Guardian Angels' Newsletter Term 1 Week 3 2025

Coming Up

WEEK 4

Monday 17 February
Uniform Shop Open, 7.30am - 10.30am

Tuesday 18 February
Principals Tour, 9am
Mini-pros Soccer (after school program), 3.15pm - 4.15pm
Year 5/6 Leadership Formation Day

Wednesday 19 February
Sports Aerobics, 7.30am - 8.15am (GA Hall)
Parent Partnership Open Classrooms & Expo, 3.15pm - 5.15pm

Thursday 20 February
Creative Kidz Instrumental Lessons 
Uniform Shop Open, 1.00pm - 4.00pm
Class Mass 3 Red & 4 Red, 1.45pm (GA Church)

Friday 21 February 
Senior Leaders Commissioning Ceremony, 9.00am (MC Shed)
School Fees Due 

WEEK 5

Monday 24 February
Uniform Shop Open, 7.30am - 10.30am

Tuesday 25 February
Mini-pros Soccer (after school program), 3.15pm - 4.15pm

Wednesday 26 February
Sports Aerobics, 7.30am - 8.15am (GA Hall)

Thursday 27 February
Creative Kidz Instrumental Lessons 
Uniform Shop Open, 1.00pm - 4.00pm

Friday 28 February
Assembly, 8.50am (MC Shed)
P&F Welcome BBQ & Disco, 5.00pm - 6.30pm (MC Shed)

From the Principal

We are looking forward to welcoming our families to the Parent Partnership and Expo next Wednesday (19 February) with all families having now received an email with links to both your child/children’s Year Level and Leadership SWAYS.

In addition to the open classrooms and ‘Expo’, this evening will present a wonderful opportunity for families to visit the beautiful mosaic mural that is now completed in the Mt Carmel Campus Reflection Space.    We extend thanks to our P&F for funding this project and for their ongoing partnership that is deeply valued.  

The Story of Our Mural

During 2024, our community embarked on an artistic journey with Sue Trimble (Susan Trimble Art) to create a mural that has come to life on the Mt Carmel campus. 

This artwork beautifully captures the essence of our St Francis' charism, the spirit of Guardian Angels.  The mural was designed and created by Sue Trimble and it portrays a harmonious blend of nature and spirituality, reflecting St Francis of Assisi's profound love for creation and his commitment to living the Gospel through simplicity, humility, and service.

At Guardian Angel's, we are inspired by St Francis' example to foster a community that values inclusivity, respect, and care for all of God's creation. Our school motto, ‘To Achieve Life’, is vividly brought to life in this artwork, symbolising our dedication to nurturing the holistic development of each student. 

The principles of LIVE the GA Way, Love Learning, Inspire Others, Engage Responsibly, and Value Relationships, are intricately woven into the fabric of this piece.  This connection is seen through key symbols that connect our story:

• Moreton Bay (Ocean)
• Traditional Owners, the Quandamooka People (3 Birds – Balcara, Katara and Arlunga)
• St Francis Charism (Tao Cross)
• Parish (Church)
  

The vibrant colours and dynamic composition invites us to reflect on how we can embody these values in our daily lives, just as St Francis did.

The creative and artist talent of Sue has brought this vision to reality, and we can’t wait for you to see the vibrant masterpiece that will adorn our school.

‘Stretch yourself as much as you can for what lies ahead;
I tell you that where forever you place your foot will be yours.’

St Francis of Assisi

From the Assistant Principal Administration

Good afternoon lovely families …

It will be just so lovely to share the Parent Partnership Evening with you all next Wednesday 19 February. Be sure to take some time to enjoy the Parent Partnership sways that have now been sent home to you. They are really wonderful and you will hear about the important routines for your child and the incredible teaching and learning that our teachers have planned for our students. You will also hear about whole school information that makes our school the most wonderful place to be. I know these experiences further confirm how important the partnerships are between home and school.

Prep and New Student Photos

I spend every lunch time with the beautiful Prep and Year One students and I have been so proud of the way they are settling in to their school routines. This can be tricky following a long break (and when you are new to big school), but I must say THANK YOU to YOU … the wonderful parents and carers who have obviously worked very hard to help prepare our littlest angels for their transition to and back to school.

All prep students (and new students to GA) will have their photo taken tomorrow (Friday 14 February) by our friends at Studio Kirby. This will happen first thing in the morning so the heat and play doesn’t mess with their hair too much (haha). There is no cost for families for these photos as they are solely for the purpose of updating our student database. Our little Prep angels will not attend the whole school assembly tomorrow as they will be rotating through their photo schedule at the same time.

A reminder that our official school photo day is Wednesday 28 May (Term Two Week 6). There will be appropriate communication for our families leading up to the official school photo day in May.

