Term 1 Week 10 2025

Dear Families,

As Term 1 draws to a close, we reflect with gratitude and joy on the accomplishments and experiences that have shaped the beginning of the school year. It has been a term filled with learning, friendship, and a shared commitment to nurturing the growth of every child in our care.

Achievements and Highlights From day one, our students have enjoyed many positive experiences at St Saviour's Primary that deserve a mention. The year certainly started on a fun note with the Years 3-6 swimming carnival and the Parent Engagement Network Welcome BBQ and Disco which was a big hit.  Throw in some early year parent/teacher meetings that gave parents the opportunity to meet teachers and share information on their child/ren and it was a great first two weeks.

A great time was had at Year 6 camp where the students certainly settled into their new classes and got to spend time with their new teachers.  Another major highlight of this term was being able to farewell Miss Margaret Doljanin after 50 years of service to SSPS.

All students enjoyed swimming lessons, culminating in the early years' carnival this week.  Other events of note included chess tournaments, school photos, the beginning of instrumental music (very popular), fitness club, T-Ball gala day, PEN meetings, assemblies, wellbeing initiatives, liturgies and masses.  I must say a major highlight for me has been seeing our new students (including preps) setting into their new environments so well.

A big thanks to all of our students. Your enthusiasm and dedication inspire us daily!  Equally as important to thank our amazing staff who do a fantastic job each and every day.

A Message for Easter As we approach the sacred time of Easter, we are reminded of the profound gift of renewal and hope that this season represents. The resurrection of Christ is a beacon of love and light, calling us to embrace kindness, faith, and gratitude in our lives. May this Easter be a time of reflection and celebration for all families.

Looking Ahead Term 2 promises exciting opportunities for growth and connection, as we continue to enact key priorities in our Annual Action Plan.  One key facet will be the creation of a new Master Plan to make sure we are keeping up-to-date with our facilities.  A key part of this is feedback from all stakeholders and I ask if you have 5 minutes, could you please complete the below survey?  Your feedback is invaluable. 

https://forms.office.com/r/D8txypZ1zM 

Thank You We extend our heartfelt thanks to our families for your support and involvement in the life of St Saviour's Primary School. Your partnership is invaluable in fostering a caring and vibrant school community.

May the joy and blessings of Easter fill your hearts and homes this holiday season. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 2 with renewed energy and faith.

Sam Hannant

Dear Parents

The Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools take student protection very seriously and have mandated practices that ensure that our schools meet not only our legal obligations, but our moral obligations in protecting students.  We have four student protection contacts within our school who complete extra training on a yearly basis to ensure they understand how to respond to students in crisis.  Our four student protection contacts are myself, Deb Hawkins (Prep teacher), Anne Woodcroft-Brown ( School Counsellor), and Sam Hannant.

A message that we constantly remind students, is the importance of using their voice to speak up when something doesn’t feel right.  Whether that is because of something happening at home, something happening with their peers or other students, or even if something is happening with a teacher that makes them feel uncomfortable. We also help students identify who are the ‘safe’ people they can speak to about their feelings.  We encourage students to speak up to any trusted adult in the school community, however it is important that they know they can access these specific staff members at any time should they have worries, queries or concerns.  Parents too are encouraged to always speak with their child’s classroom teacher, a member of the leadership team or a student protection contact if they are aware of issues that students may be having at school or in the home environment. If we don’t know about issues, we can’t do anything to help! Student protection is everybody’s business!

 Last week myself and the student protection contacts within our school attended the Toowoomba Catholic School Student Protection Symposium The keynote speaker at the symposium was Susan McLean, Australia’s’ foremost expert in cyber safety. She was the first Victorian Police officer appointed to a position involving cyber safety and young people and her career in this field grew exponentially along with the growth of the cyber world.  Susan’s session was very sobering as both an educator and a parent. She relayed numerous concerning statistics that although you may think may only relate to teenage children and high school settings, revealed the increasingly downward trajectory of similar problems into the primary school years.  Susan had some advice for parents after working in this field for 27 years:

• No primary school student needs a smart phone – there are ‘dumb’ phone options that can send texts and make phone calls if you need them to have one for a sense of security.
• Social Media access to sites like Tik Tok, Snapchat and Instagram have an age restriction currently of 13. Legislation will come into play at the end of 2025 which will make the new age restriction 16.  If a primary school student is using these sites – they are doing so underage and opening themselves up to a world they are not cognitively ready to navigate and expose them to the many potential risks.
• Devices should NEVER be used in bedrooms or bathrooms (behind closed doors).
• Parents need to know what their child/ren are doing online. It is showing due diligence to be aware of who they are interacting with and how they are interacting.

