Dear Families,
Welcome to the 2023 school year. The start of the school year brings with it lots of excitement in anticipation for the year ahead. The 2023 school year at Galilee is set to be an incredible year.
This week we have welcomed 54 new Preps to our school community. They have settled in so well and have been engaging in a variety of learning activities, meeting with their buddies and getting to know their teacher and classmates. We have also welcomed a new Year 6 leadership team who are sure to bring fresh ideas and make a positive difference to our school community.
We are welcoming a number of new staff who have transitioned seamlessly into our community. We would like to thank our dedicated staff who have spent much of their holidays planning and preparing for the year ahead.
It was wonderful to see so many families attend our Open Classroom and Welcome BBQ evening today. The school was buzzing with excitement as parents had the opportunity to view our learning spaces and speak to teachers. Our amazing Year 6 families put on a wonderful BBQ. We thank them for coordinating our first whole school event along with Carmen and the GPA.
School Open Morning
We recommend families applying for Prep 2024 attend the main Open Morning and School Tour on Friday 24th February 2023.
Additional School Tours only have been set for the above Wednesdays for those families who cannot attend the main open morning on Friday 24th February 2023.
Please note the Wednesday dates are only a short school tour and does not include comprehensive Open Morning Activities.
School Assemblies in 2023
In 2023, School Assemblies will take place on Fridays from 2.50pm - 3:20pm in the School Basketball Stadium. The first School Assembly that parents will be invited to attend will be on Friday 17th February 2023. All Parents are invited to attend Assemblies. Students who have leadership roles will be presented at this assembly. Your child’s teacher will notify you if your child is chosen for a position.
Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences in 2023
After feedback from our trial last year, we are using the same format for Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences in 2023, that we used in 2022.
For students in Year 1-6, we will offer two Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences. The first Parent/Teacher/Student Conference will take place at the end of Term 1 and the second will take place at the end of Term 3. A written Student Report will be sent home at the end of Terms 2 and 4.
For students in Prep, we will offer a Meet the Teacher Conference at the beginning of Term 1, a Parent/Teacher/Student Conference at the end of Term 3 and we will send home two written Student Reports per year, one at the end of Terms 2 and 4.
Prep Meet the Teacher Conferences will take place on Monday 6th February from 3.30-5.15pm ( last booking from 5pm) and Wednesday 8th February from 2 - 5.15pm. Information regarding booking a time will be sent out to Prep Families shortly. Meet the Teacher Conferences will be available onsite or via Google Meet. Details regarding the format of these meetings will be included in the booking information email (request sent via Operoo).
Year 1-6 Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences will take place on Monday 3rd April from 12.30-7pm and Wednesday 5th April from 3.45-5pm. You will be able to allocate your preferred appointment time closer to the date. Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences will be available onsite or via Google Meet.
Community Dates
We encourage you to regularly check the School Calendar. The School Calendar is a Google Calendar and can be added to your mobile phone for easy access. The calendar contains upcoming events and is regularly updated. You can find a link to the school calendar on our website.
Opening School Mass
Monday 6th February at 9.15am - Opening School Mass. Students will gather for Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Church, South Melbourne. Any parent who wishes to attend may do so.
School Photos
School Photos will take place on Tuesday 14th February. All students will need to be dressed in full Summer Uniform on Tuesday 14th February. Students who would normally wear their Sports Uniform on Tuesday, will need to wear their full summer uniform on Tuesday 14th February only and bring along their runners in a bag. More information about ordering school photos will be emailed soon.
Meetings with Staff
If you need to speak to a member of staff, we encourage you to call the office or contact the staff member via Dojo or email directly so an appointment time can be arranged.
2023 Preps will not attend school on Wednesday in February
As has been the practice at Galilee for a number of years, Preps in 2023 will not come to school on Wednesdays in February. Each 2023 Prep student's parents have been sent an Operoo request to select an appointment time on one of the Wednesdays to meet with their teacher and complete some assessment tasks in English and Mathematics. The assessments give teachers an understanding of student learning needs and help teachers to teach each student at their point of need. Students do not need to prepare or be worried about these assessments.
