Newsletter Term 3 Week 4

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Families,

There was a sea of party hats on show and a great deal of excitement as we celebrated Mac's first birthday at assembly on Friday. The Mac monitors did a great job of planning the celebrations and Mac certainly enjoyed his birthday cake and all the TLC! Thanks to our SRC, Friday was also the day to wear 'a touch of yellow', with over $450 raised in support of the Cancer Council.

St Mary’s School Disco Friday 4th August
The P & F, supported by a group of very capable Year 6 students have been working hard to organise the upcoming disco. Excitement is rising and the ticket sales are strong for this very popular event on the school calendar! With Disco Joe in charge of the tunes, we are sure to see some impressive dance moves from the children and always enjoy to see how excited they are to dress up and enjoy the fun with their friends.

NAPLAN
Our Naplan results arrived last week and it was wonderful to see how well our Year 3 and Year 5 students did across all key curriculum areas. We are looking forward to sharing our results with you once families have had the opportunity to read their child's individual reports. These have been posted to the families of our Year 3 & 5 students together with information on how to read the new report format.

100 Days of Learning
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 Thursday 3rd August.  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!

St Mary’s Way-Respect Blitz
St Mary’s is proud to be a SWPBS school. This is a whole school approach to creating an environment, which encourages effective learning through the development of a positive, calm and welcoming atmosphere. We encourage positive feedback to students often and endeavour to teach students how to behave appropriately.

This week we continue our whole school ‘blitz’ on Respect. Each morning we acknowledge some of the many students who have been noticed being respectful in the way they conduct themselves at school and the spreadsheet detailing how many tickets have been awarded to each year level is updated each day. Meet some of the students  at St Mary's who have stood out for showing respect to their peers and our staff over the past few days - Solomon, Eveleen, Jakobe, Braxton, Riley and Pearl.

Flying Start Prep Transition Program 
Flying Start session 3 coming up this week on Thursday & Friday. We have loved meeting all the preschoolers who have joined us for Flying Start and it's been amazing to see how comfortable they were in the school surroundings last week. They have settled in very  quickly and are loving school life…so far!  Check out these smiles as they explored 'big school' and showed off their skills inside and on the playground.

School Crossings
Please remind your children to use the school crossings correctly and safely. When using the Murlong St road crossing, students should: wait at the white line, wait for the crossing person to walk out, listen for the whistle to blow twice, cross safely and listen for any instructions. The car park crossings are supervised by St. Mary’s staff, allowing students to cross safely due to many cars and buses travelling through during the morning. Please ensure children are dropped off in the marked car parks so they can walk to the closest crossing.

It was lovely to see so many families at our assembly last Friday. Congratulations to the children in Foundation Green who were extremely proud to lead our assembly prayer. This week we look forward to hearing from 4L,

Enjoy the week ahead.

Kate

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

Key Dates

Tuesday August 1st
The NED Show - Incursion
Thursday August 3rd
100 Days of School - Foundation
Regional Football
Thursday August 3rd & Friday August 4th
Flying Start session 3
Friday August 4th
Assembly 12.25pm - 4L
School Disco
Tuesday August 8th
Regional Netball
Regional Soccer
St Mary MacKillop Feast Day Liturgy 
Thursday August 10th & Friday August 11th
Flying Start session 4
Friday August 11th
Assembly 12.25pm - 3S

Wellbeing with Mr Prockter

In accordance with Child Safe Standard 4: Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.

Balancing Act: Limiting Kids' Screen Time After School and Safely Navigating Technology
In today's digital age, technology has become an integral part of our lives, permeating every aspect of society, including education and entertainment. As beneficial as technology can be, excessive screen time can pose significant challenges, particularly for children. Striking a healthy balance between technology usage and other activities is crucial for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In this article, we'll explore the importance of limiting kids' screen time after school and provide practical tips on how to safely use technology.

Understanding the Impact of Screen Time:
Research has shown that excessive screen time can have adverse effects on children's development. Prolonged exposure to screens can lead to issues such as reduced attention span, sleep disturbances, obesity, and even social and emotional difficulties. Moreover, excessive screen time can hinder children from engaging in physical activities, creative play, and face-to-face interactions, essential for their overall growth.

Setting Realistic Screen Time Limits:
As parents or guardians, it is crucial to establish reasonable and age-appropriate screen time limits for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following guidelines:

Toddlers (18-24 months): Avoid digital media use, except for video chatting.

Preschoolers (2-5 years): Limit screen time to one hour per day of high-quality programming, preferably co-viewed with parents to facilitate learning and comprehension.

School-age children (6 years and older): Establish consistent limits on the time spent on screens, ensuring ample time for physical activities, homework, and social interactions.

