Dear Parents, Care-givers, Students and Other parishioners. Advent starts this weekend!

Thank goodness.

How sensible we are as a people of faith that we actually plan a time of waiting and watching in the mad frenzy that starts in October and claims to be part of the Christmas season. Advent comes just when we need it. Advent cuts through all the commercial hype about Christmas and says, Watch Out! Don’t get trapped into the madness, don’t be blinded by lights and tinsel. Advent says slow down and think about what you really hope for.

People of faith don’t want the meaning of Christmas to be about tiz, ritz and glitz. People of faith want to have what the real Christmas is about. People of faith calm down the frenzy and focus on the meaning. The real message of Christmas is that we can have hope. Hope comes from really meaningful relationships. Hope comes from being kind to others. Hope comes from believing that there is a difference between what is right and what is wrong. Hope comes from doing what is right even when it is hard and scary. Hope is God coming to be with us, one of us, like us. Our work in Advent is to make it possible for our Christmas to reflect that generosity of spirit of our God who came to us. Our Advent work is to work in our homes and in our hearts to make Christmas a really wonderful time for friends, families and even strangers. Advent work is to make sure people we know have a place to be at Christmas where they will be welcome. Advent work is to ignore the nonsense and stay true to the message that we can live in real hope that we do make a difference in our world. Advent work is about making decisions that will keep people safe, mentally, emotionally and physically. Use Advent time to help you see what is important this Christmas. Out of School Hours Care Holiday Arrangements

The OSHC program will run to Monday the 22nd of December this year. If you want to book in, please contact Elarine as soon as possible. We do not offer a summer holiday program in January at our own school but we have arrangements at 2 other schools and they will take students from St Elizabeth’s. One program runs at St Anthony’s, Buckley St, in Noble Park. They start their program on Monday January 8th and it runs

St. Elizabeth’s School

Newsletter: 30th 2017 (Always refer to FlexiBuzz messages for up-to-date information)

through to Monday January 29th. A similar program runs at St Mary’s in New St, Dandenong. You will need to book in now. Contact St Anthony’s on 0423766886 (Forms and programs are available from Elarine at our OSHC and at the front office with Lisa.) Contact for St Mary’s, Dandenong is with Shereen on 0422803717 Sadness and Welcome We will say farewell to Kelli Jacobs our Bursar at the end of the year as she has accepted a full-time position at St Macartans in Mornington. Kelli has made many friends at our school during the time she has been with us and we are going to be sad to say farewell. However, we have been very fortunate in employing a new Bursar, Ms Laurel Hill who comes to us from a position in the finance area at Catholic Education Melbourne. By coincidence, Laurel actually assisted Kelli early in the year with on the job training. I think St Elizabeth’s will be in very safe hands.

Wellsprings for Women I am excited to announce that I have recently met with the CEO of Wellsprings for Women and agreed to hold a consultation with mothers at our school to hear about any issues that you need support with. Following the consultation, Wellsprings for Women will then design and deliver a program at the school targeting mothers. Wellsprings for Women specialises in women’s programs which include education in English and computers, health and wellbeing, recreation, choir, sewing, art and craft. Furthermore, Wellsprings delivers parenting sessions, guided playgroups, information to women on respectful relationships and handling family conflict, healthy cooking and eating, getting involved in the community, volunteering, or building skills for further training or employment. We hope as many mothers as possible can attend the consultation sessions and voice the issues of concern you need to be addressed. To register your interest in attending, please call Dalal Smiley 9701 3740 (Wellsprings For Women 79 Langhorne Street Dandenong 3175) www.wellspringsforwomen.com School Fees Thank you to everyone who has paid their current school fees. A schedule for next year’s fees are included at the back of this newsletter. Please note that we have kept the fees as low as possible as was advised earlier in the newsletter dated 19th October, 2017.

Christine Ash Principal cash@sedandenongnth.catholic.edu.au

Religious Education News

Welcome to the Season of Advent. Advent begins Sunday 3rd November.

Wake Up! Jesus Is Here Right Now

Stop and think. Do you ever feel alone when you need help with a problem? Do you ever doubt whether

your life really makes a difference? A lot of young people often feel isolated or unimportant.

If you have ever had those feelings, pay attention to Jesus’ words: “Be alert! Watch!” Jesus wants you to

know that God’s help is staring you right in the face. His mission for you is right in front of you.

During Advent we join with Christians all around the world to remember that God sent Jesus once and

will send him again at the world’s end. Why? Because we need him. We need his help because life is

just too hard sometimes. We need his vision because we sometimes miss the work

he wants us to do in this messed-up world.

