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Newsletter Term 1 Week 8

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Families,

There was a fantastic atmosphere at the St. Pat’s Race Club races yesterday, with many staff and families coming together to enjoy a fun-filled day out. The kids had a blast with the many sporting activities organized on the day. Highlights were sticky darts, tug-of-war, and the kids' foot races, where they had the chance to win some money! The free pony rides were also a huge hit, keeping the kids entertained throughout the event.

This was an important fundraising event for the school, and we will announce the final total after consulting with the Parents & Friends Committee. The luck of the Irish extended beyond the racetrack, with the following people winning the raffle:

1st Prize: Maria Dorigo
2nd Prize: Heidi Stacey

All proceeds from the day will be added to the P & F efforts to purchase Lego Spike kits to use in the STEM program.

As NAPLAN testing concludes this week, it's well done to our Year 3 and Year 5 students for their positive mindset and dedication throughout the assessment process. Their commitment to giving their best effort reflects their resilience and perseverance. It's timely also to acknowledge their teachers for their thorough preparation and ongoing support, ensuring students approached these assessments with confidence and a ‘can do’ attitude.

Lastly, a warm welcome to Treesa and Toms Vallikadan who have come all the way from Wales to join us. We hope they will be very happy here at St Mary’s.

Nudie Tuesdie - Tuesday 18th of March
Our dedicated Sustainability Leaders are excited to hold our first waste-free 'Nudie Tuesdie' for 2025. Families and students are encouraged to pack as little rubbish in their lunchboxes on this day to help reduce the amount of waste they are contributing towards landfill. Taking biscuits and snacks out of their bags and putting them in a labelled container will make a huge difference to the amount of rubbish in our bin

Parent/Teacher Interviews
Wednesday 19th March & Tuesday 25th March
We are looking forward to our upcoming Parent-Teacher Interviews and Student-Led Conferences, scheduled for Wednesday, 19th March, and Tuesday, 25th March. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity for parents to connect with their child’s teacher and discuss progress.

Year 5 & 6 students will lead Student-Led Conferences with their families.
Year 2-4 students will participate in Three-Way Chats. At these meetings children attend with their parents.
Foundation and Year 1 students will have Parent-Teacher Interviews, with children not required to attend.

Bookings have opened, and details on how to book have been shared via PAM. We encourage all families to take advantage of this opportunity to engage in their child's learning journey.

You can log on and choose your preferred time or contact the office and we can do this for you. The allocated time is 10 mins per chat.

Parent / Teacher Interviews will be held at:

3.30pm – 7.00 pm on Wednesday, 19th March
3.40pm – 6.00 pm on Tuesday 25th March

The web address for booking is http://www.schoolinterviews.com.au and the logon code is : edd9n

Vic Kids Eat Well Program membership
St. Mary’s is excited to join the Vic Kids Eat Well program, reinforcing our commitment to promoting healthy eating and nutrition. This initiative will support our efforts in encouraging students to make nutritious choices and develop lifelong healthy habits. Stay tuned for updates on how we’re incorporating this into our school community!

Concussion Information
Given that we are heading into the football season, schools have been provided with this updated concussion information, which we have been asked to share with our school community;

If your child has experienced concussion outside of the school setting it is important that they rest for a period of 24 to 48 hours, and then gradually return to activities after this time. Returning to school can be a graduated approach with the aim of increasing tolerance to a full day, the same situation could occur with sporting activities. It is always important to check with your doctor and seek medical treatment after a child sustains a concussion.

It is important to inform the school if your child has sustained a concussion outside of school; this is to ensure the school can monitor your child’s wellbeing and adapt activities as required.

Italian Day - Wednesday, 26th March
The countdown is on! The day will begin with a whole school parade at 9.15 am in the outside assembly area. All families are welcome to come along and see all the wonderful costumes and the sea of green, white and red Gelati and cannoli will be available at recess and lunch for $1 and there will be Italian food available for lunch. (available through CDF pay). You are most welcome to join us at any time during the day. A big thank you to Megan & Melita for all the work they have put in to prepare for this day!

Hope you all enjoy the week ahead and the chance to enjoy our beautiful Autumn weather,

Kate

"Never See a Need Without Doing Something About It"
Mary MacKillop - Sisters of St Joseph Foundress

Key Dates

Wednesday March 19th
Parent Teacher Interviews
Friday March 21st
Assembly 12.25pm - 1T
Tuesday March 25th
Parent Teacher Interviews
Wednesday March 26th
Italian Day
Friday March 28th
Year 5/6 Summer Sports
Assembly 12.25pm - 3H
Thursday April 3rd
Open Day
Friday April 4th
End of Term 1

Wellbeing with Mr Doran

What is Neurodiversity?
When it comes to inclusion, neurodiversity refers to a world where neurological differences are recognised and respected as all other human variations.

Depending on how our brains are wired we think, move, process information and communicate in different ways. Many people in our community use neurodiversity as an umbrella term used to describe alternative thinking styles such as Dyslexia, DCD (Dyspraxia), Dyscalculia, Autism and ADHD. But regardless of labels, neurodiversity is about recognising those who think differently. And no matter whether you are a school, university or organisation you can benefit from different thinkers!

Approximately 15-20% of the population has a neurological difference. Instead of labelling people with deficits or disorders, when we use the term neurodiversity, we take a balanced view of an individual’s unique strengths and challenges. Many ‘challenges’ neurodivergent people face are more to do with the environment and systems they are placed in, often designed by a majority population.