As Child protection is everybody’s business, we all have a role to play.  As a school we teach cybersafety via our health curriculum as well as relevant components from the Daniel Morcombe Curriculum in age-appropriate ways.  For more resources and information please visit the following link to find a wealth of resources.

Parents | eSafety Commissioner 

Save the date – Mother’s Day Movie Night

On Thursday the 8^th of May the school will be celebrating the wonderful mothers within our community with a ‘movie night’.  Starting at 5.30pm mothers and children will be invited to come along and spend a fun night together.  We will have food vans available for purchasing something to eat and a movie on the big screen.

Congratulations

Congratulations to all the students who were recognised at the end of term awards assembly for exemplifying through their everday actions the values of SSPS.  Teachers also highlighted students who had shown progress towards indivdual goals in their learning.  I know that the culture of SSPS is doing well when fellow students are excited to hear the names of their peers called out and celebrate for them!

Happy Easter  

….experiencing FAITH in the Mercy Tradition

Dear families

The St Patrick’s Cathedral Sacramental Program has begun and it was my pleasure to be witness to the SSPS students’ Reconciliation. Congratulations to Leona, Holly, Jaishan, Jivanthy, Isabella, Lucia, William, Cormac, Kaiya, Linson, Evee, Matilda, Ewan, Alice, Sophia, Noah, Mahdi and Angus. We send our prayers to you all as you continue on your Sacramental journey towards Confirmation and First Communion.

This Lent, Caritas Australia's Project Compassion invites us to Unite Against Poverty and take action to make a lasting difference. Our classes are taking part in Project Compassion and the total amount our school raised is $676.75 and the class who raised the most was 3B with $78.40. Thank you for your support.

Local First Nations Artist Kim Walmsley began her first workshop at school on Thursday this week and it was so great to have her here to be able to work with our students to design the totem poles for our Yarning circle. We look forward to inviting Kim back again in Term 2.

Colour run - a new date! Friday 2nd May! Thank you for your patience and support! I'm determined to not let the weather stop us. What extraordinarysupport for Momentum Health! We're on our way to reach our goal. Let's keep going! As it stands today, the fundraising leader board at the moment looks something like this:  1^st Beau; 2^nd William & 3^rd Hunter; 4^th Neki & 5^th Millie – an incredible effort! Thank you!

Year 4C, Mrs Cooper, Mrs Kelly, Mrs Fuller, our choir and musicians retold the Easter story at our Liturgy held on Thursday. Thank you for the respectful and reverant way you shared the Easter message for us all. 

Congratulations to the following students on being recognised this term:

TERM 1 MERCY VALUE AWARDS & ENCOURAGEMENT AWARDS 2025 

Mr Luck's PE Encouragement award - Nina Lucas and Ellanor Adams

Wishing you all a restful, safe and very blessed Easter break.

Thanks for reading,

Ann-Maree Ward (Assistant Principal – Mission & Identity)

Dear Parents,

As we near the end of our first Term for 2025, I would like to take the time to reflect on the exciting learning that has been happening in the classrooms. I have had the pleasure of visiting classrooms across our school and witnessing the exceptional work of our teachers, as well as meet with each cohort of teachers and plan for Term 2.

A favourite part of my job is witnessing the exceptional learning experiences happening in each and every classroom.  A standout for me, has been watching the students’ stamina and ability to write transform and grow from year level to year level.  It has been exciting to see our new Prep students begin their decodable reading journey as they learn how to use the sounds of the alphabet to blend and segment words.  Our Year 1 students have plunged into their vocabulary lessons, learning new and exciting words that they can incorporate into their writing.   Expanding sentences in Year 2 to include adjectives has made writing more interesting to read and improved their vocabulary knowledge.  Year 3 prepared for NAPLAN by practicing their narrative and persuasive writing. Their wonderful persuasive writing abilities convinced Mr Hannant to give them a free dress day this week.  Year 4 linked their writing to their reading through the text Uncle Xbox, while Year 5 explored how to write a persuasive speech incorporating appropriate devices and vocabulary.  Year 6 also looked at features of persuasive by writing letters that linked to their HASS unit.  Year 3 – 6 teachers also started our new Jocelyn Seamer Spelling program, which has been well received by our students and embraced by our teachers.  It has been exciting to already witness huge improvements in student writing as they transfer their spelling knowledge into their writing.   

What a busy term! As part of our ongoing commitment to improving educational practices and supporting professional development, each classroom is visited on many occasions to provide feedback to teachers and gather student voice on what they are learning and how they think they are going with their learning. 

During my classroom visits it has been wonderful to witness high levels of student engagement, activities tailored to meet the needs of our diverse learners, opportunities for students to lead discussions and share their own insights with clear routines in place for all students.

