Newsletter Term 3 Week 3
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Families,
We all enjoyed the sunshine on Friday as we walked laps in support of Opening the Doors Fundraiser, Together We Walk. We raised $447.50 for this very worthy cause.
A warm welcome to Finn Laffy, from ACU, who starts placement today with Mrs Free in 6M.
It was great to have The History Box with us last week! The hands-on, engaging sessions were a hit with students and linked perfectly to many of our year levels’ Inquiry units. From trying on costumes to exploring artefacts, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Check out these photos that capture some of the fun and highlights!
Year 5-6 Leadership Workshop
Today, Shane Garner led an engaging student leadership workshop that introduced the concept of being a good sport and how self-awareness helps us align our choices with actions that benefit both ourselves and those around us. Students explored the idea of self-leadership by reflecting on personal standards, kindness, and the ripple effect our behaviour has on others and the broader community. Shane encouraged students to think about the lasting impact of simple actions—like a smile or a kind word—and how leadership is often about the small, everyday choices we make. The session also delved into resilience, with practical techniques to help students be their best, even when faced with challenges.
Year 4 camp
Our Year 4 students are off to Billabong Ranch in Echuca for two days of fun and hands-on adventure! They’ll enjoy a range of activities, including games, sports, team building, archery, rock climbing, and exploring the on-site trails and playground. We can’t wait to hear all about it! A reminder that this Friday is a No New Learning Day. In line with the updated industrial agreement, staff will not be in attendance. Any students attending school will be supervised by a CRT and will engage in general activities for the day.
Mia Hirst
A big congratulations to Mia Hirst who was a member of the Victorian basketball team who defeated Queensland by 3 points in the Grand Final of the School Sports Australia National Championship. An amazing achievement. Mia will now turn her attention to playing for the Victorian State Girls Football team in the National Championships this week. Mia has also been named Captain of the football team. We are very proud of Mia’s achievements so far and we wish her all the best for the coming week!
100 Days of School
It’s that time of year again when our kids and staff ‘age a little’ as they dress up to celebrate 100 days of learning. The Foundation children are very excited to celebrate 100 days of Learning on Wednesday, July 6th. This annual event is one that the staff and children in Foundation really look forward to and love to see our youngest students dress up and have fun, celebrating just how clever they have become - a whole 100 days smarter!
Mary MacKillop Liturgy Friday 8th August 9.15 am
On Friday, August 8th, Foundation and Fr James will lead us in celebrating our St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Liturgy at 9.15 am. Mary Mackillop is Australia's first saint and founded the Sisters of St Joseph who served our school community for almost 100 years and are a huge part of our St. Mary’s school history. Mary’s statue takes centre stage in our school grounds to remind us of her legacy. The liturgy will take place in the school gymnasium, with all families warmly welcome to attend.
Book Week Parade
We’re looking forward to the magic of Book Week this year with the exciting theme “Books and Adventure!” – a perfect match for the way stories can take us anywhere. Whether it's deep into the jungle, across the stars, or through secret doorways into imaginary worlds, books open up endless possibilities for adventure. Some advance notice to celebrate Book Week, we have our very popular in our annual Book Week Dress Up Parade on Friday, 22nd of August at 9:10 am.
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.
Kate
"Never See a Need Without Doing Something About It"
Mary MacKillop - Sisters of St Joseph Foundress
Key Dates
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
Friday August 8th
No Assembly
Mary MacKillop Liturgy - 9.15am
Tuesday August 12th
Nudie Tuesdie
RAK Incursion - Year 5
Thursday August 14th
Regional Girls AFL
Friday August 15th
No Assembly
St Mary's Feast Day - 9.15am
Wellbeing with Mr Doran
Child Safety Standard - Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
RE with Mrs Davies
Mary MacKillop Liturgy - Friday 8th August
We warmly invite all families and members of our school community to join us in celebrating the life and legacy of Saint Mary MacKillop at our special liturgy on Friday 8th August. This important occasion will be held in our school gym at 9:15am, and all are welcome to attend.
Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint, is a shining example of compassion, courage and faith in action. Her dedication to helping others—especially those most in need—continues to inspire us today. At St Mary’s, her values of kindness, service and perseverance are central to who we are as a Catholic school.
During the liturgy, Fr James and our Foundation students will lead us in prayer, reflection and song as we honour Mary MacKillop’s incredible contributions to education and social justice.
This is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together in faith and gratitude and to reflect on how we too can “never see a need without doing something about it”—one of Mary’s most well-known and powerful teachings.
We look forward to seeing you there as we celebrate this inspiring woman and the example she has left for us all.
Our Diocesan Community Magazine
Please find link to July 2025 edition of ‘Our Diocesan Community’
https://www.ballarat.catholic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ODC-July-2025-web.pdf
This magazine shares the good news stories of our schools, parishes and agencies across the diocese.
PE with Miss Clark
Senior Athletics Carnival Volunteers
The Senior Athletics permission have been sent out on PAM for students in Year 3-6 to attend the day at Ken Harrison Reserve on Thursday the 28th of August. I am also after some parent volunteers to assist with helping to run the events. There are three time slots available;
9.35am to 11.40am (morning)
12.20pm to 1.35pm (afternoon)
9.35am to 1.35pm (all day)
Thank you to those parents who have already indicated that they are able to assist on the day.
Junior Athletics
Mark in your calendars the Junior Athletics will be held on Thursday the 4th of September on our school oval! More information and a timetable of events will follow.
@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
Picking your child up early? These are our announcements times....
Just a friendly reminder that if you need to pick your children up early from school, our announcement times are at 11am (Recess), 1pm (Lunch) and 3pm (End of Day). This is to avoid disruption within the classroom. Please consider this when making appointments/arrangements.
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
School Beanies
There are still plenty of cool mornings ahead. Available on CDF Pay, under "Shop" for $20.00. Remember to put your child's name on them.
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!
Student of the Week
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Community News