Assessments in Early Term 1
All students will spend one-on-one one time with their teacher over the next few weeks. This is invaluable time for teachers to assess each student's reading, writing and numeracy skills. Student assessment results give teachers an understanding of individual student learning needs and gives them the ability to start teaching students at their point of need, as soon as possible. You will notice that each classroom teacher will be given a day out of the classroom in the first few weeks to conduct these assessments.
New Parent Communication Information Session, Question Time & Discussion
We understand that there are many procedures and forms of communication for new families. We are providing new families with the opportunity to learn about the different forms of communication and how to access different forms and information related to school life at Galilee. The New Parent Communication Information Session, Question Time and Discussion will be held from 9.15-10.15am in the Maguire Hall. We look forward to seeing lots of you there.
2023 Staffing
Prep
Prep K - Caiomhe Kennedy
Prep C - Caleb Knappett
Prep M - Muiread McKeown
Year 1
Year 1M - Marcus Page
Year 1P - Patricia Hickey
Year 2
Year 2M - Mikaila Greenan from start of Term 2 (Maria P until Becky Kavanagh starts on Monday February 13, in Term 1)
Year 2S - Shane Gethings
Year 3
Year 3H - Helen Rochecouste (Colleen Giles will teach 3H on Thursday morning)
Year 3R - Rebecca McCormack
Year 4
Year 4A - Alex Pensini
Year 4R - Rachel Leahy
Year 5
Year 5A - Adrian Webster (Julianne Price will teach 5A on Wednesday)
Year 5D - Dan Booth (Carlo Martello will teach 5D on Wednesday)
Year 6
Year 6R -Richard Harding (Colleen Giles will teach 6R on Wednesday)
Year 6P -Paddy Edwards
A couple of classes will have delayed starts for their permanent teachers but all teachers have extensive experience at Galilee. We do feel fortunate to have excellent teachers employed for all roles when many schools still have vacancies due to teacher shortages. The education system saw significant movement at the end of 2022. Please be welcoming and patient with the new staff as they familiarise themselves with our school.
Specialist Teachers
Visual Arts - Linda Florenca-Grillo
Physical Education - Seb Greene
Italian - Anna Petrarca
Performing Arts - Sandy Baptist
Learning Support Officers
Jack Sandow
Paul Mapley
Connie Gargano
Rosa Serratore
Nelson Perrott
School Administration
Wendy Dalton
Iris Webster
Cate James
School Leaders
Simon Millar - Principal
Carlo Martello - Deputy Principal/Wellbeing Leader/Digital Technologies Leader
Amy Burns - Deputy Principal/Learning and Teaching Leader
Helen Rochecouste - Religious Education Sacrament and Liturgy Leader
Carmen Carnovale - Religious Education Learning and Teaching Leader/Community Partnerships Leader
Brighid Deamer (Fahy)- NCCD/Learning Diversity Leader
Holly Evans - Literacy Leader & Early Learning Leader
Richard Harding- Mathematics Leader
Adrian Webster and Dan Booth- STEM Leaders
Paul Mapley - Facilities Manager
Seb Greene - Sports Leader
Other Roles within the School
Julie Ferguson - NCCD
Holly Evans - Literacy Intervention Teacher
Linda Florenca-Grillo - Tutor
Carmen Carnovale - Mathematics Intervention Teacher
Jack Sandow - OH & S representative
Social Media - Facebook and Instagram
Galilee has a Social media presence on the platforms of Facebook and Instagram. We use these platforms to communicate to the wider community all of the wonderful things that we do on a daily/weekly basis.
We are easily identifiable by our school logo and the username for both sites is @galileeprimaryschool. Please join our sites and enjoy the photos and movies that we put up. Feel free to like posts.
