Dear Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son
for the sake of me
and you
and other sinners too.
God so loved the world.
Blest are you Lord Jesus, our Saviour and Redeemer.
Amen
This Sunday we recall Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, then we will enter into the story of the passion, where we are challenged to do our part to ensure that God’s people are empowered to share in that new life, not only spiritually, but physically as well. We give with compassion and mercy. Easter is a message of hope as we are a ‘Hope’ filled Easter people.
Every Easter I remember the words of Michael Leunig. They are so challenging and so profound. I hope they have a similar impact on you.
“That which is Christ-like within us shall be crucified. It shall suffer and be broken. And that which is Christ-like within us shall rise up. It shall love and create.”
What a wonderful but challenging term this has been! The atmosphere around the school has been very positive. It has been tremendous to see staff, students and parents working collaboratively in many of the school activities. Well done to all our children who have strived to do the best they can in all areas of their development. I thank all children and staff for their hard work and commitment to learning and I wish you the very best as you continue the journey next term.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank my staff for their outstanding work and commitment to our CtK family, and parents for their continual support of our school. We are nearly ready for a rest and a holiday, and I pray that when the holidays arrive the two-week break will be a happy, peaceful time for everyone.
A reminder to all parents that Term 2 commences Monday, 20 April for staff and students.
It doesn’t feel that long ago that quotes like “In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to” by Dave Hollis were referred to after the major impact of Covid on our communities. I can safely say and I’m sure we all agree that since this time, things have become more frantic and society feels that we are moving faster than ever before, we are busier than ever before and potentially more tired and time poor than ever before…… It looks and feels like we have long forgotten about our reflections post Covid. What can we do? As a school community, we can choose to slow things down and value the important things. We can choose to value conversations, relationships, partnerships, manners and appreciate the learning and life opportunities provided to us. Please have real conversations when things matter, reduce clutter and value the time that we have with each other. This is not only good practice for communities but provides a great environment for children to grow and learn in. Before sending an email, posting something, reacting quickly or saying yes to another commitment think about how this will impact you and whether it will help to create the calm that is so important for good learning, wellbeing and development.
Imagine you are building a house, and the brick layer has a day off from site every week, even worse they take two days off every week or even more…. How much longer will it now take to build your house? This applies to student attendance… some students may be absent for one day per week which equates to an 80% attendance rate or two days per week which equates to a 60% attendance rate. How much longer will it take these students to grasp school routines, grow and enhance their learning? To participate fully in the school program, it is crucial that attendance is maintained at close to 100%. We understand that if children are unwell, they will need to stay home and get well but it is unfair to expect growth from children if they are not present to further develop their skills. Attendance reports will be looked at by staff and if your child’s attendance is below the benchmark, please expect a phone from myself or Mrs Reardon. The aim is for your child’s attendance rate to be as close to 100% as possible.
Please note that if students arrive late at school, they are required to sign into the office and take a late pass with them to their classroom. This will ensure our system logs their attendance. When signing students out early for an appointment, please also sign them out at the office and your child will be called up to the office to meet you.
As a school, we encourage our students to play as this significantly promotes and supports child development. It is important, however that students are not playing on equipment or in the grounds before or after school unless participating in an organised activity. For student safety, students must move directly to pick up areas so they can be supervised appropriately. It may seem harmless to have a game with your child on the way out, but this can encourage other students to join who may not have a carer on site. We appreciate your support with this.
Parent/Carer/Teacher interviews for students from Kindy-Year 6 will occur on Wednesday 1 April, from 12:30-5:30pm; this is no Fool’s Joke! This enables parents/carers and teachers to discuss student progress and emphasise the partnership between home and school in developing each child to their full potential. A key factor in student learning is their own disposition to learning and for this reason, it is important to determine student successes and goals in this meeting.
Demand for Kindy 2027 positions at CtK is again extremely strong. If your child is currently enrolled in our school and they have a younger sibling who is due to commence in 2027, it is crucial that you get your application in before the end of this week or they will miss out. Priority is given to siblings, however if we are not aware that they are starting school, a position may not be available.
ECE Car Park:
Thank you to the many families who have been supportive and understanding of how the ECE car park is managed. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
As Tuesday and Thursday are our busiest days, if some families are able to arrive a little later, it can help ease congestion and improve the availability of parking bays for all.
A friendly reminder to please take care when getting in and out of your vehicle. With some larger cars in the car park, space can be limited. Being mindful of car doors and surrounding vehicles helps maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone.
From next term, a staff member will be monitoring the car park. Please ensure your parking pass is clearly displayed at all times. You may also wish to keep a photocopy or a photo of your pass on your phone as a backup.
Thank you again for your continued support and cooperation.
End of Term Prayer
As we end this term, we consider how we might have changed, grown and
become more like Jesus during this time.
Jesus said, ‘Everyone will know you are my friends if you love one another.’
Let us show our love by making peace and trying to make things better.
Let us show our love by caring about the happiness of others and by thanking them for their goodness to us.
Let us love one another as we share our meals and laugh and celebrate together.
Help us, Lord, to love one another as Jesus has loved us.
Amen.
There are ‘great things’ happening in our school due to the efforts of so many people; thank you to everyone in our community who has helped live out this vision through their actions this term.
Easter, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, presents as a symbol of renewed hope as we are a ‘Hope’ filled Easter people. This opportunity for rest and recuperation, alongside our loved ones, will hopefully serve as a timely reminder for us to reflect on this Easter message with gratitude.
Andrew Kelly
Principal
Our fabulous Year 6 leaders, Charlotte and Caelan, will be interviewing our staff throughout the year so that we all can get to know each other well. This week they interviewed Miss de Laeter, our wonderful Year 6 teacher! Find out more about Miss de Laeter below:
