Filter Content
- PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
- CATHOLIC IDENTITY & RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
- MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING
- INTRODUCING MR SCOTT HALES
- INTRODUCING MISS SARAH LIND
- STUDENT MEDICAL UPDATE
- TERM 1 ICY POLE DAYS
- BUSHFIRE AWARENESS
- DATES TO REMEMBER - TERM 1
- LUNCH ORDERS
- SCHOOL UNIFORM
- AUSKICK
- WEEKLY CLASS MASS
- PAX HILL JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB
- WEST END JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB
- PAX HILL TENNIS CLUB
- NETBALL VICTORIA GIPPSLAND SHOWCASE
- SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB
Newsletter 1 - Term 1 - Week 2
Thursday 6th February 2025
Website: www.stgtraralgon.catholic.edu.au
Principal: Mrs. Michelle Charlton
Email: principal@stgtraralgon.catholic.edu.au
Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
Welcome back to the 2025 school year. The old saying ‘it always heats up when the kids go back to school’ has certainly rung true this year. Please be assured that we have your child’s wellbeing at the forefront of our minds and will make decisions regarding whether we send them outside during extreme weather conditions.
The Resilience Project
We will be continuing our work with The Resilience Project in 2025. Our students and staff benefited so much from it in 2024. There is also an opportunity for parents and families to engage in the program as well.
The Inspire Parent/Carer Hub content is designed to keep families engaged in the program. It includes information about the key principles of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy, along with the benefits of regularly practising these. Additionally, it offers activities that families can practise at home to support their wellbeing.
Accessing the Hub
The Hub can be accessed via the secure link below, with no account setup or login required: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2025-parent-carer-hub-inspire-3/
Drop Off and Pick Up Times
To ensure all of our children are kept safe, I would like to take this opportunity to remind people of how this area works.
When entering the drop off and pick up zone please ensure you go around the bowl and enter with a left hand turn.
If using the designated yellow drop off zone children are expected to exit the car from the left hand side directly on to the curb. Bags should be in the car with the children. Children should not be opening boots and getting bags out as this puts them in harm's way if a car behind them was to not stop or the driver was to accidentally put their foot on the accelerator.
Ensure children exit the car once you have entered the designated drop off area. We have children exiting and entering cars back at the disabled car parks or earlier which is also putting them potentially in harm's way.
To ensure the traffic flows once your children have exited your car safely please pull out into the first through lane.
If you need to access bags from the boot, we ask that you please park. Please then use the footpath and zebra crossing to get to Gate B for access to the school grounds.
Please ensure that you are not parking across driveways and preventing people from entering and exiting their houses.
The Green belts around the school are car free zones, therefore cars should not be driving in them or parking waiting to pick up children.
Finally if using Gate C please note the bus zone is a no standing zone and cars should not be parking there.
Kind Regards
Michelle Charlton
Mental Health and Wellbeing @ St Gabriel’s in 2025
We readily hear and see confronting statistics in the media, alerting us to the shocking rates of poor mental health in Australia. Unfortunately, what is even more disturbing is that such high rates of poor mental health are being experienced by our young people. In 2021, the findings from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, passed on 65 recommendations, all of which the Victorian Government accepted. Fortunately, some of these recommendations have seen an increase in priority and funding attributed to promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in our educational institutions. Further information on the RCMHSV can be found on the following link. https://www.vgso.vic.gov.au/historic-moment-victorian-government-releases-final-report-royal-commission-victorias-mental-health
This year, St Gabriel’s has received support to implement a new role within the school; A Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader. This MHWL position was created as part of the Mental Health in Primary Schools program (MHiPS). This initiative was created and continues to be implemented and monitored by The University of Melbourne and The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
The MHWL role at St Gabriel’s involves:
- Working with classroom teachers, middle leaders, Assistant Principal and the Principal to advocate for and promote a whole school approach to Positive Mental Health and wellbeing,
- Researching and investigating scientific, evidence based mental health and wellbeing programs and positive psychology frameworks that can be explicitly taught to students and further embedded into the academic curriculum,
- Liaising with families in need to help establish clear external care pathways and working collaboratively with other community agencies to improve outcomes for students,
- Building staff capacity and staff wellbeing
While this role is not intended to function like a school counsellor or psychologist, parents are welcome to talk with their student’s classroom teacher to look at a referral pathway if they are concerned about their students state of wellbeing.
Because we know student academic outcomes are improved when they are functioning well and feeling good, and we know that when we feel good and function well, we experience more success, accomplishment and academic growth, we know that our parents and stakeholders will support this new initiative at St Gabriel’s. I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage you to participate in any future surveys and questionnaires that will circulate, allowing you a voice and avenue to communicate your wellbeing experiences at the school. Your perspectives are valued and will help inform future planning in the wellbeing space at St Gabriel’s.