Simon Millar
Amy Burns | I am Deputy Principal and Teaching and Learning Leader at Galilee. I started at Galilee in 2017 as Deputy Principal. I took Maternity Leave in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to look after my two boys; Archie and John. Archie is 4 years old and John is 3 years old. They are both very excited to be going to Kinder this year. In 2023 at Galilee we have a big focus on Learning and Teaching of Mathematics and STEM. Our teachers will be working with a range of experts in these areas to improve their practice, with a vision to improve student learning outcomes. I am looking forward to working with students, teachers and leaders at Galilee in all areas of Teaching and Learning this year, and seeing the incredible things our students do. I have been teaching for 17 years and I have held a range of leadership positions in the three schools I have worked in, including Mathematics Leader, Learning and Teaching Leader, Religious Education Leader and Deputy Principal. I have taught all year levels with most of my time in Year 1, Year 5 and Year 6. I love to swim and try to get to the pool as often as I can. I also love the footy, especially if Geelong are playing. Every second year my family returns to Scotland, where my husband is from, for a Scottish family Christmas. We look forward to heading back to Scotland at the end of this year. |
Carmen Carnovale | Hi everyone! I’m Carmen and I’ve been at Galilee since 2012. In this time I have taught Performing Arts - where I produced and ran the Lion King Jr for the whole school, Years 1, 2 and 3 classroom and replaced teachers in Years 4 and 5. I began and still coordinate the Galilee Extra Curricular Music Program, been OH&S Representative and many other roles! In 2016 I took a year off and traveled to the UK, Europe and parts of Africa with my then partner and now husband, Kingsley. We got married in 2019 and in September 2021 we welcomed our gorgeous daughter Matilda into the world. In August 2021, I took Maternity Leave until March 2022 to look after Matilda, who is now 17.5 months old. I then came back part time from March 2022. I will be back full time in 2023 in the following roles: Community Partnerships and Parent Liaison Leader, Religious Education Teaching and Learning Leader and Number Intervention at Galilee and Compliance and Planning. I am looking forward to working in the many different roles I have and engaging with our community with our events and morning teas. I love singing and dancing and am a classically trained opera singer. I am also completing my Masters of Educational Leadership this year at ACU. I love spending time with my family - Kingsley, Matilda and Rupert (our Golden Retriever). It gives me the greatest joy seeing Matilda learn lots of new things - she currently loves playing with playdoh, riding on her scooter and dancing. |
Helen Rochecouste | Hello everyone, I am the Religious Education - Sacrament and Liturgy Leader and one of the two Yr. 3 teachers, teaching with Rebecca Mc Cormack. This will be my 7th year teaching at Galilee where I have taught Yr. 3 for two years. Yr. 5 for two years and Yr. 4 for two years and now I’m looking forward to going back to Yr. 3! I have two beautiful and amazing adult daughters with the youngest one living in Sydney, so I try to visit her as much as possible! My eldest is married and I have a wonderful Son-in-Law too! I treasure spending time with my loved ones. I enjoy bike riding to school except on unfavourable days and Fridays, when I visit the Sth Melbourne Market after school. The great outdoors is my happy place where I enjoy bush walking and exploring. I delight in cooking plant based foods and trying new recipes. Most of all I love Jesus and growing daily in my faith and relationship with God! I look forward to successful collaborations with the families, staff and parish! |
Brighid Deamer (nee Fahy) | This year I have a change of name (after getting married last year) and a new role! I am the Learning Diversity/NCCD Leader this year, and will be working Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I have been at Galilee since 2015 and have taught Prep, 1, 2, 4 and even a Term of Art. My husband, Kyle, is from the UK and is a Project Manager. We have a 14 year old son, Patrick, who attended Galilee and is now in Year 9 and we have a 20 month old daughter, Rosie, who loves running, climbing and books. Prior to teaching full time, I completed my Masters in Special Education and this year I am really looking forward to working with students, staff and parents. |
Paddy Edwards | Greetings all, this will be my first year at Galilee. I will be teaching in the senior school with the Grade Six students in 2023. This will be my eleventh year of teaching. I have worked for the past eight years at St Andrew’s Primary School in Clayton South. For the two years prior I spent time in the UK working as a teacher in Behaviour Referral Units. I have taught all years from Prep - 6, but most of my time has been spent with senior students. I am Melbourne born and bred and I am a tragic Essendon supporter. In my spare time I love getting out of Melbourne and exploring the great outdoors with my lovely girlfriend Steph. I fancy myself as a handy chef and can often be found down at the local football on a Saturday afternoon. I’m really excited about a change of scenery and am looking forward to getting to know the community over the coming years. |