The supportive classroom environments are a testament to our teachers and the great work and dedication they show towards all our students on a daily basis to see our students strive in Faith, Learning and Life.  I would like to thank our teachers for their dedication and hard work in creating positive learning environments for all our students. 

We can’t wait to see the learning that occurs in Term 2!

Have a safe and happy holiday break,

Bec Thomas

St Saviour’s Primary Cross Country 2025 

On the 4th of April 2025, St Saviour’s Primary Cross Country was held. It was a fantastic day with many students competing, earning points for their house. Goretti were the overall winner on the day taking out the shield winning by only eight points. Listed below are the top three places in each age group (please see photos below). 

12-Year-Old Boys – 1st William Prust, 2nd Oliver O’Toole, 3rd Chase Hartwig  

12-Year-Old Girls – 1st Sophie Chandler, 2nd Mila Bishop, 3rd Leanne Anthony  

11-Year-Old Boys – 1st Harry Black, 2nd George Gainey, 3rd Ahuok Geu  

11-Year-Old Girls – 1st Letti Stephenson & Nina Lucas, 3rd Ruby Land  

10-Year-Old Boys – 1st Levi Nash, 2nd Evander Weridone, 3rd Albie Zenke & Darcy Breneger-Lee  

10-Year-Old Girls – 1st Jemma McHugh, 2nd Isla Beauchamp, 3rd Randuli Wijayaratne  

9-Year-Old Boys – 1st Mach Adol, 2nd Jack Black, 3rd Alfie Rhule  

9-Year-Old Girls – 1st Emmi Hedge, 2nd Viv Adams, 3rd Hunter Collins & Maddie Morrison  

8-Year-Old Boys – 1st Nixon Webster, 2nd Wyatt Goodsell, 3rd Malakai Schilg  

8-Year-Old Girls – 1st Sophia Holcomb, 2nd Mila Welsh, 3rd Ava Athorn  

7-Year-Old Boys – 1st Kuch Adol, 2nd Cash Hubbard, 3rd George Quinlivan  

7-Year-Old Girls – 1st Mayalie McGrady, 2nd Pia Brown, 3rd Ellanor Adams 

6-Year-Old Boys – 1st Mavrick Wilson, 2nd Peyton Goodsell, 3rd Corbin Church  

6-Year-Old Girls – 1st Mia Gale, 2nd Audrey McKeon, 3rd Everliegh Foard  

5-Year-Old Boys – 1st Harry O’Grady, 2nd Finn Muller, 3rd Mac Vincent 

5-Year-Old Girls – 1st Telahni McGrady, 2nd Namoni Truloff, 3rd Evelyn McCarthy  

St Saviour's Primary Junior Swimming Carnival 2025 

St Saviour’s Primary Junior Swimming Carnival was held on the 31st of March at Glennie Aquatic Centre. Students from Prep to Year Two participated in this carnival. It was a fantastic carnival with students gaining water confidence but most importantly having lots of fun (photos attached). 

School Sport 

Congratulations to Darcy Phillips, Drew Densley and George Gainey who made the Toowoomba Rugby League Team. All three boys will now attend Darling Downs trials to try and make the Darling Downs team. Also, a big congratulations to Harry Black who made the Darling Downs cricket team and will now play in the state championship in October. Good luck and we look forward to hearing all about your fantastic experience. 

Zone and Darling Downs Trials 

All information regarding Zone and Darling Downs trials will be posted on Parent Portal. To ensure your child is eligible to trial for these sporting teams, please check the Parent Portal regularly or set up notifications on your phone. You will need to obtain the necessary paperwork from myself. 

Please be aware that I am unable to nominate students after the closing date, so it is crucial to monitor the Parent Portal. If you have any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

Have a safe and happy Easter break and look forward to seeing everyone in Term Two. 

Cheers 

Brendan Luck 

HPE Teacher 

brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Miss Catherine McAleer, a past teacher of SSPS, volunteers at schools in Cebu and Suriago, the Philippines. After visiting these impoverished schools, Miss McAleer came in to SSPS to remind us of how lucky we are to experience such a privileged life. Living the Mercy Values, we made beautiful birthday cards for those who may never receive such a gift on their special day. We were certainly blessed and reminded of our Lenten journey, giving alms and prayer for those in need. Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Dear Parents & Caregivers

April Statements

April statements will be sent at the commencement of Term 2. Please review them carefully and don't hesitate to reach out with any queries. A friendly reminder that Term 2 fees will be due in Week 5, Term 2.

Your prompt attention to account settlement helps ensure seamless operations within our school. We're here to support you with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your statement.

If you have any questions about school fees or your account, please contact me on 07 4637 1700 or email accounts@sspstwb.catholic.edu.au

Best wishes for a safe Easter break.

Alyce Webster

Finance Officer

accounts@sspstwb.catholic.edu.au