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

Welcome back to term 2. I hope that everyone had a restful and relaxing holiday break and that all of our students are ready and raring to go for a term full of great learning, fun and challenges.

It is with great sadness that Catholics around the world mourn the death of Pope Francis. Pope Francis worked tirelessly for the underprivileged in society- the poor, prisoners, the sick and many more.

His unwavering commitment to compassion, justice, and the transformative power of education has inspired countless lives across the globe. With humility and love, he called upon each of us – students, educators, and leaders alike, to walk gently with one another and with God. Pope Francis reminded us that education is not only about knowledge, but about forming hearts capable of understanding, peace, and empathy. His messages to young people were always filled with hope and encouragement, urging them to be builders of bridges, not walls.

He was often referred to as 'the people's Pope'. We join together in heartfelt remembrance and deep gratitude for the life and legacy of Pope Francis. Our thoughts and prayers are with those of Catholic faith within our own community and around the world at this sad time.

I hope that everyone was blessed by the true spirit of Easter over the previous weekend and we remember the darkness and sorrow around the death of Jesus followed by the joy in his resurrection on Easter Sunday. It's a time to remember Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and his triumph over death, offering hope and forgiveness to all who believe.

Our first newsletter for the term will be very short one with some information regarding the first couple of weeks.

We step back into a busy week at school, even though it is only 2 days long. We have cross country for the whole school on Wednesday. Please remember that Thursday is a closure day as all staff head to Warrnambool for the launch of our new DOBCEL Strategy 2025: Pursuing Fullness of Life for All. There will be no supervision for students at school on this day. We hope that our students can join us for the march and ceremony on ANZAC day this Friday (see below for more information).

School photos will take place on Monday April 28 (see below for more details).

I look forward to the wonderful things that term 2 will have in store for us and would like to wish all staff, students and families all the best as we strive to achieve our best in all that we do.

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

Regards

Jamie

Catholic School Culture

School Information

Assembly Timetable

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

Assemblies for Term 2

Week 2: 5/6BS (May 2)

Week 4: 3/4JS (May 16)

Week 6: 5/6RV (May 30)

Week 8: 3/4AJ (June 13)

Week 10: 1/2DW (June 27)

ANZAC Day 2025

ANZAC Day is this Friday April 25. To commemorate this day our students have the opportunity to participate in the Portland community ANZAC Day march and ceremony. Our student leaders will lay a wreath on behalf of the school community at the Memorial Triangle as part of the community service.

All students are invited to join us to participate in the march on Friday morning. Students will gather near IGA between 10:00am and 10:15am ready to join in the march at 10:30am. We will march together to the Memorial Triangle where we will participate in the service commemorating those who have served our country or those who are currently serving. Families are also welcome to walk with us or you can collect your child from the Memorial Triangle at the completion of the service.

Children are asked to wear sports uniform on the day.

WREATH MAKING APRIL 24

Families and students have the opportunity to participate in wreath making for the ANZAC ceremony on Thursday April 24 from 9:30am onwards. This wreath making will take place at the Civic Hall. Any families who are able to assist in the making of wreaths are invited to attend the Civic Hall on Thursday.

School Closure Days

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

Term 1

Wednesday January 29 - SWPBS (completed)

Tuesday March 11 - Structured Literacy (completed)

Term 2

Thursday April 24 - Southern Zone Collaboration Day (DOBCEL determined date)

TBC- Curriculum Day- Maths

Term 3

TBC- Faith Formation & Religious Education

Term 4

Monday October 6 - Structured Literacy

Monday November 3 - Report Writing & Assessments

Please note: We will notify families of the TBC dates as early as possible so that any arrangements for supervision of your children can be arranged.

School Closure Day Thursday April 24:

Thursday April 24 is a school closure day as all staff will be attending the presentation of the DOBCEL Strategy 2035, titled "Pursuing Fullness of Life for All." This comprehensive plan aims to enhance the performance of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat over the next decade. The strategy will be presented to all staff members of DOBCEL schools by Executive Director, Tom Sexton, throughout Term 2. All schools in the Southern Zone will gather at St Joseph's Primary School, Warrnambool, on April 24th to ensure everyone in the Zone has a clear understanding of this strategy and its vision. This day will be a School Closure Day for all schools in the Southern Zone.

The full Executive Summary of the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy is available on the DOBCEL website or hard copies can be obtained from the school office.

School Photos

SCHOOL PHOTOS: Monday April 28, 2025

Our school photo day will be held on Monday April 28. All children will be required to wear their sports uniform on this day.

Sports polo shirt
Plain black tracksuit pants or shorts (no logos)

If it is cold on the day students may wear their rugby jumper or black coat however, these will be taken off for the photos. Photos will be taken inside if the weather is not suitable.

Envelopes for ‘family photos’ can be requested from the school office.

PAYMENTS

Payments for photos should be done online. School does not take cash or give change for school photos - this money is co-ordinated directly with the photography company.

All photo forms must be returned to school as these are handed to the photographer.

Please read the information on your child’s order form carefully prior to photo day.

Whether you are purchasing photos or not all students will be in the class photo and have an individual photo taken. The individual photos are used to update our records at school.

If you have any questions please contact the office.