Caleb Knappett | Hi! I’m Caleb and I’ll be teaching Prep C this year. This is my first full time class after recently graduating and spending last year as a relief teacher in Galilee and other schools. Outside of school I enjoy cooking, traveling and spending time at home with my wife Karissa and our two cats. I love working in the junior years and I am very excited to have my first prep class! |
| Hi! I’m Richard, I’ll be teaching 6R this year and I’m also the Maths Leader. I’ve just finished working at Stella Maris Catholic Primary School in Point Cook where I worked for seven years. I’m originally from the UK and I moved over here 12 years ago. My wife, Chenelle, and I have three boys - Max, Jack and Sam (the youngest, pictured here). We live in South Melbourne where we can often be found at the park or the cafés on Saturday mornings, or the beach in the Summer. Please say hello if you run in to us! |
Patricia Hickey | I am the Year 1P teacher for the 2023 school year. This is my 27th year teaching. I began my career in Sydney and for the last 10 years I have been working for the Brisbane Diocese. I am new to Melbourne and only arrived 3 weeks ago. My husband and I have three children, Thomas, Clara and Eliza. The eldest two are studying at university and the youngest is now in Year 12 and studying at The Australian Ballet School, the reason why I have made the move to Melbourne. I look forward to exploring Melbourne and am open to suggestions on places to visit and wonderful places to eat! I am enjoying catching trams, which is a whole new experience for me! I look forward to being part of the Galilee community. |
Marcus Page | Hello everyone! I will be working in Grade 1 this year with Patricia. Over the last few years I have been working as a CRT in a number of different short term contracts. Before this I taught full time in a Catholic school in Cheltenham. After a few years at this school I decided to take a break and start my own tutoring centre. This has grown significantly over the years, starting with 1 employee to now 6. More recently I started writing a book aimed at helping children with their literacy, more specifically writing. |
Nelson Perrott | G’day, I am one of the Learning Support Officers here at Galilee. I began placement for my Certificate III in Education Support at the end of term 2 last year. I started working here immediately after the completion of my course. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning and developing in my role and I look forward to continuing to do so as I undertake my diploma this year. I was a student here from 2006 - 2012, so it’s been a great pleasure to reconnect with the school as well as its wonderful staff and community. I worked primarily with the year ones and preps last year and believe I will be continuing to work in a similar capacity this year. A little about me, I love basketball, surfing, bouldering and of course Footy (Go Dogs!). I also really enjoy hands-on learning, particularly Lego Club, a Lego based social development program that myself and some of the other LSOs run week to week. Finally, I’d like to think of myself as approachable so if you see me around feel free to say hello I’m more than happy to help however I can or just have a chat. |
Wendy Dalton | Hello everyone and welcome to Galilee in 2023. I am in the office with Iris and Cate and together we make a terrific team! I look forward to seeing you throughout the year and hope that it is a fabulous one for us all. |
Rebecca McCormack | Hello, I’m Rebecca. I am teaching Year 3 with Helen this year. I have recently moved to Melbourne from Ireland where I taught for six years. I joined a Triathlon club when I moved here as I enjoy running, cycling and swimming. I competed in two races which have been great fun and I hope to do more this year! I also enjoy reading, hiking, spending time with my friends and traveling. I have traveled to Tasmania, South Australia and the East Coast since moving here and I’m looking forward to seeing new places this year. This will be my first year teaching in Galilee and I look forward to meeting all the students and their parents. |
Rachel Leahy | Hi! I am one of the Year 4 teachers for 2023 and I am new to Galilee. I am from Ireland, and have been teaching full time since 2017. Since then, I have taught in various Catholic Schools across Ireland, New Zealand and Melbourne. I’ve enjoyed teaching different year groups and going on camp. I’m very excited to start teaching here and being a part of this school's community. I enjoy yoga, hiking and running as well as eating out and cooking! I have been living in Melbourne for the last year and I’m loving the coffee spots (any recommendations welcome). I am looking forward to getting to know my students and their parents. |
