Newsletter - 24th July 2024
Acknowledgment of Country
We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Wadawurrung people. It is a privilege to be standing on Wadawurrung country. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the contributions of Indigenous Peoples from the past, present and future who contribute to this country in which we live. May Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians continue to work together to educate, unite and live in peace on this land we call home, Australia.
Upcoming Events
30th July: Playgroup 9:00am-11:00am
1st August: Lunch orders to be submitted
5th August: Lunch orders delivered today
6th August: LFBF Session at Ballan (Year 6 students); Playgroup 9:00am-11:00am
8th August: St Mary of the Cross Feast Day
9th August: Sovereign Basketball Carnival
13th August: Playgroup 9:00am-11:00am; Open Afternoon/Liturgy with Families
17th-23rd August: Book Week
21st August: Book Week Dress Up Day
22nd August: School Closure Day - Staff Structured Literacy Professional Development
30th August: Father's Day Breakfast
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
As we begin this new term, we thank You for the opportunity to learn, grow, and pursue our dreams. We ask for Your guidance and wisdom to be with us every step of the way.
Grant us the strength to overcome challenges and the perseverance to keep moving forward. Help us to stay focused, motivated, and dedicated to our work. May we treat each other with kindness and respect, fostering an environment of support and encouragement.
Bless our families, teachers, administrators, and all those who work tirelessly to create a nurturing and inspiring educational experience. May they have the patience and insight to lead us effectively.
Lord, we pray for a term filled with discoveries, achievements, and joy. Keep us safe and healthy, Amen.
Messages from the Principal
FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR
We are thrilled to announce that Claire has officially taken over the role of Finance Administrator, succeeding Majella.
Claire has increased her work hours at St Mary’s and her availability is as follows:
- Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
- Thursday: 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Please note that the office will be unattended on Fridays. During this time, phone calls will be directed to the classroom, and the office door will remain locked throughout the day.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we transition into this new schedule.
DROP OFFS AND PICK UPS
On windy days, please be extra cautious when opening car doors. Strong gusts can unexpectedly fling doors wide open, potentially causing damage or injury. Let's all stay safe and protect our vehicles and ourselves by holding onto car doors securely as we open and close them.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
School commences at 8:50am. Please ensure that your child/children arrive on time and are ready to begin their day. To ensure the safety and security of all students, the gate will now be locked at 8:50am. Any students arriving after 8.50am will need to see Claire in the office for a late pass.
If you know your child will not be at school, please let the school know via PAM or by text before 8:50am. If we have not heard from you, a message will be sent asking you to explain your child’s absence so we can enter it into our system.
Thanks for your cooperation!
DOLLY’S DREAM ‘BAKE SALE’
After learning about 14-year-old Dolly Everett, who tragically lost her life to suicide due to relentless bullying, Maeve and Evie decided to take action and have a ‘bake sale’ to raise money for this cause. Thanks to Maeve and Evie's hard work and the generous contributions of everyone involved, the bake sale was a huge success. We are thrilled to announce that over $1,000 was raised! This is a fantastic achievement, and we are incredibly grateful for everyone's generosity and support. A huge thank you to Maeve, Evie, the Slater and Singline families and everyone who supported the ‘bake sale'.
CONCERT
Excitement is in the air as we begin preparations for the school concert to be held on Wednesday 11th September! Everyone is hard at work, and the anticipation is building. Stay tuned for more details and get ready for an unforgettable performance!
NAPLAN YEARS 3 AND 5 REPORTS READY FOR COLLECTION
NAPLAN reports are now available for collection. If your child is in Years 3 or 5, you can collect their report from Sue or Jenny either before or after school.
SPORTING SCHOOLS GRANT
We have been fortunate to receive a grant from Sporting Schools. The aim of Sporting Schools is to bring schools and sports together to help Aussie children get active. This week we began with hockey on Monday and we will have T-ball on Friday. I am sure our students will enjoy participating in sports they might not otherwise experience.
KEEPING WARM
It is great to see some of our students wearing a coat, beanie, scarf and gloves outside at playtime. It certainly has been cold and we do try to get the students outside for some fresh air even on these cold days.