Drop Off and Pick Up Zone Information

Over the past week however, I have witnessed a number of practices from a significant number of drivers that are in direct contradiction to the processes that must be followed when using these zones. I would just like to remind all of our drop off and pick up processes. These are of utmost importance to minimize risk to students and drivers, keep our little ones safe and nurture wonderful relationships as a school community:

· Drivers are to remain in their cars at all times in these zones. I have witnessed a number of parents, usually of small children, who are getting out of their cars in the zone to assist their child, help do up their seat belt etc. It is of utmost importance that all drivers remain in their cars. We certainly have a teacher in the GA Pick Up Zone (and often some wonderful volunteers) to help our little ones into their cars. If they cannot do up their seat belt by themselves however, parents may need to park their car and walk in to collect their child; waiting to use the Pick Up Zone once your little one can do up their seat belt. Please ensure that no adult exits the vehicles whilst in the drop off and pick up zones. Please convey this message to any family member or friend who may use the zones.

· Please approach the drop off and pick up zones from the correct areas.

Akonna Street (GA Campus), please approach the zone from Cedar Street ONLY; NOT from Pine Street. Cutting in (and doing U-Turns) means that you push in front of other drivers who are waiting in the queue. This has happened a number of times over the past few weeks and is very frustrating for any drivers who are waiting to enter the zone from the appropriate place. Even if you are entering the zone at a later time, please ensure you are following the procedures and entering from Cedar Street rather than coming around the corner at Pine Street or performing a U-Turn into the zone.

Pine Street (MC Campus, please approach the zone from Tingal Road direction.

· The church car park IS NOT a drop off/pick up area. Please DO NOT ask your children to get out of your vehicle or enter the vehicle in a drop off mode. We are so blessed that our parish friends generously allow our families to PARK your car in the car park and walk to get your child/ren however stopping your car so that the student/s can just hop in or out, is not acceptable. Stopping and dropping in the car park is a very dangerous practice and I have personally witnessed many close calls in the car park over the years. Please do not do this. If we see students waiting to get into a vehicle in this manner, we will always redirect them to the GA Pick Up Zone.

· Similarly, Chestnut Street (outside or near the MC Office) is also NOT a drop off or pick up area. We will always redirect students to the MC Pick Up Zone if we see them waiting here. Some drivers have been double parking and letting students out to walk in to school. Please don’t do this from this area.

Of course we will always have a kind word to any driver we see who may not have followed the processes and procedures of our Drop Off and Pick Up Zones. We absolutely need your support in this area to ensure our little angels are kept safe and sound. It is also very important that you let any other person who may use the zones eg grandparents, day carers etc so that they are aware of the expectations of use in these areas

Many thanks for your kind understanding in this important matter. And don’t forget … I would LOVE to have you volunteer for 20-30 mornings or afternoons in the GA Drop Off and Pick Up Zones. Let the lovely ladies in the offices know if you are able to help out.

Finally, having your child’s name clearly on a name sign really helps us keep the zones moving smoothly in the afternoons. If you need a sign, please phone the office (3396 4486) and the beautiful ladies there will arrange for a sign for you. Just be sure that whatever sign you are using is really clear. There are a few that are really hard (for my old eyes) to read

Blessings of peace to you all for the coming week

Nicole Waller

From the Assistant Principal Religious Education

Dear Families,

Peace and Welcome

School Prayer Gatherings

Senior Leaders Commissioning Liturgy

Our Senior Leaders Commissioning Liturgy is on Friday 21st of February (Week 4) at 9:00am in the Shed on the Mount Carmel Campus. All members of the school community are welcome to attend.

Class Mass

Year 3 Red and Year 4 Red, Thursday 20th February at 1:45pm.

Our first Class Mass for this year is on Thursday 20th February at 1:45pm, with Year 3 Red and Year 4 Red leading the mass. All members of our school and parish community are welcome to attend.

This year we are celebrating Shrove Tuesday on Tuesday 4^th March. Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday. It is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter - was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Christians went to confession and were "shriven" (absolved from their sins). A bell would be rung to call people to confession.

Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes were the perfect way of using up these ingredients.

The ingredients for pancakes can be seen to symbolise four points of significance at this time of year:

Eggs - Creation

Flour - The staff of life

Salt -   Wholesomeness

Milk - Purity

More information about how we will celebrate Shrove Tuesday as a school community will be in the Week 5 Newsletter.

Ash Wednesday is one of the most important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer.

Our Ash Wednesday Mass will be celebrated in the Shed of the Mount Carmel Campus at 8:45am on Wednesday 5^th March for students in Prep to Year 6. All members of the school community are welcome to attend.  

God Bless

Nicholas Cotter

From the Primary Learning Leader

Hello GA Families.
I hope everyone has settled into the routines of the new school year. It has been a busy start with a lot of exciting learning already happening in every classroom!

During Term One teachers will be using a variety of Monitoring Tools and assessments to collect and analyse student progress in literacy and numeracy.

In 2025 BCE introduced a Monitoring Tool called DIBELS. Guardian Angels’ School will be utilising this monitoring tool to help track student reading skills from Prep to Year 6.

What is DIBELS?

DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is a monitoring tool that helps teachers to track how your child is performing on important reading skills. DIBELS is a key early literacy monitoring tool for all P-2 BCE students, however, it can be used to track student progress and skills up the Year 8.