Cate James | Hi, I’m Cate & have been at Galilee since May last year and work in the school office on Tuesday and Friday. I have 2 adult sons and a granddaughter. |
Julianne Price | Hi everyone! This is my 25th year at Galilee & as you can imagine I have seen many changes in that time. I have been privileged to work with many dedicated and wonderful teachers and seen our students flourish in Secondary schools and beyond. I have loved my time here and managed to continue studying throughout the years, mainly in Special Education, Literacy & completed the Masters in Education - Student Wellbeing. I have had many varying roles - mainly in Leadership Roles - Deputy Principal - 8yrs, Student Wellbeing & Diversity/NCCD, Literacy & varying classroom roles. We have a wonderful community at Galilee and our parents have always played a very important role. I am now in my twilight years of education, so this year I am working here on a Wednesday as a Replacement Teacher, replacing the STEM Leader. My husband and I have 4 adult children and 4 grandchildren, which I love spending time with and babysitting. |
Muiread McKeown | Hi there! My name is Muiread McKeown (it's pronounced like ‘parade’ with an ‘m’!). I am one of the prep teachers. I am both new to Galilee as well as to Australia. I am from co. Kerry, which is in the beautiful south west of Ireland. I have been working as a teacher in Ireland since 2016 and have worked in a variety of schools and settings. I enjoy reading, travelling and exploring new places. I also enjoy all the great cafes and restaurants that Melbourne has to offer. I’m happy to get any new recommendations. I am looking forward to getting to know the lovely school community here at Galilee. |
Seb Greene | Hello to all. My name is Seb Greene and I’m your PE teacher. I’m a country boy from Bendigo and moved to Melbourne 5 years ago. I love all kinds of sports and am a competitive person. I play football on the weekends and enjoy walking and playing around with my groodle Luna. I support North Melbourne in AFL, Liverpool in EPL and clap the rest. I’m always up for a chat and a laugh, so if you’ve got a joke come tell me please. I look forward to meeting you all. |
Simon Millar | Hello to the Galilee community. I have been Principal at Galilee for 7 years. I have held a similar role at a school in Brighton and in Broome, Western Australia. My wife Julie, works at MACS and we have three adult children: Baillie 28, Tilly 26 and Caleb 22. We are a very close family, despite two of our children living in Queensland. Julie spent time in QLD in 2022 with our children but is back now living and working in Melbourne. I enjoy keeping fit and cycle regularly. I love working with the students, staff and parents at Galilee. I’m looking forward to a very successful 2023. |
Holly Evans | Hello, Miss Holly Evans here! This year, I have taken on the roles of Literacy Leader, Literacy intervention teacher and Early Years Leader. I have a passion for early years education and have been a Prep teacher at Galilee for 9 years. A few years ago I developed a school readiness program called ‘Seeds and Sprouts’ to support students in their transition from kindergarten to school. I am very excited to announce its continuation in 2023. I look forward to getting to know our future 2024 and 2025 students. In 2023, I will be working with students and teachers from Prep to Year 6 to develop and sustain growth in student learning and English outcomes. As well as help foster deep literary engagement and create confident communicators and imaginative thinkers.I am a new puppy mum to Kobe Eugene, my cavoodle and I am loving every minute of it. I enjoy cooking, visiting farmer’s market and spending time with family and friends. |
Adrian Webster | G’day Galilee, I’m Adrian Webster. You may have had the pleasure of seeing my much better half Iris Webster in the front office with Wendy and Cate. I will be teaching in Year 5 and leading STEM with Dan in my first year at Galilee. This is my 12th year teaching but am very happy to be coming back to a Catholic School community. I have spent the past couple of years at Geelong Grammar School and before that, at Xi’an Liangjiatan International School in China. My particular passions are in the International Baccalaureate and STEM learning in primary schools. Iris and I have a daughter Dorothy (2). If we’re not with her, you’ll most likely find us at AAMI park, watching the Rebels. I’m quite sporty and have previously played basketball, boxing, futsal & soccer but I’ve become quite fond of cycling as of late. I’m looking forward to meeting you all and having a chat. |
