A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

† School/Parish Family Mass. Thank you to those families of the school that came to Mass on Sunday to celebrate with the parish and a special thank you to the small band of students who wore the school uniform and sang in the choir. As I stated last week, as a Catholic family sending your child to a Catholic school it is important that the message, promoted at school, about the importance of the Eucharist in the lives of all Catholics is supported by the home. I am aware that there are other commitments on a Sunday that can clash with attendance at Mass but if as parents you truly value and nurture the faith development of your child then difficult choices must be made.
• Air-conditioning. After consulting with the two major parent representative organisations in the school (School Board and Parent and Friends) it is now important to give each and every parent in the school an opportunity to have a say on this important issue. In my mind there are four important considerations to be given to any decision that is made;
o There has been an ongoing discussion within the community, over a number of years, about the provision of air-conditioning and at times this discussion has been quite destructive. Consequently, a final and permanent decision must now be made either for air-conditioning or not as this will allow the matter to finally be put to rest.
o It is my personal belief, and that of the school staff, that air-conditioning will improve how well children can learn and that on hot days this capacity to learn is compromised. To be honest there are others in this community who would dispute this view.
o The provision of air-conditioning comes at a cost to parents. It is proposed that the P & F levy on each family would rise from the current $40 to $112. This is a significant increase. In addition, there will be an increase of 15% to school fees and added to this is the introduction of a booklist. I am very aware that this constitutes a significant rise in costs and parents need to be informed about this before making their decision. However, if one were to look at the private school options in the local
area these schools would be charging significantly higher fees and charges for children to attend.
o The new Early Learning Centre, currently under construction, will be air-conditioned. This was achieved because solar panels are being installed (at a cost of $90 000) to offset the power that such air-conditioning would require. This means that one building in the school will have this facility.
The decision about what the school does rests with you but you need to be aware that I am committed to putting an end to this long running debate. A final and binding decision will be made at this time and endorsed at the school’s AGM with the intent that no further discussion or debate will be entered into beyond this point.
† School Fees. School Fees. A reminder to parents that school fees are now due. Parents are asked to ensure that any outstanding fees are finalised.
† School Fete. A reminder that the school fete will be held on Sunday 29 November between 12.00 p.m.-4.00 p.m. The P&F as well as the staff and children of the school are working towards making this a significant and successful fundraiser for the school.
† Students Not Returning. The school is experiencing significant pressure for placement of students across most of the junior primary year levels with waitlists in Years One and Three. There is also strong demand in Years Five and Six. If your child/children will not be returning to St Helena’s in 2010 could you please let the
school know as we at times have to deny an enrolment request from a family eager to enter the school because we are unaware of what is intended?
† Kindergarten 2010 Orientation. The orientation for families in the 2010 Kindergarten program will be held on 18 November at 1.00 p.m. in the under-covered area. It is anticipated that the program will run for approximately one hour with some refreshments served at its conclusion. We have a near full cohort of students attending three classes of Kindergarten in 2010 however there are a few places available for any late applications.
† Three Year Old Program. This program will run on a half day or full day basis with an option to attend on two full days. If you know of anyone who is interested in such a program it is important that they submit an application as soon as possible.
† Nomination for School Board/Parents and Friends. As a school we encourage the involvement of parents and your participation on such bodies as the School Board and P & F is a valuable way you can help the school. With the School/P & F AGM taking place on Wednesday 2 December I would ask you to give some consideration to being a part of these significant groups within our school.
† School Board Information Session. This is being held in staffroom. This is an informal information session that is open to any parent and is not limited to only those who are considering becoming involved in 2010. Please come along and learn about what working on the Board is like. If you are intending to come along could you please RSVP the office by 2.00pm Friday 27 November, 2009.
† Term Dates 2010
† Term 1 From Teachers: Thursday 28 January
Students: Monday1 February
To Thursday 1 April. [Easter falls during term break]
Term 2 From Teachers: Monday 19 April
Students: Tuesday 20 April
To Friday 2 July
Term 3 From Teachers: Monday 19 July
Students: Tuesday 20 July
Term 4 From Teachers: Monday 11 October
Students: Tuesday 12 October
To Friday 17 December

Roger Saulsman
PRINCIPAL