NAPLAN 2025 - YEAR 3 & 5

In Week 7 our Year 3 and Year 5 students will undertake NAPLAN.  Please note the following important testing dates for Guardian Angels’ School.

Writing - Wednesday 12^th March (Year 3 - Paper Based. Year 5 Online)

Reading - Monday 17^th March (Year 3 & Year 5)

Conventions of Language - Tuesday 18^th March (Year 3 & Year 5)

Numeracy - Wednesday 19^th March (Year 3 & Year 5)

During the NAPLAN window, students will be keeping their iPads and chargers at school.  They will also require working headphones.

Further information regarding NAPLAN will be provided via email to Year 3 and 5 parents and through the newsletters in the coming weeks.

I look forward to seeing you many of you at our Parent Partnership and Expo Evening next Wednesday 19^th February, where you will have the opportunity to see all the exciting learning opportunities happening at Guardian Angels. 

Take Care,

Melinda P

From the Finance Office

School Fees

Welcome to 2025!

Term 1 school fees were issued last Friday and are due for payment by 21 February 2025. Thank you to those families who have already made payments or who have arrangements in place.

If you haven’t received a copy of your statement, please check your junk or spam email folder.  Statements are sent exclusively to the account holder. If you need another copy, kindly email your request to pwynfinance@bne.catholic.edu.au.

Our preferred method of payment is by Direct Debit. Direct debit forms are available on the School website or please email me at pwynfinance@bne.catholic.edu.au to request a copy.

Payment Options:

We offer several methods to pay your fees:

1. DIRECT DEBIT – Direct Debit Form (preferred method)
2. CREDIT CARD – Credit Card Direct Debit Form (for regular debited payments)
3. BPAY – Refer to your fee statement for the BPAY reference

1. BPOINT – Online credit card payments (MasterCard and Visa) – BPoint Payment Link  or visit the school website under “Quick Links”
2. EFTPOS – Available at the Mount Carmel campus.

Please always feel free to contact the Finance Office should you ever have any questions.

Kind regards

Amy Hardisty – Finance Officer

From the Parish

From the P&F

We are looking for one or two wonderful volunteers to help hand out sausages at the Parent Partnership Evening on Wednesday 19th February, 3.15pm-5.15pm.  If you are able to help for even half an hour, please email kculwick@bne.catholic.edu.au

Thank you!

Thank you to the Department of Veterans Affairs for their Community Grant which enabled us to order this beautiful memorial bench.  It is located outside our Mt Carmel Campus office and is the perfect spot to sit and reflect upon our ANZAC memorial.

If you can spare half an hour to help at our Welcome BBQ, please sign up via this link.

VolunteerSignup - Online volunteer signup sheets - Welcome BBQ signup sheet

Our next P&F meeting is on 11th March at 6pm in the MC Staffroom.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

Sports Aerobics

MiniPros Soccer

Mini-Pros after school soccer program will be held Tuesday afternoons from 3.15pm - 4.15pm in weeks 4-9 (18th Feb - 25th March inclusive) 
Please head to www.mini-pros.com.au to register

BCE Connect App

Did you know…..

Student academic reports, absences, appointments, media permissions and much more can all be found on the BCE Connect App.

How to log an absence, late arrival, or appointment

If you're having trouble accessing the BCE Connect App or Parent Portal:

• Contact the office: If you're unable to log in or have any access issues, don't hesitate to reach out to the school office for support.   It is essential the parents can always access this resource and save their own copy of the student academic reports securely.
• Check your email: The email address linked to your account held at school is what grants you access.    If you've recently changed your email address, make sure the school has the updated one on file. You can contact the office to update it if necessary.

Volunteering at Guardian Angels

Volunteers are very welcome at Guardian Angels’ and play an important role in enriching students’ experiences.   
When parents and community members can get involved in activities like reading, excursions, P&F and events, it fosters a sense of connection and support.

Before commencing as a volunteer, you are required to complete online volunteer training at the start of each calendar year.  This takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.  This training ensures that all our adults who come into contact with our students will be fully informed of their roles and responsibilities when working with students.    

Please follow the steps below:

1. Click this link to complete online Student Protection Training Start training here
2. Complete the ‘Volunteer Registration and Declaration Form’ (this can be accessed at the end of the online training) 
3. Print and complete the ‘Volunteer Registration and Declaration Form’ and email to pwynnum@bne.catholic.edu.au
4. You will receive acknowledgement of your completed training and volunteer number for 2025.

Student Medication

Please contact the office if you have any questions about the new procedures for administering medications at school in 2025.

Uniform Shop

The uniform shop is open Mondays 7.30am-10.30am and Thursdays 1.00pm-4.00pm.

All dates are available to book for fittings via this link: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=17372204&appointmentType=11926367

Online orders are also available anytime – password to access this page is guardianangels2023

Community Notices

Disclaimer

Copyright in some materials appearing in this newsletter are owned by third parties and should not be used or reproduced without the authority of the third party.  The links to websites or webpages are for information purposes only.  To the extent that such third party materials are not owned by BCE, we accept no responsibility for such content.