Sandy Baptist | Hello all, I am the head of Performing Arts ;) and this year will be my second at Galilee after completing my final teaching rounds here in 2013. I have also taught at Galilee as a relief teacher prior to my Performing Arts role. This will be my tenth year of teaching, both as a Kindergarten and Primary school teacher. An introverted extrovert, I love teaching the Arts to children and I can’t get enough music, dancing and generally fooling around into my life, and theirs. Prior to teaching, I was a Chef for nearly 15 years working in and around inner city Melbourne, and even worked in Florida, USA on private yachts! I have also completed post graduate study in the International Baccalaureate and am currently completing my Masters in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. I am originally from the UK, but have been following the Essendon football club for many years now. I really enjoy playing music, cooking, reading autobiographies and crime novels and watching movies. I have a beautiful almost ten year old son, Huxley, who is my greatest love and joy, and together with our purr babies, Star Wars tabbies, ‘Queen Padmé Amidala’ and R2 ‘Toosie Do’, we live in North Brighton doing the usual family things together. I’m looking forward to another great year with our magnificent community at Galilee- please come into the studio and say hello! |
Alex Pensini | Hello all, my name is Alex Pensini and I will be one of the Year 4 teachers at Galilee Regional for 2023. I recently moved to Victoria from sunny Western Australia halfway through last year and have loved every minute of it. Since moving to Victoria, I have been working as a CRT in several different schools. Before this, I had been teaching for 4 years at a school in Rivervale, Western Australia. A bit more about me, I love all things sport! In my spare time I love watching any form of sport, but in particular, watching the mighty Richmond Tigers play. I also love to travel and am always thinking of where to go next. I’m very excited to start the school year and I look forward to getting to know you all. |
Rosa Serratore | Hey everyone! I am a Learning Support Officer at Galilee and have been here for the past 21 years. I have worked with all year levels, but most of my time is spent assisting the junior classes. I find my role rewarding and fulfilling for many reasons, but essentially, for the growth evidenced from the beginning of the year until the conclusion, and the relationships I am able to form with the students. I am married and have twin adult boys. I love music/dancing and follow the Carlton Footy Team. I am looking forward to another year at Galilee and the opportunities that this year will present. |
Kateryna Bondarenko | Dobryj vechir, dear families! I’m the coordinator in GOSH (before/ after school care/ holiday programs).. I have worked in Galilee since 2017, and I am very passionate about what I am doing. I have a couple of degrees and titles: Masters (Honours) in Business Administration and Financial management, International master of sport (tennis), Diploma in education and care. I’m half Jewish and half Ukrainian, I was studying/ living in Germany and for the last 10 years I have lived in Australia. I have a gorgeous son Nicholas, who is 3 years old. With my team here it is never boring! |
Connie Gargano | Hi everyone! I am one of the Learning Support Officers here at Galilee. I began my placement in 2022, after completing my Certificate III in Education Support during lockdown. With a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Visual Arts and a career in HR, I was very excited to join the Learning and Diversity Team, following my passion for supporting children with special needs in Education. Having lived in the area for the past 25 years I feel extremely fortunate to be working with children and families from our local community. I am a proud mum of 2 teenage boys and spend most weekends as a team manager for their domestic basketball team and also watching them play footy, rowing and volleyball. In my own time I enjoy catching up with friends, walking, reading, music, hiking and am guilty of binging on the odd Netflix etc. series. I'm really looking forward to getting to know and working with all our lovely new staff, students and school community at large. |
Jack Sandow | Hello All, I am a Learning Support Officer at Galilee. I have worked in education since 2011 in a range of different roles, both in South Australian and Victorian schools, including mainstream and developmental needs. I started at Galilee in 2020 and have worked with all year levels, most of my time with the upper years. I have an interest in information technology and how it can support education. I also enjoy woodwork and have successfully built a floating desk and outdoor table (they are both still holding together). I am looking forward to the new opportunities that present themselves throughout the year. |
Julie Ferguson | Hi everyone, I am thrilled to be back! In 2016, after a few years teaching in the vibrant city of Dublin, Ireland, I made the move to Melbourne with my Australian husband, Scott. I have been teaching at Galilee since 2018 and have had the pleasure of working alongside our Year Six students for a few years. Whilst working here, I was also the NCCD Leader and enjoyed working closely with children, teachers and support staff, ensuring all students were provided with learning opportunities to best suit their interests and needs. In 2022, I had some time with a group of amazing Year Twos before going on Maternity Leave. My beautiful daughter, Delaney was born in April of last year and Scott and I have enjoyed watching her grow into the adventurous go-getter she is. She is currently trying to walk and is climbing everything, needless to say, my speed, agility and hand eye coordination have definitely improved! Watch out, Year Sixes, I’m coming for you at the End of Year Netball Game!! I am returning to school for one day a week, where I will be working alongside our Learning Diversity and NCCD Leader, Brighid. For the reminder of the week you will find me at swimming lessons, baby sensory classes, and walking around Albert Park Lake with friends. I am excited to be back and look forward to being a part of the Galilee community again. |
