Newsletter Term 2 Week 4
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Families,
On Friday morning, we celebrated and acknowledged how special our Mums and Special Friends are to their families at our annual Mother's Day morning tea. The children were excited to have their special friends and family members visit their classroom and share in their learning, before receiving a special treat for morning tea and having recess with them in our beautiful gardens. The weather was kind to us, and there was a wonderful atmosphere and buzz around the school as children proudly showed their family and friends their school work and around our school.
The Senior Cross Country took place at Riverside Park on Wednesday, May 8th, with a great atmosphere and strong support from spectators. Students gave 100% effort and showed fantastic sportsmanship throughout the event.
Lastly a reminder that this Friday, May 16th, is a pupil-free day for teachers to analyse data, moderate student work, and commence report writing.
The Resilience Project - Parent Workshop
On Tuesday evening, please consider joining a very worthwhile webinar, Building Resilience at Home Webinar, from The Resilience Project. This runs from 6:30-7:30pm and all details can be found in the body of the newsletter and have been shared with all families via PAM.
Year 1 camp & Year 6 Transition Day
Our Year 1 students had a fabulous time on camp last Thursday, thoroughly enjoying the wide range of experiences on offer. From listening to the excited chatter afterwards, it’s clear that some firm favourites included the popcorn at the movies, dressing up in olden-day clothes at the Pioneer Settlement, and having a turn with the hoses at the CFA.
A huge thank you to Andrea and the Year 1 team for creating such a memorable and special experience for all involved!
Likewise, Year 6 enjoyed their first taste of secondary school when they spent the day at St. Mary MacKillop College. It was a great opportunity for our students to enjoy the range of experiences on offer, gain confidence and familiarity in the secondary environment, and meet key staff who work there.
Flying Start and Enrolments for 2026
We are open for 2026 enrolments for Foundation to Year 6 students and are taking registrations for our school transition program - Flying Start. Flying Start is a terrific way for preschoolers to prepare for life in Foundation, get to know teachers, and build their familiarity with the school environment. Our parent community is one of our best forms of advertising so please let friends and families know about the great teaching and learning programs and level of care that exists at St Mary's when they are considering school options for their children.
Nude Food Day
Mrs Ward and the Sustainability Leaders have organised a Nude Food Day for this Tuesday, May 13th. The focus is on reducing rubbish/paper on our school grounds. They hope you can get behind this initiative.
Kate
"Never See a Need Without Doing Something About It"
Mary MacKillop - Sisters of St Joseph Foundress
Key Dates
Tuesday May 13th
Division Cross Country
Nude Food Day
The Resilience Project - Parent Night (webinar)
Friday May 16th
Pupil Free Day
Wednesday May 21st
Catch up over Coffee (see flyer below)
Sunday May 25th
Open Day
Monday May 26th
Flying Bookworm Incursion
Tuesday May 27th
Regional Cross Country
Pupil Free Day
Wellbeing with Mr Doran
The Resilience Project - Building Resilience at Home (webinar)
Tuesday May 13th: 6.30pm-7.30pm
This workshop is designed to empower parents and carers by equipping them with the practical strategies to practice Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM) at home.
Register via the following link;
https://forms.theresilienceproject.com.au/single-event-confirmation/?event_id=419125#gf_72
Curriculum with Mrs Hall
ART - Vincent van Gogh’s iconic Sunflowers
This term, our Year 4 students explored the artistic techniques of form, blending, and layering, taking inspiration from Vincent van Gogh’s iconic Sunflowers series. Students experimented with different mediums to create vibrant, textured artworks that brought their own sunflower creations to life. Through careful blending of colours and thoughtful layering of strokes, they captured the energy and movement that characterises Van Gogh’s style. The final pieces are truly stunning and reflect the students' growing confidence and creativity as artists!
RE with Mrs Davies
Welcome to our new Pop - Leo XIV
We are delighted to welcome Pope Leo XIV as the new leader of the Catholic Church. Elected as the 267th successor of St Peter, Pope Leo XIV brings a spirit of humility, wisdom, and a deep love for the global Church. His vision of hope, service, and unity inspires faith communities around the world, and we look forward to the renewal his leadership will bring. As he begins this sacred mission, we keep him in our prayers.