LYNDAL
On Thursday we had a visit from Lyndal and she was very excited to let us know that she has been appointed as a Learning Support Officer at Damascus College for the remainder of 2024. We wish her all the best in this new role and hope she reconnects with some of our former St. Mary's students there. Congratulations, Lyndal!
DESK AND TABLE LEGS AVAILABLE
Is anyone interested in a desk or legs for a table or bench? We have an adult desk we no longer need and after having drawers installed in both classrooms, the legs came from under the benches. The legs are 70cm tall and we have 10 available. Please contact Claire if you are interested.
NEW BASKETBALL RING
The students are loving the new basketball ring. DANGER is a very popular game and gets everyone involved. The excitement when the students get their Principal out is hilarious!
Stay warm and well,
Clare Scanlon, Principal
News from the South!
Term 3 has started with a bang!
As we prepare to follow the Australian Team in Paris we will be learning about athletes and sports that interest us. We will research and then prepare a short speech to present to the class so that we all learn about the different athletes competing.
Last week the staff presented the play that will be performed at our School Concert in September (Wednesday 11th) which helped everyone get a good overview of the play. We also discovered some budding actors among the staff with Jenny displaying a great flair for her role!! This Wednesday, the children will be auditioning for a role so that rehearsals for this exciting event can begin.
On Monday, Zac from Schools Hockey, took us all for a hockey lesson. This was the first of four lessons. The skills already displayed in maneuvering the hockey stick were very good!
The South Roomers have also been learning about the History of the English language and learning why there are so many tricky words to spell. Ask us about this as we have all been very interested in finding out how English came to be made up of so many different languages such as Olde English, Middle English, Latin, French, Greek and more.
We are all excited to watch Young Mary and Matilda on Tuesday. These will be great opportunities for us to think about what makes a good performance.
Evie and Maeve have been busy on their Year 6 LFBF project. They have chosen to raise awareness and funds for Dolly's Dream. They ran a very successful Bake Sale on the weekend and have been very active in showing leadership in the playground to ensure that everyone has a fair go. You will hear more about their efforts in the coming weeks.
Sue, Jenny and the South Room members.
North Room News
Young Mary
On Tuesday we saw a play about Mary MacKillop called Young Mary. Clare drove us to St Patrick's Gordon and St Brigid's Ballan were there too.
Mary was from a poor family and she always wanted to help others before helping herself. She started an Order of Nuns called the Sisters of Saint Joseph, they wore brown habits (clothes) and people called them the brown joeys.
Mary and the other nuns helped poor children by starting schools and giving them a free education. She and the nuns also helped the families of the children with food, clothes and a home.
Genevieve: Mary sent a box home to her family so they could make a billy cart for her baby brother, Peter.
Adelaide: Mary gave poor people food scraps that she had begged for all day long. Mary didn't eat the food herself. She also offered children free schooling so they could get a good education to get a good job.
Ellie: Mary was a kind person and she was helpful to the poor. She became the first saint of Australia. Her real name was Mary MacKillop.
Celebrate 100!
Next Monday we are going to celebrate the number 100. The Foundation/One/Two students are invited to dress up as a 100 year old and bring 100 items from home. The 100 items could be rubber bands, grains of rice, pasta pieces, anything you can think of, just not too big! We will celebrate our learning so far this year and the number 100.
Special Report: Celebrating NAIDOC Week
Here at St Mary's, we celebrated NAIDOC week during the last week of Term 2. NAIDOC week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is celebrated by all Australians and is a great opportunity to recognise and learn more about the history and culture of Indigenous communities.
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement, when on Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney to highlight the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Today, it is a week-long celebration held in July that consists of range of traditional and contemporary activities.
NAIDOC Week is an important event that helps build positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It enables a deeper understanding of our differences and similarities and is a great opportunity for all Australians to eliminate bias and discrimination by reflecting and reconciling the wrongs of the past to facilitate hope and build a fairer future. Families are encouraged to join in and support young people in learning the significance of NAIDOC Week.
This Special Report offers suggestions on how families can celebrate NAIDOC Week together. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to Kamden who will turn 10 on Tuesday, 30th July. We hope you enjoy your celebrations Kamden!
Beleza Uniform Sale
Beleza Uniforms are running a sale through their online store from August 3rd to August 10th. This sale will be 15% off Beleza branded products and will be online only. Please see the flyer below for more information.