Shane Gethings | Hello all, I’m Shane and I am teaching 2S this year. A little about myself, I moved to Melbourne in September from Ireland. I taught grade 4 last year in an inner city school in Dublin. Prior to this, I worked as an eLearning designer for an education company. I am really interested in sport and keeping active. I play gaelic football for St. Kevin’s GAA club Melbourne and am currently on the lookout for a footy team to play for. Also, I love running and try my best to make the local parkrun in Albert Park as often as I can. I’m very excited to start the school year and I look forward to getting to know you all. |
Daniel Booth | Hi everyone, I’m excited to be teaching Yr5 this year and leading STEM with Adrian. Last year was my first full year at Galilee where I had an amazing time teaching Yr 3. Before that, I taught Performing Art for a term which was a lot of fun too. I’ve previously worked in schools in the UK and in Tasmania as an LSO, PE teacher as well as teaching in the classroom. I love teaching and learning and am passionate about making learning fun and engaging. I love the outdoors, am sports mad, enjoy socialising with my friends, watching live comedy as well as sampling the culinary delights that Melbourne has to offer. I enjoy a good chat and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some of the children and their families at Galilee and look forward to getting to know a lot more of you too, so please stop and say hello! |
Carlo Martello | Hi Everyone! I am Deputy Principal at Galilee Regional Catholic Primary School. I have been teaching for nearly 30 years. Before working here, I was at a number of different Catholic schools including Brighton, Caulfield, Collingwood and Beaumaris. I recently completed my Masters in Education at Australian Catholic University. I have many interests that always keep me busy and on the go. Big Richmond Tigers Fan and also a Liverpool fan (You’ll never walk alone). I’m really looking forward to seeing you all during the year. |
Colleen Giles | Hi, I’m Colleen. I have been at Galilee for 14 years. I taught full time for ten years in Years 3-6. I then decided to change to part time and now work here as a replacement teacher. This year I will be working with Yr 6R and Yr 3H. I have discovered wonderful ways of spending my days when not at school including movies, long lunches and extra long weekends every weekend! |
Linda Florenca-Grillo | Hi All, I am Mrs Grillo and this is my 17th year at Galilee; prior to this I worked at various schools in the Northern Region. During my time at GRCPS I have fulfilled the roles of Prep Classroom Teacher, Literacy Leader/Literacy Intervention and Reading Recovery Teacher. Since mid 2021, my main position at the school has been Visual Arts Teacher. Outside of school, I like to cook/bake, read, catch up with friends and go to the footy to watch my beloved Bombers! During the past 10 years I have been lucky enough to annually visit my elderly parents who live in Madeira, Portugal (that’s right - Cristiano Ronaldo’s homeland!). My husband and I have been blessed with a wonderful daughter, who currently works as an Occupational Therapist. I look forward to supporting your children throughout the year in their creation of amazing masterpieces! |
Iris Webster | I’m Iris and I am thrilled to be part of the Galilee school community yet again this year. In my previous life I worked in banking, ran a fashion label, worked in the office at 2 other Catholic schools in Melbourne, and lived in China working as an English and library assistant. These days you will find me in the school office 3 days a week working alongside the lovely Wendy and Cate. On the weekends I enjoy spending time at the park/beach/pool with Mr Webster and our delightful toddler Dotti. I love travelling and hope to explore more countries soon as a family of three. Last year we introduced Dotti to my family in the Philippines and this year we will be exploring Indonesia. |
Anna Petrarca | Ciao a tutti! For those whom I haven’t met yet, I am the Italian teacher for Prep to Year 6. I have been at this school for over 10 years and have been in the classroom, taught junior P.E. and now Italian. Before coming to Galilee, I taught in the State system for a long time, in all levels as a classroom teacher, Italian and Reading Recovery teacher. You could say I have been teaching for a long time. Some things you may not know about me: |
We are calling for nominations for 2023 Year Level Reps.
