Communication Between ELC and Home

For education to be most effective and successful, school and families must be partners in the goals set for young children. Children must feel settled, secure and comfortable in their learning environment and when away from home.

Communication is of the essence. No question is ever too small and we will always do our very best to provide a quick and accurate response. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any query/information as it arises.

For your convenience, please retain the following important 2018 contact details:

Head of Junior School and ELC
Mrs Alana Moor
Tel:  9828 3020
Email: mpoulos@stcatherines.net.au

ELC Coordinator
Ms Sarah Bethune
Office Number (03) 9828 3075

The number has message bank (Sarah is often involved in classrooms.)

2018 Classrooms

Blue Gum

Mrs Helen Nicolaou and Ms Julie Malvestuto
Tel: (03) 9828 3931

Waratah Room

Miss Katie Grieve, Ms Julie Malvestuto, Ms Sarah Bethune and Ms Carol Curtis
Tel: (03) 9828 3037

Wattle Room

Miss Kristina Schrader, Ms Sarah Bethune, Mrs Krystyna Eggers and Mrs Briony Friend
Tel:  9828 3037

Banksia Room

Ms Fiona Barker, Mrs Penny Campbell and Ms Jill Baker
Tel: (03) 9828 3068

ELC Information Evening – Tuesday 20 February  7.00pm till 8.00pm

The Information Evening, held in your child’s classroom ensures parents have the opportunity to meet staff who are working each day with their children.

Young children love to know that parents have enjoyed visiting their classroom and to hear all the details about the learning, activities and fun planned for the year. The myriad of ways in which parents become partners in children’s learning, together with the ELC staff, are always highly emphasised at these important parent functions.

We warmly encourage at least one parent from each family to attend.

Friends Meeting Up

The beginning of a new ELC School year brings with it the joy and privilege of observing and hearing friends catch up, perhaps for the first time since the final day of the 2017 School year.

There is comfort indeed in catching up with old friends and the joy of making new friends is equally as beautiful to witness. The staff in Campbell House are always spellbound by the student enthusiasm to do so!

Each week in The Blue Ribbon we feature events and activities in one of the classrooms in Campbell House. This week, we feature the Banksia Room and through photographs observe just some snippets of the excitement of meeting up with old friends and making new ones.

Moving to the 4YO Program is a big and very exciting step for young learners and this was very evident in the chatter, the smiles and the warm hugs!

Welcome New Staff Member

Campbell House staff and our young learners in the Waratah Room especially, were thrilled to welcome our new member to the teaching team, Miss Katie Grieve.

To date, Katie remarks upon the warmth and generous welcome she has been afforded by the St Catherine’s School Community. An ongoing characteristic about which we are always immensely proud.

Mrs Alana Moor
Head of ELC and Barbreck

Building Relationships in the Banksia Room

During the first week of Term, the children in the Banksia Room have enjoyed exploring their new learning environment, welcoming new children and re-establishing relationships with their friends from last year.

Relationships are integral in establishing connections within our ELC community and provide the children with a sense of belonging. Fostering positive relationships also encourages opportunities for the children to build trust, learn to resolve conflicts peacefully and genuinely care for each other.

Whilst outside one morning, two children were overheard discussing friendships with one child commenting, “Every year you can have new friends.”

This provided an ideal catalyst to invite all the children to share their understandings of friendship and consider how they can be friends with each other.

Aalto,“A friend is someone you play with.”

Arabella, “It is nice to have a friend. If we didn’t have friends it would be sad.”

Catie, “Friends help each other and look after each other.”

Simona, “We can all be friends, we love each other.”

Mrs Penny Campbell