Throughout Week 8 of the term each of our ELC classes had the chance to celebrate Harmony Day in a variety of ways. Children enjoyed some Middle Eastern cooking thanks to Miss Asmaa, and Miss Winnie supported children to make delicious dumplings. It was lovely to see so many children wearing clothes to represent the countries they came from, or wearing orange or their St Anthony’s t-shirts in honour of Harmony Day. There are so many different cultures represented by the students and staff at our ELC, and we are blessed and enriched by this diversity. 

Last week was also a chance to celebrate and acknowledge the First Australians. Our excursion to Birrigai was a chance for children to be out on country and to walk in spaces that would have been walked in and used by the Ngunnawal people for many years before us. We had the chance to walk through a beautiful rock shelter that would have been a place for families to shelter and gather in the past. The children learnt how this spot becomes a trickling creek during wet weather, and a spot to gather Bogong moths for food. We learnt how observing ants' nests can help us to predict if rain is on its way, and we picked tea tree leaves which can be used as a natural treatment for insect bites and stings. On our bushwalk the children made their way to a rocky outcrop on the hill top, where we could look out over Ngunnawal country for miles.

The week has been a great time to appreciate the diversity of the people in our ELC community and the ways we are different but we all belong. We have also been able to celebrate the beauty of the country that we walk on, and learn to value country and live in harmony with the animals and plants around us. The well-being and spirituality theme at St Anthony’s school this year is Flourish. When we live in harmony with others in our world, in harmony with God, and in harmony with the natural world, then we can flourish as people.

A very warm welcome to Aman Kaur who will be joining our Team at the ELC this week. Aman will be working as the teacher in the Bilbies class. Aman is an Early Childhood and Primary trained teacher, with experience working in Early Learning Centres and in Primary Schools. The Bilbies class parents will have the chance to meet Aman during our Parent Teacher interviews over the next two weeks.

It is with much sadness that we say Farewell to one of our gorgeous Office staff - Olivia Le.  Olivia will be finishing up her role at the ELC at the end of Term 1. Olivia does a fabulous job in the office and we have benefited so much from her knowledge about the organisation of early learning services. We wish Olivia all the best as she focuses on the administration of her family's growing IT business. Thank you Olivia for your wonderful contribution to St Anthony’s ELC!

Over the next few weeks we will be spending time sharing the Easter story with children. We will be explaining the Easter story simply to the students, explaining that Jesus died on the cross as an act of love, with an emphasis on the message of new life as Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. As part of preparations for Easter the children will join the students of St Anthony’s in the Stations of the Cross. We will also take part in the Easter Liturgy where students in Year 6 will present a dramatisation of the Easter story. We would encourage you to read the Easter story with your child at home so they are familiar with this story and understand it’s hope filled message of new life, as we remember that Christ is risen. 

Hatching Chicks

We have some hatching chicks arriving at the ELC this week. They will be kept in an incubator and shared between the two classrooms so all the children have the chance to observe the chickens hatching. As they get bigger the children will also have the chance to pat and hold the chicks. 

This is always a joyous experience and a lot of fun! It is a great reminder of the joy of new life that we celebrate during the Easter period!

Caritas

A reminder that we are collecting donations for Caritas Project Compassion as we prepare for Easter. Spanning across the six weeks of Lent each year, Project Compassion brings thousands of Australian schools, parishes and supporters together to raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world. There are money boxes to collect donations in each classroom at the ELC, and a donation box in our front foyer. You can also make a donation online using the following link:

https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/

Casual bookings for our upcoming School Holiday Program are now open!  If your child is enrolled for 40 weeks per year, then you can fill out this form to book them in for 1 or all days over the school holiday period.  

If your child is enrolled for 48 weeks per year, then they are automatically booked in and you do not need to complete a form.  They will be able to attend for their usual enrolled days and hours.  This includes the pupil free day.

Bookings are due by Thursday 6th April.  Casual places are limited so booking requests will be confirmed on a 'first in' basis.  

If you have any questions regarding the program and bookings, please contact the office at any time.  

Preschool Parent Teacher Interviews have begun.

Please refer to your emails for information sent over the last 2 weeks.  If you haven't already booked in, please take the time to do so now, via this link.  Thank you to those families who have already booked in.  Limited times are available. 

When you book please add the time to your calendar and save the confirmation email as reminders are not sent.  This is particularly important if you have chosen an online meeting.  The confirmation email is sent from the booking website email address bookings@schoolinterviews not from the elc address (so make sure to check your junk/spam folder).

Please contact the office if you have any questions.  

Please see the attached flyer for a wonderful opportunity for your child/ren to explore a pop up playground!

This is a university initiative that will be lead by students from UC including our much loved Possums educator - Miss Imogen.

Happy Birthday to Alicia, Ari, Ethan & Lucy M

We hope your day was as special as you!

Please see below for confirmation of Term dates for 2023;

40 week families: (school terms only)

48 week families: (children attend all days inc. pupil free days with the only exception being public holidays)

Click on your child's classroom picture below to see their class newsletter.