Unfortunately, life gets so busy that we often miss the many ways Christ tries to

comfort us or send us to others. Advent is a great time to slow down and be

watchful. When you hurt, be alert; Christ is sending people to help you. Pray for

help to see them and the humility to accept their help. When others hurt, Christ

wants to send you. Like the servants in this week’s reading, Christ has important

work for you to do in healing this broken world. Pray for help to see those people

whose lives you can change.

Take these four weeks of Advent to pray more often. Actively look for how Christ loves you and needs

you. Let Advent remind you that Jesus really comes into the world every day. But we miss that unless

we watch for Christ, accept Christ’s love, and help others in Christ’s name.

When I look at the people in my daily life, who are the ones Christ is sending to help me, and who

are the ones Christ is showing me I could help?

GPBS Parables

School & Class Liturgies and Key Events to lock in. It is a busy time and we need to be constantly checking our calendars so here are some dates to be added in. WHOLE SCHOOL ‘ADVENT GIFT GIVING MASS CELEBRATION ~ THURSDAY 7th DECEMBER We invite you to join with us at 9.15am on Thursday 7th DECEMBER

I am writing about the Gift Giving Mass early so families have time to prepare. All Levels will gather at 9.15 am in the Church for mass during

which the children will be invited to place their gifts in and place them around the empty Christmas Crib. Advent will officially will begin the Sunday before our ‘Gift Giving Mass’.

We ask the Year 5/6 students to bring if possible a gold coin that can then be used by St

Vincent De Paul to prepare Christmas hampers for those families in need.

We ask the Year 3/4 students to bring gifts of food, special treats – lollies, chocolates or Bon

Bons to be added to the hampers. I’m sure you know those little extras that go to make Christmas special for all families.

We ask the Foundation and Year 1/2 students to bring a new gift, it can be pre-wrapped and

tagged (E.g. Boy or girl and the age the gift is intended for), to be given to those in need and to brighten up their Christmas day.

These are only suggestions. Please bring what your family can manage. WHOLE SCHOOL ‘ADVENT GIFT GIVING MASS CELEBRATION - FRIDAY 25th NOVEMBER, - 9.15 am

During Mass the children will be invited to place their gifts in and place them around the empty Christmas Crib.

Carols Night Tuesday 12th December, we will gather for our yearly Carols night. This will

commence at 6:30pm outside the PAC on the oval (weather permitting) to have a family picnic dinner. After that at 7.00pm everyone will move into the PAC. We will provide a couple of rows of chairs at the back for the elderly or sick. Everyone else is asked to sit on their picnic rugs on the PAC floor to enjoy the Carols night. It is important that no picnic chairs are brought into the PAC or not everyone will fit in! The students will sit in their class groups in the Level 4 link with their teachers. The

carols will be performed on the stage where we tell and sing about the ‘The Birth of Jesus’. Following this, all communities will sing Christmas songs for all to enjoy! End of Year School Mass Thursday 14th December, we will gather for the End of Year School mass.

This mass will begin at 9:15am and will give us the opportunity to celebrate, pray and give thanks for all that we have shared throughout the year. The new 2018 school captains will be announced at the end of mass.

Year 6 Transition Mass & Presentations for all 2016 Year 6 students and their families – Tuesday 19th December the Year 6 children will gather at the 6:30pm mass.

This is a time for the students to gather to pray and celebrate the time spent together as part of the St Elizabeth's School community and all that lies before them as they move into Secondary schooling. We, the staff, look forward to sharing this mass with ALL students in Year 6 who they have taught during their time at St Elizabeth’s.

After Mass the Year 6 students will process to the PAC where we will continue with speeches and presentations. Year 6 Student’s Disco & Parent Supper After all the formalities it will be time to have fun together,

with a disco for the Year 6 students in the PAC and supper for the parents in the Level 3 link.

Social Justice In Action In Our School In This Year Of Mercy ~ Donations For Matuatinao

Thank you to all for the generous donations so far. Our box is already full and is being sent to our

friendship school this week. We have put in a few Christmas trees for the students as well.

We are collecting for our friendship school but we recognise that it is a busy and expensive time of the

year for families. We are not asking for anyone to buy anything but to bring in things that your children

may have grown out of or not using anymore and you are planning on getting rid of. Please ensure it is

all in good condition. Please leave it in the school office.

Matutinao Elementary is always grateful for all the donations we send them.

