Newsletter Term 3 Week 2
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Families,
We're starting the week with some lovely news—congratulations to Mrs Edwards and her husband Ash on the safe arrival of their beautiful baby boy, Paddy! We can’t wait to meet him soon.
A big St Mary’s welcome to Faustina Pham, who joined 2S on Wednesday, and to Michelle Bryan, the newest member of our LSO team. We’re so pleased to have you both join our school community.
History Box
This week, we’re excited to welcome back Baz and Cyn from The History Box as part of our F–6 History learning. Their engaging, hands-on sessions are always a highlight, bringing Australian history to life in a way that’s fun, interactive, and memorable for our students.
Over the term, our Foundation to Year 6 students will explore events that have helped shape Australian history. The History Box workshops tie in beautifully with this learning, offering students the chance to step back in time and experience history through a range of immersive activities.
Baz and Cyn were a big hit with students last year, and we’re sure they’ll work their magic again! They’ll be running sessions from Monday to Wednesday in the gym, and parents are most welcome to pop in and join any of the workshops.
Mia Hirst-Sport
We’re incredibly proud to recognise Mia, one of our Year 6 School Captains, for her outstanding sporting achievements. Earlier this year, Mia trialled for the School Sport Victoria state teams in both football and basketball—an extremely competitive process with over 500 students vying for a spot in each team. Remarkably, Mia was selected for both! This weekend, she heads to Queensland to represent Victoria at the School Sports Australia Games, and we were thrilled to present her with her official state jerseys before she left. Mia, your dedication, resilience, and positive attitude are an inspiration to us all—good luck and know we’ll be cheering you on!
Flying Start
Our final Flying Start sessions are happening this Thursday and Friday, and it’s been a joy to welcome such a delightful group of future 2026 students. The interest in this successful program has been fantastic, and we still have a few spots available for preschoolers to come along this week and get a feel for ‘big school’. If you know someone who might be interested, simply call the office to register.
A reminder that 2026 enrolments are now open—enrolment forms can be collected from the office or emailed upon request.
DOBCEL School Services
Mr Perry and I have been conducting 2026 Foundation interviews. We have been asked by some prospective parents about what paraprofessional services the school offers to support ,so I thought it was a timely reminder to share the terrific support we get from DOBCEL with all families. We’re very fortunate to be so well-resourced at St Mary’s, with regular visits from our Catholic Education Office speech therapists, psychologists and teachers for the visually or hearing impaired. As part of our strong commitment to supporting every child and family, these professionals work closely with our school staff to provide tailored support and strategies that help students thrive in both their learning and wellbeing.
Casual Dress Day
On Friday, August 1, students are encouraged to wear comfy, casual clothes and bring a gold coin donation to support the Opening the Doors Foundation’s "Together We Walk" fundraiser. Students will take part by walking laps at recess to show their support.
MacKillop College Transition Day 2
A reminder that the second transition day for Year 6 students enrolled at St Mary MacKillop College for 2025 will take place on Wednesday, 30th July. Students attending should wear their sports uniform and make their own way to and from the College. Country bus travellers will be dropped off at MacKillop in the morning and will be shuttled from the secondary college in time to catch their regular bus home. Please check PAM for full details. There is school as usual for Year 6 students who are enrolled elsewhere in 2026
Parent Teacher Interviews
Looking ahead, our second round of Parent Teacher Interviews will be held in Weeks 6 and 8 this term. Online booking details will be shared via PAM, our school newsletter, and Facebook closer to the date.
Enjoy the week ahead and hope to see many of you around the school or at assembly proudly hosted by 1Y this week.
Kate
"Never See a Need Without Doing Something About It"
Mary MacKillop - Sisters of St Joseph Foundress
Key Dates
Monday July 28th - Wednesday July 30th
History Box Incursion
Wednesday July 30th
MacKillop College Transition Day 2
Thursday July 31st & Friday August 1st
Flying Start - session 4
Friday August 1st
Casual Dress Day
Assembly 12.25pm - 1Y
Monday August 4th
Shane Garner Year 5/6 Student Leadership Day
Wednesday August 6th
100 Days of Foundation
Wednesday August 6th & Thursday August 7th
Year 4 Camp
Wellbeing with Mr Doran
Curriculum with Mrs Hall
CBCA - Book Week 2025: "Book an Adventure"
Each year since 1945, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has brought children and books together across the nation through CBCA Book Week. The annual CBCA Book of the Year Awards celebrate high-quality literature by Australian authors and illustrators and aim to foster a lifelong love of reading in young people.
This year’s Book Week theme, “Book an Adventure,” encourages children to dive into exciting journeys through story. Books open the door to imagination, curiosity, and discovery—and this theme invites readers to explore new worlds with every page they turn.
Throughout the term, students and teachers will be celebrating the CBCA shortlisted titles and the work of Australian authors and illustrators throughout Literacy, Inquiry, and Art sessions. The Book Week Parade is a highlight on the calendar (Friday 22nd August), offering a chance to dress up as beloved characters from classic and contemporary stories while enjoying a wide range of engaging activities.
As we celebrate the joy of reading at school, we also encourage families to continue fostering a love of books at home. Early reading experiences are a powerful foundation for future learning and success.
RE with Mrs Davies
The Month of August
Did you know that the month of August occurs in what is called Ordinary Time? Ordinary Time lasts approximately 33 weeks of the liturgical year. The word “ordinary” does not mean it is an uninteresting time or that it is less important than other times of the year (such as Lent or Christmas). The word “ordinary” means “to order.” It is during Ordinary Time that we are called to grow in our spiritual life in hope of becoming closer to God. The color green is worn during this time to symbolize growth and hope in the salvation promised by Jesus.
August, within the Catholic Church, is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This month offers opportunities to focus on Marian devotion, including prayers and novenas to the Immaculate Heart, and to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. We will celebrate our St Mary’s School Feast Day on Friday 15th August with Mass beginning at 9.15am in our school gym. Families and friends are more than welcome to attend.
PE with Miss Clark
Athletics Sports Carnival Volunteers
To run a successful event, it always takes great volunteers. Over the coming weeks, I will be sending out expressions of interest to assist with the St Mary’s Primary School Athletics Carnivals. The dates are as follows;
Senior Athletics (Years 3-6) at Ken Harrison Reserve - Thursday the 28th of August
Junior Athletics (Foundation-Year 2) at St Mary’s Primary School oval - Thursday the 4th of September
If you are willing to help out with running events at either of these, please save the dates. More details to follow.
Regional Sports
We have several teams that have qualified for the Regional level of sports in the next couple of weeks. These sports involve a number of our Year 5 and 6 students. Please read the information on PAM regarding these events if your child/ren is involved. The sports and dates are as follows;
Regional Girls Football- Thursday 14th of August
Regional Girls Netball- Tuesday 19th of August
Regional Boys Netball- Tuesday 19th of August
Regional Girls Soccer- Tuesday 19th of August
Regional Boys Soccer- Tuesday 19th of August
@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.
Labelling your school items
Just a reminder to clearly label any items your child brings to school, in particular jumpers. We collect a huge amount of jumpers every week, some of them brand new and they can't be returned unless they are named.
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 - Adding a student absence
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
Book Club - Issue 5 orders close Monday August 11th
Scholastic Book Club Issue 5 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!