PE with Miss Clark
Great Race Individual Lap Winners
While The Great Race was a whole school event, students with the most laps for each year level were presented with a certificate at last week’s assembly. Congratulations to the following students;
Foundation: Chet T, Chloe J, Matilda S and Aria W
Year One: Paddy M, Bowie G, Isabelle C and Jaycee P
Year Two: Jace B, Xavier W and Jossi R
Year Three: Ardy T and Elise K
Year Four: Darcy M and Nylah K
Year Five: Conor M and Maeve M
Year Six: Mattaeus C and Heidi H
What a great way you have all shown our St Mary’s Way of Belonging to our school.
SSV Basketball trials
On Thursday the 8th of May we had three students travel down to Bendigo to try out for the Victorian School Sport team in Basketball. Mia H, Ivy P and Deacon R all did an excellent job stepping up to the challenge to try and perform at their best to show the selectors their amazing Basketball ability. Congratulations to Mia H who has progressed to the next selection stage.
Senior Cross Country
Last Wednesday St Mary’s had their Senior Cross Country for students in Years 3-6 at Riverside Park.. Thank you to all the parents, friends and families supporting our students on the day. The students who ran a place in the top 5 will be representing St Mary’s at the Division Cross Country this Tuesday the 13th of May at Riverside Park. Goodluck to all St Mary’s students!
Division Cross Country
Goodluck to all the St Mary’s students competing at the Division Cross Country this week on Tuesday the 13th of May. They will be racing against local schools at Riverside Park for their chance to qualify for Regionals. All families are welcome to attend this event and support the students. The first race begins at 11.00am.
The races will be held at the following times (approximate only):
11:00am 12/13 year girls (3km)
11:20am 12/13 year boys (3km)
11:40am 11 year girls (3km)
12:00pm 11 year boys (3km)
12:30pm 10 year girls (2km)
12:45pm 10 year boys (2km)
1:00pm 9 year girls (2km)
1:20pm 9 year boys (2km)
Year 5 and 6 Winter Sports
Winter sports coaching for Year 5 and 6 students starts this week. The students could choose from Netball, AFL, Soccer or TeeBall. All 5 coaching sessions are conducted by MacKillop College students and held here at school on Tuesday afternoons during their year level sport time. The Division Winter Sports day will be held later in the term on Friday the 27th of June. Information for this event will be sent via PAM at a later date.
@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 make bus changes on PAM?
We encourage you to make bus changes via your PAM account. This includes bus passes, not on bus, change of bus etc.
- Log in to your PAM account.
- From the three line menu in the top right hand corner, select “Transport Passes”.
- Ensure the date is correct, displayed above the student schedule table.
- Click on the “Edit” button of the child you wish to add/remove from a bus.
- “Select New Route” will allow you to add your child to a bus, add your child to a different bus or select “No transport needed” if your child is not to travel on the bus on that particular day.
Scheduled Transport - this is for children who are on a regular bus schedule. It is the bus that your child would usually catch on that day.
Actual Transport - the bus that your child is catching on that particular day eg. if a change has been made.
Bus changes via PAM must be made by 2.30pm. For last minute changes, contact the office on 50332541. You can action bus changes up to 7 days in advance. If your child requires a permanent schedule change, please contact the office. Need assistance? Please contact the office 50332541.
Please note you can not add your child to a Country Bus unless they are registered to travel on that particular bus.
Book Club - Issue 3 orders close Tuesday May 13th
Scholastic Book Club Issue 3 has been sent home. We will not be accepting cash payments for orders. Please order online following the instructions below. This is the link for LOOP, which will allow you to make an online order and payment;
https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx If you are not registered for LOOP, click on the link above and create a new account. You will need to enter your details, add children and select our school (typed as is here); St. Mary's SWAN HILL
If you have any questions or are having trouble with the LOOP ordering system, please contact the office via email office@smswanhill.catholic.edu.au
News from the Canteen
Happy Birthday!
