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Newsletter Term 2 Week 8

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Families,

I hope you had a lovely but also restful long weekend and enjoyed the beautiful weather on offer. Today we welcome Saskia Littlehales to St Mary’s, with Miss Reed and 1X looking forward to her joining their class.

Andrew Plant
This week the students are in for a treat as we welcome well known illustrator, Andrew Plant to our school. Andrew will be sharing some of his most memorable picture story books with us and running hands on illustrating tips and techniques workshops while he is here.

Year 5 & 6 Personal Development Information Evening
Just a reminder that parents are invited to attend a Personal Development Information Evening via Zoom on Monday 19th June, beginning at 7.00pm. It is suggested that parents/carers attend this information meeting, so they are clear as to what our class teachers are presenting to the children. Parents can also take this opportunity to ask any questions they have regarding the content of the program and to learn how to deal with some of these issues and questions at home.

Michelle Mitchell
Increasingly, parents are making contact with the school to support parenting their ‘tween’. The work of Michelle Mitchell is well regarded in this area. You will often find her speaking on various media platforms, running workshops and has sharing tips on on what your preteen child needs, now before their teenage years. You can find out more about Michelle at Home | Michelle Mitchell

Flying Start and 2024 Enrolments
You will have heard it on 3SH and seen it in the Guardian or on our Facebook page… we are getting ready for Flying Start. 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 2024 school options for their children.

Places are filling steadily, especially in the 9.30am session, so contact the school to confirm a place for your preschooler. Flying Start runs in Term 3 on Thursday or Friday mornings from (1) 9:00 to 10:30 and (2) 11:30 – 1:00 for all interested families. Ring the office for more information.

Bus Travel
The majority of our students travel to and from school using the country and town bus service. Our bus drivers do a marvellous job as they transport our children to and from home. We encourage all parents to reinforce the message we give to our children at school about appropriate behaviour on the bus and treating their bus drivers with respect.

This includes: sitting in their seat using a seatbelt (when fitted), only getting up at their bus stop, using quiet voices while travelling, treating others kindly and being respectful of the driver.

Boundary Fence & Junior Hub
As shared in previous newsletters, the Parish block has been sold. If you have been past recently you have seen some action on the parish block as we construct Stage 1 of our new boundary fence. Stage 2 will be completed after some pre-work for the new school carpark is completed. With the roof completed and internal work full team ahead, the junior hub is really starting to take shape. It is exciting to think we are getting closer to using this amazing new learning facility.

St Vinnies Winter Appeal
At St Mary’s we place a strong focus on Social justice and try to live out the Gospel through our actions. One example of this is our commitment to the St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal. The Winter Vinnies Appeal provides emergency relief to people at risk and experiencing homelessness.Over the next two weeks we are asking for donations of non-perishable food which will be organised into hamper bags and distributed to those in need in our community. This appeal is being coordinated by our Student Representative Council (SRC).

Enjoy the week ahead and good luck to our Senior students who are participating in the Winter Sports carnival this Friday.

Kate

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

Key Dates

Thursday June 15th & Friday June 16th
Andrew Plant (Illustrator) - incursion
Friday June 16th
Year 5 & 6 Winter Sports
Assembly 12.25pm - 3T
Monday June 19th
Year 5 & 6 Personal Development Parent Information Meeting
Wednesday June 21st
Year 6 Melbourne Excursion
Friday June 23rd
Assembly 12.25pm - 5G
End of Term 2
Monday July 10th
Start of Term 3

Wellbeing with Mr Prockter

The Power of Early Reading: Enhancing Language, Academic, Social Skills, and Self-Worth in Children
In accordance with Child Safe Standard 9: Physical and online environments

Reading is a magical gateway that opens up a world of imagination, knowledge, and possibilities. From the earliest stages of a child's life, reading plays a vital role in their overall development. By introducing books and reading aloud from an early age, parents and caregivers can pave the way for enhanced language skills, academic success, social development, and increased self-worth in children. Let's delve into the numerous benefits that reading to children from a young age can bring.

Language Development:
Reading aloud to infants and toddlers lays the foundation for language development. As babies listen to the melodious rhythm of their caregiver's voice, they begin to grasp the nuances of speech, vocabulary, and grammar. Exposure to a variety of books and stories helps children acquire a rich vocabulary and an understanding of sentence structure. They learn to communicate effectively, express their thoughts, and comprehend complex ideas. Moreover, being exposed to different writing styles and genres broadens their language horizons and cultivates a love for reading.

Academic Success:
The correlation between early reading and academic achievement is well-established. Numerous studies have shown that children who are read to regularly perform better academically throughout their educational journey. Reading boosts cognitive skills, including memory, attention span, and problem-solving abilities. As children are exposed to diverse subjects and ideas through books, their general knowledge expands, making it easier for them to grasp new concepts in school. Furthermore, early reading fosters a love for learning, encouraging children to explore books independently and become lifelong learners.

