Newsletter Term 2 Week 8
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Families,
I hope you had a lovely but also restful long weekend despite the chilly weather.
Our teachers are currently working hard on writing Semester 1 student reports. This is a great time of the year as we celebrate our student growth and learning, and we look forward to sharing this with families when reports are mailed out during the last week of term.
There is always so much good news to share about our school and the wonderful staff who work here. This week, the spotlight is on Year 6. Once a month, a group of Year 6 students, together with Mrs Davies, our RE Leader, deliver Meals on Wheels to the elderly in Swan Hill. This hands-on experience allows them to live out the Catholic Social Teachings of Human Dignity and Preferential Option for the Poor, showing compassion and respect for our older Australians. It’s a meaningful way for students to put their faith into action and be people for others.
Flying Start and 2026 Enrolments
We are busy getting ready for Flying Start, which commences next Thursday June 19th. We are still taking enrolments for this fantastic program with the 8.30am sessions proving to be very popular. If you still need to do so, remember to contact the office to confirm a place for your preschooler. Our parent community is one of our best forms of advertising, so please let your friends and family know about the great teaching and learning programs and wonderful pastoral support that exists at St Mary's when they are considering 2026 school options for their children.
Places are filling steadily, especially in the 8.30 am session, so contact the school to confirm a place for your preschooler. Flying Start is on Thursday and Friday mornings from 8:30 to 10:15 or 11:30 to 1:00 for all interested families. Ring the office for more information.
SWPBS
At St Mary’s, we’re proud to be a SWPBS school, where we work together to actively teach and encourage the pro-social skills we want to see—kindness, fairness, teamwork and responsibility. It’s all about making our school a safe and respectful place where everyone feels included.
With so many football and netball games happening during break times, we are always looking for ways to promote safe and respectful play in the yard. A recent initiative—peer umpiring—came about thanks to the creativity and commitment of a few staff members. Students are now rostered on to umpire football and netball games, encouraging fair play, good sportsmanship, and respectful behaviour. It’s been a great success, helping to build student leadership and contributing to a more inclusive and positive atmosphere during break times.
"Move on the Music"
This is another successful break-time initiative that reflects our SWPBS focus at St Mary’s.
Promoted through videos and consistent reminders from staff, the routine is simple and effective—when the music begins, students know it’s time to stop their games, get a drink, go to the toilet, and head back to class calmly and promptly, ready for learning when the bell goes. This clear, consistent strategy has helped create smoother transitions, reduced busyness at the end of breaks, and reinforced our expectations around responsibility and being ready to learn.
You might enjoy the video clip produced last week with the help of some St Mary’s actors/actresses!
Mallee Family Care Art Competition
Recently, MFC ran an art competition to highlight International Day of Families, which is celebrated on May 15th. Our own Charlie Jordan from Foundation entered a piece he completed in his school art class in Term 1 and won a prize in the competition. As you can see, he was very happy to receive his $50 gift card, which he promptly spent on something he loves - camping!
NCCD - National Consistent Collection of Data
Recently, you may have noticed information for all parents about the funding for children who require extra support to achieve learning outcomes at school, attached to the newsletter. This is a National Government initiative and affects all schools in Australia. Please take the time to read the information provided, and feel free to ring the office or contact our Learning Diversity Leader, Kyle kdoran@smswanhill.catholic.edu.au for further clarification.
Have a terrific week, and look forward to seeing many of you at assembly proudly led by Year 3G.
Kate
"Never See a Need Without Doing Something About It"
Mary MacKillop - Sisters of St Joseph Foundress
Key Dates
Wednesday June 11th
Division Boys Netball
Division Girls AFL
Friday June 13th
Assembly 12.25pm - 3G
Saturday June 14th & Sunday June 15th
Eucharist Masses
Tuesday June 17th
Nudie Tuesdie
Thursday June 19th & Friday June 20th
Flying Start session 1
Thursday June 26th & Friday June 27th
Flying Start session 2
Friday June 27th
Year 5 & 6 Division Winter Sports
Wellbeing with Mr Doran
A Special Report: Social Media & Comparison Culture
Young people today are growing up in a world where exposure to other people's lives is constant. Through social media and other platforms, they are regularly presented with curated highlights - from flawless holiday photos and academic milestones to the latest fashion trends and fitness achievements. This continuous stream of idealised content fuels what is known as comparison culture, where self-worth is often measured by how someone stacks up against others.