Important Dates

Term 2

Week 1

Tuesday April 22- First day of term 2

Wednesday April 23 - School Cross Country 11:30am-1:30pm

Thursday April 24 - Student Free Day: Southern Zone Collaboration Day (DOBCEL determined date)

Friday April 25 - ANZAC Day public holiday- No school for anyone

Week 2

Monday April 28 - SCHOOL PHOTOS - sports uniform to be worn

Tuesday April 29 - Year 3/4 swimming commences

Thursday May 1 - Year 1/2 swimming commences

Friday May 2 - Division Athletics Carnival in Warrnambool (for selected students)

Week 3

Tuesday May 6 - PHDSSA Interschool Cross Country (for selected students)

Thursday May 8 & Friday May 9 - First Aid in Schools sessions for students

Saturday May 10 - Commitment Mass for First Eucharist

Week 4

Thursday May 15 & Friday May 16 - Diocesan Leadership Gathering in Horsham- Jamie away

Friday May 16 - Division Cross Country (for selected students)

Friday May 16 - National Walk Safely to School Day

Friday May 16 - Deb Ball Night 1

Saturday May 17 - First Eucharist Dismissal @ All Saints Church 6:00pm

Saturday May 17 - Deb Ball Night 2

Learning & Teaching

Cross Country: Wednesday April 23

Our school cross country event will be held this Wednesday April 23. It will be held at school with the start and finish of the event on the oval. Families are welcome to come along and support our students as they participate in this event. Children are all required to wear sports uniform on this day.

Please see below the 'predicted' start times for these events. They may change a little depending on how the day runs. Students from years 3-6 will run in age groups as these times will be used to choose our representatives for the PHDSSA Interschool Cross Country event on Tuesday May 6.

Good Luck Everyone!

Foundation: 11:40am- 1km 1 lap of course

Grade 1-2: 12:00pm- 1.5km 1 lap of oval, then 1 lap of course

9/10 Years: 12:20pm- 2km 2 laps of course

11 Years: 12:40pm- 3km 3 laps of course

12/13 Years: 1:00pm- 3km 3 laps of course

Students of the Week

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! - Be respectful to all

We are RESPONSIBLE! - Take ownership of ourselves and our actions

We are SAFE! - Report unsafe behaviour to an adult

We are NURTURING! - Celebrate the successes of all

Leadership & Stewardship

Term 2 Uniform

As we move into term 2 it is also time to start wearing our winter uniform. We usually take a week or two to swap into our full winter uniform so let's aim to be in them by the start of May. If the weather is warm during this term children are able to return to the summer uniform.

We ask for your support with children wearing the correct uniform to school each day.

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

Working With Children Checks

It is a legal requirement that any person wishing to volunteer in our school must have a valid WWCC. This includes volunteering in the canteen, helping in classrooms, assisting with garden club and going on school camps or excursions. You can obtain a WWCC by visiting the following website:

https://www.vic.gov.au/working-with-children-check

All you require is a 'volunteer' WWCC which is free.

Once you have received your confirmation and your WWCC card please bring it to the office so that we can take a copy and add it to our records.

We would love to see you involved in our school community.

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:

ownloadExternal link Download

Download

Student Attendance

It is a legal requirement for schools to contact families if students are absent from school without an explanation. As a result, our office staff are required to contact you from 10:00am if your child is absent from school and you have not let us know. Please phone, email or add Parent Notified absences through PAM. Thanks!

Safe on Social: Parent Library- free access

We have purchased a fabulous resource from cyber safety experts, Safe on Social, for families to use for the next 12 months. With the increase in online activity in everyday life it is important to be aware of and equipped to deal with any issues that may arise.

This resource is free for All Saints families under our school license but it cannot be shared with other families outside our school community.

It is all about keeping our students safe online.

As this is a new resource for our school we would really appreciate any feedback from families who use it.

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 - Cyber Safety

Young people today are growing up in an increasingly connected world where technology is part of their everyday lives –– for learning, socialising, and entertainment. While the digital world offers enormous benefits, it also comes with serious risks. From cyberbullying and online predators to inappropriate content and screen time concerns, navigating the online environment can be challenging for young people and their families.

Cybersafety is not just about blocking access –– it's about empowering young people with the knowledge and skills they need to use technology responsibly and safely. This includes understanding privacy settings, recognising scams, and developing healthy digital habits. At the same time, it's important for parents and caregivers to stay informed, have open and judgement-free conversations with their children, and lead by example through positive online behaviour.

In today's digital age, safeguarding a child's wellbeing must also include protecting their online life. This edition of SchoolTV will help you better understand the digital landscape your child is navigating and offer practical strategies to help them stay safe, confident and in control 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 Cyber Safety edition of SchoolTV
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/cybersafety-au

In this edition of SchoolTV - Sleep

Students today have extremely busy schedules, with ever increasing responsibilities at school and at home. Many kids, especially adolescents, are going to bed later and later and are at risk of sleep deprivation. This affects three areas of a child’s development: psychological, physiological and psychosocial. All three are essential to a child's growth, learning ability and overall wellbeing. Sleep is vital to a child’s overall development and is as important as diet and exercise.

Sleep also strengthens a child’s immune systems and supports their ability to function properly on a daily basis. Children who do not get enough sleep show increased levels of aggressive behaviour, are less attentive and are much less active. Trying to catch up on sleep on weekends is not the answer and can still lead to severe sleep deprivation.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can have adverse effects on a child’s health and wellbeing.

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 Sleep edition of SchoolTV
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/sleep

Happy Birthday

APRIL BIRTHDAYS

STUDENTS: Ayden M, Piper S, Vivie E, Zion N, Ava L, Sienna O, Faith E, Chaz H, Ethan C, Inga M, Poppy P, Sienna B, Kaden H, Alicia I, Rose M, Lucy C, Dolly B, Jaxon G, Althea H, Skye H

STAFF: Jo, Sam, Mrs. Walsh

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.

Easter Sunday

2nd Sunday of Easter

3rd Sunday of Easter