Curriculum with Mrs Hall

CLOSURE DAY : V2.0 Curriculum, A.I Tools and Collaborative Conversations
Last Friday, our staff took part in three different workshops throughout the day, collaborating with staff from St Mary’s Sea Lake and St Mary MacKillop College. Session 1 was dedicated to unpacking the updated V2.0 English Curriculum. The session focused on exploring the 3 Strands: Language, Literature and Literacy. The 3 strands focus on developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in the language modes of listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing. Teachers engaged in discussions about what these changes mean for students at each year level and examined the curriculum descriptors in detail. This collaborative opportunity allowed staff to deepen their understanding of the revised content and consider how to effectively implement these updates to support student learning and achievement.

Session 2 saw staff explore the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing impact on the education system. The session focused on increasing awareness of AI tools and the rapidly evolving world of technology. Discussions highlighted the potential of tools such as ChatGPT, CoPilot, Grok, Cleft, and Suno, among others, and how these technologies can be integrated into teaching and learning. Staff reflected on the importance of staying informed and adapting to these advancements to enhance student engagement, creativity, and critical thinking.

For the final session staff had the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from St Mary MacKillop College. The session focused on strengthening teaching practices in English and Mathematics for students in Years 5 to 8. Staff engaged in rich discussions, sharing strategies, teaching practices and experiences to enhance student learning outcomes.

RE with Mrs Davies

The Season of Lent
As we journey through the season of Lent we remember that Lent is a time when we try to get closer to God. At school the children were encouraged to think of things they could do to achieve this eg have conversations with God, do good deeds and give to Project Compassion. As adults we understand these acts to be FASTING, PRAYER and ALMS GIVING.

FASTING: Fasting is an ancient action linked to Lent and is considered a sacred act. The goal of fasting is connected to prayer. The pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God and prayer and fasting brings us to what Lent is about – a deeper conversion and relationship with God.

PRAYER: Fasting and almsgiving are merely actions we do out of tradition, if not connected to prayer. Prayer is our conversation with God. In these conversations we find the strength to fast, to develop a closer and more intimate relationship with God. This relationship makes us grateful for our many blessings and motivates us to give to those less fortunate.

ALMSGIVING: This is simply a response by us to God, a response that we have come to through prayer and fasting. It expresses our gratitude for all we have been given. We come to a realization that we all make up the Body of Christ and with this realization there is a responsibility. That responsibility is to all who are part of the Body of Christ. This means that our acts of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life.

PE with Miss Clark

Regional Swimming
It was very hot and sweaty down at the pool last week on Tuesday the 11th of March with 8 students from St Mary's that qualified for Regional Swimming.

Our students can be very proud of their efforts racing against some very serious looking competition!

The results from the day are below;

Jai P- 3rd Backstroke
Jayla P- 2nd Breaststroke
Heidi H- 3rd Freestyle
Ivy P- 4th Breaststroke
Lachlan L- 6th Freestyle
Lachlan L, Aarav B, Harrison B, George M- 2nd Freestyle Relay

Congratulations to all these students for their amazing efforts!

Year 5 and 6 Summer Sports
The second last practice session of Year 5/6 Summer Sports will be this week on Tuesday the 18th of March in preparation for the Division Summer Sports. Many thanks to the Year 5/6 teachers and the Mackillop College students for their work in getting the students ready for the day.

The Summer Sports will be held on Friday, 28th of March and is an opportunity for all the Year 5/6 students to represent our school in their chosen sport. The sports will take place at the following venues with these supervising teachers;

Basketball- Swan Hill Stadium (Miss Clark, Mr Daniels and Mrs Davies)
Cricket- Swan Hill Showgrounds (Mr Smith and Mr Cleeland)
Tennis- Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club (Mrs Free and Mrs Dacey)
Softball- Ken Harrison Reserve (Mr Bonney)

@2 Murlong Before & After School Care

The Out of School Hours Care program, @ 2 Murlong, is operating out of the gym hub and provides before and after school care for school age children in the Swan Hill area. Please express your interest via the following link;

https://prodadmin.myxplor.com/enrollment/index/dHdBOThsSW9JeHUxYTEwaHNxZlMrdz0

News from the Office

Working with Children Check
A reminder to bring your Working with Children Check with you if you are coming on to the school grounds for volunteer purposes. If you would like to apply for a Working with Children's Check, please follow the link below;

https://service.vic.gov.au/find-services/work-and-volunteering/working-with-children-check

PAM (Parent Access Module) - How do I let the school know if my child is absent from school?
PAM is our preferred notification method for absences. Absences must be entered prior to 9.25am on the day your child will be absent. Absences can also be entered in advance.

On PAM, you can add an absence if:

Your child is going to be absent for the day (All Day)
Your child is going to be late to school (Arriving Late)
Your child is going to be leaving early from school (Leaving Early)
Your child will be leaving school and returning eg. for an appointment (Partial)
Your child is going to be absent for more than one day (Multi-day max of 7 days)

To add an absence:

Log in to your PAM account
Select “Parent Notified Absences” listed under “Students”. This can also be accessed by selecting the 3 line menu bar on the top right hand corner of the screen and selecting “Parent Notified Absence”.
Select “Add Absence”
Select the child who will be absent
Select the reason for your child’s absence
Select the appropriate absence period
Select the absence date
Notes can be added if required
You can edit or delete current and future absences, by clicking on your child and amending it if required