Please see the attached documents:
Galilee Parents Association Application Form
Year Level Representative Registration Form *to be completed once application has been accepted
Year Level Representative Role Description - Code of Conduct
Parent Communication Group Guidelines
Please note that as this role is a Year Level Representative position (not a class representative) and your child’s 2023 class allocation has no bearing.
As of 2023, the school has introduced a new year level representative policy in order to be more inclusive and far reaching to the school community. This means that a parent or guardian cannot be a Year Level Representative for consecutive years for the same year group. ie, Prep 2022 and Year 1 2023.
In situations where a year level does not have any applications, the school will approach parents or guardians on a more direct basis in order for new volunteers to take up the vacancy. In such instances, a role share or role term rotation may be created.
Please register your interest by emailing a completed application form to Community Partnerships and Parent Liaison Leader, Carmen Carnovale - ccarnovale@gsm.vic.edu.au
Please find the dates and times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
21 February, Tues, 6 – 7pm, Family Faith Night First Reconciliation, STSPP Church (students and families)
27 February, Mon, 9 – 10:30am, Sue Kidd First Reconciliation Preparation # 1 (students only)
6 March, Mon, 9 – 10:30am, Sue Kidd First Reconciliation Preparation # 2 (students only)
20 March, Mon, 9 – 10:30am, Sue Kidd First Reconciliation Preparation # 3 (students only)
28 March, Tues, 6 – 7pm, First Reconciliation Sacrament Galilee Students at StsPP Church (students and families)
Last year at our major fundraiser - The Spring Block Party, one of the live auction items was VIP Rockstar Car Park for a week!
Next week, our highest bidder, the Wynne family, who have Dottie in Year 1 will be treated like rockstars and have priority parking for one whole week!
Monday 6th February - Friday 10th February from 8.30am - 9am and 3pm - 3.35pm the first car park outside the school will be cordoned off for our Rockstar family.
We ask that you kindly refrain from parking here during this time - even if it is not occupied so our family has the priority car park as per the winning prize.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and we look forward to treating the Wynne family like the VIPs they are!
Good afternoon dear Families!
Welcome to the new year! We are very glad to meet a lot of new students not just in the school, but in GOSH too.
We have started 2023 with 3 weeks of summer holiday fun at GOSH with almost 400 kids attending all up! A fantastic number.
We enjoyed racing cars, movies with popcorn, a circus workshop, doing the cut the flour challenge, cooling down with water fights, battles with the bubble ball and the girls prepared a huge performance for all of us. We also ventured out to the Twisted Science Museum, Trampoline World, Chesterfield Farm and the Supreme Carnival Excursion.
We plan to continue delivering our happy and fun spirit through 2023!
Please don’t forget that we are in the summer now, so we follow the sun smart policy: no sunscreen, no hat = no outdoor play.
Please don’t forget to book your children at www.theircare.com.au
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy warm weather!
Kateryna, Ryger, Liana, Letitia, Giordan, Despina
Term 1 January 30 – Thursday April 6
Term 2 April 24 – 23 June 23
Term 3 July 10 – September 15
Term 4 October 2 – December 20
Please use this form if your child needs to take any temporary medication at school (antibiotics, eye drops, Ventolin, creams or lotions etc.). All medication MUST be bought to the office.
Medical Consent Form
Please read the policy below if you are unsure of the correct wearing of the Uniform. Students who are in incorrect shoes, with a note, must be for a maximum of one week. Correct shoes are to be worn till the end of the school year (it is not acceptable to be in incorrect shoes to save purchasing of new shoes towards the end of the school year).Microfibre jacket can only be worn with the Sport Uniform or over the jumper for extra warmth.
Uniform Policy
The Galilee School Uniform is available for purchase from PSW.
PSW Uniform: 1/128 Bertie Street, Port Melbourne 9768 0385
Prices can be found on the PSW Website.
Second Hand Uniform @ Galilee: Located in the foyer outside the art room on Tuesday mornings from 8:50am to 9:00am.
Attached is the lunch order list and ordering information for Renatta Catering. Order online at www.flexischools.com.au
To register and book for your child to attend before or after school care, please do so via this link.
To book your child into Danceworld lessons during recess/lunch or for more information, visit www.danceworldstudios.com/galilee or feel free to visit the studio next door to Galilee.