God Bless,

Maria Popowycz Religious Education Leader popoma@sedandenongnth.catholic.edu.au

Deputy Principal News

St Elizabeth’s is committed to supporting our students with appropriate services to help them to achieve their very best. We have been paying for a counsellor, Ms Jo Healy, who works for Catholic Care, but we increasingly need to provide options for more students. To make this financially possible, we need to move to a new way of supporting our students. In order to make the service available to more families, we are tapping into the Government funding which is available to every child who needs it by asking families with children with recognisable needs to access a mental health plan from their GP. The mental health plan then funds visits to a psychologist from On Psych in school time at school. We will let you know the name of that person as soon as we have been allocated a psychologist. Current families using the service provided by Jo Healy will need to see their GP and arrange for a plan. Jo will advise you on how to do this. OnPsych

Helping Students, Families and Teachers ‘OnPsych’ provides psychological services to schools in the Victoria. The passionate team of fully qualified, registered psychologists and social workers specialise in child and adolescent services. They work in primary, secondary, and special schools, from both public and private sectors. They work in both individual and group sessions with students and parents. OnPsych services will be provided on-site, at the school as from next year. A Health Care Plan, with

clear outcomes, will be tailored for each individual. Through Medicare, individuals are eligible for (up to) 16 individual sessions and 10 group training sessions each year, at no cost to the student or the school. Mental Health disorders significantly impact on a student’s ability to cope. Some children need help to

improve social skills and clearer communication, to develop more rational thinking and coping mechanisms and to develop stronger positive attitudes and self-assurance. Parents and teachers may be the first to recognise when one of their students is having difficulty

managing their emotions, thoughts or behaviour. Examples of early signs of problems may include – Negative thinking (e.g. “I’m no good”, “I’m stupid” or “I can’t do it”), Issues of coping with transitions or change in the school routine, Reduced school attendance, Fearful behaviour, Panicking about future events or situations, Excessive crying or overt distress, Poor concentration in class, Loneliness on the playground/making or keeping friends, Recurrent ‘sad’ face, Physical complaints, Lack of energy, tiredness, Aggression, Excessive shyness or, Reassurance seeking, What should you do if you believe that your child is displaying some of these symptoms?

Taking note of specific symptoms along with – How long the symptoms have been present, Amount of times these issues arise (i.e. when, where and how often) What may the antecedents, How this may affect classroom behaviour can determine the next step in contact with the wellbeing co-ordinator about this student. From there, an appointment can be organized with the child’s parents to discuss matters further. Importance of early intervention

Given the high prevalence of anxiety disorders in childhood and youth, early intervention programs signify an important and necessary step to promote positive coping skills in children, families and schools. onPsych aims to assist these young people in

Becoming more self-confident and feeling ‘in control’ of their world Shifting feelings of stress and vulnerability Making more useful decisions Taking more positive initiatives and, Becoming more personally resourceful If your child requires support, please contact me on 9795 5258 and I will be more than happy to explain the process in more detail and give you an information pack. Child Safety

The SRC have been working on what a safe environment would be like. The children brainstormed all their ideas and after discussion about expectations, behaviour and mutual respect, crafted this display. Issues of positive behaviour, inclusion and exclusion are included in this art piece. The many aspects of child protection and child safety is depicted and will remain in the office foyer if you wish to view it. Year 1/2 excursion to Enchanted Adventure Garden

We went to the Maze and saw tree surfing. People were on it with a zip line. There was a 3d spooky maze, a mirror maze, a hedge maze, a children’s maze and lots more. On the tube slide, I went down and down and ended up on the bottom of a hill. It was so much fun. Written by Leah Eager (1/2)

On Friday 27th November, all of the 1/2 went to the Enchanted Adventure Garden and saw some mazes. My favourite part was the tube slide and the 3d spooky maze. I was feeling so excited. Written by Rosie

Kind regards,

Lorraine Walker lwalker@sedandenongnth.catholic.edu.au

Sports News

Regional Cricket Final

Last Thursday our cricket team travelled to Narre Warren to play in the South Metro regional Finals. It was a very hot day but we were prepared. We had played very well at the Division finals and we had been practicing at morning play. Our team won our preliminary rounds comfortably with accurate bowling, disciplined fielding and exciting batting. When the organisers announced that we were to play in the Grand Final we yelled and cheered because we knew we were only one step away from playing on the MCG! We played Berwick Primary School in the Grand Final. They have over 1000 students at their school and they have special trials just to make their cricket team. We gave it our best shot but Berwick were too good for us on the day. We were disappointed but the coach from Berwick Primary came over and told us how impressive we were and we were the best team they played all day. It was nice gesture and much appreciated. We realised we gave it our best shot and that is what we came here for. We thank Mrs Saliba for taking us there. We may have missed out on playing on the MCG but overall, it was a great day.