Implementing Technology-Free Zones:
Designate certain areas in the house as technology-free zones, such as the dining area and bedrooms. These zones will encourage family members to disconnect from screens during meals and bedtime, fostering healthier communication and more restful sleep patterns.

Encouraging Outdoor Activities:
Promote outdoor activities and sports as alternatives to screen time. Encouraging children to engage in physical activities not only keeps them physically fit but also enhances their cognitive abilities and social skills. Organising family outings, sports events, or nature hikes can help build lasting memories and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Modeling Healthy Technology Habits:
Children often imitate the behavior of adults around them. To instill healthy technology habits, parents and caregivers must model responsible screen usage. Demonstrate a balanced approach to technology by avoiding excessive screen time and actively participating in non-tech activities.

Quality Over Quantity:
Not all screen time is equal. Encourage kids to engage with high-quality, educational content that promotes creativity, critical thinking, and learning. Look for age-appropriate apps, games, and websites that encourage skill development and mental growth.

Implementing Parental Controls and Monitoring:
Technology can be a double-edged sword, and the internet may expose children to inappropriate content or risks. Utilize parental control software and settings on devices to filter content and protect them from potential harm. Regularly check their online activities and discuss internet safety to ensure they understand how to navigate the digital world responsibly.

I hope you can all connect to this article as it’s crucial that we understand the power of technology and there are ways to fight against its rapid rise. 

Mr Prockter

RE with Mrs Davies

Sacraments
Congratulations to Sebastian C and Rory P who completed their First Eucharist yesterday at Mass. This now completes the Year 4 students completing this special sacrament and we look forward to preparing the Year 3 children for their First Confirmation in the lead up to the Masses in October. More information to be sent out later this term.

Sustainability with Mrs Ward

While sandwiches are a lunchbox staple, we know plenty of kids are opposed to eating one particular part- the crusts. 

Here is how to stop them from going to waste:

1. Remove the crusts before making them into your child’s sandwich.
2. Chop and store them in a container in the freezer.
3. When you have enough, bake them on a lined tray in a hot oven until dry.
4. Once they are cool, blitz them in a food processor.
5. Store the bread crumbs in a sealable bag and store in the fridge, ready to use as crumbs to coat chicken, pork or fish. 

- Coles Magazine: February, 2023

PE with Mr Smith

Regional Football
This Thursday, August 3rd, 44 St Mary’s students will be participating in the Regional Boys and Girls football in Swan Hill.  The details are as follows:

The boys football will be held at Swan Hill and Tyntynder football grounds.  The first game will be held at 10:45am.  All students will need to make sure they pack plenty of snacks and water to get through the day.

The girls football will be held at Ken Harrison Reserve commencing at 10:45am.  Once again, students will need to pack themselves plenty of snacks and water to get them through the day.

If you are wondering what time your child is playing, please refer to the fixture that has been sent out via PAM.  We wish all students participating in the Regional Football carnivals all the very best.

Regional Netball
This year is a little different with both St Mary’s Girls and Boys teams qualifying for the Regional Netball carnival to be held at Alan Garden Reserve, Swan Hill. This event will be held on Tuesday, 8th of August commencing at 10:45am. We will have 20 students participating on this day which is an outstanding achievement.  Both If you are wondering what time your child is playing, please refer to the fixture that has been sent out via PAM.

Regional Soccer
In another great achievement for St Mary’s, both our boys and girls Soccer teams have qualified for the Regional Soccer Carnival to be held at Ken Harrison Reserve on Tuesday, 8th of August commencing at 10:45am.  29 eager up and coming Soccer stars are looking forward to showing their skills with a home ground advantage.  If you are wondering what time your child is playing, please refer to the fixture that has been sent out via PAM.  The Swan Hill Soccer Club has decided to open up their canteen for students to access on this day.

Seniors Athletics Volunteers via PAM
It has been such a pleasure to see so many volunteers putting their hand up to assist with our Senior Athletics Carnival to be held at Ken Harrison Reserve on Friday, August 25th.  If you are wondering how you can get involved, simply refer to your PAM permission slip sent out to parents earlier this term.  If you don’t have a child from Years 3-6 and would like to be involved, simply send me an email and I will get back to you in regards to the shifts available.  As I have mentioned in previous pieces, many hands make light work and your help is greatly appreciated.

@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

Breakfast Club Donations
Breaky Club is kindly asking for donations of Vegemite. These can be left at the office.

School Beanies
The mornings are freezing so now is a great time to purchase a school beanie! Available on CDF Pay for $15.00.

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 need your help to fill the Term 3 roster!!!

Birthday Wishes

Student of the Week

What's happening at Flying Start?