When schools and families are working collaboratively together, our students feel safe and supported to navigate the world around them, so stay tuned to the newsletter for helpful, informative articles and resources, along with practical strategies to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of everyone in our St Gabriel’s community.
I look forward to continuing to work with and build on the many wonderful wellbeing initiatives at our school.
Ms. Leanne Greer
MHWL- St Gabriel’s Traralgon
My name is Scott Hales, and I am delighted to be teaching 5 Green this year.
In January last year, I relocated from Ballina on the far north coast of NSW to Traralgon to be closer to my partner's family. We have two sons, and our eldest has just started Prep at St Gabriel's this year.
My teaching background includes working as an English teacher at Kurnai College in Churchill last year, as well as four years at Ballina Coast High School. Outside of work, I am passionate about rugby union and open-water swimming. I have had the privilege of participating in several ocean swims worldwide, including crossing San Francisco Bay.
I am thrilled to return to primary education and am eager to inspire a lifelong love of learning in the students at St Gabriel's.
My name is Miss Lind, I am teaching Visual Arts this year.
I have come from Toora Primary School in South Gippsland, and I am very excited to be working in a school this big, as my previous school only had around 100 students.
I love art and love seeing other people garner that same enjoyment in it. I also love reading, gardening, and watching my two cats play together.
I am very grateful to be at St Gabriel's this year, and am very much looking forward to becoming part of the school community.
I can't wait to dive into all the different areas of learning in Visual Arts with the students this year, and to see the incredible creating that we will do.
As we begin a new school year, please check your child/children's medical information on PAM is up to date.
This includes uploading relevant documents such as asthma and allergy action plans.
Alternatively you can bring in documents to the office during school hours.
All medications must be signed in at the office, students are not permitted to carry medication in their school bag.
Bushfire season is upon us.
We ask Families to please ensure you have access to PAM and the Vic Emergency App on your phone.
In the event of a bushfire, alerts will be sent via PAM and direct text message to your mobile phone.
Student Lunches
To order, please download the Spriggy App https://www.spriggyschools.com.au/
Please remember to update your child/children's class room for 2025 to ensure correct delivery of their lunch.
LUNCH MENU
UNIFORM
It is expected that parents support the uniform policy by ensuring children are always in correct uniform. Notes explaining incorrect uniform should be forwarded to your child’s teacher.
The sports uniform can be worn only on nominated sports days. This varies for class levels.
All shoulder length or longer hair must be fully tied back in school colored hair ties.
Students may wear earrings (studs or sleepers) and a watch.
A back-pack style bag which features the school logo is available for all children at the St Gabriel’s Uniform shop.
School hats must be worn daily throughout Terms 1 and 4 to protect children from the harmful effects of the sun. Students who do not have hats at school will be required to stay in the shade.
Please be sure to label all items of clothing as items are often mislaid or wrongly claimed by other children.
GIRLS SUMMER:
School summer dress with blue socks
Skort or grey shorts and blue polo shirt with logo and grey socks
Black Leather school shoes
V-neck or round neck jumper with school logo
Maroon school sun hat (either Legionnaire or cricket style with school logo)
GIRLS WINTER:
Grey tunic or skort or grey slacks
Pale blue long-sleeved polo shirt with school logo
V-neck or round neck jumper with school logo
Black Leather school shoes
Grey tights with tunic/skort. Grey socks with slacks.
Maroon polo fleece hat, maroon gloves and maroon scarf
BOYS SUMMER:
Grey shorts, mid-thigh length
Pale blue polo shirt with school logo
Grey socks
Black Leather School shoes
V-neck or round neck jumper with school logo
Maroon school sun hat (either Legionnaire or cricket style with school logo)
BOYS WINTER:
Grey trousers/shorts
Pale blue long-sleeved polo shirt with school logo
V-neck or round neck jumper with school logo
Black Leather School shoes
Grey socks
Maroon polo fleece hat, maroon gloves and maroon scarf
SPORT:
Black basketball shorts – no logo
Pale blue polo shirt with school logo
White socks with sneakers – no logo
Maroon tracksuit with logo on windcheater
CLASS MASS
Families are warmly welcomed to attend our weekly class mass, held in the school multipurpose room at 9:30am.
Entry is via Gate B which will be unlocked at 9:15am on the day.
Sign in/out is set up at the multipurpose room/chapel for your convenience.
The class mass dates can be found on our dates to remember calendar in the newsletter.
Select the link to order or download the app:
https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx
Please remember to update your child/children's class for correct delivery and cash orders are not accepted.
Orders will close Friday 14th February.