The Cricket Team.

Rugby Team

Congratulations to our amazing Rugby Team who made it all the

way to state finals! They did an amazing job to get to this stage

and should be extremely proud of their efforts! Well done girls!

Yours in Sport

Dean Andrew Sports Coordinator dandrew@sedandenongnth.catholic.edu.au

St. Elizabeth’s Community How wonderful was our Market Night? Yes, the rain came (for a short while) then left again. The atmosphere was wonderful, which is a big thank you to everyone who came, shopped, enjoyed, chatted to others, and enjoyed themselves. The night raised $2,800.00 towards our Fitness Equipment for the oval. Trixie Martin marttr@sedandenongnth.catholic.edu.au

News from The Nook. A reminder that all library books need to be returned to The Nook now. It is the time of year where we need to do a stocktake. Borrowing will be open again next year to our students and parents. Thank you for your understanding. The Dandenong Library is a wonderful place to be

Dandenong Library ~ Summer Reading Club Competition. This year’s theme is Games On!

What you need to do.... • Start reading • Each time you read a book write the title and author on the reading log • Once you have read five books visit the library and collect a sticker and tattoo, return again once you have read 10 books with your reading log and collect a bookmark, wristband or keyring and enter into the draw for a fabulous prize. You can submit a maximum of five reading logs. • Five additional competitions below are included in this kit. Entry forms and instructions for these can be found on the competition page. - Picture Puzzle Decathlon (library visit required) - Stereogram Competition (library visit required) - Games Portrait Competition - The Gold Medal Competition (library visit required) – The Vault Competition Key dates • Friday 1 December 2017 - Summer Reading Club begins, registrations open • Tuesday 23 January 2018 - Reading Log and competition entries close at 9pm • Saturday 27 January 2018 - Summer Reading Club Prize Presentation - FREE EVENT Entertainment provided by

Terry Cole - Multi-skilled Circus Performer Dandenong Library, 2pm Prizes Prizes will be presented at the Summer Reading Club Prize Presentation The online registration is available from Friday 1st December. http://greaterdandenong.com/document/26313/library-summer-reading-club Trixie Martin marttr@sedandenongnth.catholic.edu.au

Out Of School Hours Care

Expression of Interest Dear Parents, Please note: The last day of school for the children is 20th December 2017. Our St Elizabeth’s After School Care Program is offering care on Thursday 21st December and Friday 22nd December.

We require a minimum of 10 children for these days to operate.

Please contact Elarine on 0422 803 709 if you wish to book in your child/ren, bookings need to be done before Friday 15th December.

Community Announcements

St. Elizabeth’s Out of School Hours Care Program …

YOUTH LEADERSHIP VICTORIA PRESENTS – ST ELIZABETH’S OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE

Contact Details ….

111 Bakers Road,

Dandenong North

Ph. 0422 803 709

Before School Care

Permanent: $13.50 /Casual $16.00

7am to 8:55am Monday to Friday during

school term, excluding all Victorian Public

Holidays.

After School Care

Permanent: $14.50 /Casual $17.00

3:15pm to 6:15pm Monday to Friday during

school term, excluding all Victorian Public

Holidays.

Vacation Care / Pupil Free Days

Per Day: $50.00

7am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday

(The School Holiday Programme in January

will be held at St Anthony’s and St. Marys)

Late Pick Up Fees: Per minute: $1.00

For enquires or further information, please

contact Elarine on 0422 803 709 during

session times.

Fortnightly Activities …

Monday 4th December to Friday 15th December

Mondays Angel Decorations, Foil

Balls, Shaving Cream Art.

Tuesdays Straw Danglers, Deco Foam

Sequin Baubles, Celebrity

Heads.

Wednesdays Natural Mesh Stars,

Christmas Pop Pom

Characters.

Thursdays Dancing Reindeers,

Puppets, Hama Bead Art.

Fridays Chalk Drawings, Play

Station Challenge

Please note:

The last day of school for the children is 20th December 2017, depending on numbers we will open on Thursday 21st December and Friday 22nd December. Thursday 21st ~ Sparkling Christmas. Enjoy a fun day and get creative as we make bead candy canes, scratch Christmas ornaments and stained glass frames. Christmas games are also on the menu along with bingo, musical games and balloon games. Friday 22nd ~ Cooking up a Christmas Storm. Get ready for some delicious Christmas treats ~ Christmas cookies and tasty Santa’s. Afternoon tea will be fruit salad with ice-cream. Bookings for these two day are required before Friday 15th December. Ring Elarine on 0422 803 709