Social Skills:
Reading together is not only a bonding experience but also a catalyst for social development. Through storybooks, children encounter different characters and situations, expanding their empathy and understanding of the world around them. They learn about emotions, conflict resolution, and social interactions. Reading promotes discussions, allowing children to express their thoughts and opinions. As parents or caregivers engage in dialogues surrounding the book's content, children develop crucial conversational and listening skills. Additionally, reading fosters a sense of community as children connect with others who share their favorite books, characters, and stories.

Confidence and Self-Worth:
When children are read to, they feel valued, loved, and worthy of attention. This positive interaction boosts their self-esteem and confidence. As they grow older and begin reading independently, their sense of accomplishment flourishes. Mastering the skill of reading empowers children to explore new worlds, solve problems, and entertain themselves. It ignites their imagination, encouraging creativity and critical thinking. By witnessing their progress, children develop a strong sense of self-worth and realize their potential to conquer challenges.

I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekends and have a nice shorter working week.

Mr Prockter :)

RE with Mrs Davies

Pentecost Sunday - The birth of the Church
Recently we celebrated a very special event in the Church's Liturgical calendar, PENTECOST SUNDAY. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2:1-31),and it marks the beginning of the Christian church's mission to the world. This term the students have been learning about Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Sustainability with Mrs Ward

Join the Compost Revolution
Composting your food and garden scraps is one of the easiest ways to reduce your greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as feed your garden. When organic waste like food goes to landfill, it decomposes and creates methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO2!
Globally, if food waste was a country, it would be the third largest GHG emitter right after the US and China. Check out www. compostrevolution.com.au and follow their ever so easy composting tips and hacks to start today!

PE with Miss Clark

Regional Cross Country
It was cold with a slight drizzle, but pretty good conditions for St Arnaud on Tuesday the 6th of June for the Regional Cross Country. The 16 St Mary’s students competing all did an amazing job at representing our school and can be super proud of their efforts. We have 3 students who have qualified for the next level. Congratulations to Oliver S, Mia H and Evie K for coming in the top 12! We wish these students the best of luck at States in Melbourne and I again want to congratulate all the students for making it to the Regional level and thank the parents for driving down to support our students.

Year 5 and 6 Division Winter Sport
Goodluck to our Year 5 and 6 students who have the Division Winter Sports competition at the end of this week on Friday the 16th of June. A big thank you once again to the Mackillop students who helped prepare our students for the day.

PMP
Our Foundation and Year 1 PMP program will complete their last session this week with a catch up next Monday the 19th of June for Foundation Green and Blue that missed their sessions due to the King’s Birthday public holiday. The program aims to practice and improve fundamental motor skills in young students. The students really enjoyed it and thank you to all of our parents and House Captain’s for your time in helping to run the station activities.

AFL clinics
To get around the start of Footy season, the Year 4’s and 5’s have had several weeks of AFL clinics run by Riley Daniels and Pyper McGown this term. The clinics have incorporated skill challenges and minor games focussing on handballing, kicking and marking. These clinics have also been extended to our Year 6 students for 2 weeks. This week will be the last week of the clinics and St Mary’s would like to say a big thank you to Riley and Pyper. Myself and the students have really appreciated both of your knowledge, different game ideas and passion for footy.

Andrew Plant Incursion

We look forward to welcoming illustrator Andrew Plant this week. All year levels will participate in a hands on workshop. You can find out more about Andrew by visiting his website http://www.andrewplant.com/

Andrew will be bringing along his books for students to purchase. Paperbacks $10 Hardbacks $20. Cash only, all copies will be personally signed.

@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

CSEF Applications close on 23rd June 2023
If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child. The annual CSEF amount per student is $125 for primary school students.

HOW TO APPLY:
New applicants should contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form or download from the CSEF website www.vic.gov.au/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund

If you applied for the CSEF at your child’s school in 2022, you do not need to complete an application form in 2023 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred:

new student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools in 2023 or you did not apply in 2022
changed family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2023.

If you are unsure please contact the school office on 50332541.

If you are eligible for CSEF you are also eligible for the Family Fee Assistance Scheme. The FFAS amount for 2023 is $850.00. This amount is credited against your school fee account once your CSEF application has been validated.

School Beanies
With the weather cooling down, now is a great time to purchase a school beanie! Available on CDF Pay for $15.00.

How to add your child's absence on PAM
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

Rapid Antigen Tests
We have excess supply of Rapid Antigen Tests available for families. You can collect test kits from the office between 8.30am and 4pm.

News from the Canteen

Ordering from our canteen for recess or lunch is online via CDF Pay
https://smswanhill.cdfpay.org.au/
Orders are to be placed by 9.30am. We recommend ordering the night before.

If you are able to help in the canteen on any of the dates in yellow, please contact the office on 50332541 or email office@smswanhill.catholic.edu.au

We are after more parents/grandparents/special friends to help fill out canteen roster. All you need is your VIC WWCC.