

praying_with_children_24_november_2024_christ_the_king.pdf

Term 4 Week 7 Newsletter- November 18 2024