For children and adolescents, who are still figuring out who they are, this culture can be particularly damaging. Constantly comparing their appearance, achievements, or social standing to friends, influencers, and even strangers can lead to unrealistic expectations and a skewed sense of self-worth. This relentless need to measure up can contribute to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and anxiety - undermining both confidence and emotional wellbeing.
It's vital that parents and caregivers understand how deeply comparison culture can influence a child's self-perception and sense of value. Left unchecked, it can foster perfectionism and a dependence on external validation, where a 'like' or comment becomes the measure of their worth.
The good news is, families have a powerful role to play in helping young people navigate these challenges. This Special Report will help you empower your child to build the resilience and confidence needed to navigate today's comparison-driven world and embrace their own unique path.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
Here is the link to the special report:
Curriculum with Mrs Hall
Targeted Maths Learning in Small Groups - 1X & Miss McLean
At St Mary’s, small-group Maths sessions are designed to meet students right where they are in their learning journey. These sessions provide focused support that reinforces concepts taught in the classroom, while offering differentiated learning tasks that allow every student to grow—from consolidating core understanding to extending into new challenges. Working in smaller groups not only enhances individual learning, but also encourages collaboration, cooperation, and peer learning. As students step out of their comfort zones and into performance-based learning, they build both mathematical confidence and essential interpersonal skills.
The photos below show Miss McLean’s students actively engaged in exploring a variety of mathematical concepts, while also developing the Habit of Mind of persistence.
RE with Mrs Davies
Year 4 Eucharist Retreat Day - Tuesday 3rd June
Last Tuesday some of our Year 4 students participated in their Eucharist Retreat Day in preparation for receiving this special sacrament over the weekend of 14/15th June.
The retreat included several engaging activities to help participants deepen their understanding of the Eucharist. In the Meeting Room, the Real Presence Art Activity focused on the truth that Jesus is truly and fully present in the Eucharist. In the Sacristy and front pews, Mary led a session on Reverent Reception, helping participants see with the eyes of faith and engage in the Mass with reverence. Fr. James led a Communion Bread-Making activity, teaching how Jesus unites us as one through the Eucharist. Marie led a Heart to Heart Encounter, encouraging everyone to open their hearts to receive Jesus’ love and offer themselves back to Him.
All students had a fantastic day and really enjoyed all of the activities. A big thank you to Fr James and Mary for organising and leading the day.
PE with Miss Clark
Junior Cross Country
The Junior Cross Country was held last week on Wednesday the 4th of May. We were very lucky to get a nice day with the weather sometimes a bit hit and miss at this time of the year. Well done to all the junior students that participated. It was wonderful to see so many children try their best in a fun, encouraging and competitive environment. We are grateful for all the parents, family and friends who came to watch and support the children. A very big thank you to all the staff for their support on the day and especially to the House Captains who all did an amazing job for helping run the event. Students that finished in the top 10 for each race received their certificate at assembly.
Girls Footy and Boys Netball
Good luck to our St Mary’s teams competing this Wednesday, 11th of June in Division Boys Netball and Girls Football. They will play against local schools at Allen Garden Reserve for a chance to progress to the Regional level later in August. Parents and family members are welcome to go along to support our students. Draws have been emailed to parents.
Year 5/6 Winter Sports
The Year 5 and 6 students will have their second last training session with the Mackillop students this week before the Division Winter Sport competition held on Friday, 27th of June. Students will compete in either Football, Netball, Soccer or T-Ball. Parents and guardians please refer to the permission note on PAM for details of the day.
@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
School Beanies
With the weather cooling down, now is the perfect time to purchase a school beanie. Available on CDF Pay, under "Shop" for $20.00. Remember to put your child's name on them.
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.
News from the Canteen
Student of the Week
Happy Birthday!
